After Qiu Fu and his wife left, Lan Qin decided to ask Fourth Master to expedite Qiu Fu's transfer order. Having such an assistant by her side might prove useful in the future.
Within a few days, Doctor Liang actually appeared at the gate of Prince Yong's residence. The gatekeeper, naturally, didn't recognize him and stopped him from entering. Doctor Liang had no choice but to show the gatekeeper the letter Lanqin had written to him, only then was he allowed to pass.
Lanqin had discussed Kangxi's illness with Doctor Liang, who had found some suitable medicine and returned. Lanqin settled Doctor Liang in the South Courtyard, but she was conflicted about whether to send him to Kangxi's side. If Doctor Liang were to make a mistake, like the previous renowned physician, wouldn't she be harming him? Therefore, Lanqin wanted Doctor Liang to only leave behind the prescriptions and didn't want to send him to the palace.
After hearing Lanqin's report, the Fourth Prince dismissed her idea, meaning that Kangxi wouldn't take medicine haphazardly. If he took medicine of unknown origin without even seeing a doctor, who would bear the responsibility if something went wrong? Besides, Kangxi's paranoia had reached an extreme; would he really believe that the medicine the Fourth Prince brought him was truly meant to save him?
Lanqin then realized she had oversimplified the matter. She had always treated Kangxi as her father-in-law, and it was precisely this thought that made Kangxi treat her with respect. But perhaps the current Kangxi no longer needed that kind of attention. Lanqin hadn't seen Kangxi for a long time. The elderly Kangxi seemed to prefer hiding away and rarely saw people.
Doctor Liang told Lanqin that he was confident he could cure her and that she didn't need to worry. Then he went to the palace with the Fourth Prince.
Doctor Liang's medical skills were indeed remarkable. In just a few days at Emperor Kangxi's side, he alleviated Kangxi's stubborn headaches and blindness. Kangxi immediately regarded Doctor Liang as a divine physician and ordered him to serve him around him, forbidding him from leaving his side even for a moment.
Because of his meritorious recommendation of Doctor Liang, Emperor Kangxi bestowed upon the Fourth Prince several imperial estates. Suddenly, the Fourth Prince found himself in the eye of the storm again, and many began to speculate about Kangxi's intentions. No one submitted any more memorials to Kangxi urging him to establish an heir as soon as possible; gradually, two factions emerged: one supporting the Fourth Prince, and the other supporting the Fourteenth Prince.
Lanqin devoted herself to the upbringing of Wuxiha and Bechuk, and would occasionally accept Zhao Si's invitations to go out and play cards with Zhaojia. This continued until summer, and as Hongshi's wedding date approached, the household became busier. Because Hongshi was marrying two women at the same time, the preparations became even more extensive.
Lanqin always felt that the Fujin hadn't gained any benefits from the courtyard renovation project last time, and wondered if she would cause trouble again this time. So she had to brace herself and personally check all the matters, big and small, to ensure that there were no oversights.
On the sixth day of the sixth lunar month, Hongshi's wedding took place as scheduled. Lanqin and the others did not go to the front to watch the ceremony; instead, it was the Fourth Prince and his wife who went out to greet the guests. Hongshi was the wife's adopted son, so naturally, she was the one to serve the new bride tea.
However, Lanqin wasn't idle either. She, along with Song and Wu, were responsible for receiving the ladies and young masters. Most of the guests were from the imperial court, and their families naturally needed to be received.
The banquet was set up in the front yard, but before the banquet was to be served, the women and children all went to the main yard to sit, drink tea, chat, and watch the play.
Lanqin hadn't stepped into the main courtyard for a long time, and felt a sense of nostalgia as if she were returning after a long absence. She recalled the first time she came to the main courtyard to pay her respects to the Fujin (the wife of the deceased), she was late, and was scolded by Madam Wu.
The main courtyard remains the same, but everything has changed. The Fujin (Prince's wife) is now a wealthy idler, while Lanqin is the one in charge of managing the household affairs of the Yong Prince's residence. Because there aren't many servants in the main courtyard normally, with so many noble ladies and children arriving, Lanqin naturally has to draw some people to help. After returning to the main courtyard, the Fujin only entertains the guests, while Lanqin is responsible for managing the servants' tasks such as when to serve fruits and vegetables, when to start the opera, and other miscellaneous matters.
Lady Nian had always been in poor health and only came to keep the guests company, without doing anything specific. Lady Song and Lady Wu naturally assisted Lanqin, keeping an eye on things. Lady Fucha and Lady Geng were responsible for keeping the concubines who had come with the mistress company, drinking tea and chatting.
Hongsheng, Hongli, and Hongzhou were all young men who hadn't yet reached adulthood, but they had already been summoned by the Fourth Prince to the front to witness the ceremony and to make friends with the other young men of their age. Namin, Wuxiha, and Bechuk naturally stayed in the main courtyard, talking with the young ladies from various families.
Among them, Fucha Mingyu, who had bumped into Hongli and Hongzhou on the street that day, also came today with her father and mother. She sat among a group of ladies and young women, attracting attention with her elegant demeanor. At the same time, the Fujin's niece, Ulanara Xueying, also immediately caught Wuxiha's attention with her outstanding appearance.
“Beichuk, look at that little girl, she’s really pretty!” Ushiha said, pointing at Ulanara Xueying.
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