“What you say is true, but even if you don’t dress up, you should get up now. You can’t keep the Fujin and the others waiting for you, can you?” Qiuju stopped Chunlan, who was about to say something. She felt that there was nothing wrong with what her mistress was doing. Her mistress was already very beautiful without dressing up. It was indeed not appropriate for her mistress to be too eye-catching on the first day that the Prince returned to the manor, otherwise the Fujin would be dissatisfied. However, it was getting late, and if her mistress did not get up now, she would be late.
"Okay." Yin Qingyi opened her eyes and glanced at the sky. She was surprised that she could now tell the time by the sky. She had to admit that the environment was very important. In this era without clocks, cell phones, or computers, she had to learn these things.
Yin Qingyi was simply wearing a light purple qipao, her hair styled in a simple double bun with no ornaments except for two silver plum blossom hairpins, which she had brought from her home to the palace. After all, as a Han bannerwoman selected for the palace with no family background, and one who was not favored by Consort De, what good things could she possibly have? She hadn't received any rewards in the month she had been in the Prince's residence, so Yin Qingyi was pitifully poor at the moment. However, she didn't think so, since she was eating and living well, and apart from being a little short of money, everything was fine for her.
After quickly eating a few bites of snacks to satisfy her hunger, Yin Qingyi took Qiuju to the main courtyard. When the two arrived at the main courtyard, they found that someone had already arrived before her, which was not surprising, since she had stayed in bed a little longer.
"This humble servant greets Your Highness." Yin Qingyi bowed respectfully.
"Rise, no need for formalities." The Princess Consort sat at the head of the table, her tone calm, but her eyes held joy. It seemed that she was very happy that the Fourth Prince had returned.
"Yes." Yin Qingyi lowered her head. She hadn't put on makeup today; she had intended to, but Chunlan had stopped her, and even Qiuju disagreed with her continuing to cover her beautiful face. So, she didn't dare to look up, afraid that the Fujin would notice. However, it was clear that the Fujin's attention wasn't on her at the moment, nor were the other women's thoughts on her; otherwise, they would definitely have noticed the difference in Yin Qingyi today.
After waiting a while, Mrs. Li finally arrived.
"This humble servant greets Your Highness, and apologizes for keeping you waiting. However, when I was leaving, the Third Prince cried and wouldn't let me go. I had to coax him for a while before I was able to leave. I hope Your Highness won't blame me?" Li Shi's tone was subtly provocative, and her bow was awkward and improper. Before Your Highness could even speak, she stood up on her own.
"Of course, the prince is more important, but don't be late. The master should be back soon. Let's go." The princess was already used to Li's provocative behavior. Today, the prince was returning, and she didn't want to argue with her, so she pretended not to see it.
There aren't many women in the Prince's mansion. Including Consort Yin and two concubines, there are only seven. Today, when the Fourth Prince returns to the mansion, the two concubines are able to come out to greet him.
A group of beautiful young women stood at the gate of the Prince's mansion, waiting for their master to return. Yin Qingyi had been standing there for an unknown amount of time; her legs were practically numb. Those platform shoes were truly unbearable to wear, causing her excruciating pain. But looking at the other wives and concubines standing beside her, completely unmoved, it was as if they hadn't felt a thing. Unlike Yin Qingyi, who had secretly moved several times, though the movements were subtle and hidden by her wide qipao, Yin Qingyi was filled with admiration. Truly, they were native to the mansion, unlike herself, who had come later in life.
After Yin Qingyi leaned most of her body against Qiu Ju, the person they had been longing for finally appeared at the intersection.
A man rode at the very front, presumably the Fourth Master. His gleaming forehead was truly dazzling in the sunlight; Yin Qingyi felt her eyes could barely open. As for what the Fourth Master looked like? Sorry, his forehead was too shiny for her to see clearly…
It wasn't until the person got closer that Yin Qingyi could see what the Fourth Master looked like. He was about 1.7 meters tall, with handsome features, but his face was cold and stern, making people afraid to get close to him. However, at this moment, his face looked a little tired, which made him less frightening.
"Welcome, Master." A group of beautiful women bowed to the Fourth Master with graceful figures, their voices as sweet as honey, making Yin Qingyi feel nauseous.
"Yes, go back now. You've had a hard time, Fujin." Yinzhen didn't even glance at her, helped Fujin up, and then left with her.
"Respectfully seeing off Master." Even if the women gritted their teeth, it was to no avail. The joy they had felt just moments before was now replaced by disappointment. They had dressed up for so long just to catch the Master's eye, but he hadn't even glanced at them before leaving with his wife. How could they not be disheartened? Among them, Li Shi was the most furious, her face as black as the bottom of a pot. But there was nothing she could do. The Princess Consort was the Princess Consort, far superior to her, a mere concubine. The provocation in the main courtyard felt like a slap in the face. What did it matter how many children she had? She was still no match for that woman in the main courtyard. When the Master returned, the first place he went was to that woman's courtyard, without even glancing at her or asking how the princes were.
Yin Qingyi calmly returned to her Luoxue Pavilion. It was already getting dark. They had only gone out to wait in the afternoon and had been standing for two hours before the person finally arrived. Yin Qingyi was only thinking about getting back quickly to remove the flowerpot-shaped shoes that were hurting her feet. As for the rest, since the Fourth Master probably wouldn't be coming to her today or tomorrow, and probably not the day after, and it would probably be four or five days before he came, she wasn't in a hurry.
Compared to Yin Qingyi's composure, the other women in the backyard had their own thoughts.
Since the Fourth Prince and his wife have left, they will definitely be staying in the main courtyard tonight. There is no doubt about that. No matter how much the Fourth Prince dotes on Lady Li, he would not embarrass the main courtyard.
When Li returned home, she smashed a room full of porcelain. She even thought of using the Third Prince as an excuse to bring her master over, but she was persuaded to stop by her trusted eunuch, Li Zhong.
As for Song Gege, she remained silent. She knew that she still held a certain place in the Fourth Prince's heart, after all, she was his first woman. However, she herself was not virile enough, and the children she gave birth to were all weak and died within a few days. This was probably why the Fourth Prince no longer liked to come to her place.
Geng Gege, however, had some ulterior motives. She and Yin Shi entered the manor one after the other, but the master was not in the manor when they entered. Now that the master has returned, he should come to her first. However, she knew that her beauty was not as outstanding as Yin Gege's, and she did not know whether the master would go to Yin Shi's side first. If he did go to Yin Shi's side first, she was afraid that she would become the laughing stock of everyone in the manor.
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