The side room was quiet and lonely, with only candles burning in the inner chamber. Yunxin spread out all the shadow puppets of various characters on the table, and asked her wet nurse, Wei, with a heavy heart, "Nanny, did I do something wrong today? Because Yunwan is the legitimate daughter, everyone in the manor dotes on her, even the Emperor and the ladies of the palace treat her very well. My mother once told me that besides her, only my father and I are closest in this manor, but I feel that my father likes Yunwan more."
Looking at Yunxin's worried face, who was only ten years old, Madam Wei, who was in her forties, felt very sorry for her. If it weren't for her weak health, she would have long since stopped needing a wet nurse. She had taken care of Yunxin until she was this old and had been by her side for more than ten years. She truly loved Yunxin. She embraced Yunxin and gently instructed her, "Madam has treated you very well, but it's only been four or five years, and you're about to get married! You should get closer to Madam in the future and learn from the eldest young master. His mother was confined to a cold courtyard, but she still treated Madam like her own mother every day. You are a daughter of the Fucha family, and you will definitely marry a prince of the imperial clan in the future. If your maternal family doesn't support you, you will have to endure your husband's temper. Judging from the winds in this mansion, the second young master will definitely inherit the title of general in the future, so you should spend more time with him. In the future, you must not be as angry as you were today. The second young lady is a princess tacitly approved by the Emperor. Although she has not been granted an official title, her marriage will definitely be arranged by the Emperor himself."
Yunxin left Wei's embrace. She stared at the shadow puppet for a long time, then turned to Wei and smiled, but without a hint of a smile, said, "Take this to my sister's room for me! Ask Dexuan's personal servant about his preferences. I, as his older sister, have never given him anything before!"
Although Wei Shi outwardly praised Yunxin's intelligence, she sighed inwardly. It was common for children to fight over things, but in this mansion, not only was there a distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children, but there was also the loss of a mother. When Yunxin was seven, she contracted smallpox, and Yan Ning held her in her arms, staying by her side day and night, fearing even the slightest scar on her face. Over the years, even though Wei Shi could see that Yan Ning genuinely loved Yunxin, she couldn't allow Yunxin to break the rules and cause trouble.
Fukang'an was reviewing Delin's homework on the warm couch when Yan Ning rummaged through the cabinet and found a light lotus-colored belt that he had worn a few years ago. She compared it to the deep crimson purse embroidered by Yunxin and placed it next to the moon-white robe he would wear the next day. She stared at Yunxin's skillful embroidery at such a young age and couldn't help but remind Fukang'an, "Yunxin asked me about your preferred color and style. She ruined many unwanted embroideries to finish this purse; you must wear it close to your body and never take it off!" Fukang'an replied, "My daughter embroidered it for me; I will definitely wear it close to my body!"
Yan Ning glanced at the old purse she had replaced; the embroidery was exquisite, but not the style of embroidery found in the capital. She muttered dejectedly, "Don't let it be replaced by some noble lady's purse!" Fukang'an didn't respond, and the room fell silent. Yan Ning unconsciously looked up at Fukang'an and found him looking at her with a contented expression. Her cheeks flushed, and she realized she had been too jealous. He was burdened with military affairs and constantly dispatched by the Emperor to handle local matters; where would he find the time to be intimate with a woman? Feeling guilty, she sat down beside Fukang'an.
The crystal curtains, bathed in moonlight and mingled with the dim candlelight, accentuated the blush on Yan Ning's cheeks. Fu Kang'an put down De Lin's homework, his hand gently tracing Yan Ning's cheek, his eyes filled with affection as he looked at her. "Time flies! In the blink of an eye, we've been husband and wife for over ten years!" Yan Ning grasped his hand on her cheek, retorting, "Are you counting from when we first met? When we first met, I never agreed to marry you!"
Fukang'an chuckled a few times, then wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her into his embrace. "From that moment on, who doesn't know you are my woman, Fukang'an's woman!" Yan Ning looked at the certainty in Fukang'an's eyes, and her heart warmed by his words. She wrapped her arms around his neck, leaned against him, and returned his unwavering gaze, "From now on, yes, for all my life!" Fukang'an gently kissed Yan Ning's forehead, picked her up, and carried her towards the bed. The maidservant standing guard by the side lowered the curtains, bowed, and withdrew.
Having had no one sleeping beside her for a long time, Yan Ning woke up early. Seeing Fukang'an lying beside her with relaxed eyes brought tears to her eyes. She had long been accustomed to the days of solitude, and even though Fukang'an had spent his life on the battlefield, she was willing to spend her life in this empty room. But in the early years of Jiaqing's reign, Fukang'an was about to fall ill and pass away. Thinking of this, Yan Ning hugged Fukang'an tightly, but the force was too strong, waking him.
He suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze sharp as an eagle soaring across the plains. The moment he saw Yan Ning, his eyes softened, and he breathed a sigh of relief. He pulled his hand away and smoothed Yan Ning's jet-black hair. "I was sleeping quite soundly. What happened?" Yan Ning sat up from his embrace, knowing she wouldn't get the answer she wanted, but still clinging to a sliver of hope, she asked, "Do you like the four children?"
Fukang'an sat up with Yan Ning, looking at her with a slight smile and asking, "Why don't I like them?"
Yan Ning continued, "Aren't you afraid of dying young one day, leaving the children to suffer?" Her words caused the relaxed expression on Fukang'an's face to fade. He knew what Yan Ning wanted to say, but it was something he couldn't do. He pulled her into his arms and forced a smile, "What wife hopes her husband will die young!" Yan Ning, however, wasn't satisfied with his words and insisted, "How about we take Mother and our four children and retire to the mountains and fields?"
Fukang'an released her and stood up. He glanced at the dim sky through the window, put one hand behind his back, and said calmly, "I may be staying in the capital for a few months. The Fu residence will be completed soon. If you really like the mountains, rivers, and fields, we can move in with Mother and the children!" He turned to look at Yan Ning, whose face was full of doubt. "I was planning to tell you after it was completed! But I see you're getting tired of staying at the mansion. Tomorrow, take the four children to see the Fu residence!"
After moving into the Fucha Mansion, Yan Ning initially had no time to visit the Fu residence. However, once everything was settled, Fu Kang'an sent guards to completely surround the Fu residence. Yan Ning originally thought that he was guarding the Fu residence because of the matter between the Emperor and the Old Madam, so she never set foot there again.
In recent years, items such as Taihu stones and rare trees have been transported from the capital to build mansions. However, He Shen has been responsible for all of this, as he has been building the Princess's Mansion on a grand scale.
She wanted to ask more details, but it was already late when Fukang'an went to court. After the maids came in to help him change into his court clothes and wash up, he hurriedly went to the palace.
After breakfast, before Yan Ning could mention taking Yun Wan and Yun Xin out of the mansion to the Fu residence, Yun Wan was summoned to the palace by the Tenth Princess. After the Princess's mansion was completed, He Shen invited the Tenth Princess to visit. The Tenth Princess did not want to go alone, so she asked the Emperor to issue an edict summoning Yun Wan to the palace to accompany her.
Inside the princess's residence, Heshen and a feng shui master gazed at the dragon-shaped sculpture made of Taihu stones in the Jin Cui Garden. The feng shui master, carrying a bag sewn from various fabrics, stroked his beard and repeated to Heshen what he had been saying for days: "You must recognize the twelve dragon veins. Water paired with a true dragon is the principle of Qi. A flourishing and prosperous dragon is a rare occurrence. When the dragon vein and water form a harmonious arrangement, wealth and honor will last, but sacrifices will also be made!"
The water curtain of Dripping Emerald Rock lapped against the rocks. Listening to the pleasant sound of water hitting stone, He Shen's face, which was a mixture of jade-like and heroic spirit, smiled brightly. "Now we only need to wait for the Imperial Observatory to calculate the time when the auspicious purple light will sweep across the Forbidden City in three days. With the dragon energy carried by the auspicious purple light, we can inlay the 'Fu' character stele, personally written by the Holy Ancestor, into the secret cave that has been blessed by the master. Then my Niu Hulu lineage will be blessed with wealth and prosperity forever!"
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