Chapter 90
Yinreng immediately coughed twice, his fist pressed against his lips, as if to say, "This... is a bit..."
Yinreng did not comment, but he understood why his fifth sister-in-law had come. His fifth brother's private morality indeed had a lot of room for improvement; it was really not good.
Unlike him, a fine man of the Qing Dynasty, he was outstanding in every way, whether as a son, husband, or father.
"Fifth sister-in-law even sent a generous gift, I really feel ashamed." Jia Luo shook her head with a smile.
[A few words earned tens of thousands of taels of silver; wouldn't that mean a single sentence is worth ten thousand taels? How delightful!]
[If everyone came to me for relationship advice, I wouldn't need to go to all that trouble doing business with my ninth brother; I could make so much money opening a relationship counseling center.]
Thinking of this, Jialuo's face beamed with a sweet smile, which also carried a hint of greed, making Yinreng find it amusing.
It's all because of her status as the Crown Princess. If she were an ordinary person, she would just express her gratitude a couple of times and that would be enough.
Yinreng pinched his wife's cheek, "Yes, yes, my Crown Princess is the best."
When the Fifth Prince's Consort was mentioned, she seemed dazed and lost in thought as she left Yuqing Palace. Those who saw her expression suspected that she had been scolded by the Crown Princess.
Did he offend the Crown Princess? Is that why he sent gifts over?
The maidservant who served the Fifth Prince's wife did not go with her, so she was very worried when she saw the princess return in a daze.
"Madam, Madam, what's wrong? Did the Crown Princess scold you?" The nanny's heart skipped a beat. The Crown Princess, indeed...
"Madam, it's alright, these things aren't meant to be told to outsiders..." The nanny believed that such private matters were usually passed down from mother to daughter. The Crown Princess was clearly a pampered and proud woman, so why would she tell Madam such things?
They were also being abrupt.
"No, Second Sister-in-law, I already said..." As she spoke, Fifth Princess's ears were still flushed red, and her words conveyed her embarrassment and shyness.
The old woman immediately understood, dismissed everyone around her, and had someone stand guard outside.
The two whispered to each other, asking the Fifth Prince's wife in a low voice what the Crown Princess had said.
Fifth Prince's wife lowered her voice and said shyly that she was not good-looking and would not take the initiative to let Fifth Prince... well, even if they shared a room, they would just lie on the bed and sleep fully clothed.
"Granny, what do you think?" Fifth Princess Consort looked at the nanny shyly, somewhat at a loss for words. She had been tempted by the Crown Princess earlier.
However, on the journey back to the mansion from Yuqing Palace, that initial excitement was tempered with a chill, and as the saying goes, it all calmed down.
She didn't know what to do. If she did this, what would the future hold...?
If you don't succeed the first time, you might not get a second chance.
"My lady, this old servant thinks it's worth a try. However, you must take good care of your health and strive to... give birth to a son in one go." The nanny agreed and elaborated on various details to ensure there would be no mistakes.
As he spoke, he covered her hand and leaned close to her ear, whispering his suggestion. The Fifth Princess nodded in agreement.
Others also heard that the Fifth Princess Consort had gone to see the Crown Princess with lavish gifts. When Liu Jia and Guarjia, among others in the inner courtyard, found out, they were full of sneers. Going to see the Crown Princess? Wanting a secret formula for fertility?
They've had this for a while now, it's just around the time of their period, right?
Could it be that the Fifth Prince's wife doesn't have one yet? That's right, the Fifth Prince's wife's family, Tatara, is considered a small and insignificant household, and her father is only a minor official of the fifth rank.
As a result, for the next period of time, several princesses, including Liu Jia and Guarjia, did not give the Fifth Prince's wife any chance at all.
Yinqi stayed overnight in the main courtyard for a few days a few days ago, which can be regarded as completing his mission. He never set foot in the main courtyard again.
Fifth Princess Consort was not discouraged. Her body was not healthy enough and she had not been properly cared for, so she could not have a son in one go. Even if it was not a boy, having a daughter would still relieve her loneliness.
Until the Emperor's birthday, a banquet was held in the palace. In addition to the Fifth Prince's wife, Consort Liu Jia from the inner palace also went.
At this moment, Fifth Prince Consort didn't care whether Yinqi was showing concern for Consort Liu Jia. She was worried that she had to win Yinqi over tonight.
Upon entering the main hall and taking their seats, they showed a slight nervousness on their faces, trying their best to hide it. They wore faint smiles, but there was a hint of unease in their expressions.
Sitting next to the Fifth Prince's wife was the Seventh Prince's wife. Seeing her like this, one might think that the Fifth Prince's wife was unwell.
"What's wrong?" The Seventh Prince's wife even had someone pour a cup of hot tea for the Fifth Prince's wife. Was she feeling unwell? The weather... wasn't cold, but it was still better not to drink cold water.
"It's nothing." How could the Fifth Princess dare to spread her affairs? Even the Crown Princess, who was not far away, did not dare to approach.
The last time I sent a generous gift, I took the initiative to inquire about it. Because I haven't implemented the suggestions I made to the Crown Princess, I was afraid that she would ask me a few more 'concerned' questions, and I wouldn't know how to answer them.
She only wanted to announce the good news to the Crown Princess after she became pregnant.
"Come, drink more hot water, hot tea is fine too." The Seventh Princess Consort thought that the Fifth Princess Consort was embarrassed to say it. In the royal family, the Fifth Princess Consort was the only princess consort who was so unfavored and trampled on by the concubines.
We share the same plight.
However, ever since the Seventh Prince replaced the Prince Zhi to train the navy and left the mansion, not a single princess in the entire inner courtyard dared to defecate or urinate on their heads.
Anyone who dares, I'll stomp their claws.
Therefore, recently, the Seventh Prince's wife has become much more lively and energetic.
In his interactions with people and things, his melancholy and eccentricity have vanished. He only hopes that Seventh Master will never return.
Anyway, his return will only hinder my life and disrupt the harmony of the inner court. In any case, the royal family won't let me go hungry when I'm old.
Maybe I'll die before I'm even forty or fifty, so why worry so much?
"Thank you, Seventh Sister-in-law." Fifth Princess Consort didn't know what Seventh Princess Consort was thinking, but it was a kind gesture, it's just that... the water was a bit hot, luckily there were a lot of ice basins in the main hall.
While the two were discussing this, the Eighth Prince's wife couldn't wait to make her presence known, "Fifth Sister-in-law, Seventh Sister-in-law, what are you discussing?"
"Fifth Sister-in-law, I've heard that Fifth Brother has been doting on his concubine lately, and she's been bullying you. As the wife of the Fujin (a high-ranking official), how can you tolerate this?"
"Unlike our Eighth Prince, the princesses in his harem are all incredibly obedient. That's the proper demeanor of a mistress of the house. Who would dare to step on our Fujin's head?"
"Fifth Sister-in-law, you should learn more from Eldest Sister-in-law and the Crown Princess."
Unable to gain any verbal advantage over the First Consort, the Crown Princess, and the Third Consort, the Eighth Prince's wife turned her pride upon the Fifth Consort, the Seventh Consort, and others.
Only in front of them can I find that proud sense of existence.
Hearing what the Eighth Prince's wife said, the Fifth and Seventh Prince's wives glanced over coldly, their expressions somewhat indifferent. Who was the Eighth Prince's wife? They had been sisters-in-law for so many years, how could they not know her?
What was the Eighth Prince's wife trying to express? They all knew it; wasn't she just trying to flaunt her favor with the emperor? But what was the point? So many years had passed, and she still hadn't given birth to a child.
I wonder if it's because of her health? Or maybe the Eighth Prince's wife is infertile? After all, someone as favored as the Eighth Prince's wife has had children with all the princesses and wives in the harems of every prince.
But logically speaking, shouldn't that be the case? Before the Emperor bestowed the marriage upon the Eighth Prince's wife, it's impossible that he didn't have the imperial physicians examine her health and ensure she could have a healthy pregnancy...
“Eighth sister-in-law is indeed different from us. Eighth brother has doted on her for many years, so why don’t we see her happy?” Seventh Princess Consort was the undisputed leader in the backyard. This kind of confidence could bring about a dramatic change in a person’s spirit.
In the past, perhaps the Seventh Prince's wife would have pretended not to hear the Eighth Prince's wife's sarcastic remarks.
But now?
Haha, no matter how arrogant you are, it's none of my business. I'm still your sister-in-law!
Seventh Prince Consort Luo never believed that the Eighth Prince could ascend to the throne. The position of Crown Prince was secure, so she was still a Prince's wife, and so was she. Who was disrespecting whom?
So, upon hearing this, the Eighth Prince's wife's face darkened. What she hated most was being asked if she had been happy.
"Seventh Sister-in-law married into the royal family before me, so why isn't she pregnant?" Eighth Princess Consort retorted, not to be outdone. It was more like two rookies pecking at each other... no, more like mutual harm.
“I’m not like you, Eighth Sister-in-law. You are so much loved. How can I compare?” The Seventh Princess said this without feeling sorry for herself at all. On the contrary, she was quite proud.
The Fifth Princess Consort glanced at her a few more times, feeling a bit hesitant and conflicted. When did Seventh Sister-in-law become so open-minded?
Am I the only one struggling with this kind of thing?
For a moment, the already easily swayed Fifth Princess Consort hesitated, wringing her handkerchief, wondering if her actions that evening were feasible.
After much back and forth, the Eighth Prince's wife and the Seventh Prince's wife were arguing heatedly, their faces flushed. No one else wanted to interrupt their conversation. In the end, the Seventh Prince's wife, who had become so carefree that she didn't care about anything anymore, gained the upper hand, which made the Eighth Prince's wife so angry that she wanted to hit someone again.
However, this was her seventh sister-in-law, not a servant or maid, so she could only keep it to herself and go back to Yinzhi to complain.
Tonight, Yinzhi presented his father with a birthday gift, which perhaps pleased his father, who praised him highly, putting him in a very good mood.
He was riding high, thinking he had delivered a gift that pleased the old man. In reality, Kangxi wanted to see if he could take back the military power of Yue Le's old troops.
Yinzhi was unaware of this; he simply believed that his father, the Emperor, was about to take notice of him and begin to give him important responsibilities.
Hearing the Eighth Prince's wife's tearful complaints, he felt a little impatient. Why say such unpleasant things during such a pleasant time?
"Fujin, Father praised Master today. This is a trivial matter. It's just that Seventh Sister-in-law is envious and jealous of you. Seventh Brother is not in the capital, so please don't take it to heart."
Yinzhi was actually a little puzzled. Why hadn't his wife been happy for so long?
Yinzhi was also aware of the situation of his fifth and seventh sisters-in-law; they were indeed different from his own wife.
It's understandable that they didn't get pregnant, but why didn't the princess get pregnant?
Lady Guoluo naturally had no idea what Yinzhi was thinking at this moment. She was coaxed and followed Yinzhi's words, and it seemed that... that was the proper etiquette.
However, the Eighth Prince's wife's attention was immediately diverted to other directions. "You just said that Father Emperor praised you?"
Her eyes immediately lit up, sparkling as she looked at Yinzhi in front of her. In the Eighth Prince's mind, this meant that the Emperor was beginning to give their Eighth Prince an important position.
"Hmm." Yinzhi nodded indifferently, as if he didn't care about such a trivial matter at all, as if it were just an ordinary thing.
But in his heart, he was already starting to feel a little smug. Had he already demonstrated his abilities to his father, the Emperor? Or perhaps... his elder brother and the Crown Prince had displeased the Emperor?
Yinzhi knew that only when the mountain above his head was pushed away could he possibly see the light again.
Now, the mountain has cracked open and is shining its light on me, and all I can do is strive to grow.
“Your Majesty, the seventeenth prince in the palace was just born not long ago, which means Your Majesty is still in your prime and has a long road ahead. We can plan slowly.” The Eighth Prince’s wife already had her own ideas. She took Yinzhi’s hand and was full of hope for the future.
"Don't talk nonsense. I just want to share Father Emperor's burdens." Yinzhi calmly rejected the Eighth Prince's wife's words. Don't say whatever you want. If it gets out, you'll easily suffer the consequences.
None of his brothers were good.
Even the seventh brother, who had a foot ailment, was able to take the place of the eldest brother in training the navy and fighting Japanese pirates at sea.
He had to proceed cautiously, step by step. Given his background, he couldn't afford to make even the slightest mistake, or he would fall into a quagmire from which he could never climb out again.
"Yes, yes, yes..."
While the Eighth Prince's wife was discussing this issue with Yinzhi, the Fifth Prince's wife, who had already mustered the courage to take a gamble, finally stood up for herself.
When Yinqi was drunk, he used his status as the principal wife to drive away the concubine, and even shouted that he wanted everyone to know that the Fifth Prince favored his concubine and neglected his wife.
These words were spoken at the palace's carriage storage area, where countless members of the royal family and nobility were present.
In an instant, Liu Jia's face turned pale, her complexion looking pitiful.
Unfortunately, this group was mostly made up of wives, who looked at Consort Liu with disdain.
"Fujin, how can you say such things so casually?" Consort Liu Jia thought that the Fifth Fujin had gone mad, making such a fuss outside and damaging the master's reputation.
"Did I say something wrong?" Fifth Princess Consort pursed her lips and snapped, "Get out of the way!"
The Crown Princess said, "One should be bolder. What's wrong with tearing off this mask?" She thought long and hard about whether to live a life of constant humiliation and being trampled on, or to take a gamble. She knew she was weak-willed, but…
She really didn't want to continue like this. Liu Jia, Guarjia and the others were really too much, and Yinqi was also extremely excessive. They didn't take her, their Fujin (wife), seriously at all.
Looking at the entire royal family, which other consort was as pathetic as herself? Perhaps only the Seventh Consort?
However, for the past year, Seventh Prince Yinyou has been sent to train the navy, leaving only his wife in charge of the mansion, where she has lived a very carefree life.
Even if she is not favored, is neglected, and lives a lonely life, she still wants some comfort.
Having been reprimanded, Lady Liu dared not show her face in front of so many imperial relatives and wives. In the end, she allowed the wives to take Yinqi away.
Hmph, anyway, today isn't the day when the Princess Consort is most fertile.
Even if you do conceive, the real skill lies in giving birth and raising the child to adulthood.
The Fifth Prince Consort finally managed to bring Yinqi to the main courtyard, but seeing the drunken Yinqi lying limp on the bed, he had no energy left to do anything.
"Madam, this is a hangover soup for the master." The nanny had already brought the hangover soup; quickly, give it to the master.
Not everyone in the main courtyard is a fence-sitter. The old woman is capable and naturally has many confidants. Tonight's operation was only known to a few of her confidants.
After being given the first dose, Yinqi seemed to be waking up. The nanny then asked the Fifth Prince Consort in a low voice, "Prince Consort, have you looked at the picture I gave you?"
After seeing the Fifth Princess nod shyly, she led her maids out, closed the door, and stood guard outside to prevent others from disturbing her.
Because of what the Fujin had said when they left the palace today, and also because the master was drunk, Lady Liu did not send anyone to look for Yinqi.
Even though Fifth Princess Consort was shy, she unleashed all the courage she had in her life in this matter.
When Yinqi woke up the next day, he was just sulking, but it seemed like there was nothing wrong with him. This was his wife, wasn't she?
But Consort Yi in the palace was furious. Ever since the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince secretly ran away to the Western Ocean, Consort Yi had almost cried herself blind.
Now, his only son in Beijing is his fifth child. How could he not be full of concern and care for him?
Because of the incident involving Lady Guarjia and Lady Hesheli, the wife of Longkodo, Consort Yi no longer disliked the Fifth Prince's wife as much. On the contrary, she felt that... it was okay to be a little weak. A soft nature meant that she wouldn't dare to lay a hand on her master.
For a period of time after that incident, Consort Yi would wake up from nightmares.
She knew that her fifth son did indeed favor his concubines, which made the wife lose face. She was afraid that the fifth wife would really follow the example of that damned Guarjia clan, which was the first time such a thing had happened in the royal family.
Later, Consort Yi treated the Fifth Prince's wife much better, almost like her own daughter. But who knew that today...
How dare the Fifth Prince's wife publicly proclaim in the palace that her fifth prince favored his concubine over his wife? This is simply outrageous and reckless. Has she spoiled him too much?
Did she get too cocky and start rubbing her nose against my face?
Consort Yi flew into a rage at Yikun Palace and immediately ordered her maid to summon the Fifth Prince's wife to come and pay her respects the next day.
When the nanny arrived, Fifth Prince's wife and Fifth Prince were already resting. She couldn't even see Fifth Prince's wife in person, as she was told that she was busy. She was furious and went back to embellish the story for Consort Yi.
Consort Yi was even angrier and couldn't sleep well all night. She wished she could drag the Fifth Prince's wife into the palace right now.
As for the Fifth Prince's wife and the nanny in the main courtyard of the mansion, how could they not know the consequences? But today was a rare opportunity, so even if Consort Yi reprimanded her, so be it. Could she really divorce her?
They stopped them directly and didn't go to the Fujin (principal wife). The Fujin was soft-hearted, and if they missed this opportunity, the next one might be the Golden Festival.
Time waits for no one. One attempt might not be enough. The next Golden Festival, and the one after that, will be the Palace Banquet. We'll have to wait and see if the master is drunk.
For example, nowadays, on the first and fifteenth of the lunar month, the master would rather stay overnight in the front yard than come to the main yard.
If Your Majesty wishes to reprimand her, then just push her out!
When the Fifth Prince Consort woke up the next day, Yinqi was also awake. She quickly helped Yinqi get up. Looking at his simple and plump wife, Yinqi pretended that nothing had happened the night before.
They didn't even stay for breakfast before leaving, let alone say anything kind.
Fifth Prince's wife was already used to it and had no expectations. However, after Yinqi left, she learned about what happened last night from the nanny. "Nanny, why didn't you tell me about this sooner?"
"My lady, last night's opportunity was rare. If Your Highness punishes me, this old servant is willing to atone with my death before Your Highness." The old woman was very firm; no one was as important as her lady.
How could the Fifth Princess possibly abandon such a loyal nanny? She took the nanny's hand and said with deep affection, "Nanny, how could I possibly abandon you for this?"
Then... when she entered the palace, she didn't bring her nanny with her, for fear that the nanny might say something wrong and offend the Empress, and she would lose this loyal nanny.
Yikun Palace.
Consort Yi waited angrily for the Fifth Prince's wife to enter the palace. When she bowed, Consort Yi pretended not to see her, drank tea, ate snacks, and talked to the maid beside her.
The Fifth Prince's wife endured her fate passively until half an hour later, when her legs ached so much that she could barely stand. She gritted her teeth, sweated profusely, and had red eyes... She was only able to bear it when Consort Yi called her to get up.
"Fifth Prince's wife, you've really got some nerve! Now you dare to talk about your master's family affairs in public? Don't you care about your reputation? If a man loses face in public, how can you possibly have any face left?"
Consort Yi gave her a cold look, not letting the Fifth Prince's wife sit down at all, but telling her to stand there and listen to the reprimand.
The Fifth Prince's wife did not utter a single rebuttal, but listened attentively to the admonition with her head bowed.
She was inwardly resentful. Wasn't her son the same kind of person? What was there to be ashamed of? The imperial clan already knew. As an unfavored wife with no children, what face could she possibly have?
"Yes, Mother is right..." But she couldn't say that, she could only respond to whatever Consort Yi said.
Jialuo had no idea that the incident caused by the Fifth Prince's wife, which occurred several months later because of her suggestion, had happened so long ago, and of course she didn't think it was because of her.
The weather was so hot that we didn't put out many ice basins, especially with our three chubby babies around, for fear that they would catch a cold if the room was too cold.
With a wet nurse by her side, Jialuo was very busy with matters concerning Yuqing Palace and the harem. In addition, the weather was hot, and the Emperor was preparing to go to the Summer Palace.
So, with Yinreng also having to oversee the country, where would he find the time to rest?
The three chubby babies are already over three years old. Jialuo feels at ease letting them play in the main house in the courtyard. They don't want to go outside in the hot sun.
Unexpectedly, in the blink of an eye, Hongyang curiously squatted down in front of the ice basin and stretched out his chubby little hands to play with it a couple of times.
It was cool and refreshing.
After playing with it for a while, I realized that such a fun thing shouldn't be played with by myself, so I turned around and looked at my two younger brothers who were still playing with small toys on the other side of the room.
"Third brother, fourth brother, come here, this is fun." Little Hongyang felt that it was so hot outside, and his mother wouldn't let them have any of those cool, sweet shaved ice treats. Humph, they found them themselves.
As he spoke, Hongyang sneakily leaned forward, stuck out his tongue, and licked it.
The wet nurses who heard Prince Hongyang's voice instinctively looked over, but when they saw Prince Hongyang licking the ice in the ice basin, they were so frightened that they rushed over and picked him up.
"Second, Second Prince, you, you, you can't eat this..." she said, turning her head to glare at the wet nurse who was taking care of Prince Hongyang. "Granny Xu, what are you daydreaming about?"
Xu Mama, who is in charge of taking care of the Second Prince, is now... spacing out? Does she want to die? Let's not let them get involved.
While she was in a daze, Xu Mama heard someone calling her and quickly ran over. After realizing what had happened, she became frightened.
This, this...
"Call the imperial physician! Call the imperial physician immediately!" The other two nannies didn't try to cover for Xu nanny; instead, they loudly and openly called for the imperial physician, fearing that something might happen to the young prince.
This is a terrible thing that could lead to the extermination of three generations of a family! Damn it, it's one thing for Granny Xu to be courting death, but why drag them into it?
Jialuo went to Chengqian Palace to discuss the affairs of the harem for this season with Consort Tongjia, especially since there were still many things to deal with after the grand conferment of titles upon the harem.
So they weren't in Yuqing Palace. Right now, with the young prince in Yuqing Palace in trouble, no one dared to delay. Some went to call the imperial physician, some went to find the crown princess, and some went to find the crown prince.
Outside Chengqian Palace, when the palace servants from Yuqing Palace were anxiously saying they wanted to find the Crown Princess, the people from Chengqian Palace didn't dare to stop them. "I'm looking for the Crown Princess! Something's happened to our Second Prince!!"
When facing someone who is also a eunuch, there is no need to refer to oneself as a "slave"; just those words alone caused the people in Chengqian Palace to change their expressions drastically.
What? The Crown Prince's second son is in trouble? That's a big deal!
She hurried inside with small, quick steps. "This servant greets Your Highness the Noble Consort and the Crown Princess. A messenger from Yuqing Palace reports that the Second Prince has encountered trouble."
"What?" Jia Luo's pupils contracted slightly, her face turned pale in an instant, she immediately stood up, cupped her hands in greeting to Consort Tongjia, and then ran out quickly.
Originally, Consort Tongjia wanted to reprimand this unruly servant, but she was discussing important matters with the Crown Princess. What important matters could they be?
As a result, upon hearing this, no one stopped them, let alone felt displeased because of the Crown Princess's haste and rudeness. If it were him, he probably wouldn't even have made the gesture of bowing.
"What exactly happened to the Second Prince of Yuqing Palace?" Consort Tongjia pondered whether she should send someone to offer her gifts and express her concern, but she would have to wait and see how serious the situation became.
"This servant is unaware." He had heard this and was worried that he might be implicated in any problems because he had delayed things, so he rushed over to report it.
Consort Tongjia remained silent, only the nanny beside her spoke up for her, cursing her as "useless," and then sent someone to inquire about it.
Jialuo was extremely worried. Something had happened! What happened? Was she sick? Had she fallen? Was she crying?
As it turned out, the servant said: "The Second Prince licked the ice and has already called the imperial physician..."
Jialuo, who was running hurriedly, was silent for three seconds, panting slightly. She should have said so earlier. When she used the word "something happened," she thought it was something serious.
"Where did the ice come from?" Jialuo remembered that she had said that the three young princes were not allowed to eat or drink anything with ice.
"Yes, the ice in the ice basin." The servant noticed that the Crown Princess wasn't as anxious as before and seemed a little confused. Wasn't she worried about the Second Prince?
Jialuo frowned. Why was Hongyang licking the ice in the ice basin? Didn't anyone around him see?
Jialuo couldn't possibly stay by the side of her three children every moment. With so many servants, maids, and nannies, she had to employ far more people than people in later generations would hire a nanny.
Many modern women are still holding on to their jobs to earn money, yet they can't even keep an eye on a three-year-old child. If it were winter and there were charcoal braziers, wouldn't they have to lick the fire?
He returned to Yuqing Palace with anger and worry, only to find Crown Prince Yinreng already waiting there.
Yinreng had already returned from outside. On his way back to Yuqing Palace, he saw a servant from Yuqing Palace rushing over to report that the Second Prince had an accident. Before he could even hear what was going on, he hurriedly ran back.
A chill ran through her heart, and she felt a surge of fear. If something happened to Hongyang, how could the Crown Princess bear it?
Then when they went back, they found that they had only licked the ice basin. The imperial physician had not yet arrived. Before he could question what had happened, the wet nurses had already knelt down and reported it to him.
Granny Xu's dazed and absent-minded state was due to receiving a letter from home: her son was ill...
At this moment, the imperial physician arrived. Yinreng suppressed his anger, as treating his son was the priority.
The imperial physician thought something serious had happened, that he had been summoned so urgently. He was still uneasy, wondering if something had happened to the Second Prince of Yuqing Palace, and that he too would have to be wrapped in a straw mat and sent to the mass grave.
So, all the Second Prince did was lick the ice in the ice basin? This... isn't a big deal... never mind, let's just have him take a proper pulse diagnosis.
However, ginger soup and the like... let's forget about using it to ward off the cold... it's better to be more cautious.
When Jialuo returned, she had already taken his pulse, and even the little darling Hongyang had been given a bowl of medicine to dispel the cold.
As for the wet nurse, Jialuo thought of the wet nurse who was highly respected by Yinreng and fell silent. One paid money and the other paid labor... perhaps breastfeeding... why should she be treated like her second mother?
After thinking for a long time, I can only come up with one sentence: Whoever feeds me is my mother.
Some wet nurses even had the power to rule the household.
When Yinreng wanted to replace them all, Jialuo refused, saying that she was past the age of breastfeeding and there was no need to hire any more wet nurses.
A child only needs one mother to respect.
Hearing Jialuo's inner thoughts, Yinreng felt somewhat helpless. It wasn't like that... He was just thinking that this was someone left behind by the Empress Dowager, and she had guts...
But now, following Jialuo's line of thought, it doesn't seem like there's much to it—her longing for her mother, the old people left behind by her.
Is it comparable to the Crown Princess and her nannies and maids?
In the future, my son will also think of me through the people around him... Um, I always feel that the Crown Princess's ideas are strange and weird, she just knows how to disrupt my usual thinking.
However, the servants, maids, and nannies who have been by your side since childhood will always be more loyal.
He didn't believe the Crown Princess didn't understand this point, for example, wasn't the nanny beside her?
However, someone like Granny Xu is not suitable. She should bow her head and coax the Crown Princess, reminding her that in the hearts of the three children, she will always be the most important.
Jialuo, who had been coaxed, gave the Crown Prince a coquettish look. Did he think she was a three-year-old child?
No way! How could a three-year-old child become his crown princess?
Holding his Crown Princess in his arms, savoring the tranquility of the moment, he thought, "No matter what, Jialuo is an irreplaceable and very important person in my heart and in the hearts of my sons."
His low voice was full of magnetic allure, a captivating charm that could steal your soul. Even after many years of marriage, their feelings for each other remained unchanged.
Life is like the first meeting. In Jialuo's heart, Yinreng will always be the noble, proud, and abstinent young man she saw after emerging from the water.
Yinreng cherished her deeply, his passion and fiery directness initially stemming from her different ambitions and ulterior motives compared to others. In modern terms, it was like saying, "You are pure and unpretentious, unlike those glamorous and cunning women outside," which successfully caught the attention of this crown prince.
As they spent more time together, he gradually lowered his standards for her, from liking her to remaining chaste for her, to thinking of her in every way and wanting her to be happy every day...
The two, so affectionate, spent a joyful day together.
As the days passed, the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince, who had been at sea for a year and a half, returned safely.
When this news reached the capital, Emperor Kangxi, who had originally planned to visit the Summer Palace, had to postpone his trip.
I'm finally back...
Sea voyages cannot send messages back, let alone carrier pigeons, which are untrained and cannot find their way at sea.
Across the vast ocean, with no news, no one dared to think or say whether the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince were gone.
Now……
The person is back?
Upon returning from Tianjin Bay, before Emperor Kangxi even sent anyone to meet them, they had already hired carriages and such... A long line of carriages and oxcarts headed towards the capital in a grand procession.
With so much cargo, and with the naval guards who kill Japanese pirates around them, plus the guards in Tianjin Bay, which bandit would dare to rob them?
By the time Emperor Kangxi learned of this and sent people to meet them, they were already close to returning to the capital.
However, when the people who came to meet them saw the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince, they almost didn't recognize them. How could they be so... dark... like ghosts? The kind of people you couldn't even see at night without turning on the lights.
If those people hadn't called them Ninth Prince and Tenth Prince, I really wouldn't have recognized them.
Ninth Prince Yintang and Tenth Prince Yin'e were still in a state of excitement. Having witnessed so much, they were determined to go back and share it with their father, the Emperor, and their second elder brother, the Crown Prince.
They immediately took these items and headed to the palace. The entire entourage was brought into the palace together, and the guards almost mistook Yinzhen and Yin'e for assassins.
Once they had passed through the passage, the guards began to whisper among themselves, "Those two just now, they really were Ninth Prince and Tenth Prince. I thought they were Kunlun slaves."
Kunlun slaves primarily refer to servants from the ancient Chinese south of the South China Sea, most of whom were "black" people from Southeast Asia, representing the brown-skinned people of Southeast Asia during the Tang Dynasty. [Source: Sogou Encyclopedia]
"Isn't that right? Oh dear, if the Emperor were to see this... cough cough, the Emperor might not even recognize him."
"Silence! How can you mention this?" Is the Emperor someone they can just casually mention?
After being reprimanded, he suddenly realized what he had just said and decided to just focus on guarding the palace gates.
At this moment, Yinzhen and Yin'e had arrived outside the Qianqing Palace. Seeing the two men with the skin color of 'Kunlun slaves' walking in, the guards wanted to forcibly remove them.
"Father, your son and tenth brother are back." Yinzhen was still feeling like he had done a great service and was shouting about it outside.
Emperor Kangxi already knew they had arrived in the capital today, and with a cold face, he ordered them to be summoned in.
Upon seeing them, he was shocked, exclaiming, "You, the two of you..."
"Father, don't you recognize your son?" Yin'e blurted out the question immediately. On the way back to the capital, many people had said the same thing, and even commented on how tanned they were.
Ninth Brother also said that Father Emperor definitely wouldn't recognize him anymore.
He even made a bet with his ninth brother that the Emperor would definitely recognize him, but...
The Emperor caused him to lose!
(End of this chapter)
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