"Is it really impossible to get him to talk?" Fourth Master asked again.

"Your Highness, I have already subjected them to various forms of torture. He has fainted several times. If we continue to torture him, I'm afraid he won't be able to endure it," the steward said.

"Has anyone come to inquire about him?" Fourth Master asked.

"No, no one has asked him since he came in," the steward said.

"Is there really no one? Or have any of the Eighth or Ninth Princes come here?" Fourth Master asked him. This steward was promoted by Fourth Master, so he was considered one of Fourth Master's men. Therefore, Fourth Master directly sent in the fake Zhou Zhenggang and handed him over for interrogation.

“This servant has been keeping an eye on it, and to this servant’s knowledge, there hasn’t been any,” the steward immediately replied.

Fourth Master nodded and continued, "Continue the interrogation, but be careful not to let anyone else come into contact with him. Do you understand?"

“This servant understands,” the steward said.

Meanwhile, Lanqin brought her two daughters back from Song's place, settled them in, and comforted them. Then she remembered that Hongli was still with Kangxi, and the Fourth Prince was busy interrogating people at Dali Temple. They didn't have time to think about how to bring Hongli back from Kangxi.

That day, Madam Song and Madam Wu came to visit Lanqin. This was the first time they had come since Lanqin returned. When she first came back, they were worried that she would be tired, so they only sent a maid to ask her a few questions and didn't come to disturb her. Today, the two of them arranged to come together to talk to Lanqin and ask her about what they had seen and heard on their journey.

Inside the room, a warm glow was emanating from a burning charcoal fire. Lanqin was reviewing the matters that had accumulated in the manor during the month or so that she had been away. Although Lady Nian, as a secondary consort, had already been dealt with, the stewards had all recorded the details and sent them to Lanqin for her review. She had indeed been very tired since her return, but she hadn't rested much; she had spent most of her time reviewing these matters.

"Quickly, come to my side, sisters. I've missed you two so much." Lanqin saw Song Shi and Wu Shi enter from outside the door. One was wearing a moon-white cotton cloak, and the other was wearing a light purple cotton cloak. Their hair was also simply styled.

"You've been gone for over a month. The Fourth and Fifth Princesses have missed you terribly." Madam Song walked over and sat down next to Lanqin.

"That's right. Although our Third Princess attends classes with the Fourth and Fifth Princesses every day, they say they're always asking when you'll be back," Madam Wu said with a smile.

“Sigh, this trip wasn’t easy at all; it wasn’t the sightseeing you all imagined,” Lanqin said.

At this moment, Si Hua brought over a tray and served each of them a cup of tea.

"What are you doing? We're so bored in the inner quarters we're practically growing mold. Tell us so we can have a laugh too!" Madam Wu said, picking up her teacup.

Lanqin felt there was nothing wrong with what to say, but the Fourth Prince had specifically instructed her not to speak of anything related to the Quanzhen Sect, as the people implicated in that matter had not yet been apprehended. Upon hearing Wu Shi's question, Lanqin hesitated for a moment, then replied, "The Prince has been discussing land taxes with a scholar surnamed Du along the way. I've spent my days with the maids either in the carriage or at the inn; there's no time for sightseeing. Even if we went to Wudang Mountain, it's freezing cold, and there's nothing beautiful to see."

“So it must be this arduous. It’s much more comfortable for us to stay in the inner quarters. Qin’er, you’ve gotten so thin. You must be exhausted from the journey. The New Year is almost here, you can’t rest. If you need anything, just let me know. I’m free anyway, so please don’t hesitate to help if I can,” said Madam Song.

“Yes, I don’t have much to do either. Now that Ruyue is here, and Namin is keeping her entertained, I’m much more relaxed. If you need anything, you can call me,” Wu said.

"Thank you both very much, Lanqin will certainly not be polite with you. By the way, have Liu and Fucha behaved themselves these past month? And what about Nian? Has she made things difficult for you two?" Lanqin asked.

"Ever since Liu was sent back and placed under house arrest, the master hasn't given her a time limit, meaning she's been confined to her quarters the whole time. How could she dare to go out and about? Fucha also avoids going out, and with the cold weather, she hardly goes out either, so there's nothing much to do. Nian does want to go out, but Sister Song and I won't give her the chance. Anyway, we haven't missed our due greetings. She's quite kind; after saying a few polite words, she let us go back. Isn't that right, Sister Song?" Wu said.

"Yes. Ever since the last hunt when Master sent Nian back to her quarters and confined her, she hasn't been as domineering as before," said Madam Song.

Lanqin thought for a moment and remembered that Nian Gengyao seemed to have been impeached in the past two years, so their Nian family had to keep a low profile. No matter how arrogant Nian Shi was before, without the support of her maternal family, how would the Fourth Master treat her?

"It's good that you're alright. The New Year is almost here, and I do have a lot to do. Just the New Year's gifts from Master's various estates, the gifts from various court officials, and the performance evaluations and promotions of so many people in the manor all need to be handled. Fortunately, the head nanny manages the personnel matters, so I don't have to worry about it. However, the New Year's gifts from all over, as well as the return gifts for the palace, the sisters-in-law, and the wives of court officials, all need to be considered and deliberated. If you two sisters have nothing to do, please come over often and give me some advice," Lanqin said.

"Hmm. These things are very complicated. I'm free now, so I'll come over and talk to you. Don't find me annoying," Song said with a smile.

“Sister, what are you saying? I’m overjoyed, how could I find it annoying? It’s good to have someone to talk to. I’m also grateful for Sister Song’s care of the Third and Fourth Princesses. They now treat you like their second mother,” Lanqin said.

“I can’t just sit idly by, so I’ll come and help out too,” said Madam Wu.

“Alright, both of you sisters, come over here. Let’s tally up the New Year’s gifts from all the places together. We also need to send one to the Nian family,” Lanqin said.

Just then, Baoqin called out from outside, "May Consort Nian be blessed!"

Song and Wu looked surprised, thinking to themselves: Speak of the devil, and he appears!

Sure enough, when the cotton curtain was lifted from the outside in, Lanqin saw a bright orange cloak embroidered with swallows and flowers enter first, followed by a beautiful woman named Nian with a high bun and rubies and sapphires inlaid on her head.

Song and Wu had no choice but to stand up and pay their respects to Nian.

Lady Nian then said to Lanqin, "Younger sister greets older sister."

“You’re too polite, Consort Nian. Please sit here.” Lanqin gestured to her right. Madam Song and Madam Wu had already taken their seats to Lanqin’s left. They had already moved away from Lanqin’s side when Consort Nian entered.