The Virtuous Concubine

Malu read the letters selectively.

If you casually look through Kangxi's letters, you will find that most of them are about the scenery of Jiangnan and his southern tours. Occasionally, Kangxi would forget to bring something, such as clothes or accessories, and would write a letter asking Malu to send it to him as quickly as possible.

The Fourth Prince's letters were mostly to report that he was safe and to talk about how Wen Xian and Yin Zuo were naughty and would tease him when they had free time.

To be honest, Yinzuo and Wenxian are busier than some of the older princes.

Yinzuo and Wenxian were born fair and cute. Once dressed up, they looked like a golden boy and a jade girl. They were also the only pair of twins, a boy and a girl, in the Qing royal family, and Kangxi liked to take them with him wherever he went.

The letters from Wen Xian and Yin Zuo would be attached to the Fourth Prince's letter, with many alterations and corrections, and few parts were clean.

I just don't know whether this was changed by the Fourth Prince or by the two children themselves.

That day, Malu stood by the window, reading the letter from the south in the light outside.

Every word in the letter seemed to carry the breeze and humidity of the south of the Yangtze River.

Dear Mother:

Your son, Yinzhen, bows his head. I have now arrived in Hangzhou. I have had a safe journey and everything has gone well. I hope your mother will not worry about you.

The city of Hangzhou is truly a paradise on earth. Its beauty is beyond description. It can only be described with the sentence "a river full of tobacco, the whole city filled with catkins, and plums turning yellow when it rains".

Wen Xian and Yin Zuo were occasionally naughty and would run and jump around even when the boat was rocking, and they would not change despite repeated admonitions.

I hope my mother is in good health and everything goes well in the palace.

When I return to Beijing, I will tell my mother in detail about my trip to Hangzhou. I am also sending you a painting of the "South Bank of the Yangtze River" jointly painted by the princes, just to express my feelings about the mountains and rivers.

I wish my mother good health from afar.

Respectfully submitted by your son Yinzhen

After reading Yinzhen's letter, Malu saw the painting enclosed in the letter.

This painting should be the dock scene they painted on the boat. Judging from the brushstrokes, it should be Yinzuo who was the main painter. Each of the accompanying princes added a few strokes, and then Wen Xian signed it.

Malu smiled and pressed the painting with a paperweight, preparing to send it to Ruyi Pavilion for framing tomorrow. It will be hung in the main hall in two days to embarrass these two naughty kids who don't like to study.

At this time, the sound of quails was heard outside again.

Bai Xia, who was serving beside him, gave an ambiguous smile and left on his own.

During this period, the master was pregnant and Nalan came more often. Bai Xia got used to the two of them using bird calls as a signal and spontaneously left space for them.

Nalan was so graceful that he climbed in through the window with one hand, holding a small box in his hand. He saw Malu standing by the window in a green palace dress, and his heart softened: "I came over and saw you standing by the window. I thought you were waiting for me."

Malu asked him with a smile: "Why did you come here in broad daylight today? Don't you want to be a night thief who steals jade and fragrance?"

Nalan shrugged nonchalantly: "I missed you and the children, so I came to take a look", but his eyes fell on the painting and he began to appreciate it with interest.

Ma Lu also turned his eyes to the painting and explained, "This is a painting sent by the children from Jiangnan. It seems that they are having a lot of fun over there."

Nalan was itching to paint, and he thought that although the painting was messy, it was quite interesting. What if he added a line of poetry - Red reed moon at the head of Yanziji, green poplar smoke at the entrance of Wuyi Lane?

Seeing that he couldn't help but reach out for the brush, Malu stopped him with a smile: "This painting is one that all the princes have painted a few strokes on. When the time comes, you can leave your calligraphy. Although it can add color, it will be difficult for me to explain."

After hearing this, Nalan did not mind, he just smiled and took back his hand: "It is my fault for not considering it carefully. When there is a suitable opportunity in the future, I will appreciate the painting and write poems with you again."

After these words were spoken, Nalan fell into silence, feeling lonely in his heart.

When will I have the opportunity to write poetry and paint with Malu?

He raised his head slightly, with a hint of melancholy and expectation in his eyes, and Malu, standing beside him, seemed to have sensed his inner thoughts at the moment, but just accompanied him quietly without saying a word.

Not long after, Nalan remembered the small box in his hand, handed it to Malu, and said mysteriously: "Look, I brought you a little toy."

Malu took the box and opened it, only to see inside was an exquisite filigree and gem-inlaid golden phoenix double-strand hairpin. The phoenix held a blood-red gem in its beak, which glowed even in the dark. When the hairpin moved, the gem also shook, like a dancing flame.

Malu looked at the hairpin with surprise in his eyes.

Nalan smiled and said, "This hairpin suits you very well. Consider it my small gift for visiting you today."

Malu played with the hairpin, feeling bitterness welling up in her heart, but she still smiled and pinned the hairpin in her hair. Her beautiful appearance made Nalan a little dazed.

Nalan was distracted for a moment, then he said softly, "You look really beautiful wearing it."

Malu blushed slightly, and lowered her head to touch the hairpin on her head. Seeing her so shy and gentle, Nalan felt a little moved in his heart, and gently held her in his arms.

The two of them snuggled up to the window, like a pair of mandarin ducks embracing each other, and talked softly for a long time.

It was not until the clock on Malu's desk rang that Nalan realized that time was running out. He let go of Malu with reluctance, looking back every few steps.

As soon as Nalan left, Malu took off the hairpin on her head and called Bai Xia: "Please keep this hairpin and put it together with the jade pendant from last time."

When Bai Xia saw this exquisite hairpin, she couldn't help but sigh, "Master Nalan is really thoughtful. Such a fine hairpin is rare in the palace."

Malu didn't smile when he heard this, but just said calmly: "Is that so."

In fact, this was also Bai Xia's way of showing support for Nalan. With Malu's favor in the palace, he had no shortage of these things, but he just couldn't use decorations like the phoenix.

Bai Xia saw that the master did not look happy, and was puzzled: "Master, do you not like this hairpin? Why are you unhappy?"

Malu stretched out a slender white jade finger and gently tapped the hairpin on the table: "This is usually one of the hairpins that a woman wears when she gets married on her wedding day."

Bai Xia was stunned when he heard this. "Doesn't this mean that Master Nalan is in his heart..."

After all, giving such a gift with special meaning shows that Master Nalan respects the queen as his legal wife.

Seeing Bai Xia's innocence, her innocent yet sincere look, Ma Lu couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Does this mean that Nalan will be getting married soon?"

"Prime Minister Ming had earlier asked the Emperor to arrange a marriage between Nalan and the daughter of Lu Xingzu, the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi. The imperial decree has been issued for a long time, but it was delayed because Nalan 'claimed illness'... Now it seems that the situation has been determined."

A complex expression flashed across Malu's face, as if there was regret and helplessness.

Bai Xia felt the hairpin in her hand getting hot when she heard Malu say this: "How...how could this happen?"

Malu lowered her eyes slightly, her long eyelashes casting a faint shadow on her eyelids: "Why not? He did it, but he shouldn't have hidden it from me."

"You shouldn't have taken the jewelry that the Nalan family prepared for Lu Yuchan to disgust me."