The three brothers were talking together when the Eighth Prince's wife sent someone to inquire about the meal, saying that a feast had been prepared for the three princes, and since Mingyue was also there, they might as well eat together.

When Tenth Master heard that Mingyue was also there, he felt a little uncomfortable. He had just told her to go back and rest, but she had come to her sister's place again without even informing him.

In front of the Eighth and Ninth Princes, the Tenth Prince naturally didn't reveal his thoughts. Furthermore, the Tenth Prince was inwardly hesitant about whether or not to tell his two elder brothers about the matter of the Prince of Zhi.

"Tenth Prince, are you aware of the current situation in the court?" Ninth Prince picked up the blue and white porcelain cup with intertwined floral patterns, blew on it, and took a sip of tea.

"I'm far away in the northern desert, and all I know is that the Crown Prince has finally been deposed. I wonder who Father Emperor intends to appoint as Crown Prince?" The Tenth Prince had never been interested in the position of Crown Prince, so he didn't care much about such matters. He also knew that the position of Crown Prince was something he would never get, so he didn't want to waste his brain cells on something he didn't want and couldn't have.

"The Crown Prince has been deposed, but Father Emperor has yet to appoint a new Crown Prince. Tenth Prince, who do you think is qualified to sit on the throne?" Ninth Prince clearly wanted to pull Tenth Prince to Eighth Prince's side. More people would naturally mean more power, and Tenth Prince had Niohuru Aling'a behind him.

"Well, well, I've never been very bright. I think my eldest brother, third brother, fourth brother, and even eighth brother could all be possibilities!" Tenth Master said truthfully.

"Then what do you think about letting Eighth Brother sit in that position?" Ninth Master shook his head, seeing Tenth Master's blockheaded mind.

Tenth Prince sighed inwardly. He knew what Ninth Prince meant by asking those questions, but he was reluctant to get involved in this mess. In the past, if Ninth Prince had asked, Tenth Prince might have agreed immediately. But now, with Shuhui by his side—the woman he didn't want to betray and whom he wanted to be good to for the rest of his life—he was hesitant, afraid of getting caught up in a struggle that ultimately offered him no benefit. Tenth Prince wasn't the quickest thinker, but he wasn't stupid. He knew this was a time to choose sides; choosing the wrong side could have dire consequences. However, at this moment, he didn't want to take sides with anyone; he only wanted to be a wealthy and powerful prince.

"Eighth Brother has always been favored by Father Emperor. Who knows, Father Emperor might really make Eighth Brother the Crown Prince this time. Then Ninth Brother and I will be following Eighth Brother from now on." Tenth Prince did not confirm or answer Ninth Prince's question.

A shadow crossed Eighth Master's eyes as he stared at Tenth Master's profile, thinking to himself: Tenth Master is indeed different now; he's grown up.

"Whether you support him or not, if you do, you need to take concrete actions. More than thirty officials in the court have already jointly submitted a memorial to Father Emperor, recommending our Eighth Prince as the Crown Prince. If you can persuade Aling'a to also support Eighth Prince, our chances of winning will be much greater." Ninth Master said hastily when he saw that Tenth Prince was also getting too anxious.

“Ninth Brother, Tenth Brother just got back. Why are you asking him about this so urgently? Why don’t we go for a drink? Your Eighth Sister-in-law has prepared a sumptuous feast for you.” Eighth Master finally spoke.

When Ninth Master saw Eighth Master give him a wink, he understood what Eighth Master meant and quickly changed his words, saying, "Tenth Master, is your wife here today? Why don't I send someone to fetch Ninth Prince's wife as well? We can have a get-together as brothers and sisters-in-law."

The Eighth Prince readily agreed and indeed sent someone to the Ninth Prince's residence to bring over the Ninth Prince's wife. Three princes and three wives, six people in total, sat down at a table.

The Eighth Prince's wife first poured wine for everyone, saying as she poured, "Today is also a good day for the Tenth Prince's return. It is said that a new prince has been born into the household. Come, Eighth Sister-in-law, congratulate the Tenth Prince on the birth of his son."

Hearing her sister say this, Mingyue felt displeased, and Ninth Prince Consort quickly tugged at Tenth Prince Consort's sleeve under the table.

“Thank you, sister. Princess Shuhui has given the master a son. It’s time to celebrate, don’t you think, master?” Mingyue asked the tenth master.

The Tenth Prince was a bit bewildered by the two sisters' moves. He still respected the Eighth Prince's wife very much. Seeing her say this, he quickly said, "Thank you, Eighth Sister-in-law. When the little prince turns 100 days old, I'll invite everyone over for a drink." After saying that, he glanced at Mingyue and said, "At that time, the Prince's wife will have to work hard again."

Seeing that the Eighth Prince's wife was giving her a meaningful look, Mingyue didn't want to go against her sister's wishes, so she could only say, "This is just the duty of the Prince's wife, it's not hard work at all. It's the master who is working hard outside."

They chatted back and forth, and after several drinks, the atmosphere became lively. Tenth Master couldn't hold back any longer. He had originally intended to come back and tell Eighth Master, because in the past, he always discussed matters with his Eighth and Ninth brothers.

"Eighth Brother, Ninth Brother, this time, I met someone on my way back. Can you guess who it was?" Tenth Master said, his face flushed.

"Who?" Ninth Master interjected.

"Prince Zhi and a woman." The Tenth Prince kept everyone in suspense. Everyone's appetite was piqued by the Tenth Prince's words.

"Haha, Tenth Prince, you're hilarious. It's only natural that Prince Zhi would bring a woman with him when he was ordered back to the northern desert by the Emperor." Ninth Prince said with an expression that said, "You're making a big fuss over nothing."

“The Prince Zhi and his First Consort have always had a very good relationship. You can count the number of concubines in the household on one hand. Who did he bring this time?” the Eighth Consort asked.

"Eighth Sister-in-law knows what I'm thinking. This time, Prince Zhi didn't bring any of his concubines or maids." Tenth Prince was also a little drunk.

The three women looked at each other, all showing expressions of surprise. The good relationship between Prince Zhi and his primary wife was common knowledge. Could it be that Prince Zhi was keeping a mistress behind his primary wife's back?

Upon hearing this, the Eighth Prince and the Ninth Prince exchanged a glance. They had the same idea: they could use this to their advantage to influence the Prince of Zhi!

"Tell me quickly, who exactly did Prince Zhi bring with him?" Mingyue couldn't help but ask anxiously.

"Princess Baoyue, do Eighth Brother and Ninth Brother both recognize her?" Tenth Master looked at him with a "you guys are totally confused" expression.

Sure enough, the three wives did not recognize Princess Baoyue and naturally did not know what was going on inside. However, the Eighth Prince and the Ninth Prince looked at each other in surprise several times, as if they had heard a shocking secret.

"Interesting! Tenth Brother, are you sure you're not mistaken?" Eighth Master said.

"Father Emperor ordered people to search everywhere for Baoyue, but did Prince Zhi find her?" Ninth Prince asked.

"Not only Baoyue, but there's also a child, and that child is actually Prince Zhi's!" Seeing that Princes Eight and Ninth didn't seem to understand what he meant, Tenth Prince had no choice but to blurt out the rest of his words.