The Eighth Prince's Residence

Although only one concubine has passed away, the layout of the mansion shows no trace of the ancestors.

The dead are a thing of the past; Yinzhi has been busy repairing his relationship with his wife lately.

Hongwang had no idea that his birth mother had passed away. He would occasionally miss his aunt who had a beautiful smile. Perhaps after some time, he would completely forget the most important person in his life.

Nian Gengyao prepared gifts and went to request an audience. He was currently in the closest contact with Yinzhi and had provided him with many conveniences within appropriate limits.

"Liang Gong has been enjoying the company of a beauty these past few days, and it's said that he's even postponed his official duties." When Yinzhi interacts with people in private, one can't sense any of the airs of a prince.

Nian Gengyao shook his head: "Why is Your Highness making jokes too? That's my younger sister. She hasn't lived in the capital for a long time. I was afraid she wouldn't be used to it, so I'm spending more time with her."

"Since she's Liang Gong's sister, it would be good for the Fujin (principal wife) to take her to socialize and go out another day when she comes to our residence." Yinzhi poured tea for Nian Gengyao. "How was the Hanlin Academy today? Did anyone give Liang Gong a hard time?"

Nian Gengyao was very pleased with Yinzhi's attitude, which was also the reason why he was willing to get to know Yinzhi better. After all, not everyone had the good mood to face Prince Yong's cold face: "Everything is fine. Many young scholars who have recently joined the Hanlin Academy admire Prince Yong's talent and have specially asked me to introduce them."

"A good bird chooses a good tree to perch on; this is all thanks to Liang Gong."

Looking at Yinzhi, Nian Gengyao suddenly thought that it wouldn't be bad for his younger sister to marry him. The Eighth Prince's wife was infertile and was raising someone else's child. If his younger sister could gain a foothold in the Eighth Prince's mansion and have his own support, her life wouldn't be difficult.

There was one thing that Nian Gengyao was hesitant about: no one knew how Consort Nalan died, and rumors were circulating that the Eighth Prince's wife had killed her mother and taken her son. Did Yinzhi know about this, and to what extent was he involved?

A man who is too devoted is not good, but one who is too heartless is even worse!

After seeing Nian Gengyao off, Yinzhi went to discuss matters with Lady Guoluo.

"Does the master want to take a concubine, the younger sister of Lord Nian?" The Eighth Princess frowned. She had just defeated Nalan and hadn't even caught her breath when the next one came.

“Nian Gengyao is a talented man, but he is unruly. Judging from his behavior, he genuinely loves his younger sister. Once she enters our household, he will surely follow you wholeheartedly. Besides, I heard that Nian’s youngest daughter has been frail since childhood, so raising her in the household is just a waste of her resources.” Yinzhi said casually.

Guo Luoluo was unwilling to give up. He still wanted to use the Nian family, so he had to give them some benefits. Otherwise, did he think they were fools?

Seeing that Yinzhi's mind was made up, she knew she couldn't change anything. She could only redden her eyes and hug Hongwang, silently shedding tears.

"Stop crying, or the child will laugh at you." Yinzhi was as gentle as ever.

Lady Guoluo used to love Yinzhi's gentleness the most, but now she gradually feels that it is a slow poison. Now she is terminally ill and there is no cure.

"I'll go to the palace and talk to my mother another day."

"Thank you for your hard work, Madam. Although Hongwang is good, I still long for our child." Yinzhi held Guoluo Shi in his arms, speaking sweet words in a soft voice, but his eyes were cold.

******

It's that time of year again for talent shows, and the capital city is seeing an influx of women from other parts of the country.

The young women passed through numerous selections, relying on their family background, appearance, or talent. Those who remained were to be chosen by Emperor Kangxi for their future.

Nian Sisi was among them, and her roommate was Lin Tong'er, the daughter of the Han Army Banner.

Nian Sisi felt that the expression this girl Tong'er gave her was quite strange. She always stared at her with a look that was both hateful and pitying, as if she had known her before.

Nian Sisi kept her distance from this kind of person and almost never spoke to her.

Before Emperor Kangxi officially selected the young ladies, Consort Yi suddenly suggested that she prepare a flower-viewing banquet in the Imperial Garden to meet these outstanding girls in advance.

Consort Yi is currently having a major headache. The Fifth Prince has been with the Empress Dowager since childhood, and his temperament is mild and peaceful, never vying for anything—he's a good child. The Ninth Prince, however, seems to have taken after someone else, constantly causing trouble. Ever since returning from the last inspection tour beyond the Great Wall, Consort Yi has felt that something big is about to happen. The child has completely changed; he's always gloomy, and the way he looks at people is really unsettling.

Consort Yi thought that this time she would choose a beautiful and outstanding princess for him to relax and relieve his boredom.

By the time the four concubines reached that age, they had long since given up any thoughts of vying for favor. They mostly thought about their sons or grandsons, so they all agreed.

This was the first time Nian Sisi had attended a banquet of this caliber. She looked up at the several elegant ladies in palace attire seated at the head of the table. They were a bit far away, so she couldn't see them clearly, only the gorgeous fabrics.

"The quality of this year's imperial concubines is quite good. Look at them, their faces are so tender you could squeeze water out of them." Consort Yi was a beauty lover, and she felt pleased to see a group of young girls who were more beautiful than flowers.

"Mother Consort thinks they're all good, but she's completely forgotten about us." Ninth Princess Consort was well-liked by Consort Yi, and the two often exchanged witty remarks.

"Alright, your mother loves you too." Consort Yi casually placed the hair ornament from her hair into the Ninth Prince's head, staring intently at the outstanding young ladies.

Nian Sisi's looks are top-tier, and coupled with her delicate and graceful demeanor, she is extremely eye-catching.

Consort Liang suddenly spoke up: "Sister Consort Hui, the Eighth Prince has difficulty conceiving. Qing'er was a good girl, but unfortunately she fell seriously ill and passed away. Now his household only has a few ugly children. Sister, please show him some pity and ask His Majesty to decide on two of them."

Since the eldest prince was confined to the palace, Consort Hui has lived like an invisible person. After all, the eighth prince was raised by her, so she still has some respect for him.

Consort Hui knew that Nalan died unjustly, but she was currently in a precarious situation herself and did not have the energy to investigate.

Consort Liang seems to have taken a liking to Nian Sisi. This woman looks like she's destined for favor. Fine, let them fight and struggle, and see what kind of good ending they'll get.

"Whichever one you prefer, we can go to the Emperor to decide," Consort Hui said.

The Eighth Prince's wife sat down, clutching her handkerchief, feeling unhappy. She suddenly realized that Yi Hua was definitely staring at the Nian family's daughter without leaving a trace.

"Fourth Sister-in-law, why are you staring at the Nian family girl like this?"

Yi Hua came to her senses. She was just curious about what the famous Consort Nian looked like. She could only say that Yinzhen's aesthetic sense was still on point. The little girl was still young and her features were still somewhat immature. If she were a few years older, she would definitely be a stunning beauty.

“Everyone has a love for beauty. Are only men allowed to appreciate it, and we’re not allowed to open our eyes first?” Yi Hua said with a smile.

"Since Fourth Sister-in-law likes it, why don't we..." Eighth Prince's wife wanted to get rid of this troublesome person, and didn't care about Eighth Prince's instructions.

“Who said I like him?!” Yi Hua interrupted her. “Sister-in-law, don’t take things out of context. I still like our Master the most.”

"Fourth Sister-in-law should let Fourth Uncle hear what she said," Ninth Prince's wife joked, and the two chatted away about everything under the sun.

The Eighth Prince's wife glared at Nian Sisi, but said nothing more.