Chapter 183

Princess Consort of Qi had already reached the gate of the residence when she finally learned that the Prince had returned.

And he had come back a quarter of an hour earlier than she had!

Hearing from the gatekeeper that the Prince had just returned, Princess Consort of Qi furrowed her brows slightly and asked in a low voice, "Why didn't you send someone to notify me so I could return earlier to prepare?"

The gatekeeper smiled and explained, "The Prince said to let the Princess Consort attend to her affairs first; he's not in a hurry here."

The Prince's return disrupted Princess Consort of Qi's original plan.

She had originally thought to return and nap with Sui Sui at noon, since the little girl hadn't slept well in the carriage.

After waking up, she planned to take the little girl to listen to storytelling, then pick out some fabric, sketch a pattern, and later embroider a sachet for Little Six.

Only when the auspicious day calculated by the master arrived did the Prince take his people to the separate villa.

Auspicious time, auspicious place, auspicious person.

When Princess Consort of Qi looked over, Car Maid raised her handkerchief to cover her mouth and smiled: "Sorry, Princess Consort, my current condition makes it inconvenient for me to perform the rites; please don't blame me."

That single remark left Car Maid's face alternating between red and white.

He had saved Little Six several times?

The Prince originally found Sui Sui cute and delightful; hearing this, his delight grew even stronger.

In the evening, while accompanying the children at their meal and watching them play, he also observed Little Six's growth, making up for the maternal love that had arisen from his guilt.

As he spoke, the Prince's gaze had already settled on Sui Sui.

She thought: "Princess Consorts are all soft‑hearted and indifferent to affairs; why are you, a concubine, so troublesome?"

The problem is, they're pressing down on her.

When she shouted that, Ren Ce Fei, who had just taken a sip of tea, nearly spat it out.

Thinking of this, Princess Consort of Qi gently explained to Sui Sui: "Father King has returned and is sitting over there; Mother Consort will take you to see him, all right?"

He was already smiling, but seeing Sui Sui made his smile broaden, his big round eyes turning into crescents: "Whose child is this, so adorable?"

Sui Sui was initially rather nervous, but after hearing Mother Consort's words, she felt her heart fill with strength.

Now that everyone has gathered, it would not be good for Princess Consort of Qi to take Sui Sui and avoid them.

Ren Ce Fei watched from the side, laughing, and said, "Prince, Car Maid's manners are unacceptable; don't let her corrupt the young ladies of our residence."

Her eyes were round and glossy, and she herself was lovely.

He squatted down, his gaze growing more affectionate as he looked at Sui Sui and asked with a smile, "What's your name? How old are you this year?"

Ren Ce Fei and Meng Ce Fei both rose and performed the salute.

Car Maid, watching this scene from the side, felt a sudden surge of crisis.

She wasn't the type to vie for advantage; as long as her interests weren't touched, she usually went along with the Prince, handling things lightly so as not to cause him difficulty.

Meng Ce Fei had been sitting quietly at the side sipping tea; hearing this, she could hardly keep herself from speaking, hesitated a moment, then swallowed her words back down.

Over these past years, Princess Consort of Qi had seen many concubines who grew arrogant from favor, and she had grown accustomed to them.

Finally, Car Maid rose unwillingly and performed a perfunctory salute.

She couldn't help tugging at the Prince's robe, coquettishly calling out, "Prince~"

Princess Consort of Qi waved her hand indifferently, looked at the Prince, and asked softly, "Why did you return so suddenly without sending someone to notify me?"

The Prince felt delighted at first sight.

Therefore, after Car Maid finished speaking, Princess Consort of Qi had originally intended to nod habitually.

She had originally wanted to rely on favor to act arrogantly, to assert herself a bit.

When the Prince brings a concubine back, he usually goes to the eastern wing.

As Princess Consort of Qi led Sui Sui into the main hall, she drew everyone's gaze.

Princess Consort of Qi did not directly ask the Prince, in Sui Sui's presence, whether he was willing to raise this child.

However, feeling Mother Consort's hand warm and soft around hers, Sui Sui felt more at ease.

At this moment, Sui Sui, led by Princess Consort of Qi, tilted her head slightly in puzzlement as she looked at the Prince.

She feared the Prince would act rashly and be unwilling, which would again unsettle Sui Sui's heart.

Even though Car Maid was utterly unwilling inside, she could only grit her teeth and perform the salute again.

Who knows, she might even bear an auspicious daughter!

As soon as Ren Ce Fei said that, the atmosphere instantly turned cold and awkward.

On the other hand, Car Maid, seated opposite the Prince across a table, sat properly and composedly.

But Ren Ce Fei's family is illustrious; not only is she a low‑ranking maid, even the Prince dares to talk back to her.

Even so, the comforting power of that last remark remained strong.

However, before she could even nod, Ren Ce Fei burst out laughing with a "pfft" and said, "How is Car Maid's condition inconvenient? If you were already pregnant, the Prince's head wouldn't be cold at all."

"Mother Consort is here."

This made Princess Consort of Qi feel a surge of irritation.

When she returned to the main residence, she discovered that the Prince had not gone to the eastern wing; moreover, not only the Prince, but Ren Ce Fei, Meng Ce Fei, and even Car Maid—whom the Prince had taken to the separate villa—were all sitting in the main residence drinking tea.

Car Maid had been in the residence for three months; during the preceding three months, having believed the master's words, she had been taking various nourishing soups to nurture her body, yet the Prince had never touched her.

Sui Sui was actually somewhat nervous.

The Prince had not originally been particularly concerned, but hearing this, he too became uneasy; he stared coldly at Car Maid and snapped in a low voice, "You haven't even confirmed whether you're pregnant, yet your body feels off—can this frame of yours even bear my precious darling?"

Regarding this, Princess Consort of Qi explained softly: "Prince Qing brought him back from Qingzhou; he has saved Little Six several times. I thought, since he has done a kindness to Little Six and is a pitiful child, I decided to take him in."

Princess Consort of Qi intended to return first to the main residence to settle Sui Sui for her nap.

"Father King is a very kind person; Sui Sui need not panic or be afraid—just follow Mother Consort."

However, she had adjusted her emotions well, woke Sui Sui, waited a while in the carriage until Sui Sui grew a bit clearer, and then led the party back.

Everything had been going smoothly according to plan, only to be interrupted by the Prince's sudden return to the residence.

When that was said, Car Maid's face turned terribly ugly.

As a result, she couldn't handle it and was instead rejected by Prince.

After Princess Consort of Qi entered with her people, she first nodded toward Prince.

Prince Qi, unconcerned, let out a hearty laugh: "The auspicious time is set, it's time to return, as the master said."

Ren Ce Fei is not a person who indulges; if she can't stand it, she'll retort directly.

So, after swallowing the tea in her mouth, she gently wiped herself once, then smiled and said, "Prince, I see Car Maid's endless ox‑like vigor could still be tossed around a few more times; why not return to the East Courtyard, try harder, and perhaps you could have twins, adding two girls to our Residence!"

Second watch.