Ninth Master stood there stunned, unsure how to respond. What a coincidence, he went back yesterday?

Ninth Master left Huangjue Temple with a dark face. When Xiao Wu saw him come out, he quickly went up to him and followed behind him, saying, "Master, should we release that pigeon? Eighth Master is waiting for your instructions."

It turned out that the Eighth Prince and the Ninth Prince had agreed that as soon as the Ninth Prince found out that Consort Wang had not gone to Huangjue Temple, he would send a carrier pigeon to notify the Eighth Prince that he could enter the palace. Conversely, if he could not be sure, he would not send a carrier pigeon, and the Eighth Prince would not go to the palace to discuss the matter.

"Go, prepare paper and ink. I need to say something to Eighth Brother." Ninth Master's expression was not good. He originally thought he could get Fourth Master under control this time, but he didn't expect this situation.

Lao Jiu climbed into the carriage, used the pen and ink prepared in the carriage, and laid a piece of paper on Xiao Wu's back, writing two characters: "Separate Courtyard." After writing, he folded the paper into a strip and instructed Xiao Wu to tie it to the leg of the prepared carrier pigeon, then released it.

"Master, shall we go back to the manor now?" Xiao Wu asked cautiously, not understanding what Ninth Master meant, as he sat silently in the carriage.

"Let's go to Changping. It's been a long time since I visited Fourth Brother's villa. I have nothing to do today, so let's go for a stroll," Ninth Master said with his eyes closed.

Meanwhile, Eighth Master was waiting in the mansion for Ninth Master's carrier pigeon.

"Master~~" The Eighth Prince's wife, supporting Pearl's hand, came to the Eighth Prince's study. When she reached the door, she saw the Eighth Prince sitting behind his desk reading a book.

"The Princess Consort has arrived." The Eighth Prince put down the book in his hand, stood up, walked around the desk, and greeted the Eighth Princess Consort.

"This is snow frog and pear soup that I stewed. The autumn weather is dry and the air is irritating. Your Highness should have some to cool down your heart." The Eighth Prince's Consort gestured for Pearl to take the stewing pot from her hands.

"These things can be left to the kitchen staff. Why bother the Princess Consort to do them herself?" The Eighth Prince raised his hand to adjust a hairpin in the Eighth Princess Consort's hair.

The Eighth Prince's wife smiled gently and said to Pearl, "You may leave now. I will serve you."

After Pearl left and the door closed from the inside out, the Eighth Princess Consort raised her hand, adorned with red-gold openwork nail guards, and untied the stewing pot. Inside was an even smaller stewing pot. The outer layer was for insulation.

She picked up the smaller stew pot, untied the lid, took a spoon from the basket, and handed it to Eighth Master.

"My lord, I wish to go to Huangjue Temple to pray to the Guanyin Bodhisattva who grants children. I beg the merciful Guanyin Bodhisattva to bless me so that I may have children for you, even if it is just a princess." The Eighth Princess Consort watched the Eighth Prince drink the soup sip by sip.

"If the Princess Consort wishes to pay her respects, let the steward arrange it. However, don't take this matter too seriously. Even if the Princess Consort doesn't give birth, she will still be my Princess Consort." The Eighth Prince had no mind to talk to his Eighth Princess Consort about these things; he was waiting for the Ninth Prince's message by carrier pigeon.

When the Eighth Prince's wife saw that he spoke indifferently and did not agree to accompany her to worship Buddha, she couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable.

“My lord, my aunt’s birthday is in a few days. Why don’t I go and talk to her about it?” The Eighth Prince’s wife knew that the Eighth Prince suspected the Fourth Prince of bringing Consort Wang and her son to the villa. Seeing that he had been in the study, she knew that it must be about this matter.

"I'm afraid we won't be able to wait until you enter the palace. The Ninth Prince's letter is probably coming soon. If so, I, Your Highness, will go to the palace now to speak with my mother," said the Eighth Prince.

Just then, Quanlu, the Eighth Master's personal servant, bowed at the door and said, "Master, what you've been waiting for has arrived."

"Bring it in quickly," Eighth Master said hurriedly to Quanlu outside the house, not bothering to say anything more.

When the Eighth Prince's wife saw him put down his spoon, she quickly stood up and faced the door. Quan Lu pushed the door open and entered. He was slightly taken aback when he saw the Eighth Prince's wife inside. He then lowered his head, walked up to the Eighth Prince, and handed him the small note.

Eighth Master quickly unfolded the paper that had been rolled into a small ball, and when he saw the two words written by Ninth Master, he couldn't help but frown.

"Quanlu, prepare the horses." Eighth Master grabbed the slip of paper, crumpled it into a ball, and threw it into the wastepaper bin.

Quanlu quickly bowed to his wife and then hurriedly turned to prepare the horse.

"Princess Consort, let's postpone the incense offering. I'll go with you when I have time. I have something to attend to now and have to go out. Please go back, Princess Consort." The Eighth Prince was anxious and spoke hastily to his Eighth Princess Consort, his tone not so gentle.

When the Eighth Prince's wife saw the bowl of snow frog and pear water on the table that had only been sipped a few times, she felt a little uncomfortable. However, she never spoke softly in front of the Eighth Prince, so she curtsied to him and turned to leave.

The Eighth Prince's wife thought back to how tender he had been with her the night before, only to have him revert to his usual coldness in the blink of an eye. She brought him snow frog soup, intending to invite him to lunch. However, the Eighth Prince remained as respectful as on their wedding night, yet even in intimate moments, she always felt a distance between them.

They had been married for eight years, and to outsiders they appeared to be a perfect couple, but in reality, they treated each other with utmost respect. Only the Eighth Prince's wife knew this.

Meanwhile, after Fourth Master and Lanqin finished their meal with Consort Wang and her son, Fourth Master specially gave Eighteenth a whole box of children's toys that he had collected.

Inside the box were a small dagger, a slingshot, and a small saddle—things boys would love. The Eighteenth Prince was overjoyed; if Consort Wang hadn't signaled him not to show his emotions, the little guy would have cried out. He had wanted these things for a long time, but the nannies in the princes' quarters wouldn't allow him to play with them. Even his mother wouldn't give him these things, even though the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Princes clearly had them.

Despite Fourth Master's objections, Lanqin packed some local specialties from the village for Consort Wang, mostly ordinary vegetables and seafood.

But Lanqin felt that regardless of whether the other person needed it or not, sending some was always a token of her appreciation.

Lanqin said to Consort Wang, "These things are for Father Emperor to try; some of them were even grown by the Fourth Prince himself."

Last year, the Fourth Prince brought Lanqin, the First Prince, and the Third Prince to stay at this villa for a while. Lanqin remembered that the Fourth Prince did indeed help the First Prince and the Third Prince plant a lot of radishes, potatoes, and other crops, so that the two grandsons, who lived deep in the inner palace, could experience the hardships of farming and thus cherish what they had.

Unfortunately, the eldest prince has passed away, and the third prince has grown up, but the things that grow in this land still remind people of what they used to be like.

Lady Wang's gratitude to the Fourth Prince goes without saying, and since it was just some fruits and vegetables for Emperor Kangxi, she naturally agreed.

Lanqin had intended to stay at the estate for a few more days, but the Fourth Prince wouldn't allow it, so she packed her things and returned with the Fourth Prince and Consort Wang and her son. After the servants had finished packing and the horses and carriages were ready, the Fourth Prince invited Consort Wang and her son to get into the carriage, while he rode in the same carriage as Lanqin.