"Why have you come, Master?" Lanqin had been wondering if the Fourth Master would come along, but seeing that he had, she felt a little better and asked knowingly.
"Let's go inside first, it's cold outside! Be careful they don't catch a cold!" Fourth Master said.
After the children were settled, the maids who stayed in the south courtyard had already prepared hot water for Lanqin and the Fourth Master.
The two quickly washed up with the help of the maids, and then got into the warm bed that the maids had already warmed with hot water bottles.
When the Fourth Master touched her, Lanqin pinched his hand and then said coquettishly, "Master, I'm sleepy!"
A strange feeling flashed through Fourth Master's mind. He raised his hand and turned Lanqin, who was facing away from him, and asked, "What's wrong with you?"
Seeing the Fourth Master staring at her with such a greedy look, Lanqin's resistance lessened, and she said, "Does Your Highness not know?"
"You mean Ushiha's matter?" Fourth Master asked.
"You're not in a hurry, sir? Wuxiha is only so old, and the Empress Dowager has already arranged a marriage for him. To this day, you haven't told me what marriage the Empress Dowager has arranged for Wuxiha?" Lanqin said angrily.
"It was just a few jokes, saying that Wuxiha would marry the grandson of Ban Gu Zufa in the future," Fourth Master said. "If there are many variables, we can find a reason not to marry her later. Is that why you're still angry with me?"
"I was only gone for a short while, and so much has happened? Is this a small matter?" Lanqin rolled her eyes at the Fourth Master.
"I think this is just wishful thinking on the part of the Empress Dowager. Father Emperor hasn't even spoken yet. By the way, you weren't there at that time, and neither was Father Emperor!" Fourth Prince said.
Hearing this, Lanqin felt a little better. She raised her hand and picked up the end of the Fourth Prince's braid that was hanging above her eyes, and said in a sweet voice, "This concubine went to see Father Emperor!"
"What!" Fourth Master's eyes snapped open, and he pulled Lanqin up from the bed, the two of them sitting face to face.
"I went to see Father Emperor, and it was I who had something to say to him privately," Lanqin said, keeping everyone in suspense.
"What are you going to see Father Emperor for!" the Fourth Prince asked anxiously.
"It's really amusing to see the usually composed and cold-faced King getting anxious!" Lan Qin said, crossing her arms.
"If you don't tell me, I'll punish you," Fourth Master said, feigning anger when Lanqin still wouldn't speak.
Lanqin wanted to make the Fourth Master anxious a little more, so she said, "If you keep being so fierce, I won't say anything!"
Fourth Master glared at her, pulled Lanqin into his arms, and said to her, "If you don't talk, see how I deal with you?"
"You're too fierce, Master! I won't say anything!" Lanqin pleaded, refusing to beg for mercy.
The next moment, the ruthless Fourth Master silenced Lanqin's red lips with a kiss.
The two had probably not been this affectionate in a long time. Since the birth of their twin sons, Fourth Master had been spending his time with Lanqin, comforting his daughter and holding his sons whenever he came to visit, which meant he had fewer opportunities to be intimate with Lanqin.
This kiss seemed to rekindle the passion that had been dormant between the two for some time. Lanqin also felt the need for an outlet; these days she had devoted herself entirely to her children, and tonight's palace banquet had brought her much distress.
Since giving birth to twins, Lanqin has exuded a mature feminine beauty from the inside out. She's actually not even twenty yet, and childbirth has made her breasts fuller.
Fourth Master's fingers slid down Lanqin's fair neck to her full breasts. He saw that the little white rabbits he used to hold in his hand, which were not very plump, were now like blooming white flowers.
"My lord, I have spoken to Father Emperor about bringing Hongli back to raise," Lanqin said, her mouth agape, her eyes filled with a hazy, intoxicating mist.
Fourth Master raised his head from Lanqin's snow-capped peak, his eyes red, and said hoarsely, "What did you say!"
"Father Emperor has agreed. He has agreed to let us bring Hongli back," Lanqin said.
The Fourth Prince looked at Lanqin with a complicated expression. He didn't expect Lanqin to go directly to the Emperor and speak to him, and he was even more surprised that she agreed so easily.
"Why don't you ask Father Emperor how he agreed?" Lanqin said.
"What did Father Emperor say?" Fourth Prince asked Lanqin.
Lanqin then recounted in detail what Kangxi had said to her to the Fourth Prince.
After Lanqin finished speaking, the Fourth Prince lay down and held Lanqin in his arms. After the two calmed down from their passion, they fell into deep thought about Kangxi's theory on the fates of Hongli and Hongzhou.
"It seems that Ji Changming knows. That's why he doesn't dare to say anything," Fourth Master said.
“Master, perhaps he’s just talking nonsense,” Lanqin said.
“He wouldn’t dare!” Fourth Master said.
"My lord, this matter can only be known between me and you; it must not be mentioned to a third party," Lanqin said.
"Hmm. The more you know, the more people will be watching those brothers. But if you really want to separate Hongzhou and Hongli, how will you do it?" Fourth Master asked.
“My lord, I have made up my mind. Do you remember what Master Kongji of Tantuo Temple said about Hongzhou?” Lanqin asked.
"He said that Hongzhou's fate is at odds with yours, and it would be best to hand him over to someone whose fate is compatible with yours in order to ensure his safety," Fourth Master said.
"Yes, Master, what do you think of Sister Geng?" Lanqin asked through gritted teeth.
"Geng?" Fourth Master didn't expect Lanqin to mention her. Her appearance was really plain; if it weren't for Geng Dejin's prestige in the army, Fourth Master wouldn't have remembered her at all.
"Yes, Sister Geng is gentle and entered the household quite early. She has no children now. Qin'er thinks she will treat Hongzhou well. Master Kongji once calculated Hongzhou's birth chart to determine if they are compatible. Lanqin found that Sister Geng and Hongzhou are very compatible," Lanqin said. She felt this was the best way, allowing Hongli and Hongzhou to live under the same roof, but preventing them from meeting. She could also visit Hongzhou at the Geng family's place.
"Are you willing to part with it?" Fourth Master asked, looking at Lanqin in his arms.
“This is much better than keeping Hongli in the palace and having so many eyes watching him,” Lanqin said.
"After all, Madam Geng has never raised a child before. Furthermore, whether she can be truly devoted to Hongzhou remains to be seen." Fourth Master felt that deciding on Hongzhou just like that was a bit hasty.
“Then tell me, sir, who in this inner quarters is more suitable than Sister Geng? Hongzhou is no ordinary child; this has been calculated,” Lanqin said.
"The Song family raised the Fourth Prince, but they didn't raise him very well. The Wu family raised the Third Princess. And then..." The Fourth Prince thought of his wife, but that was even more impossible; his wife and Lanqin had long been at odds.
“So Sister Geng is the most suitable. Master, why don’t we let Sister Geng move to another room? We can expand the rooms in the west courtyard. It’s already a bit cramped for the three of them to live together,” Lanqin said.
"Hmm, let's see if we can expand by adding a few rooms!" Fourth Master said.
Nothing happened that night, and Lanqin was afraid to go to the palace the next day because she had to do so. She quickly went to sleep.
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