Lanqin hadn't seen the Fourth Master for three or four days. It was said that Madam Yin had been summoned to serve him these past few days. Huanbi had found out this from the servants; she was talkative and quickly became familiar with the servants on the estate.
Didn't he say he was sick? He's drinking my porridge, but he's out with other women. Humph, I'm not happy about it!
Lanqin pouted and leaned on the chair in front of the hexagonal window. Her woman's intuition told her that Fourth Master would be looking for her today.
Sure enough, right after breakfast, Su Peisheng sent a eunuch to tell her that the Fourth Prince, Eighth Prince, Ninth Prince, Tenth Prince, and of course the Fourteenth Prince had all arrived. They were going hunting together, and the Fourth Prince told her to be ready to set off with them at any time.
Wow! The five princes vying for the throne are going to make an appearance together!!
Therefore, Fourth Master's displeasure with Madam Yin immediately took a backseat. Lanqin reminded herself that she was not Fourth Master's first woman, nor could she be his last. So whether he found other women or not was truly beyond her control. If she was unhappy, she would only be the one who suffered, so why bother?
So, Lanqin couldn't help but fantasize in her mind about what it would be like to meet these famous princes.
The Fourteenth Prince was still a child, in the early stages of puberty, and found fault with everything.
The Eighth Prince, Yinzhi, was three years younger than the Fourth Prince, and should be 23 years old this year. He was born to Lady Wei, a member of the Imperial Household Department. It is said that Lady Wei was exceptionally beautiful, but her family had committed a crime and she was punished by being sent to the Imperial Household Department as a slave. Although Emperor Kangxi rescued her from that place, her lowly status meant that the Eighth Prince was born at a significantly lower social standing than the other princes. However, historical records indicate that the Eighth Prince, Yinzhi, was exceptionally intelligent and talented, kind and amiable, and well-liked. He was praised throughout the court and called the "Eighth Wise Prince." He was one of the few princes who could rival the Fourth Prince in the struggle for the throne among the nine princes.
The Ninth Prince, Yinzhen, is two years younger than the Eighth Prince, and should be 21 years old this year. His mother, Consort Guoluo, is of noble birth, the daughter of Sanguanbao, the head of the Shengjing Imperial Household Department, and a member of the Manchu Bordered Yellow Banner. Although the Guoluo clan did not serve as early as the Ulanara and Niohuru clans, serving as founding ministers under the Qing Taizu and Taizong emperors, this clan, being descendants of the ancient Xianbei, possessed its own independent power. Therefore, after surrendering to the Qing Taizu, they were consistently courted by the Aisin Gioro clan, with male members offered important positions and female members married into the palace or the princes' households. Today, they are considered one of the eight powerful Manchu clans, deeply rooted and not to be underestimated. Why would a prince from such a powerful maternal clan as the Ninth Prince befriend the Eighth Prince? This is thanks to the Eighth Prince's marriage to a good consort. The Eighth Prince's consort also belonged to the Guoluo clan; she was the daughter of Heshuo Efu Mingshang and the granddaughter of Prince An, Yue Le. Ming Shang and Consort Yi in the palace were cousins. So, besides being brothers, the Eighth Prince and the Ninth Prince also shared this relationship. Perhaps the Ninth Prince lacked the talent to be an emperor, so he simply became a loyal follower of the Eighth Prince.
The Tenth Prince, Yin'e, was the same age as the Ninth Prince. His mother was the deceased Consort Wenxi, and he was also a cousin of Lanqin (his maternal uncle). Historical records describe the Tenth Prince as rather slow-witted, ranking near the bottom of his class in the Southern Study. While all of Kangxi's sons were intelligent and outstanding, this son was somewhat slow-witted, but precisely because of this, he was favored by his father. The Tenth Prince was also a staunch supporter of the Eighth Prince, perhaps because he felt he had little hope of advancement himself.
"Nianxue, help me style my hair into a nicer updo today. Xicha, bring out my light green cheongsam," Lanqin grumbled. She figured it was better to look a bit more elaborate when meeting so many princes.
Nianxue didn't understand why the princess was so excited. Aren't horseback riding and hunting men's things? The princess got lost last time she rode a horse.
Seeing Nianxue standing there motionless, Lanqin knew she was worried again, so she pulled her to sit down in front of the dressing table and said with a smile, "Good Nianxue, don't worry, your princess will stay out of it this time. With several princes protecting her, the kind of thing that happened a few days ago won't happen again."
Nianxue had no choice but to take apart the two buns she had styled for her earlier, and then take out all the jewelry she had brought, deciding to style the princess's hair into a simple, elegant style.
When Nianxue pulled her hair tightly and wrapped it around the square cloth, Lanqin closed her eyes in pain and grimaced, saying, "Nianxue, you're going to kill me with pain! This is torture!"
"Princess, this hairstyle requires the hair to be wrapped up tightly to look good. Just bear with it a little longer, it'll be done soon." Nianxue quickly wrapped the last strand of hair up and secured it with the hair clips.
When Lanqin opened her eyes, she saw that the young Lanqin in the bronze mirror had become much prettier. The high-piled hairstyle perfectly showcased her beautiful hair, and the proportions of her head also looked better. No wonder Manchu noblewomen liked to wear this hairstyle; it really made them look much prettier.
"Princess, wear this coral hairpin! It goes perfectly with this headdress!" Nianxue picked up the bright red coral hairpin from the jewelry box. This was part of Anjia's dowry for Lanqin. The craftsmanship and color were excellent. When pinned to the headdress, the bright red tassel-like beads swayed beside her face, truly adding a touch of elegance to the woman.
Lanqin nodded. Nianxue smiled, put the hairpin on, and then she inserted several silver-plated butterfly hairpins inlaid with sapphires and rubies into Lanqin's square hairpin, and also selected a few delicate gauze flowers.
When Xicha walked over with the bright green cheongsam in her hand, she couldn't help but exclaim, "Your Highness's hairstyle is so beautiful today, and you look even more beautiful."
Lanqin smiled with satisfaction, stood up, and let the two men help her change her clothes. Once everything was ready, however, there was still no news from Fourth Master.
"Nianxue, let's go for a walk outside. Waiting here is making me really anxious." Lanqin couldn't wait any longer and wanted to go out.
“What if we leave and the master sends someone to deliver a message?” Nianxue said.
"This place is quite big. Tell Xicha and Huanbi to wait. If they come over, they can find us by the lotus pond on the east side." Lanqin remembered that there was a lotus pond here, but she hadn't had time to go there. She took advantage of this opportunity to go and take a look.
Nianxue couldn't refuse, so she had to instruct Xicha and Huanbi to stay in the room and wait for the master's message.
The master and servant walked through several houses toward the east side of the estate, and soon came to see a large, lush lotus pond. The lotus leaves, each shaped like an umbrella, grew exceptionally well. This lotus pond must be very large; Lanqin looked to the left and right, but still couldn't see the boundary.
It was not yet June, but many flower buds were already visible in the pond, each one standing quietly like a shy maiden. They would soon bloom in full glory.
"Rising from the mud yet remaining unstained, cleansed by the clear ripples yet not seductive, hollow inside yet straight outside, not sprawling or branching, its fragrance growing more pure as it spreads, standing tall and clean, to be admired from afar but not to be profaned." Lanqin recited involuntarily.
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