Li Chenjiao didn't focus too much on Xie Shi either.
As the year draws to a close, it is indeed a busy time everywhere.
On the day before the Lunar New Year in the twelfth lunar month, Li Chenjiao arranged for the maids and servants in the courtyard to clean the east courtyard and rearrange it.
The paper-cut window decorations that Li Chenjiao made in her spare time a few days ago can come in handy, and the two lanterns that the maids made can also be hung up under the eaves by Xiao Luzi.
When Fourth Master came at night, Li Chenjiao had just tasted the glutinous rice cake made by Madam He. She had tasted the Laba porridge made by Madam He at lunchtime, and wanted to try something else at night.
This year, neither the palace nor the mansion held grand celebrations for Laba Festival and the Little New Year.
The reason for the delay in the household was that the Fujin's health had indeed been somewhat unwell recently, and the imperial physician said that the pregnancy was not stable. In addition, Wu was still under house arrest, and there was no one capable of handling the situation.
Furthermore, both the wife and Li Chenjiao in the mansion are pregnant. This winter is very cold, and the roads are slippery and prone to accidents in the snow. It was only when the Fourth Prince was in the front yard that he personally said that there was no need to hold a big celebration except for the New Year's Day.
As for why the palace didn't celebrate Laba Festival or Little New Year this year, Li Chenjiao naturally didn't know.
However, judging from how often the Fourth Prince has been leaving early and returning late lately, something must have happened in the palace.
However, since the Fourth Master did not mention Li Chenjiao, he was also very perceptive and did not ask about it. He simply asked He Shi from the small kitchen to cook a bowl of hot wontons when the Fourth Master arrived.
At the same time, Li Chenjiao pulled the Fourth Prince to sit down on the small couch: "The wontons that Madam He made this morning were filled with shrimp. I found them quite delicious for breakfast. I'm actually craving some right now. Would the Fourth Prince like to have some with me?"
Regardless of whether the Fourth Master was hungry or not, Li Chenjiao could not openly say that the Fourth Master was hungry; this was the art of speaking.
Seeing that Fourth Master nodded, Qiu Hu hurriedly retreated to the small kitchen.
While waiting, Li Chenjiao suddenly asked Qiu Ci to put on a brush and ink.
"With the New Year approaching, I would also like to make a fool of myself and write a 'Fu' character to offer to Your Majesty, hoping that in the coming year, whether it is Fourth Master or everyone in the mansion, we will all enjoy good fortune and health."
Since she was in her own courtyard, Li Chenjiao hadn't been going outside lately. Today, she was only wearing a dark blue winter coat, probably because she was afraid of the cold. She also wore a rabbit fur collar around her neck to keep warm, and there was no special jewelry on her body.
The pair of purple jade bracelets that Consort De bestowed upon her when she last went to the palace were now placed in an inconspicuous spot on the small couch, wrapped in a silk handkerchief, because Li Chenjiao was afraid of the cold.
On the small table, there were several sprigs of winter plum blossoms in a porcelain vase. After the maid put down her brush and ink, the small table seemed a bit cramped.
However, Li Chenjiao glanced at the winter plum blossoms in the bottle but couldn't bear to have them removed.
The charcoal fire crackled intermittently in the room, making it very warm. Fourth Master sat opposite Li Chenjiao, watching her write, and his weariness seemed to lessen as well.
Warmth seemed to be enveloping the Fourth Master invisibly.
Especially after Li Chenjiao wrote the character "福" (fortune) on the red paper and presented it to the Fourth Master, she smiled and said...
"Your Majesty, I wrote the character '福' (fortune/blessing). In return, shouldn't Your Majesty write me the same character?"
As she spoke, she extended the wolf-hair brush and handed it to Fourth Master.
Fourth Master leaned against the small couch, stunned for a moment after hearing Li Chenjiao's words, then burst into laughter.
"Waiting for me here? Up to no good? Hmm?"
Anyone else would probably have been startled by the Fourth Master's final "hmm," which sounded like a question.
Li Chenjiao simply smiled and said, "Although I don't need to worry so much with you here, writing the character '福' (fortune) is a good omen."
Li Chenjiao dragged out the last syllable of her words, making it sound like she was being coquettish.
Fourth Master stared into her eyes, and after a long while, he took the wolf-hair brush from Li Chenjiao's hand.
"May the New Year bring you abundant blessings." Fourth Master said this as he wrote.
Li Chenjiao's heart stirred, and she turned her cheek slightly to watch the way Fourth Master wrote.
May the New Year bring you abundant blessings.
Li Chenjiao didn't eat much of the last bowl of wontons; He's cooking skills were indeed excellent.
Fourth Master wrote the character "福" (Fu, meaning good fortune) for Li Chenjiao, wishing her "a year full of blessings," but even before the New Year arrived, Li Chenjiao already had enough to cause trouble.
After the Lunar New Year, Li Chenjiao entered the palace as a concubine to celebrate the New Year at Consort De's palace for the first time.
The concubine's attire was still quite elaborate. After getting into the carriage, Li Chenjiao let out a soft hiss and rubbed her forehead.
She couldn't help but mutter, "If I go to the palace a few more times, all the fat I've gained will be gone again."
People's joy is indeed different. When Li Chenjiao got into the carriage earlier, she also noticed the Fujin's complexion, which looked like she had lost a lot of weight.
However, during the New Year holidays, she had to go to the palace to pay her respects to the Empress, so the Princess Consort naturally couldn't look too haggard, but even makeup couldn't hide her paleness.
Before leaving the East Courtyard, Li Chenjiao had also considered this matter, so she asked Qiu Hu to make her complexion appear whiter.
Otherwise, it would be somewhat unreasonable for a concubine to have a rosier complexion than the primary wife.
There's nothing we can do; people react differently to joy and misfortune. That's just how some things are.
Li Chenjiao had only been sitting on the soft couch for a short while when she suddenly heard the sound of servants knocking on a carriage outside.
"Xiao Luzi, what's going on outside?" Li Chenjiao asked.
Xiao Luzi answered from outside: "Reporting to Master, the eldest princess has been sent over from Song Gege's courtyard."
Li Chenjiao hesitated for a moment, then, thinking that it was windy outside today, she spoke first: "Quickly let the eldest princess get into the carriage? Didn't the master instruct that the eldest princess and the eldest prince don't need to go to the palace?"
Xiao Luzi lifted the curtain first, and Wang Shi carefully carried the eldest princess into the carriage.
"Greetings to the Consort." Lady Wang greeted the eldest princess while holding her.
Li Chenjiao hummed in agreement: "Is this what your Princess Song meant?"
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