As the two entered a restaurant, the waiter standing at the door greeted them with a smile and invited them in, showing great respect to Master Ba.
The three were led to a private room by a servant. After Lanqin sat down, the Eighth Master spoke gently to the servant about some dishes that Lanqin had never heard of before. Clearly, he was a regular customer here.
"Young Master Lan also likes to read these kinds of books?" Eighth Master said incredulously after reading Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Peony Pavilion, but a faint smile remained on his lips.
"Hey, stop looking at me like that!" Lan Qin mentally berated herself. She had to admit that the fact that Eighth Master was speaking to her with the air of a handsome man made Lin Mengyao's long-suppressed infatuation resurface.
I wonder if the Fourth Prince, far away in Chengde Prefecture, is thinking that his little princess is sitting with his mortal enemy, eating and chatting! Lanqin suddenly thought of the Fourth Prince, and a feeling of guilt and self-reproach rose in her heart. She composed herself, put on an impeccable smile, and said, "I'm really bored at home. I read Romance of the Three Kingdoms to understand gains and losses, and Peony Pavilion to pass the time."
Eighth Master's smile deepened. Niu Gulu Lanqin, she's quite interesting. Just then, the dishes he ordered arrived.
Lanqin, who hadn't been particularly hungry, suddenly felt a pang of hunger. She had to admit, he was quite adept at ordering. Just how intelligent and shrewd was this man? To be able to earn the unanimous praise of so many ministers amidst the complexities of court politics, and to be so considerate and attentive even to a mere princess like herself—someone unrelated to him—made Lanqin a little curious about this legendary "Eighth Prince." If it weren't for his maternal family's influence, would Kangxi have chosen him as the crown prince? But Consort De's status wasn't high either, yet the Fourth Prince still ascended to the throne!
"Here, this jade slice dish is excellent." Eighth Master personally picked up a slice of perch for Lanqin with his chopsticks.
Ruru watched in horror, thinking to herself, "The princess is actually meeting with a man other than the Fourth Prince, and they're even having a meal together! If the master and mistress find out, won't she be kicked out of the manor?" But how could a mere maid like her make that decision? Could she stop the princess from leaving the manor, or prevent her from dining with this man?
"Thank you, Eighth Master. My master told me that you are now in charge of the Imperial Household Department. How come you have time to go out for a stroll?" Lanqin asked casually.
Eighth Prince paused for a moment, picked up a piece of "Fu Shou Shuang Quan" (a type of traditional Chinese dish), and said sadly, "I am no longer in charge of the Imperial Household Department. Now I am just like Bald Prince, with nothing to do in the mansion, so I come out to have some fun."
Lanqin was startled. She thought to herself that it had only been a month since they last met at the estate, and she had heard the Fourth Prince say that the Eighth Prince was busy with the affairs of the Imperial Household Department. How could he have relinquished his power so suddenly? She tried hard to recall anything about the Eighth Prince from the 43rd year of Kangxi's reign, but she couldn't remember anything at all.
"Consort De's birthday is approaching, and Fourth Brother is busy out there, so I'm afraid he won't be able to make it. I wonder if Young Master Lan has any plans?" Eighth Prince suddenly said.
"I'm afraid I'm not qualified to go and wish Consort De a happy birthday. Eighth Prince, though, remembers!" Lan Qin thought to herself: That's a matter for the primary wife and secondary primary wife. I, a mere princess, should stay obediently in the Fourth Prince's residence.
“When I was in charge of the Imperial Household Department, I handled this matter. The menu for the Empress’s birthday and the opera performances that were ordered were all reported to me, so I remember it,” the Eighth Prince said.
Lanqin looked at the Eighth Prince in disbelief and couldn't help but say, "Does the Eighth Prince really need to personally handle such a matter? Wouldn't it be better to just hand it over to the eunuch in charge?"
The Eighth Prince picked up his wine cup, took a small sip, and said, "The Empress Dowager's birthday is no small matter. Father Emperor will also be attending. As the head of the Imperial Household Department, I naturally dare not make decisions on my own. It must go through me, the prince who is at the forefront."
Lanqin simply said "Oh" and continued eating silently, showing absolutely no interest in palace affairs.
"I heard that the Fourteenth Prince made a request to Consort De that you be granted special permission to enter the palace to offer your congratulations on her birthday. Didn't you know?" the Eighth Prince continued.
Ah~~~
Lanqin stared at the Eighth Prince in astonishment, inwardly cursing the Fourteenth Prince for his foolishness, but aloud said, "The Fourth Prince never mentioned this when he was in the manor, and the Fourteenth Prince has never come to the manor to mention it again. Lanqin is really not suitable to enter the palace in terms of her status, so please, Eighth Prince, do me a favor!"
Eighth Master was equally astonished. He thought his words would please Lanqin and wanted to give her a surprise, but she didn't seem happy or flattered at all as he had imagined.
"You want me to tell the Fourteenth Prince to take back his good intentions!" Eighth Master tried to glean some reason for Lanqin's refusal from her face, but he couldn't see anything.
“Indeed, the Fourteenth Prince has always shown great respect to the Eighth Prince. I would be grateful if the Eighth Prince could do Lanqin this favor. It is the duty of the First Consort and Consort Li to celebrate the birthday of Consort De. If Lanqin goes along as a mere Princess, it will bring her not honor, but endless trouble.” Lanqin said firmly, she did not want to get involved in this matter any further.
Eighth Prince clearly hadn't expected Lanqin to be so wise. If his concubines in the inner quarters had Lanqin's clear minds, they probably wouldn't have caused all those troubles. Thinking of his wife, Guo Luoluo, Eighth Prince couldn't help but frown. Actually, his stroll outside the manor today was to avoid the conflict between Guo Luoluo and Zhang.
"Fourteenth Brother said that back on the estate, Princess Lan and Fourth Brother once captured a white deer, saying they wanted to present it to Consort De as a birthday gift. Now that Fourth Brother is not here, this birthday gift will naturally be delivered by Princess Lan on her behalf." Eighth Prince, however, did not agree to Lan Qin's request and instead continued to persuade her.
"I'd better ask the Fourth Prince for his opinion on this matter. If the Fourteenth Prince hasn't asked for this favor yet, please ask the Eighth Prince to inform him on his behalf. We'll discuss everything after I get the Fourth Prince's reply." Lanqin had no choice but to bring up the Fourth Prince.
Seeing that Lanqin was so insistent, Eighth Master didn't want to force her, so he agreed to her request.
Ru Lu, who was standing to the side, finally realized who this handsome man in front of her was. It turned out to be the Eighth Prince of the current dynasty. They even said that the princess could enter the palace to celebrate the birthday of Consort De. What a wonderful thing that was! But the princess kept refusing, which was really puzzling.
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