Before the Fourth Prince could even prepare to go out and greet them, Emperor Kangxi had already sent an imperial edict ordering him not to go.
Even so, the Fourth Prince was determined to sort out the memorials he had prepared to report to Kangxi in the days leading up to Kangxi's arrival. For a few days, he did not keep his promise to Lanqin to return to the mansion every day to have dinner with her.
"My lady, the master has sent word that he will be staying in the palace tonight, and the emperor will be returning to the capital in the next few days." Cui Niang said to Lan Qin, who was sitting on the couch teaching Wu Xiha to read, as she entered the left side room of Lan Qin's room.
"Understood. Then let's prepare the meal." Lanqin understood that the Fourth Prince was definitely going to try to win Kangxi's favor this time, and she couldn't blame him for personal feelings. Seeing that Lanqin's face didn't show any unusual expression, Cui Niang and the others quickly went to arrange the meal.
"Mother, won't Father come today?" Two-and-a-half-year-old Ushiha looked up at Lanqin and asked.
“Little girl, you mustn’t be distracted when you’re learning to read. Your mother has been very busy lately, so don’t expect her to have time to play with you. Understand?” Lanqin tapped Wuxiha’s little forehead.
"What is Father busy with?" the little boy asked, pretending to sigh. Although Ushiha was only two and a half years old, he had already grown up and looked more like the Fourth Prince, but his eyebrows and eyes were still somewhat like Lanqin's. He was a little genius.
Lanqin suppressed a laugh and said, "Your imperial grandfather will be returning soon, and your father is preparing to report to him what happened when he was in charge of the steward's affairs. So, you mustn't bother your father these days, understand?"
Ushiha pouted, blinked her big eyes a few times, and reluctantly agreed.
After the maids set up the table for dinner in Lanqin's main room, Lanqin brought Wuxiha to dine with her. Bechuk was already over a year old and had only just started eating porridge. Wuxiha could eat by himself, so now Lanqin wasn't just dining with the Fourth Master, but with Wuxiha—the three of them were dining together.
Ushiha, who had been eating in Lanqin's private kitchen since childhood, had long been spoiled by Lanqin and would not touch the food brought from the main kitchen.
"Look, today we have our favorite tomato stewed beef brisket!" Lanqin noticed that her eldest daughter wasn't very happy, so she diverted her attention to the food.
Sure enough, Ushiha immediately beamed with joy upon seeing several of the dishes. Influenced by Lanqin, the little girl had become quite the foodie; with delicious food, any unhappiness could be forgotten.
The mother and son sat facing each other and began to eat heartily with their chopsticks. Ushiha had been trained by Lanqin since childhood to eat without being served by others and was very good at eating on his own.
"Mother, this spicy chicken is delicious!" Wuxiha picked up a piece and put it into Lanqin's bowl.
Lanqin smiled knowingly at her eldest daughter, and was about to share a bite with her when she suddenly saw Shuiling walk in and whisper a few words to Cui Niang.
Because Lanqin had said that no one was allowed to report anything while she was eating, if anything happened outside and it was really urgent, you should come and report to your subordinates beforehand, and then tell Lanqin immediately after she finished eating.
"What is it?" Lanqin asked, noticing the change in Cui Niang's expression.
"Reporting to Your Majesty, the Princess Nian has made her move!" Seeing that Lanqin had taken the initiative to ask, Cui Niang did not dare to delay and quickly replied.
"When did this happen?" Lanqin was stunned for a moment, thinking to herself, why did it have to happen when Fourth Master wasn't around!
"It's been two hours already. They said they felt a little unwell this morning but didn't report it until now. They're saying they've started bleeding," said Cui Niang.
"Please enjoy your tea and serve Fourth Princess her meal. I'll go check on her," Lanqin said, quickly putting down her chopsticks.
After washing her hands with the basin of water brought by Cui Niang and the others, Lanqin helped Cui Niang and led Nianxue to Nian Shi's place.
As soon as I arrived at the entrance of the Nian family's courtyard, I saw Aunt Gu waiting for me at the door.
"This servant greets Consort Lanqin!" Aunt Gu greeted her upon seeing Lanqin arrive.
"No need for formalities. Doctor Lin and the midwife must have arrived by now. Why didn't you go over to tell them sooner?" Lanqin knew that childbirth was a life-or-death ordeal for a woman. In ancient times, when medical conditions and equipment were so poor, a woman giving birth was like taking a trip to the gates of hell.
“They’re all here. Nian Gege is growing too fast. I told her not to eat too much, but she still secretly eats too much. The baby in her belly looks pretty big, and it will be difficult for it to be born now,” said Aunt Gu. She was originally the aunt who looked after Nian Shi for Consort De, and now that Nian Shi is about to give birth, her task is considered complete.
“Mrs. Nian looks like she’s destined for good fortune. Come on, let’s go inside and take a look. Everything that’s needed for childbirth has been prepared, right? Make sure nothing is missing. If anything is missing, just tell me.” Lanqin and Aunt Gu said as they walked inside.
"Everything is ready. The concubine sends people over every few days to deliver things. We're just waiting for Princess Nian to give birth," said Aunt Gu.
Lady Nian had been helped into the delivery room, and her screams could be heard intermittently. Several of her personal maids were all inside, keeping watch. Every now and then, the door would open, and the maids would carry basins of blood in and out.
As the person in charge of the inner quarters, Lanqin naturally had to stay here at this time. When the door was opened, a strong smell of blood hit her, making her feel nauseous.
Because Ms. Nian gained weight too quickly in the later stages of her pregnancy, the fetus in her womb grew too large, making it difficult for her to give birth immediately.
"Is the ginseng slices ready? Judging from the way she looks, she probably won't be able to give birth anytime soon. If she keeps yelling like this, she'll just exhaust all her energy and spirit!" Lanqin had been waiting outside the delivery room for over an hour.
"Everything is prepared, Consort, there's no need to worry. Alas, Lady Nian can't control her appetite. I've repeatedly advised her to eat less, but she just won't listen," Aunt Gu said anxiously. If something were to happen to Lady Nian's pregnancy, she wouldn't be able to go back and explain to Consort De.
"Auntie, don't worry too much. Every woman's childbirth is different. You, you stop!" Lanqin comforted her, but then she saw a little maid carrying a basin full of bloody water out of the delivery room, so she quickly stopped her.
"How is Princess Nian? Go and call the midwife out to question her!" Lanqin said, frowning.
The young girl immediately took the basin and went back inside. A moment later, the midwife came out.
"Midwife, how is Princess Nian? She's been in labor for so long and hasn't given birth yet!" Lanqin asked reproachfully.
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