Before long, it was almost time for the hunting party.

Wan Anran could only praise the Emperor for his good spirits. The day before, the Emperor was going hunting with the Crown Prince and the imperial family and officials. Tomorrow, he would be going hunting with the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager, along with the concubines, princes and princesses.

The concubines were excited about tomorrow's hunting party, and Consort Yi's pregnancy and recuperation gave them a chance to shine.

Apart from concubines like Wan Anran and Consort Nara who were truly bad at hunting, the other concubines all had a determined glint in their eyes, anticipating a fierce battle tomorrow.

Consort Hui and Consort Rong have been quite enthusiastic towards Wan Anran lately. As experienced mothers, they are discussing the education of the princes with great enthusiasm. Most importantly, when Consort Hui and Consort Rong gave birth to the Fifth Prince and the Seventh Prince, they were only concubines.

Unable to raise children at the time, they had no choice but to watch helplessly as their infants were taken out of the palace. They had never even seen the Fifth Prince and the Seventh Prince when Mao Tao was that age.

So much so that when Consort Hui and Consort Rong saw the little peach, their eyes filled with tears, and they eagerly took out toys to tease the little peach.

Yinzhen waved his little arms and legs.

He was not used to the contact between Consort Hui and Consort Rong, and he made protesting noises, blowing small bubbles from his mouth. Unfortunately, his weak little hands and feet were completely unable to resist the onslaught of the crowd. After being gently touched and pressed in turn, Yinzhen was completely powerless to resist.

Fifth Prince Baoqing and Seventh Prince Ankang also came over. Baoqing, with his chubby face and proud demeanor like a little peacock, leaned over the cradle, his hands on his hands, and looked inside. A hint of disdain was visible on his face: "Is this the 11th Prince? Why does he look like a little pig?"

Yinzhen: ...

If he could speak yet, I would definitely go up and ask him clearly how he resembled a little pig.

Consort Hui looked annoyed.

She reached out and tapped her son's head: "What nonsense are you talking about? Eleventh Prince is growing up healthy and strong!"

"well……"

"Fifth Prince, when Eleventh and Twelfth Princes grow up, they will naturally become thinner."

Consort Qi can say that, but Baoqing cannot. Consort Hui looked at him sternly: "How could Baoqing speak of his younger brother like that? Apologize immediately!"

“But…it really does look like him.” Baoqing grew up outside the palace, pampered like a precious jewel by everyone in the court and their families, which fostered his arrogant and willful temperament. He had never apologized to anyone since he was a child, and Baoqing was unwilling to do so now, especially since he felt he hadn’t said anything wrong.

"Guarantee your innocence!"

"I did nothing wrong!"

Wan Anran didn't mind the nickname "little pig," as it meant she had raised Mao Tao to be quite chubby. She didn't see it as criticism; in fact, she thought it was praise. Just as Consort Hui and Bao Qing were about to argue, she was about to intervene when she heard a familiar voice behind her: "Bao Qing, you're wrong this time. Mao Tao may be chubby, but you were much chubbier than he is now back then."

It was Emperor Kangxi who spoke.

He led Crown Prince Bao Cheng into the palace with a broad smile.

Immediately, all the concubines stood up and curtsied. The hall was filled with the sounds of their calls. Kangxi was already used to this, and after smilingly calling them to rise, he led the Crown Prince to pay their respects to the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager.

"The Emperor seems to be in a good mood today?" The Empress Dowager noticed immediately, then smiled happily: "Could it be that he received some good news from the hunt?"

"Grandma Kangxi truly understands her grandson's heart." Kangxi laughed heartily, proudly patting Crown Prince Bao Cheng on the shoulder: "Bao Cheng really gave us a big thumbs up this time, shooting a deer and five rabbits!"

An uproar erupted inside the hall.

The Empress Dowager was filled with surprise and joy. A moment later, praise rained down on him, making Crown Prince Bao Cheng blush.

Only the Fifth Prince Baoqing looked rather unwell. He was two years older than the Crown Prince and had originally wanted to participate in the hunting party, but his father insisted that he was too young and would instead go hunting with the concubines.

That's fine.

Why was it Crown Prince Bao Cheng who got to go? Little Bao Qing's face darkened. Consort Hui noticed his expression and quickly hid him behind her, afraid that the others would notice Bao Qing's expression.

Wan Anran, who was standing nearby, saw it and thought about the mutual hatred and hostility between the Crown Prince and the First Prince in history. Perhaps the seeds of this had been sown since childhood.

While praising Crown Prince Bao Cheng, Consort An didn't forget to shift the blame. She smiled kindly, as if offering a gentle reminder: "Fifth Prince, you must do your best when you go hunting tomorrow!"

Consort An had just finished speaking.

Everyone, including Emperor Kangxi, subconsciously looked at the Fifth Prince, taking in his less-than-pleasant expression.

Kangxi felt a little guilty.

Bringing the Crown Prince along was a spur-of-the-moment decision made by Songgotu; it wasn't something he had planned beforehand. He nodded in agreement: "Baoqing, good luck tomorrow!"

Consort Hui's face showed a bitter expression.

If Baoqing shoots more than the Crown Prince tomorrow, there will likely be rumors circulating both inside and outside the palace that are unfavorable to him. But if Baoqing shoots fewer than the Crown Prince tomorrow, his performance today will likely be the subject of much gossip.

It can be described as a dilemma.

Consort Hui was furious, but Fifth Prince Baoqing clenched his fists and declared firmly, "Yes! Your subject will certainly do his best!"

He gave Prince Bao Cheng a deep look, and the two eyes seemed to flash with lightning.

Kangxi did not interfere with the competition among the princes; on the contrary, he was secretly pleased. After all, Wan Fu was a bit too young and usually fawned over the Crown Prince.

With no rivals, the Crown Prince grew more and more arrogant and complacent each day. It wasn't until his fifth brother, Baoqing, and seventh brother, Ankang, returned from outside the palace that he curbed his temper and became more focused on his studies, determined to set a good example for his two brothers.

The second day of the hunt was exceptionally lively. Not only was the Fifth Prince Baoqing determined not to lose to the Crown Prince Baocheng, but the palace concubines also made their own moves, striving to be number one.

Fifth Prince Baoqing did not look well.

He hit five rabbits, but not a deer! Bao Qing pouted unhappily, which made Consort Hui shake her head repeatedly. She dragged him aside, saying, "My little darling, please stop making a fuss."

Bao Qing looked indignant.

He clenched his fist: "But I didn't lose! They didn't even release any deer today, just foxes, rabbits, and roe deer..."

Consort Hui sighed deeply.

Today's hunt was all for the imperial concubines; the Imperial Household Department wouldn't release any large game. Besides, what about the five-year-old Crown Prince shooting a deer? It must be the Emperor's doing to promote the Crown Prince. Why did his own foolish son have to compete with the Crown Prince? Consort Hui lectured Bao Qing at length, but instead of stopping him, it only fueled the Fifth Prince's anger: "This is cheating!"

He waved his fists, wishing he could pounce on the Crown Prince and punch him twice. Consort Hui dragged and pulled Bao Qing away, and after much persuasion, she managed to get him to give up the idea of ​​beating the Crown Prince in front of everyone.

Even so, Bao Qing was still indignant: "I'll remember this debt, and I'll definitely settle it with him next time."

Consort Hui was filled with maternal love, but she unfortunately encountered a foolish and ungrateful Baoqing. She clutched her chest and felt a sharp, throbbing pain.

Is this how we're supposed to live our lives?

Consort Hui had no interest in hunting, and her usual skill level plummeted. As for Wan Anran, she managed to shoot a rabbit from the enclosure by cramming at the last minute, barely managing to avoid ending up with zero.

She showed absolutely no pity for the rabbit.

Wan Anran happily presented her first prey and decided to personally cook the rabbit into braised rabbit to celebrate.

As for first place, it naturally belongs to Consort Xuan.

The only one who could rival Consort Xuan was Consort Yi, but unfortunately, she was pregnant and could only watch from the sidelines. Consort Xuan looked around and couldn't find a single opponent.

Only the Empress Dowager, who had witnessed Consort Xuan and Consort Yi's horse race, felt deeply regretful and pulled the Grand Empress Dowager aside to complain for a long time.

Of course, even if there was no dazzling Consort Yi at the hunting party, there were many rising stars.

For example, the relatively unknown Consort Dai Jia.

Despite her petite stature and delicate features, she already exuded charm when leading a tall, imposing horse, her slender waist and graceful figure captivating. Once mounted, Lady Dai Jia radiated even more spiritedness, her allure tinged with a dashing and heroic air.

It was dazzling and caught everyone's attention.

More importantly, Consort Dai Jia not only possessed beauty but also strength, managing to surpass Consort Jing and Consort Xi, among others, and rank second. Judging from the Emperor's praise, it was clear that her outstanding horsemanship and archery skills had caught his eye.

Consort Xuan remained remarkably calm about winning first place but not receiving a single glance from the Emperor. Once she stopped caring about the Emperor's favor, she could simply be an ordinary bystander, pondering the Emperor's busy life amidst Consort Qi's nagging.

Consort Qi didn't say anything, and Consort Xuan didn't notice either.

However, once they started calculating the Emperor's workload, Wan Anran, Consort Xuan, and Noble Lady Nara immediately developed boundless admiration for him.

What a master of time management!

Besides accompanying the Empress Dowager and Empress Dowager to listen to operas and chat, the Emperor also had to talk to the Empress, comfort the newly pregnant Consort Yi, recite poems and paint with Consort An, play chess and appreciate flowers with Consort Jing, and also talk to the new favorite, Noble Lady Dai Jia, and others.

That's right.

Even though Consort Tong was recuperating in the Forbidden City, the Emperor still had to write letters to express his deep longing for her.

While the imperial concubines were taking a break, Emperor Kangxi seemed to be working overtime, even busier than usual in the Forbidden City.

To be honest, even Consort Xuan couldn't look Emperor Kangxi in the eye anymore.

Wan Anran clicked his tongue and shook his head: "Being an emperor is really not easy! He's busy with court affairs and government matters in the Forbidden City, and he can't even have a proper vacation when he comes to the Western Garden."

The little peach, being poked and prodded in the cradle, looked melancholy and felt quite uncomfortable.

Isn't that right when you think about it?

In his previous life, he had worked himself to death at his desk. Thinking back, he had been on the throne for thirteen years and had hardly ever left the Forbidden City.

When I was a prince, I would go to the Summer Palace and the border regions every year, and occasionally I could go to Jiangnan or other places. Although I was mostly busy with official business, I was able to take a few days to relax and unwind.

Thinking this, Yinzhen let out a weak "ah".

I'm sorry, Father, I really can't think of any words to explain this. To put it bluntly, isn't it just that I get up earlier than the chickens, sleep later than the dogs, and work harder than the oxen?