The next day, the Fourth Master, having taken three days off, did not get up early but slept with Lanqin until dawn.
"Awake?" Fourth Master noticed that the little one in his arms had woken up and came out of his reverie to ask.
He had been awake for a while, but simply didn't want to get up. He stared at the lotus-colored gauze curtains, lost in thought.
Regarding matters within the palace, Emperor Kangxi mentioned the Southern Tour and the Western Christian issue at the palace banquet last night, revealing considerable dissatisfaction in his words.
Who is stirring up trouble at home? How dare they harm his child? It's outrageous! We need to investigate thoroughly and clean up the household.
"Master isn't awake!" Lanqin was overjoyed to see that Fourth Master was still by her side. She couldn't help but laugh to herself as she recalled her desire to have Fourth Master all to herself last night.
"What are you laughing about so early in the morning?" Fourth Master asked curiously, putting aside his worries.
Every time I visit this little princess, her uniqueness always allows me to escape from the chaos and confusion of life.
"I'm laughing at my own foolish delusions," Lanqin said on a whim.
She wanted to have this man all to herself, but could she let him know? After all, she wasn't the legal wife, so she didn't need to pretend to be magnanimous or virtuous!
"Did the sun rise in the west today? You actually dare to say you're indulging in wishful thinking?" Fourth Master couldn't help but smirk.
"My lord, I am usually very low-key and well-behaved, okay? How come you call me an arrogant and conceited person?" Lanqin raised her head and protested clearly.
"Anyway, I've never seen any virtues like gentleness, kindness, respect, simplicity, or humility in you. All I see is willfulness, arrogance, rudeness, and laziness. You really don't seem like a woman from a great family." Fourth Master couldn't help but tease Lanqin, finding the little princess's anxious expression quite amusing.
Lanqin's head drooped, and her entire face slammed onto the soft silk quilt.
Seeing the little princess's expression, the Fourth Prince's somewhat heavy heart completely relaxed. He didn't know why, but this little woman in front of him was indeed as he had described. Yet, he wasn't angry at all; on the contrary, he liked her very much.
"My lord, I will strive to be a quiet and beautiful woman from now on. Are you satisfied now?" Lanqin raised her head again, blinking her bright, clear eyes, and continued, "My lord, you must forgive my heart as a woman confined to the inner quarters. I look forward to your visit every day, but I have to see you off every day. How much mental fortitude does that require?"
As she spoke, Lanqin felt heartbroken about her hardships.
"Is she complaining to me that I don't come often?" Fourth Master said with a smile as he watched the little princess get more and more excited.
"Master, do you know about Western societies? Their marriage system is monogamous. That means a man can only marry one wife. If a man dares to marry two or three, he is breaking the law." Lanqin explained to Fourth Master, telling him about the marriage system in Western societies.
"If that's the case, then the master can only have one wife, and all of you are illegitimate?" Fourth Master said, echoing Lanqin's words.
Lanqin rolled her eyes at herself for a moment, then continued, "That's true, but don't you think that the Western marriage system is the greatest respect for two people who truly love each other, and also a respect for humanity?"
Our Lanqin has started spouting nonsense. In the Qing Dynasty three hundred years ago, what respect did women have? What humanity was there to speak of? Women and the working class were lambs in the hands of the ruling class.
The Fourth Prince squinted at the little princess's earnest face, a thought flickering in his mind, but he said aloud, "Are you criticizing all the men of my Great Qing Dynasty, including the current emperor?"
Lanqin felt a pang of unease, thinking: "Oh no, should I tell him all this? He's a prince, born with the utmost favor and love. The women in his harem bloom and fade like flowers, but he's a constant, ever-changing general."
"I was just discussing Western marriage with you, sir. If you don't like what I'm saying, then I won't say anything more." Lanqin sighed and threw herself onto the incredibly soft quilt again.
"Do you yearn for monogamy?" Fourth Master asked, seeing that the little princess was frightened by him. Actually, he hadn't meant to scare her; it was just a habit that made him like to question others.
"Yes, I hope that you belong entirely to me, and I do not want to share a husband with other women." Lanqin closed her eyes, thinking to herself with a resolute determination, and uttered these words that had been hidden in her heart for a long time.
Silence fell, broken only by the ticking of the small clock on the dressing table.
Oh no, he'll probably add a few more labels to me: "petty," "selfish," and "reckless." Anyway, in his mind, I'm already "willful, arrogant, rude, and lazy," so he doesn't care how many more he adds! Is this the perfect example of "what's the use of trying"?
As Lanqin thought this, she couldn't help but raise her head and steal a glance at Fourth Master's expression.
The Fourth Master was also looking at her with a slightly surprised expression. Their eyes met, and they seemed to understand each other's meaning.
"Master~~" Lanqin couldn't help but lick her slightly dry lips and called out softly.
The next moment, Fourth Master's large hand and lips suddenly attacked.
Lanqin was a little confused about this situation. Shouldn't what she just said have immediately displeased the Fourth Master? So what did this mean?
Lanqin didn't even have time to think before she was defeated by Fourth Master's skillful seduction techniques.
Afterwards, the two lay side by side on the bed. Lanqin didn't know why Fourth Master had engaged in such physical activity at this time, especially after what had happened in the manor. He shouldn't have been in the mood for such things, so why did she say something like that...?
“If Your Highness weren’t a prince, perhaps you could have a monogamous marriage like in Western societies!” the Fourth Prince suddenly said.
Yes, starting at thirteen, Emperor Kangxi and Consort De assigned young women to serve him. He married at sixteen, and then took concubines every few days, but none of these were of his own volition; they were all bestowed upon him by his imperial father.
Could he refuse?
The answer is naturally no. As princes, their inherent responsibility was to produce offspring for the royal family and be qualified studs to spread the superior genes of the Aisin Gioro clan. Moreover, the more offspring they had, the more favor they would win over Emperor Kangxi.
The Fourth Prince had a deep affection for Emperor Kangxi, but reality forced him to consider his place in Kangxi's heart.
The so-called brotherly love and respect is just a beautiful wish. In the heavenly family, being able to live in peace is already a great blessing. However, for the sake of power, there are far too many instances of fighting each other and even burning beans.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
