Hearing this, Xiu Ning nodded in satisfaction. She knew that although her daughter was straightforward, she was also thoughtful and calculating, and would not suffer losses.

Ning Chuge naturally wouldn't suffer a loss in this regard. She understood the principle that time waits for no one. Since she had special privileges, she had to use them before they disappeared. Otherwise, it would be a waste to leave them for later.

With a smile, Ning Chuge told Xiu Ning her thoughts. She held Bu Er and Dai in her arms, and the two sisters looked at their mother with the same pair of eyes.

Xiuning: ...

Xiu Ning smiled, but before she could say anything, the two brothers, Yin Yi and Yin Lu, who had come along, couldn't hold back any longer.

Especially Yin Yi, he was so envious of his older sister's ability to make a fortune before she left. He wanted to do the same, but unfortunately, it would be difficult to achieve either marriage or establishing a residence outside the palace, given the Emperor's arrangements for his brothers.

"If you're so envious, you could marry a Mongolian princess."

Ning Chuge's words startled Yin Yi, who shook his head and said, "Elder sister, this won't do."

Even marrying a wife from a humble family would be better than marrying a Mongolian wife. What difference would that make from declaring that he had no chance of inheriting the throne? He didn't want that.

Yinlu covered his mouth and chuckled, "Third brother is really something. Eldest sister is about to marry into Mongolia. No matter what Father Emperor says, he will not let Third brother marry a Mongolian princess."

Yinyi reached out and rubbed Yinlu's head. "Of course I know about this, but nothing is absolute." Who knows what Father Emperor is thinking? What if he really arranges one for him? Good heavens, two of Mother's four children are now useless, so the pressure on the remaining Yinlu, Buer, and Dai is even greater.

Seeing the children chatting animatedly, Xiuning put down her teacup and said calmly, "Yinyi, the Emperor has already made his decision regarding your choice of consort."

Yin Yi was surprised, "Mother, Father Emperor hasn't already chosen someone, has he?"

How old is he? His second brother is still arguing with the Guarjia clan, and now it's his turn?

Xiuning nodded, "The candidates are just a few families, and the Emperor would not disrupt the balance."

Besides, the eldest prince is betrothed to the Irgen Gioro clan, and the crown prince is most likely to be from the Guarjia clan. As for you…”

Before he could finish speaking, Yin Yi eagerly interjected, "You wouldn't happen to be from some powerful clan, would you?"

No way! Just look at his two older brothers. Yin Yi just wants to refuse.

“No,” Xiu Ning dismissed Yin Yi’s idea, “It’s a mid-level family.”

There aren't many young ladies from prominent families to begin with, and with the eldest prince and the crown prince each having married one, plus several concubines in the harem who have given birth to children, if Yin Yi were to join in and cause trouble... Xiu Ning shook her head; the scene was too far-fetched, and Kangxi wouldn't agree.

"Mother, you come from a middle-class family, so you probably won't be of much help to Third Brother."

Yinlu raised his little hand to interject. In his opinion, his third brother was good in every way, even better than his eldest brother and the crown prince. How could he only be worthy of a young lady from a middle-class family? He felt wronged.

"Little Fourth, do you think that people from large families can be of greater help to Third Brother?"

Ning Chuge felt it was necessary for her to educate her children about the survival strategies of the previous dynasty and the imperial harem.

This is not a simple arithmetic problem where one plus one equals more than two. On the surface, getting married is about starting a family and establishing a career, but in reality, it is a prerequisite for entering the government and participating in politics.

If you want to accomplish something, you definitely need to perfect many steps.

However, perfecting the steps does not mean that you need to do them perfectly; just make them suitable.

The same applies to marriage. Yin Yi had an eldest son and a legitimate son before him, and several half-brothers of noble birth after him. If he wanted to stand out from the crowd, he had to choose his wife carefully.

"There are too many conflicts of interest among members of a large family, which is more harmful than beneficial to the third brother."

Moreover, our lineage is already quite strong, and we have the support of our maternal clan outside the palace, so there is no need for us to get involved with those powerful clans.

Besides, Father Emperor wouldn't agree.

The last sentence is the key point, because Kangxi never intended for Yinyi to marry a woman from a prominent family, so no matter how these families might help Yinyi, it was all just empty talk.

Yinlu's lips twitched. He was used to his older sister's affectionate nickname for him. "So, it seems that I won't marry a woman from a prominent family in the future."

He was essentially no different from his third brother. Although there was a few years difference between them, they were close in birth order, and the problems his third brother faced were equally applicable to him.

Ning Chuge revealed a teachable look, "You're right, both of you are like that," neither of you can escape it.

Upon hearing this, Yinlu curled his lip, "How boring."

No matter what they do, they are just pawns in the Emperor's hands, to be dealt with however the Emperor wishes.

Ning Chuge smiled brightly, "Isn't this how the royal family always operates? Or do you intend to break the rules?"

Yinlu: ...

Hey, what do you mean he wants to break the rules? He has no such intention. What's wrong with your older sister? Her words are hard to answer.

Yinlu roared inwardly, but because his friends were all around him, he didn't hide his expression. All sorts of strange expressions appeared on his face, making it quite a sight to behold.

Well, Ning Chuge laughed even more heartily, and even Bu Er and Dai, who were being held in her arms, couldn't resist.

"Ahem, sorry, sorry, I couldn't control myself for a moment," Ning Chuge hurriedly waved his hand, coughed twice, and then put Bu'er and Dai down.

Yinlu was distressed. "Mother, look at this! How can an elder sister act like this? It's too much of a bullying!"

Xiuning held a handkerchief to her lips. "Alright, stop making that face." Anyone who didn't know better would think she was performing a theatrical piece.

After Xiu Ning said that, Yin Lu simply put away his previous childishness, and Ning Chu Ge also trembled and became serious.

Yinyi looked around and shook his head helplessly. No matter what, with his mother around, he was never worried about the topic going off track and getting back on track.

...

The mother and her children came here not only to spend more time with Ning Chuge, but also to help Ning Chuge make informed decisions.

They have a good relationship with their siblings, and their older sister is about to get married. As blood relatives from the same mother, they naturally want to do their best to help.

Some gossip was just a diversion during their leisure time; the purpose of the mother and her children getting together was still to discuss Ning Chuge's upcoming marriage.

He pushed the exquisite wooden box, secured with a copper lock, along with the key, in front of Ning Chuge, saying, "This is what the Empress Dowager specifically instructed me to give to you before she passed away."

"It was stated that it would be sent before the wedding; I don't know what's inside, so you can check it yourself."

After Xiuning finished speaking, she glanced at Yinyi and the others.

Yin Yi took out a wooden box from his sleeve. "Inside are just some loose silver notes. They are a token of my brother's goodwill. Please accept them, elder sister."

Me too.

"Eldest Sister"

Yinlu, Buer, and Dai each took out what they had prepared beforehand.

Since Bu'er and Dai were young, most of their belongings were gifts from the Emperor, so they would choose their favorite jade pendants or various ornaments and put them into a wooden box.

Ning Chuge didn't refuse them. They were all gifts from her own brothers and sisters. She wouldn't use them, but she would definitely cherish them.