Li Tiao got up too hastily, and just as she was about to touch the Fourth Prince's chin, she fell back down, gripping the armrests of the recliner with both hands, sitting upright and looking at the Fourth Prince: "Your Highness..."
Slowly straightening up with his hands behind his back, the Fourth Prince asked in a calm tone, "Did the Eighth Prince ask you to inquire about Granny Liu's matter?"
Li Tiao's breath hitched.
She stood up obediently to greet the Fourth Prince, while also considering in her mind how to say it: "Your Highness, this servant did indeed see the Eighth Prince today..."
As Li Tiao slowly rose, she noticed that the Fourth Prince's expression had darkened. She explained quickly, "But Your Highness, it was the Eighth Prince who found me. It was definitely not me who went to see the Eighth Prince on my own initiative."
However, her explanation did not seem to improve the Fourth Prince's expression much. Seeing that the Fourth Prince remained unchanged, Li Tiao recalled the question the Fourth Prince had asked at the beginning.
She swallowed hard and said, "The Eighth Prince thinks that Granny Liu is his person and only listens to his orders, but he said that Granny Liu also seems to listen to Consort De's orders. This servant doesn't know if this is true or not, so..."
"The person is dead, so what does it matter whose side Liu Mama is?" The Fourth Prince finally reacted.
Li Tiao nodded hastily: "Yes, that's what I thought too, so after Chunxi said she didn't know, I didn't ask any more questions."
After saying this, Li Tiao noticed that the Fourth Prince didn't seem to believe her. Li Tiao explained, "Your Highness, it's true. I'm really relieved. Otherwise, how could I sleep?"
"You saw Lao Ba today, and he didn't say anything else to you?"
Li Tiao looked up in confusion. The Fourth Prince's train of thought seemed a bit disjointed, and she couldn't quite keep up: "Your Highness, what do you mean by 'other'?"
"Father Emperor intends to arrange a marriage for the Eighth Prince, and his favorite is Lady Guoluo, the granddaughter of Prince Yue Le."
Li Tiao's head throbbed. She had previously mentioned who the Eighth Prince's consort might be in order to appease him... This...
"Congratulations, Eighth Prince!"
"Of course I congratulate you. Don't you have anything to say?" the Fourth Prince asked.
"This servant..." Li Tiao was extremely confused. Should she say something at this moment?
"Even if it's to congratulate me, it's not my place, after all, my status is just a concubine..."
Oh!
The Fourth Prince responded to Li Tiao with a haughty and aloof snort.
I'm angry, but why?
Li Tiao didn't know and dared not ask. When she finally mustered up the courage to say something, the Fourth Prince turned and left.
What... does this mean? Li Tiao could understand seeing that he was pretending to be asleep and exposing him, but is this all?
Instead of getting angry, Li Tiao felt even more uneasy; this wasn't like him at all.
"Master, please wipe your face." Chunxi nervously handed the handkerchief to Li Tiao.
Li Tiao glanced at Chunxi, not intending to accept the offer, but then she saw Chunxi point to the corner of her mouth...
Suddenly realizing something, Li Tiao touched the corner of her mouth... Even though she was half asleep, she had still drooled!
I might as well just die.
After Li Tiao finished wiping Chunxi and tidying up, Chunxi knelt down before Li Tiao again.
"Master, I really didn't mean to tell you everything you did, I just... I'm just afraid..."
Li Tiao sighed softly. She didn't really have the right to blame Chunxi, since she herself had been forced to act as a spy for the Eighth Prince. However, acting as a spy for someone else was different from having someone watching her every move.
Humans are selfish and contradictory.
“My lady, I know I shouldn’t ask anything of you, but now that you are already the master’s concubine, where can you go even if you leave him? There are so many people in the Li household… they could all be affected if you leave…”
Li Tiao interrupted Chunxi: "Are you afraid that your brother won't survive either?"
In fact, Li Tiao knew everything Chunxi was talking about. However, she was also in a passive position. She had been thinking about leaving since she was in the Li family, but she couldn't because she was being watched closely.
I originally planned to run away before entering the palace, or even fake my death if necessary, but that didn't work out.
Whether she was favored or not after entering the palace didn't matter. As long as she could live peacefully, Li Tiao thought she would accept her fate. But... danger was everywhere, and there were many people who wanted to die.
Especially the Fourth Prince, the Thirteenth Prince kept telling him to end his own life.
In this situation, if you don't run, are you just waiting to die?
"Master, I know I have no right to say anything to you, but Master, the Master cares about you..."
Li Tiao asked in alarm, "Chunxi, how can you say such things carelessly?"
"But my lady, I feel..."
"Alright, I understand what you mean."
Isn't it just because they're afraid I'll run away?
After being caught by the Fourth Prince so many times, Li Tiao now has to plan carefully even if she wants to escape, and she no longer thinks she can just do it on a random day like before.
She had to ensure that nothing went wrong.
Moreover, with Chunxi watching over her now, it won't be so easy for Li Tiao to run away.
With nothing to do, Li Tiao slumped back in her recliner, thinking about the Fourth Prince's attitude earlier... The Emperor intended to betroth Prince Yue Le's granddaughter to the Eighth Prince. Although the decree had not yet been issued, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the matter was considered settled.
But why was the Fourth Prince angry...? Li Tiao sat up with a swift movement.
Fortune telling! Could it be that the Fourth Prince is plotting to kill me again because my fortune telling was accurate?
Instantly, Li Tiao's palms were covered in cold sweat!
It's truly one problem after another!
How to appease the easily angered Fourth Prince... Li Tiao's mind started working quickly.
Like an ant on a hot pan, Li Tiao paced anxiously in the room, finally deciding to try anything, no matter how effective it was, just to let the Fourth Prince see her feelings!
Knowing what Chunxi might say to the Fourth Prince, Li Tiao deliberately stayed up late to study, in order to show how hard she had worked.
Li Tiao, who had transmigrated from another era, was initially completely clueless about needlework. Although she learned a little while staying at the Li family mansion, she didn't intend to have any connection with the palace at that time, so she didn't study very seriously.
It truly proves the saying, "You only realize how little you know when you need it."
As darkness fell, Li Tiao rubbed her eyes, but the thought of softening the Fourth Prince's heart made her persevere.
"Master Li."
Hearing Su Peisheng's voice outside, Li Tiao glanced at Chunxi and told her to go and check.
Soon, Su Peisheng was brought in by Chunxi. "This servant greets Master Li. Master has sent me to deliver a message to you. He has something to discuss with you."
Li Tiao's heart suddenly raced. She wondered if he was already trying to find fault with her before she had even finished preparing the gift for the Fourth Prince.
"May I ask, Eunuch Su, what business does the master have with me?"
"Replying to Master Li, this...this servant does not know."
Li Tiao put down what she was doing and prepared to go to the Fourth Prince's study, but Su Peisheng said that the Fourth Prince was not in the study!
They followed Su Peisheng out of the prince's residence and walked further and further away.
On a dark and windy night, Li Tiao felt as if the cicadas' chirping was foreshadowing her own doom...
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