Yi Hua soon learned about the commotion Hong Hui had caused in the palace and thought it was good that he made a scene.

While Yinzhen was at the front lines providing disaster relief, she, a woman confined to the inner quarters, heard that there were many more memorials in the court impeaching Yinzhen, accusing him of acting arbitrarily, detaining important court officials without authorization, and even using the imperial palace to temporarily house refugees.

Fortunately, Emperor Kangxi was discerning and wise, and he kept all the memorials without issuing them.

At this critical juncture, Honghui's outburst made everyone realize that the Emperor's favor towards the Fourth Prince's residence was even greater than before.

That way, I won't have to spend all day looking for faults with Yinzhen.

After finishing his dinner, Honghui carefully took the primer bestowed upon him by Emperor Kangxi and gestured to the eunuch to bring over a small stool.

The little one spoke earnestly to Yi Hua's belly: "Little brother, today big brother will teach you to read the Analects of Confucius."

Yi Hua's eyes twitched slightly, thinking, "Here we go again: 'Hong Hui, have you finished your homework for today?'"

“Mother, I have already shown my studies to Grandfather, so you don’t need to worry.” Honghui said in a serious tone, “Now is the time for my younger brother to study, Mother, please don’t rush.”

Yi Hua thought to herself, "I'm not in a hurry at all. It would be better if you could slow down."

Honghui had previously only read classics like the Three Character Classic. Today, he was thrilled to receive such a gift from Emperor Kangxi. He washed his hands, opened the book, and read it aloud with great expression, word by word.

This is what Honghui has been doing every day for some time now. He claims that he is helping his younger brother, Yinzhen, to learn about education and strive to make his brother even smarter than himself.

Although Yi Hua enjoyed listening to Hong Hui read, the piercing sound of his voice for half an hour each time always made this pregnant woman want to sleep.

Falling asleep in front of your son at a time like this is incredibly disgraceful.

So, Yihua experienced both pain and joy every day.

Honghui is a child with a strong sense of time. After reading for half an hour, he immediately stopped, reached out his little hand and carefully touched Yihua's belly. Even through her clothes, he was very excited.

"Little brother, be good and don't tire your mother out. I'll teach you to read again tomorrow."

Yi Hua couldn't help but tease him, "Can he understand it?"

Honghui nodded seriously: "Yes, it's possible. Once my younger brother comes out, it will definitely be much easier for him to memorize these things."

Yi Hua gently rubbed Hong Hui's head, which was now covered in stubble, and carefully examined the healed wound: "Hong Hui, does the back of your head still hurt?"

Honghui swayed slightly, looking quite adorable: "It doesn't hurt at all anymore, it's just..."

Yi Hua was a little nervous: "What's wrong? Hong Hui, if you feel even slightly unwell, you should tell me. Your mother will get you the best doctor."

Honghui was a little embarrassed: "Mother, Honghui's hair is bald, it looks so ugly."

To make it easier for the imperial physicians to change the dressings, they simply shaved Honghui's head beforehand. It's unexpected that the handsome young man would start paying attention to his appearance so early.

"How about Mother makes Honghui a little hat so his hair can grow quickly?" Yihua suggested.

Honghui nodded vigorously, casually fiddling with his bald head, clearly quite concerned about it.

"What style does Honghui like? Mother has some patterns here, let's take our time choosing." Yihua gestured for Yuxiao to bring out the sewing tools, and the mother and son chatted warmly by candlelight.

Honghui chose a black one with a subtle pattern. He looked at Yihua longingly and said, "Mother, when is Father coming back? Honghui misses Father."

Yi-hua calculated the schedule: "It'll be another ten days or so. When your father passed away, you weren't fully recovered yet. I don't know how worried he must have been about you."

Honghui raised his chin, his tone revealing undisguised joy: "Who wants him to worry?!"

"You have no manners." Yi Hua patted Hong Hui's bottom. "Go to sleep. You'll have a hat to wear when you come back from school tomorrow."

"Thank you, Mother."

******

An unexpected visitor arrived at the main courtyard today; Niohuru requested an audience.

Yi Hua only saw her concubines twice a month according to the rules, and avoided seeing them the rest of the time. Although Niohuru was somewhat frivolous after entering the mansion, she only competed for favor and never bothered her.

Upon seeing Niohuru, Yihua's eyes lit up; she was truly a beauty who looked good whether heavily or lightly made up.

Today, she was completely different from her usual heavy makeup, only applying a light layer of lip rouge to her lips. Even her clothes were changed to a simple and elegant color, giving her a somewhat ascetic air.

As soon as Niohuru entered, she knelt down before Yihua: "Greetings to the Princess Consort. This humble servant has a request for your assistance."

Yi Hua frowned and asked Yu Xiao to help Niu Hulu up: "We are all sisters in the manor. What is it that deserves such a grand gesture from you? Tell me."

Niohuru lowered her head and sobbed softly: "Since I entered the manor, I have not heard any news from home. I miss home day and night. I beg you, Madam, to grant me permission to return home for one day."

"Nonsense." Yi Hua glared at her. "Did you learn all the palace rules for nothing? Every six months, the maternal families of the concubines are allowed to come and visit on a set day."

"You haven't been in the household for long, it's just that it hasn't been your turn yet."

Upon hearing this, Lady Niohuru pretended to kneel down before Yihua again: "Your Highness, to be honest, I have been feeling extremely anxious these past few days, and the nightmares I've had are all bad omens. I beg Your Highness to grant my family permission to visit me at the manor, even if it's just for an hour. No! Half an hour will do!"

Yi Hua thought for a while: "Let your mother come to the manor tomorrow, but only for one hour. After that, she will be confined to her quarters for half a month to reflect on her actions."

"Yes, Your Highness, thank you for your kindness."

Niohuru left with profuse thanks, and Yihua stared at her retreating figure, somewhat lost in thought.

Granny Chen said with concern, "Madam, Princess Niohuru has been restless ever since she entered the manor. How could you have allowed it?"

"Otherwise, why let her run around the mansion looking for connections, or even beg outside?" Yi Hua took a bite of grapes and felt a little sour. "It's better to do as she pleases and see what she's up to."

Lady Niohuru arrived early the next morning. The mother and daughter talked behind closed doors, but according to the eunuch guarding the gate, Lady Niohuru was in a very good mood and gave an extremely generous reward.

He relayed the message to the person who went out, saying that the Niohuru family had started worshipping Buddha everywhere, but no one knew what they were praying for.

Li Shi also had some people around her who knew that Niohuru had pleaded with the Fujin (Prince Consort). Holding Hongyun, she said, "What else can she plead for but the child? But the master isn't in the capital. What good will it do for her to pray to gods and Buddhas now?"

Granny Jin didn't pay much attention to Niohuru. She looked after Hongyun and said, "Perhaps she has learned some new tricks to win favor, and she has her family cooperate with her, just waiting for the master to return."

"Let's wait until she's really pregnant before we talk about it," said Madam Li, who couldn't stand the princesses' seductive and alluring manner.

Unexpectedly, Lady Niohuru had really made a big move. Five days later, she came to the main courtyard again, looking rather coy.

"Reporting to Madam, I am pregnant."