Upon hearing Kangxi's words, Li Tiao's heart pounded uncontrollably once again. What did he mean by making people look at her with new eyes?
Is this a compliment, an insult, or a sarcastic remark implying something about oneself?
Li Tiao's mind raced, but she couldn't figure it out. So, she instinctively tightened her grip on the Fourth Prince's clothes.
Feeling his clothes tighten behind him again, the Fourth Prince lowered his gaze and glanced behind him before calmly replying, "Father, she makes a fool of herself quite often, I apologize for the embarrassment."
"But her heart was good. I heard that when you were standing outside, she even thought of using an umbrella to shield you from the sun?" Kangxi finally smiled.
Li Tiao's heart, which had been in her throat, finally settled.
The Fourth Prince replied, "Father, yes, that's true."
"Seeing how good your relationship is, I am very pleased. But Fourth Prince..." Although Kangxi was still smiling, his words changed, causing Li Tiao's heart to rise again like a roller coaster.
But before Master Kang could finish speaking, the journey abruptly ended halfway, leaving Li Tiao feeling extremely uncomfortable.
"Fourth Prince, Second Prince went a bit too far today. You are both my sons, and I can't just listen to Second Prince's side of the story. Now that you're allowed to stay here, let me ask you, what exactly happened between you and Second Prince? How did things get so serious?"
"How dare you make a fool of yourselves in front of all the masters and servants in the palace! What kind of behavior is this? Have you forgotten everything I've taught you?"
Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger; Li Tiao has learned this lesson the hard way.
Just a moment ago, Emperor Kangxi was acting like a loving father, but in such a short time, he's already acting all stern, as if he doesn't even recognize the Fourth Prince.
However, these were not things that Li Tiao needed to consider at this moment; what she was nervous about was the Fourth Prince's answer.
"Replying to Father Emperor, a few days ago, my second brother hosted a banquet for his brothers at Yuqing Palace. I brought Consort Li with me. At that time, Consort Li, without any sense of propriety, helped me avoid drinking a few cups of wine."
I ran into my second brother today, and we casually brought up this matter. He made a few teasing remarks, which were harmless, just saying that Consort Li and my son have a good relationship. But Father Emperor knows his son's personality; he's a bit too reserved. He felt that my second brother's words were inappropriate.
So his tone became a bit harsh, and the second brother, in a fit of anger,...
"This was my son's fault. Once things get a little better, he will apologize to his second brother. In the future, when he interacts with his brothers, he will try not to be so rigid."
The Fourth Prince's words seemed logically consistent, but Li Tiao was also worried: what if they were different from what the Crown Prince said?
This wasn't Li Tiao's worry without reason; it was because after hearing what the Fourth Prince said, Kangxi remained silent for a long time, his gaze fixed on the Fourth Prince and her with a half-smile.
Li Tiao felt extremely uncomfortable. She wanted to say something to help, but it wasn't the right time for her to speak. She was so conflicted.
"You, a princess, can actually shield me from the cup?" Kangxi finally spoke.
"In response to Your Majesty, she was merely being stubborn and a bit arrogant. I will definitely have someone teach her proper manners so that she knows what to do in different situations."
“We Manchu women don’t have so many rules. If I remember correctly, you, Princess Li, are from the Han Banner Army. It’s rare for the Han Banner Army to have such spirit. It’s not a big deal. It was the Second Prince who did something inappropriate. Don’t take it to heart.”
Let's focus on getting better first.
After Kangxi finished speaking, he stood up and walked out.
Li Tiao and the Fourth Prince saw Emperor Kangxi off.
After Kangxi left, Li Tiao felt as if the hand that had been gripping her neck had suddenly disappeared: "Your Majesty, what if what you said to the Emperor is different from what the Crown Prince said to him?"
"You think I'm some kind of big shot?"
Li Tiao asked, puzzled, "What do you mean?"
The Fourth Prince did not answer Li Tiao. He had fainted from heatstroke and would not recover easily. However, the Fourth Prince did not dare to stay idle and recuperate.
There are still many things to deal with. After all, no matter what the Crown Prince's feelings for Li Tiao are, Li Tiao's identity is a potential problem.
Li Tiao, of course, had no idea what the Fourth Prince was thinking. She was very curious about what he meant by his words, so she pressed him for an answer: "Your Highness, what do you mean? Aren't you afraid that you and the Crown Prince will say different things in front of the Emperor?"
Annoyed by Li Tiao, the Fourth Prince said helplessly, "I don't do things I'm not sure I can handle."
These words made Li Tiao's thoughts wander: "Master, do you mean to tell the Emperor this, that it was discussed with the Crown Prince, that the Emperor doesn't know the truth, and that even if the Crown Prince has some shady intentions, you can still protect me from death?"
Why should I protect you?
Li Tiao was stumped by the question, and after a moment said, "This servant is the master's princess. If anything happens to this servant, then the master will..."
“You are a servant, and the master is the master.” The Fourth Prince’s words were like a tongue twister.
Although it was a roundabout way of saying it, Li Tiao understood what the Fourth Prince meant: he probably didn't intend to take care of her.
The fear of impending death made Li Tiao temporarily forget about the difference in status between her and the Fourth Prince, but she didn't dare to make a scene. She just muttered to herself, "Since you don't care whether I live or die and told me to get lost, why did you call me here?"
"Didn't you offer to serve me in front of Father Emperor? I'm giving you a chance." The Fourth Prince had very sharp ears.
Well, although I didn't get to perform well in front of the Emperor just now, I did see his attitude, so I'm not as worried as before.
However, Li Tiao couldn't help but ask the Fourth Prince again, "Your Highness, do you think this matter is considered closed by the Emperor?"
The Fourth Prince glanced at Li Tiao, giving her the impression that he was thinking something good.
"What else can we do about this?" Li Tiao shrank her neck and asked timidly.
"It depends on the Crown Prince."
That day, when Li Tiao overheard the conversation between the Eighth Prince and the Ninth Prince, Hongye even asked Li Tiao if she wanted to tell the Fourth Prince. At the time, Li Tiao felt that it was not a good idea to talk about it, so she decided not to say anything for the time being.
However, man proposes, God disposes.
After hesitating for a moment, Li Tiao told the Fourth Prince what she had overheard the Eighth Prince and the Ninth Prince saying that day.
"Master, if I hadn't obeyed the servant that day, the Crown Prince probably wanted me to do his divination. Do you think if I had done it for him, he wouldn't have wanted to kill me?"
The Fourth Prince was indeed unaware of this matter, but when he heard Li Tiao say that the Ninth Prince wanted her to become a spy for the Crown Prince, he was in a very bad mood.
Although the Crown Prince wanted Li Tiao dead, he was, after all, the heir apparent and wouldn't act rashly. But the Ninth Prince... well, that's another story.
The Fourth Prince let out a long sigh and asked Li Tiao, "Was this what Mother talked to you about the other day?"
Li Tiao nodded: "If Your Majesty wants to know where the Tibetans are, I doubt you'll do anything rash."
The Fourth Prince sneered, "That's not necessarily true." But seeing how worried Li Tiao was about her life, he didn't try to scare her anymore.
But they overlooked one person in all their calculations...
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