"It sounds like the Yin family!" Geng suddenly said. Her voice wasn't loud, but the others present still heard her. Lanqin naturally heard it too.
“Isn’t she under house arrest? How did she get out and start performing? Could it be that she looks a bit like her?” said Madam Song.
The Princess Consort watched the play on stage with a smile the whole time, and the Fourth Prince also watched silently, as if the chattering voices around him had not entered his ears.
Lanqin couldn't understand what the female lead on stage was singing, but she knew it was "The Drunken Concubine." The melodious and pleasing singing style was indeed pleasant to listen to.
But is it really necessary to listen so attentively?
Lanqin noticed that ever since the female lead appeared, Fourth Master had suddenly become entranced, staring intently at the woman on stage. Every smile, every gesture, every step she took seemed to be drawn to his heart by an invisible thread.
"Princess, would you like to relieve yourself? I'll help you." Aunt An suddenly leaned down and whispered in Lanqin's ear.
Lanqin's heart, which had suddenly sank, was interrupted by her words, and she didn't have time to think much before simply humming in agreement.
Even after Lanqin got up, the Fourth Master seemed not to notice, still staring at the beautiful woman in the pavilion.
"Princess, pregnant women shouldn't overthink things or get angry," Aunt An said, supporting Lanqin, while Nianxue supported her from the other side.
"Auntie, thank you!" Lanqin was truly grateful to this woman who had rejected her from the start, and who had indeed been considerate of her in every way.
Aunt An may not have heard anyone say "thank you" to her before, or perhaps she didn't understand it, but she understood Lanqin's feelings at that moment, so she said, "Gege is now favored by the Fourth Prince and is pregnant. I'm sure some people will be resentful and restless. At this time, the most important thing for you is to take good care of the child in your belly. I think the Fourth Prince treats you very well, so there's no need to be suspicious of you because of an actress."
Everyone in the palace is incredibly shrewd. Aunt An has completely figured out Lanqin's thoughts. Just now, she only stood behind and already knew what had happened.
“Yes, Aunt An is right. Princess, the master treats you very well. She’s just an actress who’s a bit pretty. You don’t need to think about it.” Nianxue added.
Lanqin didn't want them to worry, so she smiled and said, "I understand. Aunt An is right. Pregnant women shouldn't overthink or have too many thoughts."
In truth, Lanqin knew everything they were saying! It was just that they weren't close enough to perceive the Fourth Master's changes. Was that actress only there for his beauty? Lanqin wasn't afraid, of course, but she clearly sensed the Fourth Master's heart gradually drifting towards that stage. That feeling of being left behind filled Lanqin with bewilderment, fear, and resentment…
Lanqin stood by the boat, and after a while in the cold wind, she said to the two of them, "Let's go back. We can't just hide here and not go back."
Meanwhile, the Fujin naturally knew what the Fourth Prince was thinking at that moment. Seeing that Niu Shi's expression had changed, she secretly applauded Yin Shi's abilities.
"My lord, I must apologize first!" the Fujin said after seeing Lanqin stand up.
"Who is the woman on the stage?" Fourth Master didn't answer, he just asked this question.
"My lord, it is indeed Lady Yin. I untied her feet without permission, and I beg your forgiveness. Lady Yin learned of my birthday and sent her maid to plead with me, saying that she has repented and is begging to celebrate your birthday. I didn't want to agree, but she begged so earnestly, and her opera singing was truly excellent, so I agreed." The Lady spoke slowly, observing the changes in the Fourth Prince's expression as she spoke.
The women present naturally perked up their ears, and Madam Song was secretly anxious when she saw that Lanqin was not there.
Madam Geng stared at the woman on the stage, then glanced at Fourth Master's expression, and her heart began to sink.
Yan Yu didn't recognize Madam Yin, only knowing that she was under house arrest. She never expected that upon seeing her today, she would find that Madam Yin was even more beautiful than herself, and naturally, she felt uneasy.
Wu's expression remained unchanged, while Wang remained calm.
"Did she learn that on purpose?" Fourth Master asked.
"I've heard that this Lady Yin is very good at singing opera. Apparently, her mother used to be a performer in the opera world, but she stopped performing after her father took her as a concubine. Lady Yin must have been exposed to opera since she was little, so she must be very good at it too," the Princess Consort said with a smile.
Fourth Master didn't say anything more. All the audience could hear was the melodious singing on stage. The graceful voice sounded even more charming and lingering under the full moon on this summer night.
The princess consort also looked at the woman on the stage, thinking to herself: Yin Panchun, I have done everything I can to help you. Now, it all depends on your luck. If the master still remembers the woman who died for him back then, then you still have a glimmer of hope today. If not, then this is all you can do.
To extricate Lady Yin from her predicament, the Fujin (principal wife) went to great lengths. She consulted with elders from the Ula clan within the palace and uncovered a past offense committed by the Fourth Prince. At that time, the Fujin had not yet married into the family. All she knew was that when the Fourth Prince was fourteen, a group of actors selected from across the country entered the palace.
Once, when Emperor Kangxi was celebrating the Empress Dowager's birthday, he specially requested a play, including the must-sing "The Drunken Concubine." The fourteen-year-old Fourth Prince was first attracted to a woman among these performers named Chenxiang. She sang the role of Yang Guifei, and from then on, the Fourth Prince often went to the opera house to find this woman named Chenxiang, though he only really chatted with her and looked at her.
For some reason, rumors began to circulate in the palace that the Fourth Prince was infatuated with the actors. When Consort De found out, she was furious and, without asking or advising him, ordered Chenxiang to be executed.
From that point on, the rift between Consort De and the Fourth Prince deepened. This incident was the most devastating blow to the Fourth Prince after the Sixth Prince's unfortunate death from accidentally eating peanuts, and it also created a deep and unresolved knot in the rift between Consort De and the Fourth Prince.
The matter quickly passed, and no one remembered the woman named Chenxiang anymore. However, in the Fourth Prince's heart, Chenxiang had not disappeared. When Madam Yin appeared, the Fourth Prince seemed to see Chenxiang again, and painful memories buried for many years resurfaced.
As the Fourth Prince looked at Madam Yin on the stage, all he could think about was Chenxiang.
"Let's untie Yin's feet!" Fourth Master said softly.
"I thank you for your forgiveness on behalf of Lady Yin! I will definitely discipline her properly today and she must never do such a thing again," the Fujin said with great joy.
When Lanqin returned, she saw that the people on the stage had changed, and Fourth Master was no longer in his original position.
“Sister, you’re finally back.” Madam Song grabbed Lanqin’s hand and whispered in her ear, “The one on the stage really is Madam Yin. Fourth Master untied her feet.”
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