While the wives were laughing and joking, little did they know that a small skirmish was taking place between the princess and the prince.

Song Gege was favored in the Fourth Prince's backyard, and her bright clothes made her look even more beautiful than her usual 3 points.

She was given to the Fourth Prince by Empress Tong before her death. She had some influence in the Fourth Prince's harem and was quite pleased with herself.

People tend to lose themselves when they are proud. Song Gege touched the hairpin in her hair as if showing off, and then casually revealed the white jade bracelet on her wrist.

Third Master's daughter, Tian Gege, was quick-witted and immediately understood: "Oh my, Sister Song's bamboo leaf silver hairpin is very exquisite. It must be made in the imperial palace, with white jade inlaid on it."

Song Gege seemed a little embarrassed by the praise, but a closer look revealed her pride.

Tian Gege felt contempt.

cut,

Everyone has received jewelry or other gifts from men, but I admire Fourth Master's generosity. That bracelet is clearly of high quality; it must have cost at least a hundred taels of silver.

Although their master enjoyed having a beautiful woman by his side, he wasn't that wealthy. She was the most favored woman in the Third Master's harem besides the Fujin (principal wife), but she only received one or two rewards from the Third Master, mostly decorations for the house.

Who can blame them when Fourth Master is so rich and powerful?

However, Tian Gege did not show the slightest hint of envy on her face; instead, she wore an expression of pure admiration.

"Beneath the west window, the wind sways the green bamboo, as if an old friend has come!" Having followed Third Master for a long time, she would always recite a few lines to the wind, and Tian Gege was no exception.

"It seems Fourth Master treats you very well," Tian Gege said, playfully nudging Song Gege.

Everyone understood the implication in her words. Song Gege wasn't annoyed by the joke, but she couldn't help feeling a little shy. She said in a low voice, "My master treats me very well."

Fan Gege felt uneasy. Everyone was the same, but you were so smug, acting like everyone else had been pampered. We even gave birth to two princesses for the master. Look at how you sway your waist, just like the girls in the brothel.

Seeing Song Gege's behavior today made Fan Gege dislike her even more, and now she looks down on her showing off even more.

In front of the First Princess Consort, Princess Fan was as obedient as a cat, but in other places she had quite a temper. Since she was dissatisfied, she would not suppress her feelings.

Sure enough, as soon as Tian Gege finished speaking, Fan Gege gave a light "humph" and rolled her eyes at Song Gege.

Song Gege was currently enjoying great popularity with the Fourth Prince, and since she wasn't particularly scheming, she immediately asked Fan Gege, "Sister Fan, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

Fan Gege isn't some doughy person; since they've come knocking on her door, she'll just have to confront them.

"What was I thinking? It's just two pieces of jewelry I got from a guy, what's there to brag about!"

Of all the princesses present, Song Gege was actually the least beautiful. However, Song Gege was dressed the most extravagantly today. Not to mention her clothes, the fabric of her purse was clearly not from the allowance. The bamboo leaves on it were lifelike and even shimmered in the sunlight, making it quite beautiful.

The other princesses were all dressed in a more conventional manner. Princess Li and Princess Fan wore head ornaments and wrist ornaments bestowed upon them by the Grand Princess Consort.

Tian Gege thought with disdain, "This person must be an idiot. With the rumors spreading like this and no men around, besides getting in the way of her own wife and letting the other wives see how stupid and restless Song Gege is, what good will it do?"

In truth, Consort Song was indeed foolish. When the wives gathered, the concubines were only casually included; everyone else behaved properly, except for her. She simply hadn't experienced the true harsh realities of the inner court. One day, Consort Song would understand that the inner court was actually the mistress's domain. Men might protect you for a while, but they wouldn't protect you forever. Right now, they're infatuated with you, giving you everything good, but Consort Song doesn't have a powerful family to easily discard. In the end, she'd be at the mercy of others, easily manipulated. The mistress probably wouldn't even need to lift a finger; others would naturally find fault with her.

Despite her disdain, Tian Gege still tried to smooth things over.

"Oh, Sister Fan, we're all the same kind of people. We're out having fun today. Look how beautiful the flowers are in this yard. Try this lotus flower cake."

Although Fan Gege was straightforward, she wasn't stupid, so she went along with it, took the pastries, and chatted warmly with Tian Gege and Li Gege.

When Fan Gege was criticizing Song Gege, Li Gege didn't interrupt, but since they were both in the same mansion, if anything happened, Li Gege would definitely side with Fan Gege.

This made Song Gege seem a bit out of place. It's not surprising, really, because Tian Gege, Fan Gege, and Li Gege were all chosen from among the imperial concubines, and they were not from the same group as Song Gege, who came from a palace maid background.

Fortunately, Tian Gege was quick-witted and didn't neglect Song Gege, thus avoiding an awkward situation.