"Honghui, do you know what you're saying?" A complex light flashed in Fourth Master's eyes, but he was inexplicably happy. Although he questioned Honghui's sense of responsibility, his tone was not serious at all, but rather unusually gentle.
“I know. I’ve felt guilty ever since I offended Aunt Yin. It was only after she miscarried at my third uncle’s house that I felt even worse. As for the recent rumors in the mansion that Aunt Niu pushed Aunt Yin at my third uncle’s house, causing her miscarriage, I think it’s probably a misunderstanding. I don’t think Aunt Niu would do such a thing,” Honghui said.
"You, come here!" Fourth Master felt extremely gratified at this moment.
Yes, it was a feeling of relief. The changes in Honghui truly brought him immense joy and satisfaction. The Fourth Prince had already pieced together most of the story about Lady Yin's miscarriage on his way back; it was highly likely that someone was deliberately using this incident to suppress Lady Niohuru. He had grown up in the Forbidden City's inner palace, a place rife with intrigue and strife. He had witnessed far too many of these power struggles between women since childhood. In fact, after hearing Lady Li's "report," the Fourth Prince had already grasped the gist of the matter. He only needed to summon Bai Yifu for questioning, and the truth would be pretty much revealed.
"You're very good, very sensible. Alright, you don't need to feel guilty anymore. Hitting Madam Yin was an accident, nobody wanted it." Fourth Master raised his hand and patted Honghui's shoulder, comforting him. The unborn child in Madam Yin's belly was naturally not as important as this eldest son whom she had carefully raised for eight years.
"Father, Honghui has a request, but I don't know if I can say it." Seeing that the Fourth Prince's tone had softened and he had even patted him on the shoulder, Honghui knew that this was the right time to speak to the Princess Consort.
"Speak." Fourth Master's mood had indeed improved a lot because of Honghui's understanding.
“I wish to spend a midday with my mother every day. Since moving to the front courtyard, I've had far too few opportunities to see her. She misses me and inevitably feels resentful. Besides, Master Zhu taught us to pay our respects to our parents morning and evening as a sign of filial piety. Apart from my daily greetings, I have very few opportunities to see her privately. If I could spend a midday with her, it would not only ease her longing for me but also make me feel that I have fulfilled my filial duty.” Honghui nervously expressed his innermost thoughts. In truth, since being moved to the front courtyard and suddenly separated from his wife, he had found it quite difficult to adjust for a long time. However, Honghui was not like the Third Prince, who preferred to keep everything to himself.
The Fourth Prince wasn't one to be easily swayed; even after hearing Honghui's request, he was still somewhat reluctant. Honghui had finally settled into the front courtyard after six months, and his temperament had improved considerably. Now, with this sudden increase in contact with the Fujin (Prince's wife), the Fourth Prince was genuinely afraid that Honghui would revert to his old ways. However, Honghui's words weren't entirely without merit; the Fujin this time…
"Let me think about it, but I promise you I will give you a satisfactory answer. Is that alright?" Fourth Master couldn't help but use the tone and manner he only used when he was with Lanqin.
Honghui stood there, stunned: This was the first time his father had consulted with him instead of giving orders directly!
Seeing that Honghui remained silent, the Fourth Prince wondered if his words had upset Honghui, so he said with a pang of sympathy, "Father had you move to the front courtyard to cultivate your independent living and thinking habits. Before, when you lived with your mother, you were too timid and cautious. Father hopes that you can get along happily with the Third Prince and the other boys in the front courtyard. I heard that you all have a good relationship now, is that right?" The Fourth Prince asked patiently.
Honghui nodded. The Fourth Master was unusually gentle, and his previous resistance was gone.
“You’ve been eating, drinking, sleeping, studying, and playing with them all these days. If things suddenly change, wouldn’t that be bad for everyone? I think you could go to your mother’s house every few evenings to have dinner with her, and keep in touch with her morning and evening. That would be enough.” That was about the extent that Fourth Master could accept.
After hearing this, Honghui nodded obediently.
The Fourth Prince pulled open a drawer on his desk with satisfaction, took out a slingshot that he had brought back from Chengde Prefecture, and said kindly, "Alright, take it and let them play with it. Combine learning with play, and promote interaction between work and rest."
Honghui was still just a child, and when he saw that his father had brought him a little toy purely for fun, he was overjoyed. The slight gloom in his eyes was completely driven away by this unexpected gift.
After Honghui left, the Fourth Prince fell into deep thought. His eldest son, Honghui, was still a child, yet he was already grappling with the issue of balancing his relationship with his mother. Ulanara's actions this time had truly angered him, but Honghui was, after all, her son. And she wasn't the primary consort his father had appointed for him; he didn't want to make things too difficult with her unless absolutely necessary. Honghui, such a young child, was already scheming and bearing burdens for her. Alas, was this Honghui's fortune or misfortune?
"Go and fetch Bai Yifu for me!" Fourth Master's voice suddenly turned cold, causing Su Peisheng, who had been standing outside the door, to feel a pang of panic.
When Su Peisheng brought Bai Yifu, the Fourth Master's expression had long lost the warmth he had shown towards Honghui. At this moment, he was standing with his hands behind his back in front of the study window, looking at the persimmon tree that had stood there for many years.
"Su Peisheng, have someone pick those persimmons. See if the kitchen can use them. If not, bury them all. Otherwise, these persimmons will become a delicacy for wild birds sooner or later, making a mess of the courtyard." Fourth Master didn't even glance at Bai Yifu, but simply instructed Su Peisheng.
"Yes, this servant will take care of it immediately." Su Peisheng bowed and withdrew.
"This servant greets Fourth Prince." Bai Yifu lowered his head and bowed deeply to the Fourth Prince.
Fourth Prince looked at Bai Yifu, who was bowing before him, and said coldly, "Bai Yifu, Lady Yin was bumped by the First Prince in the garden. What is the condition of the fetus in her womb? Think carefully about what you're going to say. If I find even a single lie, you might be buried under the tree like those persimmons and used as fertilizer!"
Although the chanting outside the window grew louder and louder, the atmosphere inside the room was as cold as if one were in an ice cellar.
When Bai Yifu first entered, he was still radiating summer heat, but now, the sweat on his body instantly turned into cold sweat because of Fourth Master's words. Li Shi had already warned him not to protect the person behind Yin Shi's miscarriage, but if he revealed that person's name, would he really be able to turn the crisis into an opportunity?
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