In the following days, the Fourth Master still did not return to the manor. The manor remained peaceful and quiet, but water usage became increasingly restricted. Even Lanqin's daily drinking water allowance was now limited to one jug per person. It was late August; although the weather was no longer as scorching as in July, the temperature still hovered around 35 degrees Celsius. The masters and servants in each courtyard dared not go out, fearing they would become thirsty or tired and have no extra water to drink. The water level in Bixin Lake had dropped significantly due to the summer's intense heat, and with the daily washing and grooming by the masters and servants throughout the manor, the large pond was slowly dwindling.
That day, Madam Geng came to speak with Lanqin. She already knew that a few days ago, when the Fourth Prince returned to the manor, he didn't go anywhere except the main courtyard, where he rested for a while with the Princess Consort. During that time, Princess Yanyu even received a reward from the Fourth Prince. After learning this from Madam Geng, Lanqin simply smiled faintly and didn't say much.
“Lan’er, although I’ve never met Yan Yu, I heard from Lü Lan that her maid is extremely arrogant every time she goes to Bixin Lake to fetch water, as if her mistress is the master of this mansion.” Madam Geng peeled a pear and handed it to Lan Qin. The two sat in the corridor in front of the main house, and a cool summer breeze gently blew on them, temporarily relieving some of the heat.
"To receive such a gift from the Fourth Master, one must be exceptionally intelligent and virtuous." Lanqin took a bite of the juicy Xinjiang pear and said contentedly, "Sister, you should try some too, this pear is very good."
Seeing Lanqin's nonchalant attitude, Geng said anxiously, "Sister, why do you seem so indifferent? If this Princess Yanyu really becomes the mistress of the manor, I'm afraid we won't have any easy days in the future."
Lanqin picked up a handkerchief and wiped the pear juice from the corner of her mouth, saying nonchalantly, "What's meant to happen will happen. Even if you worry yourself sick, what problem can you solve?"
Upon hearing Lanqin's words, Madam Geng was taken aback. After a moment of silence, she said, "My younger sister is truly composed; I am ashamed of my own inferiority."
Lanqin glanced at Fubao, who was running in the sunlight in the courtyard, and said, "The master doesn't belong to anyone. Maybe more people will come in later, or... Anyway, I just need to do my job well. I think Yanyu is the Fujin's sister after all, so she probably doesn't have any excuse to enter the mansion right now."
Lady Geng was surprised by Lanqin's seemingly indifferent attitude towards the matter. Logically, Lanqin should be the one most anxious, not someone as unfavored as herself. Even if Yan Yu truly became the Fourth Prince's concubine, Lanqin would be the first to suffer. Hearing Lanqin's last sentence, she then said, "That's right. The Fourth Prince's concubines are chosen by the Emperor or Consort De, or by the Fourth Prince himself. They can't just enter the household whenever they want. I'm afraid the Princess Consort wouldn't be happy to share a husband with her sister."
After meeting with Emperor Kangxi, the Fourth Prince gave a detailed account of the distribution of all the rivers and ponds within the capital city, which he had surveyed, and then recounted Yan Yu's suggestion. Upon hearing the Fourth Prince's report, Kangxi's expression softened slightly, and he ordered the Fourth Prince to immediately dispatch the Shuntian Prefecture to various districts to implement the plan, to prevent anyone from using the water as a pretext for trouble. After resolving the temporary difficulties, the severe drought that Kangxi feared still loomed large before him and the Fourth Prince. However, the Qing Dynasty three hundred years ago lacked advanced technology such as artificial rainmaking, and even weather forecasting was impossible. They could only helplessly watch the heavens, praying for mercy and a timely rain to save the people. After returning to the Ministry of Revenue, the Fourth Prince, following Kangxi's instructions, prepared for the sacrificial ceremony at the Temple of Heaven. That method only solved the temporary problem; rain was truly necessary.
While the Fourth Prince of the Forbidden City was busy with the rain, a rumor began to circulate in the teahouses and streets of the city. No one knew where the rumor originated, but the more it was spread, the more people believed it, and the more it was believed, the more it was spread. In the blink of an eye, everyone in the Fourth Prince's mansion knew about the rumor.
That evening, the women, who were feeling cooped up in their own courtyards, came to the pavilion in the mansion's small garden to cool off.
"Sister Song, do you know that a rumor has been circulating recently? It says that the chief priest of this sacrificial ceremony should find a woman whose destiny is all water, so that the harmony of heaven, earth, and man can be restored and the great drought sent down by heaven can be alleviated." Madam Wang said, slowly fanning herself with a hexagonal palace fan.
"Indeed, even my maids are discussing this. Alas, I wonder when it will rain. If this continues, people will die of thirst." Madam Wu said, shaking her gauze fan and frowning.
"Who is the chief priest at this sacrificial ceremony to Heaven? Is it the Emperor?" Lady Wang asked again.
“I heard last time that His Majesty went to the Temple of Heaven to offer sacrifices. This time, it’s possible that His Majesty won’t be the one to perform the sacrificial ceremony. His Majesty is almost sixty years old after all. How can he kneel there for long? I’m afraid we’ll have to order someone of high status in the royal family to take his place,” said Madam Geng.
"The Fourth Prince is currently overseeing drought relief efforts at the Ministry of Revenue. Could he be our master?" Song's words caused a stir among the assembled guests. After all, they were all the Fourth Prince's concubines, yet he was willing to bring in another such person to diminish their respective favor.
Meanwhile, the Fourth Prince, his face grim, listened to the advisors and vice ministers in charge of the Ministry of Revenue discussing the rumors circulating outside. He paid no heed to these rumors, yet he couldn't fathom whether their origins were deliberate or natural. He knew perfectly well that he was currently the chief priest of the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven, and that the Emperor, due to health issues, could no longer continue such strenuous activities.
"Fourth Prince, although this is just a rumor, I think it's worth a try. It's just about marrying another princess, and I'm sure His Majesty will grant it," a vice minister said.
“Yes, it’s just marrying a woman whose destiny is associated with water. It’s not a matter of sacrifice. Compared to the royal family’s past sacrifices to the heavens, where they used livestock or even human lives, this is really nothing,” another advisor said.
The others also whispered among themselves and nodded in agreement.
After listening to everyone's opinions, Fourth Master said coldly, "It seems that you gentlemen have forgotten one thing: how do you find a woman whose destiny is associated with water? It's not easy to find someone whose birth chart contains water in all five elements."
Upon hearing this, everyone was taken aback, because what Fourth Master said was true: it was indeed difficult to find someone whose birth chart contained the element of water in all five elements, and that person also had to be a woman of marriageable age. In the vast sea of people, where did they even begin to search?
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