"It's nothing, I was just a little distracted," Lanqin said, regaining her composure.
"Your Majesty, something's not right. You looked very frightened just now. Your Majesty, what are you afraid of?" Cui Niang wasn't so easily fooled. She was now a mother of several children and over forty years old; she knew exactly what was going on.
The expression on Lanqin's face just now puzzled Cui Niang. Now, Lanqin is the Noble Consort Xi, in charge of the Emperor's harem. Although she is not the Empress, she is in fact the mistress of the harem.
What else could make Lanqin so afraid?
Lanqin looked at Cui Niang's worried face and pondered how to answer her question.
"I'm worried about Hongli. His household is also in turmoil. Now that Consort Su is pregnant, I hope she can give birth to this child safely," Lanqin said. She thought to herself that she was not yet forty, but was already going to be a grandmother.
Only then did Cui Niang believe it, and said, "Your Majesty is overthinking it. This servant thinks that the principal wife, Fucha Mingyu, still likes our Fourth Prince very much. As for the secondary wife, Ulanara Xueying, she wouldn't dare to do anything. Hasn't the Fourth Prince always been wary of her?"
“Cui Niang, I am not worried about Ulanara, but about Hongli’s primary consort, Fucha.” Lanqin sighed, “Think about when our Empress first married the Emperor, she wasn’t this ruthless and crazy.”
Cui Niang nodded and said, "I remember when I first went to serve her at the Prince's residence, she was very devoted to the Emperor and kind to the servants. I never imagined she would end up like this."
“That’s why I’m worried about her. The deeper Hongli’s feelings for her, the more she’ll want everything. Fucha doesn’t seem to be very adaptable. If Hongli were an ordinary prince, I would let them be together for life, but Hongli is destined to be no ordinary person,” Lanqin said.
“Your Majesty is right to worry. Granny Liu is an old woman, she will keep a close eye on Princess Su. Your Majesty need not worry too much,” said Cui Niang.
"Yes, I hope Fucha Mingyu won't disappoint me," Lanqin said.
"Your Majesty, Princess Qingyuan, Princess Qingping, and Princess Qingshun are all of marriageable age. What are your plans?" Cui Niang asked, bringing up the three princesses again.
“Initially, His Majesty brought them into the palace for the purpose of pacifying the distant lands through marriage. But now, the borders are peaceful and there is no war, so the matter of pacifying the distant lands through marriage has been put aside,” Lanqin said. “Although the three princesses are not my biological children, they have been raised in my palace for two years, and I now regard them as my own.”
“Indeed, I see them coming to pay their respects to Your Highness every day, showing you great respect. Your Highness still needs to worry about them,” said Cui Niang.
"Yes. I will bring this up with the Emperor when I find an opportunity. The marriages of the three princesses must be put on the agenda. Otherwise, I'm afraid some people will say that I don't care about the princesses," Lanqin said.
Just then, the three princesses entered from outside. They were all of marriageable age and in their early twenties.
"Your Majesty!" Princess Qingyuan was the first to curtsy and greet her.
"May Your Majesty be blessed." Princess Qingping and Princess Qingshun also quickly followed suit and bowed.
"Speak of the devil, and he appears. Her Majesty was just talking about the princesses," Cui Niang teased.
"What did Her Majesty say about us?" Qing Shun walked to Lan Qin's side and snuggled close to her. She was the youngest and usually the most dependent on others. Lan Qin was very kind to them all, and gradually, the three princesses, especially Qing Shun, became increasingly reliant on Lan Qin.
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