After Wuya sat down in the left side room of Lanqin's main room, Cui Niang had Xicha serve her tea, and then excused herself, saying she was busy with something, and left.
Almost half an hour had passed, and it was already the end of Shen Shi (3-5 PM), but Lanqin still hadn't gotten up. This wasn't to blame Lanqin for deliberately neglecting her; since becoming pregnant with twins, Lanqin had become even more sleepy than before.
"My lady, it's almost past Shenshi (3-5 PM), and Consort Niu is sleeping too much," Cuiyun said, glancing at a quartz clock hanging on the wall. Consort Niu's room was exquisitely furnished; almost every corner was picturesque, making it incredibly comfortable to be there.
"Isn't she pregnant? Pregnant women tend to be sleepy." Uya's expression remained calm, showing no impatience despite waiting for half an hour.
"My lady, shall we still go to Consort Nian's place today?" Cuiyun no longer addresses Lady Wuya as "Madam," but follows the way she is addressed in the Prince's residence.
"I'm afraid we can't go today. Let's go tomorrow," said Uya.
Just then, a maid-like woman walked in through the door. It was indeed Nianxue. She gave a slight bow to Madam Wuya and said, "Madam Wuya, please. Our concubine has already risen."
When Lanqin woke up, she was quite surprised to hear that Lady Wuya had already arrived. The Fourth Prince hadn't even told Lanqin to ask Lady Wuya to come and pay her respects, but she had come on her own. Cui Niang had Si Hua style Lanqin's hair in a high bun and dress her in a complete set of ruby and gold jewelry, but Lanqin refused. According to Lanqin, she was just a concubine; she was only receiving Lady Wuya's greetings, not paying her respects, so why wear such expensive jewelry? It just hurt her neck.
Uya immediately stood up, put on a gentle smile, and followed Nianxue into the main room with Cuiyun's hand.
It was still mid-March, and the weather was unpredictable, sometimes cold and sometimes hot. The cotton curtain at the door hadn't been taken down yet. Nianxue walked ahead, lifted the curtain, turned around and lifted it again, letting Wuya and her servants in.
As soon as Wuya entered the room, he carefully looked at Lanqin, who was sitting on the main couch. In fact, Lanqin was also looking at him. After their eyes met for a moment, they quickly looked away.
"This humble servant greets Consort Lanqin!" Lady Wuya knelt down about ten feet away from Lanqin and performed an impeccable bow.
"Nianxue, quickly help Madam Wuya up! Please sit down!" Lanqin felt a sense of superiority for the first time when she saw Madam Wuya bowing to her. However, she wasn't the type to use her status to intimidate others. Since Madam Wuya had already entered the manor, and since it was an unchangeable fait accompli, Lanqin decided not to hold a grudge against the Fourth Master any longer.
After Wuya sat down, Nianxue personally served tea and snacks and placed them on the coffee table next to her.
Lanqin kept observing Wuya Shi. She had to admit, she did indeed resemble Consort De quite a bit, which explained why the young Fourth Prince had fallen for her. At that time, the Fourth Prince's relationship with Consort De must have been awkward. He had just been sent back to Consort De from Emperor Kangxi's side, and the mother and son had little affection for each other. Furthermore, the Fourth Prince was going through a rebellious teenage period. With such a gentle and charming cousin mediating between them, it was no wonder he fell for this cousin who resembled his birth mother so much!
Uya was also occasionally glancing at Lanqin and the furnishings in the room. It was even better than the left side room she had just left. The furniture and decorations were exquisite, no less than those in the palace. The rooms in the palace were relatively empty and large, unlike the smaller and more refined rooms in this prince's residence.
"Madam Wuya has just arrived at the manor today. Is she settling in well?" Lanqin couldn't just stand there staring at each other blankly, so she had no choice but to ask.
“Everything is fine, I am very satisfied, thank you for your arrangements, Consort Xie,” said Lady Wuya respectfully.
Lanqin was taken aback. She hadn't arranged anything, so what was going on? She also understood that Lady Wuya probably thought that everything that happened to her when she entered the manor was her arrangement.
"Well, are you used to the food?" Lanqin was too lazy to explain, as if there was no need for her to.
Wuya's eyelids twitched, and she paused before saying, "It's my habit, thank you for your concern, Consort." At this point, she was probably convinced that Lanqin had given the order to refuse her entry at the door and to be arbitrarily assigned by the servant girl to fetch food from the kitchen.
“In the past, we would pay our respects to the Princess Consort on the first and fifteenth of the month, but I don’t have so many rules here. Since you’re new here, why don’t you let Cui Niang explain the location and function of each place in this mansion to you? From now on, we’ll be living in the same household, so there’s no need for such formalities.” Lanqin felt there was no need to continue the conversation, since she and this woman could never become allies. After those few casual words, Lanqin already felt that the two of them had nothing more to say.
Uya naturally understood the meaning behind Lanqin's words: there was no need to come if there was nothing wrong. Given their status and position, it was best to avoid each other if possible. She hadn't expected Lanqin to have such an attitude, neither trying to intimidate her nor welcoming her, clearly not giving her any reason to plead with the Fourth Master.
"Then I shall take my leave. I wish Consort a safe and healthy delivery of a pair of princes for you!" Lady Wuya rose and bowed to Lanqin once more.
Lanqin's lips twitched upon hearing this. Perhaps they were natural rivals; she felt a bit uncomfortable with what Wuya had said, but she simply smiled faintly and said, "Thank you for your kind words. Cui Niang, take Madam Wuya out and explain the location and purpose of each place in the inner quarters. Nianxue, go and bring out the pair of peacock hairpins; consider them a small gift from me to Madam Wuya. Isn't today Madam's joyous occasion?"
Upon hearing this, Lady Wuya's eyes narrowed, and she felt a pang of bitterness. On her joyous day, she hadn't even seen the Fourth Prince yet, and had been left waiting outside for half an hour. It would have been better if she hadn't come here; now that she was here, and thinking back to her own quarters, it was utterly incomparable.
Nianxue hurriedly went into Lanqin's inner room to retrieve the pair of hairpins that had been bestowed upon Wuya. After Lanqin put the hairpins in a box, she handed them to Cuiyun. Wuya curtsied again and said, "Thank you for the gift, Consort!"
When Cui Niang heard what Wu Ya said, she felt quite uncomfortable. She then turned cold and said, "Madam Wu Ya, please do this. This servant will take you on a walk around the inner courtyard so you won't wander off aimlessly in the future."
Upon hearing this, Wuya felt a little embarrassed. Was she implying that Wuya was being displeased that Wuya had come to her door on her own initiative without being invited?
After Wuya followed Cui Niang out, Lanqin stood up, supporting Nianxue's hand, and said lazily, "Come on, help me to Sister Song's place. It's too stuffy staying in the house."
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