Chapter 223 The Amusement Seeker

With the wedding day of Hongzhao drawing ever closer, people everywhere, both inside and outside the palace, felt like their feet were constantly on the ground.

There was no other reason than that even though there were nearly three months of preparations from the time the emperor first revealed his intentions until the day of the wedding, the time was still too tight.

This was by no means because the workers were lazy or inefficient. Rather, it was because they were observing the solemnity of the Crown Prince's wedding and the Emperor had been watching the list of gifts prepared by the Ministry of Rites from the very beginning. The list was longer than their lives, and even if they worked day and night in shifts, they could not guarantee that it would all be completed.

This is a job where you risk your life. If you do it well, you'll be rewarded; if you do it poorly, it's your fate, and not just your own.

The list of porcelain used for the Crown Prince's wedding alone numbered over eight thousand pieces. If the imperial kilns were to produce them, it might take one or two years to deliver. Instead, Yinzhen simply ordered the designs to be distributed to private kilns for procurement. Whoever could produce the most varieties and the finest quality within the time limit would receive a higher price.

He had painstakingly saved this money for many years so that he could spend it lavishly when needed. Now, this was his son's most important wedding, so spending a little money was nothing.

If even porcelain is so troublesome, then there's no need to mention other things like wedding attire and engagement gifts.

The busy Empress, holding her heavy head, exclaimed, "Xuexin, Xuexin, come quickly and give me a massage! These tiny characters are so dense, they're giving me a headache!"

At these times, Xuexin would often take advantage of the fact that no one was around to tease her—"Your Majesty, when did you get a headache again? Is it possible that once you become Empress, these headaches just creep up on you without you even noticing?"

Lu Jiaying only realized what was happening after she finished speaking. Seeing Lu Jiaying laughing wildly, she raised her hand to pull Lu Jiaying's mouth. This exchange of words and laughter eased the tension considerably.

Her headaches were completely different from Yixiu's, almost worlds apart. Yixiu's headaches were caused by Honghui's untimely death on a rainy night, while hers were a sweet trouble compared to Yixiu's.

At this point, Lü Jiaying suddenly remembered something, picked up a pen and carefully looked at the long, long process, drew two strokes at a certain place near the top, and then called out to the outside.

"Hong Xihai, go to Baohua Hall. They're holding a blessing ceremony there. I offered some scriptures there; have someone burn them for the First and Second Princes, just to accumulate some good fortune for my You'er. As for the Fourth Prince..."

She hesitated, actually not wanting to give it to him. "Go and spend some money, and tell them it's my order. Tell them to prepare some good food for the Fourth Prince on the day of the Crown Prince's wedding, so that the Crown Prince won't forget his brother and can share in the joy."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will take care of it immediately. Please rest assured."

Meanwhile, Hongzhao was also listening to people tell stories about the Fourth Prince.

"Your Highness, you have no idea how lively the Imperial Clan Court is these days." Xiao Dezi stepped forward with a chilled watermelon in his hands. Perhaps because he had spent more time with Xia Zi, he had also picked up a bit of his lively and inquisitive nature. He hurried over to tell Hong Zhao as soon as he finished trying on his clothes.

Hongzhao raised an eyebrow slightly upon hearing the words "Imperial Clan Court"—"But what about my fourth brother... oh no, my fourth cousin? Is it the lively scene there?"

He also wanted to listen to relieve his boredom, so he picked up a fan from the side and fanned himself, then took a piece of watermelon from the bowl that Xiao Dezi was holding and put it in his mouth, waiting for him to continue.

“The Crown Prince is intelligent, it is him.” Xiao Dezi leaned forward—“He is now the son of the Eighth Prince, a criminal, and has been stripped of his yellow sash. He is already feeling depressed and miserable. Life in the Imperial Clan Court is very difficult, a world apart from the Yuanmingyuan. But then he happens to meet such a strange princess.”

"Strange?" Hongzhao had some guesses, and the interest in his eyes grew even stronger.

Xiao Dezi nodded seriously – “Yes, the Empress Dowager was still alive at the time, and with her protection, even if the Emperor was furious, he wouldn’t have made the two of them leave naked. They could have packed some luggage. But I heard that because of this, as soon as he entered, this… Fourth Prince, threw a huge tantrum.”

"I heard that this princess took on the task of packing the prince's luggage, but she didn't take a single piece of gold or silver. Not only that, she only brought a bundle of cakes and pastries, which she distributed to the prisoners on the very first day she entered the palace, and also sent a lot to the Eighth Prince."

Xiao Dezi became more and more puzzled as he spoke—"I heard that the Fourth Prince was furious at the time. He was just hiding in the Empress Dowager's palace, trying to stall for time. But this princess managed to get him involved. He lost face, his yellow sash, and his luggage. Anyone would be devastated in that situation, but Princess Qingying is quite something."

"I just heard about this myself. It's become a joke in the Imperial Clan Court. Princess Qingying thought the Fourth Prince was being unreasonable and lecturing him, saying that the cakes were meant for him to present to his new father. At that time, the Fourth Prince had just entered the Imperial Clan Court and changed his status, so he couldn't listen to her. I heard that they even got into a fight, and it was quite an ugly scene."

As Xiao Dezi spoke, he moved around, simulating the scene, which made Hongzhao feel completely immersed. It was as if the blood had splattered all over him during the fight. Amazed, Hongzhao added curiously.

"You really didn't bring anything in? Not even Hongli's?"

Xiao Dezi nodded seriously – “This servant asked carefully, and it’s not that there was nothing at all. She brought a few silver armors and a few coarse clothes, but nothing else. The princess said that one should live with dignity in the Imperial Clan Court, and that the money outside belongs to others. She said that since she’s already in there, it’s better to cut ties with the past.”

Hongzhao scoffed at this, saying, "Where in this imperial city is there a place that doesn't require money? Not to mention the Imperial Clan Court, even the Imperial Prison. Regardless of status, having money or not makes a world of difference."

“Yes,” Xiao Dezi nodded repeatedly in agreement. “Speaking of recent events, it’s quite a strange affair. Before, this Fourth Prince was always clamoring to see the Emperor. But since the Empress Dowager passed away, those two in the Imperial Clan Court have completely quieted down. They know that no one outside can protect them anymore.”

"However, the Imperial Household Department has also been involved in preparing for Your Highness's wedding these days, and there has been some chaos due to the comings and goings. In the rush, a guard knocked over the bundle he was carrying. Your Highness, guess what's inside?"

Hongzhao tilted his chin up and gently kicked Xiaodezi's knee, signaling him to stop being so mysterious. Xiaodezi smiled and quickly revealed the answer.

"They were a pair of finely stitched boots made by Princess Qingying herself. Everyone saw them fall out, and people said that the guard had stolen something in the chaos. Princess Qingying herself stood up to testify for him, showing everyone her own stitches."

"Oh my, Your Highness, you didn't see it, the Fourth Prince's face turned green right then and there."