Wu did not gain any advantage. Lanqin's unyielding words greatly surprised her. She had always thought that Lanqin was mild-mannered and did not want to cause trouble, but today she realized that she was completely wrong.
"Sister Wu, Consort Li is still waiting for us. Let's not waste our breath arguing with her." Seeing that Wu was losing the argument, Madam Wang used Consort Li to pressure Lanqin.
"That's right, she's fallen out of favor now, and her status is just that of a princess. It's a pity that no matter how much the Fourth Prince dotes on you, he hasn't elevated your status. It's clear that falling out of favor was inevitable." Madam Wu said bitterly, these words naturally meant for Lanqin.
After Madam Wu and Madam Wang left, Lanqin stood there in a daze. Nianxue quickly took Lanqin's hand and found that her hand was very cold.
“Princess, they’ve already left. Let’s go back too,” Nianxue said slowly.
After hearing those words, she was afraid that Lanqin wouldn't be able to accept them. Seeing Lanqin arguing back and forth with Madam Wu, she was somewhat surprised by Lanqin's tenacity, which was completely different from the Third Miss of the past. In fact, Nianxue also knew that Lanqin was no longer the gentle and mild-mannered Third Miss of the past. She only felt that Lanqin often used some strange and unusual words, but none of them had the same impact as the contrast brought about by Lanqin's direct counterattack against Madam Wu today.
“We just came out, we haven’t even gone for a walk yet, why should we go back? Nianxue, come for a walk with me for a while~” Lanqin said with a smile.
She shouldn't be Lin Mengyao; she's never afraid of challenges, and the more unkind someone is to her, the more it ignites her desire to rebel.
"Princess, are you alright?" Nianxue was heartbroken after hearing what Madam Wu said, but the princess still had the mood to take a walk.
"It's nothing. I'm so upset that I can't even eat because of a few random comments from others. Is it really necessary?" Lanqin pulled Nianxue along and they continued walking.
The two of them wandered around the small garden for quite a while before returning to the South Courtyard.
As soon as she got back, Lanqin instructed Xicha to go to the small kitchen and tell Chef Niu to bring out all of his best dishes. She also asked Xicha to tell everyone in the courtyard that they would have lunch together later.
Xi Cha was unaware of the reason, but she wasn't surprised by Lan Qin's order. After all, they were used to the princess's strange behavior.
Lanqin was indeed in a bad mood at the moment, so how could she relieve this bad mood?
There's only one answer: eat!
As expected, upon receiving Lanqin's instructions, Master Niu immediately used all his culinary skills to prepare a table full of Lanqin's favorite dishes.
Except for Nianxue, the maids in the courtyard all assumed that Lanqin must have been upset by gossip outside, so they dared not joke around. The South Courtyard had never been so tense and uneasy as it had been recently. The mistress's fall from favor meant that they, the servants, wouldn't have a good life either. These past few days, Li Shubao had gone to the head nanny to collect the South Courtyard's supplies. The head nanny hadn't reacted badly, still maintaining a friendly attitude, but the servants under her command, who liked to seduce the powerful and criticize the weak, all looked displeased. In the past, they would have fawned over her, calling her "Brother Li" at every turn.
"What exactly happened between the princess and the master in the palace? Why is she completely different since she came back? It's been so long since the master last visited our South Courtyard." Huanbi was tending to a begonia tree in the courtyard. Ever since Nianxue noticed her restlessness, she had repeatedly told Lanqin to have her serve in the outer room. Lanqin was already very dependent on Nianxue, and seeing that Huanbi wasn't very attentive to her work, she went along with Nianxue's wishes and let Huanbi serve outside. She was not allowed to come inside to serve her when called.
"Since the princess doesn't say anything, it's best if we servants don't speculate. Let's just do our jobs." Zi Ran was watering the flowers. Her main duties were to clean the study and tend to the plants in the courtyard. Usually, Nian Xue and Xi Cha took care of things in Lan Qin's room.
“But if the princess really falls out of favor with the master, then our lives won’t be as easy as before.” Huanbi was always quick-witted, and besides, she wanted to perform better in front of Lanqin so that she could be promoted from a second-class maid to a first-class maid, be able to show herself in front of the master, and even get rid of her status as a servant…
"I don't think the princess is worried, and I trust her. Huanbi, just focus on your work and don't overthink things," Zi Ran reminded her, then left her and went into the study.
Then, when it was lunchtime, Nianxue suddenly came out and invited everyone to come in and have lunch with the princess. Even Niu Baoquan from the small kitchen and Granny Wang from the gatehouse were called in.
"Please sit down, everyone. How can I eat standing up? Besides, I invited you all in to have a meal together. Don't be shy, eat your fill," Lanqin said cheerfully. When she was in a bad mood, she didn't like everyone seeing her looking gloomy. The angrier she was, the more cheerful she wanted to be.
Hmph, Fourth Master, you're too petty. It's just that the Fourteenth Prince and I exchanged a few words, is it really necessary to make such a fuss?
When the maids heard Lanqin say this, they all looked at each other, completely bewildered.
Seeing this, Lanqin pouted and said, "Are you all going to listen to me? Sit down quickly. It's more enjoyable to eat together. Stop dawdling."
Seeing this, everyone had no choice but to sit down as instructed.
Lanqin picked up her chopsticks and began to eat heartily, not caring about her image at all. While eating, she also invited them to start eating as well.
Seeing Lanqin's insistence, everyone picked up their chopsticks and began to eat. Chef Niu's dishes were indeed excellent; the more they ate, the more they couldn't stop. Old Niu was beaming with joy, though he himself barely touched his food. That's how chefs are; perhaps they've smelled too many delicious aromas and can't eat anymore.
"Oh, I haven't been here for a few days, and all the servants are eating with their master?" Just as everyone was engrossed in their work, a slightly mocking voice suddenly came from the doorway. It was none other than the Fourth Master!
When he and Su Peisheng arrived at the south courtyard, they saw that the gate was slightly ajar and not closed. So, without announcing themselves, they walked straight in. Originally, the Fourth Prince had planned to leave the little princess out of the room for a while to temper her spoiled nature, but the scene he saw upon entering truly shocked him.
"This servant greets His Majesty!"
"This servant greets His Majesty!"
Nianxue quickly took the lead in standing up from her seat, and the others followed suit, scrambling to their feet like ducks being herded, and bowed to pay their respects.
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