"What's wrong with you all?" Lanqin asked, noticing the strange expressions on the faces of the maids.
"Your Majesty, the Emperor has bestowed a plaque upon us!" Yu Xiao took out a cherry-red cheongsam and showed it to Lan Qin as she looked at it.
“That won’t do. We just entered the palace yesterday, and the Emperor stayed at Changchun Palace. I’m afraid the women in the harem are already complaining. Don’t dress too conspicuously. Today we’re going to pay our respects to the Empress Dowager, and we’re bound to run into some people.” Lanqin added, “What plaque?”
While combing Lanqin's hair, Baoqin said, "Consort, why don't you go out and see for yourself? The Emperor has presented such a large plaque; even if you want to keep a low profile, you can't." Lanqin stood up curiously and walked out of the bedchamber in the direction the maid pointed.
A red curtain covered an object resembling a plaque, which was placed in the center of the hall.
As Lanqin approached, the eunuch abruptly lifted the curtain, revealing the four large characters "Duan Shu Rou Hui" (meaning "Elegant, Virtuous, Gentle, and Wise"). All the palace maids and eunuchs in the room knelt down, excitedly shouting, "Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Your Majesty..."
“I’ve already said that before the investiture ceremony, I am not Consort Xi. You can still call me Consort!” Lanqin said.
“The matter of becoming a concubine is just around the corner, so please don’t be modest,” a woman who looked like a matron said to Lanqin.
Lanqin ignored her for the moment and turned to ask the zither close to her, "What... what's going on?"
Baoqin stepped forward and explained to Lanqin with a smile, "Reporting to Consort Lanqin, His Majesty left early this morning, and specifically instructed us not to disturb Consort Lanqin's rest. He was very reluctant to leave, and circled the room a few times, wondering if Your Highness still needed anything. Well... not long after, the people from the Imperial Household Department brought this plaque over, saying that it was personally written by His Majesty and bestowed upon Consort Lanqin."
Lanqin was stunned, not expecting so many things to have happened while she was asleep.
"Consort, you don't know, when the Imperial Household Department carried this plaque to other palaces, so many people stared in amazement. Many nannies said in private that you are the fastest consort in history to receive a reward. You were granted the title of 'Dan Shu Rou Hui' (meaning virtuous, gentle, and wise) the very first morning after you entered the palace." Baoqin was still smug and beaming with pride, eager to tell Lanqin everything she had heard.
Lanqin carefully pondered the four characters on the plaque: "Duan Shu Rou Hui" (端淑柔慧). A gentle rain caressed her heart, leaving her with an indescribable feeling—both comforting and tinged with melancholy. She wondered what fate awaited her with those four characters.
But although the Fourth Prince was still the same Fourth Prince, he was now the Emperor. Now, he could no longer easily express his true thoughts about the gifts bestowed upon him as he had before.
Sure enough, within two days, someone in the court submitted a memorial citing the fact that the Fourth Prince had bestowed a plaque upon a woman who had not yet been granted the title of Consort. The Fourth Prince intended to ignore it. Unexpectedly, more and more people submitted memorials. Some felt indignant on behalf of the Empress, some were worried about the Fourth Prince's governance, and some even directly condemned Lanqin. The words became increasingly harsh, and some even said that there were rumors circulating among the people that Lanqin was a femme fatale.
When Lanqin found out, she was very uneasy. Finally, when the Fourth Prince had some free time to come to Changchun Palace, she saw that he was indeed restless and anxious. As soon as Su Peisheng arrived, he secretly told Lanqin what had happened in the court.
Lanqin regretted not getting up earlier that day; perhaps she could have stopped the Fourth Prince from bestowing the reward, and none of this would have happened. But the Fourth Prince meant well; his feelings for her were genuine and full of love. Lanqin had no reason to blame him; she only felt sorry for him, wishing he could be free from worries and sorrows, even if it meant giving him nothing. She swallowed back all the words she was about to say about not giving the reward and not coming here.
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