Chapter 26 After Marriage
Forehead....
Thinking of this, Jialuo suddenly found it somewhat amusing.
She was extremely exhausted, both physically and mentally, and the boy's actions had fueled a lingering fire within her.
She lay quietly on the bed, her hands clutching the slightly disheveled bedding.
When the boy's breathing finally became long and even, she finally spoke and asked, "Your Majesty, would you like to take a bath?"
The boy did not answer, but his movements could be heard from his side.
As dawn approached, the darkness was no longer indistinct, but rather a hazy gray.
Jialuo felt a gentle tug on her hair and instinctively looked over.
The boy held a hairpin in his palm and ran it across his fingertip.
A drop of blood oozed from Fu Lin's fingertip. He glanced at it and then casually dripped the blood onto the bedding.
Jialuo: "......."
The tools are inadequate, but the knowledge is surprisingly extensive.
Perhaps her gaze was too direct, for the boy, who had remained silent since the abrupt end, raised his eyes.
Those usually cold, ink-black phoenix eyes silently watched her through the hazy, gray light.
Feeling rather guilty, I looked away, afraid that Fu Lin would see through what she was thinking.
"......."
But after doing this, she inexplicably felt like laughing.
But how could she possibly provoke the emperor's anger and embarrassment?
So she tried her best to suppress her laughter and put on a calm and puzzled expression.
Fu Lin shifted his body, lifted his long leg, and stepped directly onto the ground.
"Alright, not a single word of what happened today should be revealed."
"Borjigit, even if I spare you, the Empress Dowager will definitely not let you leave the palace alive."
Jialu nodded, a knowing look on her face, and stepped onto the ground in her soft shoes.
"Your Majesty, I understand."
"Um."
"I forgot about the bloodstains just now. We need to wait until the blood dries a bit before we can call someone."
The boy said in a cold voice.
He stood on the ground with his back straight, his expression unreadable.
Jialuo nodded, unsure of what he was up to, and stood still.
If the emperor doesn't sit, then she can't sit comfortably either.
"Your Majesty, would you please sit on the couch for a while?"
"Jialuo asked."
As her vision cleared, Jialuo, her legs trembling, braced herself against the edge of the table, waiting for the boy to sit down so she could sit as well.
"Your Majesty, please take a seat."
The hall was not spacious. At this moment, there was only a bed and a table in the room, which was the bed under the south window.
There was a half-person-high flowerpot stand made of pear wood at the entrance, with a pot of bright pink flowers in full bloom on it.
As soon as Jialuo sat down, she saw the boy walk up to the flowerpot, seemingly quite interested in the flower in front of him.
Enjoy the view slowly and leisurely.
His appearance reminded Jialuo of the young woman he had seen that night.
Tender and gentle, beautiful and delicate in the cold night.
Isn't it just like this potted plant in front of you, needing careful care?
It's truly difficult to explain people's preferences.
Perhaps it's the aesthetic sense inherited from ancestors, or perhaps it's related to the unforgettable experiences of childhood.
Jialuo was definitely not some delicate and weak girl, but Fulin disliked women who resembled his mother in any way.
There are many unhappy marriages, but fortunately, theirs wasn't even a marriage.
The room fell silent again, and Jialuo, propping her cheek up, drifted off to sleep.
The boy's figure seemed frozen in front of the potted plant by the door, completely still.
It wasn't until half an incense stick had burned that the boy finally spoke.
"Go lie down on the bed, I will summon someone."
"yes."
Jialuo got up and walked to the bed. Just as she lay down in the bedding and saw the boy about to defecate, he suddenly turned his head.
He said in a deliberately suggestive tone, "You need to act a little shy, understand?"
Jialuo: "???"
But the boy only gave her a warning look before tugging at the imperial silk.
Dawn breaks.
Security guards and jadeite agate, who were waiting outside, led the palace maids and eunuchs in one after another.
The emperor seemed to have just gotten up from the bed, and a small face with pink cheeks was visible through the slight bulge on the bed.
Seeing the slightly tense and unpleasant expressions on Jade and Agate's faces, she smiled reassuringly at them.
Without the emperor saying a word, the bathing room was filled with hot water.
Fu Lin stood up, glanced at Jia Luo under the covers, and said, "Your Majesty, please rest first."
After speaking, he strode into the clean room, his back view seemingly conveying a sense of eagerness.
Although Jialuo didn't quite understand, she was too lazy to bother with him.
She was served jade and agate, and finally got to drink water.
At that moment, another old woman came to the door, bowed to Jialuo, and then took away the blood-stained blanket.
When the old woman looked over with delight, she put on a shy and nervous expression.
Meanwhile, inside the bathing chamber, the security guards were joyfully attending to their emperor as he bathed.
The boy glanced at the security guard, whose eyes flickered slightly before he dismissed the rest of the serving eunuchs and maids.
"Hehe, Master, your servant will assist you with your bath and changing."
Only then did the security guard approach in a fawning manner.
But Fu Lin kicked his foot and walked a few steps further inside.
The security guard wasn't hurt by the kick. He had served the emperor since he was a child, so he naturally got along with the emperor.
"Hehe, Master has grown up again."
He spoke with a joyful tone, as if the emperor had done something extraordinary last night.
Upon hearing this, Fu Lin's expression darkened. He turned and glared at the security guard, then whispered, "Shut your stinking mouth."
The room was filled with steam. He exhaled softly, feeling itchy all over, especially in that area where he felt extremely uncomfortable. He had wanted to take it off for a long time.
At this moment, he finally took off his underwear and threw it to the security guard.
"It's been dealt with."
The security guard hurriedly took the package, opened it, and immediately understood why he had felt his master's gait was somewhat strange.
In fact, he was prepared for his master and empress to consummate their marriage today.
Even when he first entered, the ambiguous scene and the Empress's shy expression made him think that things had progressed.
But seeing all this, he felt a surge of emotions for some reason.
Although he was a servant, he still had some ambition in his heart; otherwise, he wouldn't have gone through so many hardships to serve the emperor.
In fact, he felt that the frail little woman was probably no match for this queen from the vast grasslands.
But what could a eunuch possibly know?
After Fu Lin finished bathing and changing, Jia Luo also bathed and changed in another place.
The two then walked out of the palace together, which had been washed clean by the torrential rain the night before.
I didn't know last night, but I only find out now. This is the Hall of Mental Cultivation, which is very close to both the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility and the Palace of Longevity and Peace.
The famous Hall of Mental Cultivation.
As soon as he stepped out the door, Fu Lin turned his head, but his gaze did not meet Jia Luo's eyes.
Instead, he merely glanced at her face and the plaque at the palace gate before saying, "I am going to the morning court session. Your Majesty, please return to Shou'an Palace to rest."
After saying that, he turned and left, showing no trace of the newlywed atmosphere that followed their tender moments the night before.
Jialuo didn't notice anything amiss. She bowed and turned to walk in another direction.
He had only taken two steps when he inexplicably thought of how he looked when he entered the clean room this morning.
So she turned around, but instead of seeing the boy's back, she was met with the old woman's prying gaze.
She hadn't noticed it before, but now she realized that the old woman was wearing a finely made cheongsam, her hair was styled elegantly, and her slightly aged face was rosy and radiant.
In this palace, she was clearly a very respectable nanny.
Jialu felt a chill run down her spine as she suddenly realized that she and Fulin seemed to be too distant.
She lowered her eyes, feigning embarrassment as if she had been caught trying to look at her husband, and hurriedly averted her gaze, turning her head away.
Only then, supported by Agate's hand, did they walk towards Shou'an Palace.
As soon as she entered the palace, Agate and Jade helped her sit on the couch, then they knelt down together, bowed their heads and whispered, "Please forgive us, Your Majesty, we failed to protect you."
Before Jialu could stop her, she curled up her legs, leaned lazily against the couch, and said, "Get up. What can you two do? Facing that person, even the Emperor and I cannot resist."
Jade and Agate stood up, their faces showing signs of being humiliated.
“Yesterday, Manao and I were serving outside the side hall when Sumala told us that you wanted to drink wine, so she sent me to Shouan Palace to get some.”
"I then went to fetch the wine, leaving Agate to serve."
"On the way, I was pulled by a palace maid, and before long, I lost my memory."
"Yes, yes, after Jade left, I only drank a cup of tea before I fell into a deep sleep."
"It was the jade that came so suddenly that woke me up, which is why I came to find you."
Upon hearing this, Jialuo couldn't help but sigh.
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang was truly a brilliant strategist.
Those in positions of authority typically do not advise or warn their subordinates when handling affairs.
There's no need to worry about the means or methods; as long as the goal is achieved, that's all that matters.
Just like the fact that she and the emperor never shared a bed.
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang never mentioned this matter to Jialuo, nor did she show any reaction to it.
But she acted so swiftly and decisively, even when Jialuo spoke well of the emperor and that young woman, and the emperor thus made the decision with her.
She then devised a plan to make the two drink the nuptial wine they hadn't drunk last time, and arranged this belated consummation of their marriage.
In this matter, she did not consider Jialuo's feelings, nor did she consider the feelings of her own son.
All she needed was for the Emperor and Empress to consummate their marriage, thus completing her coming-of-age ceremony.
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang was just that—Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang. She was neither anyone's daughter nor anyone's mother.
Jialuo did not feel qualified to comment on the right or wrong of Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang's actions.
However, she felt ashamed to be manipulated like this.
She returned to Shou'an Palace to rest for a while, then took a bath, and then, dressed in her nightgown, fell asleep on the couch.
At this moment, the first imperial concubine selection for the Shunzhi Emperor after his ascension to the throne began.
This talent selection was a selection process for the Eight Banners, and the process was grand and complicated.
Countless young women came to the capital from all over the country.
Furthermore, this selection process involves the heir of the state, making the scene even more solemn and grand.
Although Emperor Shunzhi reigned for eight years, his harem remained empty, and he had no servants by his side.
Until this year, when Borjigit entered the inner palace, countless people coveted the position of empress.
The emperor and empress dowager selected and viewed the young women at Shunzhen Gate.
Jialuo didn't go; she was wearing a straight-cut cheongsam and eating barbecue in the Imperial Garden.
The weather was cold last night, and there was even frost.
Garlo then directed Emerald and Agate to set up a barbecue grill and some freshly brewed milk wine in the Royal Garden.
With his hands tucked in his sleeves, he watched as Jade first lit the charcoal fire and placed the sweet potatoes and chestnuts into it.
"Yes, yes, that's how you put them in first. After you finish the barbecue, take out the roasted sweet potatoes, they'll be soft, sweet and fragrant, perfect for eating."
"Galo said with a satisfied look on his face."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a beautiful figure appeared at the entrance of the Imperial Garden in the distance.
The smile on Jialuo's lips slowly faded.
She wasn't stupid; how could she not understand why Lady Dong'e had come so many times?
The first time, Jialuo didn't avoid seeing Dong'e because of her personality.
It was only because of her complicated relationship with Shunzhi that Jialuo felt it was unnecessary to meet him too soon.
At this moment, Jialuo was absolutely certain that whatever the purpose of the young woman in front of him was.
For Jialuo, she had ulterior motives, and for Jialuo, it was definitely not a good thing.
She stood up, intending to leave, but Dong Eshi clearly saw through her intentions and quickened her pace.
"Ah, be careful, Master."
Everyone looked in the direction of the exclamation and saw the young woman being supported by her maid.
That delicate and frail appearance, yet with a stubborn look on her face, she wanted to come over.
Jialuo immediately stopped and coldly watched as Dong'e walked towards her.
For some reason, I thought of the domineering CEO novels I used to read in my dorm room in my past life.
At the time, she didn't understand why those high-status second female leads were so tolerant of women from ordinary backgrounds and with average abilities who dared to provoke her.
Because what she tolerated was not the woman in front of her, but the domineering CEO behind her who unconditionally indulged her.
Jialuo sat back down and silently watched as the woman finally walked up to her, seemingly having gone through countless hardships.
"This humble servant greets Your Majesty the Empress."
The woman's figure was graceful and elegant, her walk as delicate as a willow swaying in the breeze, her eyes shrouded in a misty rain.
For example, Han Chinese women from Jiangnan.
It is truly beautiful.
Jialuo thought that he was quite a good match for Fulin, that thin-skinned young man.
Jialuo thought of Fulin's "hasty" actions that night, which was quite inappropriate, and suddenly found it somewhat amusing.
"Get up. I heard from the Emperor that you are quite frail. Quickly find a stool to sit on, lest you faint again."
These words were extremely impolite. As soon as they were spoken, Jade and Agate looked like they were trying not to laugh, while the young woman's face turned red and she looked embarrassed.
Her voice sounded unusually tense, and even had a hint of shyness as if the secretary was about to cry.
"I...I am terrified. How could I possibly be qualified to sit here?"
Seeing her like this, Jialuo suddenly felt utterly disheartened.
She thought Dong E was a woman who dared to act and take responsibility.
Even though he was a married man, he was in the palace on the night of the emperor's lover's wedding, which was a place he should not have been in.
He even dared to play the flute.
She thought the girl she saw was a frail but upright woman.
I never expected her to be so shy and timid.
She pointed to the chair that Jade had brought over and said, "Alright, if I say you're qualified, then you're qualified. Sit down and talk."
The young woman bowed, her voice gentle and melodious: "Thank you, Your Majesty the Empress."
Jialuo remained silent, and sat down as she stood up.
"What brings you here to see me?"
"Jialuo asked."
Unexpectedly, Dong E hesitated for a moment, glancing at the palace maids and eunuchs serving her.
"Step down."
"Galo said in a low voice."
Although her first impression of Dong Eshi wasn't very good, she was already there, so she didn't want to keep putting her in a bad light.
Only when the two of them were alone in the pavilion did Lady Dong'e raise her eyes with a pitiful expression.
Galo, on the other hand, rested his chin on his hand, looking at her with a slightly bored expression.
Dong Eshi clearly did not expect the Empress to have such an expression.
I never imagined that the "Pearl of the Grassland" I had heard about was not an exaggeration.
Her beauty needs no embellishment, nor any adjectives.
She was neither dignified, nor beautiful, nor gentle.
That's her straightforward beauty.
Today, she wore no makeup, just a straight-cut cheongsam, and sat lazily on the couch, looking at herself with a bored expression.
She seemed uninterested in the purpose of her visit, and also uninterested in her as a person.
The thought of this made Dong E feel embarrassed.
She married a man she didn't love.
The man couldn't understand what she was thinking either.
Later, she met the Emperor, who knew of her distress and understood her sentimentality.
Even if she married one of his younger brothers, she could only be a concubine, let alone become the emperor's empress.
Not to mention that she is now the concubine of the emperor's younger brother.
Fortunately, she is about to enter the palace, and from now on she can be by the emperor's side every day.
However... there is a mountain above her, namely the current Empress.
The high and mighty pearl of Khorchin, the legitimate daughter of the Borjigit clan.
But even the most prestigious birth cannot compare to the emperor's favor.
So before entering the palace, she wanted to see this unfavored empress.
But she was a shrewd and clever woman, and she never expected that the Empress would be watching her like this.
She might despise herself, or she might loathe herself, or she might be jealous of herself, but she shouldn't be so nonchalant.
Dong E choked up, but couldn't speak for a long time.
Instead, Jialuo asked again, "Dong'e clan, you came all this way to see me, are you just going to stare at me like that?"
At that moment, even her neck turned red.
No, that's not it.
"Your Majesty, I have come here today specifically to apologize to you."
At this point, she suddenly stood up, walked to the middle of the pavilion, and was about to kneel down and pay her respects to Jialuo.
"I came here specifically to pay my respects to Your Majesty, but I forgot that my health was failing me. I couldn't even leave the palace before I fainted."
"It just so happened that His Majesty happened to be passing by and thus learned of this matter. It is all my fault."
Jialuo sat on the couch, playing with the relief carving on it in her hands, and slowly exhaled a long breath.
She could have directly told Lady Dong'e not to bother her, that the Emperor had no romantic feelings for her.
But having just experienced such an event a few days ago, she understood that the Empress Dowager would never allow her to remain a bystander in the inner palace.
Hearing Dong Eshi's words, which were clearly tinged with palace intrigue, he felt extremely displeased.
The only reason Dong E dared to come looking for her today was because she knew clearly that the one who truly held power in the inner palace was Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang.
What allowed her to receive ceremonial honors without being reprimanded by Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang was the Emperor's unbridled favor towards her.
Dong Eshi came to find Jialuo today simply because she wanted to come.
In fact, if today's empress were not Jialuo, but the real eleven-year-old little empress, Dong Eshi's open and covert boasting and targeting would have truly fulfilled the little woman's wish.
After all, whether the young empress was furious and wanted to punish her, or reported her to the empress dowager, it would displease the emperor.
"Yes, I understand."
"His Majesty also gave me a special reprimand. In the future, when the women of the ancestral hall come to pay their respects to me, I will take care of their health."
"You don't need to feel bad. With your delicate and pitiful appearance, you are the apple of your family's eye. Marrying Prince Xiang, you will be a noble concubine. If you can stay by my side in the future, you will have a blessed life."
"So your fragility isn't your own problem, understand?"
Dong Eshi's lowered eyelashes trembled slightly.
She twisted the embroidered handkerchief in her hand with force.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I thank you for not blaming me."
Jialuo smiled slightly and said again, "You should get up quickly, lest you get uncomfortable from kneeling for too long, which would only make you feel tired and uncomfortable."
Lady Dong'e pursed her lips, bowed again, stood up, and then awkwardly sat back down in her chair.
Before she could speak, Jialuo continued, "I haven't had lunch yet. Would you like to have lunch with me, Dong'e?"
"yes."
"It is an honor for Lady Dong'e to be served a meal by the Empress."
Jialuo: "?"
All right.
So Jade and Agate personally grilled the meat, using tongs to pick up evenly sliced venison and beef and lay them side by side on the grid-like grill.
Before long, Jialuo and Dong'e had placed the meat on their jade plates.
The meat is fresh and tender, and doesn't even need any dipping sauce.
Jialuo ate her fill, while Dong'e Shi couldn't eat even a small piece for a long time.
Jialu ignored her and slowly took a sip of her wine.
"Does Lady Dong'e know how to drink mare's milk wine?"
"Your Majesty, I would not."
"Okay, then I'll warm up a bowl of bird's nest for you."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." "Hmm..."
After the emperor finished his selection of concubines, he suddenly noticed that the security guards looked a little nervous.
As Fulin walked out the door, a security guard quickly stepped forward and whispered, "Dong E... went to pay his respects to the Empress."
The security guard didn't know how to address this Dong E clan member today, so he just gave a vague and careless answer, mainly referring to the last sentence.
As expected, upon hearing this, the Emperor immediately set off for the Imperial Garden.
He went to the Imperial Garden with great enthusiasm and saw nothing unpleasant, but he never expected to see the two of them sitting opposite each other eating.
When he arrived, everyone stood up and bowed.
Fu Lin clearly saw his empress put a piece of meat from the jade plate into her mouth before she got up.
I didn't even greet him when I bowed.
"This humble servant greets Your Majesty."
A gentle voice came from the side.
Jialuo quickly swallowed the meat in her mouth, looked up again, and found that the Emperor really didn't care about her.
She knew that the Emperor would definitely go to see Lady Dong'e first, so she could easily eat the freshly roasted, piping hot pork belly.
This way everyone is happy, and no one is upset.
"The weather is getting colder, and you are frail. You don't need to stay in the Imperial Garden for long."
Fulin spoke gently to Dong Eshi.
But in Jialuo's eyes, the image of Shunzhi, who now appears as a gentle and powerful emperor, had already been shattered that very night.
All his domineering statements, such as: "No matter what, you are the Empress of my Great Qing Dynasty, and also my Empress."
After such domineering and forceful words were spoken, the boy remained silent for a long time, his back stiff and motionless.
The images and scenes were so vivid and impactful that Fulin seemed like a child pretending to be strong in front of Jialuo.
She listened to their back-and-forth conversation, but her mind wandered elsewhere.
The potatoes on the grill are ready!
Jialuo's eyes darted around as she looked at the increasingly charred potatoes with heartache, then turned to look at the half-finished mare's milk wine beside her.
Jialuo was afraid that her saliva would spill out, so she had no choice but to turn around and look at the lake.
The sunlight was perfect, and the pond shimmered. Fish swam leisurely in the water, their mouths opening and closing as they swallowed their food.
The lake water was crystal clear, and aquatic plants swayed gently with the current.
If you look closely, you can even see many tiny fish.
"Empress."
Jialuo turned around, and when she saw the boy's gaze, she slowly turned around, smiled at the two of them, and said, "Your Majesty, have you finished talking?"
Fu Lin raised an eyebrow slightly, looked at Jia Luo, and said in a cool and indifferent tone, "It seems that I have disturbed the Empress's enjoyment of her meal?"
Jialu shook his head and said in a low voice, "The whole world belongs to the king, and all people within the borders are his subjects."
"Your Majesty is always my priority. I take what Your Majesty likes as my own and what Your Majesty values as my most important matters."
"Let alone a meal."
After Jialu finished speaking, she smiled slightly at the Emperor and said, "I was just thinking that Dong Eshi's health is so weak that she can't even withstand the wind in the Imperial Garden. I didn't think of that at all. I am truly sorry."
"Otherwise, I will have Agate send the roasted utensils and food to the Imperial Garden Pavilion."
"If Your Majesty has not yet eaten, I presume your attendants have made arrangements, and I will not interfere."
"Your Majesty, I suddenly remembered that there are still some matters to attend to, so I will not disturb your enjoyment any longer."
After speaking, Jialu bowed and made as if to leave.
But after taking only two steps, she felt something tugging at the back of her clothes on her shoulder.
She paused slightly, and just as her gaze fell on the hem of someone's robe, she heard Fulin say gently to Dong Eshi, "You go ahead and take care of yourself."
Lady Dong'e nodded slightly, her eyes, clear as a pool of water, glanced at Fulin, then bowed to the two of them.
"This concubine takes her leave."
After saying this, she gracefully walked away.
Jialuo remained motionless, waiting for the boy to turn around.
When he finally released his foot from stepping on her skirt, Jialuo spoke first and scolded in a low voice: "As the Empress of the Great Qing Dynasty, you are always talking about rules and regulations. How come you can't even dress properly now?"
For convenience, Jialuo didn't wear platform shoes today.
She was filled with remorse at that moment, as cheongsams are usually worn with platform shoes.
Therefore, the cheongsams designed for her are all longer than her actual height. Today, she wasn't wearing platform shoes, so the cheongsam just barely touched the ground.
Unexpectedly, the emperor caught them red-handed.
He even made her stand on it, not allowing her to slip away.
"Your Majesty, I thought I was just going to the Imperial Garden for lunch today. How could I have imagined that I would run into Consort Dong'e and Your Majesty?"
As she spoke, the boy walked closer and closer to her.
Jialuo immediately became alert and took two steps back.
"emperor?"
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Author's Note: Starting today, I'm going to be a crazy prolific updater!
When Daiyu first visited her maternal grandfather in the capital, she was invited into the palace without even entering his house, and was told that she was to become a little princess.
As soon as she entered the palace, the kind and gentle emperor pulled her in front of him and asked her to call him "Father".
Then, pointing to the brothers who were standing properly to the side, he called them "brother".
Daiyu felt timid, but she obediently called out.
This shout kept her in the palace for over ten years.
Later, the emperor said he would choose a prince for her as a husband.
Daiyu's gaze involuntarily fell on her brothers.
Her brothers treated her very well.
He was even willing to marry her as his principal wife.
...
The young master, her childhood sweetheart, looked at her gently and said, "Yu'er, you can choose for yourself."
The eldest prince, who was next door, smiled gently at Daiyu and said, "You and your brother grew up together, and your brother will protect you for life."
The gentle and learned Third Prince, holding the rare book he had searched far and wide for for her, said earnestly, "Little sister, you and I are the ones who can talk to each other the most. They are all brutes."
The aloof and arrogant Fourth Prince stood with his hands behind his back, his dark eyes fixed on her without uttering a word.
The wealthy young master, the Tenth Prince, with a dashing air about him, smiled and sighed, "They all care about their own power, but I, your younger brother, only care about my sister's desire to travel the world and see all its beautiful landscapes."
The handsome and youthful Fourteenth Prince walked up to her and said in a low voice, "Sister, your little brother is a lot of fun."
Daiyu twisted her embroidered handkerchief, looking at her brothers, but felt extremely angry.
"Who has been writing her love letters all this time?!"
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