"What happened to Zhou Zifeng?" Madam Song suddenly remembered him.
"Zhou Zifeng is an honest man, so he must have been useless. He's already been given thirty lashes and kicked out." Lanqin heard Fourth Master mention this casually, so she didn't press the matter further.
“I don’t believe this person actually flirted with Yun Yuan,” Geng Shi said.
Yun Yuan's death was certainly not so simple, but we couldn't get anything of value out of Zhou Zifeng like this, and I had already told the Princess Consort about the head injury Yun Yuan suffered. We've done all we can; let the Princess Consort worry about it,” Lan Qin said.
Well, it's clear that the Princess Consort doesn't want her younger sister to be promoted, and the twins, in addition, have obviously become a threat to her.
With the return of the Fourth Prince, the women in the inner quarters began to shift their thoughts again. Soon, Yun Yuan's death was forgotten; after all, she was just a maid, how many truly cared? Even if they did, what could they do? They were all confined to the inner quarters, finding it difficult to even leave the mansion, less free than servants. Without outside assistance, they couldn't do anything they wanted. The Princess Consort, however, had Li Momo acting as a messenger between her family and relatives, making everything much easier for her.
The Dragon Boat Festival arrived, but the Princess Consort suddenly fell ill. The Fourth Prince originally intended to hold a Dragon Boat Festival family banquet as he had last year, but seeing that the Princess Consort was unwell, he told everyone to celebrate on their own. He was too lazy to manage these household affairs.
Lanqin was specially allowed to return to her parents' home on the Dragon Boat Festival. Song and Geng were naturally envious, as their families were not in the capital and they would probably never see their relatives again in their lifetime.
Lanqin agreed to bring them food from outside, and then took Nianxue and Xicha in the carriage arranged by the Fourth Master and went out.
When the carriage arrived at the gate, Lanqin helped Nianxue down from the carriage. Upon seeing Lanqin return, the gatekeeper immediately opened the door wide and came out to greet her.
"Third Miss, the master and madam will surely be happy to see you." The old man guarding the gate had already sent a servant to report this.
Lanqin smiled happily. Just as she turned the corner of the wall and was walking towards the main room, she saw Anjia and Wang Mama coming to greet her.
"Lan'er!!" Tears had already welled up in Anjia's eyes. She had learned during the New Year that Lanqin had been confined to her quarters by the Fourth Prince, and her heart had been filled with anxiety since then. Anjia had tried several times to have Lingzhu inquire about the situation and even think of a solution, but he had always refused.
"How could I, an outsider, meddle in the affairs of the Fourth Prince's private quarters!"
"Mother, I miss you!" Lanqin sincerely missed Anjia Shi, the woman who had treated her like her own daughter from the very beginning.
Lin Mengyao's mother is in another time and space. It has been almost a year since Lin Mengyao left. She wonders if her mother has recovered yet.
"Lan'er, your mother is so eager to come to the Fourth Prince's residence to see you. Oh. How did you manage to get here? Did the Fourth Prince allow you to come back to see your mother today?" Madam Anjia looked Lanqin up and down with concern, raised her hand to touch her face, and said, "Lan'er, you've lost weight."
“Mother, it was the master who allowed me to come back to visit you today. That matter is over, everything is fine now.” Lanqin knew that Anjia was worried that she was suffering in the Fourth Prince’s mansion, which was why she said this.
"How well does the Fourth Prince treat you?" Lady Anjia was afraid that Lanqin would lose the man's favor like she had, even though she was a concubine who didn't even have a child yet.
Oh, as a mother, I've really worried myself sick.
"Okay, Mother, are you going to let me in or not? I'm thirsty." Lanqin said coquettishly, grabbing Anjia's arm and shaking it.
"Oh, oh, hurry, hurry inside. Let your mother have a good talk with you." Anjia wiped away her tears and pulled Lanqin toward the main room.
After they entered the house, Lanqin found it even more deserted than when she was there. The furnishings were the same, but it was obvious that no one came here. Some of the furniture was dusty.
Is this how the main wife's room is? That old man Lingzhu has probably been neglecting Anjia for a while now, even the servants who serve her are starting to lose their enthusiasm?
"Wang Mama, hurry and tell the kitchen to bring some of the Third Miss's favorite pastries immediately," said Madam Anjia.
After Wang Mama left, Anjia instructed Nianxue and Xicha to go and tidy up the room where Lanqin used to live.
When only the mother and daughter were left in the room, Anjia pulled Lanqin to sit on the couch and began to ask her all sorts of questions.
"I heard that the Fujin's younger sister gave birth to twins. Lan'er, she entered the household after you. Is it because of the Fourth Prince's treatment of her?" Anjia asked worriedly.
“Mother, Fourth Master is very good to me. Really, that matter was just a misunderstanding. He has already untied my feet. If your daughter were not favored, how could she possibly come out to visit you now?” Lanqin patiently comforted her.
Upon hearing this, Madam Anjia felt slightly relieved, but still asked anxiously, "Lan'er, you've been in the household for over a year now, it's time to prepare to have a child."
Lanqin sighed inwardly, thinking: Women in this feudal society all hope to bind a man's heart with children. Why don't they ever consider that having many children doesn't really help?
"Mother, Lan'er is still young, and childbirth is quite painful. It's not too late to wait another two years." Lanqin is only fifteen now, and in two years she will only be seventeen. She's a young girl in the prime of her life, and it's tragic that she has to have a child so soon.
“Lan’er, there are quite a few women in the princes’ harems. In two years, it will be the year of the imperial concubine selection again, and who knows what kind of women will enter the Fourth Prince’s residence then. Even if there is no selection, women will be betrothed to the princes as concubines from time to time. Don’t be confused. While the Fourth Prince is currently favoring you, you should quickly give birth to an heir to secure your position,” said Lady Anjia with a pained expression.
Lanqin could only nod helplessly to avoid listening to Anjia's nagging about being a child-obsessed woman.
"Mother, it seems like no one has visited your place in a long time. Where is Father?" Lanqin asked.
Upon hearing this, Anjia sighed dejectedly and said, "Your father hasn't come for more than a day or two now. Anyway, he doesn't come often, so I've given up on it."
“But these furniture pieces are all dusty, Mother. Even if you can’t have a harmonious relationship with Father, you can’t do this. Those servants really know how to side with the powerful and bully the weak. Mother is the head of the household, how can you let them do this?” Lanqin was anxious when she saw Anjia’s “willing silence”.
People are all about reciprocity. If you're good to me, I'll be good to you too. Anjia's concern for Lanqin was genuine, and Lanqin naturally worried about whether Anjia was doing well.
"Yes, Mother understands. Mother is fine. When Granny Wang returns later, I'll have her have someone clean it up." Madam Anjia smiled gently.
Lanqin looked at this kind woman, who was completely different from her 21st-century mother. However, she understood the mother-daughter bond between Lanqin and this woman.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
