Consort De herself was a concubine, and her teachings to the Fourth Prince were mostly to be lenient with the women in the harem as much as possible. If someone really didn't know the rules, then he should be dealt with accordingly. However, he would be lenient with them in their daily lives, such as clothing, food, and housing.
The fourth prince himself did an excellent job in this regard, at least better than his father, the emperor.
But even someone like the Emperor has his advantages, and naturally, Consort De sees her son as the best.
Speaking of her son, Consort De naturally thought of her other good-for-nothing younger son: "Your fourteenth brother fell down at the horse farm again the other day. I think he did it on purpose. He knew that your father was going to test his knowledge, so he deliberately ran away... You don't need to pay attention to him."
Fourth Prince could tell that his mother still cared about his fourteenth brother, so he cupped his hands again and said, "I still have some ointments that Father Emperor gave me. I'll send some to the palace tomorrow."
Consort De was afraid that the fourth prince would misunderstand her meaning: "I told you long ago that you don't need to pay attention to him. If you go, he will pester you again."
Fourth Master replied, "Yes." But he would still visit Fourteenth Master, as he hadn't visited his two younger brothers, Thirteenth and Fourteenth Master, for a while.
The Fourth Prince finally returned to his residence after leaving the palace. It was past noon, and the Second Princess and the Eldest Princess had just finished their studies.
As soon as Fourth Master returned to the front courtyard, Second Princess, with her sharp eyes, came over within seconds and ran into Fourth Master's arms in the blink of an eye: "Father, Father! Did you bring milk tea for your daughter?"
Fourth Master patted the little girl's head and said softly, "Father is busy today. If Aman wants milk tea, then have someone go outside to buy some. Are you hot?"
The little girl wasn't afraid at all. She said "okay" in a clear voice, and then said she wasn't hot. She even asked her father if he was hot.
The eldest princess walked even slower, watching from afar with obvious envy in her eyes. She was too far away to hear what her father was saying to her second sister, but their intimate gestures were clear to everyone.
The eldest princess held Wang's hand and watched from afar.
Madam Wang whispered, "Why doesn't the eldest princess also go and pay her respects to the master?"
The eldest princess paused for a while, and while she was hesitating, the second princess greeted her with a smile.
Fourth Prince also noticed the eldest princess. As she approached, he held the second princess's hand with one hand and greeted the eldest princess with the other, saying, "Look, our eldest princess seems to have grown taller..."
When the Fourth Prince asked about the eldest princess, the second princess fell silent. She leaned against her father, gazing at the bright sun overhead, and felt only hunger.
The eldest princess answered the fourth prince's question with timidity, but the father and daughter soon fell silent.
The second princess had already let go of her father's hand and was playing with the tassels on the sachet she wore at her waist.
Fourth Master glanced down and saw the two cute little tufts on the little girl's head. He knew without looking that Li Chenjiao had personally tied them up for her.
"It's getting late. Father will have someone take you home. It's hot, so don't stay cooped up." Fourth Master said this to the eldest princess.
The eldest princess couldn't help but glance at the second princess, but in the end she still bowed respectfully and withdrew.
Fourth Prince led the Second Princess and the little girl to stand under the eaves for a while. As he watched the First Princess's figure disappear into the distance, something flashed in his eyes. Finally, he lowered his head and asked, "What food has your mother prepared today?"
The second princess moved her lips. Although she was young, she stared at her older sister's departing figure for a long time before finally saying, "I don't know either."
Fourth Master patted the little girl's head again: "Let's go, let's go to your mother's for dinner."
Back in the East Courtyard, Li Chenjiao was surprised to see Fourth Master leading Second Princess back. The young lady hadn't returned yet, and lunch hadn't been served. She stood up and asked, "Why did you bring Aman back with you, Master? Have you had lunch yet?"
As she said this, she was already preparing to have Qiu Hu and the others set out lunch.
Fourth Master also seemed to have something on his mind, and only responded to Li Chenjiao's words with a single word.
The Second Princess quickly let go of Fourth Master's hand and ran into Li Chenjiao's arms.
"Go wash your face and hands. Today your Aunt Qiuhu is using orange scented products, which is your favorite. Go and have your Sister Lvju lead you there."
After Li Chenjiao finished asking the little girl, she turned around and saw that the Fourth Master was still standing there. She hesitated slightly and said, "Master, you've come back from outside. Why don't you wipe your hands and face too?"
She used a questioning tone.
Fourth Master snapped out of his daze, probably not even having heard what Li Chenjiao said, and agreed: "Okay."
Li Chenjiao paused for a moment, then said, "Then go to the inner room to wipe your hands. I will serve you personally."
The orange-scented juice was made by drying leftover orange peels and boiling them together with spices sent by Granny Zhong. Every time before wiping her hands, she would put some in the copper basin. The fragrance was refreshing, and the little girl always loved that smell.
Seeing that Fourth Master was absent-minded, Li Chenjiao personally led Fourth Master's hand into the copper basin, added orange juice, and gently rubbed Fourth Master's body. The water in the copper basin was warm, and Li Chenjiao inexplicably smiled.
After wiping her hands, Li Chenjiao looked up at Fourth Master's face, but in the end, she didn't change the water and took a handkerchief to wipe Fourth Master's face.
After the Fourth Master's hands were dried with a handkerchief, he finally came to his senses.
The first thing that caught his eye was Li Chenjiao's smiling face. Fourth Master suddenly reached out and pinched Li Chenjiao's cheek: "You've gotten plumper."
Li Chenjiao exclaimed, "Ah!...Yes, is there?"
She didn't feel like she had gained weight at all; she almost suspected that the Fourth Master was just making up something to fool her.
She raised her hand and touched her face, still feeling a little guilty.
Fourth Master hummed in agreement, and the way he changed the subject when he spoke again left Li Chenjiao dumbfounded.
"When Master picked up the Second Princess today, the First Princess was also there."
Li Chenjiao reacted quickly: "People's hearts are always biased."
She immediately understood what the Fourth Master meant.
This is because she felt guilty after bringing the second princess back and looking at the eldest princess.
Fourth Master's guilt always seemed to be directed more towards the children.
Fourth Master lowered his head and released his grip on Li Chenjiao's face: "I'm biased towards you."
Fourth Master said this through gritted teeth.
Li Chenjiao was stunned again. She paused for a moment and said, "Then I should be more careful with my words and actions in the future, otherwise I will disappoint Your Highness's favoritism."
This time, the Fourth Master laughed out loud.
They always talk nonsense.
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