"Three to four days, that's not long, is it? Young Madam, this servant will tidy up Cai Qing's room. When she returns, she can sleep comfortably."
"Alright, thank you for your trouble."
Chu Qing shook her head, smiling brightly. "This servant is not tired. This is what this servant should do. This servant will go and tidy it up now."
She took more care in tidying Cai Qing's room than her own matters, meticulously wiping away dust from every nook and cranny.
The curtains in the entire room were replaced with new ones, and all the bedding was changed.
After working hard for a whole day, the room was finally cleaned. Chu Qing looked at the room with satisfaction. Now that Sister Cai Qing was back, she could move in directly.
"It's cleaned up so quickly."
As soon as Feng Jin entered the room, she saw the refreshed space. The bedding was all new, and the tables, chairs, and benches were wiped clean. She had to admit that Chu Qing was indeed very efficient.
"Young Madam, why have you come? There's a lot of dust in here. Please go out quickly."
Seeing Feng Jin enter, Chu Qing hurried to usher her out, afraid that the dust in the room might make her choke.
Feng Jin had just stepped in when Chu Qing rushed to escort her out.
"I'm fine. I was looking for you for a long time and couldn't find you anywhere. I didn't expect you to actually come here."
She had expected Chu Qing to wait a couple of days before cleaning, but she never imagined she would rush over to clean so soon.
"This servant thought it best to clean it up early so that when Sister Cai Qing returns, she can move in directly and be more comfortable."
After these days of getting along, Chu Qing genuinely cared for Cai Qing and only wished for her to be comfortable upon her return.
"Cai Qing will be back in two more days. It's still time to clean in a few days. You should come out with me first."
She had intended to find Cai Qing to help bring Chu Qing along to the Third Prince's mansion. With that said, she pulled Chu Qing and walked out.
She had arranged to visit the Third Prince's mansion with Lin Yuwei early in the morning, and Lin Yuwei was already waiting outside, just waiting for her.
"Young Madam, are we just going to go there openly, without making any other preparations?"
"No need. This is a visit, and a chance to probe the enemy's strength."
As Feng Jin spoke, she walked forward briskly. Lin Yuwei, who was waiting outside, was already growing impatient and was about to go in to call her herself when Feng Jin emerged.
"Sister Feng Jin, you're finally out! If you didn't come out soon, I was going to come in and look for you."
Lin Yuwei's tone held a hint of complaint. She had waited outside for a good half an hour. She had initially said she would be out in a moment, but now, she had waited so long. If she had known this would happen, she would have waited inside to avoid standing in the cold wind.
"I apologize, I got delayed. Let's go quickly, so we don't waste any more time."
Feng Jin said apologetically, urging Lin Yuwei to hurry and get into the carriage. A lot of time had already been wasted, and if they dawdled any longer, it would be too late.
"Sister Feng Jin, did you send a visiting card to the Third Prince's mansion yesterday?"
"No."
Feng Jin replied as a matter of course. It was just a casual visit, did it really require sending a visiting card?
"Without sending a visiting card, it might not be very appropriate for us to just go there so openly."
As they were nearing their destination, Lin Yuwei began to hesitate again. After all, she was not very familiar with the people at the Third Prince's mansion, and it would be rather awkward to go like this.
Feng Jin, however, was unconcerned. "What are you afraid of? We want to catch them off guard. If we notify them in advance, they will be prepared, and what use would it be for us to go then?"
The intention was to investigate the Third Prince's mansion. If they were to notify them in advance, there would be no point in going.
"Don't worry, they can't possibly drive us out. What are you afraid of? Just go."
Upon arriving at the Third Prince's mansion, Feng Jin tidied her attire and walked in with a confident stride. Lin Yuwei, who followed behind her, appeared much more reserved.
"Can't you walk in with your head held high? We're here to visit, not to steal. What are you afraid of?"
Feng Jin advised Lin Yuwei, taking her hand and leading her in with her head held high.
"Kindly announce that Princess Jing and Young Madam Ling are here to visit the Third Princess Consort and the concubine."
"Your Highness and Madam, please wait a moment. This servant will go and report to the Princess Consort first."
The gatekeeper, a young servant, said this and turned to leave, leaving Feng Jin and Lin Yuwei standing outside.
"Sister Feng Jin, are we just going to stand outside like this?"
This was her first time being kept waiting at the door, and it felt rather unpleasant.
"Don't worry, someone will come to fetch us shortly."
She was confident that Liu Meng Han would personally come to greet them. Liu Meng Han was very adept at maintaining appearances and would certainly not slight them in such a manner.
As Feng Jin had predicted, after waiting outside for not long, Liu Meng Han hurried out. "Second Sister-in-law, Young Madam Ling, forgive me for not welcoming you properly as I did not expect your visit. Please do not blame me."
"Third Princess Consort, you are too kind. It is we, Princess Jing and I, who came uninvited. We ask for your indulgence."
Feng Jin was a master of social graces, and with a few words, she steered the conversation onto the right track.
"Second Sister-in-law, Young Madam, it's windy outside. Let's go inside and sit for a while."
Liu Meng Han ushered Feng Jin and the other guest inside. She was in the later stages of her pregnancy, and her belly was visibly showing, making her movements appear somewhat cumbersome.
After taking only a couple of steps, a palace maid discreetly stepped forward to support Liu Meng Han.
Seeing Liu Meng Han's condition, Feng Jin observed the shape of her belly and thought it resembled that of a boy. However, whether it was a boy or a girl could only be confirmed after birth.
"I had wanted to invite Second Sister-in-law and Young Madam to visit me some time ago, but my health was unstable in the first three months. I thought I would wait until I was further along. However, the Empress Dowager was still worried and assigned so many guards that I find it difficult even to go for a walk, spending my days confined to my room, I feel like I'm going mad. Fortunately, Second Sister-in-law and Young Madam have come today. We truly have a telepathic connection."
Feng Jin thought to herself, this Liu Meng Han was truly a social butterfly. Her words were flawless. If Lin Yuwei possessed even half of Liu Meng Han's skill, she would be much more at ease.
"The Third Princess Consort is carrying the legitimate heir, so he is naturally precious and extraordinary. It is only natural for the Empress Dowager to be concerned about the legitimate heir and to show more care towards the Princess Consort. As long as the legitimate heir is safely delivered, the Princess Consort's future favor will be endless."
Feng Jin hit the nail on the head, pointing out Liu Meng Han's unspoken thoughts. It was merely a matter of mutual flattery, a simple task that anyone could perform. She herself was an expert at it.