"How is it?" Fourth Master stood by Yang Yuanpan's side like a loyal dog, waiting for him to take Lanqin's pulse for a quarter of an hour before asking.
Judge Yang raised his hand and touched his gray beard, his expression revealing nothing of his current state of mind, which made the Fourth Master look extremely anxious.
Lanqin felt that it was probably too early in the pregnancy to tell anything, and perhaps she wasn't pregnant at all. Therefore, she wasn't as impatient as the Fourth Master.
"The concubine is pregnant," Judge Yang said with a squinting smile.
Upon hearing this, all the maids in the room beamed with joy; Lanqin also smiled, and the Fourth Master laughed heartily like a silly deer. This was completely unlike his usual stern demeanor, and even the Imperial Physician Yang glanced at him in surprise.
“However, it might not be just one!” Judge Yang dropped another bombshell.
Lanqin was stunned. She opened her eyes wide and asked, "Are you saying it's twins?"
Upon hearing this, Fourth Master was even more astonished and stunned. He stared at Judge Yang's mouth and asked urgently, "Judge Yang, are you sure it's twins?"
Yang, the physician, was clearly not used to others questioning his medical skills. He put on a stern face and said, "It is twins. Judging from the pulse, although I am not very talented, I can still confirm this."
Lanqin was dumbfounded—twins! Fourth Master was even more overjoyed; at that moment, he wished he could hug and kiss Judge Yang, but of course, he restrained himself.
"Good, good, Su Peisheng, go to the treasury and take out that white glazed pot with the image of the God of Longevity. This prince wants to give it to Judge Yang." The Fourth Prince was so happy that he started to generously throw money around.
Everyone gathered around Lanqin, gazing at her belly with obvious delight, as if they wanted to see something amazing!
"All the servants in the South Courtyard will have their monthly wages doubled this month," Fourth Master added immediately, seeing the joy on the face. Everyone laughed again, and the entire South Courtyard was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.
After Su Peisheng brought over the rewards that the Fourth Prince had given to Imperial Physician Yang, Imperial Physician Yang was overjoyed and kept congratulating the Fourth Prince. It's well known that twins are rare for women, and in the royal family, having twins is considered a very auspicious sign. No wonder the Fourth Prince was so happy; he already had few children, and now Lanqin was pregnant with twins—how could he not be overjoyed?
After Su Peisheng saw off Physician Yang, Fourth Master took Lanqin's hand, looked at her belly and said, "You are now pregnant with twins, which must be very hard for you. Why don't you leave the household management to Nian Shi, and you just stay in the courtyard and give birth to two healthy children for me?"
Lanqin was stunned, and Cui Niang beside her also twitched her eyelids, thinking to herself: "Master is really a genius. I didn't expect Fourth Master to propose that Nian Shi share power so quickly."
“Very well, I was just thinking of having Consort Nian come and help manage the household. I’m just worried that Consort Nian might find it a bit difficult to get started right away. How about letting her manage the repairs, furniture, plants, and other items in the mansion? It just so happens that the East Courtyard is still under renovation, so it would be more convenient for her to manage it herself, according to her own wishes,” Lanqin said meaningfully.
Upon hearing this, Fourth Master knew that Madam Nian must have caused trouble again, and he secretly remembered her fondness for extravagance and lack of thrift.
"Alright, I'm not comfortable with her managing everything alone. She has a penchant for extravagance, and if she were to manage everything, she would surely bankrupt the entire Fourth Prince's mansion. Let her be in charge of furniture and house repairs, and also the flower room," the Fourth Prince said.
Lanqin curled her lips and said, "Don't worry, my lord. I have so many capable helpers. I won't let the household fall into chaos."
Fourth Master nodded in satisfaction and said, "It's not that I'm complaining that you haven't managed things well; I'm just worried about tiring you out. So, let's do as you say. It's settled then."
Lanqin secretly felt relieved, thinking, "Now that Nian has something to do, she might be more obedient. Although it means I've lost some of my power in managing the household, it's not without its benefits. As the saying goes, the more you do, the more mistakes you make. Now that Nian is taking over the household management, I can relax a bit, and if Nian does anything wrong, I'll have a chance to catch her red-handed."
"Don't worry, Your Highness, we will take good care of Consort Xi." The maids immediately curtsied and said.
"Good, if Qin'er gives birth safely, you will all be rewarded!" Fourth Master said happily.
Meanwhile, news of Lanqin's twin pregnancy quickly spread throughout the manor, and the reactions varied from place to place.
Madam Song and Madam Geng immediately went to the South Courtyard to congratulate Lanqin; Madam Wu only sent someone to deliver congratulatory gifts; Madam Nian almost fell over when she heard that Lanqin was pregnant with twins. However, soon after, the Fourth Master sent someone to tell her to help Lanqin manage some of the household affairs, and she finally managed not to lose her temper.
Fourth Master opened his treasury once again, adding many fine things to Lanqin's small courtyard. For example, two red coral bonsai trees taller than a person were moved there, along with a whole box of countless gold and jade utensils, and a considerable amount of jewelry.
Lanqin naturally accepted them all; after all, no one dislikes a baby, and she could keep them as dowries for her two princesses. She herself, however, couldn't quite figure out what was going on with the two babies in her belly. Was she really going to have two daughters? Qianlong was supposed to have conceived in the 49th year of Kangxi's reign and given birth in the 50th!
"My lady, Consort Nian has arrived. She says she's here to congratulate you and also to discuss family matters with you," Cui Niang whispered in Lan Qin's ear as she leaned back on the couch, lost in thought.
"You've come so quickly!" Lanqin said, holding a piece of cardamom in her hand.
"If Master doesn't want to see her, shall I go and tell her?" Cui Niang asked, frowning.
"No, let her in! We'll have to see her sooner or later anyway, so it's better to see her now!" Lanqin straightened up and handed the half-eaten pastry in her hand to Xicha, who was standing next to her, so that she could take it away.
Cui Niang quickly agreed and went out to greet Nian Shi.
Lanqin had just been thinking about Wuya Wanru. Although she didn't want to think about this first love she had never met, an unprecedented sense of oppression forced her to consider this hidden adversary. Unlike usual, the women were all appointed by Kangxi or Consort De, and the Fourth Prince was a stranger to them, so Lanqin didn't feel that sense of crisis. But this Wuya was the Fourth Prince's former beloved, and no one could guarantee how much of his feelings for her remained. If the former Fourth Prince's wife hadn't acted recklessly, she wouldn't be in charge of the Fourth Prince's household now. As for this Wuya, if she were just a dutiful woman, Lanqin would truly be powerless against her. Coupled with the Fourth Prince's pity, Wuya Wanru might actually be the strongest opponent Lanqin had ever encountered.
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