"Qin'er, there are far more officials giving gifts to our master this year than in previous years. The amount of charcoal gifts alone is half again as much." Madam Song took out the list of gifts she had compiled for Lanqin over the years and showed it to her.
"These people are naturally watching which way the wind is blowing. Master might not necessarily like it." Lanqin took the list and looked at it, and found that there were indeed some names that hadn't appeared in previous years. Lanqin discovered that some people who used to be affiliated with Eighth Master were also sending gifts to Fourth Master this year.
"Does Master really not like having more support?" Song asked.
“Of course I like them, but I don’t like these opportunists,” Lanqin said, pointing to the names on the list.
"Is there anything wrong with these people?" Madam Wu asked, glancing at them as well.
“These people used to follow Eighth Master. Now that Eighth Master has fallen, they’ve turned around and thrown themselves into Fourth Master’s arms. They’re all opportunists,” Lanqin said.
"Qin'er, how should we distribute these things this year?" Madam Wu handed the tally of the hides to Lanqin.
Lanqin took the list and looked at it. Thinking that she still had several pieces of clothing that she hadn't worn yet, she couldn't help but say, "Let's distribute them according to status. Let the head nanny distribute these."
“Qin’er, you are a concubine, so you can decide what you like beforehand. If you hand it over to the head nanny, she will definitely take it down layer by layer according to your status. The first thing she will take will be to the main courtyard,” said Madam Wu.
“She is the principal wife, so even if he were to choose first, he wouldn’t find fault,” Lanqin said. She had long since lost interest in the woman in the main courtyard, and she hadn’t been out for a long time anyway. Since the Fourth Prince Hongshi was entrusted to her care, he had indeed become much quieter.
“She hasn’t been involved in affairs for a long time. Now that you respect her as the primary consort, you’ve allowed Pi Zi to choose first, which is quite fair,” said Madam Song.
“Yes, let’s go to the head nanny to distribute them,” Lanqin said.
After Yu Xiao took the list from Lan Qin, Lan Qin instructed, "Yu Xiao, take this to the front yard and give it to the head nanny. Tell her to distribute it according to status and rank."
After Yu Xiao left, Madam Song and Madam Wu felt a little sorry for the leather, but since Lan Qin had made such a decision, they wouldn't object.
“Sister Song, this is your brother’s first Spring Festival in the capital this year. Why don’t you bring him to the manor to celebrate together? You have plenty of empty rooms there anyway,” Lanqin said.
“That’s what I was thinking too. He was in Kyoto last year and hasn’t even had time to buy his own house yet,” said Madam Song.
“Why don’t we find a place to buy? He’s now an official of the court, he’s established himself. Next is settling down. Sister Song, your brother is quite handsome, even I like him. I also have a younger sister, would you be willing to arrange a marriage between him and my sister?” Lanqin said.
"That would be more than we could ask for. I just wonder if Uncle and Aunt would be interested in him as a mere scribe," Madam Song said with a smile.
“Sister, what are you saying? The scribe is highly talented and handsome, but I don’t know if he would even look at this younger sister,” Lanqin said, then winked at Madam Wu.
"If the concubine can bring them together, it would be a real blessing for our Secretary," Song said with a smile. She had also realized that Lanqin was referring to Wu Ruyue, Wu Shi's younger sister.
“Ruyue Thirteen is stuck with me every day, it must be so unfair. My father asked me to find her a good marriage a long time ago. Now that Shucheng is so successful, we should be able to marry into his family,” said Madam Wu.
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