"There's still a while before we leave the banquet. Your mother has prepared a lot of fruits and vegetables. Let me cut some out for you to try. The mangoes are fresh, and the cantaloupe is very crisp and sweet."
The delicious fruits immediately attracted the children's attention, and they stopped teasing their second sister.
Shumulu said, "The fruits and melons here are the best in the manor, my lady. I must try them."
The servants in the main courtyard brought out bowls of fruit, all of which were cut up, especially the fruit for the children, which was cut into smaller pieces to prevent choking or suffocation.
The children and the concubine ate their fruits and chatted, no longer teasing the second princess.
He Zhuo pulled Ergege to his side, and Su Mei, being very perceptive, moved to a squatting position.
He Zhuo inquired in detail about the Second Princess's life over the past two days, whether she had adapted well, and also asked about the date of her return to Jiangnan, the Prince Consort's studies, and so on.
"My husband and I have discussed it and will set off for Jiangnan tomorrow. I will come to say goodbye then. I hope my mother will not find me troublesome."
"How could that be? Although you weren't born from my womb, you've always been raised by me. You're filial, respectful, and gentle. Your stepmother loves you dearly."
As long as the children weren't raised by the women in the back courtyard, they would be said to have been raised under He Zhuo's care, and that was indeed the case. The illegitimate children raised in Zhilan Courtyard and the front courtyard could only see their birth mother a few times a year, but they had to go to the main courtyard to pay their respects every few days.
They had little affection for their birth mother, which also prevented these illegitimate children from getting involved in the power struggles within the family and causing unnecessary loss or death.
However, it would be impossible to say that He Zhuo particularly liked these illegitimate children. But He Zhuo did not mistreat them. He did not constantly control them. When they came to pay their respects, he would ask about their health, meals, studies, and other trivial matters.
Unexpectedly, this situation had a very good effect. These illegitimate children all respected and admired their legal mother, He Zhuo, especially after they started their studies and learned about the situation of other illegitimate children in other households.
"Mother,"
The Second Princess was truly moved today. Although she didn't have much of a relationship with her birth mother, since they didn't see each other often, her birth mother was still the one who came out of her womb. He Zhuo's actions today were a great honor for her.
Her birth mother had long since fallen out of favor. The lives of the children of other concubines who had fallen out of favor in other households were completely different from her own.
Therefore, she cherished and was especially grateful to her stepmother, and she also had great affection for her stepmother. When she was young, she always called her stepmother "E'niang" (mother). Later, because of her younger sisters, she stopped calling her that, but in her heart, she still felt that the Fujin (princess's wife) was her mother.
He Zhuo understood what she meant and wiped away her tears: "Good child, just live your lives well. Don't worry, no matter where you go, you will always be a daughter of the Prince Zhi's mansion."
He Zhuo's words reassured the Second Princess, showing her that she had her family backing her up and that she should stand tall.
"Go, go and chat with your sisters." The Second Princess grew up with the Third and Fourth Princesses. They were all born in the 29th year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign and are 17 years old this year.
Sisters naturally have things to talk about.
After noon, the young couple went home.
That evening, Yinzhi brought up this son-in-law.
"This Li Shu'ao is already 20 years old, but he looks so pale and delicate. He's not even as strong as our third and fourth sons. He's like a pale-skinned chicken." Yinzhi was not satisfied with this son-in-law. Yinzhi had been a general and had outstanding military talent, so naturally he looked down on this kind of weak scholar.
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