"Madam, Chunliu knows so much about you, yet you just let her go like this?" Lingxiu asked.
"Let's leave it at that for now. Moyaqi is getting married and doesn't even have a trusted aunt by her side. It's really not good. Let her go with us. If she dares to talk nonsense, her family is still in my father's hands." The Fujin said coldly, then flicked the handkerchief in front of her chest, wiped around her mouth, and walked into the house on her flowerpot-soled shoes.
When the auspicious hour arrived, the eldest princess was helped out of her room by Chunliu and Song Shi. The fourth prince had also arrived at the main courtyard, and all the princesses from the inner quarters had also arrived at the main courtyard to see the eldest princess off on her wedding day.
The eldest princess bid farewell to the fourth prince and his wife, and personally knelt down to kowtow to them three times.
Song Shi and Lanqin stood aside. Although she was the birth mother, she could not accept such a grand ceremony from the eldest princess. Lanqin felt a pang of sadness in her heart.
Seeing that Chunliu was finally among the maids beside the eldest princess, Madam Song secretly tightened her grip on Lanqin's hand, all her gratitude contained in that heavy handshake.
The head maidservant guided the eldest princess through the traditional wedding rituals, ensuring everything went smoothly. The Fourth Prince glanced at the eldest princess's dowry maids and head maidservants, then nodded to his wife, indicating his satisfaction with her arrangements.
After all the formalities were over, a loud voice rang out from the ceremonial matron: "Carry, rise~~".
The eldest princess was carried on the back of a very large and sturdy nanny. The nanny then carried the eldest princess to the son-in-law at the door.
Everyone followed behind the Fourth Prince and his wife, seeing the eldest princess off as she left her home.
As a secondary consort, Lanqin naturally followed behind the primary consorts and happened to see Xinyi, who was also a secondary consort of the Seventh Prince, so she could walk with Lanqin. Behind them were Song Shi and the others, and then the princesses from various households.
The wedding procession was vast and impressive, truly a long and impressive sight.
"Third Sister!" Xin Yi called out as she walked to Lan Qin's side.
"Xinyi, you're here too." Lanqin wasn't surprised at all. She had heard from the Fourth Prince that the Seventh Prince doted on Xinyi. Although she was a concubine, he had already entrusted her with all the affairs of the inner quarters.
"Third sister, thank you so much. If it weren't for you, Xinyi wouldn't be doing so well now." Xinyi sincerely thanked Lanqin.
“We’re like sisters, there’s no need for such formalities. We can still visit each other in the future, since we’re both concubines. You can come to visit me, and I can go to see you, it’s all fine,” Lanqin said. “However, I still need to go back to the other courtyard for now, and we’ll talk about it again when I get back.”
Xin Yi nodded and said nothing more.
After everyone escorted the eldest princess to the gate of the Fourth Prince's residence, they saw that the Xu family's wedding procession was already waiting at the gate. The eldest princess's dowry had already been carried out before she was even carried out; the servants carrying the head of the family lined up from the gate all the way to the end of the street, so much so that the last person was nowhere to be seen.
Pedestrians and commoners around were kept outside the brocade, allowed to watch the spectacle but not to get close. After all, it was the Fourth Prince's daughter getting married, Kangxi's own granddaughter, so the scale of the event was quite grand.
Lanqin stood at the door, looked up and left and right, and the dowry was more generous than she could have imagined.
After Xu Jun took the eldest princess from the nanny's back, carried her onto the bridal sedan chair, and helped her up, he went to the Fourth Prince and his wife, knelt down to bid farewell to his father-in-law and mother-in-law, and only then could he leave.
Lanqin glanced at Xu Jun; he was indeed a handsome man. Only then did Madam Song notice her son-in-law; he seemed like a composed person and would likely treat the eldest princess well.
After the wedding procession had gone far away, Fourth Master led everyone back to his home to continue entertaining the guests.
Song finally cried, and Lanqin was also a little tired. She asked Geng to accompany Song back to rest, saying that she would feel better after this.
The primary wives of the various households continued their banquet in the main courtyard, while the secondary wives and princesses were arranged to have their banquet in the courtyard of Lady Nian. Because the Fourth Prince had specifically instructed that Lanqin not to do anything, the banquet for the secondary wives and princesses of the various households was held at Lady Nian's residence.
As Lanqin, supporting Cui Niang's hand, was preparing to return to the South Courtyard, she noticed a woman standing to the side, watching her. The woman was dressed in a light apricot-colored qipao, with a tortoiseshell and red coral headdress on her headdress. She looked dignified, elegant, and serene.
"This humble woman, of the Yehe clan, pays her respects to Consort Yehe." The woman bowed respectfully.
"No need for such formalities, Princess Yehe. I've long heard of your many talents, and seeing you today confirms it," Lanqin said with a faint smile. She recalled the day the Fourth Prince suddenly asked her to practice calligraphy; could it be that the woman before her had influenced him, making him feel that Lanqin should also possess a talent of her own? Thinking of this, Lanqin felt that this woman before her seemed even more worrying than Nian Shi. Although she didn't possess Nian Shi's outstanding beauty, her delicate features and temperament were still very attractive. Lanqin had actually noticed her long ago and guessed that she was Princess Yehe.
"I should have paid my respects to Consort Yehe earlier, but I haven't had the chance. I never expected to see her under these circumstances. Is Consort Yehe going back? Let me accompany you for a while," said Yehe.
The moment she saw Lanqin, she was indeed very suspicious. She didn't have a particularly outstanding appearance, nor did she seem to have any special temperament. How could she have captured the Fourth Prince's heart and been favored by him for so long?
"Okay, let's go together." Lanqin couldn't refuse since she was offered to accompany her, so she agreed.
However, Cui Niang was very vigilant and consciously placed herself between Lanqin and Yehe Shi, preventing her from having the opportunity to touch Lanqin.
"My concubine is a year older than me, yet she seems so approachable!" Yehe said. She had truly imagined Lanqin to be a charming and alluring woman like Nian Shi, but when she saw Lanqin, she was more surprised than puzzled. Lanqin looked pure and innocent, without the arrogance of a favored concubine, completely different from what she had imagined.
"So, what do you think of me in Princess Yehe's eyes?" Lanqin asked with a smile.
"I wouldn't dare; I was just guessing. I wonder if I'll have the opportunity to visit Consort Yehe in the future?" Yehe asked.
"Of course, we do have that." Lanqin saw that Yehe was so gentle and refined, unlike Nian who was so flamboyant and outspoken.
"Thank you, Consort. I must leave from here; I cannot escort you back to the South Courtyard," said Yehe, pointing to an intersection.
"Go back now, there's plenty of time in the future," Lanqin said with a smile. She couldn't bring herself to be hostile towards this woman, even though she was now considered to have received favor in the inner quarters.
"This concubine takes her leave. Consort, please take care." Yehe bowed.
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