Following the Golden Festival, the Laba Festival arrived immediately. The Fourth Prince and his wife were busy with palace affairs until after the Laba Festival, when things finally calmed down. During her confinement, Lanqin behaved herself well, spending her days in her room playing cards with the maids and frolicking with Fubao.
These past few days, the weather has been getting colder and colder, so Lanqin has been staying in bed even more and refusing to get up. Sometimes she can sleep until noon before getting up for lunch. Because the Fourth Master hasn't come, she has become even lazier.
"Gege, get up quickly, it's snowing outside~~" Lanqin refused to get out of bed that day, and Nianxue ran to her bedside and called out when she saw that it was snowing outside.
"What? It's snowing~~" Sure enough, Lanqin put down her notebook, sat up straight with delight, and wanted to look out the window at the snow scene.
"Princess, let me help you get up. The snow outside is falling heavily, like goose feathers." Nianxue was overjoyed. Lanqin was confined to her quarters and couldn't go out, so the maids were also effectively confined and could only stay in the courtyard with Lanqin.
"Then hurry up and get dressed, let's go see the snow outside!" Lanqin was finally captivated by Nianxue and finally got out of bed.
"Princess, I've brought you this plum-red winter coat. Paired with this lake-blue shawl, it will surely make you look beautiful." Nianxue was actually a little worried. They were afraid that once Lanqin was confined to her quarters, she would be neglected by the Fourth Prince.
"Alright, bring me that snow fox scarf and glove. It's freezing cold." It's no wonder Lanqin didn't want to get out of bed. Back in her day, winters were warm in her house, and everywhere she went was heated. But in the Qing Dynasty three hundred years ago, the weather was much colder than it is now. There was no central heating; did they really think a simple fire would keep them warm?
After Nianxue helped Lanqin get dressed, Lanqin, with her fair skin and a bright pink cheongsam, along with the red and blue matching shoulder straps, truly looked as beautiful as a red plum blossom in the snow. The snow fox scarf around her neck made the little princess's bright eyes even more captivating.
Lanqin stepped out of the house and saw a vast expanse of snow outside. The snowflakes were so large that she was amazed. She thought to herself, "So the snowflakes in ancient times were different from those in the 21st century. My goodness, these snowflakes are almost the size of a bowl."
"Princess, the snow is really heavy. Why don't we go build a snowman later?" Xicha handed a cup of hot water to Lanqin.
"Okay, I want to go play in the snow now. Nianxue, go get me an oil-paper umbrella." Lanqin took a sip of hot tea, already looking a little impatient.
After Nianxue tied a milky-white cloak around Lanqin's neck and held an umbrella over her head, Lanqin stepped out of the house. The surrounding trees were now draped in silver, and even the ground was covered in snow, with only one or two footprints on it. In the courtyard, a begonia tree, completely enveloped in snowflakes, stood silently like a silver-clad ice beauty amidst the swirling snow.
"Nianxue, stop using your umbrella, let's have a snowball fight!" Lanqin suddenly became playful. She rarely saw such heavy snow, even in Jinan.
"Princess, let's not have a snowball fight. I'm afraid you'll get too cold. Let me hold this umbrella for you." Nianxue dared not joke about Lanqin's health.
"Oh dear, it's alright. Look how plump and healthy I am, I don't look like Lin Daiyu at all!" Lanqin was really unwilling to stay under the umbrella and watch this masterpiece of nature.
"Lin Daiyu? Princess, who is she? Do I know her?" Nianxue asked in confusion.
"Um, Nianxue, play with me!" After saying that, Lanqin rushed out of that small square world and crashed into the sea of snow.
"Princess! Princess!" Nianxue was stunned by Lanqin's action and immediately threw away the umbrella in her hand to chase after Lanqin.
Two beautiful young girls were chasing and playing in the courtyard and corridor of the South Courtyard, their noise attracting the attention of Xicha, Huanbi, and Ziran. On this first snowy day of winter in the 43rd year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, the girls opened their hearts and played happily.
Granny Wang stood cheerfully at the door, her hands tucked into her sleeves, watching the girls skip and jump on the snow like a group of happy little rabbits.
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
Upon hearing this, Granny Wang wondered: Who would come to see the princess on such a snowy day!
Despite thinking this, she didn't hesitate to open the door. She quickly walked to the door, pulled open the wooden latch, and opened the red-lacquered door.
Upon seeing clearly who was standing outside, Granny Wang quickly curtsied and said, "Greetings, Master!"
Standing outside the door was none other than the Fourth Master, who hadn't set foot in the South Courtyard for quite some time. He was dressed in a silver-gray brocade robe, with a gray fox fur cloak over his shoulders and a hat with a black fur trim on the brim. He looked incredibly handsome and dignified.
Su Peisheng, who was following behind, had also changed into winter clothes. He was holding an umbrella for the Fourth Master, while half of his body was covered in snowflakes.
Fourth Master strode into the house. There, he saw Lanqin and several maids building a snowman in the middle of the courtyard.
"Gege, this snowman looks weird, it doesn't seem quite right!" Xicha thought the snowman's body was too small and its head was too big.
"Go over there and start rolling snowballs. Fill this with the snowballs you've rolled, and the body will be bigger. Nianxue, go to Master Niu and get some vegetables. We'll put a nose, eyes, and mouth on the snowman." Lanqin didn't notice the commotion behind her at all. Several maids were also engrossed in chattering around the snowman, completely unaware that the Fourth Master had already approached.
"Ahem!!" Seeing that they hadn't noticed him, Fourth Master coughed a few times in exasperation to indicate, "I'm here, did you know?"
When Lanqin turned around, she saw that the Fourth Master was staring at her in that outfit. Several maids also hurriedly greeted the Fourth Master, while Lanqin stared at him like a fool.
It's been almost half a month, and this damn jerk has ignored me for half a month before finally showing up. Is he taking revenge for me going out without permission that night?!
This thought flashed through Lanqin's mind quickly.
Seeing Lanqin staring blankly at him, Fourth Master finally couldn't wait any longer and had to say, "Your hands are all red from the cold, aren't you cold?"
When Lanqin saw that the icy face of his finally spoke words of concern, she quickly replied, "It's not cold, Master. Come and build a snowman with me."
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