Meanwhile, the Fujin stayed with the Fourth Prince in Yan Yu's room for a while before making an excuse to leave.
"Madam, Princess Yu is using the child to gain favor. That child isn't hers, so she doesn't seem to care about him at all." Granny Li already despised Yan Yu and her son, and now seeing her using the child for her own purposes, she naturally looked down on her even more.
"You noticed it too?" The princess was standing on the flowerpot soles, but she was thinking about something else.
“You had that wet nurse beaten to death last time, so those people probably won’t be so careless again. As for Princess Yu, she probably did something herself,” said Granny Li.
“Since she’s so willing, let’s grant her wish. As long as she can keep the master here, that will be a testament to her skill,” said the Fujin.
“Madam, the eldest princess’s birthday is coming soon. Now that Song has won the master’s favor, aren’t you afraid that she will cause trouble during this time?” said Granny Li.
"Niu is really capable, managing to befriend these two people. The master had already grown tired of her, so how could he suddenly develop feelings for her? It was Niu who gave him that push." The Fujin always harbored a hidden resentment when she mentioned Lanqin.
"It would be acceptable for the eldest princess to be betrothed to the master's second son. Has the Fujin spoken to the master about this?" Granny Li said as she walked behind the Fujin.
As the western sky was ablaze with crimson clouds, and the afterglow of the setting sun shone upon them, the Princess Consort turned her head to look at the sunset, a beauty that stirred longing within her.
“We need to find an opportunity to tell the master. Granny, the girls in the other courtyard are almost seven months pregnant, aren’t they? Their bellies are quite big,” the Fujin said.
"Premature births are common in July, but there's no chance now. That woman doesn't even come out of her courtyard." Following the Fujin's gaze, Granny Li also looked at the sunset.
“Even if they don’t come out, they can’t stop things from going in, can they?” The princess said, her eyes slightly narrowed.
“A few days ago, Madam Yin came and told me something. Perhaps it’s possible.” Granny Li told Chunliu and Xiahe to stand a few feet away and keep an eye on the surroundings.
"She and the Third Prince get along very well. Her less than a year of confinement has actually nurtured an excellent talent for me. Her closeness to the Third Prince shows her intelligence," the Princess Consort said.
Inside the South Courtyard. Both Madam Song and Madam Geng had left, and Shi Hua and Lan Qi cleared away the leftover food. Lan Qin, heavily pregnant, stood under the eaves, gazing at the endless sunset on the horizon.
"The sunset is infinitely beautiful, but it's only a short time before dusk!" Lanqin blurted out.
Nianxue brought a cup of jujube water and walked behind Lanqin, saying, "Princess, have some water. I saw you just ate some salted fish, so have some water to relieve the saltiness."
Lanqin took the glass of water and suddenly remembered the cat belonging to Madam Yin. She used to feed it often, but these days she had suddenly stopped going and wondered how the cat was doing.
"Come on, let's go for a walk. It's such a beautiful sunset, it's a shame to stay cooped up in the yard," Lanqin said.
The two, master and servant, walked out of the courtyard, and Lanqin headed towards the path where the kitten often appeared.
“Princess, I heard that Madam Yin often invites the Third Prince over to play. Perhaps that cat doesn’t come anymore,” Nianxue said, carrying a handful of dried fish from Lanqin.
"Hmm, how is Fu Bao? I miss it so much. Go to the main courtyard and see it tomorrow." Lan Qin said as she walked. When Aunt An came, she had Fourth Master take Fu Bao out of the south courtyard.
“Princess, that cat still belongs to Princess Yin, so it’s best if we don’t have any contact with it,” Nianxue said cautiously.
"Are you afraid that the cat might do something? No way. If she dares to tamper with the cat, she'll only be asking for trouble. The cat is hers," Lanqin said.
"Perhaps I'm overthinking it. If Your Highness likes it, we can raise one after you give birth to your son," Nianxue said.
The two walked to the pavilion where they had sunbathed with the cat, but then they heard a child's voice.
"Third Prince!" As they walked up the steps, they saw the Third Prince playing with the kitten.
The Third Prince actually had a good impression of Lanqin, but after the First Prince's accident, he was moved back to Li's courtyard. Later, when Li's accident happened, he was moved back to the front courtyard.
After a series of events, the child seemed to have changed completely. However, at this moment, the Third Prince seemed to have regained his former liveliness and happiness, and was happily playing with the little black cat.
"Aunt Niu!" The Third Prince responded when Lanqin called out to him.
"The Third Prince has grown up, he's gotten taller." Lanqin still felt a deep sense of pity for the child. Although Li Shi was guilty, the child was innocent. Moreover, the Third Prince had done all of this without being aware of the consequences. The Fourth Prince had once told Lanqin about the Third Prince's situation in detail.
"Is Auntie pregnant with a little brother?" The Third Prince asked, looking at Lanqin's large belly.
"He can even move! Want to touch him?" Lanqin asked with a smile. Seeing the Third Prince's eyes flash with curiosity as he looked at her pregnant belly, Lanqin knew that his personality hadn't changed; he was still the same playful and mischievous Third Prince.
The Third Prince hesitated before walking up to Lanqin and asked curiously, "Can he really move?"
Lanqin pulled his hand and placed it on her belly. Coincidentally, the baby in her belly seemed to know that his third brother was touching him, and actually kicked.
"Oh my, it's really moving!" the Third Prince exclaimed.
"Yes, he can still hear you. Do you want to talk to him?" Lanqin said with a smile.
"Really? He can hear me?" The Third Prince's surprise deepened, and he playfully smiled at Lanqin.
“Of course. Press your face against my belly and tell him what you want to say,” Lanqin said.
The Third Prince did exactly as Lanqin had said, and earnestly pressed his hand against her belly, saying "Hello" and "Have you eaten?" The little one inside seemed to really hear him and wonder if he should respond.
Ah, is this some kind of destiny with the Third Prince?!
Lanqin hadn't realized that the baby in her belly had been reacting this way to anyone before. Even when the Fourth Prince would occasionally call out to her belly, the baby hadn't responded at all. But today, unexpectedly, since the Third Prince arrived, the little one had been responding so cooperatively.
“Third Prince, come play in your aunt’s courtyard when you have time. The little one seems to really like you, Third Prince. He moves when you come here,” Nianxue said earnestly, having noticed this as well.
The Third Prince nodded and then looked at Lanqin.
"Third Prince, there's lots of delicious food at Auntie's place. Come and eat anytime!" Lanqin knew that the Third Prince had a sweet tooth, but she didn't think it was a bad thing to be a sweet tooth.
"Alright, but I promised Aunt Yin that I would have dinner at her place every day." The Third Prince has finally grown up and can consider other people's feelings.
"Whenever you want to come here, just tell Consort Yin. It's alright, even if you don't come, your aunt won't blame you. Third Prince." Lanqin patted the Third Prince's head tenderly.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
