Lanqin directed Cui Niang to pack four or five suitcases for the Fourth Master's trip. The morning passed quickly, and it was almost lunchtime when word came from the Fourth Master's side that he wouldn't be coming for lunch.
"Cui Niang, I want mutton hot pot today. Tell Chef Niu to prepare it. Also, get some fresh seasonal vegetables, that's all. Anyway, the master isn't coming for lunch. I'm perfectly free to eat by myself!" Lan Qin didn't think much of it and gave the order directly.
“Master, didn’t the master say this morning that he was going to visit Lady Wuya? Why isn’t he coming over for lunch now? Did he eat there?” Cui Niang asked.
Upon hearing this, Lanqin pouted and said, "Anyway, they're already here; they're all his concubines now. What can I say?"
Cui Niang said, "If you can think this through, then I have nothing to worry about. I'll go and order your meal right away."
After Cui Niang left, Lan Qin reclined on the main couch and began to eat some snacks. She couldn't stand being hungry; if she was, she would feel uncomfortable all over.
Meanwhile, the Fourth Prince didn't actually dine at Lady Wuya's place, but instead went to Lady Nian's. After all, Lady Nian had given birth to a prince and was now a secondary consort, so naturally he had to go and comfort her.
"My lord, the renovations to my eastern courtyard are almost complete. Why don't you help me choose an auspicious day to move there?" Madam Nian said sweetly as she peeled lychees for the Fourth Prince.
"Now that it's fixed, you can move in anytime." The Fourth Prince held the Fifth Prince in his arms, teasing him until he laughed.
"But since Your Highness is leaving, it would be really boring for me to live alone there," Lady Nian said coquettishly. Seeing the Fourth Prince looking at the Fifth Prince with such affection, she felt much more at ease.
"What are you saying? It's not like I'm not coming back. You can take Fifth Prince and move in there, and wait for me to return," Fourth Prince said.
"Then Your Highness, you must stay with me and Fifth Prince today. Your Highness has been gone for so long, Fifth Prince will miss his father." Knowing that she couldn't go herself, Madam Nian had no choice but to bring the child to persuade Fourth Prince to stay.
Meanwhile, after lunch, Madam Geng, supported by Lülan, went to the south courtyard. She had heard that Fourth Master was going out, and thought that if she could go out with him like last time, there might still be a chance. Lanqin had also sent someone to invite him, so she said she would come over after noon.
Lanqin was resting on the main couch after lunch when Madam Geng arrived. She was wearing a grass-green cheongsam and looked very energetic.
"My sister's belly is showing!" As soon as Geng entered the room, she saw Lanqin with her hands behind her back, her belly sticking out, looking like she had eaten too much.
"Sister is here!" Lanqin said with a smile, raising a hand and stretching it out towards Gengshi.
Geng walked up to Lanqin and grabbed her hand, which was covered in tortoiseshell nail guards, saying, "Come on, let's go for a walk. You've eaten too much; you need to move around to aid digestion!"
Lanqin stood up as Geng Shi pulled her, and the two of them went out of the house and started walking around in the yard.
"Wuya suddenly developed a fever yesterday, did you know, sister?" Lanqin asked, taking Gengshi's hand and twirling around in the courtyard.
"Yes, it's so bad that even Doctor Lin came over. Her illness came on rather suddenly; she was fine during the day yesterday, but suddenly developed a fever last night," said Madam Geng.
"Perhaps she caught a chill a while ago. What kind of person is this Wuya?" Lanqin asked.
"What does my sister mean by asking?" Geng asked.
“My sister lives next door to her, so naturally she has more contact with her than I do. The Uya clan is my master’s maternal clan, and they hold a special place in his heart,” Lanqin said.
Madam Geng had already considered Lanqin's words several times in her mind, and said, "You suspect that she is faking illness?"
Lanqin looked at the crabapple blossoms by the wall and said, "Even Doctor Lin has gone, so how could she be faking illness! She probably made herself sick to lure Master over."
Geng was startled and said, "Wuya looks gentle and delicate, but is she really so scheming?"
Lan Qin chuckled and said, "You can't judge a book by its cover. Did you think the Yin family was a villain back then?"
Madam Geng nodded and said, "If she really had such a scheme, she probably wouldn't be content with being a concubine. I saw that the master went to see her this morning, and then the head nanny sent two maids to serve her. Normally, concubines don't get this kind of treatment."
Upon hearing this, Lanqin's heart skipped a beat. The Fourth Prince had not only visited her but had also secretly improved her treatment. Although Wuya was only a concubine, who could stop the Fourth Prince from having someone serve him if he wanted to?
“Sister, Wuya might be another Yin. You live close to her, so you should keep an eye on her more in the future.” Lanqin felt that no one was more suitable than Geng.
“That’s simple. Even if you didn’t say anything, I’ve been keeping an eye on her,” Geng said, understanding why Lanqin had invited her.
"Sister, please keep an eye on things with the Uya clan in the future. I'm resting in the courtyard during my pregnancy and won't be going out often," Lanqin said.
Looking at Lanqin's belly, Geng said enviously, "My sister is so lucky, she's carrying twins!"
Looking at Geng Shi's appearance, Lan Qin knew that she had also been out of favor for many years and had no children to rely on, making her life quite difficult. So she said, "Sister, if you like children, just come here often. You can dote on Ushiha and Bechuk as you please!"
"Aren't you ashamed? You clearly want me to help you take care of the two princesses, but you call it so that I can get closer to the children!" Madam Geng raised her hand and flicked Lanqin's nose.
"Haha, sister, you're so perceptive. You saw right through my intentions. Now that I'm pregnant with twins, I don't have as much energy to take care of the two older ones," Lanqin said.
“Then when you give birth, whether it’s a boy or a girl, I’ll adopt one to raise, okay?” Geng suddenly said.
Lanqin smiled, but when she saw Geng's eager eyes, she was startled. She hadn't expected Geng to be so eager to have a child.
"I was just joking with you, look how scared you are. Even if you were willing, the master wouldn't agree." Madam Geng tapped Lanqin's nose again.
“Sister, there will be other opportunities in the future.” Lanqin thought of the fact that Lady Geng in history did indeed give birth to a son, and that her son was the Fifth Prince Hongzhou, Qianlong’s only close brother.
Madam Geng shook her head and said, "I have never received the master's favor since I entered the manor, and I am afraid I will never have the chance to bear children for the master in this lifetime."
Lanqin suddenly felt sorry for women like Geng Shi, who spent their entire lives silently enduring their youth in the prince's inner quarters until old age, ultimately becoming lonely souls.
“Sister, it seems your destiny isn’t to be so lonely. You’ll definitely have children,” Lanqin said.
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