Cui Niang did not wait for Chen Xiuzhu to change her clothes, but went ahead on her own, leaving only Zhou Mama waiting there.

In Lanchun Courtyard, the Fourth Prince had already returned to his residence early in the morning. He had been staying there for four or five days, and his leave was over; he was to officially go to the palace. This meant that he could only come here every few days, and couldn't travel between Changping and the palace every day anymore, as the round trip was over a hundred li. Although the Fourth Prince's mount, Mu Xue, was a rare and precious steed, he himself was still finding it a bit too much to handle, especially since there were so many things to do at the beginning of the year. Kangxi was going to war, and money and provisions had already been prepared.

Lanqin was sitting on the edge of the bed looking outside. Fourth Master had forbidden her from leaving the courtyard at will. The weather was chilly in early spring, even colder than winter. Her room was heated by an underfloor heating system, not a brazier.

Lanqin felt that sitting like this every day was incredibly boring, and she needed to find something to do. As for the three girls, her intention was that since they were all her younger sisters, she should help them as much as she could, at least to bring them closer to her ideas. As for whether they could become the kind of help Lanqin hoped for in the future, Lanqin herself didn't really have any ideas about that.

That's right, our Comrade Lanqin is now starting to consider cultivating her own power. She understands that compared to the Fujin (the Fourth Prince's wife), she lacks status and external support. Therefore, if she wants to rival the Fujin, she must also have her own power base. The Fourth Prince is now genuinely suspicious of the Fujin and is treating her better, but that doesn't mean she's completely secure. Lanqin feels that she can't completely rely on the Fourth Prince's protection and simply hide behind him, enjoying the benefits of being a favored concubine, a noble concubine, and eventually, the Empress Dowager. Everything requires her own effort and planning. Having figured this out, Lanqin feels much more at ease.

When Cui Niang came in, Lan Qin saw her and called out softly, "Cui Niang, come and talk to me."

Cui Niang obediently walked up to Lan Qin, bowed, and then replied, "Your Highness wants to ask about the situation of the Third Princess, right?"

Lanqin smiled and said, "Yes. Cui Niang, how are their aptitudes?"

Cui Niang paused, then carefully asked, "Based on my observation, Consort Xinyi is steady and dignified, unsuitable for entering the palace. Even if she becomes a concubine in the imperial family or a prince's residence, she would only be of average status. Consort Chen is more striking in appearance and lively in personality, and might gain favor temporarily, but she is short-sighted and easily taken advantage of. Actually, the most promising one is Consort Shuhui. On the surface, she appears timid and docile, but she is strong beneath her gentleness and very proper. Her appearance is undeniably endearing. If she were to enter a prince's residence, she might very well be favored. She is humble and should be able to handle things well."

After hearing this, Lanqin smiled and said, "It seems that the Niohuru branch is quite good. Although they are far away in Tonglu, their offspring are all quite good. Dachun is quick-witted and resourceful, and his future prospects are also good. Cui Niang, I won't hide it from you. If all three girls are good, I think they can enter the harems of princes or members of the imperial family. They can also look after each other in the future."

Cui Niang looked like she understood and said, "The three princesses have very different personalities. I wonder if Your Majesty has someone in mind to choose from?"

Lanqin shook her head and said, "I can only think about it, but I can't do it. The position of Seventh Prince's wife has been vacant for a long time. If one of the three of them could become Seventh Prince's wife, that would be good. Although Seventh Prince has a slight leg injury, he is still somewhat different from ordinary people. I still need to consult their own wishes. Then there are Thirteenth Prince and Fourteenth Prince. They only have primary wives and don't even have a concubine. I'm sure they will definitely assign someone for them this time."

Cui Niang nodded and said, "Your Majesty has thought it through. I will follow your instructions and train the three princesses well. I hope that I will live up to your expectations."

Lanqin nodded. She was building a network of relationships for herself. Fourth Master would be vying for the throne in the future, so it was necessary to find several alliances among the brothers.

Just then, Granny Zhou arrived gracefully with three girls.

As soon as Chen Xiuzhu entered the courtyard, she was struck by its luxurious grandeur, thinking to herself: "The Fourth Prince's love for his concubine is truly profound. Compared to this, my own quarters are barely fit for servants. No, even the maids here can't compare."

When Xinyi and Shuhui saw Nianxue and the others coming to greet them, they quickly said, "Hello, sisters. Second sister has been waiting for a long time."

Chen Xiuzhu and Shuhui smiled at Nianxue. It was certainly right to be polite to Lanqin's most capable first-class maid.

“No, the dishes aren’t fully prepared yet. Come, let’s go sit in the master’s room for a while. The master has lost his appetite since he left. The three princesses should come over more often to keep the master company and help him pass the time,” Nianxue said.

"What? Fourth Master has already left? Why did you only call us over for dinner now? Where were we before?" Chen Xiuzhu's face immediately turned cold, and she thought angrily, "This second cousin of mine seems to be petty too. She wouldn't let us come over for so many days, but as soon as Fourth Master left, she sent someone to invite us."

With graceful steps, Xin Yi couldn't help but examine every plant and tree. Shu Hui, on the other hand, looked cautious, as if afraid of angering Granny Zhou.

When they came to Lanqin, they found that Lanqin was still sitting by the window.

"Greetings to the concubine!" the three said in unison.

"Nianxue, go and bring a few embroidered stools, everyone sit down. Lunch will have to wait a little longer, first report to me on the results of your practice," Lanqin said. "This isn't a shelter, nor am I here to watch what the other person wants all the time. If you follow the rules and don't make a single wrong step, a good life awaits you," Lanqin said.

As soon as the three girls entered the house, they felt that it was warm and cozy inside, much more comfortable than outside.

“Cousin, how come your room is so warm? I don’t see any charcoal fire burning.” Chen Xiuzhu couldn’t help but say.

“There’s an underfloor heating system here, so it won’t be cold. You don’t need to worry about getting cold, so please make yourselves at home,” Lanqin said.

"It's so much better here at my cousin's place. Our room is freezing cold. We can only light one brazier."

Chen Xiuzhu's meaning was quite clear: the place she was living in was terrible.

“Xiuzhu, do you know what it was like inside Chuxiu Palace? I went in with Holland, and the three of us girls shared a room. Each of us had our own bed,” Lanqin said.