How can one not sigh at the impermanence of life? What was once the most enviable place has become something others avoid like the plague, leaving no survivors. While being by the princess's side may not have been the most glorious thing, it has been peaceful and smooth sailing all along...

If the princess gets married in the future, that will be great. She'll be free to roam the world and won't have to stay in the palace. Wouldn't that be wonderful? And she won't treat Princess Mingyue like those wicked old women.

The old woman thought about this aimlessly.

The more Mingyue thought about it, the more uneasy she felt.

When did this vicious cycle begin? It probably started when Mother fell out of favor. And why did Mother fall out of favor? It was all because of that incident at the Imperial Household Department, which displeased Father, who then neglected Mother!

…Ultimately, it all comes back to that incident, and it was because of that incident that the rift between me and Minghui developed.

Mother was too anxious and, in her desperation, she sought help from her brother. But who knew he would be so cold-hearted and unwilling to lend a helping hand, which led to the subsequent events!

If my brother hadn't made this matter so big, how could my mother have ended up in such a state?

After all, his mother carried him for ten months and gave birth to him. In the early years, when he stayed in the palace with his mother, she often talked about his brother. Although he had never visited her before, his brother had always been thinking of him. But why did his brother do that?

A figure suddenly flashed through Mingyue's mind, a figure much taller and broader than her, carrying a strong sense of security. Mingyue also longed to have an older brother.

"No... I have to go find him!" She clenched her fists tightly, but when she looked up at the nanny's worried expression, she swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue.

This matter must not be known to the nanny. If the nanny finds out, Mother will definitely know. How could someone as proud as Mother go to see him at this time?

Mother's silence and negative attitude towards this matter is just another form of sadness, isn't it? If Mother knew about this, she would definitely be even more heartbroken.

This is something she can only do privately.

Mingyue lowered her head slightly. She still had some baby fat on her face, but she had always been slender and had a youthful beauty.

The old woman sighed inwardly, naturally feeling anxious about her mistress's current situation.

But she was merely a maidservant serving the princess, lacking real power and vision, so all she could do was anxiously wait, unable to do anything about it…

Moreover, she knew in her heart that when the Empress angered the Emperor, even the wet nurse by her side suffered the consequences. That wet nurse had served her since she was a child. Her relationship with the Empress was not as good as that between the two of them. Even the wet nurse could not persuade her, so why should she?

As for Lord Uya... although he was spared his life in the end, he was stripped of all his official positions.

The palace is a place where people fawn over the weak and flatter the strong. If you've lost your official position and have no hope of returning, who will give you face? Most of the connections you've built up before might be gone...

This is also why Consort De has been having a lot of bad luck lately; many people are no longer giving her face or obeying her orders. It's as if she's lost her hands; without her powerful arms, she can hardly do anything.

"Princess, perhaps it will be better when you get married. If you marry well, the Emperor will naturally pay more attention to you. Once the Emperor pays attention, the day when Your Highness rises to prominence will be long overdue!" the nanny comforted her.

Actually, she didn't know if things would get better by then.

But once the princess gets married, she will be granted a title, her status will be elevated, and she will have her own fiefdom. This will be a source of support for the empress in the future!

Mingyue lowered her head. She was still young and didn't really understand the meaning of getting married, but seeing how her older sisters avoided her like the plague, she felt it couldn't be a good thing.

Unlike Jingrou, she didn't know much. She just felt a bit scared instinctively. Now that her close nanny was speaking in such a relieved tone, she felt a little evasive. She hesitated to open her mouth, but then stopped talking.

Mingyue left the main hall with her own thoughts on her mind. Since her mother was already resting, she wouldn't be able to see her here anyway, so there was no need to stay.

Back at her residence, after dismissing everyone around her, she took out her savings and carefully inventoried them.

She wanted to see if there was anything that could move her brother.

If my brother could change his mind about this, then Mother would definitely feel much better...

******

As the weather grew colder, the last tribe finally bid farewell to the capital and embarked on their journey back to Mongolia.

The Mongolian princes who returned this time all left satisfied.

Intermittently, several princes from various tribes had private conversations with Emperor Kangxi. Jingrou didn't know what they discussed, but they all seemed quite satisfied. Yinreng was also busy for quite some time, and there was no sign of him for a long period of time.

Not only could she not see people, but Jingrou's maternal grandfather and several uncles were also busy every day. Although Jingrou didn't know what they were busy with, it must be related to the suppression of the White Lotus Sect.

Especially with the departure of those Mongol princes, Emperor Kangxi naturally focused his attention on the White Lotus Religion.

Especially as the weather gets colder, both Emperor Kangxi and his ministers want to finish their work as soon as possible so they can celebrate the New Year!

After seeing the group off, Yinreng visibly breathed a sigh of relief. He finally had time to take Jingrou horseback riding, something he had promised her long ago, but it had been delayed for so long…

We can't let this drag on any longer. If we do, his reputation with Jingrou will be completely ruined.

Yinreng felt a sense of urgency.

During this time, he had learned a lot from following his father, the Khan, and gained a deeper understanding of the relationship between the Qing Dynasty and Mongolia. At this moment, he couldn't help but feel fortunate that Jingrou was only a county princess. If she had really become a county princess or even higher, wouldn't she have to be included in the marriage alliance in the future? Just thinking about this made Yinreng very unwilling.