The Fourth Fujin was somewhat confused, unsure of what Consort De still wanted to say to her. She worried that perhaps she hadn’t performed well enough just now and had displeased the Consort, which was why she had been asked to stay. For a moment, her heart could not help but flutter with apprehension and unease.
Before leaving, Yinzhen lightly patted her shoulder, signaling her not to worry and that Consort De would not do anything to her. His mother had always been one to prioritize her own reputation and dignity.
Reassured, the Fourth Fujin allowed a faint smile to appear. She adjusted her mindset and stood there with lowered eyes, looking submissive and obedient.
Seated to the side, Consort De took in their entire exchange, which had been far from subtle. She frowned slightly, a hint of dissatisfaction rising in her heart. I am not some wicked mother-in-law; is the Fourth Prince’s wife really so terrified? Furthermore, she had no intention of making things difficult for the new bride; such behavior would not look good if word got out.
Her dissatisfied gaze lingered on the Fourth Fujin’s still somewhat youthful features for a few seconds before she decided to let it go. She looked at her again—after all, she was just a young woman; she would improve with more experience in the future.
Consort De then spoke in a gentle, soothing tone, “There is nothing urgent for which I have kept you. It is merely that I have something to give you.”
With those words, she turned and instructed Mother Li to fetch a statue of the Child-Sending Guanyin from the inner chamber. “This is a Child-Sending Guanyin I specifically requested for you and the Fourth Prince.”
Seeing the Fourth Fujin’s face instantly flush crimson, Consort De knew she understood the meaning. She smiled and said, “There is nothing to be embarrassed about. You two must make haste; the Fourth Prince currently has neither a son nor a daughter to his name.”
“Earlier this year, that Song-shi in his courtyard did give me a little granddaughter.” Mentioning this, Consort De was clearly still displeased and let out a huff. “That Song-shi is also a woman without fortune. I didn’t even get to see my little granddaughter’s face before she was raised by her to the point that…”
At this point, Consort De waved her hand irritably and stopped talking. Softening her expression, she took the hand of the Fourth Fujin—who had kept her head bowed from the moment the child was mentioned—and said softly:
“I am not telling you this for any other reason. It is only that now that you and the Fourth Prince are married, I can finally let go of the matters in his back courtyard and leave them all to your care. If you ever encounter anything difficult or hard to handle, come to me, and I will back you up.”
Upon hearing this, the Fourth Fujin looked up, appearing moved. “Yes. Thank you, Mother.”
Consort De patted the back of her hand, looking gratified. “Good child. I only hope that you and the Fourth Prince will soon give birth to a big, healthy boy.”
“Alright, I won’t keep you any longer. You’ve been tired all morning; go back and rest.”
The Fourth Fujin nodded gently, performed her salutations, and withdrew.
As soon as she stepped out of Yongshou Palace, she saw Yinzhen’s upright back, standing steady as a great tree, exuding a profound sense of security. She hadn’t expected the Fourth Prince to actually be waiting for her outside; she had thought he would have returned already.
A wave of sweetness instantly flooded the Fujin’s heart. Her lips curved in a reserved smile as she stepped forward quickly. “Master Fourth, I have kept you waiting.”
Yinzhen turned and gave her a faint glance, his gaze then falling upon the Child-Sending Guanyin held by the maid behind her. Seeing this, the Fourth Fujin explained in a low, shy voice, “This was a gift from Mother.”
Yinzhen nodded without making any comment. “Let’s go back. You still have to receive the formal tea greetings later.” He signaled for her to walk with him.
Thinking of the women in the back courtyard, the Fujin’s previous sweetness was instantly dismantled. She did not dare show her dissatisfaction, simply nodding and following Yinzhen back. However, she maintained a pace that was consistently half a step behind him.
Yinzhen was currently preoccupied with thoughts of Consort De requesting the Child-Sending Guanyin, so he did not notice this. He felt his mother was being too hasty; he had only just married and was at a time when he needed to focus on his official duties and strive for progress. As for children, it wouldn’t hurt to wait a few more years. In any case, he would surely have many children in the future.
However, looking at the submissive expression of the Fujin beside him, he reconsidered and decided not to voice these thoughts. After all, women and men thought differently.
Yet, his mind suddenly drifted—what would it be like if he and Li-shi had a child? The image of Li-shi’s sweet, sugary smile flashed through his mind. A glimmer of amusement flickered in Yinzhen’s eyes, and he smiled soundlessly, rubbing his fingers.
In short, I’ll just let nature take its course.
Main Courtyard.
Not long after the Fujin returned, Li Wanran finished getting ready and arrived at the main courtyard. Just as she and Yi-shi were being led into the courtyard, they saw Song Gege already waiting at the door. She was dressed in lilac-colored clothing and wore only a white jade hairpin inlaid with a green filigree emerald. She was as gentle and elegant as ever.
Seeing them arrive, a smile immediately appeared on Song-shi’s face. “Sister Li, Sister Yi.”
Li Wanran gave a “business-like” fake smile as a greeting. She wasn’t surprised that Song Gege had arrived so early. It was the first day, after all; everyone wanted to gauge the situation, as it concerned their future survival.
“Sister Song, when did you arrive?” Yi-shi asked casually.
Song Gege pursed her lips and smiled, reaching up to smooth a stray hair by her ear. “Just a few steps ahead of you; I haven’t been here long.” She then turned to the silent Li Wanran and said in her usual soft, refined voice, “The Fujin is currently changing her clothes; she should be ready soon.”
Being addressed directly, Li Wanran gave a polite nod and smile. “Thank you for letting us know.”
Ever since the “wood carving incident,” she had deliberately reduced her interactions with Song-shi. Aside from the Dragon Boat Festival family banquet, she and Song Gege hadn’t had any contact for over a month. Song Gege seemed to only want to tell her this one thing; having said it, she stopped speaking. Like before the others arrived, she continued to stand there quietly waiting.
A moment later, a maid in dark green clothing with a melon-seed-shaped face lifted the door curtain and stepped out. Judging by her attire, she was the Fujin’s head maid. She bowed slightly to the group with poise. “The Fujin invites the mistresses inside.”
With that, she stood to the side and made a gesture of invitation. After leading them to their seats, she bowed again and returned to the inner room.
Shortly after, the Fourth Prince and the Fujin walked out together and sat in the seats of honor. Li Wanran stole a quick glance. The Fourth Fujin looked very close to how she had imagined. She had an oval face, willow-leaf eyebrows, bright eyes, and white teeth. Her gentle, jade-like face wore a smile that was both kind and distant, looking exceptionally dignified and graceful.
They really are a well-matched couple, Li Wanran couldn’t help but feel a tiny pang of jealousy rise in her heart, though she suppressed it almost immediately. The Fourth Fujin seemed similar to her historical counterpart; Li Wanran thought with her head bowed, and the weight that had been hanging over her heart finally eased slightly.
Song Gege’s focus was different. She glanced at Yinzhen with a complex expression, her heart churning with a massive wave of bitterness that threatened to drown her. Master Fourth is actually here. Did he stay specifically to back up the Fujin? She turned her head slightly to look at Li Wanran, wanting to see her reaction. However, she only saw Li Wanran looking cheerful, as if she were completely unaffected.
Song Gege immediately retracted her gaze with disdain and curled her lip imperceptibly. She’s like a simple-minded girl. Aside from that pretty face, I don’t know what Master Fourth sees in her!
From the moment Li Wanran entered, Yinzhen’s gaze had uncontrollably landed on her. The thoughts he had deliberately tried to ignore suddenly filled his mind. He wondered how much she had been angry with him over the past two days; she seemed to have grown even thinner. Then, looking at Li Wanran’s smiling face, he couldn’t help but sigh in his heart. It seemed she had matured quite a bit; she knew how to keep up appearances and didn’t show her unhappiness.
Although Yinzhen thought this, he didn’t feel the gratification he expected—only a hint of irritation. He abruptly retracted his gaze, a trace of panic even appearing in his eyes. He pushed those thoughts back down, not daring to scrutinize the reason behind them.
The Fourth Fujin pretended not to see the look Yinzhen had kept on another person. She smiled and signaled the servants to begin the tea ceremony. The ritual proceeded smoothly without any hitches, and the Fujin secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Her gaze now involuntarily fell upon Li Wanran. Before marrying the Fourth Prince, her brother had found out that the Prince deeply favored a certain Li Gege. Looking at Li Wanran’s charming and beautiful face, the Fujin’s lips pressed into a thin line. Presumably, it is her.
“I still have official documents to review in the study, so I will take my leave first,” Yinzhen said, standing up and looking at the Fujin.
Yinzhen did not consider himself a man who would favor a concubine over his wife. Now that he was married, he intended to give the Fujin plenty of respect. He wanted her to be able to manage the back courtyard properly without worries so that he could focus on his duties outside. Therefore, from the time he returned from Yongshou Palace until now, he had stayed in the main courtyard, intending to demonstrate his stance to everyone.
His gaze swept over the concubines sitting below. Song-shi and Yi-shi were submissive as always. Li-shi… Yinzhen discreetly glanced at the relaxed-looking Li Wanran, feeling thoughtful. Later, I’ll have Su Peisheng find some jewelry in the storehouse and send it to her. Surely her mood will improve then.
The “Big Boss” was leaving, so Li Wanran and the others hurriedly stood up along with the Fujin. There was no reason for them to remain seated while the leader was standing.
The Fourth Fujin reached out, wanting to tidy Yinzhen’s collar, but saw Yinzhen instinctively lean back. The smile on her face momentarily froze. Realizing his behavior was somewhat inappropriate—even if it wasn’t intentional—Yinzhen felt a pang of guilt toward the Fujin. He cleared his throat. It wasn’t proper to say much in front of everyone, so he simply patted the back of the Fujin’s hand and smiled. “I will come to see you later.”
With that, he turned and walked away quickly, his back looking almost as if he were fleeing in haste.
After the Fourth Prince left, the Fujin’s expression returned to normal. She smiled and asked the group to sit. She clapped her hands, and three maids carrying trays entered from outside and stood before Li Wanran and the others.
Sitting regally in her sandalwood chair, she said, “This is a small gift I have prepared for my three sisters. I hope you will not find it lacking.”
Li Wanran stole a glance. It was a translucent green jade bracelet with excellent clarity, looking so lush it seemed almost oily. She then quickly peeked at what was placed before Song Gege and Yi-shi. Song Gege had the same high-quality jade bracelet as her. Yi-shi’s was a gilded bracelet inlaid with gemstones.
As she finished looking and raised her head, she found the Fourth Fujin looking at her with a smile. Li Wanran froze. Had she been watching me this whole time? Li Wanran opened her mouth in a stiff grin, suddenly feeling as though she wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl into.