Upon hearing this, Chen Xiuzhu felt a little uncomfortable, but she naturally couldn't show it on her face.
"In a few days, Master will invite a group of people to the estate for a hunt. Winter is just right; the animals that have been dormant all winter are out, making it the perfect time for a spring hunt," Lanqin said, quickly softening her tone as she noticed that her words had made the three girls a little reserved.
Sure enough, as soon as these words were spoken, the three girls were immediately intrigued and all showed longing expressions.
"Cousin, do you mean all the princes will be coming?" Chen Xiuzhu, as expected of someone who longed for the princes' harem the most, asked excitedly.
“Yes, the Third Prince, Seventh Prince, Eighth Prince, Ninth Prince, Tenth Prince, Thirteenth Prince, and Fourteenth Prince should all be coming then.” Lanqin’s eyes shone with an unusual light. When Fourth Prince left, he said he would invite his brothers to go hunting in a few days.
Lanqin understood that the Fourth Prince was also putting on a show for Kangxi. While the Crown Prince and Prince Zhi were locked in a fierce struggle, he needed to project an image of brotherly affection and respect—a very prudent move. Lanqin knew that the Fourth Prince had long harbored ambitions for the position. This was undeniable; there's a saying, "A soldier who doesn't want to be a general isn't a good soldier!" Therefore, as Kangxi's son, the Fourth Prince naturally had a chance to claim that position. If the Crown Prince could win over the masses, then others wouldn't easily harbor such thoughts.
Upon hearing this, the three girls displayed different expressions.
Xin Yi smiled slightly, indicating that she shared the same thoughts. Lan Qin saw this and understood her feelings. She and her birth mother were never the most important mother and daughter in Ling Zhu's eyes; from the beginning, they were suppressed by Yang Shi and could never compare to the legitimate daughter, Lan Qin. Therefore, Xin Yi probably hoped to marry well, like Lan Qin, and become a concubine in a prince's household, at least making her birth mother's life a little better.
Xiuzhu's eyes lit up. Her purpose in coming here was to enter the prince's inner quarters. It was a pity that there was no crown prince, but it didn't matter. Her father said that the Third Prince was currently very popular with the emperor, who had even bestowed Changchun Garden upon him.
Shuhui was filled with surprise and shyness. She had come with her second brother to participate in the imperial concubine selection. After being eliminated, she would naturally go back and let her father and stepmother choose a suitable husband for her. She never expected that she would have the opportunity to see the most noble princes before the selection even started, and there were so many of them. It was far beyond her capacity to comprehend.
“Then we must learn the rules from Granny Cui even more, otherwise we will embarrass ourselves in front of so many princes, which would really make our sister lose face.” Xin Yi put away her longing expression and returned to her original state.
Lanqin was starting to look at Xinyi with newfound respect. Before, Xinyi had been the timid concubine's daughter who always followed Holland around, but now she knew how to control her emotions and thoughts, and acted with great composure and maturity, even showing signs of becoming the proper wife. The Seventh Prince was disabled; would he even consider Xinyi? Actually, the two of them were quite suitable. Xinyi, being born of a concubine, wouldn't be as domineering towards the Seventh Prince as the spoiled Nara clan member. On the contrary, she would be grateful to the Seventh Prince for elevating her to such a position. The Seventh Prince, already disabled, probably wouldn't crave that position; he only wanted to be a prince. Therefore, he wouldn't value the maternal family of his principal wife as much. Xinyi, after all, came from the Niohuru family, and being born of a concubine, was likely only favored in that regard. Consort Cheng was attached to Consort De; perhaps she really wanted the Seventh Prince and the Fourth Prince to become brothers-in-law?
"Yes, thank you so much, cousin. Otherwise, we would never have had the chance to meet such a prince. It's just that Shuhui can't ride a horse, so she won't be able to go hunting with us," Shuhui said with a hint of regret.
"You just need to sit on the horse, that's fine. The servants will lead it." Lanqin was slightly surprised. Most Manchu girls knew how to ride horses; even daughters of officials rarely couldn't. Shuhui seemed to be quite popular with Dachun, but was she just a nobody at home?
Looking at her shy demeanor and innocent, romantic air, Lanqin felt she was quite suitable for the amorous and carefree Thirteenth Prince. Zhaojia, from a prominent family, seemed to have never really cared much for the bald-headed Thirteenth Prince. Shuhui was gentle and charming; perhaps she could capture Thirteenth Prince's free-spirited heart. After all, Thirteenth Prince was Fourth Prince's best brother; perhaps Shuhui would be doing well with him.
"Cousin, what are the hobbies and interests of the princes? Tell me about them." Xiuzhu rarely showed her innocent and carefree side. Her father was a high-ranking official among the Han people, a fourth-rank official. As the legitimate daughter, she was naturally more arrogant than Xinyi and Shuhui. Actually, if she hadn't entered the palace or the princes' harem, marrying into a family of equal social standing and becoming their principal wife would have been quite good. But she insisted on climbing the social ladder, and even if Lanqin wanted to give her some advice, she probably wouldn't listen.
Lanqin smiled slightly and said, "Alright, let's eat first."
Nianxue led Xicha and the others to bring out the dishes one by one. A large table had been set up in the main room, and the prepared dishes were placed on it. Lanqin went first, and the three girls followed and sat down one by one.
"Use them freely, I don't have many rules here," Lanqin said with a smile.
"Why doesn't my cousin have anyone serve her when she's eating?" Chen Xiuzhu asked, slightly surprised that all the maids had left.
"I don't like being waited on. You all eat by yourselves; it doesn't taste as good when you're being served," Lanqin said nonchalantly. With that, she began to eat. Seeing Lanqin's words, Shuhui quickly picked up her chopsticks and started eating as well. Xinyi, naturally, wasn't so particular about etiquette and followed suit. Chen Xiuzhu hadn't expected Lanqin to be so lenient with her servants, and didn't act like a concubine at all; she felt somewhat disapproving. She believed that as a mistress, one should have the demeanor and manners of a mistress.
After a while, the three of them relaxed and began to loosen up. As Lanqin ate, she glanced at the three of them. Sure enough, only Chen Xiuzhu seemed a little uncomfortable, probably because she was used to being waited on at home.
After the meal, Lanqin briefly introduced the prince and his wife to the three of them, giving them a better understanding. After they returned with Granny Zhou, Lanqin had made up her mind.
"Granny, am I wrong to do this? Perhaps none of them will stay and will go out to marry other men and become proper wives," Lanqin suddenly said to Cui Niang.
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