"Well, I once saw a map of the Forbidden City in the Master's study, so I definitely won't get lost," Lanqin said evasively.
After Nianxue said "Oh," she followed Lanqin and wandered around the city.
Unfortunately, our Comrade Lanqin's memory wasn't that good, and besides, the Forbidden City three hundred years later is quite different from the Forbidden City now.
The master and servant walked back and forth along the palace path, but could not see the Yonghe Palace. The more they walked, the less they wanted to go. They came to a palace and saw three large characters at the entrance of the courtyard: "Shufangzhai".
Wow, this is Shufangzhai! The place where Little Swallow and Princess Huanzhu stayed!
Lanqin blurted out excitedly, without considering whether Nianxue next to her could understand.
"Princess, who is Little Swallow? Is she also a princess?" Nianxue couldn't help but ask when she saw Lanqin's beaming face, thinking that she knew that Little Swallow princess.
"Um, Nianxue, I've noticed you're being unusually talkative today," Lanqin scolded, then dragged Nianxue into Shufangzhai.
"Princess, we don't even know where we are. It wouldn't be wise to just barge in like this," Nianxue said worriedly, seeing Lanqin's boldness. This wasn't the Fourth Prince's residence; how could they just barge in like this?
"It's alright, it's probably where the princess lives. There's nothing wrong with us going in to pay our respects." Lanqin was really thinking about "Princess Pearl," hoping she might actually get to meet her!
Oh my god~ Our Lanqin is so focused on Xiao Yanzi that she doesn't even realize it's the Kangxi era! Aunt Qiong Yao's "Princess Pearl" is set during the Qianlong era—a whole different generation!!
The master and servant entered Shufangzhai, only to find that the houses in this courtyard were unlike any Lanqin had ever seen. The main house was in the middle, with all the side houses surrounding it.
"As expected, she's the center of attention! It seems that Princess Huanzhu holds a very special place in the Emperor's heart," Lanqin murmured to herself.
Nian Xuejian looked completely bewildered by what Lan Qin was saying.
"Who are you? Why are you barging in?" Suddenly the door to the main room opened, and a palace maid carrying a basket came out. Seeing Lanqin and her servants standing there dumbfounded, she asked.
"We're lost and tired. Could we please rest here for a while?" Lanqin offered.
“Princess, didn’t you say you wouldn’t get lost?” Nianxue was stunned when Lanqin said she was lost.
"This is not a place for you to rest. Quickly leave, or you will offend an important person and suffer the consequences." The palace maid saw that Lanqin and her servants were unfamiliar faces. She thought for a moment and realized that there was no one like her among the emperor's concubines. Looking at their attire, she guessed that they were relatives of the imperial family or ministers who had come to the wrong place. However, anyone who could enter the Forbidden City was someone she could not afford to offend, so she spoke with a certain degree of politeness.
"Qiuyue, don't be so hasty. What's wrong with letting them come in and rest for a while?" A soft, sweet voice came from inside the room.
The woman named Qiuyue hesitated for a moment, then said loudly to Lanqin, "The esteemed lady invites you in, please."
"Thank you so much, sir!" Lanqin pulled the hesitant Nianxue along and strode to the entrance of the main hall. There, they saw a row of chrysanthemums in all sorts of colors, each one more beautiful than the last.
Just as Lanqin was about to step into the palace, the word "noble lady" flashed through her mind. She thought to herself: Could it be that the person living here is not a princess, but one of Kangxi's concubines?
"Sister, I wonder which distinguished guest is staying here? When we meet, Lanqin will be able to greet them properly," Lanqin asked tentatively.
“This is the residence of the noble lady,” Qiuyue said.
"Noble Lady Hua?" Lanqin repeated in confusion before following Qiuyue into the main house.
A woman of unparalleled beauty sat gracefully on the main couch, sipping tea. Lanqin thought that the Li family member in the manor was a rare beauty, Holland was a top-tier beauty, and the Crown Prince's favored concubine, Li, whom she had just met, was also a stunning beauty. Even the Thirteenth Prince's lover, a woman named Luoge, was considered an exceptional beauty. But the woman before her was a level above them all.
Lanqin felt that describing her as a "celestial being" was not an exaggeration at all.
Perhaps Consort Hua was used to how others saw her, she simply said indifferently, "Few people come to Shufangzhai. May I ask which consort you are from? Have you come to the wrong place?"
Oh my god, her voice is still so beautiful~
Lanqin stared at Hua Guiren, utterly stunned by the beauty before her.
"Lanqin greets Consort Hua!" Lanqin bowed, and at Consort Hua's prompting, Nianxue helped Lanqin to sit in the guest seat.
"Qiuyue, go and pour this lady a cup of tea." Consort Hua's every gesture exuded elegance.
After Qiuyue served the tea, Lanqin took the cup and drank a big gulp. Then she said to Consort Hua, "Consort, Lanqin thought a princess lived here, but it turns out to be you. It's fate that we meet. I am the Fourth Prince's daughter and I currently live in the Fourth Prince's residence."
Nianxue looked at Lanqin with suspicion as she watched her self-introduction, thinking to herself: "Princess has never introduced herself so proactively before."
"So it's Princess Niu! I've heard your name from His Majesty!" With that, Consort Hua covered her mouth and smiled. Even Lanqin was captivated by her charm.
"What did His Majesty say to me?" Lanqin asked.
"His Majesty told me about what you did during your inspection tour with him, hehe. I heard you love doing unexpected things." Consort Hua's face rarely showed a look of delight.
"Is that so? How is Your Majesty? It's been quite a while since I last paid my respects to Your Majesty." Lanqin thought of that old man, Kangxi, who actually had such beautiful concubines of such high caliber. She thought to herself: No wonder everyone wants to be emperor and have three thousand beauties in the harem. It must be the ultimate dream of men!
Consort Hua's facial expressions were also beautiful as she spoke. When she first came in, I noticed a faint sadness in her expression, but after exchanging a few words with Lanqin, that sadness had clearly lessened. Perhaps it was because she had never had anyone chat with her so casually as Lanqin, with whom she had no prior relationship, that Consort Hua felt less apprehensive and was willing to relax and chat with Lanqin.
"Thank you very much, Consort Hua. Lanqin must hurry and pay her respects to Consort De!" Lanqin stood up and said to Consort Hua.
"Qiuyue, take Princess Niu and the others to Yonghe Palace, and then come back," Consort Hua said warmly.
Lanqin reluctantly took her leave, when suddenly Consort Hua called out, "Princess Niu, please come and visit often when you have free time."
Lanqin replied sweetly, "Definitely, I will come again."
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