That evening, after spending three days in the palace, the Fourth Prince finally returned home. When he entered, even the gatekeeper, Eunuch Wang, was startled. He noticed a sudden growth of beard on the Fourth Prince's chin and nose, and his eyes appeared sunken. Even Su Peisheng, standing beside him, looked exhausted and seemed to have lost weight.

After they had walked a distance, Fatty Wang said to his apprentice, Xiao Quanzi, "You rascal, hurry up and go tell that person in the east courtyard. Last time, when Fourth Master sent Su Peisheng back to deliver a message, she wasn't included, and she threw quite a tantrum. Sigh, she's out of favor, and she's blaming us for not informing her in time." Xiao Quanzi immediately nodded and bowed, smiling obsequiously, and helped his master into the gatehouse to rest before heading straight to the east courtyard.

As soon as the Fourth Prince returned to the front courtyard, he immediately ordered Su Peisheng to prepare water so he could take a bath. Although he could bathe in the palace, the Fourth Prince had been busy searching for a water source and hadn't bathed much in the past three days. He only slept a few hours each day and spent his free time studying maps to find a way to get water to alleviate the severe drought in the capital.

Seeing that Su Peisheng looked exhausted, Zhao Quan immediately fawned over him with a smile and said, "Master, you should leave these tasks to me. I see that you look listless. Why don't you take a rest?"

Su Peisheng glanced at Zhao Quan. Just as he said, he was also exhausted at the moment. Because if the Fourth Master didn't sleep, he couldn't sleep either. He had to serve him at all times. The so-called personal eunuch was someone who served his master at all times.

"Then hurry up and prepare bathwater for the master, and be quick about it!" After saying that, Su Peisheng sat down on a stone bench under a tree in the courtyard to rest for a while. Zhao Quan then instructed the eunuchs in the front kitchen to quickly boil the prepared water, and he himself took a pot of tea and hurried to the Fourth Master's study.

"Wait a moment, give me the tea. Not just anyone can enter the master's study!" Su Peisheng immediately stood up from the stone bench, walked to Zhao Quan, and took the tray from him.

The moment Su Peisheng turned around, Zhao Quan's smile vanished instantly. He moved his lips a few times, then turned and went to the kitchen to check on the bathwater.

When Su Peisheng entered, the Fourth Master was resting in the armchair behind his desk. Upon seeing someone come in, he asked, "Is the water ready?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, not yet. This servant will go and urge them." Su Peisheng bowed and took a few steps back before turning to leave.

"Just have Zhao Quan serve you. You should go wash up and rest." Fourth Master said suddenly, still without opening his eyes.

Su Peisheng stiffened, then immediately turned around and bowed deeply to express his gratitude, saying excitedly, "This servant is not tired. Serving the master is this servant's duty. How can this servant go to rest before the master has rested?"

The Fourth Prince opened his eyes slightly and said gently, "I'm just here to rest for a while. I have to go to the palace tomorrow. You should go and rest first. I've finished my bath and am resting too."

Su Peisheng sensed the concern in Fourth Master's words, and his expression became even more excited. He quickly knelt down to express his gratitude before bowing and leaving.

When Zhao Quan learned that the Fourth Prince had ordered him to serve Su Peisheng during his bath, he thanked Su Peisheng profusely. He then ordered a lowly eunuch to help Su Peisheng wash up and rest, while he himself guarded the water in the pot. As soon as the water boiled, he immediately ordered two eunuchs to carry the bath basin to the Fourth Prince's bedroom.

After everything was prepared, Zhao Quan went to the Fourth Master's study in person, but he did not dare to go in. Instead, he said respectfully through the door, "Master, the bath water is ready. Please come in."

Fourth Master was still resting with his eyes closed in the armchair, seemingly lost in thought. He only slowly opened his eyes after hearing Zhao Quan's voice.

As the Fourth Master removed his clothes and stepped into the tub with the help of the eunuchs, he suddenly remembered the time he and Lanqin had taken a bath together in her bedroom.

The Fourth Master smiled slightly, closed his eyes to rest, and leaned against the tub. Zhao Quan waited outside the door, not daring to go in without the Fourth Master's permission.

"Zhao Quan, come in!" Fourth Master called out.

Suppressing his elation, Zhao Quan tiptoed inside, stopped three feet away from the wooden tub, and bowed, replying, "This servant is here. What are your orders, Master?"

"Is there enough water in the manor?" Fourth Master asked, still with his eyes closed.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, due to the severe drought, the Princess Consort has specially ordered that water be conserved everywhere. Each person's daily drinking water is rationed, and the water is used for multiple purposes. The water saved is used to help the people outside who have no water to drink." Zhao Quan did not know that Lanqin had suggested this to the Princess Consort, so he only knew that it was the Princess Consort who came up with this idea.

"Oh!" Fourth Master responded, though he was quite pleased with his wife's actions. He then asked, "What kind of water do you use for bathing?"

"Replying to your question, Master, the water is drawn from Bixin Lake in the garden. Nowadays, all the masters in the courtyard draw water from there for bathing," Zhao Quan answered truthfully.

Fourth Master stopped speaking and remained silent for a while before saying to Zhao Quan, "Go out and call the head nanny to wait for me in the study."

Zhao Quan bowed deeply, stepped back, and then turned to leave.

After soaking in the water for a while, the Fourth Prince called the eunuch waiting outside to go in and change his clothes.

After taking a bath and shaving, the Fourth Master looked much more refreshed. He wanted to go see Lanqin, but remembering that the head nanny was waiting in the study, he picked up his chair and went to the study instead.

"Greetings to Master!" The head nanny was standing quietly at the door of the study. When she saw that the Fourth Master had arrived, followed by Zhao Quan instead of Su Peisheng, she was taken aback for a moment, but then she greeted the Fourth Master.

"Come in with me, Madam!" After saying this, the Fourth Master stepped into the study. Madam waited for the Fourth Master to go in first before turning around. Just as she was about to go in, she couldn't help but look back at Zhao Quan, who was standing by the door with his head down, before following him in.

After the two stood still, the Fourth Prince asked, "Was it the Fujin who decided to save water in the manor?"

The head nanny glanced at the Fourth Prince cautiously before saying, "It was indeed the Fujin's decision, and I think the Fujin did the right thing. However, Niu Gege from the South Courtyard mentioned this to the Fujin, and the Fujin then sent someone to inform me."

The Fourth Master pondered silently for a moment, nodded, and then asked, "You may leave."

The head maid did not take her leave, but thought for a moment and then said, "Why haven't I seen Eunuch Su?"

The Fourth Prince seemed surprised that the head nanny would ask about Su Peisheng, and said, "The prince sent him to rest. He's been with me in the palace and hasn't slept a wink."