Chapter Twenty-Nine

Yinreng was in a bad mood because his father had just misunderstood him. He looked quite imposing with a cold expression. Xiao Shunzi didn't know what the Crown Prince had said to the Emperor after entering the palace.

All he knew was that when they came out, they were still angry and had stern faces. He didn't dare to say anything and just silently followed behind.

However, since Yinreng had returned with the Emperor's gifts for the Crown Princess, he went directly to the main courtyard of Yuqing Palace.

At this moment, Jialuo was quite relaxed. Accounting was not something only she could do. There were many capable people under the Crown Prince. She didn't have the spirit of hard work and could pass the buck if she could.

Besides, it's obvious that there's a lot going on in Yuqing Palace. I don't want to end up being the bad guy, only to have the Crown Prince forgive the other party and all my efforts go to waste.

There she was, applying nail polish, the vibrant color looking beautiful against her fair fingers. She's perfect for eating, drinking, and looking gorgeous.

Seeing the Crown Prince return with his entourage, Jialuo hurriedly stepped forward to greet him. How could she not let the Crown Prince have a good look at her, who was so beautiful?

"Greetings, Your Highness." Jialuo was about to ask, "Your Highness, is my cinnabar pretty?" when she noticed that the Crown Prince's expression seemed rather unpleasant.

What happened?

"This servant greets the Crown Princess. This is a reward bestowed upon me by His Majesty." A servant from the Qianqing Palace brought over several trays covered with red cloth.

As he said this, the red cloth was lifted and revealed to the Crown Princess.

Most of them were gold, silver, jewelry, coral, and the like, which made a dazzling appearance and immediately caught Jia Luo's eye.

[Father Emperor is so generous! Long live the Emperor!]

"You've worked hard, Father-in-law." Jialuo glanced at His Highness the Crown Prince and, seeing that he hadn't given any instructions, quickly stepped forward and gave Xiaoqing a wink. Xiaoqing then took out a purse and handed it over.

When the eunuch took it, he even pinched the size of the silver in the purse, and his smile deepened.

Seeing how easily Jialuo became so easily swayed, Yinreng couldn't help but sneer inwardly. "It's just some little trinkets, why are you so happy? Isn't it because Father Emperor wronged me?"

This is compensation.

Tomorrow he will open the storeroom and show the Crown Princess what true generosity is.

After the group of eunuchs who brought the gifts left, Jialuo had the jewelry put away. Hehehe, it's so beautiful, she likes it.

The Crown Prince waited and waited, but after a long while, the Crown Princess did not pay any attention to him, and his expression grew increasingly unpleasant.

Xiaoqing and the others stood to the side, watching the Crown Princess intently admiring the exquisite and dazzling jewelry, while the Crown Prince stared at her with obvious displeasure, making them somewhat uneasy.

Reaching out from a direction out of the Crown Prince's sight, he tugged at the hem of the Crown Princess's robe.

At this moment, Dongmei brought up the tea, her voice slightly raised, "Your Highness, please have some tea."

After the two gave her some "instructions," Jialuo finally turned her attention to Yinreng, who had returned with a sour face. Her pretty face lit up with a smile, and her soft voice was sweet, "Is Your Highness troubled by something?"

The tea that Dongmei brought out was picked up by Jialuo again and presented to His Highness the Crown Prince. "Your Highness has been away for so long, please have a cup of tea to soothe your throat."

Yinreng glanced at the tea in her hand. He was already in a bad mood because the Crown Princess had ignored him earlier. Oh, no, it should be said that he was even more annoyed than if he had added fuel to the fire. "No need."

"Although ice water is refreshing in the summer, you should also take care of your health. Drinking too much ice water is not good for your body." Jialuo seemed not to notice the Crown Prince's refusal and continued to coax him gently.

It's better to be a man; you can eat and drink whatever you want, unlike her. Even in the middle of summer, when she wants a fruit smoothie, her nanny stops her.

Oh, that's right, my period is coming soon, I need to be more careful.

Yinreng glanced indifferently at Jialuo's beautiful and gentle face, not revealing any hint of envy in her muttered words. Since that was the case, it wouldn't be a problem to force herself to take a sip.

"How are you feeling? The doctor told me to drink more longan and goji berry tea to take care of my health, otherwise I'll easily age prematurely and go bald," the smiling little cutie said brightly.

Yinreng immediately downed his drink in one gulp.

My prince is so cute, I want to kiss him and cuddle him.

This action brought a sweet, charming, and straightforward smile to Jia Luo's face, while her sharp eyes remained fixed on the Crown Prince.

Upon hearing this and sensing her impatient expression, the Crown Prince, who had just finished drinking warm tea, calmly and composedly put down his teacup, maintaining the gentlemanly demeanor befitting a prince.

Jialuo liked the prince's proud and aloof demeanor even more. She sat down next to him and asked him with concern, "Is Your Highness hungry?"

Under Jialuo's gentle and caring attention, Yinreng's mood finally improved. Oh well, let the Emperor misunderstand if he wants; as long as the Crown Princess knows he can do it, that's enough.

Yinreng tried to comfort himself, but what else could he do? He couldn't comfort himself, and he couldn't bother his father.

"I'm not hungry. I just ate not long ago." Yinreng glanced at Jialuo indifferently, wanting to say, 'Are you a pig?'

Seeing that His Highness the Crown Prince was in a much better mood, Jialuo clung to his side, raising her beautiful fingers, "Your Highness, look at my Guandan, isn't it beautiful?"

Why do other couples always stick together so affectionately? I also want to sit on someone's lap and cuddle up to them...

Jialuo felt a little sorry, as couples are usually very affectionate, but it was clear that not just anyone could sit on the Crown Prince's lap.

The scene that Jialuo imagined was somewhat inappropriate for the Crown Prince, so he ignored it.

His gaze fell on Jia Luo's hand. With Yinreng's typical straight-male aesthetic, the hand was fair with a soft rosy tint, and the bright red cinnabar accentuated its delicate and charming beauty. He nodded and said, "Yes, it is indeed beautiful."

Jialuo giggled as she admired her beautiful cinnabar, then playfully fawned over the Crown Prince.

Not long after, Yinreng learned that shortly after he left the Qianqing Palace, his father, the Emperor, had sent a batch of rewards to the First Prince after he made a trip there.

Upon hearing this news, he immediately despised Yinti for being such a tagalong, doing whatever he did. Bah!

Looking down at Jialuo's belly, he realized that the eldest brother was able to gain favor with the Emperor and act so arrogantly in front of him because his sister-in-law was pregnant.

It's not even certain if he's a son!

Malicious thoughts, such as aborting a child, are not the concern of the crown prince, nor should his wife and children be implicated. The struggle between him and the eldest son is their business.

Therefore, Yinreng's current thought is: his crown princess is also pregnant, so who is more precious than whom?

So that night, Jialuo and Yinreng spent half the night together, and he insisted on proving his worth through Jialuo.

For several days in a row.

Unfortunately, what he wanted to prove to his father, the Emperor, was already clear: Bao Cheng was angered by what he had said and was deliberately staying up so late.

On the contrary, Yinti has been strutting around in front of Yinreng these past few days, beaming with pride. It's not that Father Emperor favors you, but now he's starting to favor me.

Yinreng ignored Yinti's boastful behavior, thinking that it was just a matter of pregnancy, and his Crown Princess would be pregnant soon too.

He was determined to cultivate a seed in Jialuo and make it sprout.

Jialuo has been feeling sore and weak in the back and legs for the past few days. It's a bittersweet experience, so she doesn't need to go anywhere to get proper rest.

However, Jialuo has another very serious question: His Highness the Crown Prince also works until midnight every day. Could it be that he is not getting kidney deficiency?

While worrying about this, he ordered the kitchen to prepare more medicinal soups to replenish Yang energy, and this news reached Kangxi's ears.

Kangxi: I knew it. Baocheng is just concerned about his image. Never mind, I won't say this in front of him, lest he get angry.

It was the arrival of the sunflower that saved Jia Luo from her aching back and weak legs. The prince was very disappointed, as he had tried so hard but failed to make the seed sprout.

However, upon seeing Jia Luo's slightly pale and uncomfortable face, Yinreng did not show his disappointment. Instead, he felt quite sorry for her. Oh... he didn't have time to be gentle with her.

Because his people figured out those two baskets of account books. Yes, that's right, they worked overtime all night, seven or eight people, and even hired outside help.

All of them are deficits, and there's a lot of forgery involved.

The Crown Prince had a cold face. Lin Mama was an old woman left behind by his Empress Dowager, whom he had once trusted quite a bit and had entrusted with the management of the front and back courtyards to her and Zhang Mama.

Suddenly, a question occurred to him: was the dowry left by his mother in the front yard, including his storeroom, also like that?

Yinreng didn't make a fuss, but simply ordered an investigation. It seems that Yuqing Palace will need to replace its staff again.

Yinreng's actions were initially very secretive, but when he investigated Lin Mama and Zhang Mama, he found that they had amassed at least a million taels of silver. Many of the valuable items left behind by the Empress Dowager were secretly taken away and sold for money by them.

When Kangxi learned of this, it was because Yinreng had drastically replaced the people in Yuqing Palace and sent a large number of servants to the Shenxing Division.

The families of Granny Lin and Granny Zhang were sent to the Jingzhao Prefecture prison.

When the yamen runners came to the door, Lin Mama and Zhang Mama's family members were quite arrogant and presumptuous, saying, "Do you know who's behind us? It's the Crown Prince! Do you dare to lay a hand on us?"

When the constables came to arrest the man, they knew it was a personal order from His Highness the Crown Prince, and that at the very least, his family would be confiscated and he would be exiled. They were not intimidated at all.

"Arrest them all!" The head constable of the yamen waved his hand, and immediately a cacophony of wailing and shouting filled the air. The neighbors, seeing the menacing yamen officials approaching, were so frightened that they quickly hid.

Peeking around furtively, wasn't this family very arrogant before? They relied on their wives serving important people in various places, and now they've been brought here?

The other company did the same thing, giving them absolutely no time to react.

When Lin and Zhang, the old women of Yuqing Palace, were arrested, they were still unaware of what had happened, because neither of them believed that the recent turmoil in Yuqing Palace had anything to do with them.

Since the death of Empress Yuan, she has been guarding Yuqing Palace. Except for three years ago when the Crown Prince suddenly replaced batch after batch of people, taking away most of their confidants.

That was when everyone was on edge. Granny Lin and Granny Zhang kept their tails between their legs, thinking that the fire would spread to them.

I waited and waited, but nothing happened, so I felt relieved.

Three or four years have passed, and I thought it would be another carefree time for me, but then I was suddenly arrested.

Emperor Kangxi was very concerned about the matter at Yuqing Palace, especially given the scale of the operation. He immediately ordered an investigation to find out what was going on. It turned out that two elderly women left behind by Empress Heseri had abused their status to deceive the emperor and embezzle funds by passing off inferior goods as superiors.

Enraged, Kangxi immediately berated them. Upon learning that the Crown Prince had only ordered the confiscation of their property and exile, he became even more furious, feeling that Bao Cheng was too soft-hearted and that there was no need to be soft-hearted towards such a lackey.

Therefore, under the intervention of Emperor Kangxi, Granny Lin and Granny Zhang, along with their families, were all executed.

As for those family assets, Kangxi also knew that in addition to the Crown Prince's private property, a portion of them were ill-gotten gains obtained by coercing others under the Crown Prince's influence.

Emperor Kangxi pitied Bao Cheng's suffering and thought he was a trustworthy confidant, but he stabbed him in the back. Bao Cheng must have been heartbroken at that moment.

He summoned the Crown Prince, comforted him, and sent a group of servants with clean backgrounds (poor people who sold themselves into the palace and had no powerful backers) to Yuqing Palace.

The people in the inner palace were the most informed about Yinreng's big move. When they learned what had happened in Yuqing Palace, they were quite surprised. They were not surprised that the old women dared to do such a bad thing, but they were surprised that the Crown Prince had actually purged the people around him.

Empress Hesheli has been dead for nearly twenty years. Even the most loyal servants have their own selfish desires. It's just that the Crown Prince never paid any attention to the affairs of the palace women in the harem before.

He is indeed an excellent crown prince in terms of literary and military studies and political affairs, but in other aspects, the concubines with ambitions have also planted spies. As time goes by, the emperor is still in his prime. Who can guarantee who will be the one to ascend to the throne in the future?

But now it seems...

Yanxi Palace.

Consort Hui learned that the Crown Prince had once again purged Yuqing Palace. The purge three years ago had already cost many people their lives, and now the last pawn had been sent to the Department of Cautious Punishment.

"As expected of the Crown Princess chosen by the Emperor, her methods are truly remarkable. What 'innocent and naive'? I'm afraid it's just something the Fucha family deliberately spread to deceive people, isn't it?"

She had never met Lady Fucha before. When she learned that the Emperor had bestowed the title of Crown Princess upon Lady Fucha, she had specifically investigated her once but did not take it seriously. She thought that perhaps the Emperor did not genuinely favor or favor the Crown Prince. Otherwise, why would he have chosen such a person as the Crown Princess?

Yes, that's right. Consort Hui thought that what happened in Yuqing Palace was the work of the Crown Princess. Otherwise, how could this have happened in Yuqing Palace so soon after the Crown Princess married into the palace?

Little did they know that the root of all this was simply that Jialuo wanted to be lazy and handed over the account books to the Crown Prince for auditing, and even gave her specially made modern account book production specifications and methods.

His Highness the Crown Prince thought it was a good idea at the time, and if his staff could be of use, they could be promoted to the Ministry of Revenue in the future.

Immediately, someone was sent to fetch the eldest prince. At that moment, the eldest prince was busy going to the racecourse. He had heard that the Wanyan family had recently opened a new racecourse in the suburbs, and the horses were sent from Shengjing!

Hearing that his mother was looking for him, he was a little impatient. "What does Mother want with Master?"

The main problem is that recently, because of his wife's pregnancy, his mother has been looking for him several times, constantly talking about her grandson, whether he is a legitimate grandson or a illegitimate grandson, she doesn't care.

She secretly rebuked the Fujin for only giving birth to a granddaughter after all these years. That's why, after the eldest prince visited her a couple more times, he didn't want to pay much attention to his mother anymore.

His mother had no idea of ​​the pain in his heart. As the eldest son, he was not as favored as the second son and had to be sent outside the palace to be raised. Meanwhile, Yinreng was directly made crown prince because of his status as the legitimate son. Every time he saw him, he had to bow to him.

How frustrating!!

Therefore, he didn't want his son to go through what he had gone through.

"Your Highness, Her Majesty says it's about that place..." The eunuch who came to invite Yinti glanced in the direction of Yuqing Palace, confident that the eldest prince, with his keen understanding of the crown prince, would understand his meaning.

Suddenly, the eldest prince stopped in his tracks, preparing to go out for a horse race. Hmm? About the Crown Prince? This piqued his interest.

He turned around and walked in the direction of Yanxi Palace.

Upon arriving at Yanxi Palace, he swaggered around as if he were at home, saying, "Mother, I'm here. What do you want to say to me? Has he gotten into trouble again?"

Yinti's greatest expectation was when the Crown Prince would commit a crime and be punished by his father, the Emperor, which would make him extremely happy.

"Yinti, look at you, so carefree and irresponsible. Recently, Yuqing Palace has been making frequent moves and has even purged a large number of servants. Are you aware of this?" Consort Hui spoke seriously, unlike Yinti who had a good attitude.

"Hey, who doesn't know this? I told you, if he can't even manage the people around him as the crown prince, how will he govern the Qing Dynasty in the future?" Yinti said with a mocking smile and a hint of schadenfreude.

"Yes, the Crown Prince never thought of purging his servants. But look, the Crown Princess has only been married into Yuqing Palace for a few days, and she has already cleaned out the disloyal people around the Crown Prince."

In her opinion, the Fucha family was the most despicable. If she hadn't been clever enough to figure out the key point, she would have been completely fooled by the Crown Princess.

Thinking of this, I remembered the First Consort, Lady Irgen Gioro. Compared to the powerful Fucha family of Manchuria, Lady Irgen Gioro's family was much less well-off, and her father was only a minor official.

After all these years, she still hasn't given birth to a legitimate son; no wonder she's not satisfied.

“Mother, the Crown Princess was chosen by Father after careful selection, and later he was given four nannies to train her for so long. How could she not have some skills and abilities?” The eldest prince, Yinti, took it all for granted and didn’t care.

What other people's wives are like is none of his business.

“You don’t understand what your mother means at all. The Crown Princess is now a great help to the Crown Prince. And what about you, Fujin? You can’t even give your mother a legitimate grandson.”

Consort Hui was very dissatisfied with the Grand Consort, especially compared to the one in Yuqing Palace. In her opinion, her own son was good in every way. He was the eldest son, had Mingzhu's support, and had the family behind Mingzhu. He was not much different from Hesheli.

"Mother, the Fujin is already pregnant with my child. This time it will definitely be a prince, so don't worry." Overflowing with confidence, Yinti arrogantly raised his chin. Consort Hui had no idea where his confidence came from.

"Has the imperial physician made a diagnosis?" Consort Hui remembered that even if the imperial physician determined the gender by taking the pulse, wouldn't it take five or six months or even seven months?

"No, the imperial physician said it's only been two months, so they can't diagnose it." Yinti thought his mother was really lacking in common sense; she had already been pregnant with two children, and he still needed to remind her.

"Then what the hell are you talking about?" Consort Hui felt embarrassed by Yinti's disdainful and suspicious gaze, and blurted out angrily.

Even after Yinti grew up and became a father, he was still the same bratty kid who would make him so angry that he would beat him with a feather duster.

"Mother, how could you use foul language?" Yinti shook his head in shock. Didn't she always teach him to be elegant and refined? How come she has changed now?

Consort Hui felt that it was a mistake for her to come to Yinti to discuss matters, since he had no connection with her at all.

"Alright, alright, you can go now. Your mother wants some peace and quiet." Relying on Yinqi is not as good as doing it myself.

Yinti glanced at Consort Hui twice, then pursed his lips, seemingly knowing what his mother wanted to do. "Mother, my matter with the Crown Prince is a struggle between us, it doesn't involve my wife and children. You must not touch the Crown Princess."

He also has a wife who is pregnant with his legitimate child. Putting himself in her shoes, if the Crown Prince were to harm his wife (meaning to kill his offspring), he would fight the Crown Prince to the death.

Hearing Yinti's words, Consort Hui rolled her eyes at him, annoyed. "In your heart, is your mother such a vicious person?"

It must be that Lady Irgen Gioro often speaks ill of me to Yinti. All I did was make her stand properly and occasionally serve me meals.

She even pretended to be weak and sick, feigning a stomachache. As the daughter of a military general and a noblewoman of Manchuria, how could she be so delicate!

What else could it be but an attempt to sow discord between her and Yinqi, the mother and son?

"No, Mother is the best." Yinti's intuition told him that his mother was angry, but he didn't understand why she was angry, so he quickly shook his head.

He knew in his heart that his mother treated him the best. His father had more than a dozen sons, but his favorite was the crown prince. His mother, on the other hand, only had eyes for him.

It's just... women's tempers are really strange, easily irritable and angry, like the princess consort, like the mother, always getting angry for no reason...

"Don't go back at noon today. Have lunch with your mother." Consort Hui still missed her son. She hadn't seen him for so long, and he always came and went in a hurry.

"Okay." Although Yinti felt that it was still early and he could go horseback riding, his mother was worried about him. Sigh, indeed, outstanding people are always remembered and loved.

For example, him.

Apart from Yanxi Palace, all the concubines in the palaces with princes, especially those who had any ambition for the throne, kept a close eye on life in Yuqing Palace.

For reasons unknown, all that is known is that the Crown Prince suddenly audited the accounts, and many of the elderly people left behind by Empress Hesheli were sent to the Shenxing Division, some of whom were bribed by other concubines.

I just feel it's a pity. I have a similar thought to Consort Hui. I think Fucha was very capable. She had only been married into Yuqing Palace for a few days when she eliminated the unsafe factors in Yuqing Palace.

After Jialuo implemented a simplified management system, the entire backyard of Yuqing Palace was like being surrounded by an iron barrel, making it difficult for news to get out.

forecourt……

Well, the front yard was cleaned up by the Crown Prince, and there was no source of information. I thought it was the Crown Princess who instigated it. So, I gritted my teeth and cursed inwardly, while secretly marveling at how worthy she was of being the Crown Princess whom the Emperor had carefully selected.

The Qianqing Palace.

Kangxi looked at the Crown Prince with pity. Um... radiant? Was he not saddened by the old people left behind by Empress Heseri? That's right, they're all a bunch of lackeys, they don't deserve to make Bao Cheng sad.

"Baocheng, those lackeys are truly outrageous. Don't be too sad." Perhaps because Baocheng harbored sorrow in his heart, he always maintained the demeanor of a crown prince.

It's all because he taught us well.

"Father, I'm fine, I just didn't expect it." He thought he was loyal, but in reality he was treacherous. He was used to it, and this little thing wouldn't affect him.

Those who try to defeat him will only make him stronger.

"That's good. He truly deserves to be my Crown Prince." Kangxi was aware of this, but his methods of handling matters were still a bit immature and lacked composure. "His methods were simply lacking. He shouldn't have made such a big fuss, alarming both the court and the harem."

Kangxi was giving the Crown Prince pointers on how to handle affairs. He said that if he had been as hot-tempered as Bao Cheng back then, how could he have brought down Ao Bai?

I still have a lot to learn.

They had lunch at the Qianqing Palace, and in the afternoon, they continued to study by Kangxi's side. Kangxi considered the matter closed.

However, after the Crown Prince's investigation caused such a stir, many people noticed and quietly checked their own family accounts, since no one's money comes from thin air.

Yinreng was completely unaware of this, as he was learning how to handle government affairs from his father, the Emperor, and even memorials to the throne were being handed to him.

However, these were official memorials from court officials requesting greetings.

As the weather grew hotter, Emperor Kangxi planned to move his official duties to the Summer Palace in Chengde. As for the capital, the Crown Prince could remain in charge, since nothing major was expected.

Yinti was not very happy about this. Why did his father arrange for the crown prince to stay in the capital? He was several years older than Yinreng and was much more mature.

Yinreng was very pleased with this. "Elder brother, you can rest assured and accompany Father Emperor to escape the summer heat. You don't need to worry about things in the capital."

Although Yinreng did not say it explicitly when he saw them off, Yinti could see the meaning in Yinreng's proud face.

Yinti: Bah, you despicable Yinreng.

As soon as the emperor left the capital, Soetu became arrogant.

The Emperor still values ​​the Crown Prince highly, but for some reason, in the last two or three years, the Crown Prince has become somewhat distant from him.

Soetu didn't know why, but he hadn't seen the Crown Prince get close to other officials either. Perhaps it was simply because the Crown Prince was too busy to bother with him?

After all, the Crown Prince had personally come to present gifts for his birthday last time. While the Emperor was away from the capital, he needed to have a good talk with the Crown Prince to deepen their relationship; otherwise, how could he rely on the Crown Prince (after his ascension to the throne) to elevate Hesheli to a position of great prestige and prominence?

The Crown Prince has been very busy lately. His father left four trusted Han officials (who were loyal to the emperor) to help him handle government affairs and memorials, and he is learning from them.

Even in Yuqing Palace, people were out early and back late, and Jialuo didn't see the Crown Prince much. She didn't care, and continued to eat, drink, play, listen to books, take care of her skin, and make new clothes.

It's impossible to be bored. With so many people around, and someone in a high position being waited on, how could they not find any fun?

When he learned that Suo'etu had invited him, he was a little puzzled as to what important matter Suo'etu wanted to discuss with him. He had a serious expression on his face, as if it were something of great importance.

Her inner thoughts were rather mysterious; she said she wanted to get along well with him and build a closer relationship.

The Crown Prince stated that their relationship was practically nonexistent; it was a union of interests. Hesheri was already tied to the Crown Prince's ship, even if her feelings for him weren't purely romantic.

However, this is quite normal. Suo'etu was just his maternal uncle. He had feelings for him, but not particularly strong or deep ones.

Remembering that Yinti had a bright future, the Crown Prince ultimately did not refuse Suo'etu's invitation. It was almost time for the officials to leave work.

Although there are some selfish motives, I am now wholeheartedly assisting him. After all, the Crown Prince's maternal family will not be fully trusted no matter which prince they side with.

For example, Yinqi would certainly not be willing to bow down to Mingzhu, but in fact, Mingzhu and Yinqi are even more distant from each other.

It can be considered that he won against Yinti.

It wasn't the first time the Crown Prince had been to the Hesheli residence, and he knew the way well. He walked with Suo'etu, not wearing the Crown Prince's court robes. The gatekeeper was a newcomer, and he was somewhat surprised to see a young and noble man walking with the master, and to see the master being so good-natured and polite.

Who is this man? He seems to be someone important.

He was the son of the new steward, who had previously been in charge of the manor. He glanced at the manor a couple of times, and was then glared at coldly by the master, which frightened him so much that he quickly lowered his head and dared not look around again.

Soetu led the Crown Prince into the main hall of the front courtyard. Looking at the magnificent and resplendent house, it was clear at a glance that it was very expensive. He glanced at Soetu and wondered how much it had cost.

"Your Highness, please sit down. I have a special gift prepared for you. Your presence is an honor to our humble abode," said Suo'etu with a smile, clearly excited.

On his last birthday, he wanted to invite the Crown Prince to stay for a meal as a way to save face and honor, but unfortunately the Crown Prince did not stay.

"Uncle, your house is so magnificent. Even without my presence, it would be an honor to have you here." The Crown Prince replied with an air of elegance. Besides, the phrase "an honor to have you here" doesn't quite fit you.

Soetu smiled with his old face, clapped his hands twice, and soon someone brought up the meal, which was beautifully presented and looked delicious. "Your Highness has been dealing with government affairs all day. It's already this late, you must be hungry."

As they spoke, five or six more beautiful women walked in from the side room, their figures graceful and delicate, their beauty both proud and alluring…

She was a Yangzhou "slender horse" specially bought by Suo'etu, and she was still a clean virgin. "Go and serve His Highness his meal."

The distinguished guests invited by the master are all noble and handsome, at the very least members of the imperial family; we must seize this opportunity.

Of all these people, I'm the most beautiful. What need is there for a haughty, aloof charm in a skinny woman? I find gentleness and pity the most alluring.

Lustful men deserve to die!

I wonder which young master this is. If I could redeem this slave...

One by one, the women's innermost thoughts came through, interspersed with Suo'etu's words: "I heard that none of the princesses in His Highness's harem are to his liking. It must be because His Majesty doesn't understand the Crown Prince as well as I do. With so many women, surely there's one that the Crown Prince can like." This made Yinreng look at Suo'etu with an inscrutable and cold expression.

[Who is this? Soetu is the head of the Hesheli family, proud and arrogant. There are only a handful of people he would stoop to curry favor with. And this young, spirited, and elegant man before him… could he be… the Crown Prince?]

Killing the prince will definitely deal a heavy blow to the Qing court, and the Hesheli clan won't escape either. It's a worthwhile deal.

Just as she was about to flirtatiously approach him, the scoundrel prince in front of her coldly and angrily shouted, "Guards!"

One sentence interrupted her actions, and she stopped there, deciding to observe first.

She didn't think she had been exposed; her identity was truly innocent, as pure as a white lotus.

At His Highness the Crown Prince's command, several guards responsible for protecting him rushed in. Eunuch Xiao Shunzi followed closely beside the Crown Prince. "What...what's going on?"

Could it be that His Highness dislikes these women because of their lowly status?

That's true. Aren't all the princesses in Yuqing Palace prettier than them? At least they were born into bondservant families. Who knows if these slender horses have served other people before?

Yinreng knew the meaning of "a wise man does not stand under a crumbling wall," so he took a step back and ordered the group of people to point at the traitor who wanted to murder him, "Arrest her, she is a traitor."

Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned. The guards were the first to react and rushed over to arrest the woman who looked like a weak woman.

Upon hearing this, the woman's expression immediately changed. The next second, she quickly tried to attack Yinreng. Damn it, when did we get exposed?

Unfortunately, two hands can't fight four fists, let alone a group of guards with martial arts skills. The emperor specially assigned them to be the best guards to protect the crown prince.

Soetu was stunned. He had specifically ordered his men to send these thin horses, and only after they had been thoroughly investigated and their innocence confirmed did he dare to bring them to the Crown Prince's side.

"Your Highness, Your Highness, this servant truly has no idea. How could this be a rebel?" Cold sweat dripped down Suo'etu's forehead. If it really was a rebel, and he didn't know anything about it, how could he have just delivered it to His Highness's side like this?

If His Highness hadn't noticed, wouldn't that be... wouldn't that be...

His face turned pale, and he quickly explained that he really didn't know.

At this moment, when the other women heard that it was His Highness the Crown Prince, they all knelt down, and at the same time, they glared angrily and resentfully at the so-called female rebel.

Having been together for so long, they truly had no idea how this could be related to rebels. Wouldn't they be doomed?

"Your Highness, spare my life! I truly didn't know she was a traitor. I was bought."

"Your Highness, Your Highness, I am innocent! I don't know Tao Hong at all."

The women were so frightened that they quickly begged for mercy, no longer daring to associate with the rich and powerful, and only praying that the damned rebels would not implicate them.

Soetu was filled with anger, resentment, worry, fear, and relief. He was angry that he hadn't investigated thoroughly enough, afraid that the emperor would punish him, and relieved that the crown prince was unharmed.

"Arrest them all and send them for interrogation." Yinreng was not one to show mercy to women, and he looked at Suo'etu with a cold and imposing aura. "Uncle, I believe you have no intention of harming me, but there is no guarantee that your subordinates will not try to use you to harm me."

Soetu's face turned pale. He agreed with the statement and was touched that His Highness the Crown Prince trusted him so much. He gritted his teeth and thought, "Damn it, someone must be trying to use me to harm the Crown Prince. I'll skin them alive!"

"Uncle, you should really clean up your subordinates. I don't want trouble in the backyard, with someone pulling my back." The Crown Prince thought his uncle was really getting senile.

Yinreng hadn't met many of the so-called Crown Prince's faction; many of them had been won over by Suo'etu. But now it seemed that relying solely on Suo'etu wouldn't work, and they risked being wiped out.

With his most important figure gone, isn't the princeling faction completely wiped out?

He considered who would be suitable to replace him. Besides Hesheli, several of the younger generation of the Fucha family were also good. Maska, Maqi, and Mawu had also entered the court.

As for Suo'etu, I originally wanted to give him a chance, after all, we used to be very close and had a warm relationship.

But now...

Seeing the Crown Prince leave with a dark expression, Suo'etu was anxious and flustered, feeling as if the Crown Prince was getting further and further away from him.

Those below him must have accepted bribes, or they must be rebels. If he doesn't skin them alive, he's no longer Suo'etu.

As for doubting whether what the Crown Prince said was true, he would find out after investigation. However, he knew that the Crown Prince was not one to speak carelessly, but he didn't know where the Crown Prince got the information from.

Could it be that they already knew there were rebels in his residence before they even came?

My heart is racing!

After all, no one expected that His Highness the Crown Prince would have such a powerful weapon: the ability to read other people's minds. Who doesn't have dark thoughts in their heart?

Unless you try to avoid thinking about it, you can't hide it from His Highness the Crown Prince!

Not long after the Emperor left the capital, Suo'etu began to stir up trouble... well, he was working with the Crown Prince's faction. Mingzhu was completely baffled by this.

Could it be that Songgotu has betrayed the Crown Prince? That shouldn't be the case; that old scoundrel isn't mentally unstable.

Recently, Jialuo hasn't paid any attention to what the Crown Prince is doing outside. She only knows that when a man is pursuing his career and has ambition, it's enough for her to silently support him from behind.

While some people are bearing the burden, others are enjoying a peaceful life for them. For example, while the prince works hard, she can eat, drink, and have fun.

However, something unexpected happened. While others suffered through the summer heat, she ate and drank well and filled the house with ice basins, and as a result... she gained weight.

She pinched her slender waist, which had become fleshy since her once graceful waistline. Although it felt nice to the touch, she preferred a slimmer waist because she could wear more beautiful clothes.

lose weight.

For several days in a row, she did gymnastics and jogging in her room to lose weight. She couldn't lose her dignity as the Crown Princess, so she only had two personal maids with her.

She wasn't eating as much as before, and the maids all thought it was because of summer heat, which was why the Crown Princess couldn't eat.

After finishing her warm-up exercises, Jialu smacked her lips and patted her tummy. Actually, being a little chubby felt quite nice. Maybe she shouldn't lose weight?

She swore it wasn't because of the delicious food and aroma that tempted her.

Jialu comforted herself several times, as if convincing herself that she should ask the kitchen staff to prepare some delicious food later. She had been dieting for so many days and had worked so hard, so she deserved to treat herself.

Women shouldn't be too harsh on themselves.

Everyone in the kitchen knew that the Crown Princess had been suffering from summer heat and couldn't eat much, so she had been eating vegetarian food. Now that they finally had a chance to show off their culinary skills, they used every trick in the book.

"Remember not to make the fire too big later, okay? This is the most challenging part, requiring the right heat control." The head chef instructed the maid who tended the fire. In the past, the Crown Princess really liked the food from the kitchen and often rewarded them with it.

Now the Crown Princess is suffering from summer heat and doesn't want to eat. She has no income and feels that all her skills are useless.

The fire-tending maid nodded. It wasn't important whether she pleased the Crown Princess or not; what mattered was how many leftovers there were today, preferably with some meat.

Thinking about it, he smacked his lips twice and then swallowed hard, his mouth watering.

Xiaoqing and the others all knew that the Crown Princess was on a diet. Although a beautiful figure was important, good health was the most important thing. Besides, how could someone who was starving and sickly have a good constitution? She might not even be able to raise the little prince she gave birth to in the future.

They had planned to persuade the Crown Princess in a couple of days, but to their surprise, she came to her senses so quickly that they ordered the kitchen to prepare a delicious meal.

The Crown Princess's ration included eighteen dishes, making Jia Luo's mouth water.

However, after taking a bite of the braised pork knuckle, the greasiness suddenly arose, and I subconsciously felt nauseous and frowned. Was the chef's skill off today?

"Ugh..." As she vomited, she patted her chest, and tears welled up in her eyes. "Tea, give me tea."

She looks so greasy, and she seems a little dizzy...

"Your Highness? What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Quickly, summon the imperial physician!" She poured a cup of warm tea, her expression anxious. Granny Zhao and Granny Jin seemed to have noticed something, their brows furrowing slightly as they looked on seriously. Then, they exchanged a glance, their eyes conveying unspoken emotions.

After Jialuo took a sip of tea to cleanse her palate, Granny Jin spoke up, "Your Highness, could it be that you are pregnant?"

What Granny Jin and the others were most looking forward to was that the Crown Princess would conceive and give birth to the Crown Prince's eldest son as soon as possible, so that she could truly establish herself and remain steadfast no matter what storms might arise in the future.

"Perhaps it's morning sickness?" Granny Jin lowered her voice, but her eyes brightened slightly as she looked at Jia Luo's belly.

Upon hearing this, Xiaoqing and the others' eyes lit up. Oh right, why didn't they think of this?

Jialu hesitated for a moment, glanced at her stomach with some confusion, and then replied, "But my period only just ended..."

"Your Highness, you may not know this, but some pregnant women still experience spotting in the first month after conception. Because of this, many pregnant women mistakenly believe they are not pregnant and don't take it seriously, only to miscarry later," Zhao Mama reminded her. To be on the safe side, she should still consult the imperial physician.

If she gets pregnant but doesn't take care of herself, those who serve her will be punished.

If she is not pregnant, then the imperial physician should check whether the Crown Princess's recent weight loss has harmed her body and whether she needs to take some supplements.

Only by taking good care of your body can you give birth to a healthy baby boy.

“Oh…” Jialuo didn’t know any of this either, so she just nodded in understanding.

The young eunuch hurriedly went to fetch the imperial physician.

Jialuo listened as the head chef explained what ingredients were used in the dishes, and if any of them were unsuitable for a pregnant woman, they were taken away.

Hmm... it wasn't her listening, but the two matrons were very serious.

Jialuo sat there somewhat awkwardly. The main problem was that the imperial physician hadn't arrived yet, and her period hadn't been over for long, so it didn't feel like she was pregnant.

Just as the imperial physician rushed to Yuqing Palace, His Highness the Crown Prince, who had just finished dealing with important matters outside, also returned to Yuqing Palace and came to visit the Crown Princess.

I heard that the Crown Princess has been suffering from summer heat lately, it must be because he hasn't visited her in a long time, and she's been longing for him day and night, and has fallen ill with lovesickness.

It seems that the proud and aloof Crown Prince also inherited the narcissistic gene from Emperor Kangxi.

"Your Highness, what's wrong? You can't eat?" Seeing the uneaten food being taken away, the prince assumed that the princess had a poor appetite and asked with concern.

"Your Highness, the Crown Princess has a poor appetite, so these dishes that are not suitable for the hot summer have been removed."

In front of the Crown Prince, the nannies dared not tell him their earlier guesses, since it was not yet confirmed. If there was a misunderstanding and the Crown Prince was disappointed, he might be angered by the Crown Princess and thus displease her.

[It's still not confirmed whether the Crown Princess is pregnant. Let's wait for the imperial physician to arrive before making a decision.]

[Those meals contain ingredients that pregnant women shouldn't eat, as they can easily lead to miscarriage. However, since it's not confirmed whether I'm pregnant, I dare not speculate.]

The thoughts of most people in the main courtyard gradually reached the Crown Prince's ears, causing his eyes to brighten slightly as he looked at the Crown Princess. Was she pregnant?

Sure enough, his hard work paid off.

The gloom that had settled over Suo'etu dissipated as if warmed by sunshine, and she walked toward Jialuo.

"If you don't have a good appetite, have someone make you something you want to eat. Don't worry about wasting food; your health is the most important thing." The elegant and refined man, with his cool and aloof demeanor, spoke gently, showing his care and concern.

For a moment, Jialuo looked at the noble man in front of her, her eyes filled with a touch of emotional daze. "Waaah, Your Highness, you are my god in this life."

A moment of emotion filled Jia Luo with longing, but she still considered herself a young girl and felt somewhat panicked about the pregnancy.

While many of the maids and servants in the main courtyard were happy about this, she couldn't bring herself to say anything that might dampen their spirits, so she could only pretend that she was also very happy.

When the prince showed his warmth and care, his gentle face and smile moved the woman to tears.

At that moment, she wanted to hug the prince and bury herself in his arms.

Before Jialuo could even put her idea into action, the Crown Prince had already embraced her.

Her eyes were brimming with laughter. Was he going to be her god from now on?

Good.

I remember the Crown Princess had once thought about sitting on his lap, but the Crown Prince thought it was too intimate and not proper enough, and was afraid that he would lose his demeanor as the Crown Prince in front of the servants.

In that instant, the pleased prince embraced her, sat her on his lap, and wrapped his arms around her waist.

Everyone: Hiss—

His Highness the Crown Prince and His Highness the Crown Princess are truly in love.

Jialuo's ears turned slightly red, and her eyes, moist with tears of emotion, looked at Yinreng. It was the first time she had shed tears in front of the Crown Prince. Perhaps, it was because she was pregnant that her mind had become more sensitive.

As Yinreng wrapped his arms around Jialuo's waist, he could feel that her waist had indeed become a little fleshy compared to her previous slender figure.

Of course, it feels better to use.

He unconsciously touched and pinched her, whether she was a graceful and slender Crown Princess or a plump and cute one, he liked her both.

How could he not like a Crown Princess who was so deeply in love with him, who was devoted to him and had only him in her eyes?

Before, he would have thought Jialuo had just gained weight, but now, she must be pregnant with his child, and the seed has sprouted.

When the time comes, you must loudly announce to Father Emperor: My Crown Princess is pregnant, Father Emperor, do you know what this means?

He can do it!!

When the imperial physician arrived at Yuqing Palace with his medicine chest, he saw the Crown Prince embracing the Crown Princess, their eyes conveying affection in a very warm and tender moment.

Hearing that he had arrived, and that they had all turned their attention to him, their eyes shining with anticipation, the imperial physician unconsciously paused.

What's wrong? Why are you looking at him like that? Wasn't the Crown Princess supposed to be unwell? Are you expecting her to be sick?

(End of this chapter)