Chapter 33

When Consort Hesheli spoke these words, her voice was not low. In addition to Consort Fucha and the Crown Princess in front of her, several other consorts and concubines nearby also heard her.

However, when it came to the Crown Princess, they didn't share the same deep relationship with Consort Hesheli and Yuqing Palace. Instead, they stood quietly to the side, subtly glancing over to watch the show.

At this time, Consort Fucha was unaware of Jialuo's pregnancy. Just now, when Jialuo tried to secretly tell her, Consort Hesheli interrupted her.

When Consort Fucha heard that Consort Hesheli had insulted her daughter, her face immediately turned ugly.

"Consort Hesheli, how dare you insult the Crown Princess? Do you still have any respect for the royal family?" Consort Fucha was also a little guilty. Her daughter seemed to be favored by the Crown Prince, but it also meant that all the pressure of bearing children was on her daughter's shoulders.

He pointed directly at Consort Hesheli's nose and berated her, pinning the charge of 'disrespecting the royal family' on her.

My daughter got married only three or four months ago, what's the rush?

Of course, Fucha Fujin dared not directly refute the topic of whether or not to have children; she could only seize upon Hesheli Fujin's crime of 'disrespecting the royal family'.

Despite being labeled as 'disrespectful to the royal family,' Consort Hesheli was not worried at all. She was a member of the imperial family, born into the Aisin Gioro clan, and was merely the daughter of a prince.

According to kinship, she is even the Crown Prince's elder.

"Why does Consort Fucha need to change the subject? Besides, I am only concerned about the offspring of our Qing Dynasty's heir as an Aisin Gioro. There are no trivial matters in the royal family. When the Crown Princess is able to bear children for the Crown Prince, no one else needs to worry about it."

Consort Hesheli sneered. Disrespect the royal family? She was originally a member of the imperial family. What's the point of pinning such a crime on her?

Jialuo's expression was somewhat cold as she stood before Consort Fucha, her aloof demeanor carrying an air of superiority and inviolability. "Consort Hesheli, why should I explain my affairs to you?"

Like Consort Hesheli, she gave a cold laugh. "With so much free time, you might as well go back and take better care of Hesheli's children. I heard from His Highness the Crown Prince that some of them can't even recite the Great Learning. If you have a son like that, you might as well have a pancake. At least a pancake can fill your stomach."

Jialuo had no idea what it meant to swallow one's anger when Hesheli Fujin came to cause trouble, and she bluntly retorted with sarcasm.

The Crown Prince's maternal family's influence?

What does this have to do with me, Jialuo? Whoever makes me uncomfortable, I'll make them uncomfortable too.

When Hesheli Fujin heard the Crown Princess's sharp and sarcastic remarks, her face immediately darkened.

Isn't the "certain people" mentioned here referring to her Algishan? Before, in the clan school, she couldn't write policy essays, and she couldn't even recite the "Great Learning" from the Four Books and Five Classics. She was even whipped by the master.

What does it mean to say "It would be better to give birth to a pancake, at least a pancake can fill your stomach"? Isn't that just insulting her son as a good-for-nothing?

Enraged, Hesheli Fujin had been enjoying a smooth life ever since she married Suo'etu, who was then designated by Sony (Suo'etu's father) as the next clan chief. She had never suffered any mistreatment.

Now, being insulted by a mere junior, he lost all reason and rushed forward to slap this bastard.

Empress Fucha noticed Empress Hesheli's actions quickly and stepped forward to push her away. Damn it, she's still here, and she dares to lay a hand on her daughter?

"Consort Hesheli, how dare you be so presumptuous and audacious as to assault the Crown Princess!" Consort Fucha raised her voice in anger, and everyone around her immediately stopped what they were doing.

Everyone turned their gazes toward them, and the atmosphere suddenly became quiet.

Consort Hesheli... assaulted... the Crown Princess?

So arrogant, huh?

Isn't the Hesheli family the Crown Prince's maternal family? Shouldn't Consort Hesheli have a close relationship with the Crown Princess...?

"Mother, what are you doing?" Startled, her daughter quickly pulled her back and apologized to the Crown Princess, "I'm sorry, Your Highness, my mother forgot to take her medicine this morning and has a fever. She's confused."

What is Mother doing?

She only spoke briefly with her best friend, and yet she caused such a huge trouble?

Jialuo didn't want to pay attention. She was still pregnant, and every maid and nanny in the main courtyard of Yuqing Palace doted on her. She had her own temper, so why bother chatting with these rubbish people and ruining her good mood?

Seeing that the Crown Princess completely ignored her, Hesheli Gege's expression, with her head down, flashed with a hint of gloom and humiliation. When she raised her head, she was filled with guilt.

Consort Hesheli, however, was quite angry, especially at what her daughter had said. "What nonsense are you spouting? When did I post..."

Before she could finish speaking, her daughter pulled her away. If it weren't for the fact that they were in public, she would have covered Hesheli Fujin's mouth.

Why does my mother speak so foully?

"Mother, what are you doing?" After dragging Consort Hesheli aside, Princess Hesheli lowered her voice and asked in a questioning tone.

"Didn't you say you were bringing me into the palace so I could get closer to the Crown Prince? I haven't even entered Yuqing Palace yet, and you've already started a fight with the Crown Princess. How am I supposed to live in the inner palace after I'm inside?"

Hesheli Gege also added accusations, saying that even if they couldn't be on good terms or get closer to each other, things shouldn't have turned out like this.

"What's there to be afraid of? Once you enter Yuqing Palace, given the relationship between the Hesheli and the Crown Prince, how could the Crown Prince possibly neglect you?" Hesheli's wife acted as if she didn't care at all, and she also thought that the Hesheli were too important.

In Hesheli Fujin's view, whether the Crown Prince can secure his position depends on her husband and the Hesheli clan behind him; otherwise, he might be brought down by Mingzhu and the First Prince.

Besides, her daughter is so beautiful, how could the Crown Prince not like her?

Empress Hesheli was ambitious and looked down on Lady Fucha, believing that she was not worthy of being the Crown Princess and was not as good as her daughter.

The Emperor has terrible taste.

As for being scolded? Who would scold her? The Emperor or the Crown Prince? Don't they know her status? Ha.

Hearing her mother's words, Hesheli Gege pursed her lips helplessly, "Mother, what would you do if the concubines in the back courtyard were to be superior to you because of Father?"

"They dare?" Hesheli Fujin immediately became angry, her brows furrowing. If Suo'etu dared to do that, she would smash his head in.

Princess Hesheli didn't speak, she just quietly looked at her mother.

After a few seconds, Consort Hesheli realized, "This, this is different, isn't it? The Crown Prince's status is much higher than that of Lady Fucha. Does she dare to cause trouble for the Crown Prince?"

Princess Hesheli didn't want to talk about these silly topics with her mother anymore. "Mother, please don't do anything reckless later. Please be patient, okay?"

Hesheli Fujin felt that she was enduring humiliation and had no choice. Now that Suo'etu had been dismissed from his post and was at home, she could only rely on her daughter to whisper in the Crown Prince's ear.

sigh.

At this moment, Consort Hesheli seemed to have forgotten a very important fact: Did the Yuqing Palace want her to go in?

Fucha Fujin pulled Jialuo back to her seat and comforted her, "Jialuo, don't listen to Hesheli Fujin's nonsense. She's just jealous that you're doing better than her."

Fucha Fujin heard it all. Hesheli Fujin said that Jialuo was monopolizing the Crown Prince in Yuqing Palace.

Although Consort Fucha wanted to tell her daughter that being a Crown Prince's consort required virtue and gentleness, and that she should learn to advise the Crown Prince to treat everyone equally and not to be jealous.

but……

Consort Fucha, thinking that her daughter's belly showed no signs of pregnancy, held back her words of advice.

What if one day a princess happens to be lucky enough to give birth to a son, the eldest son of the Crown Prince? Wouldn't that make Jia Luo's life miserable?

If anyone is to blame, it's her for not raising her daughter well, for being selfish and only wanting her daughter's life to be easier.

Hearing her mother's words, Jialuo nodded, "Mother, I know. I just don't want to pay attention to her. Who does she think she is, pointing and whispering like that?"

In front of Consort Fucha, Jialuo lacked the majesty and domineering presence she had as the Crown Princess; she was quite adorable and even a bit childish.

"Yes, yes, our Jialuo is the Crown Princess, how can we let others make you suffer?" Fucha Fujin even thought Jialuo did the right thing.

As for the follow-up issues?

Consort Fucha was also somewhat worried, concerned that Jialuo's actions might displease the Crown Prince. These matters would now depend on her.

Soon someone will go and find Ma Qi and the others. They are with the male relatives. Go and tell the Crown Prince bad things about Consort Hesheli... Oh, no, it can't be called bad things, it's the truth.

That shameless old hag, does she really think she can take advantage of her status to target Jialuo?

"Mother, let me tell you..." Jialuo was deeply moved by her mother's protection of her. A child with a mother is like a treasure.

Before she could speak, news came from the other side that "the Emperor has arrived." Consort Fucha patted Jialuo's hand and quickly returned to her seat.

Let's talk about it later.

The Emperor's arrival interrupted all conversations. When the Emperor reached the throne, everyone rose and knelt to pay their respects.

For Jialuo, the so-called "Golden Festival" was just about eating, drinking, and watching performances. She didn't get a chance to speak, while the First and Fourth Princesses sat next to her, enjoying their leisure.

The First Princess Consort couldn't drink alcohol because she was pregnant, but the Fourth Princess Consort wanted to offer Jia Luo a toast. Jia Luo waved her hand and lowered her voice, "Fourth Sister-in-law, young ladies shouldn't drink so much. It's cold in winter, and it's not good for your health."

The way she spoke, as if whispering secrets, made Guarjia glance at Jialuo several more times.

"Thank you for reminding me, Second Sister-in-law." When calling Jia Luo, I'm not used to calling her 'Crown Princess,' as if Jia Luo has stolen that title from me.

However, Guarjia did not expect that Fucha's life in Yuqing Palace seemed to be quite good, unlike when she herself married into Yuqing Palace, when Lijia gave birth to two illegitimate sons and was so arrogant because of her offspring.

But now...

Guarjia was still somewhat resentful, not understanding why the Crown Princess's treatment was so different just because it was a different person.

She also heard the rumors in the palace, that the Crown Prince doted on his Crown Princess and ignored even the other princesses in the harem, but she didn't know if it was true or not.

Jialuo: Actually, I can't drink alcohol because I'm pregnant.

However, I wasn't wrong. Why drink alcohol in the dead of winter? Girls should drink more nourishing soups to improve their complexion and keep their bodies healthy.

"Fourth sister-in-law, the Crown Princess is right." The First Princess Consort lectured Guarjia with the air of someone who had been through it all, and occasionally touched her belly.

Looking at the First Consort, who had given birth to four daughters and died trying to produce a legitimate son, Guarjia's condescending and instructive tone was truly distasteful.

"It seems that my sister-in-law is very experienced in this matter." Guarjia smiled and said. They were all good at acting, and no matter how unhappy they were, they would not show it. The three sisters-in-law were very happy together.

"Your Highness, His Highness has asked us to bring you some hot soup. He said that dinner might be cold and you might not have an appetite." At this moment, Xiao Shunzi, the personal eunuch of the Crown Prince, brought over the hot soup.

Upon hearing this, the three royal consorts stopped chatting and turned their gazes to the servant.

Xiao Shunzi, who was being watched by them, did not feel uncomfortable at all. He brought the hot soup to Jialuo's table and took away a white food that looked like frozen pork so as not to affect the Crown Princess's appetite.

At the same time, another servant behind him brought out warm pastries, covered tightly, and only opened them after setting them down.

It was still steaming hot; it looked like it had just come out of the oven.

Looking at the hot soup and filling pastries served on the Crown Princess's table, the First Princess Consort couldn't help but feel a little envious. "It seems that the Crown Prince really cares about you. He even thinks of you when he's eating."

Speaking of which, I'm reminded of that eldest prince, Yinqi. Yinqi has never been so attentive in taking care of people.

After each palace banquet, he would only shout loudly, "My lady, the master is drunk, bring him some sobering tea!" or "My lady, the master is hungry, quickly have someone bring him some food!"

Comparing yourself to others will only make you miserable.

"Of course! I've never seen His Highness the Crown Prince care about anyone like this before." Guarjia was somewhat dazed. Even when Li Jia was favored in the past, the Crown Prince never showed any concern for her at palace banquets.

"Perhaps our Highness is more observant and noticed that I haven't eaten yet. Tonight's meal is indeed cold and not easy to swallow." Jialuo smiled awkwardly, feeling like she was... showing off her affection?

After speaking, he stopped talking, unsure of what to say next.

Compared to His Highness the Crown Prince, the First Prince and the Fourth Prince did not seem to perform as well.

After hearing Jialuo's explanation, the First Princess Consort pouted and said, "Don't say anymore. The First Prince doesn't even have the brain to think about this. He's probably already drunk over there."

Of course! On the men's side, the eldest prince, believing himself to be a better drinker than the crown prince, insisted on having a drinking contest with him.

And he was very pleased with himself, saying that his eldest son would be born next spring.

Yinreng listened to Yinti's boastful words and looked at him coldly. What's so great about him? Who knows if he'll just be another golden flower? Tch.

Now, none of the Emperor's wives are pregnant except for his wife. How could Yinti not be proud and pleased with himself?

The eldest grandson will definitely be born to his wife.

At this moment, the imperial physicians could not determine whether the child in her womb was a boy or a girl; they would have to wait a while longer to be able to be sure.

However, Yinti was so confident that when he saw the Crown Prince's cold and disdainful expression, he simply assumed that the Crown Prince was jealous.

“Your Highness, don’t be in such a hurry. In a year or two, you’ll surely have a son or daughter.” Yinti spoke with the air of someone who had been through it all, which made Yinreng quite displeased, and he slapped away the hand that was on his shoulder.

"You're only half a daughter." The Crown Prince was furious that Yinti was showing off in front of him, and he also had a look of disdain for a fool. If he knew that his Crown Princess was pregnant, he wouldn't say such things.

Yinti was smug, thinking that the Crown Prince was just jealous, so he continued to offer toasts with a smug grin.

Other princes: You guys keep drinking while the eldest brother and the crown prince are fighting. Don't drag us into it.

Most people share this mentality. After hearing this, the Crown Prince glanced at his third and fourth brothers and said, "Third and fourth brothers, I have already informed Father Emperor that we can resume our duties at court after the Golden Offering Festival."

After he finished speaking, the eldest prince turned his gaze to the third and fourth princes.

"Fourth Prince, you're married now and serving in the court. You're an adult now. Come, let's drink together." Yinti had completely forgotten that Empress Xiaoyiren, the "Empress Mother," had just passed away not long ago.

The Fourth Prince, Yinzhen, had a somewhat indifferent, expressionless face. He was in mourning when it came to drinking.

"Eldest brother, the fourth prince is observing mourning, let's find the third prince." Yinreng spoke up to help the fourth prince, Yinzhen, while also pushing the third prince, Yinzhi, forward.

Yin Zhi looked up at the Crown Prince with some surprise. No, Your Highness, if you're trying to help the Fourth Prince, please don't drag me into this mess.

After being reminded by the Crown Prince, Yinti suddenly remembered the matter. He chuckled awkwardly, pretending that nothing had happened, and grabbed the third prince, saying, "Come here, let's drink."

The Fourth Prince, Yinzhen, was somewhat downcast and distressed. He knew that, apart from him, none of the other princes of the Emperor would truly observe mourning for their mother.

However, the Empress Dowager had only been gone for less than a month, and they were already like this...

Thinking of this, she raised her head and looked at her father, the Emperor, who was sitting on the dragon throne. In the end, she said nothing and sat silently to the side.

The other princes only remembered this matter after being reminded by the Crown Prince, and they did not make trouble for the Fourth Prince. But it was the Golden Award Festival, and they couldn't let them be sullen and do nothing because of the Fourth Prince, could they?

Therefore, everyone ignored the fourth brother to avoid bringing up his painful past.

The Fourth Prince's wife, Lady Guarjia, was unaware of what was happening with the male relatives, but she felt a pang of jealousy at the Crown Prince's kindness and care for Lady Fucha.

Why couldn't I receive such good treatment back then?

If, if in her past life, the Crown Prince had cared for her in this way, perhaps she wouldn't have schemed to throw herself into the Fourth Prince's arms without looking back when she was reborn.

I cannot give her care and love, nor can I give her wealth and luxury.

Although Guarjia felt that she had abandoned the crown prince, seeing how well he treated Fucha, she was unwilling to give up and became infatuated again.

“Indeed, in the dead of winter, these dishes will be cold.” Guarjia nodded with a slightly forced smile, forgetting that she wasn’t in charge of organizing banquets in the harem, and thought Fucha was just being pretentious.

For so many years, haven't palace banquets always been like this? Yet no one has ever dared to say it out loud.

"Would you like to drink together?" Jialuo looked at the cold food on the table of the First and Fourth Princesses, which was obviously inedible, and felt embarrassed to eat alone, so she kindly asked.

However, Jialuo's good intentions seemed to go unnoticed by Guarjia, who only thought that the Crown Princess was showing off to her.

"No need, this was specially prepared for you by the Crown Prince." Lady Guarjia smiled and declined. She had already eaten before coming. She didn't know what the Crown Prince liked about Lady Fucha. She ate like a pig. She was the same way at Cining Palace. She just kept eating and eating.

Guarjia did not understand why the Empress Dowager favored Fucha so much. Even when it was her, it was only out of politeness.

The Crown Prince is also...

Guarjia knew about Fuca before, and was even tricked by Wanyan into going to the Imperial Flower Pond, where he fell into the water and almost died. He was so stupid. Could it be that the saying "fools are lucky" really applies?

But can the Emperor really accept such a foolish Crown Princess?

She was just waiting for the Emperor to fail to accept her, fearing that she would soon be deposed.

"I don't need it either." The First Consort also refused. The Crown Princess was not pregnant, and the hot soup and pastries that the Crown Prince prepared for her might contain things that pregnant women cannot eat. She was not so greedy as to crave them.

Seeing that the two women refused, Jialuo assumed they were simply not hungry. Since the formalities had been over, she decided to start eating.

It's delicious and tasty.

The hot soup made me feel all warm and cozy. Bao Cheng is so great; he's learned to be considerate of his wife.

She felt a surge of joy, while the two people next to her, watching Jia Luo enjoy her meal so much, felt a pang of envy, realizing their own men couldn't compare.

We also need to send someone to check on the prince's side, to see if he needs some hot food sent over, as drinking on an empty stomach is bad for his health.

If they drink and then get drunk and vomit, won't they still have to take care of them?

When Jialuo saw that both the First Prince's wife and the Fourth Prince's wife had sent hot food (a small dish to fill their stomachs) to the First Prince and the Fourth Prince, she remained silent for two seconds, wondering if she needed to do the same.

After thinking it over, she decided against it. His Highness the Crown Prince already cares about her, so how could he possibly mistreat himself?

So, a plate of steaming pastries appeared on the table of the eldest prince and the fourth prince, both of whom had wives, and a servant beside them even reminded them:

"Eldest Prince (Fourth Prince), the Princess Consort said that drinking on an empty stomach is bad for the stomach, so she specially asked the kitchen to prepare this." When she came to the Eldest Prince and Fourth Prince, she repeated the words of concern from their Princess Consort.

The concern shown by the First and Fourth Princes' wives drew the attention of the other princes, who seemed to subtly express their doubts with their own gazes. It's true that having a wife makes all the difference; everyone gets to show concern.

However, this idea was stopped by His Highness the Crown Prince, and the Third Prince and the others turned their gazes to His Highness the Crown Prince.

If I remember correctly, His Highness the Crown Prince also has a Crown Princess, but it seems that the Crown Princess doesn't care about him as much as the First and Fourth Princes' wives do.

The eldest prince initially thought that his wife was being too effeminate. How could a grown man go out drinking and still be controlled by the women at home?

At this moment, seeing that no one came to care for His Highness the Crown Prince, Yinti smiled smugly. "Your Highness, it seems that I still have people who care about me. Sigh, my wife is really something. We're all grown men, how come she can't even take care of herself?"

As the eldest prince spoke, he shook his head and laughed, looking as if he was quite embarrassed about why he was so welcomed and cared for by his wife.

The eldest prince argued with the crown prince about this again, and even the fourth prince pretended not to exist when he saw them arguing.

They still think that the Fourth Princess Consort doesn't understand palace rules and etiquette at all, doesn't she know where she is? This is a palace banquet.

If word gets out, people will think that the Fourth Prince doesn't like his father's arrangements.

When His Highness the Crown Prince saw the First Prince showing off this, his expression showed a subtle hint of displeasure, but the next second it returned to normal, with a touch of sarcasm.

"It seems that my elder brother still needs my pregnant sister-in-law to worry about him all the time. Sure enough, in my sister-in-law's heart, you are still immature and don't know how to take care of your own child." His Highness the Crown Prince thought to himself. The Crown Princess is having a hard time while pregnant, so she probably doesn't have much time or energy to think about this.

Hmph, how could the Crown Princess forget him when she loves him so much?

Upon hearing the Crown Prince's words, the First Prince's expression also turned somewhat unhappy. "I think you're just jealous, Your Highness. Why doesn't the Crown Princess have anyone check on you? Drinking on an empty stomach is bad for your stomach. Oh dear, bring me a bowl of hot soup."

The eldest prince knew he couldn't argue along the lines of the crown prince, so he focused on the fact that the crown princess didn't show the same care as the first wife, implying that the crown prince wasn't worthy of such care.

"As a man, it would be really effeminate to act coquettishly towards the Princess Consort. You should ask your sister-in-law, who is six months pregnant, to take care of you. But I am different. The weather is so cold, and I even had hot food sent to the Crown Princess."

How could the Crown Prince not understand the eldest son's thoughts and why he did this on purpose?

However, he wouldn't go along with his eldest brother's wishes. Instead, he brought up the good things he had done in the past, saying, "Speaking of which, your sister-in-law has already given you a princess, and now she's pregnant with your child. Brother, you're really not doing right. As a man, you don't know how to take care of your wife. It's really disappointing."

"Hmph, do you think I need to teach me this? Xiao Fangzi, go and bring hot food and drinks to the Fujin." The eldest prince, unwilling to admit defeat, immediately retorted to the eunuch beside him.

Upon hearing the eldest prince's order, the eunuch named Xiao Fangzi immediately nodded and prepared to turn around and carry it out.

The eldest prince proudly raised his chin, "Second prince, it's not just you who knows how to pamper your wife, I can too. I'm better at taking care of my wife than you are. She's pregnant, Xiao Fangzi, remember to tell the kitchen to prepare her meals properly, so she doesn't accidentally eat anything else."

As Xiao Fangzi left, the eldest prince earnestly recalled this matter and reminded him that he, Aisin Gioro Yinti, had never lost to the second prince.

The Crown Prince felt he had been too hasty. He should have waited until the palace banquet was over before mocking the eldest son, so that he could gain the upper hand.

"Ha, you're just following in my footsteps. That's all you're capable of." The Crown Prince scoffed, his contempt for the First Prince who was merely following his lead infuriating the First Prince.

"Who's following your lead? I've always wanted to do this, not just now, but in the future!" He spoke these words with great passion and fervor. You stinking Yinreng, just you wait and see. My kindness to my wife is definitely not just following your lead.

Sitting to the side, the Fourth Prince Yinzhen silently watched his elder brother and the Crown Prince argue over such a trivial matter. Looking at the slightly warm plate of pastries in front of him, he felt a complex mix of emotions.

The gift was nice, but don't send it next time; he doesn't like special treatment.

On the other side, after receiving the eldest prince's order, Xiao Fangzi instructed the kitchen staff, and soon after, the kitchen staff delivered the food.

He personally oversaw the situation, and no one dared to poison the First Princess's belly.

On the women's side, the First Princess Consort received the First Prince's 'care' and looked at Xiao Fangzi with surprise, asking, "First Prince, what's wrong now?"

Is she having an attack? I've never seen Yinqi take such good care of anyone before, and he even knows to prepare hot food for her?

Xiao Fangzi chuckled awkwardly, glanced at the First Princess Consort, and then looked at the Crown Princess with embarrassment. "This, this is all because the First Prince cares about you, Princess Consort."

His gaze was caught by the First Princess Consort, who quickly thought of it. She realized that the Crown Princess could not provoke Yinti, and the only one who could cause Yinti to have emotional fluctuations was His Highness the Crown Prince.

Well, it's another blessing from the Crown Prince.

"Yes, I understand. You may leave." The First Princess believed that Xiao Fangzi's look just now was the same one the Crown Princess had seen, and she quickly explained, "Crown Princess, our master has acted foolishly again. Please don't mind him. He must have argued with His Highness the Crown Prince over some trivial matter."

The Crown Princess was of course aware of the minor conflict between the First Prince and the Crown Prince, and she didn't think it could involve her and her sister-in-law. She chuckled and shook her head indifferently, "It's nothing. Maybe my eldest brother was worried that the First Princess and the baby in your belly were hungry, so he specially sent some over."

The Fourth Princess Consort glanced at the First Princess Consort, then at the Crown Princess. Both of them had hot food specially brought to their tables, but she herself had none.

The Fourth Prince's wife, Lady Guarjia, who was never one to admit defeat, felt resentful. Why?

Perhaps the Fourth Prince's status was slightly lower, so the people in the kitchen were planning to send it to him later?

So, with a gentle and elegant smile on her face, Guarjia waited and waited, but still nothing came.

When the banquet ended, Lady Guarjia still hadn't received any concern from the Fourth Prince, and it would be a lie to say she wasn't disappointed.

The First Princess and the Crown Princess seemed to be enjoying their meal, but the Fourth Princess, Lady Guarjia, seemed unhappy. I wanted to comfort her, but I didn't know what to say. If I mentioned the Fourth Prince, I always felt like I was making sarcastic remarks.

Guarjia believed that the Grand Consort and the Crown Princess were ignoring her, which meant they looked down on her. Although her expression did not change, she was filled with resentment towards the two of them.

What's so great about them? One was destined to die young, and the other was destined to be rendered useless.

At this moment, Jialuo did not notice that the Fourth Princess Consort's expression was not quite right, and felt that she had already been considerate of the other party.

The banquet for the Golden Award Ceremony is almost over. Everyone is getting up to toast and move around, and the Emperor doesn't forbid it. After all, the Golden Award Ceremony should be lively and festive.

The grief of the past few days seemed like a distant memory. With a gentle smile, he toasted his ministers, occasionally glancing in the direction of the Emperor, watching them laughing and joking. A fatherly smile of satisfaction returned to him.

Not bad, not bad. Bao Cheng and Bao Qing have a pretty good relationship. It's all Suo'etu and Mingzhu's fault for leading their son astray.

Remembering that Songgotu had already been dismissed from his post and was staying at home, Kangxi, who valued the balance of power in the court, was thinking about what excuse he could use to also suspend Mingzhu from his post and have him stay at home for a period of time to recuperate.

When the event ended, Fucha Fujin secretly came to find her daughter and wondered if the fire-avoidance diagram she had taught her was not very useful, and that the posture might not be able to help a woman conceive quickly.

"Jialuo, Jialuo, Mother has a secret recipe for conceiving a child." Many imperial wives use it, and she finally managed to find out about it.

Hearing this, Jialuo felt a little helpless. She took Fucha Fujin's hand, stood on tiptoe, and whispered to her mother, "Mother, didn't you notice that I'm wearing flat shoes? Shh, don't make a sound."

Fucha Fujin looked down at Jialuo's shoes. A few seconds later, she blinked as if she had just realized what was happening. She was about to exclaim in surprise when she remembered Jialuo's words, "Don't make a fuss."

His gaze seemed to drift casually to Jia Luo's stomach, a hint of surprise in his eyes. "This, this, how come there's no sign of it?"

"Let's talk about it in three months." Jialuo gestured to stop the bleeding. "I had some trouble with the baby recently, and I'm worried about things going wrong at home."

Consort Fucha nodded repeatedly. Indeed, her daughter's mind was not suited to scheming and plotting with the other princesses in the inner courtyard. "Hmm, you did the right thing. Does the Crown Prince know about this?"

“The Emperor and the Crown Prince both know, so Mother can rest assured,” Jialuo explained, not wanting her mother to worry about this matter.

When Consort Fucha heard that the Emperor also knew about it, she breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that the Emperor's willingness to keep this matter a secret for Jialuo meant that he was quite satisfied with Jialuo as his Crown Princess.

Little did they know, the Emperor's favor rested entirely on Crown Prince Yinreng's influence.

"Now that you're pregnant, you can't have sex. The baby in your belly is the priority." She glanced around to make sure no one was eavesdropping, and lowered her voice. "Jialuo, if the Crown Prince goes to the inner palace, you should still support your trusted princess. She can help the baby then."

Fucha Fujin's words made Jialuo immediately understand her meaning: to consolidate her favor?

She wasn't from this era, and even though she knew she couldn't change the times, she could change herself. She had tried her best to ignore certain things that made her uncomfortable.

However, she wouldn't do such a thing. "Mother, don't talk about this. I know what I'm doing. Please don't tell anyone."

Jialuo didn't want to argue with her mother because she knew that no matter how much she argued, she couldn't change her mother's mind; it was a difference in their education and thinking.

Why.

Jialuo was in a bad mood, and everyone else noticed. They didn't know why, but they knew that Fucha Fujin had pulled the Crown Princess away for a short while. Could it be that Fucha Fujin had said something that displeased the Crown Princess?

I remembered what Consort Hesheli had said to the Crown Princess before the banquet. Oh, it must have been about the issue of having children. Tsk tsk tsk.

It is indeed tragic that the principal wife cannot bear a son, but it is a bit too much to monopolize His Highness the Crown Prince. What kind of Crown Princess would do such a thing?

Having just returned to her seat and not knowing what was going on, Jialuo, who was receiving veiled sympathy and disdainful glances from others, looked at the First Lady in confusion and asked, "What's wrong?"

The First Princess Consort, Lady Irgen Gioro, shook her head and comforted Jialuo, "Crown Princess, don't worry. You and the Crown Prince have only been married for a short time, and the opportunity to have children will come soon."

Fourth Consort Guarjia also showed sympathy in her eyes, but in her heart there was a hint of cold disdain. In her previous life, she only gave birth to a legitimate daughter after seven years.

Empress Fucha, hehehe, just you wait, you'll get what's coming to you in the future.

"Oh..." So that's what they were talking about. Jialuo knew she was pregnant, so she didn't argue with them and just gave a casual reply.

Seeing Jialuo's expression, they all assumed that she was upset because she couldn't conceive.

After the banquet ended, as they left, they occasionally mentioned the Crown Princess, saying that she was unable to give birth yet still monopolized His Highness the Crown Prince, and that the Emperor would certainly not forgive her if he found out.

At the same time, there was also some jealousy, because His Highness the Crown Prince stayed in her courtyard for three or four months after Fucha married into Yuqing Palace, which shows how much the Crown Prince doted on her.

Then think about her own husband; let alone the month before their wedding, he practically wanted to be with other concubines every day.

At this moment, Jialuo slowly walked back to Yuqing Palace in flat shoes. Someone had also seen that she was wearing flat shoes. However, she was quite proud of herself and said: "It snowed on the road, so it's slippery. Be careful on your way back, the road is slippery."

Many people thought that Fucha was deliberately acting stupid to put them at ease, so that she could secretly help the Crown Prince by offering advice and being a virtuous wife.

As the event was about to end, His Highness the Crown Prince learned from Li Rongbao that Suo'etu's wife had been making things difficult for the Crown Princess, saying things like, "Crown Princess, I heard you've been married into Yuqing Palace for so long and there's still no sign of pregnancy. You won't even let the Crown Prince go to the other concubines' quarters?" and "This won't do. How can the Crown Princess be so jealous? Just because you can't have children doesn't mean you can stop others from having them. The Crown Prince is the heir apparent; how can he not have an heir?" These words immediately soured the Crown Prince's mood considerably.

What exactly is Consort Songgotu trying to do?

Or perhaps, Songgotu was dissatisfied with him because of his dismissal and self-reflection at home?

He sent someone directly to Suo'etu to ask him, "Are you dissatisfied with Yuqing Palace, or with me? Is this how you reflect on yourself at home?"

When Suo'etu received the message from the Crown Prince, he was terrified. When he asked what had happened, he learned that it was his own stupid wife who had done something foolish, so he immediately ran to confront her.

He pointed at Consort Hesheli and launched into a tirade, "Are you trying to kill me? Are you out of your mind or insane? You know I'm waiting for the Crown Prince to plead for me in court, why are you still making things difficult for the Crown Princess?"

That foolish woman can't teach her son properly, and she's likely to offend people when she goes out.

She was confined to her quarters, and her household management duties were handed over to a concubine.

This angered Consort Hesheli, who immediately started making a scene. The fight escalated to the point where Suo'etu's face was scratched with fingernails. Enraged, Suo'etu ordered that Consort Hesheli be imprisoned, guarded by soldiers, and cut off from her food.

The Crown Prince can't control what Hesheli does; he can't mess with Hesheli's wife, but he can mess with Hesheli's clansmen in court.

Later, they learned that it was because of Hesheli Fujin that they were being harassed, and they were furious and wanted to remove Suo'etu from his position as clan leader.

Of course, we won't go into the details later. When the Crown Prince returned to Yuqing Palace, he saw that the Crown Princess was looking sullen.

She thought she was angered by Suo'etu's wife, and cursed Suo'etu in her heart for not being able to manage even his wife. No wonder someone took advantage of the situation and infiltrated the rebels' residence.

Unbeknownst to Suo'etu, this incident caused the Crown Prince's favor towards him to plummet, making it even more difficult for him to regain favor through the Crown Prince.

Yinreng sat down next to Jialuo, coaxing her with a helpless chuckle, "Why are you looking so gloomy? Don't give birth to a little bitter gourd."

Upon hearing the amusing remark, Jia Luo raised her eyes and glared angrily at the Crown Prince, "What do you mean by 'little bitter gourd'? Is the Crown Prince some kind of bitter gourd spirit?"

You reap what you sow; you can't expect to grow melons and they'll turn into beans, can you?

The Crown Prince's eyes lit up with amusement. He lowered his voice, his tone deep and elegant, "Is my Crown Princess distressed that she gave birth to a little bitter gourd spirit?"

"Your Highness is talking nonsense." Jialuo pouted, her face slightly worried. She didn't want to bring up this topic with the Crown Prince, so she just sighed in her heart.

【It's all because of what my mother just said. It reminded me of the princesses in the Crown Prince's harem. What if the Crown Prince went to another princess's place while I'm pregnant? Wouldn't that make me so angry that I miscarry?】

Yinreng really didn't know that the Crown Princess had such thoughts and was so deeply in love with him. He was so angry that he would miscarry if he went to another princess's place.

this……

Yinreng indeed did not intend to go elsewhere. It was not because he wanted to remain chaste for her. As a man raised under feudal education, no one had ever taught the crown prince that a man should remain chaste for a woman.

Only women adhered to the three obediences and four virtues. Other princesses were disliked because they were ambitious and not as pleasing as the Crown Princess.

But people are all made of flesh and blood. After spending so much time with the Crown Princess, her honest, lovely, warm, and straightforward nature had truly touched Yinreng's heart.

It just so happened that he met such a pure and innocent person during a period of emotional weakness. Now, hearing what she said, he felt helpless about her jealousy, but also a mix of joy and tenderness welled up in his heart because of her deep affection.

The Crown Princess is so possessive; she really loves me too much.

The arrogant Crown Prince said: "Considering that the Crown Princess is so affectionate and is carrying my child, I will agree to your request."

(End of this chapter)