When Nian Sisi heard the news that the prince had once again stayed in the main courtyard, she felt extremely frustrated, not only for herself, but also for the soup and water that were sent to the front courtyard every day.

That didn't work at all.

Moreover, the eunuchs in the front courtyard are bottomless pits. No matter how wealthy the Nian family is, they can't afford to keep filling them up like this. She has already felt a little bit of the pain.

Now, if she wants to add something nice to the kitchen, she has to pay at least five taels of silver. Nian Sisi realized that she had been too generous at the beginning and had spoiled these wicked servants.

The most difficult thing is that she can't back down now. Nian Sisi understands the principle that you must give before you can take.

Nian Gengyao made a concerted effort to get close to the people in the Ministry of Personnel, and from their snippets of conversation, he was able to roughly deduce the information he wanted.

“Prince Yong is self-disciplined and respectful of etiquette. He has an extraordinary obsession with his duties. Once the Emperor gives him an order, he basically stays at the Ministry of Personnel.”

"If you're talking about Prince Yong, he really doesn't touch any brothels or brothels. If any of us want to go, we have to do it secretly. Sigh."

"Why are you asking about this? Oh, by the way, it seems your sister has entered the Prince's mansion. She's really enjoying herself. I heard the Princess is gentle and virtuous, a master at managing the household. Who in our Ministry of Personnel hasn't drunk the summer soup sent by the Princess?"

"Liang Gong, you had a good drink today. Let me tell you, the Prince is like a lady from a noble family; he almost never attends any banquets. Every day, he just picks up the eldest prince and goes back to the manor. It's fortunate that Prince Honghui is filial; otherwise, how could a teenager be watched like this every day?!"

…………

Nian Gengyao advised Nian Sisi to be gentle and not to go against the princess. He suggested that she should have children first before talking about feelings, as the prince was a cold but affectionate person and needed some emotional foundation and patience.

Nian Sisi is worried about how to build this foundation for their relationship. The two of them don't exchange more than ten sentences in a single conversation, including greetings.

Looking in the mirror, Nian Sisi felt insecure about her appearance for the first time.

Just as she was thinking every day about how to create opportunities for herself and Yinzhen, Nian Sisi stared at the little wolf running wildly in the Imperial Garden and suddenly felt that she had found a breakthrough.

"Xiaodie, go and observe the Fourth Prince's daily activities. Don't let anyone find out that we are paying attention to him. If you don't have enough money, go get it yourself."

Xiao Die was the only maid Nian Sisi brought from her maternal family to the Yongqin Prince's Mansion. She was her confidante and very capable.

Xiaodie did not disappoint Nian Sisi's trust. In just a few days, she knew Xiaolang's daily schedule like the back of her hand.

“Princess, the Fourth Prince first has breakfast at the Princess’s place every morning, followed by half an hour of calligraphy practice. After the sun comes out, the Fourth Prince plays in the garden. His favorite places are the swing and slide next to the rockery. He takes a half-hour nap at noon. In the afternoon, he practices swordsmanship. In the evening, the First Prince teaches him to read.”

"Practicing swordsmanship?" Nian Sisi was a little puzzled. Had he reached the age where he could wield a sword?

Xiao Die smiled and said, "The eldest prince gave the fourth prince a small wooden sword, which he liked very much. I saw him wield it quite well from afar once."

"The slide is next to the artificial hill, and the artificial hill is by the pond." Nian Sisi said thoughtfully, "Was anyone with him when he went to play?"

"Yes, I have observed that there are at least two eunuchs who never leave his side."

Nian Sisi nodded: "Tomorrow, let's take our snacks and stroll around the Imperial Garden."

Xiao Die was always able to guess what the middle-aged Si Si was thinking. She hesitated for a moment and said, "Princess, the Princess is very protective of her children. We can't do anything to the Fourth Prince."

"It's not about taking his life, it's just about borrowing a favorable wind. Otherwise, given the current situation, when will the Prince ever see me again? By the time the Princess Consort is old and faded, I won't be young anymore either!" Nian Sisi was provoked by Yinzhen's neglect over the past few days, and became somewhat obsessively agitated.

Xiaodie was a little worried. If her master could get what he wanted, everyone would be happy. But if something went wrong, the prince could skin their young lady alive, given his temperament. She had to report this to the second young master.

******

As usual, Little Wolf carried Dou Dou to the slide. He would go once, then Dou Dou would go once, and then they would go together again. He could play happily like this all morning.

When Nian Sisi arrived, she happened to see Xiaolang hugging Doudou and whispering to her. The scene was so heartwarming that she couldn't help but smile genuinely.

The allure of human babies is irresistible!

The little wolf saw a beautiful older sister and curiously stared at her. After the beautiful older sister walked in, she gently bent down and said, "You must be the Fourth Prince. I am your mother. These are some sweet snacks that I made. Would you like to have a couple?"

The little wolf stared at the snacks with shining eyes, then swallowed hard: "Are you Grandma Wolf?"

"What?" Nian Sisi's smile froze for a moment; she didn't understand.

The little wolf continued, "Big brother said that any strangers who want to give me snacks are Grandma Wolf, and they're the ones who want to eat me. Are you Grandma Wolf?"

What kind of nonsense is this? Nian Sisi squatted down to be at eye level with the little wolf: "I'm family with you, how could you be a wolf... a wolf grandma?"

The group that came out to play with the little wolf were all eunuchs. Guo Wei stepped forward and blocked the little wolf's way: "This servant greets Princess Nian. The Princess Consort has ordered that the Fourth Prince cannot have any snacks in the Imperial Garden, as he may catch a cold. Princess Nian, please do not make things difficult for us."

"You!" Nian Sisi was furious that a eunuch could speak to her in such a tone. She wanted to smash the plate of snacks, but she held back because she was thinking about her plan.

She placed the food box on the ground and said, "I'll leave it for the Fourth Prince to try. I'm leaving now."

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!