"Qin'er, Father Emperor wants Hongli to enter the palace." The Fourth Prince decided to tell Lanqin, because Emperor Kangxi had already ordered the Fourth Prince to bring Hongli into the palace.

"Does Father Emperor want to see Hongli?" Lanqin's heart tightened.

"Yes, Father Emperor wants to keep Hongli by his side. You can visit him in the palace often!" the Fourth Prince said.

Lanqin knew that Hongli was favored by Emperor Kangxi, but that was only because Hongli's intelligence, displayed after the age of five, had caught Kangxi's attention. Right now, Hongli was just a baby who only knew how to eat, drink, poop, and sleep; how could Kangxi possibly take notice of him?

Seeing Lanqin's bewildered expression, Fourth Master knew that she definitely couldn't accept it.

"Qin'er, having Hongli stay by Father Emperor's side will be very beneficial to his future growth and prospects. You can also visit him often!" the Fourth Prince comforted him.

"Why does Father Emperor suddenly want to raise Hongli by his side?" Lanqin knew that the Fourth Prince wasn't just saying this casually; he genuinely wanted to take Hongli away. Although Lanqin knew that raising Hongli by Kangxi's side would definitely have its benefits, sending him to Kangxi at such a young age and separating him from her was unhealthy for the child's mind and body. For example, the Fourth Prince was raised by Lady Tongjia from a young age, and as a result, he became a cold-faced prince.

"Father didn't say the specific reason, he only said that he wanted to raise a baby by his side, which would bring good fortune and longevity. Qin'er, I know you must find it hard to accept Hongli entering the palace, but even though he is our Father, he is also our Emperor," the Fourth Prince said.

“But Hongli is only a little over a month old. It’s not good for his development to leave his mother at such a young age. If Father Emperor likes Hongli, we can bring him to the palace to visit Father Emperor often. How can we bring such a young child in?” Lanqin still couldn’t accept it.

“But Father has already given the order to bring Hongli to the palace. I cannot disobey Father, and you must also think about the entire Fourth Prince’s residence.” The Fourth Prince said irritably when he saw that Lanqin indeed disagreed. In fact, he also knew that it was not feasible to bring Hongli to the palace like this, especially since there was no suitable reason.

"Whatever Father Emperor commands, I will do," Lanqin said, feeling a pang of unease at the Fourth Prince's words. She knew that Kangxi's thoughts were unfathomable, and there must be a reason why he suddenly insisted on sending Hongli to the palace. She truly couldn't bear to see her son enter the palace without even knowing the reason.

“Father is my father, and also my emperor. Let’s take Hongli into the palace for now, and we can bring him back when Father gets tired,” said the Fourth Prince.

“Your Majesty, Hongli is not an object. You can’t just take him in whenever you want. You should at least know why Father Emperor wanted to bring Hongli into the palace. Instead, you sent your son into the deep palace without any explanation,” Lanqin said, refusing to back down.

"It seems I've spoiled you too much, making you lose your sense of propriety. Actually, Father Emperor had already said this to me before Hongli and Hongzhou were even born. I kept putting it off, saying I'd wait until the children were a month old before telling you. Now that Hongli and Hongzhou are a month old, that's why I'm telling you," the Fourth Prince said.

"Your Majesty has already made up your mind, so why bother with me? My objections are futile. What Your Majesty is saying is nothing but self-deception," Lanqin said, raising her voice. She knew the Fourth Prince had no choice; it must be that old man Kangxi who insisted on bringing Hongli into the palace, otherwise the Fourth Prince wouldn't have said that. But Lanqin felt a pang of resentment. The child was, after all, a piece of her own flesh and blood; how could he just be taken away like that?

"You! With the Emperor personally raising you, Hongli's future will surely be extraordinary. Tomorrow, pack Hongli's clothes and bring a wet nurse with him to accompany me to the palace." After saying this, the Fourth Prince strode out with his hands behind his back.

Lanqin watched the Fourth Prince's retreating figure, wanting to unleash a torrent of curses, but ultimately held back. This was the first time she had argued with the Fourth Prince, an argument over Hongli's future.

"Master, how could you speak to the master like that!" Cui Niang hurriedly pushed open the door and said to Lan Qin with concern.

"Did you hear that? He's going to take Hongli into the palace. From now on, Hongli will be by Father Emperor's side, and I won't be able to see him anymore." As Lanqin spoke, tears welled up in her eyes.

“My lady, please don’t cry! Your Majesty’s decision to bring the young prince into the palace is in accordance with the Emperor’s orders. This shows that the Emperor likes the Sixth Prince, which is a good thing. Why are you arguing with Your Majesty without even asking what happened?” Cui Niang comforted her.

“But I can’t bear to part with Hongli. He’s only been here for a little over a month, and he’s leaving me like this to go to that deep palace. I’m really worried about him,” Lanqin said, wiping away her tears with a handkerchief.

“My lady, there’s nothing we can do about it. You still have the Seventh Prince. The Sixth Prince might be very fortunate to be favored by the Emperor. My lady, you should not only love your children, but also plan for the Sixth Prince’s future,” said Cui Niang.

These words calmed Lanqin's anxious heart a little. She knew that it was definitely a good thing for Hongli to be by Kangxi's side, but as a mother, she really couldn't bear to part with her child.

Meanwhile, Fourth Master stormed out of Lanqin's south courtyard, remaining silent the entire way. Su Peisheng, standing behind him, had never seen Fourth Master with such an expression before.

"My lord, this servant will go with you to fetch dinner!" Su Peisheng had no choice but to say.

"No need, let's go to Wuya's place!" Fourth Master paused for a moment, then headed towards the west courtyard.

Su Peisheng followed behind, complaining bitterly. He thought to himself that Nan Xiaoyuan had offended the Fourth Master this time, pushing his master to the side of Wuya.

When the Fourth Master arrived at Lady Wuya's room, the mistress and servants were preparing dinner.

"This concubine greets Your Highness!" Lady Wuya hurriedly stood up from the dining table, took a few steps toward the Fourth Prince, and curtsied.

"No need for formalities. It's perfect timing, I haven't had dinner yet, may I have some here?" Fourth Master said.

"As long as you don't mind the simple food here, my lord," Wuya replied, flattered.

"Su Peisheng, go tell the kitchen to bring over some more according to the master's rations. From now on, Lady Wuya's meals will follow the princess's rations," the Fourth Master said.

Uya quickly said, "My lord, I am merely a concubine. How can I be given the same rank as a princess? This is unfair."

Seeing Wuya's obedient and gentle demeanor, the Fourth Prince felt even more sorry for her, having suffered some resentment at Lanqin's hands.

On his way to the kitchen, Su Peisheng muttered to himself: "Oh, Consort Niu, you mustn't push the master toward Lady Wuya at this time!"

Meanwhile, Lanqin was eating alone, enjoying her meal immensely, seemingly unaffected by her argument with the Fourth Master.