"What are you doing, Master?" Lanqin asked in surprise when she saw that Fourth Master had brought her some snacks from Sihezhai.
"You've always been clamoring for their pea flour cakes and jade cakes, so I went out of my way to buy them." As soon as Fourth Prince returned to the Fourth Prince's residence, he brought two boxes of pastries directly to the South Courtyard.
Cui Niang immediately took the pastries from Fourth Master's hands, and Xi Cha also hurriedly began to serve Fourth Master as he changed his clothes.
"Consort, as soon as the master came out of the palace, he told me that he was going to buy pastries for you," Su Peisheng said happily, having nothing else to do.
Lanqin took the tea that Si Hua had prepared for the Fourth Master and personally handed it to the Fourth Master, who had already changed his clothes, saying, "Master, has something good happened?"
Fourth Master took the tea with one hand and pulled Lanqin's hand with the other, leading her to the couch.
"You may all leave. Prepare a lavish dinner; the master has an appetite today. I'd like to speak with my concubine for a while," the Fourth Master instructed the people in the room, pulling Lanqin to sit down.
After the servants had all left with smiles on their faces, Lanqin personally peeled off the kraft paper that Cui Niang had placed on the couch one by one. Inside, the pastries were still steaming, and they looked so tempting that one couldn't help but want to eat a few pieces.
"Eat up, I love watching you eat," Fourth Master said with a smile. He did indeed enjoy watching Lanqin eat, unlike other women who ate so slowly, as if afraid to show their teeth. Actually, that kind of pursed-lip chewing, so slow, made one lose their appetite. Eating together is always best; when you have no appetite, the person you're eating with can make you want to eat more.
"Master likes jade cake, would you like a piece?" Lanqin personally took a piece of white jade cake and put it to Fourth Master's mouth.
Fourth Master was already used to the little woman's unruly behavior. He took the pastry and found that the jade cake melted in his mouth, sweet but not greasy, and the flour was extremely fine and smooth. No wonder the little woman had been thinking about it.
"Isn't it delicious!" Lanqin had already picked up two pieces of pea flour cake and put them in her mouth.
"If you like it, I'll invite that family's master chef in to make it just for you," Fourth Master said, looking at Lanqin with doting eyes.
"No, thank you. If you like it, just send someone out to buy it. It's not like we can't find it. They're a long-established business; without this master chef, they might not be able to survive." Lanqin didn't like doing things that would kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.
Seeing that the young woman was kind-hearted, the Fourth Prince said gently, "I went to see the Crown Prince today and had a conversation with him. I understand that the Crown Prince also has his own troubles. People cannot choose their birth, but they can choose the life they like. I think the Crown Prince seems to be doing well now, and he is living a very comfortable life."
Lanqin smiled slightly and said in a low voice, "Since the Crown Prince has no intention of taking the position, it would be better to let him have it. I understand your thoughts, Your Highness. We are just waiting for Father Emperor to make the decision. I think Your Highness has a very good chance of winning."
Fourth Master said, "It's a bit early to talk about these things now. I think you're more than qualified to be my strategist."
Lanqin smiled and said, "I am no strategist; I am merely following common sense."
After dinner was served, Lanqin specially prepared a rich soup made from beef bones, which was served with various lamb and beef rolls and seasonal vegetables. It tasted really delicious.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Nian was throwing a tantrum about the food in the house!
"Throw them all out! Is this food for pigs?" In a fit of anger, Madam Nian overturned a stew pot full of soup on the table and threw it to the ground.
"Princess, please calm down, Princess, please calm down!" Cui Ling and her several maids lowered their heads and said.
"I told you to go to the front yard and keep an eye on things, but what are you keeping an eye on? Every time, they get intercepted by the people in the south courtyard." This year, Madam Nian didn't have a very smooth year either. It seemed that the Fourth Master only came to her place once, and the rest of the time he stayed in the south courtyard.
“Today, I was keeping watch in the front yard, but I never expected that Master didn’t go back to the front yard at all, but went directly to the south courtyard,” Cui Ling said, stammering with her head down.
Hearing this, Lady Nian was even more furious and didn't know how to vent her anger. She could only scold, "Take it away, I don't want to eat this. Take out the things my brother gave me and make me a bowl of bird's nest soup."
Having received the instructions, Cui Niang quickly curtsied and then turned to go out to personally stew bird's nest for Nian Shi.
"Bai Zhi, tell me, am I less beautiful than her, or is my family background inferior to hers? Why does the master always favor her?" After venting her anger, it was to no avail; she still had to face the situation of Lan Qin's exclusive favor.
“Your Majesty, in terms of both appearance and family background, you are superior to that woman in the South Courtyard. However, you are inferior because you entered the manor later. Now she is a concubine, in charge of the inner quarters, and Your Majesty relies on her,” Bai Zhi said.
"Then what do you suggest we do? Unlike the Wu family, who are content with raising someone else's daughter, I have no desire to be with the Geng family either," Nian said anxiously.
"Princess, why don't we gradually win over the master's heart?" Bai Zhi pondered.
"How can we get into his heart?" Mrs. Nian asked anxiously.
“Naturally, we should start with small things. For example, you could make a set of underwear or shoes and socks for the master yourself, and try every possible way to bring him back. I think the master is a person who values details. As long as you can grasp one of his points, you will definitely be able to attract him back,” Bai Zhi said.
“Details?” Mr. Nian repeated the two words.
"For example, what does Master like to eat? What colors and styles of clothing does he prefer? Master needs to put thought into these things," Bai Zhi said. Before, when she was a young lady in the Nian family, Nian Shi was too arrogant and pampered like a tomboy, spoiled by her older brothers. Now that she's entered the prince's harem, no one will pamper her like that anymore. If she doesn't learn how to compete for favor, won't she end up like this?
Upon hearing this, Lady Nian realized that she had never paid attention to these things before, always thinking that with her beauty, the Fourth Prince would definitely treat her differently.
“Princess, aren’t you quite good at painting? Why don’t you paint one for the master, and then embroider it? You can give it to the master as a curtain; it will surely look beautiful. We servants will all help you with the embroidery,” Bai Zhi said.
Lady Nian had no way to compete for favor in the short term, so she had no choice but to accept Bai Zhi's idea.
Ever since the Fourth Prince beat Lingxiu, the Fujin (wife of the Princess Consort) had completely given up on any hope. Since the Fourth Prince had beaten her and then released her, it meant he didn't want to pursue the matter any further. If she didn't act prudently, she feared she wouldn't even have a place to stay.
On the other side, besides Nian Shi, there was another person who could only keep watch over her own lonely lamp—Geng Shi from the West Courtyard. Across from her, Wu Shi, since having Na Min, seemed to have truly stopped thinking about her master, spending her days around the Third Princess, living a rather harmonious life.
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