"Mr. Dai, could you explain in more detail?" Li Wei asked.
“The things you and the Thirteenth Master were investigating in the two lakes region before, weren’t they also related to the Eighth and Ninth Masters? They can secretly raise grain prices across the country, so their wealth is not to be underestimated,” Mr. Dai said.
It turned out that Fourth Master had been having Thirteenth Master and Li Wei investigate the grain price issue in the two lakes, but they only found a few big grain merchants there. They couldn't dig any further. It was only through Thirteenth Master's brother-in-law that they were able to find out from the side that the boss behind the scenes was actually Peach Blossom Nine. However, they couldn't find any evidence. All those big grain merchants committed suicide, and Thirteenth Master and Li Wei returned empty-handed.
Fourth Master nodded and said, "That's right, Ninth Brother is backed by Eighth Brother. The fact that he sent such a generous gift suggests that he's probably bribing key figures in the capital."
Everyone fell silent. The Eighth Prince had always been at odds with the Fourth Prince. If he were to truly ascend to the throne and become the Crown Prince, the Fourth Prince's faction would definitely be suppressed.
“My lord, you seem to be keeping a low profile at this time. It seems the Crown Prince can’t escape this time. He didn’t even appear at the palace banquet. It seems you’ve completely let him fade from the sight of the officials. If you don’t try to win him over now, when will you?” another advisor said.
The Fourth Prince held the jade thumb ring that Emperor Kangxi had bestowed upon him on the ice rink, and simply waved his hand, saying, "Disperse, everyone. It's the New Year, and you all have relatives. Go visit them if you need to. I'm giving you ten days off."
After saying that, he got up and walked outside. Su Peisheng glanced at the people present and quickly followed him.
When the Fourth Prince arrived at the South Courtyard, he thought Lanqin would eagerly run up to him to tell him about the grievances the Eighth Prince's wife had caused her, but the little woman seemed to have forgotten all of that.
They're making spring rolls with Cui Niang and the others!
"Grandpa! In a little while, we'll have spring rolls to eat!" Lanqin said with a grin. Wuxiha and Bechuk were also crawling and playing in the house. One was riding a rocking horse, and the other was playing with a cloth tiger in a whirlwind.
Fourth Master rubbed his hands together, then picked up Wuxiha from the wooden horse, affectionately pressed his cheek against the little girl's, and said, "I love spring rolls the most."
The room was filled with a joyful atmosphere, and no one mentioned the matter of the Eighth Prince's wife.
After a while, Shui Ling entered the room, whispered a few words to Cui Niang, and then left.
Lanqin saw Cui Niang pause for a moment, then saw her walking towards her and said, "Consort, Nian Gege has come to pay her respects!"
The Fourth Prince was sitting to the side teasing Wuxiha, so he naturally heard it too. Before Lanqin could speak, he said, "Let her go back. Just say that the concubine is busy and we'll wait until after the New Year."
The New Year's gifts sent by the Nian family were so numerous that even the Fourth Prince found them a bit of an eyesore. Although he accepted Nian Gengyao's gifts, the Fourth Prince was not very happy. As a result, he kept Nian Shi out of the loop during the New Year period and hardly ever visited her.
When Lanqin saw that Fourth Master had spoken, she didn't bother to say anything more. She nodded to Cui Niang and continued with her work.
Cui Niang gave a slight curtsy and then went out herself to the gatehouse, where she saw Nian Shi's maid, Bi Rouzhen, standing there.
"The concubine said, 'Thank you, Princess Nian, but there's really no need for such formalities. The concubine has many things to attend to, having just received the Eighth Princess. The concubine understands Princess Nian's sentiments,'" said Cui Niang.
Birou was taken aback by the reply and was momentarily at a loss for words. She could only curtsy and turn to leave.
Inside the room, the dining table had already been set up. Lanqin instructed the wet nurses to take the two princesses away, while she herself washed her hands and face with the help of the maids.
"My lord, I spoke with the Eighth Prince's wife today and said that I'll visit Consort Chen when I have some free time. She is my aunt's daughter," Lanqin said, sitting opposite the Fourth Prince.
"Alright, and also send over the master's return gift list." Fourth Master said through gritted teeth. Eighth Master was showing off on the gift list, and Eighth Princess Consort was coming to the inner quarters to annoy Lanqin—it was truly despicable!
"My lord, I have seen the gift list. What about our return gift?" Lanqin felt that the gift list was indeed very important and couldn't help but ask.
“We must build upon his work; we cannot afford to fall behind him,” said Fourth Master.
“What are you doing, Master? Since the Eighth Prince wants to send such an expensive gift, let him send it. You can just send the gift according to the original gift list,” Lanqin said. “Your salary and the income from the two estates are all there; how can you afford to send such a gift?”
Upon hearing this, Fourth Master couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "Yes, how could you be so confused? Eighth Prince isn't any richer than me, how could he afford to give it away?"
Lanqin nodded: "My lord, I have already thought about how to have fun in Changping. How about taking Wuxiha and Bechuk with us, as well as the Second Princess, the Third Prince, the Fourth Prince, and Namin?"
Seeing the young woman's energetic appearance, Fourth Master's initial displeasure gradually disappeared. After the two finished their meal, Lanqin suggested going to Seventh Master's residence for a visit.
Fourth Prince naturally agreed. He returned to the front courtyard, and Lanqin instructed the maids and wet nurses to follow him. They carried the child and went to the Seventh Prince's residence in a grand procession.
In fact, Lanqin's decision to go to the Seventh Prince's residence was intentional. The Seventh Prince had always been neglected by his brothers, and Emperor Kangxi rarely inquired about him. Naturally, no ministers would associate with a prince in name only, making him the most neglected among all the princes. Lanqin's reasons were twofold: firstly, since Xinyi had married the Seventh Prince as a concubine, as sisters, it was only natural for them to visit; otherwise, people would gossip. Secondly, Lanqin was deliberately doing this for Emperor Kangxi's benefit. She felt that at this time, the princes' behavior was actually under Kangxi's watchful eye. The emperor didn't have secret guards; perhaps each prince had someone from Kangxi's inner circle, acting as his eyes and ears, monitoring everyone's movements.
Lanqin believed that at this time, Emperor Kangxi certainly hoped to see brotherly harmony and not infighting and fratricide among his brothers. The subsequent actions of Prince Zhi not only prevented him from being named Crown Prince, but also led to his imprisonment. Furthermore, the Third Prince, according to historical records, spoke ill of Prince Zhi, which also earned him Kangxi's dislike. By representing the Fourth Prince to visit the Seventh Prince, a nobody, and offering New Year's greetings, Lanqin was certain she could gain favor and improve her standing with Emperor Kangxi.
When Lanqin arrived, the Seventh Prince personally came out to greet her, and Xinyi was also dressed in a cherry-red cheongsam, the dress of a principal wife, watching Lanqin get off the carriage with a joyful expression.
"Third Sister!" Xin Yi quickly went up to take over from Cui Niang and personally helped Lan Qin down from the carriage.
"It's the dead of winter, and you're already waiting at the door, but why are you holding a baby?" Lanqin asked, noticing the wet nurse holding Xinyi's son, who was only a few months old.
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