Regardless of their feelings, the Fourth Prince and Lanqin boarded the carriage amidst their own complex thoughts and leisurely headed towards the palace.
Lanqin sat in the carriage, overjoyed. This time, she was accompanied by Nianxue and Xicha again. They were her most trusted maids, and she could say whatever she wanted without any restraint.
"Princess, where will we stay this time in the palace?" Xi Cha's personality has never changed; besides Lan Qin, she is the happiest among them.
“I heard from Grandpa that he’s living in the place where his former brother used to live. It’s empty now.” Lanqin was holding her homemade mug, which contained “milk tea” that Niu Baoquan had made for her.
Milk, eggs, and yeast were all available, so our Comrade Lanqin couldn't resist secretly revealing a little bit of the 21st-century food secret to Old Cow Head.
Whisk the egg whites continuously to create foam, then add them to milk to make Lan's Milk Tea!
When the Fourth Prince first tasted Lanqin's milk tea, he praised her a few times. He had long been aware of this little woman's love for food and drink. The beef sauce soup cubes she brought with her on the last trip with Emperor Kangxi had played a significant role, and even Emperor Kangxi praised the food Lanqin prepared.
“Your Highness, there must be many princes living inside,” Xicha murmured.
"The Emperor said that there are only a few living there now. The fourteenth prince, who hasn't yet started his own household, the sixteenth and seventeenth princes, and the twentieth and twenty-first princes who are still babies." Lanqin thought to herself: The old man Kangxi's energy is truly extraordinary. Even at this age, he is still constantly making babies!
"Oh, Princess, can we move around the palace freely?" Xi Cha always had an infinite longing and yearning for the palace.
"You talk too much. Didn't our old nanny teach us that the palace is a forbidden area for the royal family? How can a lowly servant like you wander around like that!" Nianxue couldn't help but reprimand her.
"I was just asking casually, why are you being so fierce!" Xi Cha pouted and glanced at Nian Xue.
The three girls chatted amongst themselves, and before they knew it, the carriage had arrived at the Meridian Gate.
The eunuchs who had been waiting at the gate to welcome the Fourth Prince and his family into the palace were also there. Because it was Lanqin who was coming, Kangxi had specially instructed someone to come and pick her up.
The Fourth Prince and Lanqin followed several eunuchs through the long palace corridor, with its glazed tiles and red walls, which resembled a maze. Lanqin followed behind the Fourth Prince, once again feeling a sense of solemnity and reverence for the Forbidden City, which she had entered many times before. Each time she entered, Lanqin's feelings were different.
The Princes' Residence wasn't anything special. It was where the emperor's underage children stayed, and it consisted of courtyards connected to each other. Each prince had his own separate courtyard, and the courtyard where the Fourth Prince used to live was inside the Princes' Residence.
Lanqin and the others arrived at the Fourth Prince's residence, where they found a small courtyard with side rooms on either side of the main house. In the middle were several large vats filled with lotus flowers. As they entered, someone was cleaning the courtyard. Although it had been uninhabited for a long time, there was no sign of desolation or abandonment.
"Your Highness, there have always been people responsible for cleaning and maintenance here. There are still two people who used to serve here. Is it alright?" The eunuch's thin voice sounded a bit strange, making Lanqin shudder involuntarily. Although Su Peisheng was also a eunuch, he wasn't as effeminate as this one.
"Hmm, have them move everything in. Lan'er's things can stay in the main room with mine, and the maids can stay in the side rooms," the Fourth Prince instructed. He then turned to Lanqin and said, "I'll go pay my respects to Father Emperor first, and then go directly to the Ministry of Revenue. Lunch will be delivered. You mustn't wander around. This place is different from the manor, understand?"
"Yes, Master." Lanqin was "frightened" by the Fourth Master's serious attitude and immediately replied obediently.
After the Fourth Master left, the eunuchs carried Lanqin and the Fourth Master's belongings into the main room and then took their leave.
"Nianxue, call over those two people who used to serve the Fourth Master here!" Lanqin had just heard what the eunuch said and immediately felt a little curious.
Xi Cha put everything away, and Lan Qin also helped pack her things.
A short while later, a middle-aged woman of about thirty years old came over.
"This servant greets Princess Niu, may you be blessed!" The woman, who was quite pretty, bowed to Lanqin.
Lanqin looked at the woman and said kindly, "Granny, please don't be so formal. I just want to get familiar with the surroundings. Granny, are you an old servant who used to serve the Fourth Prince? Why haven't you left the palace?"
The middle-aged woman said, “Your Highness can call me ‘Cui Niang’. I have no relatives left outside. Although I can leave the palace when I am 25, I would rather stay here. Before, I was just a third-class maid in the Fourth Prince’s residence, responsible for the flowers and trees and cleaning in these courtyards. I was never allowed to serve the Fourth Prince, his primary wife, or Lady Li.”
Lanqin said "Oh," and asked curiously, "The primary wife and the secondary wife used to live here. What were they like back then?"
Cui Niang glanced at Lan Qin and said, "This servant has never served the primary wife and Consort Li before, so this servant has no way of knowing about their relationship."
Lanqin had only asked casually, and seeing Cui Niang's answer, she didn't ask any further questions. She said to Nianxue, "Go give Cui Niang a purse. She has managed the Fourth Prince's residence here for so many years, and she should be rewarded on behalf of the Fourth Prince."
Before Cui Niang could refuse, Nianxue had already stuffed a purse into her hand, saying, "Take it. The princess is new here and doesn't know much. Cui Niang is an old hand here, so please give her some pointers."
Seeing that she couldn't refuse, Cui Niang curtsied again before taking her leave.
"Alright, pack your things first. I'm a little tired, so I'd like to rest for a bit!" After instructing them, Lanqin went to the bed where the bedding had been changed and fell fast asleep.
The two maids were already used to Lanqin's fondness for eating and sleeping, so they packed their things and didn't go into details.
As for Cui Niang, she was still living in the Fourth Prince's courtyard in the Prince's residence, and was still in charge of all the flowers, plants and trees in the courtyard. After leaving Lanqin's place, she took the small purse and returned to her room, sitting there in a daze. After sitting for a while, she became restless and went to the window. Through the hexagonal window frame, she saw Lanqin's two maids going into the west wing.
Cui Niang frowned slightly, thinking to herself: This Lady Niu seems to be very favored by the Fourth Prince; even her maid can live in the west wing. With this question in mind, she continued to observe Nianxue and Xicha's behavior.
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