Su Peisheng was truly convinced—this Mistress Lin was a real master!
Honestly, how had this Lin Shi managed to avoid stepping on any landmines?!
Su Peisheng grumbled inwardly but obediently agreed aloud.
He even thoughtfully added, “Lin Gege, if it’s not too much trouble, could you list the items for this servant? I’ll have them delivered to you first thing tomorrow morning.”
Hearing this, Lin Mingyan glanced at Fourth Master. Seeing him nod, she hesitated and said, “I… I don’t know how to write.”
Neither her original self nor her current self could handle that soft, floppy brush—she couldn’t write a single character!
Almost simultaneously, everyone in the room turned their gaze toward Lin Mingyan, staring at her.
Although most of them were also illiterate, it was still quite novel for a mistress to be illiterate—and to admit it so bluntly.
Belatedly realizing, Lin Mingyan added, “I just can’t write, but I can read!”
She had graduated from university!
A 985 university at that!
In the village where she was born, she was the only one who had ever gotten into a 985 university!
But she couldn’t say any of this—how frustrating!
Fourth Master looked at her anxious, defensive expression and finally laughed. “Alright, alright, you can read.”
“It doesn’t matter if you can’t write. I’ll write it for you.”
He had someone bring over brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, and with utmost seriousness, he wrote down the things Lin Mingyan needed.
The list was left on the desk to dry, and their dinner was already laid out.
Lin Mingyan ate very restrainedly today, not devouring her food like she had yesterday.
Perhaps she remembered the particular demands of her job as a concubine—she had to at least stay professional and maintain her figure.
Eating too much or too greasy at night was absolutely out of the question!
As she picked at the light, vegetarian dishes, she made a tearful wish.
She hoped that next time, Fourth Master would come before noon—she could eat more at lunch, or even by two o’clock.
Fourth Master also had little appetite today. Watching Lin Mingyan pick at her rice grain by grain only made him lose his appetite further.
“What’s wrong? Are you unwell today? Or is the food not to your taste?” His expression had darkened slightly, though his tone didn’t show it.
Su Peisheng clenched his fists nearby, hoping his master would finally lose his temper over this.
Just this noon, the Princess Consort had angered Fourth Master in the same way—surely Lin Shi would step on the landmine now!
Only then did Lin Mingyan snap back to attention. After a moment’s thought, she decided to tell the truth. “Master, I don’t dare eat too much at night. Eating too much will make me gain weight.”
“I just had beautiful new clothes made—what if they don’t fit anymore?”
Perhaps the regret in her eyes as she looked at the dishes was too obvious, because Fourth Master immediately believed her explanation.
Once he believed her, he was both speechless and intrigued.
Among the three women in the rear courtyard, the Princess Consort angered him, Madam Song feared him, and Madam Li… was rather pretentious.
None of them would ever talk about weight gain in front of him. Lin Mingyan’s honesty left him momentarily dazed.
He sighed and said, “What are you afraid of? Do you think I’d run out of fabric to make you clothes?”
“Su Peisheng, tomorrow, pick out some more fine fabrics and deliver them to your Mistress Lin!”
“Yes, sir!” Su Peisheng was utterly convinced.
Fourth Master looked at her bright, sparkling eyes, as if saying, “There, now you don’t have to worry about gaining weight and having no clothes to wear.”
Lin Mingyan: …That’s not the point! The point is that gaining weight would make her look bad!
But there was nothing she could do. Fourth Master, convinced he had solved her worries, personally picked up a piece of tender, stewed deer tendon and placed it in her bowl.
This was a dish she had glanced at several times but resisted reaching for with her chopsticks.
Well, now it was in her bowl, and she couldn’t hold back any longer.
Eat up.
After all, it was only when Fourth Master was around that she had such a lavish dinner, and he wouldn’t come every day.
Seeing how much she enjoyed the food, Fourth Master became interested and, like feeding a puppy, served her a portion of every good dish.
Lin Mingyan felt both pain and joy, and as if competing, she served Fourth Master in return.
Eat up—if we’re going to get fat, let’s get fat together!
After finishing the meal, she rubbed her belly, completely satisfied.
Fourth Master was also taken aback. He had only been at Lin Shi’s place for two days, yet his bad mood from both days had improved significantly.
Hmm, he could come more often.
Fourth Master made this decision in his heart.
He had just moved into his own residence and, for the first time, felt like the master and ruler of this courtyard.
Outside, he was the Emperor’s son, the Crown Prince’s younger brother, with many constraints. But in his own residence, he wanted to act according to his own mood.
So, when Lin Mingyan calculated that Fourth Master had come to her place for ten consecutive days, she felt a bit apprehensive.
Although he didn’t always engage in intimate activities with her, this was still too frequent!
Worried, she asked Du Juan, “Du Juan, do you think… this is too attention-grabbing?”
Ten days—and a month only has thirty days.
“What are you talking about, Gege?” Du Juan was proud, pursing her lips. “Back when Concubine Li was favored, Ye went to her place for over half a month straight!”
Of course, the consequence of going for over half a month was that Madam Li made a small mistake and was confined to her quarters for a month.
“That’s good, that’s good,” Lin Mingyan’s half-suspended heart settled a bit.
The other half was still worried that Fourth Master might come again tonight.
Today was the fifteenth, and according to custom, he should go to the main courtyard.
It was said that even when Madam Li was at the peak of her favor, Fourth Master never went to her place on the first or fifteenth days of the month.
While Lin Mingyan was feeling uneasy, Fourth Master was in a fit of rage.
Su Peisheng stood close to the wall, not daring to make a sound.
But thinking about what the palace consort had said today, he felt that even someone like him, without roots, would be furious enough to jump.
How much more so for this golden and noble Imperial Prince Aga?
In all the world, aside from the Crown Prince, who else was as fortunate in their birth as this one?
Yet the consort dared—dared to accuse him… of being unfilial.
Fourth Master was angry, but he didn’t smash things. Instead, he wrote, and his writing… was terrifying.
During this time, those who served tea and ground ink were miserable, trembling with fear as if walking on thin ice.
This time, it was the tea server who provoked him.
The tea was too hot.
It scalded Fourth Master’s heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys, and he erupted in anger.
Only after the tea-serving maid was silently dragged away by a eunuch did Su Peisheng secretly breathe a sigh of relief.
Then came a wave of regret—that was a maid he had personally trained for nearly half a year, one who had become very efficient!
Although she wasn’t beaten or scolded, she could never serve in the Front Courtyard again.
Ruined, ruined~
Next time, the next time the master was unhappy, he would have to find a way to have a Gege from the rear courtyard come to serve.
After all, if they made a mistake, they would only be neglected for a while, not completely ruined, sparing him the time and effort to find someone new.
He thought of Lin Shi but quietly dismissed the idea.
With a respectful expression, he stepped forward and asked, “Ye, where would you like to dine today?”
“At Lin Shi’s place,” Fourth Master had originally decided not to go again, but today he was in a foul mood and really didn’t want to be alone.
Going to Lin Shi’s place always lifted his spirits. People naturally gravitate toward what brings them comfort.
Su Peisheng hesitated awkwardly before reminding him, “Today is… the fifteenth.”
The fifteenth was the Princess Consort’s designated day.
“Then why are you wasting words?!” Fourth Master’s mood soured even further.
Su Peisheng angrily slapped his own face twice—serves you right for speaking out of turn!
But there was that one time when he had directly suggested Fourth Master go to the main courtyard, and Fourth Master had ignored him for a whole month!
Those were the most difficult days he had ever endured, nearly losing his position as head eunuch to that scoundrel Gao Ziliang.
Following behind Fourth Master, he reflected deeply on his actions, mustering every ounce of his focus.