The princes, caught up in their passion, didn't notice their father's arrival for quite some time. By the time they did, the eldest prince, Yinzhen, was completely blushing, and his toes practically screamed that he should just jump into Changchun Garden right then and there.

How did I end up fighting with my brothers?

Seeing the usually composed Yinzhen in such a rare state, Kangxi patted him on the shoulder with a smile: "It's good to relax and have some fun once in a while."

Even so, it couldn't hide Yinzhen's shyness.

He made an excuse to wash up and change his clothes, and ran away as fast as the wind. The other princes looked at each other in bewilderment and then followed suit.

The nearest place is Consort Qi's courtyard.

Yinzhen entered the palace with practiced ease, and the palace servants who came forward immediately prepared hot water to help the young master wash up without him having to give any instructions.

Immediately afterwards, a whole string of young princes jumped in.

A group of palace servants followed the young princes in, and the entire courtyard instantly descended into chaos.

The water that had been prepared was naturally not enough. In addition, there were only clothes for the Fifth Prince and the Twelfth Prince in the courtyard. Therefore, some palace servants had to be sent back to get clothes, while others stayed to serve the masters in their washing and grooming – mainly to keep them in check, for example, the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince wanted to start a second water fight while taking a bath.

Anyway, it was as lively as it could get.

Yinzhen, who was troubled by his younger brothers, was the first to emerge, followed by the twelfth prince, Yintao. The two brothers exchanged a glance and both breathed a sigh of relief before cleverly changing their clothes.

Granny Zhao turned around and frowned slightly.

Yinzhen sensed something was wrong: "Granny Zhao, what happened?"

Granny Zhao replied in a low voice, "Young mistress, this servant doesn't seem to have seen any of the Thirteenth Prince's palace servants..."

Yinzhen and Yintao were both taken aback.

Neither of them looked too good, especially Yinzhen. He had always wanted to get closer to his thirteenth brother, but he was already living in the princes' quarters, while his thirteenth brother was a young prince raised in Chengqian Palace. Not to mention getting close, they rarely even met. At most, after becoming familiar with Yinyou, he would instruct Yinyou to take good care of his younger brother.

After moving into Yonghe Palace, Yinzhen was completely at a loss.

Even Yinxiang's situation was similar to that of his previous life. As a neglected concubine, Zhangjia was ignored and treated coldly by the principal concubines of Yonghe Palace... and was not valued by his maternal grandmother and father.

Yinzhen could only wait.

Just wait a little longer, until Yinxiang moves into the Prince's Residence. But the news of Yinxiang being ignored and treated coldly slapped him in the face, and a fire still ignited in Yinzhen's heart.

His eyebrows shot up, and he was about to explode in anger.

Yin Tao patted Yin Zhen and said, "Fifth Brother, don't get angry."

As soon as Yinxiang came out, he pursed his lips.

He was still young and lived with Consort Ping, so he was served by Consort Ping's palace servants. He didn't notice when he came out to play with Yin Tao, but he realized when he was washing up that none of the palace servants serving him were there.

Not to mention clothes...

Yinxiang had a towel covering his head, and the shadow hanging down covered most of his face, making it almost impossible to see his expression.

Yinxiang gripped the towel tightly.

He took a deep breath, about to ask for help, when he heard a cheerful laugh beside him: "Thirteenth Brother, would you like to wear this? It's exactly the same as mine."

Yinxiang held his breath and looked up at the scene, bewildered.

Yin Tao held a robe high, looking at Yin Xiang with anticipation. He scratched his cheek. "There's just one thing... this isn't brand new... it's one I wore before?"

Like moonlight in a gray sky.

Yinxiang's eyes lit up, and a faint blush rose to his cheeks. He smiled and replied emphatically, "I...I like it very much!"

She can dress the same as her twelfth brother.

Yinxiang's cheeks were flushed, and the joy in his eyes was palpable. However, after he took the clothes, he became a little conflicted, and his expression looked somewhat strange.

Yinzhi glanced at it and couldn't help but laugh.

He leaned closer: "Twelfth Brother, why is it this pattern again?"

Yin Tao blushed: "Bamboo bears are so cute!"

Yinzhi's lips twitched: "Cute is cute, but you already have several, don't you?"

Yin Tao raised his head slightly: "Is Eleventh Brother jealous?"

Yinzhi's face froze: "This prince is not envious, much less jealous."

Yin Tao snorted: "I didn't ask you if you were envious—"

You actually said it out loud? It seems you really are envious.

Yin Tao clicked his tongue, becoming even more proud, after all, this was the only robe in the palace embroidered with a bamboo bear pattern!

Yinxiang was a little curious. He tugged at his clothes and asked, "Is the bamboo bear the black and white animal on it?"

"You haven't seen the thirteenth brother before?"

"Hmm..." Yinxiang nodded.

"Then let's go see the bamboo bears together tomorrow!" Yin Tao cheered and quickly introduced the cuteness of the bamboo bears and the rare animal park where they are raised to his thirteenth brother.

The animal park is no longer what it used to be.

Not only had the area doubled in size, but it was also filled with artificial hills, birdsong, and fragrant flowers. Large stained-glass windows made the entire animal park seem like a paradise on earth. Not only was Consort Qi extremely satisfied, but even Emperor Kangxi was full of praise. He not only took his ministers to see the scenery, but also brought missionaries and envoys from various countries to visit.

There's an interesting anecdote about this.

Yinzhi spoke eloquently: "I've heard that missionaries and envoys from various countries are also particularly fond of bamboo bears, to an exaggerated degree. Some envoys have even pleaded with their father, the Khan, to bestow upon them a bamboo bear to take back to their countries."

Yin Tao's expression was strange: "Eleventh Brother said he wasn't interested in bamboo bears, so how come he knows all this so clearly?"

Yinzhi's face turned bright red.

He stammered, "That's right, that's what Ninth Brother said."

Yin Tang, who was standing nearby, quickly interjected, "I have no idea."

Yinzhi was about to explode on the spot, but fortunately, the Sixth Prince Yinqi was still worried about his younger brother and continued on the topic, saying, "Bamboo bears are picky eaters, requiring fresh meat, fruit, and tender bamboo. It is quite difficult to raise them in the capital, let alone take them to Europe by ship for one or two years. Therefore, Father did not agree."

Even so, it was enough to amaze Yinxiang.

What kind of charm does Zhu Xiong possess that makes him so beloved by his father, mother, many concubines, and envoys from all over the world? He looked on with anticipation and couldn't help but laugh excitedly.

Yinzhen breathed a long sigh of relief.

He had originally thought that everything would only change after Yinxiang arrived at the prince's residence. But now, seeing Yintao, Yinzhi, and Yinxiang laughing and joking together, he realized that everything was much simpler than he had imagined.

You don't need to do it yourself.

Perhaps then Yinxiang could reunite with his twelfth brother, Yintao, and escape the unpleasant things from their past lives.

He smiled and couldn't help but chuckle.

Yinyou, standing to the side, glanced at Yinzhen and then secretly nudged Yinqi: "If Fifth Brother usually smiled at everyone like this, Ninth Brother wouldn't find him fierce, right?"

Yinqi shushed him.

When Yinzhen's gaze swept over the two of them, Yinqi and Yinyou had already returned to their usual selves, and were bowing their heads and straightening the hems of their clothes.

Once Yinzhen's gaze left, Yinqi winked at Yinyou.

Fifth Brother is particularly shy and petty, so what he just said was a secret between the brothers, and it absolutely cannot be leaked out.

On the other side, after Emperor Kangxi sent his sons away, he suppressed his smile and his expression became slightly serious.

The Queen's heart skipped a beat.

Sure enough, the next second Kangxi said in a deep voice, "Empress, I have already set a date for the eldest princess's marriage."

The Empress was prepared.

But when the news finally arrived, she still showed a hint of emotion.

The eldest princess's marriage had actually been arranged for some time, and it was the same Mongolian prince whom Kangxi and Wan Anran had seen on the street, who was calm and composed.

It had not been announced until now due to the Empress Dowager's funeral, and Kangxi was only now finalizing the matter. He said in a gentle voice, "Borjigit Bandi, the Taiji of the Khorchin Mongols, is calm and composed, and skilled in both literature and martial arts. He and Chunxi are certainly a good match. I intend to arrange the marriage next spring."

Although the wedding is scheduled for next spring, many things actually need to be prepared this year.

The Empress was both happy and worried.

She opened her mouth as if to speak but was too embarrassed to say it. Wan Anran, however, saw through the Empress's thoughts and simply asked with a smile, "Your Majesty, I remember that he is—the great-grandson of Qitachi, the Prince of Khorchin?"

Kangxi nodded.

He gazed at the Queen and continued, "Although Bandi's status is not prominent, because he has no possibility of inheriting the title of king, therefore..."

The Queen's eyes lit up.

Unable to contain her excitement any longer, she answered in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, the eldest princess... no! Chunxi doesn't need to go to Mongolia?"

Kangxi nodded with a smile.

This was incredibly good news! The Empress was no longer worried and was overjoyed.

The news spread throughout the entire palace, and the most depressed person was Consort Rong.

The eldest princess, who was adopted, didn't get to be sent to Mongolia? Then... then wouldn't it be her own daughter's turn? She hugged the second princess and cried bitterly, while the second princess didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "Mother, I don't think marrying into Mongolia is a bad thing?"

Consort Rong was furious.

She wiped away her tears and kept muttering, "What are you saying? Where would you find a good life if you married into Mongolia? Mongolian princes are all as big and strong as bears, and they don't even have a shred of literary talent..."

"Isn't your brother-in-law also a Mongolian prince?"

The second princess disagreed: "Father Khan might be able to find an outstanding person for me."

Consort Rong was so angry that she forgot to cry.

She insisted on having a proper talk with her daughter, but the second princess turned around and used the Empress Dowager as a figurehead, which infuriated Consort Rong to the point of collapse.

To speak ill of Mongolia in front of the Empress Dowager is like a centenarian contemplating suicide. Even if Consort Rong had the guts of a bear and the courage of a leopard, she wouldn't dare.

The Empress Dowager, on the other hand, was quite pleased.

After all, it's better to have a granddaughter happily expressing her willingness to marry into Mongolia than to cry and refuse, right? The Empress Dowager couldn't help but recount a long story about the Mulan Hunting Grounds, which rekindled everyone's anticipation.

Wan Anran felt somewhat regretful.

Turning back to Emperor Kangxi, she complained, "I haven't been there yet."

Emperor Kangxi chuckled and said, "Then I'll take you next year."

If it were any other matter, Emperor Kangxi would always make a trip to the Mulan Hunting Grounds every year or two, and it would be perfectly normal for him to bring Consort Qi along.

Wan Anran's face lit up with joy.

She extended her finger and beckoned to Kangxi: "Is it a deal?"

Emperor Kangxi looked at Consort Qi's fingertips with a troubled expression.

In a few years, he'll be old enough to raise a grandson, but... just looking at Qi Fei's pouty, playful expression, his eyes softened, and he reached out and hooked his finger around her: "It's a deal."