Meanwhile, after Lanqin returned to the South Courtyard, Cui Niang followed closely behind, holding a geomantic map given to her by the head nanny from when the Fourth Prince's mansion was built.
"Master, didn't you go to the garden?" Cui Niang thought Lan Qin hadn't returned yet, but when she saw Lan Qin already sitting on the main couch drinking tea.
"No, I got tired halfway there, so I rested in the pavilion over there. I ran into the Wu family, chatted for a while, and then came back," Lanqin said casually.
"Princess Wu? She hasn't shown her face in a long time. What's she doing over there today, and she even happened to run into Master?" Cui Niang said. Logically speaking, the west courtyard where Madam Wu lives isn't close to the pavilion over there, and they also have a small garden there. Why would she come here specifically to cool off?
“Not only did she come, but she also brought the Third Princess with her. She came to tell me that she wanted to seek refuge with the South Courtyard,” Lanqin said.
"Princess Wu came to tell Master that she wants to pledge allegiance to you?" Cui Niang said in surprise.
“That’s right. She said that the people in the main courtyard have started to scheme against the Third Princess again. That Lingxiu has come out several times, whispering with the maids from Wuya’s side, and has even left the mansion,” Lanqin said.
“The princess’s heart is not dead yet!” Cui Niang immediately frowned and said.
"Hehe, she won't give up. As long as she has a breath left, she won't be content!" Lanqin said. She recalled that the Fourth Prince's wife in history later became Empress, which meant that she not only did not fade into obscurity, but also waited until the Fourth Prince became Emperor before being made Empress.
“Master, we must be careful. The Third Princess is the Fujin’s own niece. If she speaks up and connects with the Ulanara family, it’s not impossible that Your Majesty will entrust the Third Princess to her care again,” Cui Niang said hurriedly.
“Exactly! That’s why I intend to accept the Wu family’s surrender. Have you brought the geomantic map?” Lanqin asked, her brows furrowed.
"I've brought it. Please take a look!" Cui Niang quickly spread the scroll of geomancy map on the small table on Lanqin's main couch.
Lanqin carefully examined the feng shui map of the main courtyard. She had never properly looked at the Fujin's courtyard before, always entering and exiting through the main gate. Now, looking at the map, she discovered that it had four gates: east, south, west, and north. In the north and east corners, there were also two side gates, which could also be used to enter and exit the main courtyard.
"Are there people watching over all four directions?" Lanqin raised her finger and pointed to the four main gates of the main courtyard.
“Yes, according to the head maid, there are guards at all four gates. Only two maids from the main courtyard can go in and out at a time, specifically to fetch food and water for that person from the kitchen. As for Lingxiu leaving the mansion, no one knows about it. It seems that the master has not forbidden her from sending someone back to her parents’ home,” said Cui Niang.
"But I haven't received any news. It seems the gatekeepers don't take the South Courtyard seriously?" Lanqin said.
“No, we have people at the main gate. If he saw it, he would have reported it. Maybe Lingxiu didn’t leave through the main gate,” Cui Niang said.
“Even if they don’t go through the main gate, but through another gate, the gatekeeper will still receive the news. They keep records of how many people leave and enter the manor each day. Shuiling, go to the gatekeeper and ask their head servant if Lingxiu from the main courtyard has left the manor, on what day, and through which gate,” Lanqin said. Now, she could no longer be the carefree princess she once was, indifferent to everything. Now, she had to protect her child, so she could no longer let the Fujin (princess's wife) do as she pleased. At the very least, she needed to know the Fujin's intentions immediately and be prepared.
Shui Ling quickly curtsied and went out.
Lanqin then spent a long time examining the feng shui map, not only looking at the main courtyard but also looking at all the courtyards and buildings in the Fourth Prince's mansion. Her own small south courtyard was in the best location, closest to the front courtyard. The main courtyard was the largest, followed by the east courtyard. The west and north courtyards were much less desirable. However, the Song family's side had recently demolished some houses and rebuilt gardens, making it much better than before.
“Mrs. Nian has been living in the East Courtyard for a while now, and things have been peaceful there recently,” Lanqin said.
“That’s right. Ever since the mistress gave her some power, things have been much quieter on her end. I heard that the Second Princess goes there often.” Nianxue brought Lanqin the chilled bayberry syrup that she ate every day.
"With the Second Princess's wedding approaching, it's only right to cultivate a good relationship with her aunt. Aunt An came over and said that Erlinzhu is very diligent in learning etiquette," Lanqin said.
"Speaking of which, this second princess is truly clever, even more capable than the eldest princess. The Nian family's current status in the court is far stronger than that of the Xu family," said Cui Niang.
"That's not entirely true. The eldest princess has a personality like Sister Song—gentle and refined. Marrying into a civil official family like the Xu family isn't necessarily a bad thing. Besides, she's in the capital, close to the master. Even if marrying far away is good, it's still not ideal. The Nian family seems prosperous now, but..." Lanqin thought of Nian Gengyao's downfall, and naturally couldn't tell them the rest beforehand. Everyone says that Yongzheng was ungrateful, but Nian Gengyao's achievements overshadowed the emperor, and he seemed to have no regard for the proper conduct of a subject before the emperor. Consort Nian stirred up trouble in the harem, yet no one mentioned it. The Nian family's downfall wasn't solely due to Yongzheng's ingratitude, but rather because the Nian family itself failed to recognize its proper place as a subject.
Lanqin sighed slightly for the Second Princess as she thought about this. The Second Princess was going to marry into the Nian family, and the Fourth Prince would personally issue the order to confiscate their property. She wondered how the Second Princess would cope then.
“Cui Niang, it seems we can’t let others pressure us any longer; we should just accept it,” Lan Qin said.
"So, what does Master mean?" A hint of approval flashed in Cui Niang's eyes. Lan Qin was finally no longer passive; for the sake of her child, she should also take the initiative to seek a better life in this inner courtyard.
“I used to dislike cultivating cronies and planting spies among others. But now that the master has given me this position, I probably have no choice but to do so. At least I can't let some people keep plotting against me and my children. Cui Niang, you should think this over carefully. The head nanny has always been good to me, and I don't want to make things difficult for her. The people we cultivate must be those who willingly trust me. I won't force anyone, much less coerce them. Now that Wu Shi has come to rely on us, everyone in the back courtyard except for Nian Shi and Wu Ya Shi has sided with the South Courtyard. This is a good thing, but also a troublesome one. With more people, there are more people to manage, and it's easier to make mistakes,” Lan Qin said.
“Your Majesty’s idea is very wise. I will think carefully about how to make arrangements in this inner quarters and see who I can use,” said Cui Niang.
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