“That’s right, I wanted to send Your Majesty some heartfelt blessings,” Lanqin said, stating the facts.
"Sister, it's not that I'm criticizing you, but your gift is far too meager. Don't blame me for not reminding you." In truth, Madam Li was hoping that Lanqin would go to the palace to be humiliated, but on the surface, she still pretended to be very concerned about Lanqin.
"Thank you for your reminder, sister. I really don't have anything very valuable to offer to Consort De. I can only take this unconventional route to express my sincere devotion to Your Highness," Lanqin said earnestly.
Seeing that Lanqin really wanted to give her the paper-cutting, Li Shi didn't bother to say anything more. Anyway, she didn't really want to befriend Lanqin. She would be happy to see her make a fool of herself in the palace. You know, she had just suppressed her jealousy and anger.
After chatting with Lanqin for a few more minutes, Li helped Xiangqiao leave the South Courtyard.
While chatting with Madam Li, Nianxue had already dismissed everyone, leaving only herself and Xicha to serve her in the room. After Madam Li left, Lanqin said to Nianxue, "Have Uncle Li go to the study to cut the paper, and you two accompany me for a walk in the courtyard."
Xi Cha held up an oil-paper umbrella, while Nian Xue carried a bamboo basket containing a teapot and two quilts. Then they followed Lan Qin out of the South Courtyard.
When they arrived at the garden gate, the eunuch guarding the gate already recognized Lanqin and immediately opened the gate for them without saying a word.
"Let's hurry and see how the peaches in that peach orchard are growing." As soon as the three of them stepped into the garden, Lanqin followed her memory from that day. The two maids followed behind, completely unaware of what she was looking for.
Although they had visited this garden before, they had only taken casual strolls and had never properly explored the garden to see every corner clearly.
Lanqin ran around the garden based on her memory, and Nianxue and Xicha had to jog to keep up with her.
Finally, a peach orchard, only about the height of a person, came into view. The peach trees were laden with small peaches, which looked truly endearing.
Nianxue and Xicha followed Lanqin as they inspected the growth of each peach in the peach orchard. Nianxue couldn't help but ask, "Princess, these peaches are not ripe yet. Do you want to eat them? I'll go find someone to buy some for you."
Lanqin chuckled and said, "I came to see how the peaches are growing, not to eat them. But they're very useful to me." After saying that, she continued to examine the fruit on each branch.
"Princess, what exactly do you want to do?" Nianxue asked.
"You all wanted to know what gift I planned to give Consort De, right? This is the answer!" Lanqin pointed to the peaches on the tree branch.
Nianxue and Xicha exchanged glances, probably thinking to themselves: "Princess, the gifts you've sent are getting more and more shabby, and these peaches aren't much better either!"
Seeing the expressions on the two maids' faces, Lanqin knew what they were thinking, so she smiled and said, "I do intend to send peaches to Consort De, because since ancient times, peaches have been an indispensable longevity fruit for birthday celebrations, so sending peaches is very appropriate!"
Nianxue didn't dwell on Lanqin's last two words, but said, "These peaches are definitely indispensable; the Consort De's palace servants will naturally prepare them. It would be a bit much for you, Princess, to send over some more peaches..."
Before she could speak, Lanqin interjected, "Those peaches are all the same, nothing special. But the peaches I'm sending are very unique. Do you think they'll do? They'll definitely leave a deep impression on Consort De."
"Princess, a peach is a peach, what's the difference?" Xicha asked, puzzled.
"Nianxue, Xicha, have you ever seen a peach with words on it? Have you ever seen a peach with a smiling face on it? Have you ever seen a square peach? Have you ever seen a gourd-shaped peach?" Lanqin asked a series of questions, leaving the two girls at a loss for words.
After Lanqin stopped asking a series of questions, Nianxue said, "Princess, are there square peaches in this world? Gourd-shaped peaches? This servant has never heard of such peaches."
“Yes, yes, I’ve never seen a peach with the character for longevity on it before. Do you mean to carve a peach into the shape of the character for longevity?” Xi Cha said.
“Of course you’ve never seen them, because so far, none of the peaches I mentioned above have been born!” Lanqin said smugly.
This time, the two maids were completely dumbfounded. What was the princess trying to do? Where was she supposed to find something that didn't exist in the world?!
Lanqin walked up to them, patted Nianxue and Xicha on the shoulders with one hand each, and said solemnly, "Don't worry, your princess isn't crazy. Come on, let's go back to the courtyard. Nianxue, go find Carpenter Wang right away."
After Lanqin returned to the South Garden, she immediately went to the study and said something to Li Shubao. Then she came out alone. Li Shubao had been busy inside all day and only came out of the study in the evening.
At this moment, Lanqin had finished giving her instructions to Carpenter Wang and was now contentedly chatting and laughing with the maids.
"Princess, everything you instructed me to cut has been done. I wonder what Princess intends to do with it?" Li Shubao still didn't understand what Lanqin was thinking.
The maids had already heard Lanqin's explanation and roughly understood what she meant, and they all expressed their admiration.
"Alright, go and rest for a while. Tomorrow you'll come with me to the peach grove to tie things up." Seeing that Li Shubao had been busy all day, Lanqin told him to go and rest.
Meanwhile, Wang the carpenter received another strange task from Lanqin, just like before: Princess Niu wanted him to make some tiny, square miniature boxes out of wooden planks. The opening of the box should only be wide enough for a small child's fist to fit through. Wang the carpenter stared at his first miniature wooden box for a long time, but he still couldn't figure out what Princess Niu wanted to use it for.
When evening came, the Fourth Prince returned. Since it was the fifteenth of the month, he went back to the main courtyard and then, after sitting for a while, went back to the front courtyard. Lanqin was preoccupied with the birthday gifts for Consort De and didn't have much time to think about the Fourth Prince. Seeing that the Fourth Prince hadn't come, she was happy to be free. After Nianxue helped her wash up, she jumped into bed by herself.
Lanqin thought about the idea she had: using containers and cover, she could create some oddly shaped fruits. She remembered seeing this idea in a "get rich quick" segment when she was Lin Mengyao. She couldn't help but give herself a thumbs up: Lanqin, Lanqin, how she could look forward to seeing those unsophisticated Manchu nobles staring with curiosity at the peaches she presented.
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