The end of a long day

Laugh often, as long as it is natural.

The meeting at Ningshou Palace was a joyous occasion, and nearly all attendees felt reassured. Whether they had met Shujia before or had only heard of her reputation, everyone had a positive impression of her after meeting her in person. Whether they truly believed her or not, she was a pleasant person to get along with; at the very least, they found her pleasant to talk to.

In this palace, these are enough. If you can save face and make everyone feel comfortable, that's enough. Anyway... we have no problems with you two.

Of course, you could consider her scheming. But from the perspective of those who have been involved in the imperial palace for a decade or two, if you don't play with tinted glasses and insist on giving her a scheming attribute (?), the Crown Princess is basically acting out her true nature.

This kind of person is the most difficult to deal with! Everyone knows this rule is prejudicial to women, and usually people feel uncomfortable hearing it. But she firmly believes that she should raise a concubine's son as her own son and follow the rules, so you really can't do anything to her. You say something that makes her upset, but she actually thanks you for reminding you.

Seeing the choked expression of the eldest concubine and the stiff smile of Concubine Hui, the concubines sighed inwardly, "Look, the leg is broken." There was also a hint of gloating, and it was going to be lively from now on.

Shujia was of course uncomfortable at first, but she soon realized that Xiluo's lessons hadn't been in vain. Shujia figured, since you have to accept these two children anyway, why not exchange this grievance for some benefit instead of making things awkward and getting no thanks?

It's like your boss wants you to sacrifice your rest time to work overtime—no overtime pay, no praise, and you have to pay for your round-trip transportation—but you have to go. So, since you're already going, stop complaining; at least you'll make a good impression. If you've already paid and can't buy something because of your own fault, you'll be a complete rip-off.

The harmonious family reunion essentially achieved its intended effect, with the exception of the difficulty of getting the eldest prince's mother and wife to instantly connect with the crown prince's wife. Overall, Shujia had initially achieved her goal—to quickly familiarize herself with everyone and leave a good impression.

The Empress Dowager had been enjoying herself all morning and was now content. Just then, a maid from the Ningshou Palace came to ask for permission to have breakfast. The Empress Dowager said to everyone, "The morning has flown by in the blink of an eye, and it's almost time for dinner. Let us old ladies have a chat, and those of you who have matters can go back." Breakfast was over, and if the Emperor had little to do, he might be about to call a meeting. Since there was no morning court today, it might be especially quick. She then said to Shujia, "I'd like to keep you, but you're newlywed..." Her words were filled with regret.

Princess Bahrain smiled and said, "That's right, they are a newlywed couple, and on their wedding day, they should be invited to dinner together."

Amid the laughter of the crowd, Shujia blushed slightly and left with everyone else.

As soon as the people left, the Empress Dowager presented the treasure to Concubine Shuhui and Concubine Duanshun: "How is it? How is it? It's a good child, right?" The two of them thought to themselves, you have been saying this for two years. You have been telling us how good it is from the beginning, and now you still...

However, they both admitted that, having only heard the Empress Dowager's words before, they hadn't quite believed her. As everyone knows, the Empress Dowager's emotional intelligence and IQ are definitely not high, and she's certainly not fooled by appearances. Now that they've seen her, at least the first impression is good. Furthermore, she seems to be quite sensible and wouldn't treat the concubine's son badly, not someone who would cause trouble. They were satisfied. At their age, after having experienced so many ups and downs, they just wanted a stable life. This was perfect.

The old ladies gathered together to discuss the history of children. None of these three had any children from their previous lives, so they were only referring to Kangxi's own children. Consort Duan Shun and Consort Shu Hui echoed the Empress Dowager's words, making her so happy she jumped up and down: "Oh, I told the princess to come earlier, but she refused to come."

This "gege" refers to Su Malagu, a veteran of the palace and Kangxi's first Chinese language teacher. Yet, she always adhered to her duties as a servant, even after raising the twelfth prince, and never overstepped her bounds. Today was the day for the royal family to meet the Crown Princess. Even though she was curious about what kind of person the Crown Princess was, she held back and replied to the Empress Dowager, "I'll wait for two days until the Crown Princess is done with her work, and then I'll go and kowtow to you, my master."

Because of this prudence, she was highly respected by Emperor Kangxi in the Qing Palace, and everyone around her also respected her. The three of them talked about Su Malagu again. The Empress Dowager's breakfast was ready, and she invited the two to eat together, intending to continue the conversation after dinner. The old ladies had nothing to do, so it was a rare opportunity for them to be lively and cheerful.

The concubines had different thoughts. They were present during the selection process, but the choice of the Crown Princess wasn't theirs. While she seemed promising at the time, they worried—if her personality changed with her change of status, it wouldn't be a good idea. The Crown Prince was a simple and courteous man, though he might not be sincere. If he got a self-conscious Crown Princess, everyone would be furious.

Concubine Tong absolutely didn't believe the Crown Princess was of the same ilk as the Empress Dowager. She'd met the Crown Princess before the Grand Selection, a very sensible young woman. She'd also been fortunate enough to participate in the entire process, and it was clear she was a very composed person. So there was only one explanation—this child had been brought up too standard.

Concubine Tong believed that her guess was quite reliable. After all, when the first wife first married the eldest prince, she was also so prudent and sensible. According to gossip, she often gave the eldest prince some advice, but the eldest prince not only did not listen, but also lowered the first wife's IQ level.

As Concubine Tong was sighing, the maid beside her reminded her, "Master, it's time to ascend to the sedan chair." Concubine Tong didn't yet have an official title. Although her position was more prominent than the four concubines and her treatment was slightly higher, she still didn't have any formal ceremonial equipment. She only used an ordinary sedan chair. Although everyone knew that she was their superior, she had no choice but to make do until the official appointment was made.

After settling into her seat, Concubine Tong touched her face. Time, like a butcher's knife, had chopped the newlywed bride, who looked like a Crown Princess, into a sallow-faced woman, like the eldest wife. She had to continue taking care of herself and maintain a positive attitude, otherwise... she would be making herself look ugly. Aging is a natural part of life; even with age, her personality shouldn't become unpleasant. Concubine Tong decided to recite more sutras today to maintain a peaceful mindset.

Concubine De's thoughts were simple. She had so many children and was already busy with her own affairs, so why would she worry about the Crown Prince and the eldest prince? It seemed like there were no classes today, so she took her daughters back to the palace to chat and sent someone to bring the fourteenth prince over for some snacks from the small kitchen. Also, the fourth prince was getting married, and although the Imperial Household Department was taking care of it, she still had to prepare a gift for the new bride. After several days of searching, she still wasn't satisfied, and today she had to check her private room again. The day passed, and it was still packed.

Concubine Rong and Princess Rongxian were mother and daughter. It just so happened that Princess Rongxian had reported to the Empress Dowager and was granted permission to visit her mother. Arriving at Concubine Rong's place, they smiled at each other and drank some tea from their bowls to calm their nerves. The eunuchs and maids were already busy setting the table and chairs for breakfast.

The mother and daughter finished their meal quickly. Concubine Rong said, "If you don't have anything serious to worry about, please let me know. I think Third Prince will have something serious soon." Princess Rongxian laughed and said, "What serious matter can I have? Even if I do, it's nothing compared to this."

Rong Fei and De Fei were actually the two most prolific concubines in the palace, but Rong Fei lacked De Fei's luck. Of the five sons and one daughter, only Princess Rongxian and the Third Prince survived. De Fei, on the other hand, had three sons and three daughters, including the Fourth Prince, the Fourteenth Prince, and two princesses, a survival rate twice as high as Rong Fei's. Consequently, Rong Fei became increasingly attached to her only remaining son and daughter.

No matter how concerned she was, she was not the queen. Her say in the prince's marriage was extremely limited. All she could do was to give him something and let her daughter make some connections to see what the future daughter-in-law's family was like. Princess Rongxian said, "Don't worry, mother. I heard Pengchun is a real man."

Rong Fei's eyebrows were filled with joy, and she kept muttering, "That's good, that's good. I heard that the Gandong Erzhe where the Third Prince lives will be renovated soon. I also have a pair of linked pearl bottles that I got the other day, which can be used as decorations... Oh, what should I give to the Third Prince's wife as a gift?"

Princess Rongxian listened with a smile. No one had thought of that yet, all they could do was watch the eldest prince tossing and turning. After all this tossing and turning, Mingzhu had been beaten to a pulp by Kangxi, and Kerkun had been hacked to pieces. It was a pity that the eldest prince still wouldn't stop, or...was it impossible to stop?

Princess Rongxian curled her lips. It was none of her business anyway. The three of them, mother and son, were living a good life now. Why should they get involved in this mess?

Concubine Yi left a little later than the others. The Fifth Prince was raised by the Empress Dowager and would definitely come to see her soon. He might already be on his way. It was a good opportunity for her to stay here to strengthen the mother-son relationship. If she stayed a little longer, she could also chat with the Empress Dowager and leave a good impression on her. It would definitely not be a loss. But the Empress Dowager was busy talking to Concubine Duanshun and Concubine Shuhui. Concubine Yi thought about it and decided to go back too. The Ninth Prince didn't have classes today, so it would be better to talk to both sons. She believed that on this auspicious day, the Emperor would not object.

The rest who were not of high rank could either live in the side palace of one concubine or with that concubine, and they all followed the position of the master, so there was no need to worry.

The Eighth Prince's mother was in a more difficult situation. She was now just a noble lady and lived with Concubine Hui, so her son was nominally raised by Concubine Hui. In other words, she was naturally classified as one of the eldest prince's factions. Such a life... is too damn tragic!

The eldest prince's rival was the crown prince. Concubine Wei was no fool; she could see the overt and covert strife between them. As the saying goes, wealth and honor are sought through risk. If one invests in a promising stock, providing timely assistance, their future is undoubtedly bright. But the eldest prince clearly lacks the qualities to be a promising stock. Following such a fool and arguing with the future emperor, what good would that entail? Concubine Wei was utterly distressed.

She could tell that Concubine Hui hadn't initially thought of this, and that it was actually Big Prince and Mingzhu who...instigated it. When she lived with Concubine Hui, Big Prince was already quite old—he'd been raised outside the palace for a while because they feared he wouldn't survive. As a minister, serving a prince, of course, she would do her utmost to serve him—and when she brought him home, Concubine Hui truly loved him dearly, giving him whatever he asked for.

He was also the eldest surviving son of Emperor Kangxi, and Kangxi treated him second only to the Crown Prince. When the eldest prince was brought back, the third prince was being raised by ministers, and the fourth prince hadn't even been born yet. The middle princes had all died before they could reach their full age. Therefore, the Crown Prince and the eldest prince were the only two permanent princes in the palace at the time, and Kangxi treated them particularly well.

Perhaps it was this kind of pampering that instilled in this then-young child the idea that if he asked for something, it would be given to him, that whatever he desired was his due. When he was young, his requests were small, and everything he wanted was granted, so he naturally assumed he deserved the best. Unfortunately, the best was in someone else's hands, and the eldest prince was not born with the ability to be humble or reserved. As he grew older and his ambitions grew larger, chaos ensued.

If it were just like that, it would be fine. I could just bump into the wall, wake up, wash my face, and go about my business. But there was Mingzhu out there! You could say that if the eldest prince were an egg, without a hen to hatch it, it would just be a boiled egg. But Mingzhu had to go and help him...

Concubine Hui was also gradually made more active by them. How should I put it, these days, women, when their sons criticize them day and night, if one day is not good enough, then two days, two days are not good enough, then three days, a month, a year...I am afraid their thoughts are not pure anymore.

Concubine Wei began to lament for herself and her son. What could she do? Because of her geographical location, Concubine Wei had heard a little about the power struggle between the eldest prince and Fuquan, and she felt even more depressed. She had never seen anyone so foolish. She only hoped that the eighth prince would get married soon, start a family, and be less burdened by the eldest prince.

Concubine Wei just looks down on the eldest prince. He is so stupid. He is really stupid, not pretending! He wants to compete with the prince so that everyone in the world can see it. I believe that if the prince is covered with a sack one day, the eldest prince will definitely be the number one suspect in everyone's mind! No one is qualified to be on par with him!

Concubine Hui brought her daughter-in-law back to the palace, and the first wife was a little flustered. She regretted it the moment she spoke, but unfortunately, there is no regret medicine in the world. Seeing her mother-in-law's face turned cold as soon as she entered the room, the first wife felt a little embarrassed.

Concubine Wei saw it but pretended not to know. As soon as she entered the room, she asked Concubine Hui for instructions: "Master Hui, I heard that the princes don't have to go to school today. They may come later. It's a little hot, I'm going to... touch up my makeup."

She knew the situation of the First Lady. But what good was that? In this palace, who could be the savior of whom? Concubine Wei herself had a lot on her mind, and she had no one to talk to.

Concubine Hui had something to say to the First Lady, so of course she agreed.

When they arrived at the back hall where Concubine Hui lived, she became less reserved. She first said to the First Lady, "What's wrong with you today? You think before you speak?" The First Lady hesitated, but couldn't get angry and said, "It's your son who's annoying you." She could only grit her teeth and admit that she couldn't speak.

As the eldest prince's biological mother, Concubine Hui naturally didn't want the crown prince's life to be too smooth, as it would make her son look too innocent. She actually disdained the fact that the crown prince had two pairs of children before he even got married. Although the royal family didn't care about such things, but... look at the eldest prince. He had a bed warmer before, but he didn't get his concubine pregnant. He only tried so hard to have children after he had a wife. In comparison, the eldest prince was much more sensible.

But... the Crown Princess wasn't even angry! What a waste of the Crown Prince's stupidity! The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were speechless.

After a long pause, Concubine Hui asked, "What did the imperial physician say? How is your health? You must do your best this time. I'm still looking forward to holding my grandson."

The eldest wife is even more speechless...

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When Shujia was returning to Yuqing Palace, she passed by Fengxian Hall and hurriedly asked people to stop and walk through. No matter how tired she was, she had to pretend to be there.

Yinreng was already waiting in Yuqing Palace, anxious and slightly uneasy. Even though he rarely saw the concubines, wasn't close to them, and didn't particularly respect them, he knew they weren't that inferior. He was worried Shujia wouldn't be able to handle it, and that would be disastrous. Fortunately, the Empress Dowager had a good impression of Shujia, and she possessed a powerful aura of her own.

I hope... Shujia can still get along with the Empress Dowager as usual. Thinking of the Empress Dowager, Yinreng felt relieved. He remembered that he had met the Crown Princess in Ningshou Palace before. That time, the Crown Princess had quietly tricked the eldest son's wife.

Shujia hadn't expected Yinreng to be waiting in Yuqing Palace, and her heart warmed. Meeting so many strangers early in the morning, not all of them friendly, and having to maintain her image without missing a beat, was exhausting. It had already been four hours since she'd gotten up at five! She'd barely left the house to grab a bite, and she was already exhausted. Seeing an acquaintance now, her eyes gleamed with concern.

Shujia's nose tingled. You couldn't blame her for being fragile; this morning had simply been horrific. She'd met Kangxi, and there were a bunch of princes who might one day turn them into ashes. Shujia's heart was in turmoil, a feeling that intensified when she saw the Fourth Prince and Consort De.

Sun Hao once composes a song: "In the past I was your neighbor, now your subject. I offer you a cup of wine, may you live forever." The subject is Sima Yan. Sima Yan was once the ruler of Wu and Jin. Later, Sima Yan unified the empire, and Sun Hao became a prisoner, even being exhibited. What were his feelings when he composed this song?

When it comes to Yinreng, it's clear that "I used to be your king, but now I'm your minister." The gap is too big. He would rather be imprisoned for life than go out and embarrass himself!

After being tricked by the first wife, Shujia accepted the reality, but she was not so refreshed. Seeing Yinreng, thinking of his many concubines and sons, it was like a bucket of snow water poured over her head, waking up from all her beautiful dreams.

Yet, when she was at her most vulnerable, he was waiting for her at home to eat. His eyes were filled with concern, and he asked, "Is anyone giving you any trouble?"

Shujia was furious. "I've already married you, what else is there to say? Just live a good life! A good man is trained!"

Shujia smiled and said, "No, everyone is very kind." Then she showed off the gifts everyone had given her.

Yinreng looked at her face, a little tired, but generally fine. He felt relieved and smiled, "If you like them, keep them. These are just for show. Go to the warehouse tomorrow when you have some free time. I have a lot of good things there. Let's eat."

A hallmark of palace meals is that they look sumptuous, yet taste only mediocre. Shujia, tired and hungry, ate with relish, which piqued Yinreng's appetite. She ate without speaking, rinsing her mouth and washing her hands afterward. Shujia regained her strength, and Yinreng, now free, felt free to slowly interrogate each person, asking what they had said.

Shujia wasn't stupid enough to complain to Yinreng about what her sister-in-law had said. But she wasn't just accompanied by Hongxiu and the other maids she had brought from home. The Imperial Household Department had assigned her four additional palace maids, for a total of eight vacancies, in addition to eight eunuchs. This time, when she left, she brought two of her own maids and two palace maids with her. Yinreng had left one of his own eunuchs in Ningshou Palace.

The young eunuch was very clever at learning to speak, and he knew what to say to please his master the most. He picked out the nice words and memorized every word in which people praised the Crown Princess, even imitating her tone.

Yinreng casually used the lid to brush away the floating leaves in the tea bowl: "Mother Huifei and the First Lady didn't say anything? Huh?" He glanced at Hongxiu, and sure enough, Hongxiu's expression was very angry.

The last note spiraled upwards. The young eunuch had his head down, but when he glanced up, he was startled and confessed.

Yinreng was embarrassed and coughed. He explained to Shujia, "That one is also our son. They will come to kowtow to you later." He then said, "That woman is getting more and more out of control. She must have learned something bad from my father. I don't think I know what this couple is planning! Aren't they just trying to snatch the eldest grandson from you? They wish!"

Shujia was furious. "Boss? What a boss! The boss is already on a leash and undergoing socialist reform. Now it's all about cracking down on crime! And, isn't this... this explanation too... embarrassing?"

The young eunuch thought for a moment and then told Shujia about her behavior: "My Lord, our Crown Princess is much more generous than the First Lady..."

Yinreng was happy, but… even though he wasn't the Fourth Uncle or the Eighth Duke at all, he knew that it was really unfair to his wife. He didn't know how to coax his wife. Well, if it was at night, he could just be affectionate and skip the embarrassing words and go straight to the law. But now…

Just when I was in a dilemma, I heard Shujia say, "Why do you say that to my sister-in-law? I was just about to thank her. It was she who reminded me, otherwise I wouldn't have known about choosing a wet nurse for our second prince. If the elders ask me about it and I can't answer, that would be embarrassing." She acted as if "my sister-in-law is a good person."

Seeing that her expression didn't seem fake, Yinreng tilted his head and asked the young eunuch, "What did the eldest wife do at that time?"

The young eunuch swallowed his saliva and said, "The first wife was speechless. It was Master Yi who took over and praised our Crown Princess. Didn't you see the expressions on Master Hui and the first wife's faces at that time..."

Yinreng: ...Do they have expressions like this? =囗=

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If Xiluo knew her daughter's behavior, she would be very pleased. She had been worried about her daughter for more than a day. Yesterday, after the guests left, she left the aftermath to her daughter-in-law and sat in a daze. She couldn't sleep at night.

Shi Wenbing asked, "Are you... worried about our Shujia?"

Xiluo Te simply sat up: "Who said it wasn't true? I'm really afraid of her..."

Shi Wenbing was also worried and tried to persuade his wife: "She always has her own ideas. Don't think too much."

Mrs. Xiluo Te seemed a little restless in bed: "You don't know, sometimes she would...think about all sorts of things."

I knew it too well, and Shi Wenbing also became worried.

Xiluo Te was thinking: This girl, this, will the bridal chamber and the prince get along? It's nice to meet her in-laws today, but... the prince already has a son. This kind of grievance is something ordinary people don't even see! My daughter is so pitiful. This... is only slightly better than the treatment of a concubine. Don't let others see her embarrassment when the time comes.

What Shi Wenbing was thinking was: She didn’t say anything nonsense, did she?

Xiluo Te finally expressed her concerns: "...This won't work. Knowing it is one thing, but now it happens, it's really unbearable."

Shi Wenbing stopped saying, "That's the rule," and "She should know what to do," and started to worry. If he really put himself in their shoes, it was the royal family that was being unfair. What was he supposed to do?

The next day, I woke up, hoping to hear news from the palace. It wasn't until the whole family gathered after breakfast that I remembered. Because the Crown Prince was getting married, many people had been given the day off. Since the Crown Prince was on wedding leave, there wouldn't be any news from him. As for the Shi family, since they were the bride's family, Emperor Kangxi granted them a day off for the men!

Shi Wenbing and his wife became worried again.

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At this time, Shujia and Yinreng were sitting in the main hall of Yuqing Palace, receiving the heads from the people below.

Leaving Li Jiashi and Li Jiashi aside, the first to kowtow were Yinreng's two sons. The eldest, a thin, small five-year-old, looked unhealthy and spoke little. The second, a chubby two-year-old. Both were held by their nannies, who kowtowed for them.

Yinreng's face darkened: "Who taught them to be so unruly?" He punished the wet nurse on the spot and made his two sons lie on the mat and kowtow to Shujia.

Young children always make people feel softer in their hearts. When Shujia saw them, she actually breathed a sigh of relief.

With them, she would feel less stressed.

She suddenly realized, what does it matter if the first wife provoked her again? The most urgent thing was... to prevent Yinreng from being deposed. Everything else was just a passing cloud! The focus now was Yinreng. Think about it, if Yinreng was deposed, having a son would be a tragedy! If Yinreng was saved and another son was born, that would be the right thing to do.

Besides, Kangxi was emperor for sixty years. Shujia believed that if he had lived a few years less, the tragic fate of the crown prince in history might have been avoided. Kangxi was born in his early twenties, and Yinreng is now twenty-one or twenty-two. Overall... the one born first suffers!

Thinking of this, she felt a little relieved.

Then again, in what year was the deposed crown prince actually born?! Damn! It's not in the textbook. So... I have to be careful from now on. Shujia admired herself for being able to come up with the idea of ​​"I can't be a part of your past, but I want to be a part of your future" even in this situation.

If you combine this sentence with the concubines and illegitimate sons in front of you, it seems that it will be easier to accept them.

Shujia thought about this, and hearing Yinreng scolding her wet nurse made her feel a little better. After the two boys finished bowing, she gave them gifts as usual, such as gold and silver ingots and small bracelets, and then beckoned them over. First, she asked Hongxiu to remove her nail caps: "Don't scratch them." Then she touched the children's tender faces.

The second prince laughed so hard that his saliva was drooling. The eldest prince might be weak, so his smile seemed a little timid.

Shujia smiled and asked him, "How old are you? What do you like to eat? Have you started studying yet?" After a few words, the eldest prince relaxed a little and replied a few words, his pronunciation clear. The second prince sat on Shujia's other side, holding her skirt. He took a fancy to a sparkling bracelet hanging on Shujia's hand.

Yinreng said, "Why is this kid so naughty? Why don't you take him away?"

Shujia took off her bracelet and said, "Go ahead and play with it." She then said to the nanny, "Children love to put everything in their mouths, so be careful not to let them swallow it."

After the child was carried away, the two concubines began to pay their respects. After bowing, they were presented with the customary gifts of gifts: headgear, jewelry, and the like. Shujia gave each of them an equal share. Then, the maids and eunuchs from Yuqing Palace came forward, highlighting the four servants assigned to Shujia and Yinreng's trusted eunuchs. Shujia wrote down the names one by one, intending to examine the list carefully when she had time.

Yinreng was in a strange mood. He was very happy for his wife's generosity, but he also felt a little unhappy. After the ceremony, Yinreng said, "Everyone who has nothing to do should go away. The Crown Princess and I need to rest."

They say they are taking a break, but in fact they are just chatting and looking at things.

The first thing that came to mind was Kangxi's reward today. Shujia could tell that Yinreng didn't care too much about it. He was just killing time, or finding something to do to make their time together less awkward.

So they looked at it together, and the one Yinreng valued most was a scroll, one that stood out among the other treasures. Pulling it out, they saw a handwritten note from Kangxi: "The wings of a katydid are radiant and splendid. May your descendants be vigorous and resilient. The wings of a katydid are radiant and resilient. May your descendants be vigorous and resilient. The wings of a katydid are respectful and respectful. May your descendants be vigilant and resilient."

Yinreng looked at her and smiled, then asked Shujia, "Do you know what this means?"

Shujia really wanted to say, "Are you being a hooligan?" but she held it back, and her face couldn't help but blush.

Yinreng grinned silently, standing side by side with Shujia, and involuntarily turned the topic to his two sons: "Well, don't take it too seriously...it's still the eldest son who is not kind, as if he is being chased by a ghost...well...I will definitely treat our sons well. Don't be angry..."

Shujia touched the ivory box and said softly, "I... am a little... not feeling well. But... he's your son, and he's already been born, so just take good care of him."

Yinreng felt his wife had spoken the truth, and his heart was... comforted. He began to talk more and took Shujia to see his collection.

Shujia was shocked. Her dowry included a pair of rhino horn cups, which was already quite a nice item. And Yinreng had… a dozen! She had brought quite a few ivory items. Yuqing Palace even had ivory mats and entire carved tusks! By the end, Shujia was completely numb.

Yinreng smiled and said, "These are all ours. Just take whatever you want. Well, if you want to use them or give them as gifts, it's up to you." Shujia tilted her head and said, "Who takes care of these on a daily basis? I also brought some dowry with me. Although it's not as good as these, I still have to put it in order. There are still a few things that can be used."

Yinreng slapped his head and said, "I forgot. Maybe it's the chief, Eunuch Cui. I'll ask them to show you the booklet later. Oh, since you're here, it all belongs to you."

I thought, "You can even forget this. You're not really that serious about these things. I'm afraid you wouldn't even know if someone slipped you a dragon robe." This needs to be rectified, but not now.

Shujia said, "There's no rush. Everything is here anyway. How can I run away? I've already seen it. It's much better than what I have. But—are there any books? Well, just… to entertain myself when I'm free."

Yinreng was quite well-educated, especially in Western learning. He first told Shujia about books, and then they went to Yinreng's study in Yuqing Palace to look through them. Seeing the shocked expression on his wife's face, Yinreng was very happy!

He had studied diligently since childhood, so his skills were naturally remarkable. However, all he heard were compliments like, "The Crown Prince is gifted and intelligent," which seemed too... official. His new wife's unreserved, unconcealed admiration: "Did you finish reading it? Did you write all of it yourself? All of it?" She would eagerly flip through the pages, then gesture at the handwriting. Her eyes would still be sparkling as she looked at him.

Various signs indicate that even without the title of Crown Prince, he was still a gifted man. Even after being praised numerous times, Yinreng's vanity was still greatly satisfied. The difference was that the praise from his subordinates and the admiration of a woman for a man... were two different things.

Yinreng was so happy that his tone became cheerful. He rubbed his hands together, showed off his calligraphy, and wrote "琴瑟和鸣" (harp and zither) to his wife. Then he asked Shujia, "What books do you read?"

Shujia said, "That's right. I brought some with me. Some... I've seen them before." She then looked through Shujia's dowry. Yinreng saw that what he saw was definitely the finest stuff in the country, and he also thought Shujia's dowry was quite interesting. He watched the eunuch carry several piles of books and heard Shujia say, "When I have some free time, I want to turn the west room into a study to write and read." Yinreng agreed, "That's right. We can talk about it."

She opened a book and saw the three small characters "Shujia Zang" written in the lower left corner of the title page. She whispered to Shujia with a half-smile, "Is this... your nickname?"

Shujia was annoyed by his laughter: "My full name, my nickname...I won't tell you."

Yinreng laughed loudly and called out softly a few times: "Shujia Shujia Shujia..."

Shujia told herself that she had to hold back and not hit him: "Just read the book, why are you looking at my name?" Yinreng covered his face with the book and laughed for a long time before stopping.

The two of them gathered together to read and discuss. Shujia suddenly realized that Yinreng was truly insightful and had a profound understanding of his reading. Yinreng also felt that his wife had a very open mind. He had never had such a pleasant conversation with a woman before. (Prince, which woman have you studied with?! Isn't it just this one?!)

It should be said that the two get along harmoniously.

Yinreng was happy. He was a lonely man, and his status determined his loneliness. If he wanted to talk freely, he had to find someone of similar status and position, and who shared the same interests.

None of his subordinates or servants dared to speak to him in this way. Even Soetu was content to go along with him and coax him. Anyone who was around him naturally lowered their voice to speak to him. Kangxi was one of those who spoke freely, but he had too much state affairs to attend to and too many orders to answer.

Having a wife is really nice. A wife is equal to you, nominally on equal footing. You can say a lot of things to her. Besides, husband and wife are natural allies, with common interests. There are many things you can't even say to Kangxi (like "The eldest son is a bastard"), but you can say them to your wife.

It would have been even better if his wife had been more sensible and not advised him with a stern face: "You and the eldest prince are brothers, you should get along with each other!"

Besides, his wife had said it so well—"Don't listen to the servants' nonsense. Sister-in-law didn't make things difficult for me. Even if she did, it wasn't that serious, was it? According to what he said, for some reason, Sister-in-law looked unwell. What's the reason? Is she not feeling well? Should I send her some herbs to show my appreciation?"

Yinreng felt very comfortable. His wife was so cute that before he knew it, he was vomiting blood.

So, even if you are a BT, if the other person's twisted arc matches yours, you will become a pair of astonishingly and inexplicably harmonious couple.

Looking at Yinreng's smiling face, Shujia felt that it was worth pretending to be natural. The key to a marital relationship is setting the tone. She absolutely believed that he was not born a devil. He felt that harmony was achieved, and as long as you did something close enough, he would automatically find an explanation for you, and then harmony would be truly achieved. But how did he gradually become a scumbag? This is a really good question!

The two of them talked until dinner time, and after they finished eating... they lit the lights and chatted.

Some of Shujia's books had already been moved to the west room, and a desk and other items had been found from her dowry and set up there. At the prince's command, everything was quickly prepared.

After dinner, the two stood together. Yinreng closed his eyes and pulled out a book of Tang poetry. They had agreed to randomly pick a book, recite the first line, and be tested on the next line, only on memorization. It all started when they were talking about studying, and Yinreng said he'd memorized it a hundred and twenty times. Shujia said, "After all this fuss, it turns out it's true. When they told me about the methods of studying in the palace, I didn't believe them. I memorized it myself..."

That's how I passed the exam.

This time the piece I drew was - "Song of the Wandering Son".

It hit Yinreng's sore spot.

Shujia has always wanted to ask, why were you unhappy in Fengxian Hall this morning?

"I want to talk to my mother, not be surrounded by a bunch of people like a puppet!" Yinreng said angrily, waving his arms in the air. "I know without them reminding me... I was saved by my mother's life! I am grateful to my mother, and I don't need them to nag me..."

After talking for a long time, I still feel like it's like cooking dumplings in a teapot - you can't pour them out.

Shujia stepped forward, grabbed his hand, stroked his back, and said, "I know, I know everything. Originally... you could have figured it out. Originally... it was a matter between mother and son. It's nature that doesn't need to be reminded. Now, the scars in your heart are always exposed and torn to bleed. You just hate it when it's brought up..."

Shujia understood Yinreng very well. It felt like getting a scholarship. Anyone who had lived through that period, probably in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, might remember a certain charity or individual going to a school to sponsor needy students.

It's clearly a good deed, but what's the result? Money is given, an envelope or something, and a photo is okay. The most shameless thing is, they put out a bunch of T-shirts with embarrassing slogans like "XXXX Kind Donation" on them. Then they line people up and take photos. The kindhearted person stands in the middle, smiling like a giant chrysanthemum.

Another way is to donate winter clothes. The back of the down jacket is printed with "XXXX kind donation". In the middle of winter, there is no other warm clothes. Should I wear it?!

When teenagers are still thin-skinned, this feeling, well, tsk tsk. It's like a beggar selling his pride to sing a lotus song and get a few tips from the master and the lady. It's said that emphasizing self-esteem is useless when one is not well off, but... those who trade their self-esteem for money in times of hardship face a very difficult psychological barrier.

I was short of money, and you helped me, but... that's not how you say it, and that's not how you do it.

It's not that kindness shouldn't be praised, but it's... a subtle act. When individuals do good deeds out of conscience, they shouldn't embarrass the recipient. Donating is simply fulfilling one's social responsibility, not... showing off one's love.

So, work-study programs and student loans are definitely a major step forward for society. Or perhaps setting up a fund—you apply, I donate—is just a way to do my part. Those who graduate in this way can then give back to society in the same way, creating a virtuous cycle.

Similarly, Yinreng wanted to bring it up, even though he'd obviously thought of it himself. For example, on his birthday, he should first pay his respects to Empress Renxiao, then return to receive congratulations. If he brought it up, he'd feel much better, because he was thinking of his mother. If it became fixed and established, a system, he'd feel... extremely frustrated, and unable to protest.

Yinreng felt very touched after hearing this. He hugged his wife tightly, whose name he only found out after they got married.

The author has something to say: 10,000 words...

I couldn’t open my eyes, so I crawled to sleep.