"You're back, I'm going to sleep now!" Lanqin suddenly stopped putting on her shoes.
"Master, what are you doing?" Cui Niang hurriedly walked to Lan Qin's side and asked, "What are you doing?"
“He’s back, it’s his turn to take care of these things. I’m tired, I’m going to sleep for a while,” Lanqin said, her face turned inward, but a smile played on her lips.
"Master!" Cui Niang said anxiously.
But Lanqin really wouldn't get up; she actually closed her eyes and fell asleep.
"Master, what's wrong?" Cui Niang looked at Nian Xue helplessly after Lan Qin had truly fallen asleep.
Meanwhile, after Fourth Prince entered the mansion with Cui Da and Cui Er, he went straight to the front courtyard and asked Su Peisheng to prepare some water for him. He hadn't bathed in a long time due to the long journey. Although there was a severe drought outside, and people were barely surviving with just a sip of water, royal nobles like Fourth Prince, while unable to indulge in their usual extravagance, still had access to bathwater.
After taking a bath with Su Peisheng's help, the Fourth Master immediately went to the South Courtyard. When he first entered the mansion, he had planned to visit Lanqin, as she was the person he missed the most during the past six months away from home!
Fourth Master changed into some casual clothes and then headed briskly towards Lanqin. He had already heard the report from the head nanny, and now he was even more concerned about Lanqin.
When the Fourth Master arrived at the South Courtyard, he saw several maids already standing in front of the door. They were all delighted to see him.
"Where is your master?" Fourth Master asked Shui Ling.
“Master is really tired and is resting!” Shui Ling said cleverly.
Fourth Master walked faster and faster, striding into the courtyard. Seeing the familiar South Courtyard, his heart warmed.
"Greetings to Master!" Cui Niang had been looking forward to seeing Fourth Master so she could have a proper talk about what happened in the South Courtyard.
"Has your master woken up yet?" Fourth Master unconsciously softened his footsteps as he entered Lanqin's main room.
“Master, Master has fallen asleep.” Cui Niang’s face showed a slight embarrassment. “Master is really too tired. He got up early this morning and has been busy until now, only now getting a short rest.”
Fourth Master waved to Cui Niang and said, "I'll go check on her!"
Seeing that Fourth Master didn't seem to mind at all, Cui Niang felt relieved and immediately lowered her head and stood aside without following him. Su Peisheng naturally stood outside the house as well.
Fourth Master tiptoed in and saw the young woman lying diagonally on the bed, her eight-month-old belly already quite large. Because there was no ice basin, a thin layer of sweat appeared on Lanqin's forehead.
Fourth Master picked up a palm-leaf fan placed beside her and slowly fanned Lanqin. After a while, the fine sweat on her forehead finally subsided.
"Master, let me do it!" Nianxue stood at the door and saw that the Fourth Master was fanning Lanqin. She immediately tiptoed in and said from behind the Fourth Master.
"Okay, you two take turns hitting her. It's too hot here!" Fourth Master handed the palm-leaf fan to Nianxue and then stepped out.
"Tell me about what's happened in the manor these past few months," Fourth Master said to Cui Niang, who was standing respectfully to the side, as he walked outside the door.
Cui Niang had wanted to tell the Fourth Master, and seeing that he had asked her this, she immediately welcomed him to sit in the main seat. She then had Xi Cha make him a cup of tea before recounting in detail what had happened during the days the Fourth Master had been away from the mansion.
"How is Yu Ning now?" Fourth Master had only heard the head nanny mention that Madam Song had been bitten by a snake, but he did not know that her condition was so serious today.
"The master stayed with Song Gege the whole time. When he left, Song Gege was still unconscious," said Cui Niang.
"Could you describe those snakes more clearly?" Fourth Master asked, frowning. From Cui Niang's account, the manor had been peaceful for the past five months, but just before his return, so many things suddenly happened. First, Lanqin was harmed by the bewitching incense, and then there was that group of black snakes that suddenly appeared.
"Chen Shou is back to painting, why not let him paint it?" Cui Niang thought for a moment and said.
Fourth Master nodded and immediately ordered Cui Niang to have Chen Shou paint the black snake he had seen that day.
"Master, Sister Song's fate is still unknown. Why don't you go and ask that Physician Yang to come and take a look?" Lanqin, dressed in a light yellow undergarment, with her hair casually draped over her shoulders, stood at the door and said to the Fourth Master.
"Why are you awake?" Fourth Master asked softly, looking at the little woman's appearance and then at her protruding belly.
"I'm worried about Sister Song, how can I sleep soundly for long? Master, please wake Sister Song up!" Lanqin said coquettishly.
Fourth Master stood up early, walked to Lanqin, took her hand, and looked down at her huge belly, saying, "When you left, your belly wasn't showing yet, but it's already this big!"
Lanqin took Fourth Master's other hand and placed it on her belly, saying, "The two little ones are so happy, they fight and dance in there every day."
"Su Peisheng, go and fetch Doctor Yang, quickly!" Fourth Master shouted to Su Peisheng outside.
"You should go see Sister Song first, Your Highness. I have nothing to do here!" Lanqin said with a smile. Actually, she was happy inside. It was because the Fourth Master valued her.
"I'm just worried about you and the child!" Fourth Master said. "The matter of the bewitching incense is a bit strange. The matter of the black snake is even stranger. I personally supervised the construction of this mansion. It's impossible that so many snakes were hidden there."
"My lord, I went to the palace to see my mother because of that bewitching incense," Lanqin said, looking up at the Fourth Prince.
"Mother?" Fourth Master asked.
"Does Your Highness know that the mosquito repellent incense in our mansion is all delivered by the Imperial Household Department? I had no choice but to tell Mother about this," Lanqin said.
A hint of surprise flashed in the Fourth Prince's eyes. He said, "So it was done by people from the palace? But how dare they use such methods on you!"
"I don't know, this matter is too strange. The head nanny said that after that batch of incense came in, many people came into contact with it. Besides, that stuff was mixed with some bewitching incense, not entirely bewitching incense. So I think the problem must lie within the palace," Lanqin said.
The Fourth Prince's face suddenly darkened. He could not tolerate his woman being plotted against, especially by someone from the palace.
"What did Mother say?" Fourth Master asked after a moment of silence.
"Mother said she would investigate thoroughly. I learned from Aunt An that Mother was also ambushed using this kind of bewitching incense. Your Highness was still in Mother's womb at the time," Lanqin teased the Fourth Prince. Then, Lanqin recounted the story of Consort De and Consort Qi to the Fourth Prince in detail.
"So it was her!" A look of anger appeared on Fourth Master's face.
Lanqin naturally knew that the "she" the Fourth Master was referring to was Ulanara.
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