This was the first time Bechuk had raised his objections in front of Ushikha. He spoke timidly, but his little expression was particularly earnest.
Lanqin always felt that Bechuk was too calm and composed, not nearly as lively as Ushiha. Perhaps it was because she was the second child and hadn't received as much attention from her parents as the eldest? So Lanqin would occasionally have Bechuk stand up and try to build her courage.
Ushiha was surprised that Bechuk would express a contrary opinion to him in person, and looked at Fourth Master and Lanqin with some hesitation.
“Look at her, even without a younger sister, she’s more sensible than you. As the older sister, you should take good care of your younger siblings,” Fourth Master said with a stern face.
Ushiha felt a little aggrieved when she realized that her attempts to charm her parents were ineffective. All she wanted was to avoid leaving her parents!
"Ushiha, Mother and Father will be back soon, so don't worry. Take good care of your younger sister and brother, and listen to Aunt Song. Okay?" Lanqin quickly comforted her.
"Yes, Ushiha understands." Ushiha also understood that his father and mother were definitely leaving, so he nodded obediently.
"Ushiha is great!" Lanqin patted Ushiha's head and said.
Fourth Master saw Lanqin roll her eyes at him and said, "Why are you rolling your eyes at me?"
Lanqin was too lazy to explain to Fourth Master why she had spoken ill of him, and continued talking to the children to help them relax.
Fourth Master was puzzled as to why Lanqin ignored him but was kind and gentle to the children.
After lunch, Lanqin asked the maids to take the children to play, as she herself hadn't finished eating yet.
"Why are you ignoring me?" Fourth Prince couldn't hold back any longer and asked.
"Master, how can you talk to a child like that! Is this how you educate children?" Lanqin said irritably. This Fourth Prince, she herself was neglected when she was young, and she doesn't know how to care for her own children either. She doesn't want Wuxiha and the others to become like those pitiful, short-lived princesses who were married off to foreign lands.
"Then how should I speak to them, Master?" Fourth Master still looked confused. What was he supposed to say to this little woman?
“How could you say such a thing to Ushiha? Saying she’s not as sensible as my sister? How is my Ushiha sensible? She’s clearly very sensible,” Lanqin said protectively.
Fourth Master stared blankly at Lanqin, never expecting that the little woman was unhappy about this. He had thought it was something else entirely!
"It's because Bechuk is more sensible than Ushiha!" Fourth Master said, unaware of his mistake.
“Ushiha is just reluctant to leave her parents; it’s not that she’s being unreasonable. Don’t you understand your own daughter? Ushiha is very sensible; she would never act spoiled when she shouldn’t. Compared to Biechuk, who is calm and collected, this child makes me a little worried,” Lanqin said.
The Fourth Prince was slightly surprised by Lanqin's words; he had never heard such remarks from a young woman before. Royal women should be composed, dignified, and elegant. Bechuk was perfect, while Ushiha was a bit too lively and lacked composure.
"Does Master think that Ushiha is too steady and that Biechuk is better?" Lanqin guessed, looking at the Fourth Master's expression.
The Fourth Prince nodded and said, "My royal princesses are of noble status and should not be too lively, lest they give people an impression of being undignified."
Lanqin was so angry she almost threw down her chopsticks. She hurriedly said, "Where did you get this nonsense, Master? Why is Father Emperor's third princess so lively, and why does Father Emperor like her so much?"
The Fourth Prince was speechless. What he had just said was the educational rule that the palace maids followed when educating the princesses.
"I've heard the nannies teach the girls this way since I was a child in the palace. What's wrong with that?" The Fourth Prince's voice had already softened a bit. Even he himself was beginning to wonder if the rules these nannies used to teach the girls were a bit...
"Those are all horribly cruel and absurd rules that harm women!" Lanqin couldn't help but exclaim. She used to be able to tolerate these Qing Dynasty rules, but now that it concerned her own child, she no longer had the patience.
Fourth Master looked at Lanqin's fierce appearance, which resembled a mother hen protecting her chicks and not letting anyone bully them.
"Why are you looking at me, Your Highness? I..." Lanqin said, seeing the Fourth Prince staring at her.
"I've noticed that my concubine seems to be quite different from others," the Fourth Prince said.
"My lord, I just don't want Ushiha and Bechuk to become weak princesses who only obey their husbands and have no thoughts or will of their own. That's why I felt uneasy when I heard Your Highness reprimanding Ushiha," Lanqin explained.
Fourth Master looked at Lanqin, signaling her to continue.
"Your Majesty, look at Father Emperor's princesses, what happened to them? They were perfectly fine, but they lost their lives a few years after getting married. Why is that? Can't you even give me a chance to think about it?" Lanqin said angrily.
The Fourth Prince said, "Father's princesses all married princes and nobles from the Mongolian grasslands. They are naturally fierce, and the women of the grasslands are very bold. How could the princesses and noblewomen of the Qing Dynasty possibly compete with them!"
"That's it! So I must not let Ushiha and Bechuk become like that! Master, they are your own daughters, but I watched them grow up only to be married off to outsiders, bullied and killed!" Lanqin said anxiously.
"My daughters will not be sent to marry foreign rulers," the Fourth Prince said, his expression turning serious.
Lanqin was shocked by the ruthless look on Fourth Master's face.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" Fourth Prince said with a smile as he saw Lanqin staring at him intently.
"I am completely captivated by your love for your daughter, Master! What you just said was so cool, so cool!" Lanqin said.
The Fourth Prince almost lost his composure, but still managed to suppress a laugh and said, "Now, can you finish your lunch with me? I'm a patient who has just recovered!"
Lanqin quickly served food to Fourth Master.
"My arms are so sore, why don't you do it for me, Consort?" the Fourth Prince said.
puff!
Lanqin glared at Fourth Master with resentment, then had no choice but to feed him herself.
Fourth Master thoroughly enjoyed being fed by Lanqin, but inwardly he felt a mix of emotions towards her.
After lunch, the Fourth Master took Lanqin to rest with him. The maids were all sent out, and Lanqin was subjected to another round of roughhousing by the Fourth Master on the bed. She cursed him fiercely in her heart, thinking: How can he be so vigorous when he's sick?
Fourth Master held Lanqin in his arms, feeling incredibly at ease. He felt he couldn't live without this woman for even a day longer.
After lunch break, the two got dressed together and headed to Hanjin Hall.
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