Just then, Lanqin suddenly walked in from outside with a smile on her face, and as she walked, she was about to say, "Mother..."

Inside, the Fourth Prince was facing Consort De, and Consort De's expression clearly didn't look good.

Aunt An gave her a meaningful look, and Granny De was also looking at her expectantly. The two of them had tried to break the ice between the mother and son many times, but the situation always ended in a stalemate, so they dared not say anything more now.

"Mother, lunch is ready. Please move to the side hall to eat. Master is here too. Please ask Mother for a meal." Lanqin couldn't understand the hints on their faces, so she didn't think too much about it and said this.

"Your son has come to Mother to beg for a meal; the food served by the Ministry of Revenue is really not to my liking," Fourth Master said, finally swallowing his pride.

Seeing that the Fourth Prince had said so, Consort De could no longer refuse with a stern face, and naturally agreed.

After Consort De was helped down to the warm pavilion by Granny De and Aunt An, Lanqin asked in a low voice, "Did you two have another argument?"

Fourth Master looked at Lanqin and, for the first time, nodded at her with a helpless expression.

Lanqin opened her eyes wide and said, "Grandpa, Mother is your birth mother. Do you know how much she has humbled herself to accommodate you? As her son, you should be a little thick-skinned and have a little less temper, then everything will be fine."

Fourth Prince listened to these words in a daze, thinking to himself: I had a falling out with Mother because of you, and now you're lecturing me again.

Lanqin took Fourth Master's arm and walked outside.

Before they even entered the side hall, they heard the voice of the Fourteenth Prince coming from inside. That chuunibyou (middle school syndrome) teenager was acting cute and charming in front of Consort De.

"Oh, Fourth Brother is here too. He can't stand not seeing his concubine for a day, can he?" Fourteenth Brother still had that smug smile on his face, but he was still favored by Consort De.

"No manners! You don't use it with your own wife, but run to your mother to make a scene." Consort De said, glancing at Fourteen with a doting look.

This isn't a reprimand; it's clearly overflowing affection. Lanqin thought to herself: They're both from the same womb, yet Consort De treats her two sons so differently.

Fourteenth Prince, unconcerned, tugged at Consort De's sleeve and continued to whine, "It's been so long since I've dined with Mother. I miss you."

"Sigh, is this what a normal conversation between a mother and son should be like?" Lanqin thought to herself as she looked at the mother and son.

"You're always so glib, coming whenever you want to eat. But today's meal was prepared by your fourth brother's concubine," Consort De said with a doting smile.

The Fourteenth Prince then turned to the Fourth Prince and Lanqin and said, "Then the Fourteenth Prince is fortunate to have met his wife today." As he spoke, he stared at Lanqin.

"Sit down and have your meal." It was rare for Consort De to gather her two sons together for a meal.

The maids served food to Consort De, the Fourth Prince, the Fourteenth Prince, and Lanqin. But after the Fourteenth Prince took a bite of food, he quickly put some food from his bowl into Consort De's bowl and said, "Mother, this horn pepper is not spicy at all, it's very tender and soft. Mother, please eat."

The Fourth Prince remained silent, picking up the food the maids had served him and putting it into his mouth.

Lanqin watched as the Fourteenth Prince diligently served food to Consort De, and then looked at the Fourth Prince. Sigh, the difference between the two was too great. That brat, the Fourteenth Prince, had already seen the rift between the Fourth Prince and Consort De. Was he deliberately trying to anger the Fourth Prince?

"Master, this halal grouper is quite good. Why don't you put some on Mother's plate?" Lanqin couldn't stand it anymore and suddenly spoke up to the Fourth Master beside her.

Consort De was stunned, the Fourteenth Prince was stunned, and naturally, the Fourth Prince was stunned too!

Consort De thought to herself: The Fourth Prince has never served me any food. He's never even tried to act cute with his mother.

Fourteen thought to himself: The fourth brother actually serves food to his mother? Has the sun risen in the west today?

The Fourth Prince thought to himself: Should I serve food to my mother? Would she accept it? The Fourteenth Prince would probably be laughing his head off.

Seeing that the expressions on the faces of the three women were exactly the same, Lanqin had no choice but to continue speaking to the Fourth Prince: "Didn't you tell Lanqin that your mother likes to eat fish? So, today I specially ordered the kitchen to make this grouper. Your mother's throat isn't good, so please make sure she doesn't eat any fish bones. Quickly, please put some fish on her plate."

Upon hearing this, Consort De's expression brightened: Did the fourth prince remember that she loved to eat fish?

The Fourth Prince noticed the slight change in Consort De's expression, so he actually picked up some fish and placed it on the plate. Then he picked up the plate, walked to Consort De himself, and placed it in front of her, saying, "Mother loves to eat fish. These fish pieces are boneless, so please eat them without worry."

Lanqin looked at Fourth Master, a wide smile curving her lips. She thought to herself, "It was all worth the effort I put into creating this scheme for you. You're a promising young man."

Fourteen was a little dumbfounded. The cold and aloof Fourth Master in his memory, the Fourth Brother who would never try to please his mother, was now actually picking fish for his mother.

Consort De suppressed her shock, picked up her chopsticks, and took some fish to savor the filial piety of the Fourth Prince.

Granny De and Aunt An stood by the dining table, both with faint smiles on their faces as they looked at Lanqin.

The meal was incredibly harmonious. The Fourth Prince even served food to Consort De several times afterward. Even the Fourteenth Prince consciously gave up this opportunity for intimacy between mother and son. He stopped serving food to Consort De and instead silently observed the subtle mother-son relationship between the Fourth Prince and Consort De.

After lunch, Consort De invited the Fourth Prince and the Fourteenth Prince to stay for tea. The two sons sat at the lower end of the table. Consort De hoped that the two sons could get along and be united, but the Fourteenth Prince was closer to the Eighth Prince and the Ninth Prince.

"Fourteenth Prince, in two years you will be leaving the palace to establish your own household. At that time, you will be the head of your own household. You must get along well with your wife at home and do your best to serve your father in the court." Consort De knew that Fourteenth Prince usually liked to practice martial arts and did not pay much attention to the affairs of the court.

"Mother, I can't compare to Fourth Brother. I'll just be myself, Yinzhen. I hope to be like Eldest Brother, expanding the territory for Father Emperor and becoming a mighty general." Fourteenth Brother revealed the enthusiasm of a young man.

Lanqin sat beside the Fourth Master, holding only a teacup in her hand, silently listening to the conversation between the mother and her two children. She didn't need to interrupt at this time.

“Now that the world is at peace, where can we find a war for you to fight?” Fourth Master said.

"Isn't Galdan in the west always restless and eager to make trouble? And Tsarist Russia in the north is also eyeing our Qing Dynasty's territory. How can you say that the world is at peace and there are no wars to fight?" Fourteenth Brother looked at Fourth Master with disdain.

“Those are all borders. Galdan was already defeated by Father Emperor and had no power to fight back. Tsarist Russia has always occupied the north. If they don’t make a move, Father Emperor won’t either,” the Fourth Prince said.