"The Princess Consort has already gotten up. Moreover, she asked me to tell Madam Ji that I can only see her after that matter is done." Lingxiu's tone was respectful, but her expression was arrogant.
Shui Ling looked at Ling Xiu, her lips moving but hesitating, unsure whether to say anything. Ling Xiu, seeing her, lost the patience to stand there any longer.
"If Madam Ji has nothing else, then this servant will return." Seeing that Shui Ling remained silent, Ling Xiu turned to leave.
“This humble servant knows nothing about that deceased princess, so how could I possibly fabricate anything? Besides, the Third Princess rarely leaves her quarters, so this humble servant has no way to get close to her,” Shui Ling said.
Shui Ling turned around, thought for a moment, and seeing Shui Ling's expression, said, "Then come with me!"
Meanwhile, Lanqin had already called for a carriage and was waiting at the door. She was wearing a homemade hat and walking step by step towards the front door under the oil-paper umbrellas held by Baoqin and Yuxiao.
When Lanqin arrived at the Pomegranate Alley where Zhao Sijie lived, she quickly got off the carriage.
"The concubine has arrived. Our master has been saying that you should come soon, please come in!" The person who opened the door immediately smiled when he saw that it was Lanqin who came in.
Lanqin and the others entered the gate with the waiting old woman, without attracting the attention of others. The villa that Longkodo bought for Sister Zhao was a quiet oasis in the midst of the hustle and bustle. Stepping out from here, one would find a lively market street, while the alley was very quiet. In front were the backyards of other people's shops, and on both sides were long corridors, all of which were the walls of Sister Zhao's villa, so one would hardly encounter anyone.
After Lanqin and her maid entered Zhao Si's main room, they felt a chill in their bodies and minds, and the restlessness in their bodies was immediately dispelled by the coolness that rushed towards them.
"It must be hot, come here quickly. This is lily and mung bean soup, have a bowl." Sister Zhao Si was lounging on the main couch, eating melon seeds.
"It's unusually hot this year. I really wanted to come with Wenxiu to find you, but you took the initiative to come to me. Where is Wenxiu?" Lanqin said. It turned out that she had come here today because Zhao Sijie had sent an invitation to her.
“I didn’t send her an invitation, but I invited you here today alone,” said Sister Zhao.
Lanqin took the pink bowl handed to her by the maid and was about to drink some when she heard Zhao Sijie say that she hadn't invited Zhaojia. She was surprised and took the bowl out.
"Because I wanted to chat with you alone today," Zhao Si said casually, which was very much in line with her temperament.
Lanqin smiled and said, "I was just thinking of talking to you too. We're on the same page."
After saying that, Lanqin drank a few mouthfuls of lily and mung bean soup with peace of mind, and then wiped her mouth with the help of her maid.
"You may all leave. The two you brought with you may also leave. Go to the side room for tea and snacks. You don't need to serve here anymore," Zhao Sijie said, waving her hand.
Lanqin knew she probably had something important to say, so she nodded to Yuxiao and Baoqin, signaling them to follow her down.
When only Lanqin and Zhao Si'er remained in the room, the atmosphere became rather awkward. After all, Lanqin had always met Zhao Si'er accompanied by Zhao Jia's mother before, and the two had never met alone like this before.
Meanwhile, Yu Xiao and Bao Qin went to the left side room to rest with Zhao Si Jie's maid. They saw that there was also an ice basin in the side room, which was even more luxurious than the south courtyard, showing that Zhao Si Jie was quite lenient with her maid.
“Your master is really kind; this ice basin costs one tael of silver per piece,” Yu Xiao couldn’t help but say.
One of the maids said, "Our mistress is never stingy with these things. As long as we serve her well, she will give us whatever we need. You are maids serving the concubine, so why don't you have an ice basin in your room?"
Baoqin glared at Yuxiao and said, "The concubine has her own rules. Even the ladies of our household don't have ice basins, so how could we possibly use them?"
Seeing this, the maid didn't say anything more, but simply invited Yu Xiao to sit down with her zither and have some tea and snacks.
Lanqin was admiring a painting that Longkodo had recently given to Zhao Sijie.
“Qin’er, last night when Master was resting here, he suddenly said something in his sleep. I was so startled that I broke out in a cold sweat. I was wondering whether I should tell you, so I called you here,” said Sister Zhao.
Lanqin was still admiring the painting when she suddenly heard Zhao Sijie say this, and couldn't help but ask, "What did Lord Long say?"
Sister Zhao leaned close to Lanqin's ear and whispered, "He said that the Emperor has placed the written edict inside the plaque of the Qianqing Palace."
Lanqin's heart skipped a beat, and she looked at Zhao Sijie in disbelief. Seeing that Zhao Sijie was looking at her with interest, she quickly lowered her eyes and said, "How could Lord Long talk about such things with you in bed?"
Lanqin suddenly realized that Zhao Si'er had invited her here today and even sent everyone else away, precisely to say these words to her. But why was she so eager to tell her Longkodo's delirious ramblings?
Lanqin looked at Zhao Sijie suspiciously and whispered in her ear, "Such a big matter, the Emperor must have instructed Lord Long not to reveal it to the outside world. Sijie, aren't you afraid that the Emperor will cut off your husband's head?"
Lanqin continued to observe Zhao Sijie. She felt that someone like Zhao Sijie wouldn't do anything that was useless to her. This was the lesson Lanqin had learned after spending time befriending Zhao Sijie.
Sister Zhao revealed her beautiful pearly teeth and chuckled, "Qin'er, you're overthinking it. I can tell from your eyes that you've been imagining all sorts of scenarios, but that's not true at all. Our Lord Long has a habit of talking about everything that happened during the day while he's asleep. I've been listening to his whispers for years, but this time it involves an imperial edict, so I thought of you! In any case, your Fourth Prince is a top candidate. If he's fortunate enough to become Lord Changchun's subject, then our old master will be at ease."
Upon hearing this, Lanqin understood that this was Longkodo's intention; he had asked Zhao Sijie to tell her, and then to tell Fourth Master.
"What a cunning Longkodo!"
He was testing the Fourth Prince, testing his desire for the throne. Lanqin also understood that today's appointment was prepared by Longkodo as usual. Even he had to sigh today that time is the most ruthless sculptor.
"Well, our master thinks highly of the Fourth Prince, and with our relationship, how could we not be on the same side?" Zhao Sijie said, pulling on Lanqin's arm.
"That's good, but I'll go back and inform the Prince." Qiu Chan also felt that she was about to lose her parents. She couldn't help but shed sad tears.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
