The competition didn't continue. When Lanqin left, everyone except Da and A asked her for the same finger gloves, and the one that had already been made was naturally given to the eldest prince first. Anyway, with Carpenter Wang and the embroiderer, it wouldn't take much effort on her, so Lanqin readily agreed to their requests.
"Princess, that Da and A are the Fujin's nephews. I heard that the Fujin specially asked the master for them." When Xicha helped Lanqin leave, the sun, that big red egg yolk, had already disappeared into the horizon. The scorching heat finally withdrew its last bit of warmth, returning the coolness to the earth and the masses living in between.
"Are you saying I shouldn't provoke this Da Yu'a, lest I offend the Fujin?" Lanqin glanced at Xicha and said calmly.
"This servant wouldn't dare, why should Your Highness invite such trouble?" Xi Cha said boldly, seeing that Lan Qin was not angry.
"Sometimes you can't avoid trouble just by avoiding it. Besides, I'm not one to seek out trouble. As long as I'm careful, it shouldn't be a big deal. Also, when did you start inquiring about the Fujin?" Lanqin knew that Xicha was worried about her, but she was unwilling to touch the Fujin's heart, so she asked in a low voice.
"I overheard it by chance when I was passing by the garden. I didn't intentionally inquire about it. Please calm down, Your Highness." Xi Cha had never seen Lan Qin lose her temper before. This sudden outburst really frightened her. Although Lan Qin didn't shout, the imposing aura between her brows startled the usually timid Xi Cha.
"From now on, you are not allowed to inquire about or listen to the words of the Fujin. We just need to live our own lives well. It is none of our business to inquire about the Fujin's affairs." Lanqin reiterated her survival principle as a concubine. She only wanted to live a peaceful and wealthy life in the Fourth Prince's harem, where everything was done for her. As for the infighting within the household, she would leave that to the other women and the Fujin.
Xi Cha quickly nodded and dared not say another word. The three of them then headed south back to their own courtyard.
When Lanqin returned, she saw that several pairs of "sandals" that the embroiderer had brought were already on the feet of several maids, and they were all trying on the shoes in the courtyard with bamboo soles!
When they saw Lanqin return, they all pulled at the corners of their robes, revealing shoes that were not much different from ordinary embroidered shoes, and went to greet Lanqin.
"Princess, when I put on the shoes you ordered the embroiderer to make, I felt much cooler on my feet!" Huanbi said excitedly.
"Gegelan is so clever and thoughtful to think of using bamboo strips for the soles; it's truly ingenious. Our feet are definitely much cooler after wearing them," Zi Ran said, rarely joining in.
"Princess, besides these few pairs, there are still some left for you to wear in the house." Nianxue could tell from Lanqin's expression that she was also tired, so she took Lanqin's hand and helped her into the house.
After Lanqin was seated, Xicha immediately served lemon tea, and Nianxue brought over a winnowing basket on which were laid out several pairs of embroidered shoes, all with bamboo soles. These pairs were more exquisite than the shoes worn by the maids. Nianxue and the others' embroidered shoes were simply decorated with various patterns embroidered with different colored silk threads, which would be considered quite delicate and elegant by ordinary people. However, compared to the pairs in the winnowing basket, they paled in comparison. These shoes used colored threads interspersed with gold threads, and even had precious jewels such as pearls, jade, and coral hanging on the toes and sides. The patterns on them were so lifelike that one couldn't help but want to own them.
"Princess, this is what the embroiderer said she made especially for your feet," Nianxue said, taking the half-finished teacup from Lanqin.
"I know, Nianxue. Remember to accompany me to the main courtyard tomorrow morning. Besides paying my respects to the Fujin, I also want to tell her that you two should pack up tonight and return to the Ling residence tomorrow." Lanqin waved her hand, and Huanbi took the shoes away.
"Return to the manor!!" Nianxue exclaimed in surprise, and everyone turned to look at her as her slightly shrill voice rang out.
"Yes, you and Xicha stay with me. Everyone else, stay here quietly. Li Shubao, go and tell Wang the carpenter to make more finger guards. You also arrange things for the embroiderer. I hope to see them when I return," Lanqin instructed.
Under Lanqin's instructions, everyone went about their business, and the entire South Courtyard fell silent. However, the evening at the end of June was unbearably hot. Lanqin, who had just returned from outside, kept fanning herself with a hexagonal palace fan, but as soon as she stepped into her main room, she immediately felt less hot than when she was outside.
"It's much cooler inside than outside. Why didn't I feel that way when I went out?" Lanqin asked, puzzled.
"Princess, it was the head nanny who sent someone to bring ice." Huanbi took the fan from Lanqin's hand and continued to tie her up, gently cooling her down.
"Ice! I don't see any!" Lanqin glanced around but couldn't find any ice. She continued, "Didn't they say that a princess isn't qualified to use ice?"
“I’ll put it in your bedroom so it won’t be too hot when you sleep tonight. Besides, the head nanny instructed that ice should not be placed directly beside you, for fear that the cold will affect your health,” Huanbi continued.
Lanqin glanced at her, thinking to herself: This girl is getting better and better at charming people. But saying she was afraid of the cold getting into her body, isn't that laughable? How much cold can a piece of ice have! The Lin Mengyao of the past loved to hide in air-conditioned rooms every summer.
"As for why the head nanny sent ice to our courtyard, this servant has no idea. Perhaps it was a special gift from the master." Huanbi smiled, since Lanqin was favored and they, the servants, also benefited from it.
As dusk settled, the cicadas' chirping showed no sign of ceasing. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning streaked across the darkening sky, followed by a series of thunderclaps from the horizon.
"Damn heavens, it was going to rain all along, it's been holding back all this time to torment us!" Huanbi stood beside Lanqin, fanning her with another fan, and couldn't help but curse when she heard the thunder.
"If you're all hot, come to the main house or my bedroom and sleep on the floor. It's so hot, it's unbearable," Lanqin said considerately to the maids. She knew there were probably only a few pieces of ice, and they, as servants, wouldn't have any in their rooms.
"Gege Xie is so considerate of me. To be honest, it's really hot at night..." Huanbi was interrupted by Nianxue's words before she could finish speaking.
“Princess, there is a difference between master and servant. How can we sleep in the same room as you? Besides, it’s raining outside. It should be cooler tonight.” Nianxue said, while giving Huanbi a disapproving look.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
