"There's no need for you to cry and whine. Go back to the head maid's place and wait for the reassignment. It might even be better than serving the Third Prince now. Don't worry, your monthly wages won't change, and some of the older maids should start thinking about their personal lives!" Lanqin suppressed her weakness and put on the airs of a head of the household. She knew that at this moment she must be just like Lady Wang in "Dream of the Red Chamber," about to beat and drive away the maids in the young master's room.

"Your Highness, I have been serving the Third Prince since I was eight years old. I can tell whether he needs to drink or eat just by frowning. I beg Your Highness to let me stay." A rather attractive maidservant spoke. Her name was Miaoyin, and she had indeed been serving the Third Prince since he was five, and she herself was eight. Now, one is nine and the other twelve—both are at rather dangerous ages!

Cui Niang frowned, signaling Nianxue and Xicha to drag her out. How rude of her to dare ask the concubine for favors! Nianxue and Xicha each took one arm, pulling Miaoyin up from the ground and dragging her away.

Looking at the little girl's tear-streaked face, Lanqin thought to herself: "At this rate, this Miaoyin might actually be able to bewitch the Third Prince in the future. Although these princes and young masters of noble families all have maids in their chambers, the Third Prince is only nine years old; it's far too early."

Seeing that Miaoyin had been dealt with in this way, the rest of them, realizing that their relationship with the Third Prince was not as good as Miaoyin's, all remained silent.

After dealing with the Third Prince's maid, Lanqin began to have people move the Third Prince's belongings, and then sent grapes and kumquats to the Third Prince's room to serve him.

For a time, all the women in the inner quarters watched as Lanqin ordered the servants around and chased away the maids, acting like a proper wife.

Meanwhile, the Fourth Prince was also at a crucial moment in court, building goodwill with Emperor Kangxi. With the Crown Prince deposed, the position of Crown Prince hung precariously over the heads of all the princes and ministers. The Third Prince was also imprisoned, seemingly with no hope of receiving Kangxi's leniency; the Eighth Prince, although recommended by many ministers, faced a deluge of memorials.

The Fourth Prince was busy daily at the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works, and he also frequently went to the Qianqing Palace to report to Emperor Kangxi on the grain harvests in various regions, as well as the disaster situation in several flood-stricken areas, all of which constantly weighed on Kangxi's mind. After all, he was currently fighting against Galdan and his steppe tribes. If a major disaster occurred internally, creating many displaced people who wandered around, it might even incite a peasant uprising, which would be troublesome. Therefore, whenever the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers flooded, the court would immediately go to appease the disaster victims, precisely to prevent these people from rebelling and causing a peasant uprising that would be difficult to handle.

"Fourth Prince, the Xu Yuanyuan you sent is quite a talent. He actually came up with such a plan right away, and immediately brought the disaster under control, preventing it from spreading further. Excellent!" Kangxi handed several memorials back to the Fourth Prince. They were all reports on the flood control situation coming from the other side of the Yellow River.

"It's all thanks to the Emperor's great fortune that they were able to come up with a solution by sheer luck." The Fourth Prince was pleased inside, but he still said these polite words.

"Fourth Prince, when did you learn to say these things? I still prefer you to speak the truth!" Kangxi was pleased, and his complexion was especially good today.

"Yes, Your Majesty is also pleased. This Xu Yuanyuan is the eldest brother-in-law of my eldest daughter-in-law's family. He is a capable man who can control water. I think that since he has this ability, it would be better to send him out to manage those two dragons for Father Emperor," said the Fourth Prince.

"Good, very good. Your eldest princess has married into a good family. Invite her father and mother to the palace to receive their reward. Such merit deserves the title of a second-rank noblewoman. Your eldest princess is also my granddaughter. Come in with her so the Empress Dowager can see her." Upon hearing this, Kangxi was even more pleased, especially since it involved his granddaughter's husband.

Liang Jiugong went out to fetch tea for Emperor Kangxi, and then followed the Fourth Prince out of the Qianqing Palace, one after the other.

"This old servant congratulates Fourth Prince on winning His Majesty's favor," Liang Jiugong said, bowing to the Fourth Prince. The two already had a good relationship in private. Although Liang Jiugong was utterly loyal to Kangxi, he also had a very good impression of the Fourth Prince.

"Thank you for your kind words, sir! Father Emperor doesn't seem to be feeling well; he looks rather pale. Do you know the reason?" the Fourth Prince asked.

“Alas, Fourth Prince truly cares about the Emperor. It wouldn’t hurt to speak with him, and perhaps Consort De could offer some advice. The Emperor has recently been favoring a palace maid, which is going a bit too far. I don’t know what’s wrong with that woman, but she has captivated the Emperor in bed for over a decade. How can he possibly endure this? This old servant has tried to advise him, but the Emperor won’t listen,” Liang Jiugong said.

The Fourth Prince was taken aback, then understood Liang Jiugong's meaning. He cupped his hands in greeting before leaving. Nowadays, Emperor Kangxi favors concubines or palace maids, while the four consorts are all getting on in years and have almost all retired. The only one still serving him is probably Consort Yi.

Before he knew it, the Fourth Prince had arrived at the entrance of Yonghe Palace. He looked up and saw that the longevity character pattern on the porch and the gilded paintings on the inner beams had lost their vibrant colors due to years of wind and rain.

"Greetings, Fourth Prince!" A woman's voice came from behind the Fourth Prince. The Fourth Prince was startled when he heard it; the voice was soft, sweet, and gentle, and he had actually recognized it immediately.

The Fourth Master turned around and saw the woman who had caused him so much heartache—Wuya Wanru. She wore a light blue, diagonally-fastened jacket, the neckline and hem embroidered with pale pink peach blossoms. Her pleated skirt was also embroidered with fluttering peach blossoms. Her hair was simply styled in a round bun, adorned with a gold hairpin carved with tadpole and lotus patterns. She stood there gracefully, with a timid little maid following behind her.

"Wanru, what are you doing here?" Fourth Master stared at the woman in front of him, speechless.

"I've come to pay my respects to my aunt. Fourth Prince, you've come to pay your respects to your aunt?" Wanru said with a faint smile.

Just then, the palace gates opened, and Aunt An, who was by Consort De's side, was surprised to see the Fourth Prince and Wuya Wanru standing at the door.

"Miss Wanru, Her Majesty invites you in," Aunt An said to Wuya Wanru first.

"Fourth Prince, please come in!" Aunt An said.

When the Fourth Prince and Wuya Wanru appeared one after the other in Consort De's main hall, Consort De almost stood up from her seat. The two people who had almost secretly pledged their lives to each other back then, ten years later, had reappeared before her.