"No need, we'll be setting off soon, there'll be plenty of time to sleep." Lanqin smiled as she saw Fourth Master walking towards her.
Before Nianxue could say anything more, she saw that the Fourth Master had already walked over, so she swallowed her words. After exchanging greetings with the Fourth Master, Nianxue tactfully stepped aside.
"Come on, shall we go for a walk together?" Fourth Master said.
Lanqin nodded obediently and immediately followed the blue robe hem towards the field. Su Peisheng and Nianxue followed at a distance, afraid of disturbing them. Because of the Dutch situation, Lanqin had been staying in her carriage, making it difficult for her to see the Fourth Prince. Even when she slept in her own tent at night, the Fourth Prince didn't stay with Lanqin every day. Firstly, he had many matters to attend to, and by the time he finished, Lanqin was already asleep. Secondly, there was also Princess Yanyu, and he couldn't exclusively dote on Lanqin while completely neglecting her.
“Miss Nianxue, you seem to have something on your mind. Why don’t you speak up, and I’ll listen,” Su Peisheng said, observing Nianxue’s expression. He was a shrewd person; he could discern clues from a person’s expressions and actions. Although he had been following behind Fourth Master, Nianxue’s expression hadn’t escaped his notice.
"Thank you, Eunuch Su. It's all because of my princess. Sigh, ever since she accompanied Consort Lan, she's lost weight and hasn't been getting enough rest. She's also been worrying about the master. It really breaks my heart to see her like this." Nianxue was thinking of Lanqin, seeing how constrained she was in the Dutch carriage and how she had to chat with Kangxi from time to time, she must have been under a lot of pressure. Although Lanqin didn't say anything back in her tent and still seemed cheerful in front of the Fourth Prince, Nianxue could tell that Lanqin wasn't as happy as before.
"I can offer advice on other matters, but I'm powerless to help with this. She's a noble person of the Emperor, and even the Master treats her with utmost respect," Su Peisheng said.
"Yes, sigh, anyway, Gege is in trouble this time." Nianxue sighed.
Meanwhile, Lanqin was holding Fourth Master's hand as they strolled aimlessly along the country path where a gentle breeze was blowing. It had been quite a few days since they had had a chance to walk outside like this. Lanqin couldn't help but ask, "Master, how much longer do we have to travel? Is our next stop 'Zhengzhou'?"
Fourth Master was already used to Lanqin spouting words he'd never heard of before. He squinted at his surroundings and said, "Yes, the next stop is 'Zhengzhou.' This place is the heartland of the Qing Dynasty. The Yellow River makes a loop around Zhengzhou before heading towards Shandong, and then enters the Bohai Bay from Kenli County's Yellow River Estuary Town."
Lanqin saw some foxtail grass, quickly reached out and plucked a few stalks, then, following her childhood memory, she put the foxtail grass in her mouth and made a funny face, which made Fourth Master laugh.
"I really want to know how Lingzhu raised you. How could a young lady like you make such a strange face?" Fourth Master deliberately teased.
"Didn't you just laugh? You were clearly happy, yet you had to say such hurtful things to me. Humph, I'm ignoring you!" With that, Lanqin deliberately ran a few steps forward and pulled the Fourth Master behind her.
Unbeknownst to them, every smile and gesture of the two on the ridge was being observed by two pairs of venomous eyes. Narayanyu was currently standing under a large tree by the edge of the ridge, enjoying the shade, watching the two people walking on the ridge with eyes that seemed to want to devour them.
"Princess, this Princess Niu really doesn't forget to seduce the master for a moment. Originally, the emperor ordered her to accompany the pregnant Consort Lan, so that the master could take the opportunity to get closer to the master." Chun Tao said in a flattering tone, seeing the hatred in Yan Yu's eyes.
"Hmph, look at her, how she knows how to seduce men, she's really disgusting." Yan Yu said resentfully after Chun Tao's provocation.
"Oh, Princess Yan Yu certainly knows how to choose a spot. This place is quite cool, isn't it?" A soft and gentle voice sounded from behind her.
"This humble servant greets Consort Hui. May Consort Hui be well and live a long and peaceful life!" Yan Yu turned to the side and saw Consort Hui walking past, supported by Suo Qiu. She then curtsied and said this. She knew that Consort Hui had always been on good terms with Lan Qin, so she felt a little worried about whether Consort Hui had seen what she had just said.
"Sister, you are too polite. Please get up." Consort Hui helped her up, and after she stood up, she said, "Sister, you are the sister of the Fourth Prince's wife, and you are so beautiful and charming. Even I think you are a real beauty."
Yan Yu followed Consort Hui a few steps and replied, "Thank you for the compliment, sister. You are truly beautiful."
Consort Hui smiled and said, "It's a pity that the Emperor favors the Niohuru sisters. Even though she is as beautiful as the younger sister, she has to be inferior to Niohuru Lanqin. It's such a pity."
Yan Yu was a person who cared a lot about her reputation. When Consort Hui spoke so frankly about her sore spot, she immediately lost face and said in a cold voice, "I am suddenly a little tired, so I will not accompany Consort Hui for a walk. I will go back to rest first."
Consort Hui, however, said unconcernedly, "Is my sister angry that I spoke so bluntly? I was just feeling sorry for you, and I didn't mean to be sarcastic. Besides, my situation is similar to yours, so why would I ridicule you?"
Yan Yu's initial feelings of shame and indignation eased slightly because of her words. She said with a hint of resentment, "The Niu sisters are currently enjoying great favor, but good fortune doesn't always favor them."
Consort Hui's eyes flashed, and she replied, "That's right, what you said is exactly what I was thinking. In fact, as far as I know, the Niu sisters are not as good as they seem on the surface. Although they are sisters, Consort Lan is mean-spirited and narrow-minded. She is only holding onto Lan Qin now to secure her favor."
Yan Yu had never heard such words before and was secretly surprised. She hurriedly said, "So they are not sisters after all. They really know how to act. I thought they were really good sisters." When she said this, she did not believe that she had any sisterly affection for the Fujin.
Consort Hui smiled flawlessly and said, "Tell me, what would it be like if Consort Lan lost her child because of Lan Qin? It's really funny to even think about it."
Yan Yu glanced at Consort Hui and sneered inwardly: "What a clever Consort Hui! She wants me to get rid of Consort Lan's child and frame Niu Shi. What a scheme to kill two birds with one stone!"
"Sister, you must be joking. Why would Niu want to get rid of her own sister's child? It wouldn't do her any good, and it would only cause her a lot of trouble," Yan Yu said, feigning ignorance.
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