"There are rumors that the master will soon make you a concubine," Cui Ling said, head bowed. "Bi Rou has heard about it too, hasn't she?"
Bi Rou nodded quickly and replied, "We didn't tell you, Master, because the rumor came out of nowhere."
A hint of surprise flashed across Nian's face, and doubts resurfaced in her eyes. Then, a ruthless look appeared on her face as she said, "Investigate! Find out who started this rumor!"
“Master, it seems that ever since this rumor started, the master has been coming here less often than usual,” Cui Ling said carefully.
"Yes, even I didn't know that, but when Master heard it, he thought I was eager to be promoted. Humph, how insidious!" Madam Nian said resentfully.
Just as they were saying these words, a figure in a moon-white cheongsam suddenly came into view from another entrance. It was none other than Lanqin, her maid Nianxue, and Xicha.
Lady Nian watched as the unfamiliar woman spoke with her maids, her face radiating gentleness, warmth, and ease.
"Who is she?" Mrs. Nian murmured.
At the same time, Lanqin also saw three women standing in the wooden pavilion. One of them, dressed in a light purple cheongsam, had exquisite features and was exceptionally eye-catching. Looking at the two women beside her, they should be her maids.
Lanqin said subconsciously, "So this is what Nian Shilan looks like."
Hearing Lanqin say this, Nianxue, who was standing beside her, couldn't help but ask, "How does Master know that she is Princess Nian?"
Lanqin glanced sideways and smiled gently: "Intuition!"
When Lanqin and her servant reached the bottom of the wooden pavilion, Nian Shi had also arrived at this side. The two, one tall and one short, faced each other without saying a word.
"Princess Nian, why don't you bow to the concubine?" Seeing that Lanqin and Nianshi remained silent, Nianxue coughed and spoke in a neither humble nor arrogant tone.
Since entering the manor, no one had ever spoken to her like this before. She was shocked, and a few traces of resentment flashed across her face, but in the end, it turned into an incomparably beautiful smile.
She quickly came down the steps, followed closely by her two maids.
"This humble servant greets Consort Lanqin. May Consort Lanqin enjoy boundless blessings and peace!" Lady Nian bowed sweetly to Lanqin.
"Get up, it must be Princess Nian," Lanqin said, suppressing her thoughts about Nian Shilan.
"It really is me. I just went to see Sister Song, and I was thinking of asking her to speak to the Consort. I didn't expect to see the Consort so soon." Lady Nian looked directly at Lanqin and said in a slightly intimate tone.
"Thank you so much, Princess Nian. Actually, I'm not a very polite person. There's no need for such formality, sister," Lanqin said. She naturally didn't believe that Nian was an innocent little rabbit; why was she so eager to come and show affection? Was it merely curiosity?
Seeing Lanqin's calm demeanor, Lady Nian felt slightly embarrassed, but then smiled and said, "Paying respects to the Consort is our duty as princesses, so please do not refuse."
Lanqin smiled and said, "The sunset is really beautiful today. It looks like it's going to rain soon."
Having said that, he brushed past Nian Shi, climbed the steps, and stood in the spot where Nian Shi had stood.
A hint of coldness gathered at the corner of Nian's mouth as Lanqin brushed past her, but by the time Lanqin had her back completely turned, her beautiful face had already returned to its icy coldness.
“When I was still in Shaanxi, I saw many sunsets like this, with fiery clouds. Those were far more magnificent than this one.” Lady Nian followed her up the steps again and stood beside Lanqin, with their respective maids standing behind their mistresses.
“My sister is so lucky to have seen such magnificent scenery. I’m afraid the sky over Kyoto can’t offer such a beautiful view.” When Lanqin said this, she truly meant no other.
However, when Lady Nian heard this, she felt that Lanqin had ulterior motives in saying these words.
Seeing that Nian was beside her, Lanqin lost interest in playing around and said, "Let's go back, dinner should be prepared."
When Lady Nian heard this, she felt it was a sting, because the Fourth Prince had been dining at her place for the past few days since Lanqin returned.
"This humble servant respectfully sees off Consort Nian," Lady Nian said, bowing.
"Please enjoy your time, Princess Nian. I'll be leaving now." Lanqin said, then led Nianxue and Xicha down the steps and headed outside.
Watching that departing figure, Madam Nian turned back to Cuiling and said, "Let's go. There's nothing more to see here."
Meanwhile, when Lanqin returned to the South Courtyard with two maids, Song Shi happened to come out from inside, and the two of them ran into each other.
"Sister, what brings you here?" Lanqin asked, taking Song's hand.
"I... I wanted to ask if you would like to see Nian Shi. She suddenly came to my room and gave Mo Yaqi two gifts. I couldn't refuse, so I only agreed to let her ask you." Song Shi felt awkward all along, and when she said this, she didn't dare to look Lan Qin in the eye.
“I just ran into her in the garden over there, sister, you don’t need to worry,” Lanqin said with a smile.
"Ah, we ran into each other?" Madam Song looked up at Lanqin in surprise.
Lanqin nodded and smiled, "Sister, don't leave, let's have dinner together. Fourth Master has already sent word that he won't be coming to dine."
Seeing that a weight had been lifted from her heart, Madam Song smiled and said, "Good."
The two walked hand in hand into the courtyard, entered the main room, and had the maids set up the table for their meal before starting to serve the dishes.
"Qin'er, you have a very good appetite!" Madam Song said with a smile when she saw that there were a variety of dishes served, and that there were quite a few of them.
“It’s the little one in my belly who wants to eat.” Lanqin pulled Song Shi to sit down.
"What did Mrs. Nian say to her sister?" Mrs. Song asked.
"It's nothing, just being polite. My status is a bit higher than hers, so she wouldn't dare to do anything." Lanqin picked up her chopsticks and took a piece of chicken.
“Mrs. Nian is proud by nature, and I’m afraid she won’t be willing to be subordinate to anyone. Sister, you should be careful,” said Madam Song.
"I know, sister, don't worry. I know her better than you think." Lanqin gave a mysterious smile, but then turned around and went to find even more delicious food.
“In three days, the eldest princess will be getting married. I hope everything will go smoothly so I can rest easy. Qin’er, let me go with you to the other courtyard. What are we doing here, watching them fight each other? It’s better to go with you to the other courtyard, ride horses, farm, and live a more relaxed and free life,” said Madam Song.
“Alright, if Sister Song wants to come, then come with me to the other courtyard.” Lanqin had originally planned to have Fourth Master bring Song and Geng over to keep them company, but she was afraid they wouldn’t agree, so she didn’t mention it. After all, if they stayed here, they would still have a chance to see Fourth Master.
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