Hongshi immediately tugged at Song's hand and hurriedly said, "She's with Aunt Song."
Song took out a small box from her sleeve and handed it to Lanqin to look at.
Cui Niang quickly took the jade rabbits from Song Shi's hands, opened them, and found they were about the size of a thumb. They were exquisitely crafted and adorable, and the jade itself was very fine and lustrous.
When Cui Niang handed the two WeChat bunny figures to Lan Qin, Lan Qin immediately fell in love with Hong Shi's gift.
"They're so cute, Fourth Prince! Where did you get such wonderful things?" Lanqin asked with a smile as she held the two crystal-clear jade rabbits in her palm.
“It was given to me by my stepmother,” Hongshi said, leaning against Song Shi’s chest.
Lanqin's palm twitched involuntarily; it had been a long time since anyone had mentioned that woman.
"Qin'er, these little rabbits are perfect for a newborn to hold. That person is not worth mentioning again, but the items are still very nice. You don't mind, do you? Hongshi likes them very much, but when he heard you were pregnant with twins, he immediately said he wanted to send these little jade rabbits over!" Madam Song's eyes were full of affection. Hongshi had been living with Madam Song for four or five months now, and since then, Madam Song had been content living with Hongshi, even visiting Lanqin less often.
"Really? That would be stealing someone else's love," Lanqin said with a smile.
“It’s alright. Hongshi really wants to give it to his future little brother, right?” Madam Song pulled Hongshi’s arm and asked in his ear.
Hongshi nodded, and said with a slightly childish tone, "Hongshi has grown up. Let's give these little rabbits to my little brother to play with~"
Lanqin smiled and said, "Fourth Prince is so kind. The little baby in my belly will need Fourth Prince to play with it from now on, okay?"
Madam Song quickly gestured for Hongshi to nod, and Lanqin then placed the little jade rabbit in her palm into the brocade box, instructing Cui Niang to put it away.
"Nianxue, go and fetch that set of inkstones depicting the four seasons. It'll be perfect for the Fourth Prince," Lanqin hurriedly instructed. It was one of the gifts the Fourth Prince had given her; it was a set of four fine inkstones from Huizhou, each painted with a different season: winter jasmine, lotus, chrysanthemum, and plum blossom.
"Thank you, Aunt Niu." Hongshi's little eyes lit up when he heard it was an inkstone.
"You're welcome. You gave the baby a gift, so naturally the baby should give his older brother a gift in return. Here, this cardamom cake is delicious. Fourth Prince, come and have some." Lanqin waved to Hongshi.
Hongshi stepped forward, took the cardamom jelly that Lanqin handed him, and walked back to Song's side.
"Sister Song is so lucky, the Fourth Prince relies on you a lot!" Lanqin noticed Hongshi's little actions and it seemed that he trusted Song Shi a lot.
"It's all thanks to my sister. If she hadn't mentioned it to the master, the Fourth Prince would never have come to my side. My sister is even more fortunate now; I bet you'll give birth to a prince this time!" Madam Song said with a smile. Since giving birth to her son, the eldest princess has smoothly won over her in-laws in the Xu family, and there won't be any more of that previous trouble. Now that the Fourth Prince is being raised by her, she is truly content.
“It seems that you and the Fourth Prince are destined to be together. Fourth Prince, what kind of books do you usually read?” Lanqin asked affectionately.
"This child is very clever. He can recite the 'Three Character Classic' and the 'Thousand Character Classic' by heart. He can also recite many Tang and Song poems," said Madam Song on behalf of Hongshi.
"Wow, Fourth Prince is so clever. How about you teach your little sister to read from now on?" Lanqin said.
Hongshi was stunned. He turned around to look at Song Shi, then at Lanqin, before nodding.
Song and Hongshi stayed at Lanqin's place for about half an hour before returning home. They said Hongshi needed to rest for lunch.
“Gege Song is different from before; her heart is entirely devoted to the Fourth Prince,” Cui Niang said to Lan Qin, who was resting on the couch.
“Having a son is all I need! There’s no need to worry about Sister Song. But we need to keep an eye on the main courtyard, in case someone is still not giving up and tries to have their eyes on the child,” Lanqin said.
"Does Your Highness suspect that person went to see the Fourth Prince?" asked Cui Niang.
"I just have a bit of a doubt. Why did the Fourth Prince bring her things today?" Lanqin said.
"Then this servant will go and find someone to take a good look at those jade rabbits, just in case she does something to them. She even thought of that method of hiding musk!" Cui Niang said worriedly.
“No need. She probably won’t use the same method twice. Let’s lock her in the vault,” Lanqin said.
Meanwhile, the Fourth Prince was already in Consort De's palace. After receiving the letter delivered by Lady Uya, Consort De finally came to the Fourth Prince to discuss her matter.
"Wanru's matter can't be delayed any longer. I think you should choose a day to bring her into the manor. Don't make too much of a fuss. As for Niohuru's side, this time I'll have Aunt An and Aunt Gu go together to ensure everything goes smoothly." Consort De knew that sending someone in at this time was indeed a bit troublesome for Lanqin, but her own niece had truly reached a point where she had nowhere else to turn. She had divorced the Xiao family and was now living at her parents' home; in time, she would be disliked by her brother and sister-in-law.
"I've been busy with Niohuru's affairs lately, so I've been delayed. My son knows, and after arranging accommodations, he'll send someone to pick me up." Fourth Master was somewhat surprised, not expecting this.
Now he goes to court every day and often has to serve Emperor Kangxi. After a busy day, he is quite tired. Besides, he takes care of Lanqin and the children, and has really put the matter of Uya's family aside.
Consort De nodded, then asked Granny De to bring the almanac to look at. She then pointed at the almanac with her hand, which was covered with tortoiseshell nail guards, and said, "I think the tenth day of the second month will be auspicious. It's a lucky day."
Seeing that Consort De had already chosen a date, the Fourth Prince had no choice but to nod in agreement.
After the Fourth Prince left, Consort De sighed and said, "Did I do something wrong again?"
Granny De said, "Your Highness, you don't need to blame yourself too much. Let them be as they see fit. Now that Consort Niohuru is pregnant with twins, it's an auspicious sign. At this time!"
Consort De glanced at Granny De and said, "No one can fathom the Emperor's intentions. Whether the Fourth Prince has the destiny to achieve this depends on his fate."
Granny De said, "I heard that the palace maid who served the Emperor has disappeared. She hasn't been seen since returning from the northern desert. Eunuch Liang also searched all the servants who served the Emperor, and I heard that many people were kicked out. Quite a few of them were from Yikun Palace!"
Consort De held a pair of Bodhi seeds in her hand and said slowly, "The Eighth Prince is no good now, and the Ninth Prince is not presentable. What trouble can she cause in front of the Emperor?"
Granny De said, "They said it was because of the Thirteenth Princess. The Thirteenth Princess has passed away!"
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