So Tong Cheng'er took Lan Xing into the palace.

Lan Xing followed behind Tong Cheng'er, looking very respectful.

Upon entering Yonghe Palace, Tong Cheng'er was warmly welcomed into the room by the nanny.

After Tong Cheng'er sat down, she noticed that her good mother-in-law wasn't in the room, and asked with concern, "Didn't you say that Mother's old illness had flared up again? Where is Mother?"

The old woman said, "Her Majesty has been suffering from a terrible headache. She took her medicine and just fell asleep, so I'm sorry to trouble you to wait a little longer, Fourth Princess."

Tong Cheng'er nodded: "I see. By the way, I haven't been Mother's daughter-in-law for long, so I don't know what Mother's old illness is. I wonder if you could enlighten me?"

Upon hearing this, the nanny hesitated for a moment. The Empress didn't have any chronic illnesses. If she did, it would probably be her "dislike of the Fourth Prince living well." But how could she put it that way?

Finally, the nanny used a common ailment as an excuse: "Your Highness has difficulty falling asleep and suffers from headaches on a regular basis. The imperial physicians can't figure out what's wrong with her, and Your Highness always has one from time to time."

Upon hearing this, Tong Cheng'er thought to herself that if this problem was real, it could be a big or small matter.

Headaches are a strange thing; sometimes they're not serious, and sometimes they aren't. The structure inside the brain is quite amazing, and there are many ailments that can't be diagnosed by pulse diagnosis.

She then said very seriously, "How long has Mother been suffering from this illness? The imperial physicians at the Imperial Hospital can't figure out the cause. We've even invited doctors from outside to come and take her pulse. They all say that headaches can be excruciating. It's really been tough on Mother."

Tong Cheng'er spoke sincerely, and her caring and considerate words didn't seem fake to the nanny.

Did the Fourth Princess Consort really believe it?

"Your Majesty's illness has lasted for some years. Thank you for your concern, Fourth Prince Consort."

“My mother is an elder, so it is only right that I care for and respect her.”

Tong Cheng'er noticed that it had been a while since she had come, and the servants of Yonghe Palace were starting to lose their sense of propriety again, not even knowing to serve tea.

She asked about Consort Wuya, then said to the nanny, "I'm a little thirsty from the journey. Have someone bring me some tea to soothe my throat. Oh, and don't forget the snacks too."

Looking at the Fourth Princess's familiar manner, and thinking of the Empress Dowager listening in the inner room, the old woman hesitated and said, "The Empress Dowager is ill, and it seems inappropriate for the Fourth Princess to indulge in such gluttony."

Tong Cheng'er nodded: "What Granny said is right. It's just that I came in a hurry. I heard that Mother's old illness had flared up, so I came over without having lunch. So I'm a little hungry. Mother is sleeping after taking her medicine. I can take this opportunity to eat something so that I won't be too weak when I take care of Mother. If I don't eat or drink while taking care of Mother, it would seem like Mother is not kind."

She did all this for her mother-in-law's reputation, not because she wanted to cause trouble for the people at Yonghe Palace, nor because she was greedy.

The old woman was speechless upon hearing this; she felt that the Fourth Princess Consort always had a way of keeping people from saying anything.

Just as the nanny instructed someone to prepare tea and snacks, Tong Cheng'er made another request: "By the way, also have someone prepare some food! Although these snacks can fill you up, they are not proper meals. Lanxing, you also come from Yonghe Palace and are familiar with it. Go and tell the kitchen to prepare some dishes that suit my taste."

The old woman was exhausted. She wanted to say something, but dared not.

Lan Xing didn't stand on ceremony and went outside, giving orders to the small kitchen in Yonghe Palace.

When the nanny saw Lanxing leave, she instructed two dull-witted maids to serve Tong Cheng'er, and then she followed her out.

Lanxing ran into the old nanny as soon as she came out of the small kitchen in Yonghe Palace.

The nanny asked Lanxing as soon as she saw her, "Why did Fourth Princess bring you here today?"

Lanxing was the woman the Empress prepared for the Fourth Prince. How could the Fourth Prince's wife bring such a person with her when she came to the palace to attend to him during his illness?

Lan Xing smiled and said, "The Princess Consort is kind-hearted and willing to give me the opportunity to serve her. This is my blessing."

The old woman frowned: "What are you saying? Don't forget that you came from Yonghe Palace, and don't forget who your master is."

Lan Xing scoffed and said, "Didn't Her Majesty already give me to the Fourth Prince's wife? Now I am the Fourth Prince's wife's servant, and my mistress is naturally the Fourth Prince's wife. I remember it very clearly."

After learning the rules of the Fujin (princess) from the maidservant who served her for a few days, she gained a deep understanding of her own situation.

She had already given up on the Fourth Prince. Besides, the Fourth Princess Consort treated the servants well, and following the Fourth Princess Consort was definitely better than following this unfavored concubine in Yonghe Palace.

Humans have an instinct to seek advantage and avoid harm. If someone explains the pros and cons to her clearly, she will naturally know how to make a choice.

Now she has no other requests, she only hopes that the Fujin can see her "performance" and then promote her a little, so that when she comes of age, she can be married to a steward. Given the Fujin's generous nature, her dowry will not be small either.

Furthermore, the nanny who taught her manners said that the Fujin (principal wife) would not only provide a dowry, but would also support her if her future husband's family treated her badly.

Now Lanxing is no longer afraid of the nannies at Yonghe Palace. After all, she is now the Fourth Prince's woman, and the Fourth Prince's wife is protective of her and will never let her suffer.

After Lanxing finished speaking, she left. She needed to make a good impression on the Fujin (principal wife), as her current goal was to become the Fujin's head maid.

Ever since she learned about Rulan and Ruxue's treatment, she had been envious of the position of the Fujin's head maid.

Thinking this, she quickened her pace.

As the old woman watched Lanxing leave, she couldn't help but feel strange. She knew Lanxing well; she was beautiful, but her father didn't love her, and her stepmother was unkind. After entering the palace, she was favored by the empress because of her good looks and kept by her side.

Because of her good looks, she also has big ambitions and a desire to be the master.

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