"Qin'er, just tell your mother what's on your mind. Sigh, if only I hadn't been kept here. I knew marrying into the royal family wouldn't be good. It's better to be the principal wife." Anjia started talking to herself.
"Mother, why don't we go see Wuxiha and Xichen, okay?" Lanqin really didn't want to nag Anjia Shi anymore. She had come back to find some peace and quiet, and she didn't want to hear Anjia Shi nag her again.
“Qin’er, your mother is the principal wife. I know the conflicts between the principal wife and the concubines. Although Nianxue told me that the Fourth Princess Consort’s behavior was a bit excessive, she is still the principal wife. You should still be more tolerant where necessary.” Anjia felt uncomfortable if she didn’t speak her mind. She was also afraid that Lanqin would be too stubborn.
"Mother, but when they wanted to kill your daughter and niece, could Lanqin still tolerate it? Tolerance only leads to a death without even knowing how you died," Lanqin said, slightly impatiently. She knew that Anjia was advising her not to go against the principal wife, which was in line with the traditional moral values of the time. However, there are different kinds of principal wives. A principal wife like Anjia was lucky if she could just keep her position and not be bullied by concubines. But against a principal wife like Ulanara, if she didn't know how to resist, she would probably be devoured until there wasn't even a bone left.
Upon hearing this, Lady Anjia immediately became anxious. She had no idea that the Fourth Princess Consort was such a ruthless person. Her own daughter had always been gentle and mild-mannered; how could she possibly be a match for her?
"Mother, can we not think about this now? I want to go see Wuxiha and Xichen. Will you come with me?" Lanqin said coquettishly, pulling on Anjia's hand.
“Yes, go see my grandson. This Xichen is said to be the son of another princess. The Fourth Prince allowed you to raise him because he values you,” said Madam Anjia.
"Yes. That's right, the Fourth Prince thinks highly of your daughter," Lanqin coaxed.
"You naughty girl, you have none of the dignity of a concubine." Anjia finally smiled through her tears.
Lanqin got out of bed and let the maids help her change her clothes. Then she styled her hair into a simple bun and adorned it with several exquisite hair flowers and gold hairpins.
Anjia spent quite a while playing with Lanqin, Wuxiha, and Xichen. Since Xichen could walk, he got down and held Anjia's hand, walking around. Anjia herself had never held a grandson, so she was especially fond of these two little nephews.
When it was time for dinner, Lingzhu summoned his concubines and illegitimate children.
Based on their status, Lanqin was the most noble among them and naturally sat at the head of the table. Below her were Anjia and Lingzhu, followed by several concubines including Yang, Zhang, and Wang. On this side were Lanqin's older brother and sister-in-law, and below them were her two half-brothers, the Fifth Princess Xinyi.
"Come, let's all wish Consort Lan good health and abundant blessings." Lingzhu took the lead in toasting Lanqin with everyone.
"Thank you, Father. Thank you, Aunts, Brothers and Sisters." Lanqin could only thank them all at once.
"It's better to be a concubine; you can come back to visit more often. Your second sister is so unlucky; she's stuck there, unable to leave. We can't get in either. Sigh." Although Madam Yang was dressed as alluringly as usual, she wasn't as domineering and arrogant as before.
Hearing Yang's words, Anjia felt relieved. For many years, she had been subtly suppressing her, the legal wife, and now she could finally vent her anger.
Looking at Anjia's expression, Lanqin naturally knew what she was thinking. But at this moment, Lanqin felt that without the support of her family, she was like a person without hands and feet in the Fourth Prince's mansion. Without any background to rely on, it would be difficult for her to achieve anything.
"Aunt Yang, there's no need to worry. Second Sister is doing quite well in the palace," Lanqin said briefly, and that was all she could say. She herself had chosen the path to Holland, and now she couldn't blame anyone else for her fate.
“Brother, now that you’ve entered the cabinet, although it’s only a sixth-rank official, you still have a bright future. Brother, you shouldn’t look down on a low-ranking position,” Lanqin said, turning to her elder brother. Just three months ago, the Fourth Prince returned and told Lanqin that he had promoted her brother to the position of registrar in the capital’s magistrate’s office.
"How could that be? My sister has done her best for me, and I should do my best to fulfill this duty so as not to let her down," Niu Luluzheng said earnestly. Although he had passed the imperial examination, his ranking wasn't very high. There were many others like him who had passed but weren't given a position because they weren't outstanding. Fortunately, Fourth Master cared about his brother Lanqin, and since he was working in the Ministry of Revenue, he arranged a position for her brother, which could be considered as pulling strings.
Seeing that Lanqin had paved the way for her own brother, Madam Yang naturally felt a pang of jealousy. But what could she do? Although her daughter was the emperor's woman, her rank was low and she had no children, so she had no say in the emperor's affairs. She was really not as capable as Lanqin's husband.
"You two should learn from your eldest brother. I always tell you to study harder, but all you do is play around all day," Madam Yang couldn't help but scold her two sons.
"Alright, if you want to discipline your son, go back to your room. What are you saying here?" Lingzhu knew exactly what Yang was thinking, so he coldly reprimanded her.
Lanqin smiled inwardly: Let alone whether I have the ability to arrange things for the brothers, even Zheng wasn't arranged by me. He was capable on his own, and Fourth Master just gave him an opportunity.
Seeing that she had been rebuffed, Yang became even more dejected and had no choice but to shut her mouth and remain silent.
Anjia finally felt relieved today. The pent-up frustration of her years had been greatly relieved by the success of her two children. Besides, Lingzhu was getting older, but his mind was still sharp. The success of his legitimate sons and daughters was his future support. Illegitimate sons were just a burden.
"Third sister, Wuxiha is so much fun, let me hug you," Xinyi suddenly said.
“Okay, Mother Qin, let Fifth Princess hold you for a while.” Lanqin smiled as she looked at her usually quiet fifth sister.
Xin Yi has grown up. Lan Qin remembers that when she got married, Xin Yi was only eleven years old, and now she's thirteen or fourteen. She's quite pretty, but she lacks a bit of confidence in her speech. Her birth mother, Zhang, is taciturn, a trait Xin Yi inherited. Zhang is always gentle, An Jia never torments her, and Yang disdains competing with her for favor. Therefore, the mother and daughter live a relatively transparent life in the mansion—not too good, not too bad.
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