NFBE Chapter 159 Concubine
Chapter 159 Concubine
Chapter 159 Concubine
Just as the two sisters-in-law continued to gossip, Duo'er's voice came from outside the door: "Fujin, Crown Princess, Li Shufujin from the backyard is here."
Upon hearing this, the Fourth Lady quickly replied, "Tell her to wait outside for a moment." Then, turning to Buerhe, she smiled and said, "Ever since Mrs. Li in our courtyard learned that you got this life-saving medicine, she's been coming to me, saying she'd like to personally kowtow and thank you when she gets the chance. And now that you've come to our house today, she's brought it up again early this morning. She's already outside. Do you want to meet her?"
After listening to this, Buerhe nodded and said, "It's all out of a loving mother's heart. I understand. Let her in!"
Buerhe nodded in agreement, and soon Duoer came in with a bright-faced woman. The woman was wearing a light blue Manchu dress, with simple jade and pearl jewelry on her head, and she was wearing flower pot soles on her feet. She walked into the inner room gracefully.
Seeing the Crown Princess and the Consort sitting at the top, he immediately knelt and saluted: "Your servant pays respects to the Crown Princess and the Consort."
This was the Prince of Yong's mansion. Seeing this, Burhe remained silent, waiting until the Fourth Lady called her before inviting Li to a seat. Unexpectedly, Li knelt down and kowtowed several times towards Burhe's seat after the Fourth Lady called her. "I deeply thank the Crown Princess for the life-saving medicine. I have nothing to offer in return, so I can only kowtow several times to wish the Crown Princess a smooth life and a long life."
Seeing this, Buerhe quickly signaled Qi'er to help Li up. "Don't be so reserved. The Fourth Prince is also my nephew. If I can help him, I will definitely help him. Besides, your wife is the one who is responsible for this matter. If she hadn't remembered it in time, even if I had the medicine, I would be unable to do it!"
Hearing the Crown Princess' words, Li bowed again to the Fourth Lady. "Yes, I, too, would like to thank you. If you hadn't forgiven us and offered your own guarantee to support the rescue of Hongyun, Hongyun would not have seen this day. I thank you for saving my life."
Seeing this, the Fourth Lady quickly stopped him: "Alright, alright, sister, stop thanking me. Didn't we agree before that this matter is over? As Hongyun's mother, I should take care of him."
Li also knew her wife's temperament and knew that she was not putting on an act and really had no intention of repaying the favor, so she followed her wishes and sat below the two of them.
After seeing that Li had calmed down, Buerhe asked, "How is my nephew Hongyun's health now? I also brought a ginseng and some tonics this time. You can take them to the imperial physician for a check. If they are suitable, give them to Hongyun.
The child is still young, and any loss of Qi and blood can be quickly replenished with good medicine, without delaying his future growth."
Seeing that Li was still thinking about standing up to express her gratitude, Buerhe quickly reached out to stop her: "Just sit there. There's no need to go through all that formality. I don't mind."
Li sat down obediently, smiled gratefully at Buerhe, and thanked him softly, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. Hongyun is almost recovered now. According to the imperial physician's diagnosis, he will be fully recovered in a few days. I have everything I need. The good medicinal herbs and food that Fu Jin sent me recently have not been used up yet. The imperial physician also said that he suffered a lot from malaria this time, and it will take at least another month for him to recover."
But the rest of the story isn't a big deal. I just need to pay attention to my diet and avoid spicy or strong foods. I've taken good care of myself this time, so my foundation won't be damaged."
Buerhe nodded when he heard this. The child suffered a lot, and as a mother, she was also worried about him. As long as the child was not seriously injured, he would be fine after a little more time of recuperation.
The Fourth Lady also followed up, "It's a gift from the Crown Princess, so just accept it with peace of mind. Hongyun is also my child. I feel bad when he suffers. Since Hongyun is fine now, you should take good care of yourself. Look at your recent complexion, because Hongyun has been much worse. Now that he has recovered, you should rest well and recuperate. Don't worry about leaving Yaliqi with me. When you are well and ready, I can take you back at any time."
Upon hearing this, Li blushed, "That's not what I meant. I know and appreciate how kind Fu Jin is to me, and to the eldest princess and the fourth prince. I feel completely at ease leaving the eldest princess with you."
The Fourth Lady did not take this seriously. As a mother, it was normal for her to feel uneasy about leaving her child with someone else. She was worried even when Honghui stayed at Yuqing Palace. It had nothing to do with trust, but she just couldn't help but worry because the child was not under her care.
The Fourth Lady: "Okay, it's nothing. You can go back and take care of Hongyun. I don't need you to serve me here. Take some time to rest. Taking good care of your body is better than anything else."
Knowing the meaning of Fu Jin's words to drive her away, Li stood up embarrassedly and took out a package from the maid behind her and said to Buerhe: "This is a set of clothes that this servant made personally when he had some free time. Because I don't know what your Majesty's taboos are, I only made a plain one. My craftsmanship is not very good, but this is also a token of my heart. I hope your Majesty will accept it."
This was the first time Buerhe had received clothes made by the woman in the backyard. He was a little curious, but when he heard this, he smiled and asked Qi'er to accept them. "Thank you very much, Madam Li Shu. I like them very much."
Li hurriedly said that she dared not, bowed to the two masters, and left.
Buerhe: "This Li family seems to know the rules. You have taken good care of the backyard!"
The Fourth Lady was also happy with Li's performance today. No matter what, after this incident, Li was completely under her command.
The Fourth Lady said: "I have to thank Second Sister-in-law for her guidance. If it weren't for her, the evil spirit in the backyard would not have been suppressed."
Thinking about what was going to happen next, Buerhe advised the Fourth Lady, "Fourth brother can now have a concubine. There will be another general election next year. If you don't want the Emperor to force a marriage with a concubine of high status, then you have to find a way to propose one to him from the backyard."
The Fourth Lady was worried when she heard this. Ever since their husband was registered under the name of Empress Xiaoyi, she no longer had a mother-in-law above her. However, that old man was not an easy person to get along with. Although there was no concubine in the mansion in recent years, the emperor rewarded his husband with all the women he had every year.
Next year was the year of the general election. Given their grandfather's title as a prince, he was allowed to have two concubines. While the quota was usually never full, it was still possible to appoint a concubine. Just as the Crown Princess had said, if their family didn't register for a spot, then the Emperor would most likely grant a marriage directly.
Considering that her master has been favored by the Emperor in recent years, there is a great possibility that he will be granted marriage. The Fourth Lady has to take the issue that Burhe mentioned seriously.
The Fourth Lady: "Oh, if only our house could be like Yuqing Palace. Why can't the Emperor see us daughters-in-law living a good life?"
Buerhe quickly covered the Fourth Lady's mouth with his hand: "Yinzhu, you are crazy. Be more careful with your words next time."
Seeing Buerhe's actions, the Fourth Lady finally realized that she had just unconsciously complained to the current emperor, and her face turned pale. Buerhe looked at Qi'er, who had gone to the door to confirm the situation. Seeing her nod, Buerhe released his hand covering the Fourth Lady and patted her shoulder to comfort her. "Okay, it's okay. Qi'er just checked, and there's no one outside. You should be more careful in the future. You must know what you can and cannot say, and you must keep it in mind."
The Fourth Lady's boasting subsided, nodding repeatedly. Seeing that she had indeed been frightened, Buerhe poured her another glass of water. "Alright, it's okay now, don't be afraid. If you don't tell anyone about this, no one will know. There's nothing to be scared about. However, you must hurry up with the matter of the Concubine. I think Li is okay. No matter what, she should take the position first. And with her family background, no matter what she does in the future, you will have a clear grasp of it."
The Fourth Lady had also calmed down by now and just nodded when she heard this.