The Fourth Prince stayed at the villa for three days, and it was three days later when he returned to the Fourth Prince's residence.
After Fourth Master left, Cui Niang said to Lan Qin, "How long does Master plan to leave the mistress here? Actually, the mistress should mention to Master that we should go back to the South Courtyard."
"Why go back?" Lanqin was standing in front of her desk revising her storybook.
“Master, aren’t you worried? Two new princesses have just entered the manor, and I’m afraid the Fujin (principal wife) will have second thoughts. If you stay in the separate courtyard for so long, people might think you’re being imprisoned there by the master,” said Cui Niang.
Lanqin paused her writing for a moment. She knew why the Fourth Master had kept her here. She had vaguely mentioned it to Cui Niang last time, but had not said it explicitly.
“Her thoughts don’t develop overnight. Whenever the Fourth Prince favors someone else, or whenever she feels her position is threatened, she’ll start plotting. The newly arrived Nian Shi probably won’t be under her control, but I don’t know about Ye He Shi.” Lan Qin paused, picked up a teacup, and took a sip of her favorite jasmine milk tea.
“But Master, what if these two newcomers catch the master’s eye?” Cui Niang said, seeing that Lan Qin still seemed indifferent.
“Cui Niang, you’ve lived in the palace for ten years. How can you be so naive as to think that the Emperor will only ever favor me? If that were the case, none of the concubines and the Emperor would tolerate me. Otherwise, why would they assign so many princesses to the princes and nobles every year during the imperial concubine selection?” Lan Qin said calmly.
Cui Niang was clearly surprised by Lan Qin's clear-headedness. Although she was worried about Lan Qin, seeing how clear-headed she was, she put her worries aside and said in a clear voice, "If that's what you think, then I'm relieved. But, it's still a bit inappropriate for us to stay in the other courtyard all the time."
Lanqin took a few sips of milk tea and felt completely relaxed. She wished it had a chocolate flavor, so she closed her eyes and savored the taste of chocolate from her memories.
“Sometimes, rushing to compete doesn’t necessarily guarantee success. Cui Niang, how are your two brothers doing? Is Aunt Cui getting used to life on the estate?” Lanqin changed the subject, not wanting to continue the discussion.
“What could be wrong with them? They were all farmers to begin with. Our master is kind-hearted, and now that they’re in charge of the crops in the fields, it’s like releasing fish back into water—they’re so lively and energetic! My mother has never lived in such a nice house before. She keeps telling me that she has to serve our master well to repay her kindness.” When Lanqin asked about her family, Cui Niang said enthusiastically. Since Cui Da, Cui Er, and Cui Da Niang were taken to the villa by Lanqin, she could see her family, whom she hadn’t seen for over ten years, every day. How could she not be happy?
"Alright, Cui Niang, if you have someone you like, you must tell me. Then I'll ask my master for a favor so you can marry into a good family." Lanqin felt that it was unnecessary for Cui Niang, who was only in her twenties, to act like an old woman who could never remarry.
"What are you saying, Master? I'm going to serve you for the rest of my life. I don't want to get married. Besides, I'm already middle-aged, what kind of person can I marry?" Cui Niang blushed and hurriedly said.
"You're only in your twenties, you can still have children, why don't you get married? Besides, even if you get married, you can still take care of me. I hope you can both marry into good families happily in the future, this isn't a retirement home!" Lanqin said, half-jokingly and half-seriously.
Upon hearing the words "nursing home," Cui Niang paused for a moment before snapping out of her daze and chuckled, "I'll keep an eye out. If I really meet someone I like, I'll tell you, Master."
Seeing that she had successfully changed the subject, Lanqin chuckled and said, "I'm going to see Wuxiha now. Go and get my cloak."
Although it's almost April, the weather is still unpredictable, with sudden changes in temperature, so you still have to wear a cloak from time to time.
After Cui Niang left with a smile, Lan Qin gradually wiped the smile off her face. Thinking of Cui Niang's words, she realized that she was also worried, but what good would worrying do? She knew that she could only accept it, maintain herself, and follow in the footsteps of the Fourth Master step by step.
After the Fourth Prince returned to his residence, he immediately received a message from the palace that Emperor Kangxi had summoned him to the palace.
Inside the Qianqing Palace.
Emperor Kangxi was sitting in the West Warm Pavilion. His body was growing increasingly frail, and the underfloor heating in the pavilion was still running. When the Fourth Prince entered, he was suddenly hit by a wave of heat.
"Greetings to Father Emperor!" The Fourth Prince walked to the warm couch, patted his sleeves, and knelt down to pay his respects.
"You've arrived, please sit down." Emperor Kangxi was reclining on the couch, holding a string of bodhi seed beads in his hand.
The Fourth Prince then stood up and looked around. He saw that the Crown Prince, the Prince of Zhi, the Third Prince, the Eighth Prince, and the Ninth Prince were already there.
"You've all come, so we're all here. I've called you all here today because I want to talk to you about something on my mind." Kangxi sat up straight.
The Fourth Prince noticed the absence of the Fifth and Seventh Princes, as well as the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Princes, realizing they hadn't been notified. While it was understandable that the Fifth and Seventh Princes, both disabled, hadn't been informed, the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Princes had already left the palace to establish their own residences. Why hadn't they been called? Especially the Fourteenth Prince, who had just left the palace in March of this year; he had even personally told Emperor Kangxi at the royal family banquet on New Year's Eve that he wanted to go to the battlefield. It seemed he wouldn't be allowed to go this time either.
"The Galdan tribe of the Dzungars has been repeatedly robbing, killing, and causing trouble in Mongolia, the Tianshan Mountains, and the Hetao region. This is truly intolerable to anyone familiar with the area. I, by the mandate of Heaven and in accordance with the sentiments of the people, have specially prepared to punish the Dzungars. You are all my sons, and you also bear an inescapable responsibility," Kangxi said calmly.
All the princes immediately stood up and automatically lined up in two rows in front of Emperor Kangxi, standing in order of age. Then they all knelt down and said in unison, "Your subjects will respectfully follow Your Majesty's teachings and request Your Majesty's instructions!"
"I have decided to personally lead the expedition. The Crown Prince will oversee the state, and the Prince of Zhi, the Third Prince, the Eighth Prince, the Ninth Prince, and the Tenth Prince will accompany me. The Fourth Prince will assist the Crown Prince in preparing soldiers, provisions, and medicine for the army." Kangxi glanced with satisfaction at all his sons kneeling before him and said, word by word.
After saying this, the princes kneeling on the ground were silent for a second or two, and then they all said, "Your Majesty, we will obey your decree."
It was certain that the Crown Prince would oversee the country, and it was also expected that the Prince of Zhi would accompany the Emperor on his personal campaign. However, it was quite unexpected that the Eighth Prince was not left behind, but the Fourth Prince was left to assist the Crown Prince in overseeing the country and concurrently serve as the chief of grain supplies.
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