"Why don't we go for a walk outside? My sister has something to say to her older sister, but it's not like she needs to ask for favors." Lanqin just wanted to give her the letter Yang had written to Holland and that would be her job. As for going to the Holland Palace and having to go through the insincere pleasantries with her sister, let's skip that.
"Alright, we can take a walk in the Yonghe Palace garden. The magnolias and chrysanthemums here are the best," Holland said softly.
So the two sisters walked out of the washroom together. Nianxue and Holland's personal maid were waiting outside. As soon as they saw the two sisters come out together, they immediately went to greet them.
"You two go back and serve them. My sister and I ate a little too much, so we'll just walk around in this courtyard to digest," Holland said to the two palace maids who had followed her out.
The two palace maids thought for a moment, then acknowledged and withdrew.
Sure enough, the courtyard of Yonghe Palace was planted with many magnolias, and rows of chrysanthemums were placed under the porches and along the corridors. Although it was not the season for chrysanthemums to bloom, the eunuchs in charge of the flower rooms in the Forbidden City must have known the purpose of the bonsai, and had even managed to cultivate this kind of out-of-season potted plant for him.
"How are you doing at the Fourth Prince's residence, little sister? I've been thinking of you a lot." Holland asked casually, holding a palace fan and gently waving it.
"I'm doing well. How are you doing in the palace, sister?" Lanqin was surprised that Holland would care about her well-being; she had completely forgotten about her. Well, firstly, the Lanqin of this time was no longer the real Niohuru Lanqin, and secondly, Holland's scheming nature made her feel that it was best not to associate with such a person, otherwise she wouldn't even know when she was being plotted against.
"Good or bad, this is how it is. I used to think that once I entered the palace, I would enjoy endless wealth and glory, but now I know that once I'm in, I can never get out." Holland, who had been arrogant before, seemed to have a hint of worry between his brows.
Lanqin was surprised that Holland, instead of showing off in front of her, seemed to regret entering the palace. So she tentatively asked, "How does the Emperor treat my sister?"
Holland sighed softly, saying in a very understated tone, "Fine, but what can we do? The Emperor is past his prime, and he has over a dozen princes who are already adults. In his eyes, we're nothing more than decorations, something he plays with when he feels like it, and forgets about when he doesn't."
For some reason, Lanqin felt uneasy after hearing Holland's words. She had expected Holland to force her to bow to her, but instead, Holland was confiding in her completely, leaving her unsure how to respond.
Ultimately, she was still Niohuru's sister, and she didn't need to have a major falling out with the Netherlands.
"Sister, what are you saying? His Majesty is still in his prime. If you could bear a son or daughter, wouldn't you have someone to rely on in this harem?" Lanqin had no choice but to say this. At this moment, if Consort De, who was sitting in the room receiving congratulations from her daughters-in-law, knew that Lanqin was here to help Consort Lan out of her troubles, who knows what she would think.
"Get pregnant? Heh, in this harem, there's no shortage of beautiful women. It's a miracle if the Emperor even thinks of me a few times a month. Besides, a woman's menstrual cycle isn't determined by the Emperor's summons. Getting pregnant is easier said than done!" Holland said.
Lanqin looked around and thought to herself: The palace servants in Yonghe Palace are busy serving Kangxi and Consort De right now. The two of them are taking a walk here, followed by Nianxue and Holland's personal maid. There shouldn't be anyone who can see the letter if they take it out here.
"Some time ago, I was granted permission by Fourth Master to return to my parents' home. Aunt Yang asked me to deliver a letter to my sister. I don't know if it's convenient to give it to her now!" Lanqin suddenly rolled up Holland's sleeves, pretending to be intimate with her, and whispered in her ear.
If you didn't know better, you'd think the sisters were suffering from extreme heat!
"Haitang is my person, there's no need to be afraid of her." Holland suppressed his nervousness and looked around.
Holland quickly pulled a letter from her bosom—the very letter Lingzhu had given her that day. She had kept this letter hidden close to her body, afraid that others would see it and give her cause for gossip.
"Sister, take this, but don't let anyone see it!" Lanqin quietly handed the letter to Holland, who immediately took it and stuffed it into his sleeve.
"Alright, let's go back. It's been too long, and I'm afraid Consort De will be unhappy." Lanqin didn't actually have much affection for Holland. Now that the mission was complete, she wanted to go back. Even though she had felt a little sympathy for Holland just now, Holland was the one who chose this path. Now that Holland had entered the palace, she could never regret it in this lifetime.
"Thank you so much for today, sister. You go in first, I'll stand here a little longer," Holland said.
Lanqin nodded and called Nianxue over, letting her help her walk towards the side hall. But the moment Lanqin turned around, the bright smile on Holland's face instantly turned cold, and then there wasn't a trace of a smile left.
"My lord, we've finally received the letter from Madam." Haitang stepped forward and helped Holland up.
"Hmph, if I didn't want to get what Mother gave me as soon as possible, I wouldn't bother with her sister." Holland was still Holland. Just now, she pretended to be sentimental and mature in front of Lanqin, but it was all an act to make Lanqin pity her. Only in this way could Lanqin decisively take out the secret formula for conceiving a child. As it turned out, her plan worked, and Lanqin indeed readily gave Holland Yang's letter.
“My lord, let’s go back quickly. If the Emperor sees that you’ve been gone for too long, he might be displeased,” Haitang said.
"Hmph, it's just celebrating that old woman's birthday, but considering she gave birth to two sons, His Majesty will spend a night at Yonghe Palace." Holland touched the pearl flower at his temple, extended his gold-embroidered nail guards, and, supported by Haitang, walked towards the side hall.
After the meal, Kangxi left first with Consort Hui and Consort Lan, leaving behind Consort De, his two sons, their primary consorts and secondary consorts. After Kangxi left, the Thirteenth Prince also tactfully took his leave.
Lanqin found a moment to ask the Thirteenth Prince how things were going with Luoge. The Thirteenth Prince just smiled and didn't answer. According to the Fourth Prince, the Thirteenth Prince's primary consort was Lady Zhaojia, but Lady Zhaojia didn't come today.
Consort De said to her two sons and their wives, "Fourth son, I heard that one of your concubines miscarried. How did this happen? You already have few children, how could you be so careless?"
Upon hearing this, the Fourth Prince remained silent with a stern face, and the Princess Consort immediately replied, "It is all my fault, Mother. Please punish me!"
Consort Li sneered inwardly, while Lanqin could only sigh silently. She had always felt that Madam Yin wasn't that cunning, but since the Fourth Prince had said that everything was due to Madam Yin's insatiable jealousy and her collusion with Doctor Bai, Lanqin believed him.
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