Li Chenjiao said "Oh" and nodded.
Qiu Hu helped Li Chenjiao up, and they quickly dressed and washed up.
"Where is Fourth Master?" Li Chenjiao asked.
"I just had Eunuch Su come to see the princess. I reckon she's still with the eldest princess right now," Qiu Hu replied.
Li Chenjiao frowned slightly upon hearing this: "The eldest princess is not well? What exactly is happening to her?"
Qiu Hu shook his head, his expression somewhat grave: "This servant is not quite sure either, but I see that the faces of all the servants in the front courtyard are not very good..." Qiu Hu paused for a moment: "I heard that several imperial physicians have come."
Li Chenjiao frowned, her phoenix eyes slightly lowered.
While everyone in the front courtyard of the mansion was worried about the eldest princess, people in Yonghe Palace in the palace were also concerned about her.
"The fourth son's family has arrived?" A soft female voice was heard, its tone carrying an indescribable solemnity.
"The Fourth Princess Consort has been outside for a while now," Zhao Mama replied respectfully.
Consort De lightly raised an eyebrow, a cold smile appearing on her usually gentle face: "I'm a little tired, I'll take a nap first..."
Zhao Mama understood immediately: "Your Highness, please rest. Fourth Princess Consort is always filial and will not have any complaints."
Consort De slowly rose and was helped into the inner room by a palace maid.
A young palace maid approached Granny Zhao and said, "Granny, are we just going to leave Fourth Princess Consort standing outside like this? It's so cold outside."
Granny Zhao snorted: "Watch the time. In a quarter of an hour, tell Fourth Princess Consort to wait in the side hall. Serve her tea and snacks well and don't neglect her."
The young palace maid smiled and hurried out.
Granny Zhao was busy too. After giving her instructions, she went out through the small door at the back of Yonghe Palace to visit the Fourteenth Prince and the Thirteenth Prince in the Imperial Study.
Meanwhile, the princess consort was left outside in the cold wind for half an hour, but she still had to force a smile and maintain the demeanor of a prince's wife.
When the young palace maid came out, the Fujin smiled unconsciously, naturally assuming that Consort De had invited her in.
The young palace maid looked at the princess and smiled with her head down, bowing as she said, "Your Highness is currently unavailable, so please wait in the side hall, Fourth Princess."
The Fujin came alone today. Yu Ru Meng Mama was beaten and couldn't get up now. The Fujin has never valued the remaining second-class servants in the main courtyard, and now she doesn't even have anyone to accompany her.
The princess was inwardly groaning, but she had to force a smile on her face: "Thank you for your trouble."
The palace maid sneered inwardly, naturally knowing about the Fujin's affairs, but outwardly she simply replied with a faint "yes."
The Fujin sat there for most of the day. When night fell and it was pitch black, Zhao Mama finally appeared and said that Consort De wanted the Fujin to come over.
The princess consort straightened her clothes discreetly and hurried after him.
Consort De was having her dinner when a woman dressed in a lilac-colored qipao was serving her food.
The princess consort keenly sensed something was amiss. Clutching her embroidered handkerchief, she forced a smile and curtsied, saying, "Your daughter-in-law greets Mother. May Mother be blessed."
Consort De slowly took a sip of soup, wiped her mouth, and turned to the girl in the lilac-colored qipao, saying, "This soup is fresh; is it your new creation?"
The woman smiled and replied calmly, "Yes, the prescriptions used are all mild and nourishing, just right for Your Majesty to replenish your body..."
Consort De continued to smile, "You're so thoughtful, child." After speaking, she slowly turned to face the Fujin, her smile immediately fading, and said indifferently, "The Fourth Prince's wife is here? It's been a while since I've seen you."
Consort De's words, compared to those of the woman just now, suddenly made the Fujin (the wife of the deceased) seem unfilial.
The princess consort quickly said, "It was my negligence, Mother. Please punish me."
Consort De glanced lightly at the woman beside her.
The woman then tactfully replied, "Fourth Princess Consort is busy with many affairs, so it's inevitable that she doesn't have time... But Consort De is only doing this for your own good. If word gets out, people who don't know the situation might think that you, Fourth Princess Consort, are unfilial."
The princess gritted her teeth, raised her head slightly, and straightened her back: "Mother is kind and benevolent; it is your daughter-in-law who has been negligent."
Consort De chuckled softly and raised her hand slightly: "Look at me, I forgot you were still kneeling. Get up quickly."
The princess consort agreed and rose according to protocol.
Consort De continued, "The palace gates will be locked soon. I'll have Zhao Mama escort you out of the palace. Your family will be worried if it's too late." She was speaking to the woman.
The princess consort remained silent, but secretly glanced at the woman again, and breathed a sigh of relief.
She wasn't some stunning beauty; she was just an ordinary-looking woman, nothing special.
Upon hearing this, the woman smiled and bowed respectfully, saying, "Your Majesty's consideration is very thoughtful. I cannot refuse. Thank you, Your Majesty."
Granny Zhao then led the woman out, followed by the palace maids from the room.
Only Consort De and Consort Fujie remained in the room.
"I remember saying when the fourth prince got married that I had seen plenty of dirty tricks in the backyard and I would not interfere, but if they lay hands on the fourth prince's offspring, I would not tolerate it!"
The princess dared not refute: "Yes, the matter of the eldest princess is my fault, I am guilty."
"You are guilty, guilty of lax governance and guilty of not employing those you suspect... Fourth Prince's family, I will say it one last time, I will not allow any mistakes in the offspring of the Fourth Prince!" Consort De spoke calmly, but it was precisely this calm tone that made people even more terrified.
The princess consort readily agreed.
“There used to be a servant named Xu who served me. Since you don’t have a capable person by your side, I will assign Xu to you. What do you say?” Consort De spoke again.
The princess consort didn't want to agree, as it was no different from having a spy planted next to her, but she had no choice but to comply.
"Yes, thank you, Mother." The Fujin reluctantly replied through gritted teeth.
The Consort De, sitting above, secretly shook her head. The Fujin's methods were good, but she was really bad at managing the people below. Xu Mama was both an informant and a mentor.
The fourth son's backyard should not be like the third son's or the fifth son's, causing him so much trouble.
"Alright then, what do you think of that girl from the fourth prince's family?" Consort De poured tea and blew on it slowly.
The princess paused for a moment, then said, "She is well-mannered and seems to be a good girl who knows proper etiquette."
Consort De took a sip of tea, the steam rising from it: "I think it's a good idea. It just so happens that the Fourth Prince doesn't have many people in his harem. Why not take one in to add a new person and share some of the burden with you?"
Consort De's words were gentle, but they stunned the Fujin.
The first few sentences were within the Fujin's expectations, but the last sentence, "to share some of your burden," left her somewhat at a loss.
Does Your Highness mean you're going to give her a concubine? This... this won't do!
Seeing the Fujin's anxiety, Consort De smiled inwardly, but her expression remained gentle: "She is a good girl... Let's take her as a concubine for now, and talk about it later when time has passed."
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