"Then why did you bring this thing here?" the Fujin said angrily, throwing the thing in her hand at Lingxiu.
"Please calm down, Madam. I didn't expect Madam Niu to do this. It was my carelessness. I should have sent someone to keep an eye on Cui Xiaoyun." Lingxiu never expected that the scheme she and Madam had carefully planned would be so easily resolved by Lanqin and her servant.
"What are you all still standing here for? Lock those things in the storeroom. I don't want to see them even once more." The Fujin felt as if she had been slapped in front of Niu Shi today. She had originally hoped that the Golden Festival would completely extinguish Niu Shi's ambition for power, but now that things had turned out like this, it wouldn't look good if she tried to control things and prevent Niu Shi from changing her ways.
Xia He led her people to deliver all the rewards to the Fujin's storeroom, where they were displayed in a way that was quite conspicuous to her. Although the rewards were plentiful, the fact that the Consort had also received five bolts of cherry-red, gold-flecked satin speaks volumes about the Fourth Prince's affections. It is said that the Consort also possesses a jade coral tree, which is extremely rare.
Meanwhile, when Lanqin returned to the South Courtyard, Song Shi and the others also came over.
"Why are you all here?" Lanqin had just reached the door when she saw that Madam Song and the others had also arrived with their personal maids.
"She's still thinking about your first time managing the household. How about it, she didn't give you any trouble, did she?" Madam Song said.
"Sisters, please go inside and we'll talk inside," Lanqin said with a smile.
Seeing her smiling face, everyone knew that everything was alright, and they all breathed a sigh of relief, becoming even more convinced of Lanqin's abilities. After all, the Fujin had held power in the inner quarters for years, and now she suddenly had Lanqin support this reward; without a doubt, there was a conspiracy involved.
Wuxiha and Xichen were playing in the courtyard with their wet nurses when they saw Lanqin return. The two little ones rushed to her, for she was their mother after all.
"Go and tell the kitchen staff that all the sisters should stay for dinner," Lanqin said, holding Wuxiha.
“We’re almost embarrassed to come here, we always end up eating here every time we come. But the food here is truly delicious, sister,” said Madam Wu.
She was right. The food here at Lanqin was indeed better than that at the kitchen. Even the Fourth Master ate his dinner here every day.
"I'm so glad you're here. If you're feeling shy, then make some more little clothes and pillows for Wuxiha and Xichen," Lanqin said with a smile. Anyway, she wasn't very good at needlework or embroidery, and it would be a real waste to leave so many of her aunts with such good skills unused.
"Alright, I love making things for children anyway. I've already made a little Manchu dress for Wuxiha, orange-red, it's so pretty. She can wear it when she's a year old." Song looked at Wuxiha with affection. The eldest princess was given to the Fujin to raise when she was this age.
The group chatted around Lanqin's place for a while, had lunch, and discussed the reward before dispersing.
Lanqin had been busy all morning and wasn't feeling well. After seeing Song and the others off, she played with Wuxiha and Xichen on the bed. Watching the two children crawling around on the bed, she slowly drifted off to sleep.
Seeing that their mother was asleep, the two little ones probably snuggled up in her arms and fell asleep as well.
Seeing that all the masters on the bed were asleep, the maids had no choice but to come over and gently pick up the two small toys, then cover them with blankets, lower the curtains, and then leave.
After sleeping for more than an hour, the two little ones woke up first and started crying loudly on the bed. The maids rushed in and found that Lanqin was still asleep, and they couldn't wake her up even with such loud noises.
The two babies were picked up by the maids and handed to the wet nurse. Lanqin was still asleep and did not wake up because she was having a dream in which she was talking to Li Shi.
Lanqin heard the child crying and tried to wake herself up, but she couldn't. Li's face was very pale, blood was still hanging from the corner of her mouth, and her hair was draped down her back like seaweed.
"Li, why are you looking for me? It wasn't me who caused this. Go away, don't come looking for me again," Lanqin shouted.
“Although you didn’t harm me, you’re now a concubine, taking my place. Since that’s the case, you must avenge me and help me take care of my three children.” Li’s eyes were dark, and the tears that flowed from them were red. She stood there, refusing to leave.
Lanqin knew it was a dream, but she was haunted by Li's spirit and couldn't wake up until she heard the voice of the Fourth Master and other people in her ear.
She knew they were all very worried, but she just couldn't wake up.
"Madam Li, you can go in peace. The Second Princess is almost of marriageable age, and the Fujin has no reason to harm her. The Third Prince is also growing up, and I will help look after him. The Fourth Prince is now being raised by the Fujin, and she is already treating him as her own son, so she won't harm him either," Lanqin said to "Madam Li".
“I don’t trust her. She’ll use anything she can. Hongshi is just a way for her to consolidate her power; she doesn’t treat him like her own son,” said Lady Li sadly.
Even if a mother becomes a ghost, she'll still love her son, right?
"No matter what you ask of me, I cannot take the three of them away from the Fujin's side," Lanqin said helplessly.
"You must promise me you'll take good care of the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince. The Second Princess is just a girl; she won't be as attentive. It's a pity she has the Golden Buddha protecting her, otherwise I would have gone to find her long ago." "Madam Li" sighed. "Back then, she harmed my First Prince," she continued, "and that's why I turned against Honghui. Isn't this retribution? Why am I the one who became a ghost, while she's still alive and well, still her primary consort? It's unfair, so unfair."
"Li Shi" clearly harbored too much resentment and refused to be reincarnated, so she lingered in the East Courtyard and refused to leave.
"Li, I can only promise you that no matter what happens to the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince, I will not harm them. But right now, I really cannot take them both away from the Princess Consort. Rest in peace and be reincarnated; lingering here won't do any good." Lanqin thought to herself how fortunate she was that she hadn't gone to live in the East Courtyard, otherwise, who knows what might have happened to Li's vengeful spirit…
"Very well, you must remember what you said today. Although I can't touch the Fujin, Yin Shi won't be so lucky. She's using the Third Prince, and I won't let her get away with it." Li Shi's dark eyes flashed with a venomous light before she vanished in a flash.
"Qin'er, Qin'er, wake up quickly~~" When the Fourth Master returned, he saw several maids calling out in front of Lanqin's bed. It turned out that they had gone in to call out to Lanqin because she was not waking up, but they could not wake her up. They touched her nose and pulse, and they found that they were normal.
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