Chapter 140 Prince Heng Returns to the Capital

That day, the Third Princess Consort arrived at the Heng Prince's residence with gifts. "Fenghua, congratulations!"

Jiang Fenghua smiled, "How come Third Sister-in-law is just like them, knowing how to wash people?"

"Prince Heng has done a great job in disaster relief, and the Emperor is overjoyed. It's a cause for celebration," the Third Princess Consort added. "Prince Heng has been away from the capital for two months. He should be back soon!"

Jiang Fenghua poured her some tea. "You should come back once you've dealt with things in Jiangnan."

The Third Princess smiled and said, "Prince Heng founded a charity hall, which has been praised by many scholars and literati. They say that Prince Heng has a great heart and is a blessing to the people. Some people also say that Princess Heng is not only beautiful but also has the heart of a bodhisattva. Prince Heng is exceptionally handsome. Oh, you two are truly a match made in heaven..."

“If you keep saying these flattering things to Fenghua, I won’t entertain you anymore,” Jiang Fenghua said again. “Please just say what you want to say, Third Sister-in-law.”

"Actually, it's nothing major. It's just that the noble ladies in Kyoto all know that Princess Heng is doing charity work, so they all want to help. As you know, we women depend on men to live. A man's word carries more weight than an imperial edict. After a while, it gets boring, and everyone wants to find something to do. I just don't know if Fenghua will think that Third Sister-in-law is meddling."

Jiang Fenghua's eyes were clear and sparkling. She said happily, "I'm overjoyed that my third sister-in-law is here to help. How could I possibly complain? You can even call your sisters to help. Of course, the more good deeds we do, the better. I welcome them all..."

She understood what the Third Princess Consort meant. She phrased it tactfully, but essentially, the powerful families of the capital knew that the Jishantang had made significant contributions to the disaster relief efforts and had even been commended by the Emperor. Therefore, they couldn't sit still and wanted to use their wealth to cultivate relationships.

This is good news for Jiang Fenghua and Jishantang, because her original intention in founding Jishantang was to prepare for Xie Shang, which would help him pursue his great cause in the future. She has already gained fame, and that's about all she can do.

Now she wants money more than anything. No matter how wealthy the Prince Heng's Mansion is, it's just a drop in the ocean. So their desire to join is a great thing for Jishantang.

What they wanted was simply for the emperor to write a good reputation for them, a mutually beneficial arrangement between the nobility and the royal family. The Prince Heng's mansion was merely a bridge connecting them.

The two chatted about Jishantang for a while, and then the Third Princess Consort wanted to visit the Heng Prince's Mansion. She praised, "Fenghua has made the mansion so beautiful; it has truly broadened my horizons!"

"It was all done by the gardeners in the manor; it wasn't my doing," Jiang Fenghua said.

The Third Princess nodded, no longer dwelling on the scenery of the mansion, and then asked, "How many months pregnant are you? When will you give birth?"

"It's still early, it'll be next year."

"You're pregnant, haven't you thought about finding some trustworthy people to serve the Prince?" She meant that her own people should be obedient, so that the Prince wouldn't be seduced by other women and become difficult to control later.

Jiang Fenghua understood her meaning: to find someone from among her dowry maids to rise in rank, making them easier to control.

"Don't just laugh. You're still young and don't know how dangerous it is. When concubines compete for the emperor's favor, the biggest taboo is trying to take the position of the principal wife. Anyway, men can't control themselves, and they won't stay with just one wife for life, especially the men in their royal family. There's not a single good one among them." The Third Princess Consort was telling Jiang Fenghua these things because she really liked her.

Jiang Fenghua said, "Everyone says you and the Third Prince are very loving. Does your Third Sister-in-law think the same way about your Third Prince?"

The Third Princess smiled and said, "Men can be seduced but not relied upon. If a woman wants to rely on one man for her whole life, she is foolish, because there are other women who can seduce him and also seduce him away. So I am open-minded about it."

The Third Princess Consort is capable and assertive. She has arranged for the Third Prince to marry a concubine and has other concubines to serve him. She has already given birth to three children, while the other concubines and other concubines have not given birth to any. This is because they were just placed by her husband to relieve his boredom. She is the principal wife, and with children, no one can shake her position.

"Fenghua admires Third Sister-in-law; she truly is a wise woman," Jiang Fenghua said with a hearty laugh.

"Don't change the subject. I think the two maids beside you are quite good, so I never thought of asking them to help you," said the Third Princess.

You mean Red Sleeves and Lotus Leaves?

“Usually, when a woman gets married, her family will find several beautiful women to marry into the family. You have too few servants. We are princesses, and we should have at least four first-class maids to serve us. Even if we promote one or two concubines, we still have people to serve us.” The Third Princess Consort shared her experience with her.

When Jiang Fenghua got married, her mother had also considered it, but she refused because Xie Shang had Su Tingwan, and he was not easily bewitched by women. Besides, she hadn't been married for a year, and she was already finding a woman for her husband. Wasn't that just asking for trouble?

Jiang Fenghua said earnestly, "They are all sisters who grew up with me. They don't want to be concubines, and I will respect their wishes. In the future, if they get married, they will only be someone's proper wife."

"Didn't you ever think about what would happen..."

“There are no ‘ifs.’ I believe they will not betray me.” Jiang Fenghua’s eyes were firm.

Seeing that she couldn't persuade her, the Third Princess said again, "If you don't plan ahead for yourself, you'll suffer the consequences. I know you and Prince Heng have a good relationship, but men change, and they change very easily. They are most prone to getting tired of the old and wanting the new. Prince Heng has been away for almost two months. There are many beautiful women in Jiangnan. Aren't you afraid that he will cheat on you?"

"Didn't Third Sister-in-law say that no matter what, we are still the legal wives?" Although Xie Shang in his previous life didn't like her and even doted on Su Tingwan, he still didn't divorce her as his legal wife.

Of course she knew that men were unreliable, and Xie Shang would never remain chaste for her. She wouldn't feel pain if she didn't love him. She could be magnanimous and even gladly accept any woman he wanted to bring into the mansion.

After all, she wasn't after Xie Shang's affections, nor was she foolish enough to believe that he only loved her.

Of course, she wouldn't tell these things to the Third Princess Consort, after all, you can't see into someone's heart.

A confident and charming smile appeared on her face as she said shyly, "I believe the prince loves me."

The Third Princess was somewhat exasperated, saying, "Those who don't listen to the elders will suffer the consequences."

Two days later, Xie Shang returned. He first went to the palace to receive his reward before returning to the Prince Heng's residence.

Jiang Fenghua and the entire Prince's mansion waited respectfully outside the gate. As he rode forward on horseback, his spirited appearance drew cheers from the surrounding crowd, who even applauded his majestic prince.

The Fourth Prince also went to Jiangnan for disaster relief. In front of outsiders, the Fourth Prince always appeared weak and timid. He was only assisting Prince Heng in disaster relief, and his popularity was not as high as Xie Shang's.

Xie Shang dismounted and tossed the reins to a servant before walking up to Jiang Fenghua. "Ruan Ruan, I'm back. Did you miss me?"

Jiang Fenghua's eyes reddened slightly. She nodded, her voice choked with emotion, "I want to."

She reached out and touched his face with deep affection, saying softly, "Your Highness has lost weight, and the stubble on your face is prickly."

Xie Shang held his young wife in his arms, saying, "The disaster is serious, so I didn't care about anything else."

"Let's go back to the manor first. Your Highness, I have prepared food and bathwater for you." Jiang Fenghua took his hand.

Just then, a woman in plain clothes with a headscarf followed behind Lin Feng. She respectfully stepped forward and knelt before Jiang Fenghua, saying, "This humble woman greets Your Highness."