Lanqin carefully observed the room that Fourth Master had meticulously prepared for her.
Suddenly, everyone stopped laughing and lowered their heads in silence. Lanqin was startled and turned to the side, whereupon Fourth Master opened his arms and embraced her tightly.
The Fourth Prince buried his head in the crook of Lanqin's neck and whispered, "I missed you so much..."
A warm current swept through Lanqin's heart, soft as a feather, light and languid! Lanqin raised her hand to hug the Fourth Prince's waist, leaned on his shoulder, smelled the familiar scent, and said sweetly, "Qin'er missed the Emperor too..."
As the auspicious hour approached, Fourth Master released Lanqin, took her hand, walked to the center of the hall, and sat down.
All the ladies of the harem arrived, except for the Empress and Lady Nian. The Fourth Prince's expression showed slight displeasure, but Lanqin immediately smiled and said, "When I returned to the palace, I should have personally paid my respects to Her Majesty the Empress at Jingren Palace. It was my oversight! Besides, Her Majesty the Empress is unwell. She is the head of the palace, while Lanqin is merely a concubine. Your Majesty need not take offense..."
Fourth Master smiled with satisfaction at Lanqin, and held her hand tightly, which made all the sisters extremely envious.
Baoqin walked briskly to Lanqin's side and reminded her with a smile, "Your Highness, let me help you change your clothes! The ceremony is about to begin..."
Fourth Master reluctantly let go of Lanqin's hand. Thinking of their long separation, he didn't want to leave Lanqin for even a quarter of an hour. Lanqin winked shyly at Fourth Master and, with the help of Baoqin and Yuxiao, went to wash and dress.
After a while, Lanqin, dressed in her finest attire and surrounded by palace maids, finally appeared before the Fourth Prince!
The Fourth Prince saw that Lanqin was even more beautiful and elegant than before, and his eyes were filled with tender affection and longing. Wu Shi, who was below, saw this clearly and was secretly pleased, signaling to the other concubines.
Song, quick to speak, smiled and bowed to the Fourth Prince, saying, "Her Majesty is like Guanyin descending to earth; the Emperor is almost unable to tear himself away..."
Lanqin blushed, and her smile became even more pronounced.
The Minister of Rites arrived at Changchun Palace with the prepared imperial edict. At the Fourth Prince's signal, he began to read the edict of conferment. Lanqin rose and knelt before him, and the Fourth Prince's gaze never left her.
"I, the Emperor, praise the court for its prosperity and blessings, relying entirely on your gentle virtue. I hereby bestow upon you a title to share this glory. You, Consort Xi, of the Niohuru clan, are gentle, respectful, and virtuous, with a compassionate heart and a benevolent spirit. You risked your own life to protect my safety; your will and heart are worthy of being a model for the six palaces. Therefore, I hereby bestow upon you the title of Second Rank Consort, and further elevate your rank to Noble Consort. May you always be respectful and reverent, receiving the newly renewed blessings, and further extending your gentle virtue and boundless grace. Respectfully yours." The edict of conferment was no longer important. Lanqin was now a legitimate Noble Consort, of the same rank as Consort Nian, and no longer needed to worry about being oppressed or bullied by her. This was enough. Lanqin gratefully kowtowed three times and nine times to the Fourth Prince, shouting "Long live the Emperor!"
The Fourth Prince reached out and helped Lanqin up, standing shoulder to shoulder with her. Everyone congratulated Lanqin, and her title was changed to "Consort Xi". Lanqin and the Fourth Prince smiled at each other, feeling incredibly happy.
It was getting late, and it was inconvenient for the Fourth Prince to linger any longer. Seeing that the Fourth Prince was reluctant to leave, Lanqin tugged at his sleeve and whispered when no one was looking, "Your Highness, please go and attend to your business. If you stay any longer, I'm afraid I'll be accused of interfering with the Emperor's affairs! I was only recently made a Noble Consort by Your Highness, and I don't want to become the subject of gossip so soon after taking office..."
The Fourth Prince couldn't help but chuckle, and murmured, "I wish I could spend all my time with you! I don't care about the rumors and gossip, as long as you are of one mind with me, I will be content!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
