The Princess Consort finally saw the Fourth Prince at dusk, but the First Prince, whom she wanted to see, did not come along.
The eldest and second princesses were sitting in the side room, learning needlework from the embroiderer.
When Fourth Master entered, his expression was calm, revealing neither joy nor anger.
"Greetings, Your Highness!" The Fujin greeted the Fourth Prince at the door and bowed.
"No need for such formalities, Madam." The Fourth Prince did not help Ulanara up, but walked past her and sat down on the main couch in the main room.
When the Princess Consort saw that the First Prince was not there, and seeing the Fourth Prince's expression, her heart sank. She feared that the Prince had something to say.
With Chunliu's help, she slowly walked to the Fourth Master's side, stepping on the flowerpot soles, and sat down.
Xia He brought out the newly arrived Yunnan Pu'er tea. Fourth Master took it, picked up the lid, stirred the tea leaves, and took a few sips.
"Master, did you enjoy your time at the estate?" the Fujin asked.
"Very good. I thought about a suitable companion for Honghui at the estate, and I'll send someone to deliver the message tomorrow." The Fourth Prince didn't look at his wife; his tone clearly meant he was just informing her, not discussing it with her.
The princess clenched her hands, twisting and turning the handkerchief in her hands, and asked, "My lord, could we select one of my nephews from my maternal family to be Hui'er's study companion? They are all about the same age and are family relatives, so they are naturally closer than ordinary people."
Upon hearing this, the Fourth Prince frowned slightly and said calmly, "I have already decided on the candidate for Hui'er's baby. The Princess should think more about how to ensure that Madam Yin gives birth to the child safely, as well as the upbringing of the two princesses."
At that moment, the eldest and second princesses, who were sitting in the side room of the main house, heard every word of what the Fourth Prince and his wife were saying outside.
The eldest princess's name is Moyaqi, which means longevity. She was born frail, hence the name given to her by the Fourth Prince. Now, Moyaqi is ten years old and has grown up with the Fujin (Prince's wife). She knows of Lady Song but is not close to her.
The Second Princess, named Erlinzhu, meaning "treasure," was born to Consort Li, who was still a princess at the time of her birth and enjoyed the Emperor's favor. Therefore, her eldest daughter was undoubtedly considered a treasure by the Fourth Prince. She was closer to and more familiar with Consort Li than the First Princess. After all, Consort Li was no longer a princess, while Consort Song remained an unfavored princess.
The two girls had grown up together in the Fujin's courtyard since childhood and had a very close relationship. Although they both knew they were foster children, they regarded the Fujin as their legal mother. As the saying goes, the kindness of raising and nurturing is greater than the kindness of giving birth.
"Big Princess, should we go out and help Mother? Please beg Father," nine-year-old Erlinzhu said softly to Moyaqi, her big eyes wide open.
“No, Mother didn’t call us out. If we go out to plead now, Father might think that Mother had already arranged this for us, which would be detrimental to Mother.” Moyaqi pricked up her little ears, listening intently to the sounds outside. As expected, she was a year older than Erlinzhu and much calmer in the face of trouble. Moreover, having been trained by the Fujin since childhood, she could so easily understand the thoughts of adults at the age of ten. It really made one wonder whether the Fujin had raised her too well or too poorly.
Outside, only the ticking of the grandfather clock could still be heard...
The Princess Consort was taken aback by the Fourth Prince's outright refusal; she had assumed he would at least agree to let one person in. Her intended choice was Hai Fu, a refined and well-mannered young man. But now, the Fourth Prince's flat rejection left her completely at a loss.
As if she had made a decision, Lady Ulanara suddenly stood up, walked to a spot two meters away from the Fourth Prince, faced him, and bowed deeply. She said firmly, "Please, Your Highness, allow me to plead for my brother's son, Haifu. Since Father's passing, the Ulanara family has been embroiled in internal strife. My brothers are constantly fighting over the family title. Although I am already married, I have a selfish wish; I still do not wish to see Father rest in peace."
The Fourth Prince stared silently at his wife, who was squatting on the ground, his face grim. Granny Li and Chunliu stood at the doorway, their hearts pounding with anxiety for the wife.
Isn't the Princess Consort threatening him with her family's honor by doing this? Oh, Princess Consort, how come you still haven't figured out your master's character? Is he the kind of person who can be threatened?
Sure enough, the Fourth Prince said through gritted teeth, "Since the Princess Consort has married into the Aisin Gioro family, she should prioritize the Aisin Gioro family in everything. As for who should inherit Fei Yanggu's title, that is up to Father Emperor."
The princess moved, tears welling in her eyes. She immediately prostrated herself and kowtowed, saying, "Please calm your anger, Your Highness. I only hope that the meager strength of the Ulanara family can help Your Highness. I will also do my utmost for Your Highness's offspring."
"Please calm your anger, Your Highness!" Granny Li walked behind the Princess Consort and knelt down, kowtowing. Chunliu and Xiahe, who were standing at the door, also knelt down.
At this moment, the two girls in the side room could no longer sit still. They exchanged an encouraging look, then walked hand in hand out of the side room and went to the Fujin's side. Moyaqi immediately knelt down and said in a tearful voice, "Please calm down, Father."
Erlinzhu also knelt down, saying the same thing as the eldest princess.
When the Fourth Prince saw that everyone in the room was kneeling, he was initially very dissatisfied with his wife, but seeing that both of his daughters were pleading for her, his anger lessened somewhat.
After all, she was raising his children, and even though these two girls weren't her own, their willingness to stand up for her showed that she had always treated them well. The girls' eyes revealed their genuine affection, and it wasn't something the Fujin (principal wife) had deliberately arranged.
The princess lay prostrate on the ground, also feeling a pang of emotion. She had always been dutiful to the two girls, but now that they were able to stand up for her, she felt a deep sense of gratitude.
"Get up, everyone. Let Da and A come in," Fourth Master said.
The princess shrugged and immediately said in a tearful voice, "I thank Your Highness for your kindness. I thank Your Highness on behalf of Ulanarada and A'ye."
Watching all this, Granny Li couldn't help but sigh in her heart: I'm afraid the master had already made this decision. What just happened was just the master trying to warn the wife and let her know who the master of this mansion is.
The Fourth Prince did not want to stay here for a meal, but seeing that both girls were there, he asked his wife to serve the meal.
"Su Peisheng, go and invite the First Prince to dine with us." Seeing that his expectations had been met, the Fourth Prince was no longer too harsh on his wife.
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