Three days later, the Fourth Prince deliberately did not rush to the morning court, because he had to send Lanqin to the palace. He knew that Lanqin was not feeling well after getting up so early, and the child was also young, so he planned to wait until it was at least light before letting the mother and child enter the palace together.
Since Cui Niang had to return to her own home every day, Lan Qin did not plan to take her to the palace. She only appointed Si Hua and Shui Ling, while all the others stayed in the South Courtyard.
Lanqin changed into a light green qipao and styled her hair in a flat, square bun, as she was going to the palace to see Emperor Kangxi. Since Hongli was almost a year old, Lanqin insisted on weaning him. This time, only Lanqi and two maids accompanied Hongli to the palace.
The early autumn morning was slightly chilly. Si Hua, worried that Lan Qin might be cold, draped a light, moon-white cotton cloak over her shoulders. Behind her, Lan Qin carried Hongli, dressed in a dark red cotton robe and wearing a dark green hat embroidered with gold plum blossoms. Hongli had a full forehead, a square jaw, large, slightly narrow eyes, and a well-proportioned nose and mouth; he was very endearing.
"Father!" Hongli looked at the Fourth Prince standing at the gate in an indigo robe, wearing a light brown hat on his head, with a long, black whip hanging down behind him, and a red ruyi knot tassel tied to the end of his braid.
Lan Qi also used a little trick. Seeing that Lan Qin didn't speak, she deliberately guessed that Xiao Hongli would take the initiative to call out.
Sure enough, the Fourth Prince immediately smiled at Hongli, his gaze naturally sweeping over Lanqin. She looked at the Fourth Prince calmly.
"This humble servant greets Your Highness!" Lanqin had no choice but to give a curtsy.
Fourth Master had never seen Lanqin bow to him so formally before. He felt a slight pang in his heart, because the reason he had treated her differently was that she was different from the other women in the inner quarters!
"Hurry up and get in the carriage! You all sit inside, and I'll ride the horse!" Fourth Master said.
Lanqin gave a noncommittal reply, and then, following the Fourth Prince's instructions, led Hongli into the carriage. As soon as she entered the carriage, she saw that a blanket had been specially laid out inside. This was to prevent little Hongli from sitting still in the carriage and from wanting to lie down and play, so a blanket was specially placed there so that Hongli could lie down and play on it.
Lanqin, Hongli, Sihua, and Lanqi got inside, while the others followed behind the Fourth Prince's carriage.
"Master, please take your time." Si Hua and Shui Ling helped Lan Qin into the carriage, followed by Hong Li and the two maids.
Fourth Master rode a tall horse alongside the carriage.
Lanqin sat inside, feeling a little tired. After all, getting up early to comb her hair and change clothes was different from her usual routine, so she wanted to take a nap.
"My lady, if you are sleepy, you can lean on me and take a nap. It's still quite a distance from the palace," Si Hua said considerately.
"Hmm, what about Hongli? Should he take a nap too?" Lanqin asked.
“My lord, the Sixth Prince is full of energy; once he’s awake, he won’t fall back asleep,” Lan Qi said.
"Hmm, make him blush a little. I'm going to take a nap." Lanqin was indeed a little tired, so she leaned against Sihua and dozed off.
Outside the carriage, Fourth Master kept thinking about Wuya's miscarriage. Looking at the whole affair, there seemed to be no direct evidence to prove who was responsible, and the servant Zhao Mingcai had already committed suicide. But was there no one else in the kitchen who knew?
The Fourth Prince has already handed this matter over to the head nanny to investigate; he doesn't want anyone to stir up trouble in his own household. Ulanara has calmed down, but now it seems someone else is causing trouble again.
Fourth Master couldn't help but glance at the carriage window. Lanqin hadn't opened it even once, remaining silent the whole time. Was she going to stop talking to him?
The Fourth Prince longed to open the car window and talk to that young woman, but he couldn't lose his dignity and composure in front of his servants.
One was fast asleep inside the car, while the other was anxiously waiting outside. After traveling for a while, they arrived at the palace gate.
Since the Fourth Prince was going to the Ministry of Revenue, Lanqin took Hongli directly to Yonghe Palace first. The Fourth Prince wanted to say a few words to Lanqin, but seeing her listless face, he could only give a few instructions to Sihua and then let them go.
Lanqin looked at the majestic palace and the red palace path, feeling as if she had entered an even larger cage. Her time in the Fourth Prince's inner quarters was a cage, but this Forbidden City was likely an even larger one. If the Fourth Prince became emperor, she would still be imprisoned in this even bigger cage.
"Your Highness, we've arrived!" Si Hua noticed that Lan Qin hadn't spoken the whole way, and after secretly glancing at her face, she knew that Lan Qin was lost in thought, so she didn't disturb her until they arrived at Yonghe Palace.
Lanqin looked up at the large characters for Yonghe Palace, feeling as if she had been transported to another world. Her relationship with the palace's mistress, Consort De, had progressed from initial probing to gradual understanding, then trust, only to be met with suspicion once more. Lanqin didn't know how to interact with Consort De now that she was in this palace. She had been so busy escaping one cage that she had unknowingly entered another.
"Master, let's go inside," Si Hua said when she saw that the lady was silent. Lately, the lady has been lost in thought a lot!
Lanqin stepped up the stairs, and everyone else went inside.
"Consort Niu, you've arrived!" Aunt An greeted her. This was the first nanny sent by Consort De to take care of her, and Aunt An had gone from initial suspicion to acceptance and fondness. Lanqin felt a sense of warmth upon seeing her.
"Where is Mother? Aunt An?" Lanqin asked with a gentle smile.
"Her Majesty is tending to the Buddha in the West Buddhist Hall. She specifically asked me to wait for the Consort. The rooms for you and the Sixth Prince have been prepared," said Aunt An.
"Well, then I'll go and pay my respects to my mother first," Lanqin said.
"No need, Her Majesty specifically instructed that you and the Sixth Prince settle in first, and then have lunch together later," said Aunt An.
Lanqin said "oh" and then stopped insisting, letting Aunt An go and make the arrangements.
The room that Consort De prepared for Lanqin was not far from Consort De's bedroom; it was a side hall facing east. It was fully equipped and had servants to attend to her.
“Consort, these six palace maids were assigned by Her Majesty. If you find them unsuitable, just tell me directly,” said Aunt An.
"Alright, Aunt An, there seem to be too many people. I've brought four maids with me," Lanqin said. It seemed that Consort De wasn't blaming her.
"Not much. Just take good care of the Sixth Prince and his concubine. These are Her Majesty's exact words," said Aunt An. "Besides, the Sixth Prince was summoned by the Emperor himself."
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