Mid-Autumn Festival arrived, and the Fourth Prince, accompanied by his elegantly dressed Fourth Princess and Consort Nian, went to the palace to reunite with the Emperor, the Empress Dowager, and all the other ladies-in-waiting. Lanqin felt unwell that day and didn't want to attend the family banquet in the East Courtyard; she just wanted to rest in her own courtyard.
"My lady, it's the Mid-Autumn Festival. Would you like me to help you to the East Courtyard to join them?" Cui Niang noticed that Lan Qin seemed a little downcast.
"No need, I won't join in the fun. Cui Niang, I don't feel well today!" Lanqin said, touching her belly.
"What's wrong? Are you about to give birth?" asked Cui Niang.
"I don't know. The master isn't in the manor today, so the palace must be very lively!" Lanqin said with a smile.
"My lord, please rest assured. The midwives are all ready for the delivery. Even if you are not in the manor, you don't need to worry," said Cui Niang.
"Cui Niang, do you believe in reincarnation?" Lanqin had a premonition that she might be giving birth today. From the moment she became pregnant, the Fourth Master had placed great hopes on these two children.
"My lady, I feel that you seem to have a lot on your mind today!" Cui Niang also felt that Lanqin was acting a bit differently than usual.
"What's wrong? I'm just a little bored, let's chat." Lanqin was actually a little uneasy. Could one of the two children in her belly really be the future Qianlong Emperor? But the birth year didn't seem right.
“Alright, if Master wants to talk, then let’s talk. Does Master believe in reincarnation?” Cui Niang asked.
"Yes, do you believe it?" Lanqin asked.
“Of course I believe it. The Bodhisattva told us that we must be good people in this life, otherwise we will go to the eighteen levels of hell after death,” said Cui Niang.
Lanqin smiled and thought to herself: Yes, people in this era probably believe in reincarnation, and their spiritual sustenance is largely provided by Buddha.
"Hehe, help me go outside for a walk! My stomach is bloated," Lanqin said.
Everyone says that the Mid-Autumn Festival is a time for family reunions. Lanqin, heavily pregnant, held onto Cui Niang's hand and walked around in her courtyard. She thought about how she had been transported to this era of long braids for five years now, and wondered if her parents, in another time, had already adapted to life without her.
“Master, let’s celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival by ourselves. Master Niu has already prepared everything. Today, we servants will spend the Mid-Autumn Festival with you,” said Cui Niang.
"Yes, you are the ones who keep me company the most. Sometimes you are much more heartwarming than Fourth Master," Lanqin said. Thinking about it, the people she faces most often every day are not Fourth Master, but women like Cui Niang.
"What are you saying, Master? How can we servants compare to you!" Cui Niang said, embarrassed.
“I’m telling the truth. You’ve been the ones who’ve been with me the most. So I hope each of you will have a good ending. Cui Niang, do you know Li Wei, the man who serves the master?” Lan Qin asked.
“I don’t know him, Master. Why are you mentioning him?” Cui Niang asked.
"I'd like to match you up with him, okay?" Lanqin said with a smile. She knew that Li Wei would later become Yongzheng's right-hand man, and marrying Cui Niang to him would allow her to see him more often in the future.
"Master! Are you disgusted with Cui Niang?" Cui Niang asked, blushing.
"On the contrary, I wanted to introduce you to him so that you could see him more often in the future. I think Li Wei is a good person, about your age, and not bad-looking either," Lan Qin said.
"Master, are you forcing Cui Niang to marry?" Cui Niang asked.
“You’re a perfectly good young lady, you’re not getting any younger, why keep delaying? Besides, even if you get married, you can still come and be my nanny,” Lanqin said.
"My lady, it's not even close to happening yet," Cui Niang said shyly. Actually, with her always by Lan Qin's side, she really didn't have a chance to meet someone she liked. So, she often got sidetracked.
“If you agree, I can speak to Fourth Master immediately and arrange for you two to meet. If you don’t like each other, I’ll keep an eye out for others for you,” Lanqin said.
“My lady, I am only thinking about serving you during childbirth, but you are staring at me all day long.” Cui Niang said, “I want to serve you more often.”
"Alright, let's go inside and eat some Yuanxiao (sweet rice balls). Master Niu's mooncakes are very good," Lanqin said with a smile.
Under Lanqin's guidance, Master Niu made colorful mooncakes, adding a unique touch to this Mid-Autumn Festival. To make it more entertaining, Lanqin also had Niu Baoquan put some melon seeds inside the mooncakes.
A room full of maids and servants surrounded Lanqin, spending the Mid-Autumn Festival with her. Lanqin also prepared red envelopes for them, specifically to thank them for their company.
"Cui Niang, please distribute what I've given you," Lan Qin said with a smile.
Cui Niang nodded, and then gestured to Nianxue to bring out the rewards that Lanqin had given everyone. There were several red envelopes piled up on top of them.
"Aunt Cui, I've written my name on each red envelope. Could you please distribute them for me?" Lanqin said.
Then, Cui Niang began to take red envelopes from the tray and distribute them one by one. When everyone heard their name called, they happily accepted the reward.
"Master, all the red envelopes have been given out. Let's start eating mooncakes and see who can find the golden melon seed," said Cui Niang.
“Yes, let’s begin,” Lanqin said with delight. Although she had never been a leader in the 21st century, she knew that a leader must be generous, and occasional rewards were essential. As the saying goes, “He who takes a man’s money is bound to be grateful.” It was necessary to cultivate relationships with subordinates. Besides, Lanqin didn’t really try to win them over; she genuinely felt that these girls had worked very hard for her, so she was truly grateful to them.
Although the Fourth Prince was not by her side, Lanqin felt a little disappointed, but she still happily spent a Mid-Autumn Festival night with her maids such as Cui Niang, Nianxue, Xicha, Sihua, and Lanqi, as well as Niu Baoquan, Chen Shou, and Granny Wang who served outside.
Nothing happened, and no one disturbed her. Just before bedtime, Lanqin, holding her belly, said, "Aunt Cui, these two little ones have been so quiet today."
"Perhaps they know it's a festival today, and maybe they want their master to have a good Mid-Autumn Festival," said Cui Niang as she lowered the gauze curtain for Lanqin.
"I wonder how the master and the others are doing. Why haven't they sent any messages?" Lanqin said. Actually, she had been hoping that the fourth master would send someone to deliver a message after he returned.
"My lady, perhaps they haven't returned yet. It's possible the Emperor kept you here for the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet." Cui Niang knew that Lan Qin was still thinking about the Fourth Prince. Although she pretended not to care, she wasn't as at ease as before. When feelings run deep, one loses control of one's own destiny.
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