Lanqin had never liked Lady Fucha, because there was always something strange about this woman. Ever since that time when Lady Fucha came to her from the Yuanmingyuan to report Liu's secrets, the two had parted on bad terms and never had any contact again.
"Let's go, I don't want to deal with this Fucha woman!" Lanqin stopped in her tracks. But before they could leave, Fucha and her servants had already walked towards them. It was too late for Lanqin to avoid them.
"This humble servant greets Consort Fu! May Consort Fu be blessed with ten thousand years of happiness and good health!" Lady Fucha had already curtsied and greeted her.
"Greetings, Princess Fucha," Lanqin could only reply.
"Is Consort Fu also here to admire the flowers?" Lady Fucha asked Lanqin.
“Yes, it’s springtime now. Being cooped up indoors for so long, it’s good to come out and relax. Princess Fucha probably feels the same way,” Lanqin said. She knew that Lingzhu’s incident might be related to the woman before her.
"Consort, the Prince is currently very busy entertaining Consort Nian's elder brother. He's so busy he barely has time to breathe. I heard they went boating in the garden today. Everyone in the manor is busy entertaining this brother-in-law," Fucha said with a light smile.
Lanqin said, "If Princess Fucha is alright, then go ahead. Sihua, go and look for Wuxiha and the others."
Lady Fucha could only awkwardly say, "Then I will not disturb you any longer, Consort."
Lanqin felt that this Fucha woman was strange and really didn't want to deal with her, so she took Sihua's hand and walked away.
Lady Fucha stood there, watching Lanqin and her two servants walk past her.
"Consort, when I came to this garden just now, I saw a servant going towards Consort Geng's side. He said that something seemed to have happened to the Fifth Prince," Fucha suddenly said behind Lanqin.
Lanqin's heart skipped a beat, and she turned around abruptly to look at Lady Fucha and said, "Why didn't you mention it just now, Lady Fucha? And as for the Fifth Prince's matter, it should be Lady Geng who is concerned."
Lady Fucha smiled faintly and said, "I only know that the Fourth Prince and the Fifth Prince have always been on good terms. I don't know what happened to the Fifth Prince. I just hope that the Fourth Prince is alright."
Lanqin's brow twitched as she stared at Fucha, trying to discern something from her face, but Fucha's expression clearly remained one of concern and worry.
"Shui Ling, go find Lan Qi and tell her to take Wu Xiha and Bechuk back to the South Courtyard. Si Hua, come with me to the front yard!" Lan Qin turned around and said to the two maids beside her.
After Lanqin and her servant had gone far away, Hongqiao smiled and said, "Princess, a good show is about to begin."
Fucha's worried expression vanished like the first snowflakes. She smelled the floral fragrance in the air and said calmly, "Hongqiao, there's no need to cook the bird's nest soup anymore. Nian's condition should be acting up soon."
Hongqiao nodded and said, "Yes, I have already mentioned it to the people in the kitchen, saying that you, Princess, will be eating bird's nest for a while."
Meanwhile, Lanqin, supported by Sihua, hurried along. Fucha's words seemed to hold true. She began to worry about Hongli and Hongzhou; she couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to either of them.
When Lanqin arrived at the primary school in the front yard, she did not see Hongli and Hongzhou. She asked the steward inside, who said that the Fourth Master had ordered them to be released early that day.
Lanqin was relieved, but then she thought of what Fucha had said. Why did she trick her into coming here?
"Master, perhaps the Fourth Prince and the Fifth Prince have already returned to the South Courtyard. Shall we go back and take a look?" Si Hua said to Lan Qin upon seeing this.
"Hmm. Okay!" Lanqin was puzzled, but Sihua's words made sense.
So Lanqin helped Sihua walk outside, wanting to go back and see if Hongli and Hongzhou had returned.
"Consort!" A familiar voice rang out just as Lanqin was about to turn and leave.
Lanqin turned her head and saw a familiar face—the same face that the head nanny had brought to her when she first arrived at the South Courtyard. The one who had just called her over was Chen Shubao, who had gone to serve in the front courtyard.
"Little Baozi!" Lanqin exclaimed in surprise. Ever since the Huanbi incident, Lanqin had rarely thought about those people from that group. Zi Ran was later married off and released. Chen Shubao, however, continued to work in the front yard.
"Consort, are you looking for the Fourth Prince and the Fifth Prince?" Chen Shubao asked.
Lanqin nodded and said, "The prince released them early today, and we don't know where they've gone."
“They went to the drill ground with the Third Prince,” Chen Shubao said. “This servant saw it with my own eyes.”
Lanqin frowned, remembering the discord between Hongli and Hongsheng, and said worriedly, "Then let's go to the training ground and take a look."
When Lanqin, supported by Sihua, arrived at the training ground, she was immediately stunned. Besides Hongli and Hongzhou, there were also the Fourth Prince, Madam Nian and her son, and one other person—presumably Nian Gengyao. From a distance, Nian Gengyao appeared to be around thirty-five years old, about the same age as the Fourth Prince, tall and robust, with fine hair...
Since Lanqin had arrived, she could no longer avoid him, so she had no choice but to step forward and greet Fourth Master and the others.
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