The next day, the Fujin got up and had Lingxiu take out her favorite bright red qipao embroidered with a hundred birds returning to their nest, which was only allowed to be worn by the Fujin.

"Did you go to invite the Fourth Prince? Tell him that this Princess Consort has something to say today." The Princess Consort looked at herself in the mirror. Her face was already sallow, and the corners of her eyes and forehead were etched with the marks of time.

"Yes, then this servant will go right away." Lingxiu stood to the side, signaling the maids who were helping the Fujin get up to begin dressing her up.

Lingxiu hurried to the front courtyard, a place she hadn't visited in a long time. She had once harbored the same thoughts as Shuiling, but unfortunately, the Fujin (princess's wife) disliked her, and her feelings had to be buried deep in her heart. She never imagined that what she couldn't achieve would be accomplished by a maid much younger than herself.

Therefore, Lingxiu unconsciously wanted to help Shuiling, but in doing so, she was also helping herself. She longed to see if Shuiling, with whom she shared such lowly status, would one day rise to a high position.

Lost in thought, Lingxiu arrived at the front yard. It was early, and the front gate was still closed. She had checked the quartz clock before leaving and guessed it should be open by now, and that Fourth Master probably hadn't gone anywhere last night and had stayed in the front yard.

Lingxiu's guess was correct. She had just stepped onto the stairs when she heard the sound of a door bolt being pulled from inside.

The servant who opened the door didn't even recognize Lingxiu, because she hadn't been here for many years.

"I am the head maid of the Fujin's household. The Fujin sent me to deliver a message. Go and inform her quickly." Lingxiu knew he didn't recognize her, so she didn't bother to explain and just said directly.

The servant nodded hurriedly and turned to report. Although the Prince no longer valued her, as long as she remained the Princess Consort, she was still the mistress of this house.

Fourth Master had already gotten up at dawn and had been reading in his study for quite some time. He was currently instructing Su Peisheng to go to the South Courtyard to deliver a message that he would be having breakfast there later.

Su Peisheng received a report from his servants that the Princess Consort's maidservant was outside requesting an audience. This put Su Peisheng in a dilemma. After hesitating for a moment, he went to the door of the Fourth Prince's study to inform him.

Although the Fourth Prince's wife has been out of favor for many years, she is still the Fourth Prince's wife!

"Your Highness, the Princess Consort has sent someone, saying she has something to say to you." He stood at the door and spoke to the inner room.

Fourth Master paused for a moment, looked up from his book, glanced at the gatekeeper, and then said, "Let her in and give us her answer!"

He hadn't spoken to his fourth wife for a long time, and everything was relayed through servants. In a flash, aside from a few times when he absolutely had to go, he never went again. As time passed, the fourth prince's dislike for Ulanara gradually faded. After all, she was still his nominal legal wife, still the mother of his eldest son Honghui, and had raised Hongshi, educating him quite well.

Men tend to forget a woman's faults easily, and besides, those faults didn't directly affect the Fourth Prince, so he naturally didn't harbor such deep hatred, only a dislike for that woman. Now that Hongshi is of marriageable age, the Fourth Prince's hatred for Ulanara has been diluted considerably by time.

As the Fourth Prince emerged from his study, he saw Lingxiu entering with a servant. The Fourth Prince then strolled into the main room, and Lingxiu naturally followed obediently.

"Is there anything wrong, Madam?" the Fourth Prince asked. Over the years, Ulanara had been quite well-behaved, and having spent so many years quietly in the main courtyard, she had raised Hongshi very well.

"Your Highness, the Princess Consort says she has something to say to you and requests that you come to the main courtyard," Lingxiu said, bowing her head.

Fourth Prince was surprised that Ulanara had taken the initiative to send someone to invite him over this time, something that hadn't happened in a long time. He was a little puzzled; what could Ulanara possibly want from him that she would send him there in person?

"Alright, you go back first. I'll go after I've had breakfast," Fourth Master said after thinking for a moment. He was already a little hungry and really didn't want to go to see Ulanara on an empty stomach.

Lingxiu quickly curtsied and withdrew, but the Fourth Prince was wondering why his wife had summoned someone today and said she had something to say.

Lanqin, of course, was unaware that the Fourth Prince was currently pondering the Fujin's intentions. She hadn't slept in today either, as it was the Little New Year, and she was to preside over the annual ancestral worship ceremony. Over the years, Nian Shi and Lanqin had taken turns presiding over the ceremony with the Fourth Prince. Last year it was Nian Shi, so this year it was Lanqin's turn. It was said that Nian Shi had just suffered a miscarriage earlier this year and had been unwell ever since. Song Shi was in charge of the kitchen, so she was in charge of the feast today; Lanqin wasn't worried about that.

"Baoqin, go check if the breakfast in the kitchen is ready. The Prince will be coming over for breakfast later." Lanqin was letting Sihua comb her hair. "From today until the fifteenth of the first month, Cui Niang will not be coming over. Sihua, you will be in charge of training those four maids."

"Yes, I understand. When Cui Niang left yesterday, she repeatedly reminded me, as if she was afraid that I would corrupt the maid she had chosen." Si Hua quickly styled Lan Qin's hair into a high-waisted bun. Today, her mistress was to preside over the ancestral worship ceremony, so she had to wear this hairstyle that reflected her status and position.

"Si Hua, another year has passed. Are you still thinking about that Du Zhiqian? He's already married," Lan Qin muttered. Si Hua was putting a gilded headdress on Lan Qin when she heard this. Her hand trembled, and she said sullenly, "Whether he's married or not is none of my business. Master, are you in such a hurry to get rid of me?"

Lanqin clearly saw Si Hua's hand just now, and sighed in her heart, "Alas, I regret letting you get to know that Du Zhiqian, otherwise I wouldn't be so stubborn."

"Master! If you say that again, I'll make you wear a whole set of headdress!" Si Hua pouted.

"Okay, okay, I won't say anything more. I'm scared of you." Lanqin quickly said, she didn't want to wear that kind of heavy headdress.

Just then, the sound of Fourth Master's footsteps came from outside. Fourth Master looked at Lanqin sitting there, her ageless face reflected in the mirror.

"The Prince has arrived!" Si Hua said, then looked at Lan Qin's hair, whispered something to Lan Qin, and then withdrew.

Fourth Master strolled up behind Lanqin, looked at her makeup in the mirror, and said with satisfaction, "You haven't changed at all!"

"Does Your Highness mean that I am still a thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl?" Lanqin said coquettishly.

The Fourth Prince put his arm around Lanqin's shoulder, and Lanqin took his hand in return, saying sweetly, "Your Highness, it's been fifteen years since we got married."