The Second Princess was actually a very astute girl, and she had been raised by her own mother, Lady Li. Later, she was given to the Fourth Prince's wife to raise, and she was able to get along with the wife fairly well.
The eldest princess's birth mother, Lady Song, no longer enjoyed much favor, so the principal wife was less likely to be harsh on her. However, the second princess's birth mother, Lady Li, held the position of secondary principal wife and was favored by the fourth prince, so the principal wife's attitude towards her was somewhat delicate.
At first, the servants assigned to serve her were not very attentive, sometimes ruining her clothes, sometimes losing her jewelry. After enduring this a few times, the Second Princess realized that if she didn't report it to the Princess Consort, they would treat her even less like a princess.
When the Second Princess found the Fujin, she was initially confused, but gradually she realized that it was all the Fujin's arrangement. So the Second Princess began to learn to read the Fujin's expressions, and gradually, this lifestyle became her own personality.
The Fujin (principal wife) did not mistreat her and the eldest princess; she simply made them understand that only the Fujin could provide them with the dignified life they deserved.
The eldest princess was like Song Shi in temperament—gentle, kind, and without much scheming. The second princess, on the other hand, was more cunning. Li Shi herself was also more shrewd than Song Shi. As the saying goes, dragons beget dragons, phoenixes beget phoenixes, and a mouse's son knows how to dig a hole.
The second princess gradually learned to read the princess's eyes and became more and more pleasing to her, so the second princess received more and better things than the first princess.
Later, the Fujin was confined, and her husband was moved out of the main courtyard and came to live with Lanqin. At first, the Second Princess was also trying to get along with Lanqin's preferences, but gradually she found that Lanqin was easier to get along with than the Fujin and was also very amiable. So she began to live a good life here. After all, the struggle between wives and concubines was a mess that she, as a princess who was going to get married in the future, should not have gotten involved in.
Therefore, when Lingxiu first came to the Second Princess to talk about the matter of the Fujin (principal wife), she refused.
However, Lingxiu repeatedly came to see her, each time speaking with great emotion. She told the Second Princess about the various things the Fujin had done to her and the First Princess, and that the Fujin was the legal wife, and that her future marriage would still be decided by her. This was because the Second Princess was still nominally the Fujin's daughter.
The Second Princess was finally persuaded by Lingxiu, not because of how the Fujin had treated her in the past, but because the Fujin, as her legal mother, could truly decide her future marriage.
After agreeing to plead for the Fujin, the Second Princess still struggled internally. After all, Lanqin had treated her quite well, never setting any rules for her, let alone embarrassing her, and always inviting her to have something delicious or fun.
However, compared to one's life's most important matter, these things are nothing.
On this day, Yehe suddenly came to see the Second Princess and said to her, "Second Princess, you have received great kindness from the Fujin in raising you. Now it is time to repay her."
The Second Princess did not like Yehe, and seeing her speak so frankly, she replied, "No need for Princess Yehe to worry about it. Erlinzhu understands!"
As Yehe Shi walked with the Second Princess towards the front courtyard, she said, "Second Princess, you're still worried about your stepmother. When you go to the master's place later, do you understand what to say?"
"Even if my stepmother has some faults, she still raised me and the eldest princess. Now that she is seriously ill and has not recovered, I hope that Father can lift the ban on my stepmother and let Erlinzhu Courtyard be moved back so that I can fulfill my filial duty at my stepmother's bedside." The second princess seemed to be reciting a poem.
Yehe nodded as she listened, saying, "The Second Princess is indeed raised by the Fujin (Prince's wife), and her demeanor is truly extraordinary. Moreover, I have something to say to you. Think about how your birth mother ended up in such a state. Wasn't it because that woman from the South Courtyard came that she gradually lost your father's favor? Therefore, she is the most direct culprit in your birth mother's tragic death. How could such a person truly be good to you?"
Upon hearing this, the Second Princess naturally felt a deep hatred for Lanqin.
The two went straight to the front yard and walked in without even letting the gatekeeper report.
Fourth Master had just returned, and he hadn't looked up once. Even Su Peisheng rarely saw him so unhappy, and he exuded an aura that kept strangers at bay.
"Master, Princess Yehe and Princess Er have arrived. They say they have something to report to you!" Su Peisheng had no choice but to bite the bullet and go forward to speak to the Fourth Master.
Fourth Master leaned back in his wide-backed chair, his eyes closed. After hearing Su Peisheng's words, he pondered for a moment before saying, "Let them in!"
The Second Princess and Yehe Shi walked out one after the other. When they reached the Fourth Prince's desk, she said, "Elinzhu greets Father!"
"This humble servant greets Your Highness!" said Yehe Shi.
Fourth Master nodded and asked, "What brings you all here together?"
The Second Princess was already in tears. Seeing this, the Fourth Prince quickly said, "Elinzhu, what are you doing?"
The second princess wiped her eyes with a handkerchief and cried, "Father, please save my stepmother! She's terminally ill!"
Fourth Master frowned: "How could a mere cold have progressed to such a critical condition?"
"My mother knows that her actions have hurt Father's feelings, and she has been holding a grudge ever since. After falling ill this time, she often blames herself and feels very regretful, hoping to gain Father's forgiveness. Elinzhu has grown up under my mother's guidance and deeply feels that my mother is kind and gentle, how could she do such a thing? There must be some ill-intentioned servants who speculate that my mother did such a thing. Father, my mother has already regretted it. Could you please, for the sake of our marriage, allow my mother to return to her parents' home to recuperate for the time being?" the Second Princess said.
Looking at Erlinzhu's appearance and then at Yeheshi, Fourth Master felt a sting in his eyes.
"I often recall the teachings of my wife, the Fujin. She is gentle and kind, and I can never forget what she said to me when I first entered the household. She said that once we entered the household, we were all sisters, and we should always think of others, be generous and modest, so that the household would be peaceful. I think, with such teachings from my wife, how could I have done such a thing? I beg you, Your Majesty, to give her another chance, for she is, after all, your principal wife!"
After listening to their tearful complaints, the Fourth Prince only asked, "Did your wife tell you to say you wanted to go back to your parents' home?"
The Second Princess immediately shook her head and said, "No, my stepmother has never said anything to Elinzhu. It's Elinzhu herself who thinks that my stepmother's prolonged illness is due to her inner turmoil. If she could go back to her parents' home to recuperate, she might recover. Judging from her condition, Elinzhu is afraid she won't last much longer!"
The Fourth Prince fell silent. Although he loathed the little tricks his wife had played, he couldn't accept the sudden news that she was going to die.
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