“If you don’t like Lanqin, you don’t have to come. There are plenty of women in the inner quarters who are looking forward to your visit.” Lanqin knew she should never say this to the Fourth Master, but she felt wronged and couldn’t hold back her grievances any longer.
"Don't regret saying such things." Fourth Master had already put down his chopsticks, abruptly got off the bed, put on his shoes, and left.
Just as he stepped outside, Fourth Master roared, "Su Peisheng, Su Peisheng~~"
Su Peisheng was currently dining with Cui Niang and the others around the table in Cui Niang's room, their meals similar to Lan Qin's. This wasn't Niu Baoquan abusing his power, but rather Lan Qin's specific instruction. Her exact words were: "Since you've already made it, why not make more? If we were to make two different meals based on the distinction between master and servant, it would be too troublesome and a waste of cooking fires."
The Fourth Master suddenly shouted a few words, which startled Su Peisheng so much that he dropped a piece of meat he had been holding onto the table.
He quickly stood up from the dining table and ran out, only to see Fourth Master standing at the door of Lanqin's room with a stern face.
“This servant is here. Master, you…” Su Peisheng immediately jogged towards the Fourth Master, but in his heart he wondered: What’s going on? Weren’t they just so affectionate just now?
"Go back to the front yard." Fourth Master said angrily, and strode towards the door.
Su Peisheng glanced at Lanqin inside the room, then quickly followed, thinking to himself: Masters, what's gotten into you two now? Really!
Cui Niang and the others also came out of the house. Seeing that Fourth Master had left in a huff, none of them dared to come out immediately. They waited until Fourth Master left the south courtyard before Cui Niang went straight to Lanqin's room.
Lanqin sat blankly on the couch, staring at the bowls and chopsticks that the Fourth Master had used, feeling a little uneasy.
What kind of mess is this? What kind of Qing Dynasty prince is this? What kind of future Emperor Yongzheng is this? He doesn't even dare to touch a woman, isn't it because he's afraid of losing the support of the Ulanara family, afraid of humiliating Emperor Kangxi, afraid of being ridiculed? He's even worse than the lame Seventh Prince, who dared to divorce and reunite if he wasn't happy. This guy, on the other hand, clearly his wife isn't a good person, causing trouble in the inner quarters and wantonly harming his children, how can he still tolerate it? Are concubines not human, so he can bully them at will? Are the children born to concubines not his children, so they can be killed at will by his principal wife?
A tear slid down Lanqin's cheek. She was suddenly afraid. Would her Wuxiha grow up safely? Even her father couldn't provide them with a safe environment to grow up in. No wonder there were so many lonely ghosts in the princes' harems.
"Master, what's wrong? Why did the master leave?" Cui Niang walked in and couldn't help but ask anxiously. Nian Xue, Xi Cha, and the others followed her in.
Lanqin's tears flowed like an unending river, dripping onto the soft satin on the couch, where an unknown flower bloomed from the dampness.
"Master, what happened? Please tell me quickly!" Nianxue hurriedly went over. She rarely saw Lanqin cry, so she was also panicked.
“Master, does Your Majesty still not believe you? Or does Your Majesty still say that we are related to the poison of the lily of the valley?” Cui Niang’s eyes flickered a few times before she asked again.
Lanqin shook her head. She couldn't accept this Fourth Prince. He knew about the Fujin's crimes, yet he still planned this way. How could those dead children be content? The children lost by Li Shi and Sister Song were truly lost in vain.
"Master, what's wrong? You're driving us crazy with worry!" Nianxue wished she were the one suffering in her heart right now, and she couldn't bear to see the trace of despair in Lanqin's eyes.
"Put them all away, I'm tired, I want to sleep." Lanqin snorted, wiped her nose with the back of her hand, and gradually stopped crying.
Seeing that she couldn't get answers to all the questions, Cui Niang gave Nianxue a wink, signaling her to quickly fetch water to help Lanqin wash up.
After Nianxue personally helped Lanqin wash up, she stopped crying, but her expression remained gloomy and her eyes lost their sparkle.
"Nianxue, I'll stay with the master. You all go out first," Cui Niang said to Nianxue.
“Alright, Aunt Cui, if you can’t take it anymore, just call me.” Nianxue took the copper basin and went out.
Originally, Lanqin didn't want them to keep watch at night, but now she had no mind to care about such things. Her whole heart seemed empty, and she was like an empty shell.
"My lady, let me help you take your hair down," said Cui Niang.
Lanqin simply nodded blankly and let Cui Niang begin to remove her makeup.
Looking at her still youthful and beautiful face in the mirror, Lanqin felt a little unrecognizable. Or rather, she began to disrespect the person she was in. She had received over twenty years of materialistic education in the 21st century, yet now she was just an ordinary woman in the harem of a Qing Dynasty prince. She spent her days fighting endlessly for the prince's favor and for the future of her children. And everything depended on whether that man would trust her and bestow his favor upon her.
“My lady, the master is no ordinary man. He is the fourth prince of the emperor, a prince of the Qing Dynasty, and a descendant of the Aisin Gioro clan,” Cui Niang said gently as she removed the beaded flowers from Lanqin’s hair. She had guessed that the two must have quarreled over the matter of the princess, which was why the fourth prince left halfway and why Lanqin was so distraught.
"Are you saying that he's not an ordinary man, which is why he could allow his wife to harm his concubines and their children?" Lanqin asked, a wave of sorrow and bitterness rising in her heart.
“In the royal family, some things don’t need to be done hastily, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be done,” said Cui Niang. She was now increasingly certain that Lan Qin and the Fourth Prince had disagreed on how to deal with the Princess Consort.
"What do you mean?" Lanqin asked.
“The royal family, after all, has its own dignity. It was the emperor who bestowed the marriage of Ulanara to the master as his primary consort. Now, if the master were to punish the fourth consort, even if he were to truly punish her, at most she would be placed in seclusion. After all, princes and their spouses are not allowed to separate. The seventh prince's situation is a miracle,” said Cui Niang.
"But Cui Niang, I really can't accept knowing that the enemy is there, yet not being able to touch her, and having to maintain a facade of peace." Lanqin felt nauseous at the thought of having to deal with the Fujin.
“My lady, there are so many concubines and noble ladies in the palace. If everyone likes to fight over what they like or dislike, what kind of place would the Emperor’s harem become? The fact that the Emperor came here to tell you how to handle that matter already shows how much he values you.” Seeing that Lanqin still looked hurt, Cui Niang had no choice but to say this.
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