Upon hearing Lanqin's words, Consort De immediately thought of Thirteen. Thirteen's birth mother, Consort Min, died young, and while she was alive, they had always had a good relationship. That's why Emperor Kangxi sent him to be raised by her when he was only eleven years old.
To be fair, Consort De did have some affection for the Thirteenth Prince, after all, he was her adopted son. Moreover, when the Thirteenth Prince got into trouble, she hadn't pleaded for him before Emperor Kangxi. Therefore, Consort De always felt guilty towards the Thirteenth Prince. Hearing Lanqin mention the Thirteenth Prince's dire straits, barely able to support his servants, her guilt towards him intensified. Naturally, she wasn't so opposed to Lanqin's suggestion that Lady Zhaojia "invest" in a hot pot restaurant. She also thought about how the Fourth Prince had consistently subsidized the Thirteenth Prince's household over the years, doing things even she, as his mother, hadn't done, all without telling her.
"Fourth Prince, Lanqin, please sit down. What are you standing for?" Consort De's tone immediately softened. She herself was born into a bondservant family and only followed the rules set by the old masters. She knew that sometimes personal relationships trumped rules. The Thirteenth Prince's household was barely able to afford servants; it was truly inappropriate to cling to appearances.
"Thank you, Mother! Your Highness, didn't you say that I've been managing many affairs of the inner palace all these years and haven't had a chance to go out and travel properly? Didn't you say that when you have time, you'll personally request permission to take me out for a trip? For this reason, I'll take some of the silver from the treasury and invest it, so Your Highness won't have to worry about not having enough money to support me?" Lanqin said after she had made up her mind.
Fourth Master remained expressionless; that was his usual demeanor. His silence at this moment didn't seem strange to anyone.
Consort De was even more shocked by Lanqin's words. The Fourth Prince had never shown her such intentions before. His support for Niohuru's "investment" was actually for her benefit!
There's no scene more touching than revealing the inner thoughts of a seemingly reserved but actually passionate man! Lanqin's goal is to constantly cultivate the Fourth Prince's favor with Consort De. She wants Consort De to become an ally, not an obstacle, in the Fourth Prince's path to power! The Fourteenth Prince knows how to be charming, so Consort De needs to know about the Fourth Prince's filial piety.
"I never imagined that Fourth Brother was so filial. I wonder if Fourth Brother knows what Mother likes to eat the most, and where she would like to go?" Seeing this, Fourteenth Brother finally couldn't help but ask.
Fourth Master glanced at Fourteenth Prince, and Lanqin couldn't help but look at Fourteenth Prince a few times as well. Sure enough, the rebellious teenager of fifteen or sixteen was no longer there. Nearly ten years of change had made him grow into the shrewd and calculating General Fuyuan he is today.
"Mother likes salty and sweet flavors, and most wants to go back to her hometown, Amusijia," said Fourth Master.
Consort De's eyelids twitched; she felt a certain emotion strike her by the Fourth Prince. She had always thought this son never cared about her, but what he had just said was entirely accurate. Forty-two years had passed since she left home at the age of thirteen for the imperial concubine selection. She could only return to her hometown in her dreams, and she had never mentioned it to anyone. The Fourth Prince had actually guessed the place she most longed to visit!
Fourteen was also surprised. He didn't know where Consort De wanted to go most in her life, so he deliberately asked this question. Presumably, Fourth Prince didn't know either, so this question was a dead end.
But looking at Consort De's expression, it was clear that she had hit the nail on the head!
"Fourth Prince, you're so thoughtful!" Consort De's eyes flashed with emotion as she sighed, "I've never returned to my hometown since I left when I was thirteen."
"If Mother wishes to go back for a visit, I can request permission to take Mother back to her hometown in glory," Fourth Prince said hastily.
Lanqin silently gave Fourth Master a thumbs up in her heart. She didn't expect Fourth Master to be so good at handling things at this time.
Seeing that Consort De seemed to have completely forgotten about Lanqin's public appearances, the Fourteenth Prince and his wife felt a pang of resentment. This time, besides Lady Nian leaking information to people in the palace through her connections, the Fourteenth Prince's wife had also leaked it to Consort De through intermediaries. Lady Nian wasn't foolish enough to tell Consort De directly; that would undoubtedly let the Fourth Prince know, so she went through several roundabout channels to get the news. The Fourteenth Prince's wife, however, clearly didn't have Lady Nian's reservations; she wasn't afraid and spoke directly to Consort De.
When the Fourth Prince entered Yonghe Palace, he did some investigation and naturally learned about the little tricks that Wanyan had been up to.
Consort De had lunch at Yonghe Palace with her two sons, Lady Wanyan, and Lanqin. She then gave Lanqin a few private instructions, reminding her that as a young woman, she shouldn't go out in public, before letting her leave the palace. The matter ended there; Consort De didn't order Lanqin to immediately leave the hot pot restaurant, indicating that the matter wouldn't be pursued further.
The Fourth Prince had other matters to attend to in the afternoon and could not leave the palace with Lanqin, so he had to personally escort her out of the palace.
The two walked one after the other along the palace road. The Fourth Prince suddenly stopped and asked, "Have you figured out what the Fourteenth Prince is thinking?"
Lanqin nodded and said, "I was too naive before. I didn't expect that Fourteenth would actually force me to put on an act. He was trying to confuse you and lower your guard."
"Fourteenth Prince has truly grown up!" Fourth Prince exclaimed. "I just hope he won't take advantage of his mother."
Lanqin's eyelids twitched and she asked, "Was this something Wanyan said?"
She firmly believed that this matter was likely related to Lady Nian or the Fujin, and that the Fourth Prince would surely know about it as well.
“Indeed! It seems they’ve been keeping an eye on you all along! Your every move is under their surveillance!” Fourth Master said.
"Your Majesty, you should also pay more attention to Mother's side. Even Father Emperor prefers to see a crown prince who is filial to his parents and loving to his brothers and sisters!" Lanqin said.
The Fourth Prince gazed at the long palace walls and said, "I understand. Qin'er, what you said today was very good."
Lanqin was puzzled for a moment before she remembered which passage the Fourth Prince was referring to—probably the one spoken by the Thirteenth Prince. It was from that passage that Consort De softened her attitude towards the two of them.
After Lanqin returned to the manor in the carriage, Madam Nian naturally received the news. Madam Nian had fully expected that Lanqin would be punished by Consort De for going to the palace today, but she did not expect to return so quickly.
"Master, the news from the gatekeeper says that when that person entered, their expression was perfectly fine, and they didn't seem displeased at all," Cui Ling said cautiously.
"The Fourteenth Princess Consort promised me that she would fan the flames from the sidelines, so how could she have given up so easily?" Lady Nian said unhappily.
“Your Highness, it’s not good for you to be in contact with the Fourteenth Prince’s wife like this. If the Prince finds out, he will definitely be furious,” Bai Zhi said.
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