“Your Majesty, Consort Hui has arrived,” Liang Jiugong said to Kangxi. The latter was sitting behind a long table temporarily set up in the imperial tent, reading a book, with one hand propped on his forehead.
"Let her in." Kangxi didn't look up, but simply lowered the hand that had been supporting his forehead; his headache had flared up again. Although the accompanying doctor had just given him acupuncture, which had provided some relief, each flare-up was still so painful that he wished he could bang his head against the wall.
A series of tapping sounds came from outside to inside. Consort Hui, dressed in a light apricot-colored cheongsam, had her hair styled in a unique updo, adorned with exquisite pearls and jade on both sides, making her look exceptionally dignified and graceful.
"Greetings to Your Majesty! May Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings!" Consort Hui raised the moon-white handkerchief in her hand and bowed to Emperor Kangxi.
"Peining, come here, come to me!" Kangxi squinted at the beautiful woman in palace attire in front of him and beckoned her over.
Consort Hui immediately and obediently walked to Kangxi's side and sat down next to him.
"Come, help me turn the pages of the book. I love reading with you in my arms." Kangxi suddenly pulled Consort Hui into his embrace, inhaling the fragrance and softness of her body. A strange light flickered in his eyes, but Consort Hui had her back to Kangxi and was destined not to see it. Meanwhile, Suoqiu and Liang Jiugong stood to the side with their heads bowed, like wooden stakes, unable to see or hear anything.
"Your Majesty, I obey!" The nightingale-like voice sounded so sweet that it was impossible not to fall into the gentle embrace of this woman.
That afternoon, Kangxi ordered them to continue their journey. Consort Cao spent the whole day in the imperial carriage, sharing the same carriage and bed with Kangxi. In an instant, she replaced Holland's position.
Meanwhile, on Fourth Master's side, they found a small village to rest in. In order not to disturb the villagers, Fourth Master did not enter the village, but rested outside. The five hundred guards, in strict discipline, allowed Fourth Master to sit down and rest on the spot.
Lanqin and Yanyu were settled in a small, dilapidated house, with some dry food on a table in front of them. Lanqin looked at the food but had no appetite. Unfortunately, she had run out of the pastries she had brought with her, and now that they were in a run-down village, there was no tavern to be found.
"What are these?" Yan Yu asked, frowning. "How can we eat these? I don't want to eat them."
Lanqin glanced at the delicate face opposite her and smiled slightly, saying, "Master is currently escorting Consort Lan back to Jinan. In order to treat her as soon as possible, he dares not delay and there's nowhere to buy any medicine. Please make do with what you have, Princess Yanyu." Although Lanqin herself didn't really want to eat, she couldn't help but persuade her after hearing Yanyu's complaint. She didn't want any more small matters to trouble the Fourth Master.
"Then why aren't you eating? Eat!" Yan Yu felt a pang of sadness at the thought that she was enduring such coarse food for the sake of Consort Lan. If it weren't for the Niu sisters, she wouldn't be here eating these unpalatable dry rations.
"I'll eat!" Lanqin smiled and picked up a steamed bun from the table to start eating.
Seeing that she actually picked up a bun and started eating, Yan Yu, not wanting the Fourth Master to see her lagging behind Lan Qin, immediately picked up a bun and started eating as well. Nian Xue and the other maids sat around and ate buns and dried meat.
The Fourth Prince and several guards, including Li Wei, who had brought him from the Fourth Prince's residence, were standing on a large blue stone. Su Peisheng stood to one side, watching their surroundings. Clearly, the Fourth Prince had ordered him to keep watch and prevent anyone from approaching or overhearing their conversation.
"Li Wei, do you understand? Just do as I just said. Su Peisheng will accompany you to deliver Holland to the Jinan Prefectural Governor's office, and then you'll be safe. He'll arrange everything." Fourth Master had made up his mind, and he even decided not to bring Su Peisheng along. He would have him go back with Li Wei to avoid arousing suspicion.
"Master, this servant will certainly live up to your trust." Although Li Wei had only been with the Fourth Master for a short time, the two seemed to hit it off immediately and quickly recognized each other as trustworthy people to whom they could entrust things.
Their relationship was more than just that of master and servant; it was more like that of close friends. Looking at the Fourth Prince, who always acted with ruthless efficiency, Li Wei could hardly believe that he had become such a trusted confidant.
Lanqin munched on her steamed bun while glancing sideways at Fourth Master standing on the large blue stone outside the house. Since last night, she hadn't had a chance to be alone with him to ask what had happened. And why was the person who helped her catch the thief on the street standing next to him?
Yan Yu noticed Lan Qin's gaze and curled her lips into a mocking smile, saying, "I'm not dried meat, you can't eat me like this!"
Lanqin was taken aback, but immediately understood what she meant and retorted, "I love watching! What are you going to do about it?"
Yan Yu didn't expect Lan Qin to start acting like a scoundrel. Her tone was truly hateful, but she couldn't find any words to retaliate. Speechless for a moment, she angrily threw the steamed bun in her hand to the ground.
Unexpectedly, the Fourth Master happened to be looking in their direction at that moment and saw Yan Yu throw the steamed bun on the ground.
After resting for half an hour, everyone returned to their respective carriages and continued their journey to Jinan.
"Princess, you really angered Princess Yan Yu just now!" Xi Cha replaced Nian Xue and helped Lan Qin into the car.
"Hehe, is that so? I was just saying it offhand. She's prone to tantrums, I can't be bothered with her." Lanqin, with the heart of a tomboy, had long been disgusted by Yan Yu's pretentious behavior as the class beauty.
"Yes, Princess, you should rest for a while. You've been running for several hours straight." Xicha said with concern.
Lanqin nodded, but in the end she still didn't have a chance to say a few words to the Fourth Master, and so she got back into the carriage.
"Lan'er!" A soft call was heard from outside the carriage window; it was none other than the Fourth Master's voice.
Lanqin quickly raised the carriage window, and a familiar face was looking at her from outside. Fourth Master rode his horse alongside Lanqin's carriage, the two of them keeping a distance of about 60 or 70 centimeters, silently watching each other, neither of them uttering a word first.
"Fourth Master!"
"Lan'er!"
They both spoke in unison, and at that moment, a feeling of emotion arose in their hearts, a feeling called tacit understanding filled their chests.
"Lan'er, I don't have time to say more to you. Remember, do everything according to the instructions in this letter. Also, trust me! Can you do it?" Fourth Master said.
Lanqin took the envelope from Fourth Master's hand, nodded to him without even looking at it, and said excitedly, "My lord, Consort Hui is highly suspicious. I'll be waiting for you in Jinan!"
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