"You fought her for ten years, but in the end you still lost to her!!" Lanqin said to the vengeful ghost that Li had transformed into.
“You are different. You have the master’s love. He treats you differently from all other women,” “Mrs. Li” said again.
“What’s the difference? When the time comes, they still won’t believe me.” Lanqin felt that the pain she had buried deep inside resurfaced after Lanqin mentioned it.
"Li Shi" flashed her eyes and said, "I have my reasons, but he treats you differently. You must trust my intuition and make the most of this difference, or your fate will be no better than mine. Ulanara is good at acting. If you act like Xiao Baihua before, you won't even know how you died."
Just as Lanqin was about to speak again, she suddenly felt a tightness in her throat, as if someone had pressed her neck hard, and she immediately woke up.
She sat bolt upright, only to find herself asleep on the tatami mat. The study was still the same study, but there was no sign of "Mrs. Li."
Lanqin immediately got off her bed, slipped on her shoes, and stumbled to the desk. She picked up the teapot on it and started drinking heavily from it.
That dream just now was so vivid!
But Li Shi really did come back to life! Just now, I was in my dream, talking to her spirit!
Lanqin felt a chill run down her spine. She turned to look at the empty study and suddenly felt a sense of fear. She immediately put down the teapot and ran towards the door.
Lanqin opened the door, and the sunlight streaming into the courtyard made her feel safe, as if she had returned to the human world.
"Princess, what's wrong? Is it hot in the room?" Xicha was watering the tender shoots row by row with a bucket of water when she saw Lanqin suddenly open the door and there was a layer of sweat on her forehead, so she asked.
"Nothing! Where's Nianxue? Hasn't she come back yet?" Lanqin walked out of the room, went to Xicha's side, took the small ladle from her hand, and began to water the plants.
"She's back, cleaning the house. Princess, let me do this rough work," Xicha said.
"It's alright, go get another ladle, we'll water them together," Lanqin said.
Nianxue was dusting inside the house when she heard Lanqin and Xicha talking outside, and knew that Lanqin had gotten up.
Ever since she returned from the Fourth Master's place, she had been thinking about how to tell Lanqin what the Fourth Master meant.
When it was time to prepare dinner, Nianxue asked Xicha to go to the kitchen to make the preparations. She then went to Lanqin's side, wanting to tell her about the Fourth Master's upcoming visit tonight.
“Princess, Zi Ran came today to tell me about ‘Fourth Master asking her what Huan Bi is like,’” Nian Xue said cautiously, looking at Lan Qin’s expression.
Lanqin was drawing a lotus flower at her desk when she heard Nianxue say this. Surprisingly, she remained calm, only pausing for a second or two before continuing to draw.
Nianxue sighed inwardly: "Is the princess still angry with the master? This won't do. The master is coming tonight. What should we do?"
“Princess, actually Zi Ran came to tell me that Master summoned me to come and question me,” Nian Xue said, carefully choosing her tone.
Lanqin said coldly, "Nianxue, I'm currently painting. Could you go out for a while? I want to finish painting this lotus flower first."
Upon hearing this, Nianxue knew that Lanqin's inner conflict had not yet been resolved. She wanted to persuade her again, but she was afraid that if she said too much, it would only provoke Lanqin to resist more fiercely.
After Nianxue left, Lanqin's hand holding the brush could no longer trace accurately. She dejectedly put the brush back into the bristles, then leaned back, staring at the eaves, unconsciously recalling the terrifying dream she had at noon.
Were Li's words implying that I could be satisfied immediately?
But even if he releases my foot this time, what about next time, and the time after that?
The Fujin (princess's wife) has endless tricks up her sleeve; how could I, a mere princess, possibly escape her schemes?
Even though Lady Li had already become a concubine, she still fell into her hands. As long as the Fourth Prince trusted her, they would hardly have a peaceful day.
Lanqin thought of Cui Niang again, the woman who would rather die of old age in the Fourth Prince's residence.
But do I really want to be trapped here, living my life quietly?
"Princess, dinner is ready. Please come out and have dinner," Nianxue called out from the doorway.
Lanqin felt her mind was in a mess and couldn't figure it out for a while, so she decided to go eat first and talk about it after she was full. Nothing else was as important as eating!
Since being confined to her quarters, Lanqin had made the maids sit and eat with her. There were only a few of them, and they were divided into several groups. The weather was cold, and often after Lanqin finished eating, they were left with only cold food. Therefore, she insisted that the two maids and Granny Wang eat with her. Since no one else was around, she wasn't worried about being seen or gossiped about outside.
At this moment, the four people each sat on one side of the table, on which were four dishes: stir-fried pork with bell peppers, scrambled eggs with chives, a stew of duck, radish and cabbage (as instructed by Lanqin), and a vegetable soup.
Since Lanqin kicked Nianxue out, she hasn't seen her since she came out.
Nianxue was anxious. She glanced at Granny Wang, who understood that Lanqin still resented her master. She was only asking for trouble.
"Princess, this old servant has something to say, but I don't know if I should say it?" Granny Wang rarely spoke in front of Lanqin because she worked in the gatehouse and didn't have much contact with Lanqin. Now that they were having a meal together, she had a very good impression of the young princess, which is why she and Nianxue were worried about her.
"Please speak freely, Granny. There are no outsiders here," Lanqin said, looking up as Granny Wang spoke.
"The women living in the prince's harem are all as beautiful as flowers, just like blooming flowers in a garden. They must show off their beauty when they are at their most beautiful, hoping to win the prince's favor so that their lives will be easier. These flowers bloom year after year, and new flowers come every year. Sometimes the princes can't even take it all in, so they don't have much time to appreciate any particular flower," said Granny Wang.
Lanqin understood perfectly well what she meant; she was advising herself not to dwell too much on her own obsession. After all, what kind of person was Fourth Master?
He's a prince; the women in his harem are like flowers in a garden—one batch comes each year, and another next year. Stop being so high and mighty. The Fourth Prince is offering a way out; just take advantage of it.
But my heart is truly aching~~~
Should I pretend nothing happened and shamelessly thank him for finally believing me?
Lanqin, with her strong, independent spirit, really can't do it!
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