"What, are you scared? Weren't you scared when you took the Fujin's money?" Caiyue retorted sharply.
“It’s not that I’m afraid, but Master has a deep misunderstanding of the Fujin. If something else happens, I’m afraid the Fujin’s life will be even more difficult,” Steward Zhang said. “Besides, that stuff isn’t very toxic. It might work on a newborn, but it probably won’t work on a baby that’s several months old.”
“How will you know if you don’t try? Besides, this method is very discreet. As long as you don’t tell anyone, no one will know. Anyway, I’ve delivered the message. Manager Zhang, don’t forget who promoted you to this position in the first place.” Caiyue saw that Manager Zhang kept making excuses, so she provoked him with these words.
“Alright, I’ve got it. Miss Caiyue, please go back and tell the Fujin that I will not forget her kindness.” Steward Zhang had no choice but to agree.
Meanwhile, Qingping carried a lantern to the south courtyard. As expected, Lanqin was still awake. She was relieved to hear from Qingping that Song was alright.
It was late at night, and Fourth Master still hadn't returned; the fire must have been quite large. Lanqin couldn't keep her eyes open any longer and fell asleep. After the watchman struck the 12th watch, Fourth Master finally returned. Cui Niang had been keeping watch, and upon seeing Fourth Master return, she immediately brought out the warm chicken soup.
"When did the concubine go to sleep?" the Fourth Prince asked, sipping his chicken soup.
"The concubine didn't go to sleep until after midnight. Before she went to sleep, she instructed me to make sure the kitchen prepared chicken soup for the master," said Cui Niang.
"Why didn't you let her go to sleep earlier?" After quickly finishing the bowl of fragrant chicken soup, the Fourth Master immediately washed up with the water brought by the maids.
Lanqin was half asleep when she suddenly felt the blanket next to her being pulled back, and then a slightly chilly body crawled in.
The next day, when Fourth Master and Lanqin opened their eyes, they realized that it was past the time when Fourth Master usually got up.
Just as the Fourth Prince was about to lose his temper, Su Peisheng was waking him up when Lanqin grabbed his arm and said, "Your Highness, why don't you pretend to be sick today, rest at home for a few days, and then go to court?"
The Fourth Prince glanced at Lanqin and immediately understood her meaning. They had discussed it for a long time last night, and he should try to avoid causing trouble in front of Kangxi now. Since it was already late, he might as well not go.
The Fourth Prince immediately told Su Peisheng outside, "Send someone to the palace immediately to ask for sick leave. Tell them that there was a fire at home and I am sick, so I need to take three days off."
Lanqin, one hand supporting her temple and the other resting on Fourth Master's chest, asked, "How is the situation at the North Courtyard? Yehe Clan?"
"It was burned to a pile of charcoal. The fire started in her house. Yuhen and Yulu both perished, while Hexiang and Hehua escaped because they were on the outside. Her main house was almost completely destroyed. How despicable, such a vile woman, how dare she destroy a residence." Fourth Master was filled with resentment when he mentioned Yehe Shi.
"I never expected her to be so resolute," Lanqin muttered to herself. As expected, Yehe refused to die like that, so she set fire to her house, turning it and the two maids she had brought in into ashes, as if they had never been there.
"Let's not talk about her anymore. The damaged house needs to be repaired. I think it would be better to just tear it all down and rebuild it. Instead of building any more houses, we can turn it into a garden," said the Fourth Master.
“Sister Song’s room is a bit small. Why don’t we help her expand it with a few more rooms, and then send two more maids to serve her? If the eldest princess comes back, she’ll still have a room to stay in. The eldest princess’s son is almost a month old. Has the master’s maternal grandmother prepared any gifts?” Lanqin said a few words on behalf of Song Shi.
Upon hearing this, the Fourth Prince thought of Song Shi, who had been with him the longest and was his first woman, and naturally felt a sense of attachment to her. In addition, the eldest princess had given birth to a son, so he immediately agreed.
"Alright, we'll do it your way. We'll say to the outside world that Yehe Shi accidentally set fire to the house, causing her death in the fire. We'll expand Song Shi's house with a small courtyard so that the eldest princess can stay when she comes back to visit. We'll build a garden on the original site of Yehe Shi's house, dig a pond, and add a rockery so that the children have a place to play," said Fourth Master.
When Lanqin heard Fourth Master say this, she couldn't help but think of the artificial hills in the mansion. They were basically all the same, with seven orifices and usually a large cave inside that could accommodate a person.
"Grandpa, why are there so many holes in the artificial hill? Are they for the children to play hide-and-seek?" Lanqin asked curiously.
"Pfft!" Fourth Master almost burst out laughing. He turned his head and tapped Lanqin's nose, saying, "Of course not. Mountains are the bones of heaven and earth. What's the point of a solid rock without caves? The beauty of mountains lies in their wonder and spirituality. Caves are carved into them to enhance their wonder."
Lanqin nodded as if she understood, then buried her face in Fourth Master's chest and sighed, "I was thinking of going to Changping with you, but now the fire has destroyed that dream. Building the garden house will take up a lot of your time and effort."
Fourth Master said, "I'm just providing a blueprint, so let the servants handle it. By the way, since Cui Da and Cui Er are with you, why don't you have them do some work in the mansion?"
Lanqin hummed in agreement and began to think about how to get through the New Year. She had to arrange things at home and also had to go to the palace.
After the two women got up with the help of the maids, Lanqin was busy preparing things for the New Year and discussing the expenses needed for the festival with the head nanny. She didn't have a moment of free time at all throughout the day.
News of the fire at the Fourth Prince's residence quickly spread throughout the capital. The three days the Fourth Prince rested at his residence were not peaceful, with people coming to visit him frequently. In addition to his brothers, colleagues and relatives also came to the Fourth Prince's residence to inquire about his well-being.
At this moment, the Fourth Prince was receiving someone in his study whom he didn't really want to receive—Empress Tong's younger brother, Longkodo.
"When I heard that the Fourth Prince's residence was on fire, I didn't want to delay for a moment. I wish I could come and see for myself right away. How is it? Is anyone hurt?" Longkodo was only ten years older than the Fourth Prince, but the Fourth Prince still had to call him uncle.
"Thank you for your concern, Uncle. It's nothing serious. It was just a princess who had committed a crime who accidentally started a fire. No one was hurt." Fourth Master said this briefly, not wanting to say more about Yehe Clan.
Longkodo was shrewd enough to see that the Fourth Prince was unwilling to talk about it, so he immediately changed the subject and said, "Fourth Prince, now that the Crown Prince is about to be deposed, do you have any plans? Speaking of which, the Fourth Prince is the son of Empress Xiaoyiren, and is the only prince in the empress's palace after the Crown Prince."
Longkodo's meaning was clear, but the Fourth Master did not respond to his words. After saying a few vague words, he saw his guest off.
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