The next day, Lanqin started nagging to go out. The two younger children were naturally left to Anjia's care, and Anjia also summoned her sister-in-law, saying she should help look after the children and bring good fortune for the Niohuru family to have offspring soon. Shi had been married for almost three years, but still hadn't conceived. Two years ago, Zheng was busy studying and hadn't yet achieved official rank, so Anjia wasn't worried; but now that he had, the next step was naturally to have a child.
Although Shi was upset, she didn't dare to go against her mother-in-law's wishes. Besides, her husband's job was thanks to her sister-in-law's help, so she was happy to help take care of the two children.
Since Lanqin agreed to let her stay in the manor for a while yesterday, Xinyi came to serve Lanqin early this morning. This was the result of a long discussion between Zhang Shi and her last night. Now that the elder sister who had become a concubine of the prince had finally returned, Xinyi, as the only younger sister, naturally had to serve her and also try to gain more opportunities for herself.
Lanqin noticed that Xinyi was much more attentive than when Holland was around, and naturally knew her thoughts. However, she didn't mind; after all, Xinyi was her younger sister. If she could give her a good future, wouldn't that be a help to her as well? The Lanqin of the past thought that she could simply be a favored concubine, wait for the good fortune bestowed by history, and naturally become Qianlong's mother, eventually becoming the most blessed empress dowager of the Qing Dynasty in a glorious way. Now, she understood that there are no free lunches. Even if there were, like if a time-traveling god had sent her to the Fourth Prince's side—that would be a huge windfall—to live peacefully in his harem and have her children grow up safely, relying solely on the Fourth Prince's favor was absolutely not enough.
"Second sister, your skin is still so good, so fair, you look good in anything." Xin Yi looked at Nian Xue helping Lan Qin change her clothes with a slightly ingratiating expression. Lan Qin's skin was indeed very fair, coupled with her long, dark hair and bright, clear eyes. Although she couldn't compare to Holland's exquisite features, she was still a woman who could be quite stunning at first glance.
"Fifth Sister has fair skin too. If you're going to waste your tea, why don't you let Xinyi try on those two outfits of mine that are a little too youthful? They'll fit you perfectly." Lanqin understood and didn't mind her deliberate attempt to please her.
"Thank you for your generous gift, elder sister," Xin Yi quickly curtsied. In the two years she'd spent in the manor, she'd come to understand that since her two elder sisters' marriages, with their changing social status, Ling Zhu's attitude towards his stepmother and favored concubine, Yang, had been gradually shifting. Previously, she'd sided with Holland, and Zhang Shi often flattered Yang Shi, naturally hoping Ling Zhu would be more attentive to Xin Yi's marriage in the future. Now, although Holland had entered the palace, it was like entering a deep sea; they rarely even saw each other, let alone expect any protection for the family. It was far better to marry Lan Qin, who had married into the Fourth Prince's household; at least Lan Qin could come back occasionally, and the Fourth Prince was a capable and efficient prince. Now, it was indeed because of Lan Qin's favor that the eldest son of the legitimate wife had successfully entered officialdom, and Zhang Shi and her daughter naturally favored the principal wife.
"Xinyi, I want to go out for a walk today. Will you come with me?" Lanqin said gently.
"Okay, Yi'er, accompany your sister to enjoy the temple fair on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year," Xin Yi said excitedly. If Lan Qin hadn't come back, she wouldn't have been able to go out so easily.
Meanwhile, Lanqin, along with Xinyi, Nianxue, Xicha, and two servants from the Ling family, went out to stroll through the New Year's temple fair.
People from the Ling family also came to pay their respects. Officials who were on good terms with each other also visited one another. In addition, there were visits between members of the Niohuru family and relatives from the Anjia family.
Lingzhu originally intended for Lanqin to stay in the manor, which would be more respectable, as having the daughter of a prince's concubine would naturally earn her more respect when others came to pay their respects. However, he couldn't stop Lanqin from leaving.
Lingzhu had no choice but to greet and see off the guests with Anjia in the main room. Officials would only come to pay their respects for the New Year, leave their gifts, and then leave; relatives from both sides would stay for a meal to show their closeness. For example, another cousin of the Niohuru family sent a nephew. His grandfather was a cousin of Lingzhu's father and also a cousin of Aling'a's father, but he was the less favored one, or perhaps he had a worse fate. He was sent to Tonglu as a minor prefect, a low-ranking official of the eighth grade, making him the least successful member of the Niohuru clan.
This man brought Tonglu's specialty "Yuwu" and other local specialties to pay New Year's greetings to Lingzhu. Because he came from the same region and was from the same clan, although Lingzhu didn't think much of him, he couldn't very well turn him away, and even invited him to come every day while he was in the capital.
This man was the second son of the Empress Dowager, serving as the prefect of Tonglu. His purpose in coming to the capital was actually to visit his relatives and see if he could find any connections to curry favor. He had an older brother who was more academically gifted and naturally received more attention from his father. Rather than competing with his brother, he decided to try a different approach, and this man was indeed quick-witted. He asked his mother about relatives in the Niohuru family and thus came to the capital during the New Year, intending to secure his future.
"Dachun, your uncle doesn't have time to have tea with you today, so please help us greet the guests." Lingzhu had been getting to know this cousin for a few days and found him to be quite eloquent, quick-witted, and very likable.
"Yes, Uncle." So he and Zheng helped Lingzhu welcome and see off the guests who had come to the Ling residence in the past few days.
The relatives from Anjia's side who came were all nephews and nieces; there were no male relatives, only female relatives, and Anjia invited them all to stay in her room.
"Aunt, I heard that my second cousin is back. Why won't you let us see her?" Anjia's younger sister's legitimate daughter, Chen Xiuzhu, is thirteen years old this year. Her father is the Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, but he is a Han official, so naturally he is one rank lower than Lingzhu.
"Your cousin is a little tired, she'll come back to chat with you later." Madam Anjia didn't want to say that Lanqin had gone out with Xinyi early in the morning, as that would seem like she didn't respect them, her relatives. She could only say that Lanqin was a busy person.
"Okay, Aunt, are these my second cousin's daughter and son?" Chen Xiuzhu didn't care and turned to ask the two children in the room.
"Well, Auntie hasn't had a grandson yet, so she has to treat her nephews like grandchildren. The two little darlings were put here to sleep as soon as they arrived." Anjia looked lovingly at Wuxiha and Xichen walking on the ground under the guidance of their wet nurse and Shi.
Upon hearing this, Shi blushed again and felt truly uncomfortable. Her mother-in-law was really disrespecting her in front of so many people.
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