Chapter Forty-Four
The Crown Prince's husky, magnetic voice gently swayed in her ears, his dark eyes gazing intently at her.
He gently placed his hand on her head, his movements soft and tender.
However, the sour and vinegary smell wafted from inside, and Jialu could feel the intense dissatisfaction and protest emanating from His Highness the Crown Prince's heart.
With the same serious and earnest expression, she refuted his words, "Nonsense, how could that be? Your Highness is still just as important to me."
[Is Bao Cheng jealous? So cute, how could I not like him? I love him so much!]
[Will this crazy, weirdo-like behavior lock me up in a dark room?]
[Tie me to the bed with a gold chain, oh my—that sounds kind of exciting?]
It's not too cold yet, and there's a charcoal heater inside. I'm wearing a light, thin dress—no, no, this won't show off my fair skin.
[It would look really good tied to a gold chain. I wonder if His Highness the Crown Prince has prepared a gold chain?]
The image that flashed through my mind was somewhat indescribable. Those bright, sparkling eyes looked at His Highness the Crown Prince with expectation, as if to say: Your Highness, please treat me this way!
The Crown Prince, who had intended to give the Crown Princess a good talking-to, remained silent for two seconds. In particular, this was the first time Yin Chu had discovered such a perverted thought in the Crown Princess's mind.
So... the Crown Princess likes this?
Yinji pondered his storeroom. He didn't have any gold chains, but he had a huge pile of gold. Maybe he should... have two chains made?
The image of Jialuo's fair skin flashed through my mind. What would happen if she were bound with gold chains?
The next second, Jialuo grabbed his hand and gently kneaded it. "Your Highness, a disobedient wife like me deserves a good punishment, doesn't she?"
The voice was seductive, and thoughts began to slowly spread in my mind. Compared to being bound by golden chains, perhaps... His Highness the Crown Prince would look better bound?
Thinking of this, Jia Meng looked at him with bright, sparkling eyes, and also examined Er Rang's skin, which was also fair and beautiful.
Yinreng felt like he couldn't keep up with the Crown Princess's thought process. Her ideas were getting stranger and stranger, and now they had turned into this... perverted thinking?
Xiao instinctively tried to pull her hand away, but Jialuo held it tightly. "Your Highness, are you hungry? Shall we have our meal soon?"
Jiameng told someone to serve the meal early so she could rest early. She shouldn't do strenuous exercise right after eating, as it could easily cause appendicitis. Speaking of which, I don't think there were any gold chains in my dowry.
Mother must not have considered this need. Should I take the gold and ask the Imperial Household Department to make it?
Jiameng's thoughts were a jumbled mess. Just as Yinchu was wondering what appendicitis was, he heard Jialuo hadn't even gotten past that idea and wanted to continue playing with the gold chain?
Perhaps it was an illness, but this thought was quickly overshadowed by the next thing on the mind.
The Crown Princess, you're really thinking in the wrong direction.
However, it doesn't seem like it's impossible?
He forcefully pulled his wandering thoughts back to the present, and withdrew his hand from Jiameng's. "Let's eat, I'm hungry."
After Yin Chu finished speaking, Jia Luo reluctantly let go of his hand. Indeed, she should eat properly; if she wasn't enthusiastic about eating, there was something wrong with her thinking.
Today's meal was also very good, and Jialuo ate her fill. Then, while Yinreng was taking a bath, she ran to the small room next door to play with her little cub.
People say that if a child is born and can't play around with it, then the birth was a waste.
Well, the main advantage is that I don't have to take care of the child myself, otherwise all the crying, feeding, changing diapers and such... would be enough to drive anyone crazy.
So, what Jiameng presented to Jialuo was an adorable chubby little boy, how could she not like him?
Unfortunately, her baby was already asleep; that's how babies grow up while they sleep.
Even at night, when they played together, he could still notice Jiameng's hands always pinching his waist or something similar, as if she were measuring him...
Yinji could even hear that Jiameng was actually thinking about how long the gold chain should be? He was so angry that he immediately exploded, and the torrential rain lashed wildly against the small boat.
You still have the mind to think nonsense?
Are you not satisfied with my abilities, Aisin Gioro Yinchu?
So Jialuo couldn't get up the next day. It was almost noon when she finally got up, her body aching. "Prepare hot water, I want to take a bath."
I never expected His Highness the Crown Prince to be so...crazy last night? Did something trigger him?
Of course, Jialuo had no idea that His Highness the Crown Prince possessed mind-reading abilities. He knew exactly what she was thinking and doing, especially at that time, when she could still have wild thoughts. How could that not drive someone crazy?
This is an insult to a man's ability. The servants, looking at Jia Luo's skin, blushed and felt somewhat embarrassed.
After taking a bath, Jiameng finally felt much less tired. She then got up and quickly ate, her stomach rumbling with hunger.
While eating, Jiameng suddenly remembered what happened yesterday. Perhaps... His Highness the Crown Prince was jealous and felt that he had neglected her, which was why he was so angry?
Oh my, what a cutie.
Jialuo, who considers herself a good girl, never feels inferior that His Highness the Crown Prince doesn't like her. She only says: "You little cutie, you've successfully caught my attention."
While munching on fruit, I lay on the recliner, feeling incredibly relaxed and content, with yesterday's scenes still fresh in my mind.
What did His Highness the Crown Prince say again?
"Your Highness, I just returned. You haven't given me a second glance. Did you think that as long as you give birth to my son, everything would be fine? And you wouldn't have to pay any attention to me anymore? Hmm?"
I understand, he's jealous that I only cared about the child and not him.
But, usually, Her Highness the Crown Prince also likes little Hongyao very much. How cute is her Hongyao? He's fair-skinned and chubby, and his bright, black eyes are so adorable, sparkling like black grapes.
Got it! He definitely wants his wife and children to welcome him joyfully.
then……
That afternoon, when His Highness the Crown Prince returned from outside, Jia Luo was holding her son at the entrance of the main courtyard. Her soft female voice and the baby's babbling mingled together.
The moment he appeared, the Crown Princess, holding the little prince, said with bright eyes and a passionate, joyful tone, "Your Highness, you're back? Yin Yao, Father is back! Quickly greet Father!"
As she spoke, she waved her hand twice at Yin, holding Xiao Hongyao's soft, white paws.
She originally wanted to hold little Hongyao and bow to Yin Chu, but that would be a difficult move for little Hongyao; the child would have to grow up a bit more before he could do it.
After finishing her routine, Jialuo looked at Yinchu with sparkling eyes and told him in her heart: How was it? Are you happy? You are the one that both Huanhuan and I love the most.
Yes, that's right. In Jialuo's heart now, the delicate and fragile person who deserves to be cared for is His Highness the Crown Prince.
What could Yin Chu, who was being pampered like a delicate flower, do? He could only helplessly smile and take the child from Jia Luo's arms. "Be gentle, it's starting to get windy outside. Don't leave the child at the door waiting for me in the future."
Hearing Yin Chu's gentle voice, Jia Luo laughed heartily, thinking it was the result of her coaxing the Crown Prince. Sigh, it seems she is the protagonist of a female-centric novel.
"Me and My Omega Prince" is sure to be another bestselling novel. How about we get Xu Ya to find someone to write one?
No, no, those scholars certainly wouldn't dare write about His Highness the Crown Prince. Sigh, they can only enjoy it themselves.
"Princess Consort, manage the affairs of Yuqing Palace and the inner palace well," His Highness the Crown Prince said righteously after a few seconds of silence.
Stop focusing your attention on trivial matters; you have many important things to do!
Jialuo: ...Oh!
Handling palace affairs is already so tiring, can't I at least have some entertainment when I have a spare moment? I feel so wronged.
"Could something have happened in the inner palace?" Hearing the Crown Prince's reminder, Jia Luo worried that something might have happened that she didn't know about.
"No, it's just that if Consort De and Consort Hui are released from confinement, they might have to take back the palace affairs they previously handled."
Yindu was simply changing the subject and telling Jialuo not to dwell on strange things.
"Really? That won't do." She had been busy for a long time the previous year dealing with the trivial matters of the harem, and was overwhelmed. Fortunately, the pillars of the harem were all busy, some were under house arrest, some were sick, and some were taking care of their sons.
If we cause trouble again now, Jialuo definitely won't be happy.
Doesn't this mean I'll be busy again?
As a result, Jialuo immediately became serious, and Yinchu didn't know whether to feel happy or disappointed.
It was the fifteenth of the month again, the day to pay respects to the Empress Dowager. On this day, a woman's scream came from the main hall of Yikun Palace.
As soon as Consort Yi got up, she discovered that she had a few pimples on her face. How could she, who loved beauty so much, accept this?
The maids serving in Yikun Palace fell silent, not daring to speak, for fear that such a matter would implicate them.
How... how did it get like this?
"Your Highness, your face looks like you have an allergic reaction... We are going to the Cining Palace to pay our respects to the Empress Dowager today, what do you think..." the maid in charge of doing Consort Yi's makeup asked cautiously.
"Cover it up." What could Consort Yi do? Today was the first time the Empress Dowager had paid her respects since recovering from her long illness. If she simply asked for leave and didn't go, would she be telling the Empress Dowager that she was dissatisfied with her?
Consort Yi hasn't changed any spices or plants recently. They were usable before, so why are they suddenly unusable now?
Consort Yi suspected that someone was plotting against her, but she couldn't care less about that right now.
At Consort Yi's command, the maid had no choice but to apply heavy makeup to her, making her look glamorous yet elegant. On her bright and flamboyant face, she was still as beautiful as a flower.
However, Consort Yi was already feeling grief and anger over the passing of Eleven. At first, she thought the acne was caused by her sadness, such as from staying up too late.
But touching that lump, it didn't quite look like it. When I finished my makeup and was about to go out, I asked the nanny to check the room.
She wanted to see who dared to scheme against her like this!
Cining Palace.
The Empress Dowager was indeed feeling unwell for a while. She had finally gotten through the summer, but she still couldn't get used to the sweltering heat of the capital during the summer.
Perhaps, I'm just getting old...
When Consort De saw that Fourth Prince Consort Guarjia had come to Yonghe Palace early to pay her respects, she did not make things difficult for her this time. Instead, she warmly held Consort Guarjia's hand and asked her about her well-being.
She made no mention of what happened at Yonghe Palace last time, clearly because she didn't want to lose face in front of the other concubines when they arrived at Cining Palace.
Guarjia did not intend to break ties with Consort De at this time; the natural relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law restrained her.
If word gets out, there will always be some mothers-in-law pointing fingers and gossiping behind my back, tarnishing my reputation.
The position of the mother of the nation must belong to her. If she causes any problems in the struggle for the throne to Yinxi because of her, that would be terrible.
Her gentle and virtuous smile made her look very docile and obedient, which pleased Consort De. It seemed she wasn't really a fool.
Then, the two went to Cining Palace together, just like the Grand Consort, who was led to Cining Palace by Consort Hui.
Both Consort Hui and Consort De were stepping into the midst of numerous concubines for the first time after being confined to their quarters. As long as I wasn't embarrassed, it was others who were embarrassed.
Consort Hui and Consort De have already reached such high positions, so naturally they don't need to worry about being scolded. At most, they might mutter a few words in their hearts, but they don't care (pretending).
When Consort Yi approached with heavy makeup, Consort De gently covered her upturned lips with a handkerchief before slowly speaking, "Oh dear, isn't this Consort Yi? Why do you look so haggard?"
If I start by mocking others, I've already diverted attention and the focus of the conflict.
Looking over, everyone could see that he did indeed look somewhat haggard.
"I've been away for eleven days and nights without sleep, how could I possibly be as radiant as you, Consort De? You've just been released from confinement, and I heard that the Fourth Prince's Consort came out of your Yonghe Palace a while ago, her clothes still stained with tea, and she was walking with a limp,"
Consort Yi was no pushover either; seeing that Consort De dared to mock her, she immediately retaliated.
"Hehe, Consort Yi, you really know how to joke. You make it sound like I'm some kind of person. It was just that the Fourth Prince's wife accidentally spilled the tea, and Consort Yi misunderstood, didn't she?"
As Consort De spoke, she glanced at the Fourth Prince's wife, Lady Guarjia.
Upon hearing this, Guarjia smiled with shame, "It's all my fault. Not only was I clumsy and flustered, but I also caused E'niang to misunderstand."
In public, they didn't reveal their strained relationship and even presented themselves as a good mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.
Consort Yi scoffed at this, without saying whether she believed it or not.
The Grand Consort and the Crown Princess sat in the seats reserved for the Empress Dowager's granddaughter-in-law, listening to their heated exchange. After a few seconds of silence, neither of them interrupted.
Consort Hui was happy to see the two of them quarrel, as it was better than getting involved in the conflict herself. It was better for Consort De to lose face than for her to lose face along with Consort De.
Just as Consort De and Consort Yi were locked in a heated argument, the Empress Dowager appeared, interrupting everyone. The noise suddenly fell silent, and everyone immediately stood up and bowed in greeting.
The Empress Dowager wore a kind smile, seemingly oblivious to the earlier commotion. This old woman simply didn't want to get involved in the struggles of the younger generation.
Consort Yi and Consort De seemed unwilling to continue arguing after the Empress Dowager came out. One suspected that the other was harming her son because her son had died, while the other suspected that the other had cursed her son to death. That's why they were arguing so recklessly that they almost broke off their relationship.
Normally, he would use "milder" language to subtly curse.
Jialuo, the Empress Dowager's most favored granddaughter-in-law, sat below the Empress Dowager, crunching on melon seeds. Wow, she'd never seen Consort De and Consort Yi argue before. (Referring to before Consort De was confined to her quarters)
Jialuo felt that she had missed twenty episodes of the plot while they were under house arrest. How could she possibly watch the whole series of the palace intrigue?
"Try to tone it down a bit." The First Princess Consort, sitting next to her, tugged at the Crown Princess's clothes and advised her in a low voice.
The First Princess always felt that the Crown Princess's behavior was like she was trying to provoke hatred.
Jialuo was silent for two seconds, then put down the melon seeds in her hand and started eating the dried meat.
First Princess: Can't you just stop eating?
Jialuo, who is obedient and listens to advice, says: Am I not very obedient? I am a good child who listens to advice.
The First Princess was speechless. In the end, she didn't say anything but kept quiet, because this wasn't her main battlefield. With so many "mothers" around, it wasn't her place to interrupt.
However, upon leaving, Consort Hui once again subjected the First Princess to a form of psychological manipulation, saying, "Look at you, and then look at the Crown Princess. She got pregnant within two or three months of marrying into Yuqing Palace, and gave birth to a son in one fell swoop."
"Even I gave birth to two princes back then. Is it really that difficult to have a son?"
"If it weren't for Yin Tui insisting on having a legitimate son first, I wouldn't have cared about you so much."
“Eldest Princess Consort, Yin Tui is not young anymore. Those who are older than him all have one or two sons, or at least one. For example, the Crown Prince. You can’t expect Yin Tui to be without a son, can you?”
Hearing Consort Hui's admonition, the First Princess Consort realized her mistake and lowered her head, "I'm sorry, Mother..."
No matter how valiant a woman may be, she will bow her head when faced with this kind of issue.
As the First Princess taught her, no one ever told her that not being able to give birth to a son was a problem with the seed; they would only blame a woman's womb for not being vigorous enough.
Therefore, the First Princess Consort took the responsibility for this problem upon herself.
"If you know you've wronged me and the eldest son, then hurry up and give birth to a legitimate son for our Yinzhi." Consort Hui was furious. Seeing that the fourth prince was about to finish his mourning period, perhaps the fourth prince's wife was pregnant and gave birth to a legitimate son, while the eldest prince's wife was still not pregnant.
For this reason, Consort Hui had already forgotten that if she hadn't summoned the First Princess to Yanxi Palace to pay her respects when she was eight months pregnant in the dead of winter, would the First Princess have needed to recuperate for one or two years?
The First Princess Consort only dared to mutter a few words about Consort Hui in her heart, but on the surface, she obediently nodded and swallowed all her resentment in the face of Consort Hui's accusations.
Jialuo knew nothing about the Grand Consort's affairs, nor did she care...
Yeah, lately I've been obsessed with raising kids, and with my own child, I often wait for His Highness the Crown Prince to come back from inside the door, and then I hold my own child and excitedly go to greet him every day.
In addition, the trivial palace affairs kept Jialuo from moving forward, and she also had to devote some of her attention to eating, drinking and having fun.
Sure enough, a month or two passed quickly.
In the past two months, her baby has become even more chubby and fair-skinned.
Even at the end of October, winter in Beijing is still quite cold.
Jiameng and the Crown Prince were most worried about keeping the child warm. They were afraid the child would catch a cold, as the child's resistance was already weak and a cold could be fatal.
The wet nurse was given countless instructions, and Jialuo and Yinyinchu took turns reminding her every day, afraid that they might neglect to take care of the child one day.
With the arrival of the Golden Festival, Jialuo and Yinji were required to attend due to their respective identities, but they did not bring the little cub with them.
The Crown Prince had already spoken to Emperor Kangxi beforehand, and Emperor Kangxi agreed that the little prince could be seen at any time. He could bring him over when he was a little older, or when the weather was warmer, and then have Bao Cheng take him to the Qianqing Palace to see him.
Right now, the most important thing is the health of the young prince. In this palace, there is no shortage of children who die young.
They even thought Jialuo was a good mother because she cared so much about her child.
Perhaps the weather was kind to us that day, as it was sunny and clear. The snow in the palace had already been cleared, as it was done every day.
Therefore, Yin Chu and Jia Luo walked on the palace road and parted ways at the fork in the road.
Yin Chu went to the Qianqing Palace, while Jia Luo went to the Cining Palace.
This time, everyone was in high spirits. After all, it was a big holiday, and if someone were frowning and saying unlucky things on this day, the higher-ups wouldn't like it.
First, they paid their respects to the Empress Dowager, then the Emperor and his princes came to pay their respects to the Empress Dowager, and finally they set off for the main hall where the palace banquet was to be held.
Jialuo was already used to this process.
She had only been married into Yuqing Palace for less than two years, and had attended countless palace banquets. When she saw the Crown Prince appear, she was already calm and unmoved.
Consort Yi, however, seemed somewhat dazed when she saw the princes approaching, and kept subconsciously glancing towards the side of the Ninth and Tenth Princes.
That spot used to be where I, the eleventh prince, stood, but now it has been taken by the twelfth prince.
Although Consort Yi knew she shouldn't have done it, she still felt somewhat uncomfortable, believing that Twelfth had taken her place as Eleventh.
But in the end, what arose in her heart was more sadness and pain. Her Eleventh son, who was sickly from birth, was someone she cared about a lot, and she had devoted the most effort to Eleventh son.
Before the Empress Dowager in Cining Palace, Consort Yi could not show her grief, for fear of disturbing the Empress Dowager's joy and peace.
At the palace banquet, male and female relatives sat at separate tables.
At the annual banquet for the Golden Festival, only the First Princess Consort, the Crown Princess Consort, and the Fourth Princess Consort sat side by side, with the Crown Princess Consort in the middle.
Jialuo had to believe a saying: among women who have had children, most of their conversations revolve around their children.
For example, right now, she just casually mentioned a small matter concerning her own Hongyao, and the First Princess followed up by saying what her eldest daughter-in-law also liked to eat, and then... they started chatting.
The relationship between the Grand Princess and the Crown Princess was not as antagonistic as that between the First Prince and the Crown Prince, because there was no need for it. If the princes were at odds, the Emperor could laugh it off, but if his daughters-in-law were at odds, he would suspect that they were secretly instigating the conflict between his sons.
The Fourth Prince's Consort, Lady Guarjia, listened to the First Prince's Consort and the Crown Princess chatting so happily, but she couldn't join in the conversation, so she could only look at the food in front of her with boredom.
This year at the palace banquet, Jia Meng, the Crown Princess who had held power in the palace for a year, finally had a little bit of real power. For example, she was in charge of the catering for this year's Golden Festival palace banquet.
Last year, the cold white oil had a ring of frost on top, which looked disgusting. All the ingredients were wasted, and no minister was willing to eat it.
This year, they've all been set up in small pots, with a slow fire burning underneath, and several plates around the sides with meat and vegetables. You can put whatever you want in there yourself.
The wives of imperial relatives and ministers, who thought this year's meals would be similar to those of previous years, thought: "If I had known, I wouldn't have needed to fill my stomach at home before coming here."
Occasionally, maids would come by carrying large jugs of soup, similar to those in later hot pot restaurants.
While others might have some reservations, Jialuo didn't mind. If she didn't trust the palace banquet she had prepared herself, wouldn't that be a slap in the face?
Besides, her subordinates are strictly checking everything, and her people are following her closely, just in case she was pregnant and didn't even know someone had made an offer for her food. So they are keeping a very tight watch on her.
Emperor Kangxi was worried that the Crown Princess would lack experience in organizing the Golden Festival banquet for the first time, so he specially sent a group of people to help her.
Jialuo showed no disdain or fear. If she didn't trust even her father, the Emperor, who else could she trust? The main concern was that if Kangxi knew, he would definitely doubt her loyalty to the Emperor.
Seeing how much the Crown Princess enjoyed her meal, no one else thought there was anything wrong with the food in front of them.
He had no grudge against the royal family, so they shouldn't have tried to poison him.
This is a palace banquet hosted by the Emperor; who would dare to cause trouble? Yet, a few people did manage to have some hot pot and seemed to enjoy it quite a bit.
Even though there were charcoal heaters all around the room in the dead of winter, the main hall was so large and crowded that it felt stuffy and slightly cool.
So, eating hot pot and feeling warm all over is a great experience!
Seeing this, Jiameng looked over in confusion, "Sister-in-law, what's wrong? Don't you have an appetite? Is there some dish you don't like?"
The First Princess Consort hadn't originally planned to eat at the banquet, but she was really hungry, and her current health couldn't withstand going hungry.
"Sister-in-law, you wouldn't happen to be pregnant, would you?" Jialuo also felt a sense of familiarity, as they had both been pregnant before and were no strangers to these symptoms.
Upon hearing Jiameng's question, the First Princess Consort looked down at her stomach with a shy and slightly embarrassed expression. Ever since Consort Hui had spoken to her, she had been free of contraception.
Whether or not you can conceive depends entirely on your chances of having children.
I just took her pulse yesterday, and this morning before I even had a chance to tell Consort Hui the good news, Consort Hui took me to Cining Palace in a huff, complaining that I was too slow and that I was going to be late for my morning greetings.
Seeing the First Princess's joy, Jialuo was somewhat worried. "Sister-in-law, didn't the imperial physician say you should rest for another year? How come you're here so soon... You really need to take good care of your health."
Jiameng wouldn't criticize whether other people's pregnancies were good or bad, as it wasn't her place to criticize. She was simply worried about whether the First Princess's body could handle it.
"The child is here, there's no stopping him, it's fate between us." The First Consort was also anxious. After so many years, she had only given birth to two princesses. It was her fault that she couldn't give Yin Tui a legitimate son.
Yinti wanted to compete with the Emperor to have a legitimate grandson with the Crown Prince, partly to please the Emperor and partly to gain an advantage over the Crown Prince.
But now, Yin Tui has lost.
Despite the occasional disdain the First Princess Consort showed towards Yin Tui, she was actually quite pleased that Yin Li had withstood the pressure and allowed her to give birth to a legitimate son first.
At least now, no one else's son will be showing off in front of her, but even greater pressure is placed on her.
The Fourth Princess Consort, Lady Guarjia, listened to their conversation and her gaze lingered on the First Princess Consort's belly.
She knew that the First Princess's belly was carrying another princess, which was not surprising and even somewhat ironic.
However, a hint of envy stirred in her heart. Although the First Princess Consort had given birth to several daughters, at least she had been pregnant before. She herself did not know if she was pregnant.
After the fourth prince finished his mourning period, he stopped taking the contraceptive soup and became pregnant. If word got out, it would be said that the fourth prince was unfilial to his adoptive mother, Empress Xiaoyi.
As for Song Gege, who became pregnant before the mourning period, she gave birth to a princess as expected.
Perhaps she was overthinking things during her pregnancy, always believing that someone wanted to harm her. When the imperial physicians came to examine her pulse, they all told the princess not to think too much, as it would be bad for the fetus.
Whether in public or in front of the Fourth Prince Yinzhen, Lady Guarjia showed great importance to this child, after all, he was "the prince's first child" and the child's legal mother.
Besides the princesses in the back courtyard who saw through the Fourth Prince's sinister intentions (actually, they were guessing why she was happy for someone else to give birth to the eldest son first), the Fourth Prince also thought that Lady Guarjia was very good, worthy of being the wife personally taught by the Emperor...
Yin was slightly disappointed about Song Gege giving birth to a princess, but after all, she was his first child, so how could he not like her?
However, the sickly eldest princess... made Yin a little worried. Could he raise her to adulthood?
The fact that the Fujin (principal wife) had to worry so much, and that she would occasionally go over to show concern for Song Gege, made Li Gege (principal wife) so angry that she would always speak sarcastically to Song Gege, saying things like, "So what if you're pregnant? So what if you've given birth?"
Once the mourning period was over, it wasn't just Lady Guarjia who wanted to have a child; the princesses in the inner courtyard also used all their magic to keep the Fourth Prince alive and give birth to an heir as soon as possible.
They all knew they were princesses, and that they should rely on their looks to win favor. If they didn't have a child while they were still young, they wouldn't be able to have one when they were old, their beauty faded, and they were no longer favored.
"Congratulations, sister-in-law!" Guarjia smiled, happy for the First Princess Consort, though a hint of envy lingered in her eyes.
The First Princess and the Crown Princess seemed to sense the envy in the Fourth Princess's tone, and turned around to comfort her.
"Fourth sister-in-law, don't worry. When the time is right, children will come naturally."
"That's right. Your fourth brother's wife was in mourning before, so who knows, the baby might already be in your belly."
It's unclear whether the couple's words of comfort were taken to heart by their fourth sister-in-law, but the envy that had been on her face was gone. "I hope so..."
On the other side, here are the male relatives.
Yin Chu and Yin Ti have always been top-tier figures; with the two of them around, no one else can cause any trouble.
Because the two of them are the most adept at causing trouble.
Yin Chu initially thought Yin Tui was too stupid, but after hearing what his fourth sister-in-law, Guarjia, said, he felt that his eldest brother was also quite pitiful, so he decided not to argue with him.
But there was nothing he could do, because Yin's words were just too infuriating.
"I knew it. You think you can't outdrink me. I scared you with my drinking last time." Yin Tui was very smug. His wife was pregnant again, and this time it would definitely be a legitimate son. He looked at the Crown Prince defiantly, "Don't think that only you can give birth to a legitimate son. I can too!"
The Crown Prince, knowing that his eldest son had four daughters, thought: "My not-so-bright eldest son should probably tone it down a bit!"
"Your Highness, I'm not afraid to tell you, my wife is pregnant again, and this time it's definitely a legitimate son." So, don't be so smug.
Why did the eldest prince always believe that his wife was carrying the legitimate son? Because he was confident, extremely confident, and simply did not believe in any other answers.
"Brother, you should be kinder to your wife. Didn't you say she needed to rest for another year or two? How can you be so heartless, disregarding her health? Sigh..."
Yinji shook his head at Yintui, his eyes filled with disappointment, as if to say: You bad man.
"Last time, my elder brother told me that he was very good to his wife. So this is how he treats her? Indeed, elder brother, you are not as good as me." After shaking his head in disappointment, Yinji praised himself again, saying, "I am the best, you are not as good as me."
The last sentence immediately provoked a strong reaction from Yin Tui. His eyes widened and he shouted in a rough voice, "What? What makes you say that? How am I inferior to you?"
"You are not as good as me. You treat the Fujin well. You are a man who doesn't care about the Fujin's life or death." After saying this, Yin Chu nodded confidently to affirm his words. That's right, I am the best man in the Qing Dynasty.
"Nonsense! How have I been bad to the Fujin? I've been very good to her!" Yinti had already forgotten what he was arguing about with Yinchu, and the words just slipped out.
Yin Chu looked at Yin Ti without speaking. If Yin Ti knew to treat his sister-in-law better, would the eldest son he gave birth to not be sickly and cause Yin Tui, an old man, to bury his son?
Judging others by oneself, if his Hongyao is older than oneself in the future... oh my god! What a jinx! His Hongyao will definitely live a long life... (The rest of the text appears to be nonsensical and unrelated to the previous sentences.)
age.
As for the past life that the Fourth Prince's wife mentioned, it certainly wasn't him; it was just another orphan.
Anyway, Yin Chu felt that since his father could live for another twenty years, there was no need to rush to have a legitimate eldest son!
Speaking of which, if my son is already in his twenties when Father Emperor passes away, or even close to thirty... wouldn't I be neglecting him?
"Is that so?" he asked provocatively, full of doubt, which angered Yinti so much that he immediately wanted to show Yinji how good he was to his wife.
However, the chances of it being a big deal were slim, and Yinji rejected it, saying, "It's just a formality, anyone can do that."
Yin Tui was so angry that he stopped drinking with him and started thinking about how to treat the First Princess Consort well.
then……
The banquet had just ended, and braving the early winter wind, he rode his horse to the largest restaurant in the capital. His wife loved the Wensi Tofu at this restaurant and often missed its taste.
It's completely different from what the chefs in the palace make, because this chef came from Yangzhou and brought the characteristics of Jiangnan.
The First Princess Consort, who had just noticed the First Prince's absence after the banquet, asked the people around him in confusion, "Where is the First Prince? Did he drink too much with His Highness the Crown Prince?"
“My lady, the master said that you like the Wensi Tofu from Zuixianlou Restaurant in the capital and often reminisce about it, so I went out to buy it for you.”
He couldn't persuade the eldest prince to stay, and the eldest prince even made him stay here to wait for his wife.
Dafujin:…
I had Wensi Tofu when I was a young girl and thought it was quite good. Occasionally, when I was chatting with Yinti, I would mention the delicious food I had eaten in the capital.
But...
She's pregnant now, and doesn't seem to have much of an appetite for bland foods. Instead, she craves spicy and sour, strongly flavored foods.
"What happened?" The First Princess asked in a gentle tone, because she knew that if something hadn't happened, why would the First Prince suddenly think of buying her something like Wensi Tofu?
Yinli asked someone to tell the First Princess Consort what had happened at the palace banquet. The First Princess Consort was taken aback at first.
Unexpectedly, His Highness the Crown Prince... just like the Crown Princess, his first reaction was to be concerned about her health.
Although His Highness the Crown Prince might want to punish Yin Tui more, she also knew that not everyone remembered that she had been harassed by her mother at the beginning of the year and had unfortunately gone into premature labor...
"Is that so? I think our master will definitely win this matter over His Highness the Crown Prince." The First Princess Consort suppressed her inner emotions and praised the First Prince.
Then, this was overheard by the eldest prince, Yin Tui, who was in a hurry to buy Wensi tofu.
Immediately, he happily carried the food box from Zuixianlou to the main courtyard to visit his wife. Knowing that he was the most important person in his wife's heart, how could he not be happy?
Yes, that's right. No matter what we do, I will always be better than His Highness the Crown Prince.
"My lady, I'm back. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. Are you hungry? I went out of my way to buy you your favorite food." As he spoke, he looked at her with bright eyes and a smile that seemed to be begging for praise. If there were a tail, you could see the eldest prince wagging it and spinning around in the air.
(End of this chapter)
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