"Then I'll be waiting to receive your many 'hearts'!" Lanqin said to the Fourth Master.
Lanqin and the Fourth Prince stayed with Hongli until he drank his medicine. After his fever gradually subsided, they went to Consort De's palace to see their two daughters.
"Mother!" As soon as Ushiha saw Fourth Master and Lanqin come in together, he rushed towards Lanqin like a little cannonball. Bechuk was always a beat behind Ushiha, and it was only then that he also walked up to Lanqin, lay down on her lap and started crying.
This was the first time the two daughters had been away from Lanqin, and they had been missing her for a long time. When they saw Lanqin, they both cried very loudly.
"Mother, are you not going to let Ushiha and Bechuk go?" Ushiha asked, wiping away her tears.
"No, no, how could your mother abandon you? Your mother is in the palace taking care of your sixth brother. Be good, don't cry." Lanqin squatted down and comforted the two children who were crying their eyes out.
"Then why haven't you gone back to see Ushiha and Bechuk for so long?" Ushiha sobbed.
Lanqin didn't know how to answer her two daughters' questions for a moment, so she just hugged them and cried.
"Alright, Father brought you in to see your mother and the Imperial Ancestral Temple. You can't keep crying like this." Fourth Master walked up to them and patted his two daughters on the back.
"Okay, don't cry. Your mother won't abandon you. After this period is over, your mother will take your sixth brother back. Is that alright?" Lanqin stopped crying first and said to her two daughters.
"Mother, how much longer will you stay in the palace? How much longer will we stay with Aunt Song?" Wuxiha asked.
Lanqin didn't know how much longer she would have to stay in the palace, so she looked at the Fourth Prince and gestured for him to explain to her two daughters.
"Ushiha, Bechuk, after the Banjin Festival, your mother can go back. You must study hard at the primary school. When your mother returns, you must read what you have learned in class to her," said Fourth Master.
"Why should a girl like you go to school?" Consort De interjected.
Lanqin was too lazy to argue with Consort De. She found that the longer they spent together, the more difficult it became to get along with a woman like Consort De, who held such traditional feudal ideas. In any case, Consort De was a woman with deeply ingrained feudal beliefs, and one who had lived in the deep palace for decades. It was impossible for her to understand Lanqin or accept Lanqin's seemingly strange behavior.
“Mother, Ushiha and Bechuk are growing up. I want them to learn some etiquette and poetry so that when they grow up, they won’t be ignorant women. After they get married, they should be sensible so that they can manage household affairs; after they get married, they should be able to communicate with their husbands so that their relationship will be harmonious,” Fourth Master quickly explained.
At this moment, Lanqin had to give Fourth Master a satisfactory score in her heart. Fourth Master's protection made Lanqin feel that her efforts were worthwhile.
"If a woman learns too many things, her temperament will become eccentric. It's better to learn less and focus on needlework; that's the proper way," Consort De said rigidly.
Lanqin hadn't realized it before, but ever since the child moved in, Consort De has become more like a difficult mother-in-law in her eyes. Her former gentleness, generosity, and kindness have been instantly overwhelmed by all sorts of demands placed on Lanqin.
It seems that mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law are indeed natural enemies. When children are not involved, it's fine, but once children are involved, the natural barrier immediately becomes apparent.
"Yes, I understand. I've specially hired a renowned needlework master to teach them needlework," Lanqin said.
Consort De nodded, but she still hadn't forgotten that Lanqin had gone out early in the morning. She couldn't help but reprimand the Fourth Prince a few more times, indirectly mentioning that Lanqin had left the child behind and gone out to run around early in the morning.
The Fourth Prince consistently protected Lanqin, but he knew how to maintain a proper balance, which prevented Consort De from continuing to complain. The two of them, along with the children, had lunch together at Consort De's place.
Both children needed to sleep, so Lanqin took them to bed. The Fourth Prince then chatted with Consort De.
"Fourth Prince, it seems you've changed your ways. I've never seen you speak up for any woman before," said Consort De.
“Mother, you know Niohuru’s temperament. Why not just let her be, as long as nothing goes wrong?” Fourth Master said.
“She’s now a favorite of your father, the Emperor. Your mother is worried that she might be targeted and used, which could implicate you,” Consort De said.
"You mean that incident last time? Perhaps it was just a coincidence. Qin'er didn't know Indal before," Fourth Master said.
"That's enough. Niohuru is indeed not very disciplined. She may be able to manage in your inner quarters, but in the palace, she must abide by the rules," said Consort De.
"Yes, Mother is right. I will talk to her about it later," said Fourth Master.
"Fourth Prince, your mother has something to tell you today. Do you remember when Hongli was staying with your father, and problems kept arising?" Consort De brought up the old matter again.
"It was that poisoning incident. I remember there was a young eunuch by Hongli's side, but didn't that young eunuch end up in the Imperial Prison?" the Fourth Prince said.
“That’s right. That little eunuch was put into the Imperial Prison, but he refused to reveal who had ordered him.” Consort De said, “In order to investigate this matter, I specifically started by investigating this person’s background and origins.”
"Mother, have you found out something?" The Fourth Prince noticed that Consort De was speaking cautiously, and he knew that she must have found out something.
"Yes, Mother has been sending people to investigate, and they finally found out that he had received favors from someone. This person eventually became involved with the Shi family on the Crown Prince's side. I didn't know she was so bold as to dare to lay a hand on the Imperial Grandson."
"Who exactly was it?" Fourth Master asked. He also deeply hated the person who poisoned the child; using such despicable means against a child not even a year old was utterly outrageous.
"Your mother suspects that it was the Crown Prince who instructed him to poison the body," said Consort De.
“Crown Prince? Mother, without solid evidence, we absolutely cannot go and mention it to Father Emperor,” said the Fourth Prince.
"Of course I know that. Fourth Prince, your mother is reminding you that we must be wary of the Crown Prince," said Consort De.
"Don't worry, Mother, I know what I'm doing," Fourth Master said.
As for Lanqin, she was taking a nap with her two daughters when she thought about how Fourth Master had behaved that day, and she couldn't help but look at him with new respect.
After Ushiha and Bechuk fell asleep, Lanqin remembered Indar's request and decided to go to Emperor Kangxi to mention it. At that moment, the Fourth Prince came out from Consort De's quarters and happened to bump into Lanqin's forehead.
"You've slept with both of them? Where are you going now?" Fourth Master asked.
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