When Lanqin, having changed her clothes, was led by Nianxue to the banquet room, she found everyone seemingly waiting for her. It should be said that the Fourth Master was waiting for her, so naturally, the others dared not be too noisy or boisterous. Lanqin looked closely and saw that those remaining were all her family members; Madam Yang and her son, as well as Madam Zhang and Madam Wang, were also present. The officials or colleagues who had come to pay their respects to Lingzhu had already tactfully taken their leave.

Da Chun had already learned from his sister about the favor his cousin Lan Qin enjoyed, and at this moment he couldn't help but glance at Lan Qin a few more times.

"Come and sit down." Fourth Master didn't mind showing how much he doted on this little woman in front of everyone.

Lingzhu and Anjia invited everyone to take their seats, seemingly used to the way Fourth Prince and Lanqin showed affection in front of everyone.

Lanqin didn't take the initiative to serve the Fourth Master. It was the Fourth Master who kept serving Lanqin food and whispering something to her from time to time. He seemed to treat everyone in the room as if they were invisible. It was only because the Fourth Master was there that everyone was a little too reserved and sat stiffly in their seats.

"Cousin, your husband really dotes on you. I'm so envious," Chen Xiuzhu suddenly said. Like her mother, she secretly harbored some jealousy towards Lanqin, just as Xiao Anjia was somewhat jealous of Anjia. This feeling had been there ever since the two of them married into the Manchu and Han banners respectively. Perhaps it started when she learned of the distinction between her and her sister's status as legitimate and illegitimate children. The imbalance between the sisters probably all began with marriage.

Lanqin merely smiled at her cousin without replying, while Fourth Master didn't even glance at Chen Xiuzhu. This made her quite embarrassed, and her face flushed slightly.

"Uncle, Aunt, let me offer you another toast. My sister and I have troubled you greatly during our trip to the capital, and we are deeply grateful for your care and consideration," Da Chun said, raising his wine glass to Ling Zhu.

Pfft~~

Lanqin suddenly laughed when she heard what he said. She had also heard Anjia mention that a distant cousin's nephew, Shuhui's brother Dachun, had come to visit. She hadn't expected him to be such a glib-tongued person. What was originally a very ordinary conversation had taken on a festive feel when it came out of his mouth.

Seeing that Da Chun seemed to have caught the Fourth Master's eye, Ling Zhu didn't stop him and was happy to do him a favor, saying, "We're family, no need for such formalities."

Da Chun sipped his wine and drank it all in his glass. Then Shu Hui obediently toasted An Jia Shi, which finally livened up the atmosphere of the family banquet. Everyone then began to clink glasses, offering toasts and exchanging pleasantries. However, with Chen Xiuzhu leading the way, no one dared to offer a toast or exchange pleasantries with the Fourth Master rashly, yet they dared not ignore him either, so they all toasted Lan Qin instead.

Lanqin didn't actually drink alcohol; she substituted tea. Naturally, no one dared to say anything. They all smiled and finished their drinks, allowing Lanqin to fully experience the feeling of being the center of attention. She knew it was all because of the man beside her. Power truly was a wonderful thing; everyone flocked to it.

When the family banquet was halfway through, everyone was getting a little tired from eating and drinking. Da Chun then took out his tea set as if it were a treasure, preparing to personally demonstrate how to brew tea.

Seeing that the Fourth Prince liked it, Lingzhu had a table and chairs specially brought for Dachun so he could sit there and demonstrate his unique tea-making skills. Lanqin found it amusing and left her seat to pull the Fourth Prince along to watch Dachun prepare tea. When she took his hand, she realized that the Fourth Prince was watching her with a beaming smile. Suddenly, Lanqin wondered if she had so easily reconciled with the Fourth Prince. But before she could react, the Fourth Prince had already stood up with a smile, grasped her hand in return, and led Lanqin to Dachun to watch him carefully prepare tea.

Seeing this, no one dared to disturb the two's enjoyment. Instantly, the room fell silent, with only the sound of Dachun brewing tea remaining.

Lanqin watched Dachun's fluid and skillful movements and thought to herself: This must be Kung Fu tea. It actually appeared during the Kangxi era. But there were no teahouses on the streets.

"Cousin Dachun, who taught you this tea-brewing technique?" Lanqin couldn't help but ask, a thought already forming in her mind in a flash. Although she had just met Dachun, from her observations and Anjia's mentions, Lanqin felt that he might not be suited for the imperial examinations, but he seemed to have the makings of a businessman.

“To answer your question, Consort, this technique is something I created myself; no one taught me,” Da Chun said with considerable pride.

Lanqin's eyes lit up, and she said, "That's great! The imperial concubine selection will be held after the New Year. Why don't you stay here, Dachun and Shuhui? Father, then Fifth Sister and Shuhui can go in together and keep each other company."

Seeing that Lanqin also liked Dachun, Lingzhu was naturally happy to do her a favor and quickly said, "Of course. Dachun, you and Shuhui can just leave it until after the talent show to decide what to do."

Chen Xiuzhu felt slightly displeased when she saw that Lanqin seemed to hold the brother and sister from Tonglu in high regard. Moreover, she had only mentioned that Shuhui would accompany Xinyi, as if she had deliberately let slip that she herself had been left out, and her face immediately fell. Seeing her daughter's unusual expression, Xiao Anjia quickly tugged at her sleeve, signaling her not to show it.

"Thank you, Consort." Shuhui quickly bowed to Lanqin, and Dachun's lips curled into a deep smile.

"Your technique is truly extraordinary, and quite ingenious," Fourth Master couldn't help but exclaim.

"Thank you very much, Fourth Prince." Da Chun was thrilled. If he could catch the Fourth Prince's eye and be taken in as a staff member, it would be a real shortcut.

Lanqin looked at his expression and thought of it too. She said to the Fourth Master, "If you like it, why don't you let Dachun go to the manor to teach Eunuch Su, and then select a few clever ones to learn from? That way, if you want to drink it in the future, you can have it anytime."

Da Chun glanced at Lan Qin out of the corner of his eye, silently expressing his gratitude. This cousin was quite perceptive; she was helping him out. If the Fourth Master agreed to let him teach at the manor, he could control the length of his instruction time. Learning Kung Fu tea wasn't something that could be mastered overnight. A quick learner might grasp seven or eight tenths of it in three months, while a less quick learner might not be able to cook it well even after a year or two. If he could stay in the Fourth Master's presence for a year or two, and if he still couldn't convince him that he was a promising talent, then he should give up on that idea as soon as possible.