“I think the lady in the light cherry blossom dress is prettier!” Bechuk said, looking at Fucha Mingyu.
“Oh. She’s quite nice too, but she’s a bit aloof,” Ushiha said.
As they were talking, Xueying, dressed in a light yellow qipao, walked over, bowed to Wuxiha and Bechuk, and said, "I have long heard my aunt say that my uncle's third and fourth princesses are kind and beautiful. Seeing you two today, I can confirm that it is true."
Logically speaking, Ushiha and Bechuk should address the Fujin (principal mother) as their mother, so they could address Xueying as cousins. Xueying also knew that Ushiha and Bechuk were born to Consort Niu, her aunt's mortal enemies. However, she wanted to see what kind of woman could so completely suppress her father's proud aunt. Therefore, she secretly observed Lanqin. She couldn't tell much from her appearance alone; she was only younger than her aunt, but there were younger women too. Why did Prince Yong favor her so much?
As a junior, Xueying naturally couldn't speak to Lanqin, but she could socialize with her two daughters. So, she took the initiative to walk over and greet Wuxiha and Bechuk.
"Haha, you flatter me. But you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen," Ushiha said frankly.
Xueying smiled, knowing she was beautiful, something she'd known since childhood. Her mother had once told her that her family's background and social standing were among the best in the capital. The Fourth Prince's wife hadn't done a good job; at least she hadn't won her husband's heart, resulting in them having no legitimate son, only an adopted one to maintain appearances.
"Whose princess is that?" Bechuk asked.
Xueying followed her gaze and said calmly, "She is a princess from the Fucha family, named Mingyu. Shall we go and make her acquaintance?"
The two girls then walked over to Fucha Mingyu's side with Xueying. The girls, all around the same age, quickly started chatting. Uxiha, being outgoing, exchanged birth dates with Xueying and Mingyu. It turned out Fucha Mingyu was the eldest, Uxiha the second son, then Xueying, and Bechuk the youngest. The four of them chatted about the latest and most interesting news in the capital. Uxiha and Bechuk, confined to the inner quarters because they weren't allowed to leave, knew very little about the outside world. Xueying, however, knew the most. She told them stories of which young lady had gotten into trouble somewhere, and how someone had been engaged to a wealthy young master but broke off the engagement after meeting him on the street and finding no connection. These stories were entertaining and made the girls laugh heartily. Fucha Mingyu listened quietly, occasionally interjecting with a insightful comment.
Within a few hours, the four girls had become quite familiar with each other. Ushiha then wanted to send them to his room to play, as staying there was rather boring, and every now and then their respective mothers would pull them to bow to someone.
Lady Nian was also busy today, constantly looking at the young girls, because her son Hongsheng was of marriageable age. Many daughters of officials from the capital had come today, and she wanted to see if she could choose a suitable one for her son.
After comparing several options, Lady Nian's gaze finally settled on "Fucha Mingyu." Her age was similar to Hongsheng's, and her family's social standing was high enough to facilitate a marriage alliance with the Nian family. Therefore, Lady Nian kept talking to Lady Fucha, always circling the topic to her daughter, asking what Fucha Mingyu liked to do, which family she studied embroidery under, how many musical instruments she knew, and what books she had read.
When Lady Fucha saw Consort Nian asking such a question, she knew perfectly well that Consort Nian had designs on her daughter. She also knew that Consort Nian's son was the Third Prince of the Fourth Prince, and that he was not much older than her daughter. So she was eager to befriend Consort Nian and began to chat with her warmly.
Meanwhile, Ushiha and Bechuk led Xueying and Mingyu out through a side gate of the main courtyard. Although Mingyu and Xueying were also born into a prominent Manchu family, it was not comparable to a prince's mansion, especially the Yong Prince's mansion. Xueying had stayed there for a while during the New Year, but hadn't explored much. Now, following Ushiha, she discovered that the Yong Prince's mansion was indeed enormous. Fucha Mingyu, on the other hand, remained very casual. Perhaps because she had been to the palace before, she didn't find the Yong Prince's mansion particularly luxurious or extravagant.
Four young girls entered the south courtyard. The maidservants guarding the courtyard, seeing that Ushiha and Bechuk had brought back two unfamiliar girls, were unsure whether to ask them anything. The maidservants in charge of the south courtyard were all absent, having gone to help Lanqin. Now, only Xichun, Nianxia, and a few other young maidservants remained in the courtyard.
Nianxia saw Wuxiha and the others enter. She was hanging clothes and bedding to dry in the courtyard at the time. When she saw them come in, she went up to them and asked, "Third Brother and Fourth Princess, why are you back? And who are these two?"
Ushiha said, “It’s very stuffy there, it’s more comfortable back here. This is the young lady from the Fucha family, and that is the young lady from the Ulanara family. You don’t need to worry about us, I’ll take them to the back of our house.”
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