After lunch, the servants carried the entire table away. Nianxue and Ziran then helped the two of them rinse their mouths and wash their hands.
Lanqin stood up, her little belly sticking out, and said contentedly, "Grandpa, I'm so happy!"
Fourth Master was also full, so he stood up, took Lanqin's little hand, and said, "You're so easily pleased. You can be so happy just from eating. Come on, let's go to the study and keep me company while I write some calligraphy and paint to help with my digestion!"
Before Lanqin could even argue about the bliss of eating, she was pulled into a side room next to the main house, where two maids were having their meal after serving their mistress.
Su Peisheng took advantage of the moment when the Fourth Master and Lanqin were eating to have his meal brought to the gatehouse in the courtyard. Because Lanqin didn't like being watched while she ate, she didn't need any eunuchs to serve her. Basically, when the master was eating, the servants who didn't need to serve her quickly took advantage of the break to fill their own stomachs (for the sake of the Fourth Master, Lanqin still kept two maids to serve her meals).
Nianxue, Xicha, Huanbi, and Ziran took turns having two people serve Lanqin and the Fourth Master their meals, while the remaining maids ate in their own bedrooms. At this moment, Xicha went to the study with Lanqin to serve them, while Nianxue and Ziran were having their meal. Huanbi was free for the time being, but she brought up the matter of bringing the meal to Nianxue.
"Sister, if it weren't for Madam Yin's maid, Shaoyao, deliberately ordering the kitchen staff around, we would have brought it back long ago," Huanbi complained, still feeling resentful.
"What is it?" Nianxue asked, looking up, but Ziran didn't answer much and continued eating her meal.
"That peony said that her princess is pregnant with the master's child and doesn't have a good appetite, and is very picky! She acts like she wants the whole kitchen to serve her princess." Huanbi said indignantly.
Nianxue thought for a moment and said to Huanbi, "Don't tell the princess these things. She's favored by the master now, and I don't know how many people have started to hate her. Besides, that one is pregnant, so it's best if we don't get into a fight with them."
Zi Ran glanced at Nian Xue and thought to herself: This one is quite sensible. She had almost finished eating and said, "Our princess now has her own courtyard, so naturally many people are envious. Don't cause trouble for the princess."
Huanbi pouted and said, "I didn't cause any trouble! Xicha and I ignored that peony, but as soon as the eunuch sent by Eunuch Su arrived, the kitchen immediately cooked for us." After saying that, she smiled smugly.
...
As soon as the Fourth Prince entered his study, he ordered Su Peisheng to summon Chen Jiabao, the eunuch in charge of cutting paper in the manor, to prepare the paper. Lanqin had already ground the ink. The Fourth Prince selected a brush with a slightly larger tip from the brush washer, dipped it in the ink, pondered for a moment, and then placed the thick ink on the Xuan paper. With fluid strokes, a poem was completed in a few strokes.
All things are present before us. Observe their movements and let them take their course. Perfect clarity and wisdom remain unblemished. Like a lotus rising from water, the lotus naturally blossoms!
"Oh dear, don't ask me if I understand what these things mean. I don't like studying poetry," Lanqin thought to herself.
The Fourth Master dismissed the servants, leaving only himself and Lanqin in the room.
"Master, with Lanqin by your side," Lanqin felt it would be inappropriate not to say something. Perhaps she could praise the calligraphy or the poetry. But Lanqin feared that such flattery would be met with the Fourth Master's question: "What's so good about it?"
Then you might as well lift a stone and smash your own foot.
So, she tried hard to recall what had happened to the Fourth Prince in the 43rd year of Kangxi's reign. Lanqin remembered that in that year, Emperor Kangxi carried out a major revision of the dictionary and specially ordered the Third Prince to preside over the compilation of the "Peiwen Yunfu" in the Hanlin Academy. For a time, the Third Prince, Yinzhi, received widespread attention.
However, it didn't work out. Fourth Master was a little depressed about this matter! In fact, Lanqin had noticed this when she was bathing with Fourth Master. He wasn't in a very good mood, but her little movements underwater seemed to make him temporarily forget his troubles.
From this poem, Lanqin could vaguely discern that the Fourth Prince was somewhat self-admiring at this time. In terms of traditional cultural attainments, the Third Prince, Yinzhi, had always been outstanding among the princes, so Emperor Kangxi naturally chose this son to oversee the compilation of the *Peiwen Yunfu*.
When Fourth Prince heard her suddenly say that, he smiled slightly, finally no longer wearing a cold expression. Just now, when he was writing, the arrogant and ruthless air on his face really reminded Lanqin of some evaluations of Yongzheng's personality—arrogant, cunning, and ruthless...
But which emperor who can do a good job isn't so lonely and uses such iron-fisted methods?
"What are you doing accompanying me, Qin'er?" Fourth Master teased her deliberately.
"Qin'er accompanies Master to eat, sleep, write, paint, ride horses, hunt, and go on outings..." Lanqin recounted everything she could do for these ancient people over the past two or three months.
"Hehe, little thing, are you telling me you want to go out for a stroll?" Fourth Master put down his brush, pulled Lanqin into his arms, and lifted her chin with his hand as he asked.
"Lanqin didn't say that, but if you're willing to take me out, I'll be overjoyed." Lanqin couldn't help but smile broadly.
"Once Honghui recovers, I'd like to take you all to stay at the estate." The Fourth Prince rarely mentioned anything in front of Lanqin, but this was the first time he had mentioned the First Prince.
Does this mean they trust her? Lanqin thought for a moment, then immediately asked, "What's wrong, First Prince? Are you feeling unwell?"
She suddenly remembered something: in the 43rd year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, Honghui, the eldest son of the Yongzheng Emperor, died young!
This thought startled her. Should she tell the Fourth Prince? She couldn't, otherwise, if it really came true, the Fourth Prince would think she was a demon! Besides, she had already transmigrated, and perhaps Honghui wouldn't have died young. Who could predict the changes that might occur?
"It's nothing serious, just a slight cough." Fourth Master's heart remained heavy as he spoke of his eldest son.
This child, raised by his wife, has become too rigid and overly thoughtful. Whenever the Fourth Prince gives him a task, Honghui does his best to complete it. Sometimes, his dedication even makes the Fourth Prince feel that he has gone too far. However, every time the Fourth Prince tells him that he doesn't need to do that, he does the same thing again next time, just like Ulanara.
Lanqin obediently remained silent, not pursuing the topic further. If she showed too much concern for the First Prince, it would only arouse speculation among others, especially his wife. Even the Fourth Prince wouldn't mention other concubines' children to his other concubines. Only to his wife would he speak of the children born to other concubines, because morally and ethically, these children belonged to his wife. And his wife's children could never be the children of concubines.
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