The imperial entourage traveled for seven days before finally arriving in Jinan. Emperor Kangxi planned to stay there for a while to replenish his supplies of food and charcoal before continuing his journey. The prefect of Jinan had prior knowledge of the emperor's arrival and had arranged for the local gentry to vacate some houses for the emperor and his retinue.
The local gentry naturally knew this was a golden opportunity to pave the way for their own advancement, and none of them refused. Even so, the entire imperial procession waited in the suburbs for a whole day before gradually entering Jinan Prefecture and heading to their respective residences.
Everyone from the Fourth Prince's residence was assigned to a family surnamed "Lu." Lanqin and the others were led by an official dispatched by the Prefect of Jinan Prefecture into a large mansion with gates at the front and back, and also doors on the left and right. The houses inside were ornately decorated, and maids, all dressed in uniform, stood with their heads bowed at the entrance. Entering the main room, they saw that although the furnishings were not as grand as those of the Fourth Prince's residence, they were by no means shabby. Lanqin exclaimed, "What a wealthy family! Look at the several genuine works of Mi Fu hanging on the walls; it seems this family is quite well-off."
Because the Fourth Prince was busy accompanying Emperor Kangxi to meet with officials from Jinan Prefecture, he had already sent word that they could stay at the Lu family's residence. The residence had everything they needed, and they only needed to instruct the servants to do their work.
Lanqin and her maid chose a small courtyard on the east side to stay in. Yan Yu chose a large courtyard on the west side to stay in. Each of them had their own thoughts, which need not be elaborated further.
Kangxi's residence was naturally the official residence of the Prefect of Jinan Prefecture. The place was heavily guarded, and people came and went, all hoping to take the opportunity to see the emperor, express their loyalty and achievements, and leave an impression on the emperor in order to pave the way for future promotions.
Kangxi was exhausted from his journey and would not meet with anyone on the first day, leaving the Fourth Prince and other princes to deal with the officials and gentry who came to pay their respects.
At this moment, Emperor Kangxi was leaning back in his armchair, letting Consort Lan massage his back while he closed his eyes to rest.
"What's wrong? Something on your mind?" Kangxi noticed that Holland's pressure was fluctuating, as if he was thinking about something, and asked.
"Your Majesty, I was momentarily lost in thought. Please forgive me!" Holland hurriedly concealed the fear in her heart, never expecting Kangxi to be so perceptive.
"Is Lanqin your sister?" Kangxi asked.
"Yes, she is indeed my sister. We grew up together since childhood and were always inseparable in the mansion. Now that she has married the Fourth Prince and become a princess, we sisters rarely see each other anymore." Holland answered Kangxi's question carefully. She had just been lost in thought about the rumor circulating in the imperial procession.
"Then you can summon her to come and keep you company more. Now that you're not in the palace, I allow you sisters to see each other often, and you can even have her come and live here with you." Kangxi really thought that Holland was thinking of her sisterly affection for Lanqin, but in fact she was reminding Lanqin that she was still her younger sister and the princess of the Fourth Prince.
Emperor Kangxi was indeed unaware of this, because no one would dare to spread such rumors in front of him, and thus he was oblivious to the Dutch's ulterior motives.
"Thank you, Your Majesty. Then I will have someone summon my sister tomorrow to have a chat," Holland said, having made up her mind.
After serving Emperor Kangxi until his afternoon nap, Holland paced back and forth in her assigned room, pondering how to speak to Lanqin the next day. She absolutely could not allow Lanqin to one day actually enter the palace and see her again.
"My lord, it's time to take your medicine," said the palace maid Huian, who walked up behind Holland with a bowl of brown liquid.
"Hmm, give it to me. This medicine is so bitter I almost vomited up my bile! I don't even know if it will work, sigh!" Holland took the bowl of medicine, frowned, and drank it down.
"Your Excellency, I just saw Consort Hui heading towards the Emperor's direction!" Hui'an reported.
"Hmph, she just loves to pick up the scraps!" Holland said disdainfully. "There are people watching everywhere in the palace. This prescription that Mother gave us is only being used now. It would be best if she conceived during the Emperor's travels!"
"My lady, there's no need to be anxious. The Emperor has only brought you and Consort Hui with him. This will give you many more opportunities to serve him than in the palace. As long as you take your medicine on time, you will definitely conceive a royal heir!" Huian comforted her.
"I hope so. There's still my good sister, isn't there? She's really restless. She actually flirted with the Emperor right in front of the Fourth Prince. It's infuriating!" Holland believed that Lanqin was deliberately trying to attract Kangxi's attention, and was convinced that Lanqin coveted the wealth and status in the palace. "She failed in the initial selection, and this time she actually caught the Emperor's attention. It's truly hateful!"
Huian glanced cautiously at Holland and said, "Your Majesty, Princess Niu is, after all, the Fourth Prince's daughter. Surely the Emperor wouldn't do something like stealing a woman from his son." She lowered her voice as she spoke the last few words.
Holland glanced outside the door and said in a low voice, "We can't do it openly, but can't we do it secretly? Who can say for sure what's going on inside the palace?"
Hui'an lowered her head and thought for a moment before saying, "Princess, why did you ask Princess Niu to come tomorrow?"
"I'm testing her feelings. If she doesn't reciprocate, I have nothing to worry about. But if she does, don't blame me for disregarding our sisterly bond," Holland said bitterly. It seemed she had been clinging to sisterly affection for Lanqin all along.
As for Consort Hui, seeing that Emperor Kangxi was resting, she quietly walked to the bedside and picked up a palm-leaf fan to fan him. Looking at the elderly man sleeping on the bed, the most powerful person in the world who held the power of life and death over everyone, his joys and sorrows determined the joys and sorrows of everyone around him. And she was only seventeen, in the prime of her youth, a budding flower, yet she was slowly wasting her best years by the side of a man who didn't particularly cherish her!
Consort Hui, surnamed Cao, came from the Cao family of Nanyue under the Han Banner. This family's rise to power was shrouded in mystery; they possessed immense wealth, owning vast estates in Hubei, Hunan, and Jiangxi provinces. Many of their young members entered officialdom, and every three years, women from the Cao family were selected for the imperial concubine selection. Cao Peining was one of them, and she is now Consort Hui. Cao Peining had an oval face, willow-leaf eyebrows, long eyes, and a delicate, pointed nose—a typical southern beauty, gentle and charming. While not as strikingly beautiful as Holland, she possessed a unique allure in her every gesture.
"You've arrived?" Emperor Kangxi slowly woke up on the bed, looked up and saw Consort Hui, and said lazily.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I noticed a slight sheen of sweat on your forehead, so I thought I'd fan you a little. Besides, I have nothing else to do while I'm sitting here," Consort Hui said obediently. The words she had uttered when Emperor Kangxi had a fever that day had caused her to be neglected by the Emperor for several days.
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