"Who is speaking ill of me behind my back?" Lanqin was startled by the Fourth Prince's voice and looked up.

"Greetings, Your Majesty..." The maids inside bowed in unison. Lanqin smiled as she watched the Fourth Prince approach, then led him to sit down. She handed him the book of birth charts: "Your Majesty, you've come at the perfect time! These are the birth charts of those participating in the imperial concubine selection. Would Your Majesty like to take a look?"

Fourth Master closed the betrothal book directly, smiling as he said to Lanqin, "You can read it as you like..."

Lanqin persisted, picking up the marriage certificate book again and handing it to the Fourth Prince, saying with a smile, "Isn't Your Majesty curious? It's full of beautiful women..."

Fourth Master put his arm around Lanqin's waist and pulled her slightly. Lanqin turned around and fell into Fourth Master's arms. The maids blushed and pretended to see it. Baoqin chuckled awkwardly and slowly withdrew.

"In my heart, no beauty can compare to my Qin'er's smile..." After saying that, he snatched the birth chart from Lanqin's hand and threw it aside, saying, "If it weren't for the rules set by our ancestors, I wouldn't even bother with the selection of concubines..."

Lanqin felt a warmth in her heart, and with a charming smile, she gently pushed Fourth Master away. She got up from her embrace, sat down beside him, poured him a cup of fruit tea, and said with a smile, "Alright, Qin'er understands..."

At this moment, the Fourth Prince was preoccupied with the suppression of the White Lotus Sect and the disaster relief efforts in Kaifeng Prefecture, so he had no mind to care about the imperial concubine selection. He had come to Changchun Palace today to share the good news with Lanqin, but seeing how much she cared about the selection, he didn't mention anything else.

Lanqin looked at the Fourth Prince. Time flies, and decades have passed in the blink of an eye. The Fourth Prince in Lanqin's eyes is as vivid as yesterday. She couldn't help but sigh, "Your Majesty, do you still remember how Qin'er looked when she was selected for the imperial concubine selection?"

The Fourth Prince took a sip of tea and laughed, "How could I forget? It's a good thing the late Emperor didn't choose you, otherwise I would have regretted it for the rest of my life..."

Lanqin nodded and smiled, "I never thought that after so long, it would be Qin'er's turn to select candidates for Fourth Master... It's truly ironic..."

The Fourth Prince's smile faded, and he looked at Lanqin hesitantly, saying, "Qin'er, if you don't like it, I can cancel the selection right now!"

The Fourth Prince was extremely serious, and Lanqin, taken aback, turned to laugh and said, "Your Majesty, what are you saying... Is Qin'er such a petty person?"

The Fourth Prince said calmly, "I'd be happy to see you jealous for a while!"

Lanqin glanced sideways, slightly annoyed, and said, "Qin'er was just sighing, nothing more..." In order not to make the Fourth Prince think too much, Lanqin changed the subject and asked, "Your Majesty, how many people are planned to enter the palace for this selection of concubines?"

The Fourth Prince pondered for a moment, then said in a low voice, "Putting aside other matters, the Han Banner Army needs two people, the Manchu Banner Army also needs two people, and there are also some daughters of former officials who cannot be refused. It should be five to six young ladies-in-waiting..."

Lanqin hadn't expected that even during the selection process, the Fourth Prince would consider balancing the various factions, ensuring no one was offended and taking everything into account. With such a meticulous approach, how could anyone possibly win the Fourth Prince's heart? She couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

"Qin'er? What's wrong?" Fourth Master called softly when he saw Lanqin lost in thought.

Lanqin was taken aback, then smiled and said, "Selecting five or six people out of more than three thousand is truly one in a thousand." Fourth Master said calmly, "Then selecting a few more wouldn't be a problem..."

Lanqin, who had just felt sorry for the Fourth Prince, was now somewhat annoyed: "Didn't His Majesty say it didn't matter?"

The Fourth Prince chuckled, looking at Lanqin pouting, and said with a smile, "My intention is to select some for the imperial relatives. Also, Hongshi is not young anymore, so we can send two over. Hongli and Hongzhou also have a chance..."

Lanqin was startled and stood up, her eyes wide as she crossed her arms in refusal: "No... Hongli and Hongzhou are still young, marrying wives is enough for them, how can we give them concubines... Qin'er disagrees!"

The Fourth Prince smiled without saying a word, and Lanqin's protective manner towards her son was quite endearing. However, Lanqin herself found it difficult to accept that her son had already started taking a concubine.