It was past noon when the Fourth Prince came out of the Qianqing Palace. His father had invited the Prince Zhi to have lunch in the warm pavilion, so the Fourth Prince naturally wouldn't join the Eighth Prince.

Just then, Su Peisheng stepped forward and said that his mother had sent someone to invite him to lunch, so the Fourth Prince naturally bid farewell to the Eighth Prince and went to Yonghe Palace.

When the Fourth Prince arrived at Yonghe Palace, he wasn't too surprised to see that the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Princes were there.

Lunch has been prepared, and apart from Zhao Mama who serves Consort De, none of the three princes have anyone to serve them.

Clearly, they wanted to have some private conversation.

The fact that Consort De kept the Thirteenth Prince with her at this moment clearly shows that she regarded him as her own son.

The Thirteenth Prince naturally understood this, and he became much less reserved and polite in front of Consort De than he was in public.

"I heard that Shandong has experienced heavy rains this year. Your father must be worried about this."

Since there was only Granny Zhao with them, the mother and her children could naturally have some private conversations.

The Fourteenth Prince lowered his head to eat, occasionally placing a piece of food on the plate for the Fourth Prince and the Thirteenth Prince.

Upon hearing this, the Thirteenth Prince looked at the Fourth Prince with renewed interest.

The Fourth Prince stopped eating upon hearing this: "Yes, Father Emperor instructed that his son assist in preparing for disaster relief."

Fourteenth Brother looked up after hearing this: "What about Eldest Brother and Eighth Brother?"

The thirteenth prince then looked at the fourth prince.

The Fourth Prince paused for a moment, then said, "Only the Ministry of Revenue needs to contribute. The rest of the disaster relief matters have been entrusted to the eldest brother, the eighth prince, and the assistant minister."

The Fourth Prince's assistant only stayed in the capital to prepare money and grain in the Ministry of Revenue; only the Prince Zhi and the Eighth Prince actually went to Shandong to provide disaster relief.

Upon hearing this, the Fourteenth Prince frowned deeply, his brows furrowing like a caterpillar: "Why is it again..."

In the past two years, why is it that every job with an older brother seems to involve bringing along a myna bird?

It's like cultivating a princeling's inner circle.

However, the Fourteenth Prince dared not say this. He twitched the corner of his mouth and couldn't help but mutter, "Doesn't Eighth Brother find it tiring?"

Upon hearing this, the Thirteenth Prince subconsciously nudged the Fourteenth Prince with his elbow.

It is always impolite to gossip about one's elder brother behind his back.

The Fourth Prince also glared at the Fourteenth Prince.

The Fourteenth Prince silently ate a bite of food and remained silent.

At this moment, Consort De changed the subject: "As long as you do your job well, that's the right thing to do. Now that you have a job, Fourth Prince, in a few years, you should also have one... By the way, Yinxiang, you're almost of marriageable age, right? Your mother has been keeping an eye out for you lately."

The Thirteenth Prince's birthday is on the first day of the tenth month. After the first day of the tenth month this year, the Thirteenth Prince Yinxiang will turn seventeen. When the Fourth Prince was that age, he had already chosen Ulanara as his primary consort.

However, since the Thirteenth Prince lost his birth mother, Lady Zhangjia, even though His Majesty had been very fond of and cared for him these past two years, he hadn't been able to put his marriage plans into consideration.

Upon hearing Consort De mention it, the Thirteenth Prince felt a lump in his throat and immediately rose to pay his respects.

The Fourteenth Prince quickly pulled him back.

"There's no need for formalities when the family is eating together. Mother, you can't just think about Thirteen. I want one too. My son also needs to get married, and it would be best if he could marry someone..."

The Fourth Prince suddenly tapped the Fourteenth Prince on the forehead.

The fourteenth prince immediately became obedient.

Consort De glared at her unreliable son, then smiled at the Thirteenth Prince again: "Although family matters are important when it comes to marriage, character is equally important. Your mother may not have the foresight, but if you and the Fourteenth Prince have any ideas, you must tell your mother."

Consort De knew her son's temperament without even asking. Over the years, the Fourteenth Prince had been nagging her so much that her ears were practically calloused. In addition, with the Fourth Prince as a "precedent," Consort De was extremely concerned about the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Prince's wedding.

At this moment, as if by magic, Granny Zhao produced two booklets from behind her back.

Consort De pointed to it: "This is the list of candidates for the imperial concubine selection this year. It includes their family background, appearance, family circumstances, and important matters. Take it back and take a look."

Thirteen accepted it with a blush on her face, while Fourteen, who seemed carefree, had her ears burning red as she carefully rolled up the booklet and stuffed it into her pocket.

At this moment, Fourth Master quietly ate his food.

With the lively Fourteenth Prince by his side, the inner palace was always filled with laughter during lunch.

After lunch, the Fourteenth Prince pulled the Thirteenth Prince away, and the two brothers went off to whisper among themselves.

Consort De had the opportunity to speak with the Fourth Prince alone.

Consort De didn't say anything else, but continued the topic from the dinner table: "It was my fault for arranging your marriage back then. I should have let you meet her first or something..."

The Consort De's tone was genuinely remorseful.

When she was chosen for the imperial concubine selection, she thought that Lady Ulanara was a respectful and well-mannered girl, and she thought that the fourth prince always valued etiquette, so she chose Lady Ulanara. Who knew...

But if this girl becomes a woman and takes charge of the household affairs, then it's a different story...

Consort You and Consort De blamed themselves for not thinking things through properly, which had ended up harming the fourth prince.

Although the Fourth Prince disliked his wife, he would never blame his mother. Before he could stand up, Consort De helped him sit down.

"These things are already set in stone, and your mother knows that there's no point in saying more. Let's not talk about those things anymore. In the current situation, Fourth Brother, you should just focus on doing your job well. Listen to everything else, but don't worry about anything else."

Consort De looked at her son, overwhelmed with emotion, but in a gentle yet firm tone, she gave him a strong boost of confidence.

Fourth Master understood his mother's meaning and replied, "Your son understands."

He didn't know what else to say besides these words.

Seeing this, Consort De smiled and then changed the subject: "I remember that the father of Li Shi in your household is working in Shandong. Now that there is heavy rain in Shandong, since you are assisting in disaster relief, you can also take the opportunity to remind him if necessary."

After all, when natural disasters or man-made calamities strike, it is the ordinary people who suffer the most. While it is pitiful for disaster victims to be displaced, they are also prone to causing trouble.

Consort De was afraid that the Fourth Prince's harem would fall into chaos, but it was also a good opportunity for Li's father to rise in rank.

The Fourth Prince actually remembered it in his heart. When he heard his father, the Emperor, talking about the heavy rain in Shandong in the Qianqing Palace, the first thing that popped into his mind was that Li Chenjiao's father was an official in Jiaozhou, Shandong.

But hearing his mother's gentle reminder, he naturally felt a warmth in his heart.

Seeing the Fourth Prince's expression, Consort De smiled and said, "After the matter of Prince Yu is settled, let Li come to the palace to keep Mother company."

Knowing that his mother was intentionally promoting Li Chenjiao, the Fourth Prince thanked her again.