When the sun was high in the sky, Lanqin sat up abruptly and stretched out a big yawn.

Cui Niang had already learned everything from Si Huali and was currently guarding Lan Qin's bedside. Once Lan Qin woke up naturally, she immediately stepped forward and said, "Master, you're awake."

When Lanqin saw that it was Cui Niang, she asked, "What time is it?"

“It’s almost past 9 AM.” Cui Niang personally stepped forward and began to lift the gauze curtains.

"It's so late. Have all the people who reported the matter come?" Lanqin rubbed her eyes and asked.

"This servant has already listened on behalf of my mistress and made all the arrangements. Please rest assured." Cui Niang placed Lanqin's embroidered shoes at Lanqin's feet.

Looking at Cui Niang's neatly styled hair and her slightly flushed complexion, Lan Qin smiled and said, "It seems Li Wei treats you very well!"

When Lanqin saw Cui Niang, she felt a sense of warmth. Cui Niang was the person who made Lanqin feel incredibly warm and trusting during this time.

"Master!" Cui Niang's face flushed slightly. She and Li Wei got along very well. Although Cui Niang was not from a prominent family, she was sensible, gentle, and hardworking, and she also got along very well with Li Da Niang.

"Cui Niang, I really envy you," Lanqin said, thinking of Fourth Master.

"My lady, let me help you change. The Fourth and Fifth Princesses have already gone to school, and the Sixth Prince is letting Lanqi and the others play in the courtyard." The Cui family was afraid that Lanqin would be upset, so they immediately used the children to distract her.

"Oh. Hongli was quite well-behaved today, he didn't come looking for me." As expected, Lanqin's gloomy expression vanished as soon as she thought of the children.

"Of course I found him. I told him to let Mother rest well. The Sixth Prince is very sensible; he immediately stopped making a fuss," said Cui Niang.

"Cui Niang, help me change my clothes." Lanqin glanced at Cui Niang several times, knowing that she was using Hongli to comfort herself.

After she was dressed and had her hair combed by Si Hua, she came out. There she saw Hongli walking around the courtyard, accompanied by several maids.

Hongli is almost a year old. He can walk on his own, but the maids are still worried that he might stumble and fall, so they tie a long belt around his waist and pull him along from behind.

"Master, would you like breakfast or lunch later?" Cui Niang asked, standing behind Lan Qin.

"Let's have lunch later," Lanqin said, looking at Hongli's small figure.

Hongli probably noticed Lanqin's gaze, so he turned around and saw his mother looking at him. He immediately walked towards Lanqin.

"Mother!" Hongli called out in his childish voice.

Lanqin's heart trembled; she truly couldn't bear to part with these children. Just now, while looking at Hongli, Lanqin had been pondering how she could travel back in time. In truth, she didn't know how, so those words were merely spoken in anger. But even if she couldn't travel back, Lanqin still wanted to go out and see the world.

Yes, that's right! Our Comrade Lanqin no longer wants to stay in the Fourth Prince's inner quarters. She wants to go out and see the Qing Dynasty. Even if she can't travel there, she can still live on her own. Anyway, she has plenty of money. Anjia gave her 20,000 taels of silver notes, and she's accumulated several thousand taels in monthly allowance over the years. Add to that the various rewards and valuables, and it's more than enough for her to buy a house. If she travels back, Lanqin can't take her child; so she'll have to escape the Fourth Prince's inner quarters with her child and live her own life.

When noon arrived, both daughters returned from school. Lanqin had already instructed the maids to prepare the meal. Ushiha and Bechuk entered, chattering away.

"I'm so hungry, Mother, I'm hungry, I'm hungry!" Ushiha shouted as soon as he entered the house.

"Mother, Bechuk is so hungry!" Bechuk also called out to his mother.

"Okay, go wash your hands, the food is ready." Lanqin said to her two daughters.

After they washed their hands with the help of the maids, they came to the dining table and sat down on their respective sides.

Both girls were at a crucial stage of growth, and seeing the delicious food, they couldn't resist picking up their chopsticks and eating. As they ate, they whispered to each other, talking about their time at elementary school.

Lanqin silently looked at her two daughters, then suddenly said to them, "Wuxiha, Bechuk, how about your mother takes you to stay at your maternal grandmother's house for a few days?"

Upon hearing this, Ushiha thought for a moment and said, "Mother, what about my lessons?"

Lanqin laughed and said, "Who was it that refused to go to school back then? Now it seems like they can't be away from school for even a day. A few days of classes can be missed, but you can make up for them later."

Ushiha thought for a moment, then tilted his head and said, "But I will miss my father too!"

Upon hearing this, Bechuk echoed, "It's been quite a while since I've seen Father and Mother. I miss Father."

Looking into her two daughters' eyes, Lanqin couldn't help but feel a little doubtful. If she really took them away, would they be unable to adapt to life outside? They were already familiar with life here, and suddenly taking them away would definitely make them very uncomfortable. On the other hand, taking Hongli and Hongzhou away was no big deal.

“Okay, when your father has some free time, we’ll have him come to see you,” Lanqin comforted her.

After having lunch with her two daughters, Lanqin asked the maids to take them to rest, and then went for a walk in the courtyard. She had slept too much the night before and had no desire for a nap.

The scorching midday sun shone through the gaps in the lush foliage, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

Lanqin stood in the shade of the tree, leaning against the big tree, lost in thought.

“My lady, you’re likely to get sunburned standing here. Why don’t I accompany you for a walk in the garden outside?” said Cui Niang.

Lanqin nodded and, taking Cui Niang's hand, walked out of the south courtyard. They strolled along the path, feeling pleasant and comfortable. Lanqin stopped in front of a patch of brightly colored hairy cloud flowers, gazing intently at their vibrant hues.

“My lady, I have already learned about what happened last night from Si Hua. Perhaps something really happened to my master, so please don’t blame him,” said Cui Niang.

"Even you don't understand me?" Lanqin picked a small flower and held it in her hand to admire it.

"My lord, I consider myself the one who understands you best. Now that you hold a high position, many people want to win your favor. For example, the newly arrived Lady Fucha and that Lady Liu. Neither of them is easy to deal with!"

“Cui Niang, but I can’t do that. I can’t remain unmoved and indifferent to him. If I did, I would feel no different from a walking corpse,” Lanqin said painfully.