After dinner, Lanqin ate some more with everyone. She didn't vomit again, but she lacked her usual liveliness and remained listless throughout.

Seeing that the little princess still looked preoccupied, the Fourth Prince said, "I'm a bit full. Come with me to digest your food."

Lanqin nodded obediently, letting the Fourth Master hold her hand, and the two strolled around the courtyard.

A gentle summer breeze blows, and cicadas chirp and frogs croak.

A crescent moon hung in the sky.

"My lord, shall my child be given to the Fujin to raise?" Lanqin had never thought of being promoted, nor did she intend to replace the Fujin. But now she was suddenly told that she could not raise her child herself, but had to give it to the principal wife.

This felt as if Lanqin had been stabbed deep into her heart, the pain so intense that she felt she could hardly recover.

What kind of old custom is this? It's completely disregarding basic human decency and morality!

"Who told you all this?" Fourth Master understood. No wonder Lanqin hadn't smiled all night; it turned out it was because of this.

"Is this the rule of our ancestors?" Lanqin knew about this old rule of the Qing court, but when it came to her, she never thought that she would have a child so early, nor did she think that the Fourth Prince would take her child away.

"Don't worry, I'll naturally let you take care of her when the time comes." Fourth Master grabbed Lanqin's hand, pulled her into his arms, and said affectionately.

"Gege Yu can raise her child on her own because she was qualified for promotion, but the master didn't let her. What about Lanqin? Does having a child mean she'll be qualified to become a concubine? Will she have the right to raise her child on her own?" Lanqin was still conflicted. She knew that the concubine would definitely not let her break that old rule, and would definitely find a way to separate her from her child. Even the Fourth Master might not be able to completely suppress her.

After all, the Fujin (Prince's wife) represents the principal wife, tradition, and rules. If she were to let the Fourth Prince break those rules, it would place him in a disadvantageous position of favoring a concubine over his wife, violating ancestral norms. That was something Lanqin didn't want to see; she didn't want him to suffer any unfair blame or punishment because of her. But asking her to give up her custody of her child was something she simply couldn't do.

"When the time comes, I will request an imperial decree to promote you to the rank of secondary consort, so that you will be qualified to raise your own child." Looking at Lanqin's determined yet conflicted eyes, the Fourth Prince could not bear to see her struggle and revealed his plan.

"Master~~" Lanqin threw herself into the Fourth Master's arms, touched that he had thought of everything for her. She knew that she was becoming more and more dependent on this man's strong embrace, and sometimes she couldn't help but want to possess the Fourth Master, especially after she became pregnant, she increasingly didn't want him to go to other courtyards.

She knew she was merely a concubine, not the principal wife. Even the principal wife could not fully possess this man. He was destined never to be monogamous with her; he was destined to belong to many women.

"My lord, I am currently pregnant and it may be difficult for me to be served. My lord, could you..." Lanqin wanted to say "go to another courtyard," but she couldn't bring herself to say it.

"If I go to another courtyard, will you throw up in front of me?" Fourth Master teased.

"Master, Lanqin will try her best not to be angry or jealous, as long as you are happy and the inner quarters are peaceful." Lanqin said this while suppressing the pain in her heart.

Fourth Master lifted Lanqin's chin and lowered his head to kiss her, completely disregarding whether anyone could see them, since everyone in the courtyard was there to serve them. At that moment, they all hid inside the house, leaving them alone.

The Fourth Master's kiss was passionate and lingering, attempting to erase the jumbled thoughts from Lanqin's mind.

Just now, the Fujin summoned Chunliu to call him over to talk about the Third Prince. The Third Prince lives alone in the front courtyard, without any playmates. He used to have the First Prince and his youngest sons. Now, the Third Prince has not only lost his mother but also his brothers with whom he grew up. The Fujin is already raising the First and Second Princesses and the Fourth Prince, and simply cannot care for the Third Prince. She wants to entrust him to Lady Yin's care.

Although not explicitly stated, the Princess Consort meant that Lady Yin should raise the Third Prince. Moreover, the Third Prince also liked Lady Yin very much, and it was common to see Lady Yin bringing pastries and playing with cats with the Third Prince.

Lady Yin had only just been released from her confinement, and the Fourth Prince's impression of her was still stuck on the stage that night. Although he knew she was not Chenxiang, the feeling he had attached to her was still that of Chenxiang.

However, since Lady Yin was only a teenage girl, how could she possibly raise the Third Prince properly? The Fourth Prince did not immediately agree, but only agreed to think about it.

With these thoughts in mind, Fourth Master walked very fast when he came to the South Courtyard. He saw that Little Princess was angry that he hadn't come and started vomiting again, which made him angry.

Fourth Master put down Lanqin and said to the moon, "Lan'er, I cannot give you a promise of monogamy, but as long as our hearts remain unchanged, I will not betray you. Our child will also be raised by you personally."

Lanqin quietly watched the Fourth Prince, thinking to herself: He still remembers monogamy, and he still remembers the lies she once uttered. Isn't that enough? What more could she hope for? He's going to be an emperor someday; he can't possibly have only one woman. So she couldn't think that way, nor could she demand that of him. Because he was destined never to do it.

"What's wrong? I trust and pamper you because you never mention rank or family interests to me. That's why I can love you completely and wholeheartedly, not because of your family or interests. I hope that my Lan'er will always be the most special one in my heart." The Fourth Prince raised his hand and stroked Lanqin's face, tucking a stray hair behind her ear.

"Master, Lan'er doesn't ask for any rank or title. She just wants to raise her own child on her own," Lan Qin said.

Fourth Master nodded and pulled Lanqin into his arms once again.

He also knew that promoting her wouldn't be easy. For a princess to be promoted to a secondary consort, besides bearing children, she also needed to be virtuous, talented, and from a good family. Lanqin's family background was barely acceptable, but she lacked the corresponding "virtue and talent." To promote Lanqin, he could only start with Consort De.

"How is Aunt An? You've been spending some time with her now," Fourth Master asked.

“Aunt An is very good, but she’s a bit nagging,” Lanqin said.

Fourth Master nodded and pulled Lanqin into the room. The two ordered water, were helped to wash and dress, and then went to bed together. Fourth Master was, after all, a grown man, and had been holding back for a long time. If it weren't for Lanqin, he could have gone to another woman to relieve himself long ago.

Lanqin understood, and lay obediently in the Fourth Master's arms, softly saying, "Master, let me help you relax."

Upon hearing this, Fourth Master lowered his head and kissed Lanqin's hair, saying, "I'm afraid of hurting you."

Lanqin felt a warmth in her heart, but her little hand had already slipped inside Fourth Master's underwear.