OBS Chapter 245: The Bride Offers Tea to Confirm the News
Chapter 245: The Bride Offers Tea to Confirm the News
The next day, the Fourth Prince brought his new wife, the Fourth Lady, into the palace to kowtow and offer tea to the elders.
First came Kangxi and the Empress Dowager, followed by the highest-ranking Consort Nianhulu, and then his own mother, Consort De. After paying homage to Consort De, the other concubines came.
Chuxiu Palace, no need to pay respects today. Shi Nanxi got up early, which was rare for her, and waited for the newlyweds to come and offer tea. At this time, Qing'er came in and whispered to her for a while. She blinked after listening and suddenly doubted her analysis of Concubine De yesterday.
Could it be that she was overthinking it, and Concubine De simply didn't like the Fourth Prince?
Before she could doubt herself any more, a voice came from outside the door:
"The Fourth Prince has arrived, and the Fourth Lady has arrived."
Shi Nanxi quickly changed her expression, and the astonishment on her face instantly turned into gentleness and kindness. At this time, the Fourth Prince led the Fourth Lady in.
"Yinzhen/Hesui pays respects to Xian'e Niang, wishing her good health and happiness."
Shi Nanxi's eyes fell on the two people who were saluting.
The Fourth Prince still looked as if he was keeping people at a distance. Although he had just gotten married yesterday, he did not look happy at all. His brows were stern, his lips were tightly pursed, and his manners were meticulous. One could vaguely glimpse the image of the cold-faced Fourth Master in the future.
The fourth concubine, Ulanara Hesui, had not been seen for several months since the selection. She had grown a little taller, one or two centimeters taller. She still had a small round face, fair skin, and a blessed appearance, but even with rouge covering her eyes, they were slightly darker and her complexion was a little pale.
With the heavy jewelry on her head, her small body seemed to be shaky, and she couldn't help but complain in her heart.
What a sin it is that a child of only ten years old has to get married. Thinking back to yesterday's wedding, when Defei asked Shi Rongyue to receive guests despite being pregnant, as well as the news she just heard, she shed tears of sympathy for the Fourth Lady.
Qing'er just reported to her that news came from Yonghe Palace that after Defei accepted the tea offered by the Fourth Lady, she kept praising Shi Rongyue for her filial piety during their conversation.
The reason was the gift Shi Rongyue gave her - the soap and lipstick that have been popular in Beijing in recent months, as well as the perfume that had just been released.
This was produced by Shi Rongyue's own shop. In order to please Concubine De, he would give it to her first time whenever a new product came out.
Think about it, as a new daughter-in-law, the Fourth Lady offered tea to her mother-in-law for the first time today, but her mother-in-law kept praising the Concubine for being filial and sensible. Which new daughter-in-law would not feel uneasy, wronged and sad after hearing that?
What's even more outrageous is that Concubine De actually asked the Fourth Lady to take care of the pregnant Shi Rongyue. That's simply outrageous.
She complained in her heart, but it was a matter of seconds, and she smiled and said:
"Hurry up, hurry up, sit down, Hongying will serve the tea."
The Fourth Prince stood up, but did not sit down immediately. Instead, he reached out his hand to support the Fourth Lady beside him.
Just like what was just complained, the Fourth Lady is only ten years old. She didn't rest the whole day yesterday because of her wedding. Also, because of Shi Rongyue at the wedding banquet, she was so angry and aggrieved that she didn't sleep all night.
She got up hurriedly early in the morning, wearing a heavy headdress, and forced herself to go into the palace to serve tea. Her small body could no longer bear it.
However, just as the Fourth Prince extended his hand, the Fourth Lady dodged it, stood up, and whispered to the Fourth Prince:
"Thank you, sir. I am fine. My mother said that we should not be disrespectful in public."
Upon hearing this, the Fourth Prince paused with his outstretched hand. His stern face did not change. He naturally lowered his hand and walked forward to sit on the chair.
After the Fourth Lady finished speaking, she glanced at the Fourth Prince anxiously. Seeing that he was fine, she bit her lip and sat down next to him like a little wife.
Shi Nanxi saw the interaction between the two people. At this moment, she suddenly understood why, although the Fourth Lady was known for her virtue in history, her relationship with the Fourth Prince was average.
In addition to Concubine De's interference, the Fourth Lady's temperament also played a certain role.
I think that just now in Yonghe Palace, the Fourth Prince also took the initiative to support the Fourth Lady, but was scolded by Concubine De, so the Fourth Lady said - Concubine De said that we should not be rude in public.
But her husband has already taken the initiative to be considerate, so why bother about Concubine De's warnings at this time? It will be the Fourth Prince who will live with you in the future, and then the Prince. What's the point of just thinking about pleasing Concubine De? She is not getting to the point at all.
Shi Nanxi saw through it but didn't say anything. She pretended not to notice what had just happened and said kindly:
"I heard that your wedding was very lively yesterday. Unfortunately, I was in the palace and couldn't go to congratulate you in person. I can only wish you a happy marriage and everything goes well."
Upon hearing this, the Fourth Prince bowed and replied in a serious tone:
"I have received the gift. Thank you, Mother Xian."
The Fourth Lady at the side quietly clenched her handkerchief and secretly glanced at Empress Xian who was sitting at the top.
The two of them were in the same audition period and had been together during the re-selection. Before the palace selection was over, she had never thought that the sickly and timid Princess Shi would become her stepmother.
When she was waiting to get married at home, she often heard how favored the other party was, and even how favored she was by the Emperor alone. She was worried that Concubine Xian would favor her own sister, Concubine Shi. After all, even if the two had a falling out, they were still sisters after all.
Fortunately, later, news came from the palace that Concubine Shi rarely went to visit Concubine Xian, and Concubine Xian rarely summoned Concubine Shi. The two of them only maintained a superficial sisterly relationship. Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief.
It was just that after Concubine De's praise of Shi Rongyue in Yonghe Palace, she still had some complicated feelings towards Concubine Xian, so she replied softly:
"Thank you for the gift, Xian'er Niang. I like it very much."
After he finished speaking, the palace fell silent. Shi Nanxi knew that the two would have to pay their respects to Concubine Hui and the others later, so she said a few words of concern and asked Nanny Yang to hand the gift to the couple, then served them tea.
Seeing this, the two men stood up to thank the grace and quickly left tactfully.
After everyone left, Madam Yang spoke bluntly:
"I'm afraid the Fourth Prince's backyard will be bustling from now on."
Isn't it lively? Shi Nanxi smiled faintly and said nothing. When Kangxi came over for dinner, she couldn't help but talk about the wedding of the Fourth Prince and his wife.
"The Fourth Prince is married now. He is an adult now and can help the Emperor with his worries. I think Concubine De will be very pleased."
Shi Nanxi picked up a piece of mutton with her middle chopsticks and put it into Kangxi's bowl. At some point, the two of them no longer strictly followed the rule of not talking while eating. Occasionally, they would chat about family matters or what Kangxi encountered in the court, just like an ordinary couple.
Kangxi put the mutton that Shi Nanxi had picked up in his mouth, chewed it slowly and swallowed it, then he casually said:
"The fourth child is married, but he is only thirteen years old. It is too early for him to share his worries. He should study hard in the upper study room. As for Concubine De..."
He paused, his tone unable to tell whether he was happy or angry:
"The older she gets, the more anxious she is to have a grandchild. Old Fourteen is only three years old. If she likes to worry, she should spend more time teaching Old Fourteen."
Shi Nanxi's eyelashes trembled. This meant that Concubine De was old and her hands were too long, even reaching into her son's backyard, showing no mercy at all.
She did not respond, but these words were spoken in public, and Shi Nanxi did not deliberately block the news, so it quickly spread throughout the harem.
Before Shi Nanxi entered the palace, both Defei and Guo Luoluo were favored by the six harems. Compared with Guo Luoluo who was selected into the palace through a formal selection, Defei, who was promoted from a palace maid, was more envied. At this moment, many people laughed at her.
When Defei received the news, her usually gentle face turned gloomy, and she felt even more disgusted with the Fourth Prince and his wife.
After the Fourth Concubine returned home three days later, she was summoned to the palace. On the pretext that she was too young to consummate the marriage with the Fourth Prince, Shi Rongyue was pregnant, and the two princesses in the backyard were also a useless excuse, so two palace maids were given to the Fourth Prince, who would later be Princess Zhang and Princess Uya in the Fourth Prince's mansion.
Shi Nanxi just listened to all these disturbances. Ever since she guessed that Tong Jia Wanru and Li Si'er were plotting something, she had been waiting for news. Until the eve of Kangxi's announcement that he would go to Mulan Paddock for autumn hunting, she finally got the exact news.