“I’m not being unreasonable. I’ve noticed His Majesty has been sitting in the carriage for days on end. Even we can’t stand it; we’re constantly being jostled around until our backs ache. His Majesty is over fifty, so putting this under his back will make him more comfortable!” Lanqin was stubborn; she would stick to what she believed was right. Seeing the Fourth Prince’s reproachful expression, Lanqin felt she hadn’t done anything wrong!

To her surprise, as soon as she finished speaking, she was met with an even more stern gaze from the Fourth Prince. Even the Fourteenth Prince, who was standing to the side, trembled slightly and did not speak up for Lanqin as usual.

"If you keep talking nonsense like this, I'm afraid I won't be able to protect you!" Fourth Master grabbed Lanqin's arm and tried to walk out.

"Master, it hurts, it hurts so much~~" Lanqin felt a piercing pain coming from her wrist as he gripped her wrist like a pair of iron claws...

"If you know it hurts, then don't talk nonsense!" Fourth Master seemed to have changed all of a sudden, losing his usual humor and tolerance, as if he were a completely different person.

Yes, ever since Kangxi appeared, the Fourth Prince seems to have changed, turning back into the cold-faced king. Is he afraid I'll cause trouble in front of the Emperor, afraid I'll implicate him? Lanqin pondered this to herself as she tried to break free from the Fourth Prince's control.

"Fourth Prince, His Majesty orders you to immediately bring the Fourteenth Prince and Princess Niu into the tent together!" Just as the two were struggling, Liang Jiugong suddenly emerged from the imperial tent and said to them.

The Fourth Prince frowned. He had intended to pull Lanqin away and then find an excuse to explain to Kangxi, but now he could do nothing. Just now, when he heard Lanqin address Kangxi as "old man," he was suddenly afraid that she would say something inappropriate in front of the Emperor. He had never dared to use the word "old" to describe Kangxi before! This little princess's mouth was simply unguarded; once she angered the Emperor, he wasn't confident he could protect Lanqin from punishment. Therefore, just now, he used all his strength to try to pull Lanqin away, which is why he hadn't noticed the pained expression on Lanqin's face.

"When you go inside, don't say anything out of line. The person sitting in front of you is the current emperor!" Fourth Master stared at Lanqin, who was kneading her wrist, which already had several red marks.

"Don't worry, my lord, I won't say anything out of line." Lanqin looked up and met that cold face, but she felt a little uncomfortable.

The three of them followed Liang Jiugong as he lifted the tent flap and went inside.

Inside the imperial tent, it resembled a room, complete with sets of chairs and benches, which surprised Lanqin. She thought to herself: How much stuff did they bring? They practically brought everything needed for daily life.

Emperor Kangxi sat at the head of the table, with chairs placed on his left and right sides. The Fifth Prince, Eighth Prince, Ninth Prince, and Thirteenth Prince were sitting on either side, along with some faces that Lanqin did not recognize, who were probably Kangxi's trusted ministers.

"Your subject greets Your Majesty, and I have brought Fourteenth Brother and Princess Niu!" Fourth Prince bowed and greeted them. Lanqin followed Fourteenth Prince and also bowed.

"I just heard you arguing outside. Fourth Prince, your princess is quite the thoughtful one. Last time she presented your mother with that thoughtful birthday gift, and now she's taking my Fourteenth Prince to catch loaches. She really knows how to have fun," Kangxi said, glancing at Lanqin.

The Fourth Prince mentally went over Kangxi's words again and again, still unable to discern whether he was happy or not. So he braced himself and said, "Your Majesty, Lanqin has always been well-behaved and obedient. Sometimes she may be a little too lively. Please forgive her!"

Lanqin glanced at Fourth Master's back and thought to herself: I didn't do anything wrong, why should I forgive him!

"Girl, what are you holding behind your back?" Kangxi noticed that Lanqin had one hand behind her back and was holding a large bundle-like object in her hand.

The Fourth Prince immediately replied, "Reporting to Father Emperor, that was given to me by her..."

"I'm asking her to answer, you step aside!" Kangxi interrupted the Fourth Prince.

"Your Majesty, this is a cushion that I prepared for you...!" Ignoring the Fourth Prince's hints, Lanqin resolutely said what she wanted to say.

"Oh, for me!?" Kangxi smiled faintly and said, squinting his eyes.

"Yes, I made one for myself and one for the Fourth Prince as well. For the past few days, I've been in the carriage every day, and even my lowly body can't keep up. Your Majesty is of noble birth, so I'm sure you have cushions and pillows for support. But this is just a small token of my appreciation. Please try it!" As Lanqin finished speaking, I could clearly see the Fourth Prince beside her sigh.

"Bring it here!" Kangxi showed some interest in Lanqin's cushion.

Liang Jiugong bent over and walked to Lanqin's side. He picked up the large package in her hand, patted it to make sure there was nothing dangerous inside, and then untied the cloth covering it in front of Kangxi. It was indeed an enormous cushion.

The expressions on everyone's faces varied upon seeing this. Fourth Master remained icy; Fifth Master looked on with surprise in his eyes; Eighth Master's lips curled into a faint smile; Peach Blossom Ninth Master was clearly struggling to suppress a laugh; Thirteenth Master's eyes were full of admiration; and even the Fourteenth Master, at the mid-stage of the Azure Realm, wore an expression that screamed, "I want one too!"

Liang Jiugong presented the cushion to Kangxi, let him touch it, and then, at Kangxi's instruction, placed it between Kangxi's back and the back of the chair.

Kangxi leaned back, then sat up straight, then leaned back again, trying this repeatedly before finally curving his lips into a smile and saying, "I accept it. Niohuru clan, you are very thoughtful. Tell me, what do you wish for me to bestow upon you?"

These words elicited yet another different expression from everyone present.

Fourth Master thought to himself: That scared me to death, at least they kept their mouths shut.

Fifth Prince thought to himself: Wonderful, truly wonderful. A mere cushion has earned Father Emperor's praise. Why should we go through all that trouble?

Eighth Master thought to himself: Niu Shi is truly an extraordinary person;

Ninth Prince thought to himself: Damn, it's just a tattered cushion, yet it won the Emperor's praise. You're something else, Fourth Prince.

Thirteenth Master said: Little sister-in-law, you are truly exceptionally good;

The Fourteenth Prince said: I want one too, I want one too;

When Lanqin saw that Kangxi had actually tried out the cushion in front of so many people and liked it very much, and even said he would reward her, she blurted out, "It's enough that Your Majesty likes it. That thing isn't worth much. Let's skip the reward."

Upon hearing this, the Fourth Master's face immediately darkened...

Kangxi's face was indeed unusually calm, but the entire imperial tent was deathly silent...

Please don't look at me like that, okay? What did I say wrong?!