The Mid-Autumn Festival, which comes once a year, has arrived again. The Princess Consort has prepared two tables of food in her courtyard and specially invited all the princesses and children from the inner quarters to come and have a reunion dinner together.
Lanqin was heavily pregnant, but she couldn't refuse such a family banquet, so she took the hands of Cui Niang and Nianxue and headed towards the main courtyard. Ever since the Fourth Prince said that Lanqin was exempt from paying her respects, she hadn't been to the Fujin's courtyard for a long time, so the Fujin hadn't seen her for a long time either.
"Qin'er!" Madam Song caught up from behind Lanqin. She was wearing a deep purple cheongsam, her hair was styled in two large buns, with only a few light-colored jade beaded flowers in the middle, and a tassel hairpin in the same color as the cheongsam hanging down her side.
"Sister, you look beautiful today!" Lanqin said to Madam Song with a smile. She was wearing an indigo blue cheongsam with banana leaf patterns that made her belly look smaller.
"Sister, you're joking with me. Your belly is so big, you'll be giving birth in a little over a month. You have to be careful," said Madam Song, holding Lanqin's hand.
"Okay, let's go in together." Lanqin and Madam Song walked towards the main courtyard together.
Upon entering the main courtyard, one sees potted flowers and plants everywhere, and exquisitely painted palace lanterns hanging in the corridors, with red candles inside.
Wu was sitting on the veranda talking to Yehe, Geng was watching the fish in front of several large bronze vats, and Nian was sitting in the room talking with the Fujin.
Apart from the Song and Geng families, everyone else hadn't seen Lanqin for a long time, and all their attention was focused on her belly.
Geng went to greet them, exchanged a few words with Lanqin and Songshi, and then accompanied Lanqin to the main room of the Fujin (principal wife).
"This humble servant greets Consort Yehe!" Yehe gracefully curtsied as Lanqin passed by. Wu also bowed, but remained silent.
"My sister is becoming more and more charming!" Lanqin replied, smiling at the two of them in return, before walking over.
Today, the Fujin wore a dark red qipao with plum blossom and gold thread patterns, and a headdress of red turquoise, which made her look much more energetic. In the past two years, Lanqin noticed that the Fujin had aged a lot. She was not even thirty years old, but her complexion was no longer as fair as before, and it had turned dark yellow. There were fine wrinkles at the corners of her eyes and between her eyebrows.
"This humble servant greets Your Highness!" Lanqin said with a slight bow. She was so pregnant that she could no longer squat down.
Lady Nian quickly stood up and bowed to Lanqin.
"The concubine's body feels heavy. Help her up and sit down," the princess said gently.
"Thank you, Madam!" Lanqin, supported by Cui Niang and Nianxue, sat down at the head of the table next to Madam Nian.
"Looking at Consort Nian's figure, I am reminded of my poor, unlucky child." Consort Nian's moon-white cheongsam was not particularly outstanding, but her makeup was exceptionally exquisite. She had applied a ring of shimmering crystals to her upper eyelids under her eyebrows, and painted a flower between her brows. Her small, magenta lips, combined with her snow-white skin, made her truly stand out.
"Princess Nian is still young, she will have children in the future. Don't be too sad," the Princess Consort comforted her.
“What the Lady Consort says is right. All that’s needed for Lady Nian is to recover and then come to the Lady Consort for more advice,” Lanqin said with a sarcastic glance at Lady Nian.
Others also entered in twos and threes, taking their seats in order of rank. It had been a long time since they had gathered together in the wife's room like this, and for a moment, each lost in their own thoughts, no one spoke.
The princess consort had someone invite the fourth prince over, and a room full of beautiful women waited for him to speak.
As soon as Fourth Master entered the room, he saw that everyone was looking at him with various eyes, but he still glanced at Lanqin a few more times. Seeing that she looked at him calmly, he felt relieved.
Then, the Fourth Prince and his wife said the same thing again, almost every year. The gist of it was to tell everyone to be content with their lot, live their lives well, and have less conflict and trouble. Finally, they concluded with a sentence, and then the feast could begin.
Lady Nian was the first to raise her glass to toast the Fourth Prince, followed by Lady Wu, Lady Song, Lady Geng, and Lady Yehe, all of whom toasted the Fourth Prince's wife.
Lanqin never liked to stand out in such situations; she preferred to blend into the crowd, not having to think or worry—that was the best way. She really didn't want to say anything against her conscience, so she never raised her glass.
Instead, seeing that Lanqin remained silent, the Fujin specially picked up a cup of wine and said to her, "Come, let's all toast the Consort today. She is pregnant now and it must be very hard for her. I want to toast the Consort. She is bearing children for the master, and she is indeed sitting better than I, the Fujin."
These words were half true and half false. Lanqin listened with a cold smile in her heart, but on the surface she had no choice but to accept the cup of wine from the Fujin and said humbly, "How could I compare with the Fujin? I am just lucky to be able to bear children for you."
Although the princess's words sounded pleasant, they were clearly intended to instigate.
"Let me drink this cup of wine on her behalf. She shouldn't drink alcohol right now, so please be considerate, Madam," the Fourth Prince said quickly upon seeing this.
The Fujin smiled and said, "Of course, the Consort is pregnant and cannot drink alcohol. I am just offering a small token of my affection. The Consort can have tea instead of wine."
"Master, how about we play a game?" Madam Nian said, displeased that the Fourth Master was protecting Lanqin.
"Alright, what game do you want to play?" Fourth Master noticed that Madam Nian's makeup was quite unique today, and he actually took a few extra glances at her.
"Let's play the 'Pass the Flower' game. It's the same old rule. Whoever gets the flower has to perform a little something to entertain everyone," said Madam Nian.
"Good, that's a good idea. Lingxiu, go prepare a bouquet of flowers, and also prepare someone to play the drums," the Fujin instructed.
At that time, the Second Princess, the Third Prince, Hongshi, and Wuxiha were also having a small banquet at another table. Those who couldn't eat were held by their wet nurses and fed some edible food.
The Second Princess is already eleven years old, and her appearance already bears seven or eight parts resemblance to Lady Li. The Third Prince is now seven years old (by the traditional Chinese age reckoning), and he is already quite a little adult. Hongshi is only two years old, and he is well cared for by his wife. His face is chubby, and his little hands and feet are also round and plump. He kneels in a wide-backed chair, being served food by his wet nurse.
Ushiha is not even a year old yet and can only eat dishes like egg custard. But the little girl seems to have a sweet tooth and seems very willing to try the dishes her older brothers and sisters make. She keeps trying to pounce on the round sandalwood table with auspicious cloud carvings.
"Fifth Sister seems to enjoy food; why not let her try this silver fish egg custard?" the Third Prince suggested.
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