"Ushiha!" Lanqin sat up with the help of Sihua. "Why did you come here at this hour instead of learning manners from the governess?"

It turned out that, in order to teach her two daughters manners, Lanqin had specially asked Consort De in the palace to hire a strict nanny. The two girls' daily routines were strictly regulated by this strict nanny, who meticulously and rigorously dictated what they should do, when to eat, when to embroider, and when to engage in activities.

“Mother, this is our time to have fun, otherwise I wouldn’t be here with you.” Wuxiha threw herself into Lanqin’s arms and said coquettishly, “Mother, this palace maid is too strict, you should send her back.”

"Granny Gong was bestowed upon you by your ancestor, how can you just send her back like that? Nonsense!" Lanqin became even more worried when she saw Wuxiha coming to her to whine about this, as this girl was indeed a bit too spoiled.

"But Mother, that palace maid is so fierce! She said my steps weren't graceful enough, so she made me walk for an hour. And she wouldn't even let me relieve myself!" Wuxi pouted, complaining bitterly.

“I’m not being fierce, can you listen to me?” Lanqin rolled her eyes at her eldest daughter, but still had to coax her gently, “Your grandmother said that this Granny Gong has the best manners. In the future, you will thank her. Now, follow her and learn the manners well.”

Seeing that Lanqin's attitude was very firm, unlike her usual relaxed attitude, Wuxiha knew that he couldn't avoid it. However, he was unwilling to give up, so he said, "Mother, last time at my thirteenth aunt's house, I met the granddaughter of Prince Chun. She sent me an invitation to her house to admire the flowers. Should I go or not?"

Upon hearing this, Lanqin pondered for a moment and then said, "Now that you've come of age, you should naturally make more close friends. Besides, you're the granddaughter of Prince Chun, so you should definitely go."

When Ushiha saw that Lanqin had agreed to go out, he immediately stood up from Lanqin with a big smile and said, "Then my daughter is going back to learn manners. Biechuk will go with her too."

Lanqin waved her hand, then thought about the nephew from Zhaojia's family that she had mentioned, and then thought about Wuxiha's personality, which really worried her. She would keep her, but after the Fourth Prince became emperor, Wuxiha would have to find another son-in-law to marry into the family.

Before Lanqin could rest, another maid came in to announce that Madam Wu had arrived.

"Sister Wu, come and sit down!" Lanqin was too tired to greet her, so she asked Sihua to go to the door and lift the curtain for Wu.

"It's getting hot; we should remove these cotton curtains." Madam Wu, dressed in a light dark green cheongsam, walked in with a slight sheen of sweat on her face.

"Sister, you've gained weight from being so carefree. How come you're so hot?" Lanqin teased. In recent years, Wu Shi had shown signs of gaining weight and had become slightly plump.

"Oh dear, I'm just getting old and have gained weight. Anyway, Namin is getting married soon, how could I not be old?" Madam Wu's complexion was rosy and her voice was loud. She was indeed living a comfortable life, so she had gained some weight.

"Have you seen Namin's dowry?" Lanqin asked.

“I came here specifically for the dowry list. I’ll keep the ones you added for now. Ushiha and Bechuk are about to get married, and you’re going to keep them. How can I let you add so much to Namin’s dowry?” Wu Shi was satisfied with Namin’s dowry, because in addition to what Fourth Master had given to Namin, Lanqin had also added some to Namin’s dowry.

“Third Princess is my sister’s daughter, and also a good friend of Ushiha and Bechuk. What’s wrong with me adding some dowry for her?” Lanqin said. The Fourth Master wasn’t even sure how much silver she had earned in the past few years. She had spent about fifty or sixty thousand taels on Namin’s dowry, which made Wu Shi feel very indebted and moved, hence her special visit to express her gratitude.

"Qin'er, thank you. As her mother, I don't have much money on hand, and I've given it all to her dowry. With what you've added, Namin's dowry is already quite generous." Madam Wu said, holding Lanqin's hand with emotion. "I don't know how to thank you enough. Anyway, we're good sisters. If you ever need my help in the future, please don't hesitate to ask."

Lanqin smiled and said, "Then please keep a close eye on things at the Second Prince's courtyard for me. Just make sure nothing goes wrong."

Wu Shi also knew about Hong Shi's recent fuss about wanting the blueprints, so she quickly patted Lan Qin's hand and said, "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on it for you. Anyway, I'm not afraid of offending him."

Lanqin nodded with a smile. The reason she dared to entrust the affairs of the back gate to Wu was because she knew that the Fujin (principal wife) would not cause any more trouble in this matter. After all, the Fourth Prince's attitude had already been conveyed through Hongshi, and the Fourth Prince had also agreed to her niece's request to marry Hongshi as a concubine.

What's giving Lanqin a headache right now isn't her husband and Hongshi, but her soft-hearted father and his good-for-nothing illegitimate son. Knowing she had to visit her parents' home tomorrow, Lanqin didn't wait for the Fourth Prince; she washed her hands and face early and went to bed.

By the time Fourth Prince returned, it was already quite late. He and Longkodo had been drinking at the Drunken White Pavilion for several hours, pouring out all the things they had kept hidden for years. By the time Longkodo was helped into the carriage by his servants, Fourth Prince was already a little unsteady on his feet. However, Fourth Prince had always had a good tolerance for alcohol, and he held on until they returned to his residence before feeling nauseous.

A drunk person who vomits everything out will actually become less drunk. After vomiting, drinking some hangover soup will usually make him feel better. Fourth Master fussed around in the front yard for a while, then let Su Peisheng pour him some hangover soup, and he immediately sobered up.

He pushed away Su Peisheng's outstretched hand, which was about to help him undress, and said, "Let's go to the South Courtyard. I have something to say to Lanqin."

Seeing that the Fourth Prince had just recovered and was about to go to Consort Niu's place, Su Peisheng said, "Consort Niu has already gone to sleep, Your Highness, you should rest now."

The Fourth Prince glared at Su Peisheng and flicked his sleeve, saying, "Where I go is none of your business, you servant?"

Fourth Master, reeking of alcohol, arrived at Lanqin's room. Sure enough, she had closed the bedroom door, and the maids had all gone to bed. He mumbled a few words and ordered the maid on night duty to fetch him water to wash. Su Peisheng, being a male outsider, was not allowed in Lanqin's bedroom and had to be served by the maids.

Lanqin was awakened by the noise brought by the Fourth Master after taking a nap. When she saw that it was the Fourth Master, she remained silent and continued to lie there pretending to be asleep.