The document is clear to the world

Chapter 5

“Listen to me,” Fourth Sister-in-law said. “None of these men can truly be devoted to one man. All we women can do is endure. As the legitimate wife, we have to do even more. Besides enduring, we must also keep in mind that we cannot completely depend on our men. Those concubines live off men, but we… can only rely on ourselves. However, you must never forget that men are the sky of the household, and you are the earth.” Fourth Sister-in-law’s voice trembled slightly as she spoke.

That was a very heartfelt statement, and I understand it to some extent.

While sipping Biluochun tea, she suddenly remembered that the pastries she had brought from the mansion were still in the sedan chair. She quickly got up and said, "Fourth Sister-in-law, look at my memory! I brought some pastries with me when I married, intending to give them to you as a token of my respect. But I left them in the carriage. I'll get them right away."

I rushed out of the house and hurried towards the sedan chair at the main entrance. As I ran to the second gate, a figure turned around from the side. Before I could stop, I fell straight into the person's arms. The person grabbed my arm, which prevented me from falling to the ground.

I raised my head blankly, inwardly groaning, and said weakly, "Fourth Master, I have been rude again."

His deep eyes were fixed on me, making me feel uneasy. He released my hand and said in a low voice, "Seventh sister-in-law is indeed always impolite."

My face turned so red that I dared not lift my head again.

His expression softened, and after taking a few steps, he turned to look at me. "Did you make some hangover soup for Lao Qi this morning? I forgot to tell my sister-in-law yesterday that Lao Qi always gets a headache in the morning whenever he drinks a lot of alcohol. If he drinks the hangover soup and then sleeps for a while, his headache will go away."

The heat on my face instantly dissipated, and I looked up with a calm expression. "Thank you for the reminder, Fourth Brother."

"Is Seventh Brother awake yet? I'll go check on him. I have something to say to him. If you're free, Sister-in-law, stay here and keep Fourth Sister-in-law company. She rarely meets someone as kind as you."

"My master... has entered the palace, so you probably won't be able to see him at our residence right now." I quickly made up an excuse to decline.

"Enter the palace?" His eyes suddenly turned cold. "The Emperor has given him five days for the wedding, during which time he does not need to enter the palace."

I bit my lip, thinking that I couldn't hide it any longer. "Fourth Master... I shouldn't have kept it from you. Actually, my master hasn't returned to the manor since he sent Eighth Brother's wife off yesterday. I was afraid that the news would spread, so I lied to you... Fourth Master, please just pretend you don't know anything."

He paused, looked at me, nodded, and walked away.

I took the brocade box back to my fourth sister-in-law's room.

"Oh, I've been waiting for your precious snacks for quite a while. You could have just sent a servant, but you rushed out before I could stop you. Were you afraid the servants would steal them? I've been waiting for you for ages," Fourth Sister-in-law teased.

I suppressed a laugh. "I carried those pastries all the way here, afraid they'd get chilled and spoil. I greeted Fourth Brother when I left, which caused the delay. I'm afraid my sister-in-law's stomach is getting impatient waiting."

"You have such a sharp tongue, you're actually insulting me."

I spent the whole morning chatting with my fourth sister-in-law. She insisted on keeping me for lunch, and when it was almost noon, I said I had to leave. My fourth sister-in-law couldn't stop me, so she sent a car to take me home.

Upon returning to the manor, Liu Shang greeted me at the entrance.

"Where did you go so early in the morning? You didn't even take me with you, leaving me waiting all this time," Liu Shang complained.

I glanced at Lu Li's dark blue sedan chair at the entrance: "The Prince is back?"

“He came back not long after you left. When he came back, he only asked if you were up. I said you had just gone out, so he didn’t ask any more questions. He went to the study and didn’t show his face. He even had lunch in the study.” Liu Shang took the fur robe I had taken off as he spoke.

I said "Oh," and went into the backyard. Passing the study, Liu Shang asked me in a low voice, "Aren't you going in to say hello?"

I had no choice but to bite the bullet and step inside.

Lu Li was engrossed in the book.

"Sir—" I forced a smile and walked up.

"Oh, you're back." He didn't even look up, his expression calm.

When did you return?

"Chen Shi (7-9 AM)".

Sure enough, I left and he came right back.

"If there's nothing else, I'll head down now." I made an excuse to leave.

"Next time you go out, remember to tell the kitchen if they'll leave any food. I prepared some for you, but you didn't come back and the food went to waste." There was no hint of blame in his tone.

I turned to look at him. "You didn't even inform me that you hadn't returned all night? I won't ask where you went, and please don't guess where I went either."

"Last night—"

“I have no interest in what happens to you, sir,” I interrupted him. “So don’t worry about where I go or whether I come back for dinner.”

He remained calm, only raising his head from the pile of books and looking at me indifferently.

We locked eyes, and when it comes to matching gazes, I'm always the first to lose.

"I'm not concerned about you." The voice wasn't cold, but it was still unapproachable. "It's just that if you go like this, it will give others a handle to use against you and cause trouble for no reason."

Although these words were meant to show concern for me, I couldn't sense any warmth in them. I bowed and walked towards the door. My hand touched the door frame, but I didn't turn around. "I... I just went to my fourth sister-in-law's place. It's not like I'm being criticized for walking around with my sister-in-law."

After saying that, I opened the door, stepped out, and ignored his expression.

Chapter Five of the main text: The Original Intention of Reconciliation

Back in the room, the accountant brought me the bills to review. I worked through them page by page on the abacus, and the whole afternoon passed by.

During the meal, Lu Li only exchanged a few words with Yi Ling, and the rest of the time there was silence. I was determined to change the rules. From now on, except for holidays, we will eat in our own small pots to avoid feeling depressed while eating.

"Master—where did you go yesterday?" Yi Ling finally couldn't help but ask.

Lu Li raised his head, looking puzzled. "Don't you know? I sent someone to deliver a message yesterday."

I suddenly remembered that someone was talking at the door during the night. I just assumed it was a report from the night patrolman and mumbled a reply to get rid of him. Could it be a messenger?

Lu Li looked at me, "Does Your Highness not know? I did send someone to deliver a message last night."

My face remained stiff. "I thought he was on night patrol and didn't pay attention to what he was saying."

Lu Li's furrowed brows relaxed. I suddenly remembered that I had just scolded him for not returning to the manor or informing me. He seemed to be trying to explain, but I abruptly interrupted him.

"Then what about last night?" Yi Ling was truly persistent, determined to get to the bottom of it.

"My mother stayed overnight." This seemingly casual remark actually made me choke.

Yiling gave me a reproachful look, probably blaming me for making her sad and upset for nothing.

Lu Li didn't notice the sudden change in my complexion, turning from red to white, and was focused on drinking the soup.

After finally clearing away the food, I hurried out, afraid that if I didn't leave soon, I would be stuck in this awkward situation forever.

As Xiao Si, who usually followed Lu Li, walked by, he quickly called out, "Xiao Si."

"What are your orders, Your Highness?"

I pulled him aside. "Yesterday you sent Eighth Brother's wife back, why did you go back to Consort Ding's place again?"