She was wearing robes as red as a rose, and her hair was combed into two buns, pinned with beaded flowers and hairpins. She had a beaming smile full of happiness when she walked out.
But the moment she came out and saw Ruoyin, she noticed how the Fujin seemed to have changed into a completely different person.
Her smile immediately stiffened.
Was this still the Fujin that she knew?
She was already prettier than she was. Why did she still have to dress up so meticulously? Consort Li felt ridiculously defeated in an instant!
Initially, she believed that Ruoyin was still sick. Therefore, she was sure that she would win today. After all, Consort Song didn't look better than she did.
Who knew that her plans would not work with the change in Ruoyin!
Restless, she inhaled deeply before stepping forward and making her salutations. "Paying my respects to the Fujin. It's been a long time, the Fujin's health seems to have improved."
"Thank you," Ruoyin answered indifferently as she eyed Consort Li.
Consort Li smiled awkwardly and stood up on her own as she said, "It was my fault last time for not managing my servants well. I seek the Fujin's forgiveness on this."
"You are too harsh in your words. It's good enough that you have grown out of the mud unsullied," Ruoyin responded. Tired of being courteous with Consort Li, she turned around and instructed everyone, "Stand properly. Lord Fourth will be arriving soon."
She felt no need to exchange excessive greetings with Consort Li. Since they were always butting heads with one another, it only felt hypocritical and awkward when they had to greet each other.
"Yes," the servants replied.
When people feel guilty, whatever they hear from others sounds like ridicule. Consort Li was one of those people. She couldn't help but feel that there was an underlying meaning to Ruoyin's words.
Was she calling her courtyard muddy, or was she giving an ironic remark?
But the current situation didn't allow her to ponder too much about this.
A team of men and horses had stopped in front of them, and the one leading them was Lord Fourth.
Adorned in blue robes, Lord Fourth was sitting on a stunning black stallion.
His dark, endless eyes were laced with sharpness.
His eyebrows were sharp and straight, and his grave and stern face seemed sculpted.
His nose was sharp and high, and with his distinct, thin lips pursed together tightly, he seemed rather heartless.
He was radiating an air of imposing aggressiveness from head to toe.
Ruoyin felt that Lord Fourth had become more handsome after not seeing him for a month.
Lord Fourth flipped his robes in one swift motion and lifted himself from the horse in an agile manner.
Everyone bowed to him. "Welcome back, Fourth Master."
Lord Fourth waved his hand and swept his gaze across the crowd before it finally landed on Ruoyin.
A momentary shock flashed across his eyes.
Was… this still his Fujin?
From head to toe, she was dressed completely differently from the past.
Lord Fourth walked toward her and supported Ruoyin by the arm.
After Ruoyin stood up, she raised her head to look at him and said, "My Lord, you must be worn out from your trip. Please have a rest. I have prepared a feast for tonight to welcome your return."
"Okay. How is your body?" Lord Fourth asked faintly.
It was rare to see her wearing red robes.
The April wind blew gently against the hair on her cheeks, leaving her to be a pleasant view to the eye.
She no longer looked like the blockhead that she was in the past.
Ruoyin replied in embarrassment, "The chief physician said that I am well enough. However, if I still feel uncomfortable, I will be fine after a few more days of rest."
Lord Fourth hummed in acknowledgment. "That's good. Please take good care of your health."
Initially, Consort Li was upset when she saw Lord Fourth helping the Fujin up.
But when she heard what the Fujin had said, it seemed like she wouldn't be able to attend to him tonight.
Therefore, she eagerly stepped forward and said, "My Lord, I have specially prepared a hot bath for you and some desserts."
"There's no need," Lord Fourth answered coldly. He turned to look at Ruoyin. "Fujin, get someone to prepare the bath."
"Yes." Ruoyin gave an indication to Nanny Liu with a gaze.
Nanny Liu understood her command and immediately began the preparations.
This left a hot flush on Consort Li's face. She felt ashamed as though Lord Fourth had slapped her in the face.
She had initiated an invitation to be pampered. It was enough that Lord Fourth paid no heed to her, but asking for the Fujin to wait upon him? The comparison was extremely infuriating!
Ruoyin glanced at Consort Li's blood-red face before walking to her place with Lord Fourth.
Just as Lord Fourth stepped into the courtyard, he instantly noticed something amiss. "Why do you have only less than half of your servants left?" he asked.
Ruoyin poured him a cup of tea. She took Lord Fourth's clothes from her servant and placed them on the wooden rack before saying absent-mindedly, "As men move to higher places, water will flow downwards. I saw that they did not have the desire to work under me, so I sent them elsewhere."
Yet after she had finished saying her words, she could only hear Lord Fourth coughing from behind.
She turned around and saw his flushed face as if he had choked on his tea. He was looking at her with an expression that read, Have you turned foolish from being sick?
Ruoyin remained where she was, uncomfortable, without making a sound.
After Lord Fourth had finished coughing, he placed the teacup down with much force. "You are beginning to speak inappropriately. Who else is of higher standing than you in this household?"
Ruoyin seemed like a mistress who had spoken out of place. She lowered her head and fiddled with her fingers before shaking her head in response.
When she followed the rules in the past, she had been ignored for being a blockhead.
Now that she did not follow the rules, she was called out for acting inappropriately.
It was difficult to be a woman. But being Lord Fourth's woman was even tougher! What a dilemma!
As he saw her act this way, Lord Fourth's heart softened. However, he continued to berate her. "Apart from me, you have the highest position in this household. You are the mistress with the most authority. Do you not understand this logic at all?"
Ruoyin shook her head initially before nodding in a frightened manner. "I know that. But if the servants do not listen to me, I can't do anything about it."
"If they do not listen, you hit them! Beat one to death, it's just one of them! Do you understand?" Lord Fourth said with furrowed eyebrows.
Ruoyin nodded her head. "I understand. But I feel that it's not necessary to take their lives if they are disobedient. They are rather pitiful when you look at them."
"You see them as pitiful, but when you are unable to order your servants about and they do not treat you like their master, who will feel pity for you?!" Lord Fourth sighed. He had never found the Fujin to be so naive and foolish in the past.
"I understand. Please stop scolding me, my Lord. The water is about to cool, let me serve you as you take your bath." Ruoyin changed the conversation topic.
Seeing how quick-witted she was in diverting the conversation, Lord Fourth no longer found her to be that foolish.
He stood up and stretched his arms wide, allowing her to change his clothes.
Surprisingly, he spoke up again and said, "I am not scolding you. I am just telling you this for your own good."
Ruoyin paused for a moment while unbuttoning his clothes. Touched, she nodded her head to express her understanding.
As she waited upon Lord Fourth during his bath, she was initially nervous when she saw this man's grim face.
Thankfully, Lord Fourth closed his eyes throughout. His expression left her feeling gradually more at ease.
At night, there were not many people at the family feast.
There was only Lord Fourth, Ruoyin, Consort Song, Consort Li, and her daughter, who was less than a year old, in her embrace.
Consort Li was not only secretly asking to be pampered with her words, but she was also showing her child in front of Lord Fourth to help gain her some pampering.
Ruoyin only cared about eating the delicacies on the table. She even took two bowls of rice since she was still growing.
Consort Song played her own part and did not dare to ask for any form of pampering.
However, her expression was awkward when Consort Li was teasing her child.
She was Lord Fourth's first woman and had once been pregnant.
She had even given birth to a daughter.
However, her daughter had passed away not more than a month later.