However, Yinzhen remained rational to some extent. He had not yet figured out their background and could not rashly alert them.
What are two princesses? Even if he were beaten to death, it wouldn't make a difference. He needs to find out who's behind this.
To be able to extend one's reach so far—to the imperial concubine selection, to the harem, to his own backyard—this person must have a high-ranking concubine helping him behind the scenes.
Yinzhen pondered many possibilities, but he didn't show it. He simply instructed Su Peisheng to give her a reward, then coaxed Tuantuan and left without looking back.
After returning to the front courtyard, Yinzhen secretly instructed Su Peisheng and Zhang Qilin to plant more spies near Yunqi Courtyard, and to pay close attention to anything related to the two new princesses.
Meanwhile, Guo Gege was still kneeling on the ground, as if Yinzhen was still that aloof and noble figure, standing far in front of her, speaking indifferently, yet treating the lion cat in his arms with utmost tenderness.
So... so this is what Prince is like.
He was so handsome and refined, like a clear moon and a noble spirit. When he was silent and his eyes were downcast, he was like the bright moon in the sky.
Although she was so cold to me, she was very patient and gentle with the kitten, as if she were spoiling it.
Seeing that she looked dazed, the maid Hongxing thought that the princess had been frightened by the prince, so she quickly helped her up and comforted her: "Your Highness, it's alright, the prince has already left."
Guo Gege finally came to her senses and sat down with Hongxing's help, still recalling her first meeting with the Fourth Prince.
It was pouring rain outside, so she and her maid hurriedly closed the windows to prevent rainwater from blowing in and making the room damp. But then she heard the kitten's faint meows. She couldn't bear it; if she didn't save it, the kitten probably wouldn't survive long in such a cold, rainy night.
However, seeing that the cat had smooth fur and was plump and healthy, and was even wearing an extremely exquisite little outfit, she knew that it must have an owner. She was afraid that the cat's owner would be anxious if she couldn't find her, so she decided to brave the rain to go and ask which lady it was.
She was new to the manor and didn't know anyone. She didn't go out much, so she really didn't know who kept cats in the Prince's manor. But Hongxing, a maid who knew the manor best and had some seniority, had even gone to the kitchen to fetch food. That's why she went out in the rain.
Unexpectedly, he got lost, and the heavy rain obscured his vision. He kept walking towards the lights and ended up rushing straight into the front yard, where he was stopped by the gatekeeper eunuch.
The eunuch was very familiar with the situation in the mansion. When he heard that she had found a white lion cat, he knew that it must belong to Chun Fujin. He hurriedly went to report to Su Peisheng, and Yinzhen hurriedly went out and followed her all the way back to Yunqi Courtyard.
Guo Gege felt that misfortune was actually a blessing in disguise. If she hadn't been kind-hearted and saved the cat, how could she have had such a connection with the Fourth Prince?
Guo Gege, who was originally calm and content with her life, thinking only of eating and drinking and living a carefree life, felt a ripple in her heart.
Her maid, Hongxing, quickly brought back a bucket of hot water: "Princess, hurry up and take a bath. There's only this much hot water left. The people at the tea room are not easy to talk to. If it gets cold, there won't be any hot water today, and you won't be able to take a bath. With such heavy rain, you'll definitely catch a cold."
Speaking of catching a cold, Guo Gege immediately sneezed, startling Hongxing: "Oh dear, this is bad! You've caught a cold! We can't call the physician, so we'd better make some ginger soup. I'll go check if the tea stove is still burning."
After sneezing, Guo Gege felt a bit dizzy and lightheaded, so she quickly changed out of her wet clothes and wiped herself down briefly.
Hongxing managed to get some ginger soup and coaxed Guo Gege to drink it, all the while praying that she wouldn't fall ill. If she got sick at this time of year, she'd have to be moved out; how could she possibly recover then? She'd only just begun serving her mistress! She didn't want to be kicked out!
Guo Gege was unaware of all that she was thinking. She was still thinking about Fourth Master and the white cat, so she couldn't help but ask, "Our Master is a kind-hearted person. He takes such good care of that cat. I think the fabric of her clothes is even better than mine."
"A cat?" Hongxing was taken aback. She knew that the princess had rescued a cat, but it didn't belong to the prince. So she explained, "That must be Chun Fujin's cat. It's always been very precious and kept like a young mistress."
Guo Gege was slightly surprised, not expecting it to be Chun Fujin's cat. She felt a slight pang of sadness; even Chun Fujin's cat was so caring of the Fourth Prince. Despite the torrential rain outside, upon hearing that it was injured, he didn't even care about himself and rushed over personally. He was truly good to Chun Fujin.
Let alone royalty and nobility, it is rare to see such deep affection even among ordinary people.
Guo Gege was deeply envious.
If only the Fourth Master could treat me with even a fraction of that genuine affection.
However, Guo Gege was also self-aware; how could she compare to Chun Fujin?
Chun Fujin was like a flawless jade, shining brightly in the cool moonlight, while I was nothing more than fallen flower soil, only fit to look up to her.
"Hongxing, go and find out what the master likes to eat tomorrow. While he's in the manor, I want to do something for him."
Hearing Guo Gege's instructions, Hongxing's eyes widened, and she quickly refused: "Gege, what are you thinking? How can we, as ordinary people, inquire about the master's preferences? If the eunuchs in the front courtyard find out, they'll skin us alive."
Guo Gege was still somewhat unwilling and wanted to say something more, but Hongxing noticed something amiss.
"Princess, could it be that you've fallen for the Prince today and are trying to win his favor?"
Upon hearing Hongxing's words, Guo Gege immediately blushed, as if her secret had been exposed. She was both embarrassed and annoyed, and immediately adopted the demeanor of a mistress to reprimand her: "What nonsense are you talking about? I didn't mean that. I was just asking you to do something. If you don't want to do it, then don't do it. What excuse are you making? Is this the manners you've learned?"
After being reprimanded by the princess, Hongxing lost face. After all, the princess was her master, so she had no choice but to kneel down and beg for forgiveness.
"Please forgive me, Your Highness; I misspoke."
Seeing that Hongxing dared not utter a word after being scolded, Guo Gege breathed a sigh of relief. She had indeed lost her composure just now. Even if she was furious, she couldn't give her maid such a hard time. After all, she was the only close confidante in this vast Prince's mansion.
She helped Hongxing up again and said softly, "You are the most valued person in my household. I will need your guidance in the future."
The red apricot bows its head in response.
Guo Gege was still a little unwilling, and asked softly, "Is it really not okay to ask? Then I'll just make some food and bring it to the study, is that alright?"
Hongxing kept her thoughts to herself this time, and said tactfully, "Gege in our manor used this method before, and as a result, she was confined to her quarters by the Prince for a year."
...
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