Yinti knew perfectly well that if he weren't the eldest son of the emperor, he would never have thought of suppressing the crown prince.

Being the emperor's eldest son, and several years older than the crown prince, fueled his ambition.

Seeing the melancholy on Yinti's face, the First Princess Consort quietly and virtuously stayed by his side.

In fact, she also did not want Yinqi to favor other concubines, as it would upset her.

Women in the inner quarters, once they have a son to rely on, tend to overthink things. Especially for a principal wife like her who has no legitimate son, encountering a concubine with a son can be particularly troublesome.

Since her husband was so considerate, the wise First Lady stopped pretending to be virtuous.

She believed that she would be able to give birth to a legitimate son for Yinti, just like the flower blooms before bearing fruit.

Of course, the most urgent thing for the First Princess Consort is to take good care of her health.

The successive births took a heavy toll on her body. Even with various tonics and the care of imperial physicians, she still developed chronic illnesses.

Whether it's a royal backyard or an ordinary family's backyard, every day is the same: arguments, childcare, and managing household affairs.

As long as the men in the family don't commit adultery, they live the same life day after day for almost ten years.

The same applies to Yuqing Palace, and it is no exception.

Having resumed attending court, Yinreng was unsurprisingly extremely busy every day. Aside from evenings and days off, Tong Wanyan rarely saw him.

Previously, Yinreng could return to Yuqing Palace for lunch. Now, he could only have the kitchen staff pack his lunch and send it over, while Yinreng, holding memorials in his hands, could not leave the yamen (government office) for even a moment.

It must be admitted that most of the men in the Aisin Gioro family were diligent in their duties. Especially with their father, Emperor Kangxi, being so diligent in his political affairs as a role model, even the most mischievous princes were studious and versatile, mastering various skills.

Confined in the palace, Tong Wanyan had to think about how to get through each day as soon as she woke up.

With Granny Ling, Chunque, and Xiazhu helping with household affairs, no one dares to even think about scheming and plotting anymore.

Hongzhao and Tana are still young. The two chubby little ones can just sit there and nibble on my feet all day after they wake up.

She spends all day playing the piano and painting, but no one is with her, and she feels lonely.

After all, she was the mistress, and everyone else was a servant. Even the most trusted servants had to keep quiet and do their jobs well; those who made a lot of noise would have been dragged out of the palace long ago.

With nothing to do, Tong Wanyan looked up at the azure sky, the warm sunshine feeling especially comfortable on her skin. She envied the princes who could establish their own residences outside the palace, at least they could occasionally visit each other's wives.

"Have the eldest princess and the eldest prince woken up yet?" Tong Wanyan asked with concern for the twins after a moment of melancholy.

Chunque just returned from there: "The eldest princess just woke up, and the wet nurse is feeding her. The eldest prince will probably sleep for a while longer and won't wake up for a while."

“It seems like we haven’t paid our respects to the Empress Dowager in a long time. After the eldest princess finishes eating, we’ll carry her to the Ning Shou Palace to pay our respects to the Empress Dowager.” Tong Wanyan had found a good way to pass the time.

Chunque lowered her head and replied "Yes," then went out to instruct the wet nurse.

The junior palace maids have been taught enough; they don't usually need senior palace maids to do things like combing and dressing up.

Tong Wanyan, who looks beautiful no matter what she wears, has her hair styled in two small buns, adorned with jade and fresh flowers, making her look ethereal.

When Tana came over, Tong Wanyan took a bright red flower and pinned it to the chest of Tana's clothes. The mother and daughter looked beautiful together.

The Empress Dowager, bored out of her mind in Ning Shou Palace, also missed Tong Wanyan very much.

"It's been a long time since Xiao Yan came to speak with me!" The Empress Dowager began to murmur after she woke up and had breakfast.

The old nanny, who was massaging the Empress Dowager's shoulders to ease her fatigue, said, "The other day, Consort Tong came to pay her respects to you and even gave you a headband."

"There's a saying among the Han people: 'A day apart feels like three autumns.' I miss her just the way she is," the Empress Dowager said, throwing a little tantrum.

The old nanny couldn't do anything about the increasingly childlike Empress Dowager, though she still longed for Consort Tong.

The master and servant were muttering to themselves when Tong Wanyan, carrying the chubby baby Tana, came to pay her respects with a beaming smile.

When Tong Wanyan appeared, the Empress Dowager and the nanny's eyes lit up instantly.

A woman entered the humble room, and the place was made to shine.

The Ning Shou Palace was naturally magnificent and exquisite, but Tong Wanyan's charming smile made the palace even brighter.

The Empress Dowager's face lit up with a smile: "Why did you come so early? I'm old and a light sleeper, so I wake up early. You're still young, so it's fine for you to sleep a little longer."

"I missed Your Majesty, so I rushed over here." Tong Wanyan sat down without any hesitation, clearly a regular visitor.

The Empress Dowager adored her warm and familiar manner: "That's right, your attire is simpler than usual."

The old woman standing behind immediately noticed that the flower in Tong Wanyan's hair was cut from the same branch as the one Tana wore.

She pointed it out with a smile, which drew a gasp from the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager asked, "Have you prepared anything for me?"

Tong Wanyan had expected this: "Of course, we'll prepare it for you. We've saved the prettiest one for you."

After she finished speaking, a palace maid came forward with brightly colored flowers, raised the tray in her hands, and presented it to the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager looked at it with increasing satisfaction: "Quickly, put it on me. When I was young, I also loved fresh flowers. Those gold and jade ornaments are heavy and cumbersome. It would be much better to just pick a few flowers from the wildflowers on the grassland."

"That's only because Your Majesty is so beautiful," Tong Wanyan said ingratiatingly.

In her youth, the Empress Dowager was known as the pearl of the grasslands, possessing an exceptionally beautiful and radiant appearance.

"It's a pity I'm getting old," the Empress Dowager said, touching the flower hairpin in her hair.

Tong Wanyan gazed at the Empress Dowager with clear, bright eyes: "A woman's beauty lies in the innocence of youth, the charm of young womanhood, and the wisdom of old age. Your Majesty, you are clearly a beauty who grows more and more beautiful with age!"

"Listen to what you're saying! If others heard this, they'd say you have no manners at all," the Empress Dowager said, beaming from ear to ear as she covered her mouth with her embroidered handkerchief in a playful scolding.

Tong Wanyan hugged Tana and shook her: "Your Majesty understands my sincere heart and will not blame me."

"How could I bear to blame you? Your sweet words are like honey, everything you say makes me feel so happy. You are my precious darling." The Empress Dowager patted her hand and smiled, her eyes crinkling.

A lively scene broke out in Ning Shou Palace. Tana, who was half asleep, finally slept soundly and came to her senses.

She blinked at the kind-faced Empress Dowager, then at her beautiful mother, and happily pulled out the flower pinned to her chest, hugging it with both hands.

The little girl's face was still small, so the palace maid specially chose a big red flower, which, when placed in front of her, was almost the same size as her face.

She chuckled, and the Empress Dowager and Tong Wanyan's smiles deepened.

"My little Tana and little Dongzhu are so adorable!" The Empress Dowager quickly reached out to hug the chubby little ones, her eyes overflowing with affection.