At that moment, Consort De was sitting and drinking tea when her nanny, who had served her for half her life, returned with a smile and reported: "That girl is quite genuine. She actually made Her Majesty a stir-fried bok choy with mushrooms and a tofu dish. Now she asked them for preserved eggs, which she'll probably just mix with minced garlic."

After taking a few breaths of the cool breeze that blew in from outside, Consort De felt her head was less painful. Now, drinking some soothing tea, she felt much more comfortable than lying there.

"Niu Shi seems naive, but she's not without method in her actions. The Fourth Prince has many personalities; some are naive and simple, others are cunning and scheming, but none seem to please him as much as Niu Shi. I find her a bit hard to understand," said Consort De, glancing at Aunt An who followed behind Granny De. Aunt An had returned to the palace after Lan Qin gave birth and finished her postpartum confinement. Consort De was busy at the time and hadn't spoken to her.

"Your Majesty," Aunt An said, "I've been serving Consort Niu for three or four months, and I've noticed that she acts like a child in her daily life and etiquette, doing whatever comes to mind. I've reminded her many times, but if I don't keep a close eye on her, she can't keep up." Aunt An recalled how Lanqin had an unusually good appetite when she was over eight months pregnant. To prevent her from eating too much and making childbirth more difficult later on, Aunt An had strictly controlled Lanqin's diet. As a result, Lanqin actually went to the kitchen to find something to eat while Aunt An was asleep at night—a sight Aunt An would likely never forget.

Consort De gestured for Aunt An to continue.

"However, when it comes to getting things done, the Consort is quite fiery and willing to help others. Song Gege from the Fourth Prince's inner quarters told me that when she was ill, the Consort took good care of her, which helped her pull through. Apart from Madam Yin, the other ladies in the courtyard are all quite close to the Consort," Aunt An said. "I've noticed that the Consort's relationship with the Fourth Prince is different from the others. Everyone else treats the Fourth Prince as their master, respecting and fearing him; but the Consort isn't afraid of him at all. She often teases him, makes witty remarks, and sometimes even acts coquettishly. I feel embarrassed to stay by her side."

A smile played on Consort De's lips, her expression lost in thought. She recalled the time when she was young and had just been favored by Emperor Kangxi. Back then, the Emperor was also captivated by her, teaching her to write, hand in hand. He taught her to play chess, also hand in hand, taking her out to the garden, holding her hand in his arms, enjoying the intimacy that belonged only to the two of them.

It's been a long time, a long time ago.

Seeing that Consort De remained silent, Aunt An glanced at Granny De, who gestured for her to keep quiet.

Consort De thought for a while and then looked at the two maids who had served her for a long time, saying, "I think this Niu is a good girl. It's good that she is liked by the Fourth Prince. Now that she has given birth to a princess, he can ask her for a title, which shows that the Fourth Prince values ​​Niu very much. However, I have noticed that the Fourth Prince's harem has never been prosperous. He has only three sons and three daughters so far. Look at the Fifth, Seventh, and Tenth Princes who are younger than him, they all have more than him."

Granny De sighed and said, "Your Highness's concerns are very valid. There's still a year and a half until the imperial concubine selection. Does Your Highness intend to send a few more servants to the Fourth Prince's household?"

Consort De picked up her teacup, took a few sips, and said, "So what if they've been sent in? If the Princess Consort doesn't properly educate them so they can produce offspring for the Fourth Prince, it's all for nothing. I think it would be better if Lady Niu could support a few more so that the Fourth Prince's descendants could prosper."

Upon hearing this, Aunt An immediately felt uneasy: she was afraid that Niu Shi would not do such a thing. Judging from how intimate Niu Shi and Fourth Master were, they were so sweet that no one else could get in.

Granny De quickly said, "Her Majesty means to remind Consort Niu to think more about the Fourth Prince's offspring."

Consort De nodded and said, "I think this child is good in every way. She is lively and has won the favor of the Fourth Prince. She is also righteous and outspoken, and does not speak falsehoods. She is not the kind of person who likes to scheme against people in secret. She is also devoted to me and her filial piety is evident. The only thing she lacks now is a broad mind. If she can help the Prince have many children, then I will have nothing to say about her."

Just as Granny De was about to say something, they heard the sound of a flowerpot being dropped outside. Lanqin led two palace maids in, each carrying a large black lacquered tray.

"Mother, have you been waiting long? Lanqin has made a few simple dishes," Lanqin said warmly as she walked.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Aunt An, and a surge of joy filled her: at least Aunt An was someone she knew; at least she could talk to someone. From the moment they entered the palace, Nianxue and Xicha had been sent to Lanqin's room and forbidden to move around freely. Everyone here belonged to Consort De; she hadn't even had a chance to ask a few words to someone she knew.

After the palace maids brought out the dishes, Consort De examined them carefully and they looked quite good. The stir-fried mushrooms and bok choy were glistening with oil, the Mapo Tofu was fragrant, and the aroma of the fermented bean paste and scallions on top was very appetizing. Then there was the preserved egg, cut into the shape of a lotus flower and topped with a layer of creamy white minced garlic. The flavors of sesame oil and soy sauce blended together, which also looked quite delicious.

"Mother, Lanqin has made some porridge. Your throat is sore right now, so it's best to have something light and easy to swallow." Lanqin personally ladled a bowl of porridge from the porridge bowl for Consort De and brought it to where Consort De was sitting.

"Hmm, you may sit down and eat with us. I'm watching you, and you do seem to have a better appetite," Consort De said with a faint smile.

Lanqin said a few words according to the rules and then sat down.

Thinking back to when Consort De personally sent Aunt An to take care of her during her pregnancy with Ushiha, and later even invited an imperial physician to deliver the baby, Lanqin was naturally very grateful. Consort De had been very good to her, and although she didn't particularly like Consort De's various rules, she was still the Fourth Prince's mother, and it was only right that she do her best to serve her well.

After preparing herself mentally, Lanqin stopped thinking about her child so much and resolved to spend her time in the palace with Consort De.

After taking a few bites of the dishes prepared by Lanqin, Consort De did not say anything, but she did not frown or speak again. Instead, she ate the porridge in one go.

Lanqin glanced up every now and then and saw that Consort De had used some of the dishes she had cooked, which made her quite happy.

"Mother, when I was at home, I read some medical books and came across a folk remedy that was remarkably effective in treating chronic throat ailments. I wonder if you would give it a try?" Lanqin genuinely wanted to treat Consort De's throat more effectively.