Lady Nian had been ill for a long time and had been bedridden. The Fourth Prince ordered the imperial physicians to take good care of her, but her condition did not improve. Not long after, the Fourth Prince took away Lady Nian's power to manage the harem because she was too ill to attend to the affairs of the harem, and handed it over to Lanqin.
Although Mr. Nian was unwilling, he was too busy to take care of himself and had no choice but to compromise.
That day, it rained early in the morning. At first, it was just a light drizzle, but then it grew heavier and heavier, gradually becoming a downpour. The rain poured down like pillars, and countless streams of water splashed down the roof tiles, making the iron mortar on the eaves clang. The fresh scent of grass and trees filled the air with the moisture from the rain, creating a cool and refreshing fragrance.
Lanqin, having nothing to do, stared blankly at the raindrops. Baoqin took the seal of authority over the harem and excitedly handed it to Lanqin. Lanqin glanced at it indifferently, pointed to a spot, and casually said, "Just put it there..."
Holding the zither in her arms, she gently wiped her lips and pouted, saying, "If Consort Nian hadn't been ill for so long, she would never have given this seal to Your Highness..."
Lanqin was taken aback. She glanced at the sky and said softly, "Go get an umbrella and come out with me..."
Baoqin looked outside in surprise and asked in confusion, "It's raining so hard outside, where is Your Highness going?"
Lanqin turned her head slightly and said, "Yikun Palace!"
The Yikun Palace was filled with the scent of herbs. Upon seeing Lanqin's arrival, the palace servants bowed timidly and respectfully. Lanqin led her entourage into Lady Nian's bedchamber, and just as she was about to enter, she heard Lady Nian coughing incessantly…
Seeing that the imperial physician had not yet left, Lanqin asked softly, "How is Consort Nian's illness? Has it improved?"
Upon seeing Lanqin, the imperial physician immediately knelt down to pay his respects. Lanqin offered a slight gesture of support, and the physician cautiously replied, "Her Highness the Consort suffers from accumulated emotional distress, compounded by imbalances in her Qi and blood, and excessive grief, which is why she has been ill for so long… Your humble servant…"
Lady Nian glanced sideways at Lanqin, interrupting the imperial physician, and said angrily, "What are you doing here? My illness doesn't need your feigned concern..."
The imperial physician was startled. Lanqin waved for him to leave and was about to approach Lady Nian when Baoqin warily reminded her. Lanqin smiled and whispered, "It's alright, I just want to talk to her..."
Lady Nian's eyes blazed with fury, but she was too weak to do anything but glare at Lanqin. Lanqin slowly approached, her eyes filled with concern as she asked, "I just came to see you..." Lanqin paused, seemingly realizing she had no other reason to visit Lady Nian, and added, "It's also to discuss matters of the harem with you..."
Lady Nian glared fiercely at Lanqin, then turned and sneered, "You'd be so kind? Hmph... I think you came here specifically to laugh at me..."
Lanqin sighed helplessly, understanding Nian's feelings, and simply smiled faintly, "Whether you believe it or not, I really have no other intention than to advise you to let go of your worries as soon as possible and take good care of yourself..."
Lady Nian burst into laughter, sneering, "You're like a weasel offering itself to a chicken—you're up to no good! The one who most hopes for my downfall is you, Lanqin..." She then glared at Lanqin and spat, "Aren't you afraid of retribution..."
Baoqin was furious. Lanqin had been humiliated for no reason, and she was so angry that her eyebrows stood on end. Lanqin, however, was unconcerned. She nodded and sighed, saying, "We are both mothers. I understand how you feel about losing a child. If you really hate me that much, you should focus on recovering, even if it's just for Hongfu's sake..."
Suddenly enraged, Lady Nian pointed at Lanqin and shouted, "I forbid you to mention my son!"
Lanqin, startled, took a slight step back, then stepped forward with her zither to support her, advising, "Your Highness, let's go. We don't need to waste our breath arguing with someone who doesn't appreciate kindness..."
Lanqin glanced at the crazed Nian Shi and remained silent.
Empress Nian trembled, her eyes red, and she cursed, "Get out! All of you, get out of here!"
Seeing that Madam Nian was quite ill, Lanqin didn't hold her rudeness against her. She simply took Baoqin and silently withdrew, disappearing into the rain...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
