"Why is it so noisy in the yard outside?" Princess Jing was sitting under a tree in the inner courtyard reading a book. When she heard the laughter coming from outside, she frowned and put down the book.
"My Lady, it seems to be with Princess Huai. Do you want me to go and take a look?"
"No need." Princess Jing shook her head: "Let her be."
Rumors were rife in the palace, and the eldest sister-in-law and a few young palace maids were forcing themselves to smile and have fun in misery. Why should she be a bad person?
A locust flower fell on the page, she picked it up and laughed.
"I can't do it anymore. I can't do it anymore." Princess An held onto the table and panted, "Fifth brother's wife, you run too fast. Even if I grow a few more legs, I can't catch up with you."
"I told you not to compete with Fifth Brother's wife to see who can run faster. Come over here and have some tea and rest for a while." Princess Huai poured tea for the two of them and asked Jiuzhu and Princess An to sit down and rest for a while.
"Thank you, sister-in-law." Princess An picked up the tea and drank it quickly. She turned her head and looked at the next room for several times. After hesitating for a moment, she suppressed the doubts in her heart.
"Don't worry, Third Sister-in-law is always quiet. No matter how much you guys make trouble, she won't come over." Princess Huai held the teapot and refilled her tea. "Although my eldest sister-in-law is incompetent, but you guys can play around here, and no one dares to say anything."
Even if the Third Prince's family likes quietness, they would come over and sit for a while when it was so lively in the past. Now there are just some rumors in the palace, and the couple avoids it. It's too heartless.
"Third sister-in-law likes quietness, and the three of us like noise and hustle, so it's better if we don't disturb each other." Jiuzhu smiled while holding a teacup: "If there was no wind today, we could still fly paper orioles."
"Don't mention the paper ibis. Last time we released the paper ibis, Mother said we were young and brave enough to release paper ibis in the palace. If it was during a special period, the three of us would be arrested as undercover agents in the palace." At this point, Princess An laughed first: "Then Mother said that since we started it, she would also release paper ibis in a few days."
"It's better now. The world is peaceful and the people live and work in peace. We who live in the palace don't have to be so cautious about everything." Princess Huai sighed: "My father and mother are both kind-hearted people, otherwise..."
Ever since the rumors about His Highness's background spread, she has been feeling uneasy. She was afraid that her father would dislike them both, and she was also afraid that the Queen would take this opportunity to suppress His Highness and bring him to the bottom.
But all these worries were put to rest after Jiuzhu came to the door in person.
If the Queen really wanted to deal with them, she would not have allowed Fifth Brother's wife to behave like this today.
As the future Crown Princess, Jiuzhu's words and actions, in the eyes of the others in the harem, represent the Queen's opinion. Her presence here is equivalent to announcing to everyone in the harem that His Highness is the biological son of his father, and everything else is just absurd rumors.
People in the world only know how to add icing on the cake, but how many people are willing to help others in times of need?
She kept this affection deep in her heart. If she just said "thank you", it would be too shallow.
"Empress Xu has arrived."
Outside the courtyard gate, a young eunuch in a blue robe announced in a hurried voice. Princess Huai had just had time to stand up from the stone bench when she saw Concubine Xu hurried in.
"Mother." Princess Huai stepped forward and knelt down to pay respect to Concubine Xu.
"Just now I heard from afar that you were very lively here. As my son's princess, you are still in the mood to quarrel with the palace maids..."
"I have met Concubine Xu."
Seeing who was coming, Concubine Xu's cold expression was instantly replaced by a polite smile. She reached out and helped Jiuzhu up: "So Princess Chen is here too, please get up quickly."
She then noticed that in addition to Princess Chen, Princess An was also here. At such a critical moment, the second and fifth sons' wives actually came here?
In this world, there are actually princes and princesses in the palace who do not add insult to injury, but instead help others in times of need?
Even though they were helping her own son, Concubine Xu still couldn't help but wonder if these two princes' wives were not quite smart.
If she was the prince's consort, with such a good opportunity, if she didn't take the opportunity to kill the eldest prince, her marriage into the royal family would have been in vain.
Just as she was thinking, there were footsteps outside the door. She turned her head and saw Prince Chen and Prince An walking in. Prince An was talking non-stop to Prince Chen, while Prince Chen had a tense face and it was impossible to tell whether he was happy or angry.
"Empress Xu?" Prince An felt that his relationship with his fifth brother had taken a step forward. Seeing that Concubine Xu was also there, he bowed to her in a good mood.
Prince Chen raised his eyelids and bowed to her, his attitude was quite acceptable.
Prince Huai came out of the small kitchen and saw that Yun Duqing had really come over before noon as his fifth brother's wife had said. He forced out a warm smile and exchanged greetings with his two younger brothers: "Knowing that you were coming, I took out all the fine wines that I have collected for many years today. We must drink a few more glasses later."
Concubine Xu, who was forgotten by her son, coughed lightly. The smile on Prince Huai's face faded a little, and he bowed respectfully to Concubine Xu.
When the mother and son stood together, Jiuzhu found that Prince Huai looked more like his father, and had nothing in common with Concubine Xu.
Concubine Xu has fair skin, while Prince Huai has wheat-colored skin. Concubine Xu has delicate and gentle eyebrows and eyes, while Prince Huai has sharp eyebrows and eyes, with a slight general-like style.
"I came here today just to see you. Since you brothers are having a party, I won't disturb your interest." Concubine Xu looked at Yun Duqing with complicated eyes. As the future crown prince, why did he come to rescue his eldest son at this time?
Prince Huai was silent for a moment, and did not try to persuade him to stay. Instead, he said, "Your son will see you off."
The mother and son walked out of the gate of Zhangliu Palace in silence. Everything was quiet. Concubine Xu turned to look at Prince Huai and said, "You take care of yourself."
"Mother, I know what I have to do." Prince Huai bowed deeply and looked at Concubine Xu's skirt. "Mother, your health is not good. You should not worry too much. Please rest well in the palace."
"Look up."
Prince Huai raised his head and Concubine Xu slapped him in the face.
"Thank you very much for your teachings, mother. Please take care, mother. I will take my leave." In front of the palace maids, Prince Huai, who was always very proud, frowned after being slapped by Concubine Xu. He hastily bowed to Concubine Xu and turned away.
"Stop!" Concubine Xu didn't expect Prince Huai to treat her like this: "Did I let you go?"
"Mother, I have guests waiting for me to entertain in my courtyard. I'll take my leave now."
Looking at her son's leaving back, Concubine Xu took a deep breath. This useless son is not like her at all!
When Prince Huai came back, everyone noticed a red mark on his cheek, but everyone was tactful and didn't ask any questions. Instead, they sat down around the table in a lively atmosphere.
"Brother, where do you hide your good wine? Why don't you take it out quickly so that we can have a taste." The second prince, Prince An, was still thinking about the wine. He hit the cup with his chopsticks, making a tinkling sound.
"Fortunately, you have reached adulthood and have been crowned king, otherwise you would be in trouble if the ceremonial officer saw you hitting the cups and bowls with chopsticks." Prince Huai clapped his hands a few times, and the eunuchs brought two jars of wine.
As soon as the wine jar was opened, the aroma of wine filled the air.
"Brother, you are so unfair. You have kept such a good thing hidden all this time." Prince An sniffed his nose, scooped a cup impatiently, tilted his head back and drank it to taste it.
"Good wine!" His eyes lit up and he quickly scooped two more cups and handed them to Prince Chen and Prince Huai.
"Brother, I know why you are here today." Prince Huai stood up and raised his glass: "As the saying goes, a friend in need is a friend indeed. I will drink three cups myself first."
After three cups of wine, Prince Huai's eyes were clear: "This cup is for my second brother and his wife, and my fifth brother and his wife. My eldest brother has a chaotic personality, and I hope you will bear with me if I have done something wrong in the past."
"Brother, your words are too serious." Prince Chen held his wrist, raised his wine glass and clinked it with his, then drank the wine in the glass first: "We are brothers, we can quarrel as much as we want behind closed doors, but we can't let outsiders talk about us, otherwise how can we, the other princes, have face?"
Seeing this, Prince An also drank the wine in his glass and said, "That's what I meant."
"Don't just drink, eat the food." Princess An pulled Prince An's sleeve.
There were even more of Prince Chen's favorite dishes in his bowl, all of which Jiuzhu had secretly picked for him.
Prince Huai looked at his two younger brothers and secretly glanced at Princess Huai out of the corner of his eye.
Princess Huai impatiently threw a piece of goose paw meat into his bowl. Looking at the piece of goose paw meat, he actually felt tears of gratitude in his heart.
When the time came, his original wife was still good to him.
"This wine is a bit strong, don't drink too much." Prince An served Princess An a bowl of soup: "Drink this, it will keep you healthy."
"The tendons are soft and delicious. Come, I'll feed you." The Prince held the tendons, blew them to cool them, and fed them to Jiuzhu: "Is it delicious?"
"It's delicious." Jiuzhu nodded with a smile: "I want more."
Then Prince Huai saw his fifth brother, who was always so arrogant, obediently pick up some food for his fifth brother's wife, and blew on it again before feeding it into his fifth brother's wife's mouth.
He looked left and right, not knowing what his princess liked to eat, so he awkwardly picked up a pearl fowl leg and put it into the princess's bowl.
Princess Huai looked down at the things in the bowl. What did Yun Liuan mean?
Other princes would either scoop up health-preserving soup for their princesses or feed them their favorite dishes, but he, on the other hand, gave her a piece of ginger for seasoning?!
What? Are you mocking her for not being as fresh as her two younger siblings?
She grinned through gritted teeth, picked up some ginger and stuffed it into Prince Huai's mouth: "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty. You can try it too."
He was clearly picking up a guinea fowl leg, how could it be ginger?!
Prince Huai wanted to vomit, but Princess Huai held his chin and said, "Don't vomit, swallow it."
Prince Huai: “…”
The world has changed. Although his princess still cares about him, she has also become fierce.
He turned his head to look at his fifth brother's wife, and recalled the scene when she picked up Sun Caiyao. He couldn't help but wonder, could it be that the princess learned bad things from his fifth brother's wife?
"Big brother, do you like to eat ginger?" Prince Chen smiled, picked up a piece of ginger from the bowl and put it in Prince Huai's bowl: "Come on, eat more."
Just eat your food, why are you staring at his wife?
"Don't let down my fifth brother's kindness." Princess Huai stuffed the piece of ginger into Prince Huai's mouth and said, "It's delicious. If you're not satisfied, there's more."
Prince Huai’s eyes widened.
Princess Huai lowered her eyelids and whispered, "I have been married to the prince for several years. I have worked hard even though I have made no contributions. If the prince loves me, he will not reject the food I gave you, right?"
King Huai swallowed the spicy ginger into his throat with tears in his eyes.
Princess Huai smiled, it seemed that the fifth brother's wife was right.
Women, be nicer to yourself.
If you treat yourself well, men will naturally listen to you.
Look, how obedient Yun Liuan is now.
"Princess." Prince Huai picked another pearl bird leg and put it in her bowl: "I looked carefully this time, it is definitely not ginger."
"I didn't expect that Big Brother is quite guilty." Jiuzhu whispered in the ear of King Chen, "I used to think that he was not nice to Big Sister-in-law."
"As for men, even if they are disobedient, they can be taught to be obedient." Prince Chen answered casually.
"Oh." Jiuzhu nodded thoughtfully: "I understand."
Prince Chen suddenly came to his senses and turned to look at her.
What do you understand?
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