Although Yu Xiao didn't give her a friendly look, she had no choice but to report to Lan Qin after entering the courtyard. Lan Qin was happily chatting with the four maids that Cui Niang had brought in after listening to the reports from the various stewards. Cui Niang hurriedly went to buy four more maids who were all decent-looking, but not particularly outstanding.
Lanqin named the four maids Xichun, Nianxia, Lianqiu, and Fudong, according to the meaning of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Cui Niang personally trained them, and they only did some errands, odd jobs, and serving tea and water every day. Apart from that, Cui Niang kept them in the side room to teach them manners.
After a few days, each of the maids had developed her own temperament and personality. Lanqin then asked Cui Niang to assign them different tasks according to their individual personalities, all with the salary of a second-class maid, but with varying degrees of variation in the tasks they performed.
Lanqin had finished her work these past few days, so she often called the maids in to chat with them and ask them to tell her about their backgrounds. Seeing that their mistress was an extremely easy person to get along with, the maids relaxed and began talking to Lanqin about their hometowns.
Seeing the harmonious atmosphere in the room, Yu Xiao tiptoed to Cui Niang's side and whispered a few words in her ear. Cui Niang's expression changed, and she was about to ask Yu Xiao to go out and chase her away when Lan Qin called out to Yu Xiao, "What is it?"
Yu Xiao glanced at Cui Niang and could only whisper, "There's a shameless person who wants to see the concubine. This servant will send her away right away!"
Lanqin felt more confident and said, "Cui Niang, take them downstairs. Yu Xiao, go and bring her in."
"Master!" Cui Niang hurriedly spoke up to stop Lan Qin from seeing Shui Ling.
“I know what I'm doing. I am a little curious, though, what will she say?” Lanqin said.
Knowing she couldn't stop her, Cui Niang glared at Yu Xiao and then left with her four maids. Yu Xiao knew she had messed up the matter and should have just sent Shui Ling away, but since Lan Qin already knew, she had no choice but to let her in.
Lanqin asked Sihua to stir the pot or basin, and then picked up an orange from the table and began to peel it.
"Master, why do you want to see her? What is her status?" Si Hua asked while poking at the embers in the brazier.
"I'm just curious, she still dares to come see me!" Lanqin said. In fact, Lanqin had met quite a few women, such as the Fujin, the former Consort Li, Lady Yin, Lady Yehe, Lady Liu, and so on. Each of them had fought her to the death, but none of them were like Shuiling, who clearly wronged her but acted as if she were the victim.
“She’s shameless; she’s capable of anything. I think Master doesn’t need to see her. Whether she lives or dies is none of our business,” Si Hua said. Actually, she and Shui Ling used to be the closest; they both came to serve Lan Qin together, but now things have turned out like this.
"Let's hear what she has to say!" Lanqin said.
Just then, the cotton curtain outside was opened from the outside in, and a face that was once extremely familiar appeared in Lanqin's eyes.
"This humble servant greets Consort Lanqin. May Consort Lanqin enjoy boundless blessings and peace!" Shui Ling walked up to Lanqin, curtsied, and said.
Lanqin sized up Shuiling, her once most intimate maid, who now resembled a sickly beauty, thin and frail. This was a far cry from Shuiling's former image. The woman before her was thin and timid, her illness tinged with a touch of beauty, a veritable sickly beauty.
"Madam Ji, please rise. Why have you come? Don't beat around the bush, just say it directly," Lan Qin said coldly.
From the moment she stepped into the South Courtyard, Shui Ling was filled with regret. Perhaps she really shouldn't have climbed into the bed. Looking at the maids in the courtyard, each one of them was dressed no worse than herself.
"Consort, I have come to reunite with you," Shui Ling said, trying to calm herself as she composed herself.
Lanqin chuckled, glanced at Shuiling with disdain, and then said, "I wonder what Madam Ji has to offer me for our reconciliation?"
Shui Ling smiled slightly and said, "The concubine may think that I am talking nonsense, but you should know that I am not someone who speaks carelessly."
Lanqin said, "Tell me, what do you have to offer in exchange for this reunion?" In fact, Lanqin had never really dealt with Shuiling, because she disdained her. She thought that the Fourth Master didn't care about any woman, and it would be beneath her to fight with her.
“Madam! She wants to know the weaknesses of the secondary madam from me,” Shui Ling said.
Lanqin's pupils contracted, and the smile on her lips gradually faded. The days of vying with the Fujin in the past were vivid in her mind. Those days that made Lanqin feel terrified just thinking about them made her scalp tingle.
“Now, the concubine’s two daughters and two sons are almost ready to be betrothed. If the principal wife intervenes at this time, I’m afraid the concubine won’t be able to defend against it,” Shui Ling said.
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