Nianxue was stunned the moment she opened the food box.

The stew bowl on top was filled with frozen oil, with a layer of white lard floating on top. The porridge underneath was cold to the touch.

"This is outrageous! How is the princess supposed to eat this? She just arrived, and they're already bullying her like this!!" Xicha exclaimed anxiously.

Lanqin stared at the cold rice and dishes, feeling a little uneasy.

She thought she was going to live a life of luxury after entering the palace, but she never expected that she would be caught up in a power struggle right away.

Even if she didn't fight with those women, the despicable behavior of these servants was enough to make life difficult for both mistress and servant.

Fortunately, it seems she had already thought of that.

Lanqin casually said to Nianxue, "Nianxue, go get some hot water to scald them. Xicha, next time you go to fetch food, take a purse with you."

The three of them, master and servants, ate their first breakfast at the Prince's mansion with hot water.

After finishing her meal, Lanqin couldn't sit still. She suddenly realized how ridiculous her previous fantasies of a life of wealth and luxury were. Coming to this Prince's mansion and looking at her room, she was honestly less spacious than her old place in Lingzhu. Thinking about that breakfast only made her more resentful. Especially now, she couldn't go out freely. In Lingzhu, she could at least beg her mother to let her and her maids go out for a stroll. Anything she wanted was readily available. But now, she was like a caged bird, something others would play with when they felt like it, and then discard without a second thought.

No, I have to become a favored concubine! Otherwise, this life is practically like being in prison!

...

"Master, I sent someone to observe Consort Niu, and she is still the same, very quiet. Even the food sent by those sycophantic servants in the kitchen has gone cold." Su Peisheng only realized that the newly arrived Consort Niu Hulu was the same girl that his master had asked him to inquire about at Huangjue Temple the day before, after he had caught a glimpse of her outside the Fujin's gate last night.

Now, he was a little confused again. His master clearly missed that person, so why didn't he go to her place last night?

"How did she react?" Fourth Master asked, practicing calligraphy in his study.

"I heard from the gatekeeper that Princess Niohuru's maid took a pot of hot water back with her. I guess she ate it with the hot water," Su Peisheng said, bowing.

As the Fourth Prince listened, his hands continued working, thinking to himself: "He's quite steady, and quick-witted in handling situations. But when will he be able to show his true nature like he did under the Bodhisattva that day? How is he any different from those women now!"

"Go and tell her that I'm having lunch at Madam Yin's place today. Order the kitchen to prepare extra dishes and send them over." He wanted to continue provoking her, to let her know that in this mansion, his favor was the most important thing to her. He wanted her to continue speaking the truth and not shrink back and live her own life.

For several days in a row, Lady Yin was favored by the emperor. In no time, various gifts from the Fujin and the Fourth Prince were constantly sent to her.

Inside Lanqin's room, she and two maids were making the first deck of handmade playing cards in history.

Life in the inner quarters was incredibly boring, and she couldn't just stay cooped up like that; she had to entertain herself to make ends meet.

Aside from paying her respects to the Fujin (principal wife) in the back courtyard on the first and fifteenth of each month, all she did was eat, drink, relieve herself, and sleep.

Lanqin didn't want to insincerely try to get close to her neighbors on either side, engaging in fake "sisterly" interactions, so she had to find her own ways to pass the time. As for vying for favor, she hadn't yet come up with a good method.

Therefore, Lanqin asked Nianxue to ask the head maid in the backyard for some paper, brushes, ink, and the like.

At this moment, she and her two maids were making modern playing cards, which were really hard to remember.

When Lin Mengyao was in college, she often played Dou Dizhu (a popular Chinese card game) with her roommates.

In this ancient world without electricity or internet, she was now forgotten in the deep courtyard of the inner palace, so bored she was practically growing moss. Her initial thought of naturally becoming the mistress of this inner palace faded, and the ever-content Lanqin decided to pull herself together and focus on living her own life.

After Lanqin instructed Nianxue to cut sheets of Xuan paper into squares the size of playing cards, she glued four "tofu blocks" together to increase the paper's strength. Then, using a brush, she painted each playing card from memory onto the reinforced "tofu blocks."

The three of them worked all afternoon, and even as it was getting dark, Lanqin was still sketching out the two kings.

She ordered Nianxue to turn on all the lights in the room to illuminate the space for her.

"Gege, what are you drawing?" Xicha asked, standing to the side and holding a lamp.

"I'm drawing the king!" Lanqin used a brush to sketch a man wearing a strapless robe and a crown, just like the king in the American TV series.

"Princess, is this 'king' the emperor? Why is he so bare-chested?" Xicha asked again, blushing.

Uh... how am I supposed to explain this to these two girls?

"This isn't our emperor, this is a foreign emperor. That's how they are. Nianxue, Xicha, there are many other countries on this earth, and they also have emperors. Do you understand?" Lanqin put down her pen and said to the two girls who looked completely bewildered.

"May I also see what this foreign emperor looks like?" A voice, as cold and resolute as it had been in the Great Compassion Hall that day, came from outside the door.

The Fourth Master had been standing outside the door, watching the three of them, master and servant, for a while.

He originally intended to go to Madam Wu's place, but seeing that Lanqin's room was dark except for some lights in the main room, he decided to come over.

"Greetings, Master!" Nianxue and Xicha immediately curtsied.

Lanqin had been left out in the cold for half a month. She dared not be negligent any longer, so she immediately got up from the bed, walked to the Fourth Master, curtsied, and said, "Master, please come in."

Fourth Master ordered Su Peisheng to stand guard outside the door, then stepped inside. He walked to the table, which was now covered with some strange pieces of paper, and picked up a piece of paper to look at it.

"Are you drawing Western playing cards?" he asked in surprise.

"That's right, sir, you know about playing cards?" Lanqin was overjoyed, but in her heart she was thinking about how to cover up his lie.

"I've seen Western missionaries play it before. How come you're so familiar with these Western playing cards? They're not common. Judging from your expression, you must be quite skilled at them," Fourth Master retorted in one breath.

"I once went to a Western church with my mother and I really like these Western playing cards. I often play them with the maids." Lanqin lied to Nianxue.

Nian Xue thought to herself: When did the princess ever play these Western cards? I've never seen them before.

"Oh. May I have a go?" Fourth Master has always liked Western things. The Western clock, globe, wig in his room... Originally, he planned to leave this little woman alone, but she hadn't taken the initiative to show him any interest. In the end, he couldn't resist his curiosity and came to see her. Unexpectedly, he was immediately attracted by the playing cards in her mouth.