What Fourth Master didn't know was that Lanqin hadn't gone to the villa; all of his letters had been delivered there, so Lanqin hadn't seen them at all. After being knocked down on her way back and recovering for a while, Lanqin finally heard that rumor again on some occasion. Perhaps someone deliberately spread such disgusting speculation to make people sick!
On this day, Lanqin's belly was already quite prominent. Compared to her last pregnancy, she was particularly sleepy this time, basically spending most of her time sleeping.
"My lady, why don't we go back to the other courtyard to rest and recuperate? It's quiet there, and it'll save some people from worrying about you because you're pregnant again." Seeing that Lanqin had been sleeping listlessly and not in good spirits these past few days, and that she had gone from having a good appetite to not liking anything, Cui Niang assumed that it was because she had heard that vicious rumor.
"I'm not going, I'm too lazy to move." Lanqin lay on the cool couch, holding a book in her hand. She would read it when she felt like it, and close her eyes to sleep when she wasn't.
"My lady, please don't get angry over such nonsense. Getting angry is bad for the baby in your womb, and it might tempt some people to do the same," Cui Niang said worriedly.
"Did you already hear about this? Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Lanqin glanced at Cui Niang and said.
"Please forgive me, my lord. I was afraid that such rumors would upset you and affect the baby in your womb," Cui Niang said, bowing her head.
“I’m not blaming you. You saw it yourself; they were trying every possible way to make me hear it. That day, I overheard it by chance in the garden. It seems it wasn’t a coincidence. But if you had told me sooner, I wouldn’t have felt so uncomfortable that day,” Lanqin said.
“It was all my own doing. I investigated and found that it was just gossip among the servants, and I don’t even know where it came from,” said Cui Niang.
“Your identity is naturally impossible to find out. It seems necessary to ask the Princess Consort for a thorough investigation into these rumors,” Lanqin said.
Nianxue took a small bowl of grapes from the ice basin and placed it on the small table on the tatami mat. The bright purple grapes were emitting a cool, wispy steam. This was Lanqin's favorite fruit.
"Is Master planning to make the Princess Consort slap herself in the face?" Cui Niang said.
“Anyway, she has nothing better to do, so let’s just play along. If I don’t say anything, she’ll make a bigger scene,” Lanqin said. “If I go to another courtyard now, I’m afraid she’ll spread even more disgusting rumors.”
Just then, Xi Cha lifted the bamboo curtain outside, holding three fresh lotus flowers in her hand, all of which were still in bud and looked very beautiful!
"Master, Princess Yehe has arrived." Xicha walked to the high table by the window and placed the lotus flower in her hand into a white porcelain vase.
"Why does this Princess Yehe come every day, rain or shine!" Cui Niang couldn't help but say.
"She seems to be coming a bit too often!" Lanqin remarked.
"Has Consort Yehe finished her afternoon nap?" Yehe's gentle voice came from outside.
"She's already up at this hour and is reading in her room. Please come in, Princess Yehe!" It was Lan Qi's voice. Because the Yehe clan often came, they didn't announce her arrival; they usually let her in directly.
However, after a short while, the bamboo curtain was lifted again, and Yehe Shi, dressed in light grass color, seemed to have lost a lot of weight, looking charming and lovely.
“Princess Ye is here. The sun outside is very strong. You’ve lost weight from running around like this every day,” said Cui Niang.
Yehe's face stiffened, and she turned around and said, "I'm so bored being cooped up in my room. My concubine has a poor appetite. I specially made some pastries for pregnant women with poor appetites, hoping that my concubine will eat more of them."
After she finished speaking, Peach Blossom came out from behind her, carrying a food box in her hand.
Lanqin had already sat up and said to Yehe, "Sister Ye, you are so thoughtful. Come, sit here."
Cui Niang took the food box from Tao Hua, placed it on the round table, and opened it. The pastries inside were indeed very beautifully made. They looked delicious, but nowadays, they were extremely careful with the food given to Lan Qin, and they basically didn't take anything from the kitchen. Everything was made by Niu Baoquan himself.
"Cui Niang, bring over a few of Sister Ye's pastries to try, I'm a little hungry," Lan Qin said casually.
Cui Niang originally intended to leave it and discard it after Yehe Shi left, but she didn't expect Lanqin to say that, so she had no choice but to ask Nianxue to bring a tray, take one piece from the food box, and bring it to Lanqin.
"Oh, these are all different colors, they look delicious. What kind of pastries are these, little sister?" Lanqin didn't reach out to take them.
"This piece is a purple sweet potato cake made from sweet potatoes, this piece is made from mung beans, and this piece is made from hawthorn. They are all made by steaming fresh ingredients, grinding them into powder, and then adding flower syrup and crystal sugar. The method is not unusual; the key is to preserve the original flavor," said Yehe.
After saying that, she took a piece herself, put it in her mouth, tasted it, and said to Lanqin, "Consort, please try it, it's really delicious."
Lanqin glanced at Yehe, then picked up a piece of purple sweet potato cake and put it in her mouth.
Cui Niang wanted to stop her, but Lan Qin stopped her with a look.
"It's really good. I never imagined that my sister's hands could not only play the piano, but also make such exquisite pastries. Let me see these beautiful hands." Lanqin took a bite and then put the pastry down.
Then, she suddenly grabbed Yehe's hand and, catching him off guard, touched the bracelet in his hand.
"Oh, sister, this bracelet is really beautiful. Can you take it off and let me see it?" Lanqin deliberately showed a pleasant surprise when she saw the beautiful jade bracelet in Yehe's hand.
Yehe was startled, but immediately smiled and said, "This is a dowry from my mother. It's just a jade bracelet. It can't compare to what the concubine wears." Nevertheless, she took off the green bracelet and handed it to Lanqin.
Lanqin smiled and said, "Sister, you're too modest. I just think this bracelet is nice. Look, it really is a fine piece."
Yehe smiled and said, "Since the concubine likes it, why don't I give it to her? Why don't you put it on her head now, sister?"
Lanqin looked up at Yehe and said, "Sister, are you willing to part with this? This is a precious gift from your mother."
Yehe smiled and said, "I get along quite well with the concubine. My mother gave me a pair, and I have another string of them. Why don't I give this string to the concubine as a small token of my appreciation?"
Lanqin smiled and nodded, then said to Cui Niang, "I will accept your gift, sister. Go and bring one of those seven-colored glass bracelets to give to you."
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