The cannon fodder character in the Dream of the Red Chamber's story of a substitute bride tries to rewrite her life 16...

"Mother, dear Mother, please don't be angry anymore. I promise I will be good from now on. I will never sneak into the woods with my little brother Honghao without snoring again."

Please forgive me this time. I swear, this is absolutely the last time. I will never do it again, even if you kill me.

Hongduo pulled Honghao along, pleading and begging with Jia Hui in an attempt to get away with it. Unfortunately, he had long lost all credibility with Jia Hui, and she didn't believe a word he said.

"You mean if you don't kill him, he'll do it again? You brat, are you trying to play word games with your mother?"

Stand still! Every time you make a mistake, you say it's the last time, but what happens next? You only get worse. This time you were even bolder, actually leading Honghao away from the guards and running into the woods.

You two were lucky this time that nothing happened. Can you guarantee you'll be lucky every time? Hongduo, have you ever thought that if something happened to either of you, your mother would lose her life along with you?

Do you know how worried your mother was when the little eunuch came to report that you two had sneaked out? She was so frightened she could barely stand, and her heart is still pounding even now.

Before coming to Mulan, your fourth aunt entrusted your brother Honghui and brother Honghao to your mother. What if Honghao gets hurt? How will your mother explain this to your fourth aunt when she gets back?

These next few days, you and Honghao, you both stay in your tents and reflect on your actions.

Jia Hui grew angrier as she spoke. It wasn't that she was making a mountain out of a molehill; it was just that those two brats were really too much to bear. They had sneaked out without even taking the guards with them.

If the little system hadn't arrived in time and driven the dangerous beasts away, those two brats would have been in real trouble.

Having just finished dealing with Hongduo's matter, Mingrui walked in from outside with two dejected little girls.

Seeing their expressions, Jia Hui felt a chill run down her spine. These troublemakers! Next time Mulan goes hunting, let whoever wants to come, come. She's never coming again.

Since arriving in Weichang, she hasn't been able to do anything but clean up their messes every day.

"What's wrong?"

Mingrui sighed helplessly: "Those two beat up Hongsheng from the Third Prince's family and Hongchun from the Fourteenth Prince's family."

Jia Hui took a deep breath to calm her rising anger: "Can someone tell me why you beat someone up?"

The two girls started talking at once, recounting what had happened, and Jia Hui understood after listening.

The story begins with yesterday's hunt. Honghui and Hongke performed brilliantly during the hunt, and Emperor Kangxi praised them repeatedly.

Because Hongke attributed all the credit to Honghui, Emperor Kangxi was overjoyed and showed off to the Mongolian princes quite a bit.

As the eldest son of Prince Yong, Honghui was appointed as the heir apparent at a young age. Despite his young age, he was poised and handsome, and many Mongolian princesses attending the banquet were quite fond of him.

This aroused the jealousy of Hongsheng from the Prince Cheng family and Hongchun from the Fourteenth Prince's family.

Although Hongchun was a son born out of wedlock, he was the eldest son of the Fourteenth Prince. His birth mother, Lady Shushu Gioro, was favored and had high hopes for him, spoiling him into being lawless.

However, Hongtian was mediocre in talent, neither good at literature nor martial arts, but adept at eating, drinking, and having fun. He and Hongsheng of Prince Cheng's family were kindred spirits and hit it off immediately, and after arriving at the Mulan Hunting Grounds, they practically went crazy having fun.

Hongsheng and Honghui were natural enemies. Honghui was praised by Emperor Kangxi again and again, but Prince Cheng felt that Hongsheng had made him lose face and gave him a good scolding.

Hong Sheng was resentful after being reprimanded, so he brought his follower Hong Chun to pick a fight with Hong Hui.

If this were in the capital, they really wouldn't dare, after all, Prince Yong's cold face was incredibly intimidating. Who would dare to bully his beloved eldest son right under his nose?

But this time when they went to Mulan for the hunt, Prince Yong was in charge of overseeing the country, and the Fourth Princess Consort did not come. So they found an opportunity.

As for Hongke, they dared not bully him. Although he was not a prince or grandson of the emperor, he had parents who would protect him.

If they dare to bully Hongke, Prince Rui will go and cry while clinging to his grandfather's legs.

In addition, when they were at home, they were often told never to offend Prince Rui's quadruplets.

Their fathers all wanted to win over Prince Rui, and everyone knew that Prince Rui and Prince Keqin were closely allies. Offending either of them was tantamount to offending two powerful princes.

Therefore, Hongsheng and Hongchun targeted Honghui, provoking him in various ways and saying extremely offensive things.

The two mischievous kids never expected that Little Star and Little Pearl, these two girls, would have even more fiery tempers than their older brother, Hong Ke.

Upon hearing the two of them belittle Honghui, whom they admired the most, they rushed out without thinking, each grabbing one of Hongsheng and Hongchun and beating them until they were bruised and swollen.

Finally, the matter reached Emperor Kangxi's ears. The two young maids, with their sharp tongues, left Hongsheng and Hongchun speechless. Not only were they beaten, but Kangxi also punished them by making them copy books.

Seeing the two little girls' smug expressions, Jia Hui asked, "Since you think you did nothing wrong, why did you look like that just now?"

Little Pearl clung to Jia Hui's arm and said coquettishly, "Father said that no matter if I did something wrong or not, I still hit someone. In public, I should act as if I have learned my lesson, regretted my actions, and will never do it again."

That way, people won't keep harping on our mistakes. This is called strategic retreat!

Jia Hui glared at Mingrui: "You've corrupted the children. Hongduo was incredibly audacious today, taking Honghao and sneaking off to the old forest."

"If they hadn't been discovered in time and brought back, who knows what might have happened."

As they were talking, Honghui and Hongke lifted the tent flap and came in. Jia Hui quickly invited them to sit down.

"Honghui, Dabao, you've been running around all day, you must be hungry. Have some snacks to tide you over. Are Hongsheng and Hongchun alright?"

"Those two kids, Xingxing and Zhuzhu, don't hold back. Be careful not to really hurt them."

Honghui smiled and said, "Auntie, don't worry. They're both tough and thick-skinned. A few hits won't hurt them. My sister was just joking with them. They won't take it seriously."

Jia Hui had her maid bring out several newly made pastries, along with honey flower tea infused with spiritual spring water. The children huddled together, eating and discussing where they would go to play later.

Jia Hui sat beside him with a smile, watching. Fifteen-year-old Honghui had sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, a tall and jade-like figure, a gentle and modest demeanor, and every move he made was quite skillful.

Compared to him, Hongsheng, who was also a prince's heir, was far inferior.

I don't know why, but the Third Prince is so handsome, and his wife, who comes from the Dong E clan, is even more beautiful.

Hongsheng inherited the best features from his parents. He was quite handsome and cute as a child, but became rather ordinary as he grew up.

Not to boast, but although her son Hongke is a few years younger than Honghui, he is calm, measured, and knows how to behave appropriately.

Hongke and Hongduo were born with good looks, with beautiful eyebrows and eyes, high nose bridges, and fair skin like jade. Compared to Hongduo's lively and unrestrained nature, Hongke, who had an elegant air about him, would be praised by everyone who saw him. He was a gentleman like jade, unparalleled in the world.

Because of his outstanding appearance, he didn't have many good friends. Apart from his cousins ​​from the Prince Keqin's Mansion, the only other person he was close to was Honghui.

The two young boys stood together, each with their own unique charm, yet they shared an extraordinary chemistry.

Hongduo and Honghao were both lively and unconventional, and they were quite compatible. Whether in the capital or at the Mulan Hunting Grounds, they were inseparable.

They had countless cronies; the sons of the Ninth and Tenth Princes were their lackeys. They didn't come this time, but if they had, they would have caused a huge uproar at the Mulan Hunting Grounds.

The reason why Jia Hui's children had such a good relationship with the two princes of Prince Yong's mansion is because they were all educated by Prince Yong.

Neither Jia Hui nor Mingrui knew how to raise children; they only knew how to spoil them. The Ninth and Tenth Princes and Nersu were even less capable. So, the group set their sights on Yinzhen, who had raised the eldest son to be exceptionally outstanding.

Shamelessly, he simply sent the children to his residence and then slipped away. Yinzhen, with his serious and disciplined nature, saw this group of unruly children and immediately took charge of disciplining them.

He even cleared out a courtyard in the front yard and turned it into a study for these monkey kids. He trained them all to be obedient and start reading and practicing calligraphy.

This matter was approved by Emperor Kangxi, who had been observing all the princes ever since he deposed the crown prince.

When the Crown Prince was deposed, the eldest prince suggested that he kill the Crown Prince on behalf of Emperor Kangxi. In addition, the third prince said in a fit of pique that the second prince might have gone mad because of the curse he had made. As a result, Emperor Kangxi confined the Crown Prince to his residence on the grounds that the Crown Prince was possessed by a demon.

The Third Prince was terrified by this, and his reputation as a tattletale completely ruined his chances of ascending to the throne.

It can be said that the incident of deposing the crown prince in the 48th year of Kangxi's reign directly ruined the three eldest princes, and only the cautious fourth prince escaped this fate.

Later, because the entire court recommended the Eighth Prince to be the Crown Prince, Kangxi had no choice but to bring the deposed Crown Prince back to the forefront. However, the deposed Crown Prince's performance made him realize that the Crown Prince was no longer fit to be the heir apparent.

At this time, in addition to Yinzhen, his half-brother, the Fourteenth Prince Yinzhen, also came into Kangxi's view. As Kangxi increasingly relied on Yinzhen, the court officials who had originally supported the Eighth Prince began to side with the Fourteenth Prince.

For a time, the Fourteenth Prince rose to prominence. However, his high profile made Emperor Kangxi realize that, like the Eighth Prince, he was too self-serving and unsuitable for the position of Crown Prince.

It was at this time that Kangxi's heart gradually tipped in favor of Prince Yong, Yinzhen, who remained calm in the face of honor and could diligently perform any task entrusted to him.

The Prince Yong (Yinzhen) in this small world was even more powerful than in official history. Approaching adulthood, his intelligence and good health as the eldest son of the legitimate wife earned him considerable favor with Emperor Kangxi.

Furthermore, not only did the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince not support the Eighth Prince, but they also had close ties with him in private. The Fifth Prince, the Prince Rui's Mansion, and the Prince Keqin's Mansion also stood on his side.

......

After thinking about it, Jia Hui told Hong Hui and Hong Ke about the good deeds that Hong Duo and Hong Hao had done.

Honghui and Hongke, who were the leaders of a group of mischievous kids, heard from Jia Hui that Honghao and Hongduo had secretly gone hunting in the old forest. They exchanged a glance and decided to teach them a lesson.

Jia Hui could tell from their expressions that the two brats were in trouble, so she added fuel to the fire.

“Honghui, you are their eldest brother, so I’m entrusting Honghao and Hongduo to you and Dabao to manage. I have no objection to how you punish them.”

And these two little girls, you're both capable, so you should teach them a good lesson. Fighting all the time won't do.

Little Star and Little Pearl pouted at Jia Hui, complaining, "Mother, we're usually very well-behaved, okay? Some people deserve a beating, and we're beating them to uphold justice!"

Jia Hui waved her hand: "Go explain to your brother Honghui and eldest brother. I'm looking forward to returning to the capital so I can send you all to Prince Yong's mansion and hand you over to your fourth uncle."

"I've figured it out. Without the golden headband, you've all become like Sun Wukong causing havoc in Heaven. I'm getting a headache from judging your cases every day."

In September, the date for returning to Beijing was set. With a single order from Emperor Kangxi, the hunting grounds immediately became lively. People came and went from tent to tent, each doing their duty, busy dismantling tents and packing luggage.

After the highway from Beijing to Rehe-Mountain Resort was completed, Emperor Kangxi would spend half the year at the Mountain Resort.

Previously, when he went on tours, the Crown Prince was the regent. However, after the Crown Prince was deposed, Prince Yong, Yinzhen, became the regent. Even after the Crown Prince was reinstated, the regent remained unchanged.

Crown Prince Yinreng was taken everywhere with him. Others might think the Crown Prince was favored, and Prince Yong's regency was also because he was a member of the Crown Prince's faction.

But in Jia Hui's view, this was actually Kangxi's way of being wary of the Crown Prince and showing his trust in Prince Yong. The Crown Prince himself knew that Kangxi had actually given up on him, but he was unwilling to accept it.

The conflict between father and son eventually reached an irreconcilable point. According to the timeline, Yinreng would be deposed again after returning to the capital.

Jia Hui privately summoned Honghui and Hongke, instructing them to keep the younger children under control on the return journey. They were absolutely forbidden from causing trouble or being exploited at this critical juncture.

There are no fools among the royal children; Honghui immediately understood Jia Hui's unspoken words. Upon leaving the tent, he immediately sent a trusted confidant back to the capital to remind his father.

It was clear that Kangxi was eager to return home, as he traveled much faster on the return journey than on the way there. Fortunately, the roads were all flat cement, so the ride wasn't too bumpy.

On September 30th, the day Kangxi returned to the capital, he immediately summoned all the princes and imperial relatives to announce...

"Since his reinstatement, Crown Prince Yinreng has not lost his former arrogance, which has caused him to lose the support of the people."

"The ancestral legacy cannot be entrusted to him. I have already informed the Empress Dowager, and my mind is made up. I hereby depose Yinreng from his position as Crown Prince and imprison him in Xianyang Palace for the rest of his life."

As the saying goes, "When a whale falls, all things are born." With Crown Prince Yinreng deposed, the other princes had their chance.

Officials who wanted to gain favor by marrying into the imperial family set their sights on other adult princes.

The eldest to the third princes are completely useless, while the fourth prince, being the eldest among the adult princes, has a great chance.

But very few dared to curry favor with or flatter him, for everyone knew that Prince Yong was notoriously ruthless, incorruptible, and a complete workaholic.

If he becomes emperor, how can the officials still have a good life?

The Eighth Prince was reprimanded by Emperor Kangxi as the son of a lowly maid from the Imperial Household Department, and his chances of ascending to the throne were almost nil.

The ninth, tenth, and twelfth princes are not worth considering. The thirteenth prince angered the emperor when he deposed the crown prince and was confined to his home to reflect on his mistakes.

The Fourteenth Prince was indeed young and promising, and with the Eighth Prince's full support, the court officials now knew who to support. For a time, the Fourteenth Prince's residence was bustling with visitors.

After returning to the capital, Mingrui "fell ill," and the Prince Rui's mansion kept its gates tightly closed. Jia Hui used Mingrui's illness as an excuse to turn away any invitations sent to him.

Neither the Ninth Prince nor Nersu were fools, and they immediately followed suit and closed their doors.

Needless to say, the Tenth Prince, though seemingly unreliable, is actually wise beyond his years and has long been staying at home and not going out.

The Ninth Prince realized how foolish he had been when he stepped forward, and couldn't help but complain to the Tenth Prince: "Back then, it was these opportunists who supported our eldest brother in fighting against the Crown Prince."

After the eldest brother fell, the eighth brother took over most of his power. Now their leader has changed to the fourteenth brother.

The Tenth Prince sighed. Yes, it's still the same group of opportunists. I'm afraid very few of them are truly loyal to the Fourteenth Prince.

Don't be fooled by their current attempts to curry favor with the fourteenth prince; they're the same ones who'll switch allegiances at the slightest sign of trouble.