Although they had a map, and the leading fisherwoman had been in the Yuanmingyuan for a long time, the Yuanmingyuan was so large that they had not yet walked through the entire place.
In order to gain a better understanding and to ensure the smoother operation, they needed to have a comprehensive understanding of the Yuanmingyuan.
The group whispered a few more words, and when they heard footsteps approaching, they quickly put away the map and cautiously looked outside the artificial hill.
Several eunuchs hurried by outside, unaware of the situation.
The group exchanged glances, decided not to linger any longer, and picked up their food boxes to head outside.
They mingled behind another group of palace maids and hurried forward.
The large characters "Jiuzhou Qingyan" caught their eye. The group stopped outside and looked into the distance. Thinking that the Tartar emperor was inside, and that going in now would only be suicide, they suppressed their impulse and walked towards Fuhai again.
To familiarize themselves with the terrain, they had already inquired with the kitchen staff about the exact location of the lotus viewing party: Pengdao Yaotai in Fuhai. The place was in the center of Fuhai, with an excellent environment; from afar, a vast expanse of lotus leaves set off the delicate pink lotus blossoms, a truly beautiful sight.
The group had no interest in the scenery; instead, they observed the guards patrolling around Fuhai Lake and, sure enough, saw quite a few guards patrolling along the lake.
The group exchanged glances, then lowered their heads and hurried past.
Even before reaching Penglai Island, we could see several squads of guards patrolling the outskirts. Once we got to the island, there would be even more guards.
Not wanting to linger by the lake, the group quickly avoided the guards and left.
In a side hall of Jiuzhou Qingyan, Lanqin was greeting several wives. Lanqin and Yuxiao had their maids bring up lunch, which was Lanqin's favorite food.
“It’s hot in the summer, so I don’t like to eat anything too oily. I’ve prepared the dishes rather lightly. I wonder if you ladies will find them to be palatable?” Lanqin asked them with concern.
The group exchanged glances and said with smiles, "Your Majesty is too kind. Judging from how exquisite these dishes are, we know they must taste excellent."
Dishes such as Duck Treasure, Crispy Golden Bird, and Lotus Seed Tofu were served on the table. As someone who served the emperor's favorite concubine, and given Lanqin's particular taste in food, the dishes looked incredibly appetizing. Lanqin said, "Don't be shy, just eat like you're at home."
The group nodded. Seeing that Lanqin had no airs of a master and was so close to them, they began to admire her and became more and more casual with her.
Seeing this scene, Seventh Prince Consort Xinyi sighed, "The Emperor only invited a few princes to this lotus appreciation party for Your Highness. I heard that none of the empresses in the palace came, but I also heard that Consort Nian came."
When the name Nian was mentioned, Lanqin paused with her chopsticks, then picked up some vegetables and said with a smile, "The Emperor dotes on Consort Nian, so it's only right that she comes."
She actually organized the lotus appreciation party herself, but it was with the permission of the Fourth Prince, and she invited many people in his own name. To outsiders, this was the Fourth Prince giving Lanqin a lot of face.
Consort Shuhui, the tenth concubine, smiled and said, "Even if His Majesty favors Consort Nian, I feel he favors you even more, Your Majesty!"
Speaking of favored concubines, the Thirteenth Prince's wife, Wenxiu, thought of someone and said, "Your Highness, do you still remember Zhao Si'er?"
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