Chapter Forty-Five
The eldest prince, Yinqi, put down the food box he was holding and then opened it for his wife, presenting her with the still-warm Wensi tofu.
The First Lady, who wanted something sour and spicy: ...
I looked up, smiled gently, and offered my encouragement. After all, children deserve praise for doing something commendable, otherwise they'll lose motivation.
In the eyes of the First Princess Consort, the First Prince Yinti was actually just like a child. "Thank you, Your Highness. I was just about to eat. I didn't expect that Your Highness and I were so in sync."
Hearing the First Princess's praise, the First Prince, who was already wagging his tail like a big dog, became even happier. "I knew you wanted to eat, Princess."
Hmph, see? Yinreng even said he treated the First Princess badly. That's utter nonsense, not worth mentioning.
As he anxiously took the hot food out of the food box and presented it to the First Princess Consort, she stared at it with little appetite.
A few seconds later, she finally found an excuse and reminded him righteously, "Yinti, this food is already cold. The imperial physician said that pregnant women cannot eat cold food, otherwise it will be bad for the fetus."
Yinti: ? ? ?
"Impossible, it's still steaming hot." Saying this, she reached out and touched the tofu; it was lukewarm...not cold at all, right?
"Since I can't eat it, Your Highness, please eat it for me. Just tell me what it tastes like in a bit." The First Princess tried her best to appease the First Prince, Yinqi, and declined the meal.
I won't eat it.
"That's easy, just have the kitchen heat it up." Yinti waved his hand dismissively, indicating that it wasn't a big problem at all.
The First Princess remained silent, inwardly cursing him for being crazy, but sighed, "My lord, if you heat this up, it won't taste the same. You should eat it quickly."
You just touched it with your hand, how awful! And you even let me eat it?
Yinti has never liked this kind of refined and bland food, but the Fujin is right, pregnant women cannot eat cold food.
He pulled down the stool, plopped down, and was about to eat when he asked someone to wash Yinti's hands with warm water.
The First Princess Consort had just finished giving her instructions when she looked at Yinti and said, "Why don't you stop eating? You just touched it with your hand, didn't you?"
Yinti stared wide-eyed at his primary wife. "Prince Consort, my hands are clean. I just washed them! Are you upset that I touched them earlier?"
"I said I wouldn't eat it before you even touched it, how could I be disgusted by you?" The First Princess Consort pulled Yinti's hand to show that she didn't mind.
Yinti snorted coldly, then took a spoon, scooped it up, and put it in his mouth. It was alright, but not as good as roast meat.
Yinti, who couldn't live without meat, immediately beckoned for someone to bring him food, ordering roasted meat with lots of spicy seasoning.
After eating, she lay half-reclined on the recliner, thinking happily: "The prince went to buy food for the princess today. Isn't that good to her? Ha, I don't believe that Yinreng would run out of the palace to buy food for the crown princess."
When I see the Crown Prince tomorrow, I'm going to give him a good dressing down; it's not good for the Crown Princess at all.
The Crown Princess even bore him children!
The thought of Yinreng being rendered speechless and utterly submissive by his words made Yinti's lips curl into a smile; he was overjoyed.
Seeing that Yinti was thinking about something strange and even humming a song, the First Princess decided to find some fun for herself.
To be honest, Yinreng really didn't intend to compete with Yinti for the title of "doting husband." He simply wanted Yinti to pay attention to the health of the First Princess and not to disregard her life over a small dispute.
Anyway... no matter how much you fight for it, or how many grandsons you have, it's useless, because Father Emperor doesn't care about that.
In the future, we'll have to see who remains more low-key, composed, and avoids standing out.
Otherwise, given that the fourth prince was not much older than them, how could the Emperor not have suppressed him? He and the eldest prince were both imprisoned, which shows that the two of them were the most unruly.
Yinreng initially felt somewhat uncomfortable about the fourth prince, but after thinking about it all night, he realized that he was wrong.
She barely managed to suppress this discomfort in her heart, and there was still a trace of emotion directed at her father. What the future held did not affect their current relationship.
We shouldn't make assumptions about the fourth brother just because of an uncertain future. After all, the fourth brother still respects him a lot.
Therefore, whenever he met the fourth prince, Yinreng did not put on airs and acted as usual, and no one noticed what Yinreng was thinking.
When Yinreng learned that Yinti had rushed out of the palace to buy food for the First Consort, he was filled with questions. At this time? To a restaurant outside?
Are the palace chefs not enough for the boss to handle?
"Your Highness, I feel that after competing with the eldest brother for so long, has he somehow managed to lower my IQ to his level and then defeat me with his vast experience?"
Yinreng found himself getting angry at Yinti quite often, and wondered if his eldest son was poisonous.
Jialuo, holding a hand warmer in her hands and walking slowly in her fluffy flowerpot-shaped high-soled shoes, glanced at the Crown Prince as she listened to his words.
"Your Highness, I think it's very likely." Don't overthink it; you two are destined to be locked in a love-hate relationship.
When he saw the Crown Princess nodding earnestly in agreement with him, Crown Prince Yinreng looked quite happy. But the next second, his expression darkened.
What does it mean to love and hate each other?
Who? Him and the eldest son? Yinreng seemed to have heard of him somewhere before. He squinted at the Crown Princess beside him. He had heard that the Crown Princess did not like to study poetry and books, but preferred to read storybooks.
Especially those romance novels about love and power struggles within the inner palace, like the one with the line, "Crown Princess, from today onwards, study the Four Books and Five Classics every time you go."
Yinreng felt he needed to teach the Crown Princess a lesson, but whether he disciplined her in bed or verbally, she wouldn't take it to heart at all.
Yinreng thought of another way and said these words calmly. Sure enough, he saw the Crown Princess's face turn to look at him in shock, her eyes wide open, and she exclaimed, "What?!"
Jialuo had no idea what His Highness the Crown Prince was thinking. Weren't we discussing the First Prince's intelligence?
You two love and hate each other, hurting each other, why drag me into this?
"I think having one boss to annoy me is enough. You need to study more to become smarter." Yinreng's 37-degree mouth uttered words as cold as -37 degrees. To Jialuo's ears, it was like a bolt from the blue, or a snowstorm!
"Your Highness, how can you say such things about your wife? A wife who is worthy of you should be intelligent, well-educated, beautiful and wise..." The Crown Princess used every idiom she knew to describe herself.
In Jialuo's mind, she felt that she was so outstanding, otherwise why would the Emperor and Empress Dowager Luo have chosen her as the Crown Princess?
Speaking of which, I am truly outstanding. Not only did I manage Yuqing Palace perfectly, but even when Father Emperor arranged for me to take charge of the affairs of the inner palace, there were no problems.
Is this what you call...being good at managing a household?
See? If it were an ordinary, less intelligent woman, she would have already made a mess of Yuqing Palace. How could she possibly take care of the affairs of the inner palace?
Honestly, the Crown Prince is so ungrateful. He doesn't cherish such a good woman and even complains that his Crown Princess is stupid. It's clear that the Crown Prince isn't that smart either.
At first, Yinreng was amused by the Crown Princess's shameless boasting and a faint smile appeared on his lips. He really didn't expect that the Crown Princess would be so... narcissistic.
However, as he listened, Yinreng realized that the Crown Princess did indeed seem to be doing a good job.
When choosing the Crown Princess, the Emperor had analyzed the situation of several potential princesses with him. Fucha was innocent and naive, and was the first to be rejected.
Who knew that of the four princesses, three were either unsuitable or had problems, leaving only Princess Fucha in the end.
The Emperor hesitated for a long time back then, unsure whether or not to choose Princess Fucha as the Crown Princess.
Fortunately, the Emperor agreed, and Lady Fucha... was indeed quite to his liking. The Yuqing Palace and the harem were managed in an orderly manner, and the situation (a complete mess) that the Emperor had described did not occur at all.
Just as he was about to follow up on Jia Luo's words and praise her, did he hear that?
'Honestly, the Crown Prince is completely ungrateful. He doesn't cherish such a good woman and even complains that his Crown Princess is stupid. It's clear the Crown Prince isn't exactly smart either.'
'It's clear the Crown Prince isn't all that smart...'
Suddenly, his smiling eyes took on a deeper meaning. "I think you could be even more intelligent and beautiful. Reading more books would be good for you."
Jialuo looked at the Crown Prince in silence, and couldn't help but ask the question that had been bothering her, "Your Highness, why can you say such cold words with such burning heat? It's more hurtful than this freezing weather."
Her heart was deeply wounded.
Yinreng didn't realize how hurtful his words were; wasn't this just the truth?
Could it be that he said the Crown Princess wasn't smart enough, which upset her?
That's right. The Crown Princess admires and loves him so much; a single word from her beloved is enough to make her daydream for an entire book. Just as she was about to speak, Jia Luo continued:
"Your Highness, let's skip the Four Books and Five Classics, shall we? I can study other things." Classical Chinese is one thing, she's read it before, but it's written vertically without punctuation, isn't that just a sin?
How could she possibly understand it? She even dozed off while reading it.
"For example?" Yinreng did not refute her, but followed up with the question.
Is reading really that difficult?
He could read the Three Character Classic when he was three years old, and he began studying the Great Learning when he was four. For him, reading was as simple as drinking water.
"Singing opera." As soon as Jialuo heard that His Highness the Crown Prince was willing to let her choose, she immediately chose something that was related to books.
“Your Highness, look, this opera needs someone to write the lyrics. If I hum along, I’ll learn it, right?” Jialu persuaded the Crown Prince, and slowly walked towards Yuqing Palace.
The two people walking side by side, wearing clothes of the same color, are definitely wearing couple outfits, aren't they?
Both of them are talented and good-looking... Their talent isn't apparent, but they are both so good-looking that they seem like a perfect match.
"No, starting tomorrow, let's begin with the Three Character Classic, and we can learn it together with Hongyao." It's said that early education makes children smarter, and there's some truth to that.
For example, I learned the Three Character Classic at the age of three, while Yinti only started at six or seven. No wonder Yinti is so much more stupid than me!
Jialuo: "Huh?"
Does that mean I'll be going to kindergarten with my son?
"I object!" Jialuo didn't care about anything else at this moment. She took her hands out of the hand warmer, raised her hands, and solemnly objected to His Highness the Crown Prince's decision.
"Objection overruled, I do not approve." Yinreng was already used to Jialuo's occasional unconventional behavior, and he readily refused.
Jialuo grimaced and huffed, looking like a chubby little pufferfish who had been wronged. I'm going to tell my son when I get back, you naughty father, making our son start studying when he's only four months old, it's exhausting!
Yinreng glanced at the ignorant Crown Princess with a light laugh. "Do you think you're the only one who complains to your son? I do too."
The narcissistic Yinreng believed that he had built a deep father-son relationship with his son Hongyao when Hongyao was still in the Crown Princess's womb, and that he would tell his son "Father loves you" every night, which Hongyao must remember very clearly.
Now, every time Xiao Hongyao sees me, he smiles so happily and holds my hand tightly, unwilling to let go.
Yinreng: My son loves me the most, Crown Princess, don't be jealous.
Yinreng's mindset was that the Crown Princess and his son loved him the most. Who wouldn't like such a talented, handsome, and refined man?
The Crown Princess fell in love with him at first sight!
Jialuo walked along silently, grumbling to herself. The Crown Prince beside her seemed to be in a good mood, a gentle and warm smile playing on his lips.
Xiao Shunzi and the others nearby listened to the conversation between the Crown Prince and His Highness through the door, all wearing beaming smiles, with only one thought in their minds:
His Highness the Crown Prince and His Highness the Crown Princess have a very good relationship.
A servant attending to the Crown Princess said: "I truly hope that His Highness the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess's relationship will continue to be this good."
After returning to Yuqing Palace, Jialuo took off her thick coat, which was filled with cold air. If she wore it to see Xiao Hongyao, she would definitely bring the cold air to little Hongyao.
After warming up in the house for a while, she went to see her son with her companion.
Seemingly having forgotten their earlier quarrel and anger, the two stood together in front of the little cradle, their faces filled with gentle and loving smiles. This is our chubby, fair-skinned son, so adorable.
[It's the cubs who heal the most. Bao Cheng really made me angry just now. If it weren't for his handsome little face, I would have been furious.]
A pretty little face...?
The Crown Princess's learning journey must be arranged. She used to speak so sweetly, but now she's being described using idioms meant for young women.
He was the indomitable Baturu of the Qing Dynasty!
"Hongyao baby, your father is so mean! He made you study before you could even speak. Oh dear, it breaks my heart." He looks just like my Baocheng. Hehe, Baocheng must have been this cute when he was little.
It's a pity that she doesn't look like me. I'm good-looking too, delicate, pretty, and charming.
Yinreng: If he looked like you, it would be a disaster. What man makes a living based on his looks? Even the Ninth Prince deliberately fattened himself up because he was slightly better looking, just so that others wouldn't laugh at him for looking effeminate!
"Hongyao, be good. Your father was worried that you would have no one to accompany you while you study, so he specially asked your mother to accompany you. Isn't that kind of thing?" Yinreng said in a teasy tone, mimicking Jialuo's manner.
Jialuo angrily turned her head and glared at Yinreng. "You little rascal, how dare you put me down in front of your son?"
The scholarly Crown Prince Yinreng's expression remained calm and natural, as if he hadn't realized that he had done anything wrong, or as if he were conveying his meaning through his eyes: "Crown Princess, you are the one who is at fault."
Unfortunately, the little darling Hongyao, who is being 'competed for attention,' doesn't yet understand what his father and mother are talking about.
All I know is that I like the scent of my father and mother. When I hear their familiar voices, I grin happily and reach out my hand, making little "ee-ya" sounds, as if I want to grab them.
However, the little baby doesn't know how to control himself; he drools as soon as he smiles.
Jialuo took a handkerchief and wiped Xiao Hongyao's face. "What a little glutton."
As she spoke, she gently tapped Xiao Hongyao's cheek with her finger. It was just a light tap, but saliva continued to flow down her cheeks.
The wet nurse standing nearby was extremely anxious watching this scene, but the highest-ranking people here were His Highness the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess, so it was not her place to interrupt.
"Look at you, you've made Hongyao all drool." Yinreng glanced at Jialuo with disdain, then took a handkerchief with an air of nobility and elegantly wiped Hongyao's drool.
The movements were clearly very skillful.
“It’s not my fault, it must be Hongyao who’s greedy,” Jialuo immediately retorted, refusing to take the blame.
They argued like elementary school kids, and then inexplicably made up in the end.
After a while, little Hongyao, tired from waving his arms and legs, got sleepy and soon fell into a deep sleep.
As expected, the next day, Yinti waited for Yinreng outside the main hall. When the passing officials saw Yinti standing at the door looking around, they thought something had happened.
Some of them walked over to greet the eldest prince with concern, and at the same time wanted to ask him if he was looking for something.
The eldest prince was in high spirits. He had a wonderful dream last night in which the crown prince lost to him and cried his heart out, praising him as the best person in the world to treat his wife, far superior to Yinreng.
Therefore, today he must show Yinreng who is the best man in the Qing Dynasty.
"This is none of your business, go inside the hall." After saying that, she realized that what she was about to do wouldn't be possible without an audience.
So he continued, "Oh well, you can stay here."
The ministers exchanged glances, wondering what the eldest prince was up to, and fearing that they might be implicated if he caused trouble later.
They all retreated a bit, hoping that if something happened later, they could make sure they could run out the door immediately and avoid being implicated.
Then, the handsome and refined Crown Prince walked over, and the First Prince's nonchalant expression immediately brightened.
Ministers: Here it comes again, the quarrel between the First Prince and His Highness the Crown Prince is happening again.
I wonder what they'll be arguing about this time.
The court was much more lively than before without Mingzhu and Suo'etu. After all, when Mingzhu was around, he could still dissuade the eldest prince from his behavior and make him more prudent.
Now... the eldest prince is like someone who's letting loose and having a blast.
"Crown Prince." The moment Yinti saw Yinreng, a smug look appeared on his face, his heart filled with pride: Yinreng, let's see if you won't be provoked into tears by me this time.
Yinreng had no idea what had gotten into his boss again. No matter what, he wouldn't be so provoked as to cry in front of his boss, okay?
"Brother, is there something you need?" The proud and arrogant young man, who had enjoyed a smooth and privileged life, answered Yinti slowly and deliberately.
"Yesterday, Your Highness went out of the palace to buy the Princess Consort her favorite Wensi Tofu. It was still warm when you returned. The Princess Consort was so touched." Yinti raised his chin, looking very proud.
The other ministers pretended not to care, but in reality they were eavesdropping. What was the argument about? Was it about the Ministry of War or the Ministry of Personnel?
So, after listening for so long, it turns out you're just bragging about what you did to your wife that moved her.
After exchanging bewildered glances with the other ministers around him, he realized... oh, he hadn't misheard. Was there something wrong with the First Prince's mind?
In particular, the ministers who had been won over by Mingzhu to the First Prince's faction were full of doubts. Given the First Prince's current trend, what were the chances of him defeating the Crown Prince?
Judging from the eldest prince's appearance, the possibility is really low. Besides, the emperor is wise and powerful, would he really pass the throne to such a... simple-minded eldest prince?
Thinking about the next heir of one's own family, if he's this simple-minded, he might as well just be a rich, idle man.
Or perhaps we should withdraw for now? The merit of following the emperor is not something easily gained; failure could mean the downfall of the entire family.
The eldest prince had no idea what he had lost; he was still smugly boasting that he was the best man in the Qing Dynasty.
"Oh, it seems that my elder brother is indeed very good to his wife. However, are there no chefs in the palace? Why do we have to go outside the palace to buy them? It's so cold outside, won't we be cold when we get back? The eldest wife is pregnant, isn't it bad for the fetus to eat cold food?"
The seemingly nonchalant Crown Prince grasped the key point and, with a single, decisive move, struck at Yinti's sore spot.
"This, this, that's not the point. The point is, it's about the prince's feelings for his wife." Damn it, how did Yinreng know? Did he know that he would take advantage of her in the end? That despicable Yinreng must have planted a spy among the princes.
They're either in the main courtyard of the Prince's wife or right beside me. When the master returns, we must investigate this thoroughly!
"Oh, a token of my affection? So your sister-in-law didn't eat? Hey, brother, you need to work harder. I'm waiting for you to become the best man in the Qing Dynasty." Yinreng patted Yinti on the shoulder. It's good to find something to do, instead of always focusing on Father Emperor's throne, which is what he cares about most.
"Hmph, you don't need to tell me, I will definitely be better than you." Yinti continued to raise his chin, not wanting to lose to Yinreng at all, and pondered in his heart how to be good to his wife.
Showing concern and care?
Hmm, I'll go to the embroidery shop in a bit to make a woolen cloak for the Princess Consort. I wonder what color she likes? Crimson? Purple would also be nice for a dashing Princess Consort?
Yinreng almost burst out laughing when he heard Yinti's inner monologue. "Great red and purple? Isn't this exactly the ugliest combination the Crown Princess mentioned?"
Well, a prosperous and vibrant New Year is indeed a good omen.
I wonder if my sister-in-law has the heart to give my brother a good beating. But my brother has been practicing buk-kyu since he was a child, so maybe my sister-in-law can't beat him.
"Brother, a man who hits a woman is the most useless." Yinreng first warned Yinti. If your wife hits you, you are useless if you fight back. You're just standing there and getting beaten for nothing.
Yinreng was pleased with this outcome.
"Who hit a woman?" Yinti felt that Yinreng was deliberately slandering him in front of the ministers. He never hit women, okay?
Yinreng remained silent and walked directly past Yinti toward the main hall.
In terms of skill in controlling Yinti, Yinreng is definitely number one.
How could the events outside the main hall possibly escape the Emperor's notice? It's just that Kangxi doesn't get involved in the farce between his sons, as long as they don't follow Mingzhu and Suo'etu's lead.
The best man in the Qing Dynasty? Ha! Isn't it Aisin Gioro Xuanye? He treats every woman in the harem with gentleness, teaches every child with care, manages state affairs tightly, and still finds time to study despite his busy schedule. Who can be better than him?
Unfortunately, due to his imperial dignity, he could not lower himself to compete with others.
Ah well, the higher you climb, the colder it gets.
Kangxi first had people pay attention to the matter between Baoqing and Baocheng. After the investigation, he was speechless and said, "Do whatever you want."
Immediately afterwards, Consort Rong came to request an audience.
Helpless, Consort Rong wanted to invite the Emperor to Zhongcui Palace, but the Emperor was either busy or stopped by others every time. Consort Rong was furious.
But she also knew that, now that she was out of favor, her relationship with the emperor was at most one of superficial politeness.
The Emperor always said he was a sentimental person, but the imperial harem had a large number of young and beautiful women left after the triennial grand selection and the annual minor selection. In previous years, most of them were from the Han Banner Army and the Bondservant Banner Army, but recently he has started to favor Han women.
Consort Rong knew she was old and her beauty was fading, so in order to make the Emperor visit Zhongcui Palace more often, she selected many beautiful young ladies to live in the side halls of Zhongcui Palace.
"Your Majesty, I have come to discuss with you the matter of our Third Prince Yinzhi's marriage. Shouldn't we set a date?" How could Consort Rong not be anxious?
Two months ago, the eleventh prince had just passed away, so she couldn't immediately consult with the emperor, otherwise it would seem that the third prince lacked brotherly affection.
But now... Consort Niohuru of Changshou Palace (the birth mother of the Tenth Prince) is sick again, and she is very afraid that the woman from the Niohuru clan will not live to see the end of the year.
Wouldn't this delay the third son's marriage until next year, or even the year after? No, absolutely not. Having several illegitimate children before the wedding would damage his reputation among the ministers.
Kangxi was reminded and suddenly realized, oh right, he had been so busy that he had forgotten.
"Yes, I'll have the Imperial Observatory calculate an auspicious day first, and then I'll give it to you." Kangxi probably knew why Consort Rong was in such a hurry, after all, there had been quite a few things going on lately.
The next day, he went to Zhongcui Palace and specifically entrusted the auspicious day to Consort Rong, asking her to choose it.
One is at the end of December, one is in early spring of next year, and one is at the end of summer next year...
"Your Majesty, this is the one. December 22nd is an auspicious day." Consort Rong chose the closest one among them. Actually, if it could be earlier, November would also be fine.
However, she couldn't easily change the auspicious day chosen by the Imperial Astronomical Bureau.
"Hmm." Kangxi nodded, not in a hurry to leave, but stayed there to have a meal with Consort Rong before departing.
When news broke that the Third Prince, Yinzhi, would be getting married on December 22nd, people were initially surprised that the date was so close, and then congratulated the Third Prince on coming of age.
In ancient times, starting a family and establishing a career was a symbol of a mature and stable man; one should start a family first and then establish a career.
At this moment, the fourth prince's wife, Lady Guarjia, was a little anxious upon learning that the third prince was going to get married. Why wasn't she pregnant yet?
News came from outside the palace that Father (Shi Bingwen) and Mother were unwell and had fallen ill.
Upon hearing this news, Lady Guarjia slammed her fist on the table in anger and demanded, "What's going on? Doesn't the Guarjia household employ several doctors?"
"They said the weather suddenly turned cold and they caught a chill without paying attention. Don't worry, Madam, the master and the others are blessed with good fortune and will be fine." Shuanghua comforted Guarjia, wondering why Guarjia was so nervous.
Didn't you just say you caught a cold? Why are you so worried?
No one understood Guarjia's anxiety. Her father and mother were not supposed to live this long; they should have died before her wedding. She had used precious medicines to prolong their lives.
They were being carefully cared for, with the doctor checking their pulses every three days, probably because I wasn't there and no one was supervising them.
She also wanted to give birth to a legitimate son as soon as possible. Empress Xiaoyi's mourning period had just ended, and with her body in good condition, she was sure she could give birth to a son like Empress Fucha. In fact, she didn't think she was any less capable than Empress Fucha.
Lady Fucha conceived two or three months after marrying into Yuqing Palace, so I'm sure I can too, or even faster.
At Yonghe Palace, Consort De probably only has a few tricks up her sleeve. For example, Princess Sai made things difficult for her when she went to pay her respects…
Consort De recently sent two beautiful and charming princesses to the Fourth Prince right after the mourning period ended. How could she not know what this meant?
Guarjia's only worry was that the reduced time she spent with the emperor might decrease her chances of getting pregnant.
As a result, news came from outside the palace within two days: her father and mother had passed away...
Damn it.
Although once married into the royal family, she is considered "water spilled from a cup," and must follow all royal rules, if she becomes pregnant during the mourning period after her parents' death...
Although there is no real problem, my reputation will definitely be damaged, and there will always be people gossiping behind my back.
Damn it!
Lady Guarjia had become somewhat obsessed with this matter. The Fourth Prince, Yinzhen, thought that Lady Guarjia was saddened by the passing of her parents, so he specially accompanied his wife back to the Guarjia residence.
The princesses in the Fourth Prince's backyard were quite taken aback when they learned of the coincidence that the Fourth Prince's father and mother had both passed away at the same time.
But at the same time... there's also a hint of anticipation, isn't it? Do they have a slightly better chance now?
The passing of Shi Bingwen and his wife did not cause much of a stir in Beijing.
Only those close to her would feel grief; as for others... I don't care who died. For example, when Consort De met the Fourth Prince's wife, she even pretended to be kind and caring, saying a few words of concern.
But every word struck at the heart of Guarjia's pain. After returning home, Guarjia immediately stirred up trouble between Yikun Palace and Yonghe Palace.
Since his rebirth, he has gathered a group of people. Later, when the emperor purged the Imperial Household Department, he took the opportunity to gather another group of people.
She secretly and slowly carried out her plan, determined to make Yonghe Palace and Yikun Palace mortal enemies, otherwise it would be difficult to quell the hatred in her heart.
The eldest prince, Yinti, is a very self-centered person. No matter what happens outside, nothing is more important than his affairs.
Of course, this excludes matters concerning the Emperor and the Crown Prince.
The Emperor is the father whom one always looks up to, and the Crown Prince is the one one always wants to beat.
He now insists on making himself the model of the best man in the Qing Dynasty, being filial to his mother. Of course, knowing that his mother had made things difficult for his wife last time, causing her to have a premature birth, the eldest prince went to tell Consort Hui about it from the beginning.
“Mother, if you need anything in the future, just tell your son. Your son is filial to you. Irgen Gioro Clan should stay in the Prince’s Residence to rest and recuperate. The premature birth last time hurt the Fujin’s body, so she needs to rest well.”
The eldest prince's outspoken attitude immediately darkened Consort Hui's expression, and she stared at him with a displeased look. "Yinti, are you blaming your mother?"
"Mother, I already said I don't blame you. I'm just worried that it's winter now, and the roads might be slippery. If you have any orders, just ask me. I'll summon her after the Fujin gives birth." Yinti felt so noble.
He takes on all the burdens himself; his wife and mother must be very touched.
Consort Hui: I am not moved at all. I even want to give Yinti a good beating. What use is such a rebellious son?
After returning home, Yinti went to his wife to curry favor, saying, "Wife, I have already spoken to Mother on your behalf. From now on, you just need to focus on your pregnancy. Mother will not summon you again. We can discuss everything after the baby is born."
The First Princess Consort was silent for two seconds after hearing this, a thought flashing through her mind. "What did you say?"
Then, Yinti presented to the First Consort what he had said to his mother. Although it could not be exactly the same, as long as the meaning was conveyed, it was fine.
Then, the First Princess pursed her lips, afraid that she might not be able to hold back and actually start cursing. If you want me to have a negative impression of my mother, just say so.
"Fujin, you slipped and fell on the road when you came back from Yanxi Palace last time. I was so worried. You can't have another accident, you know?" Yinti held the hand of the First Fujin. He was also worried, worried about the child, and also... worried about the Fujin.
After hearing this, the First Princess Consort said nothing in the end, only saying, "Yes, thank you for your hard work."
I've also worked hard on myself. Oh well, I'll worry about the future later. I'll just focus on giving birth to the baby first.
The eldest prince, Yinti, said smugly: "See, I told you, my wife and mother will be very touched."
Immediately afterward, remembering what he could do to help, he saw the eldest princess toddling over to the Fujin with her short legs, which startled Yinti so much that he picked her up in one go.
As I picked him up, a thought suddenly struck me: he could even compete with Yinreng in taking care of a baby!
As the crown prince, Yinreng was of noble status and self-restrained. He certainly wouldn't be as down-to-earth as I am in coaxing children. He might just glance at them occasionally.
When he was outside, I never heard the Crown Prince boast about the Yuqing Palace. He only held the baby for a short while at the full moon celebration, but at that time he was only focused on pouring wine for Yinreng and didn't remember much else.
However, Yinreng is definitely not as good as himself.
When the First Princess saw Yinti grinning as he held her eldest daughter, she knew she had heard about what had happened outside the Golden Palace.
To buy her Wensi Tofu, he rushed out of the palace as soon as the banquet ended, even in the freezing cold...
If she portrays herself as a vixen who brings ruin to the country, and if this gets back to her mother's ears, combined with what happened today, it will be even harder to explain.
I can't bear to look anymore, do whatever you want!
The First Princess Consort didn't want to make a fool of herself by going to Consort Hui while pregnant. She knew what kind of person Consort Hui was, and if she went to her now, she would think she was making a fool of herself.
She looked down at her belly, hoping that this time it would be a boy.
The eldest prince, who was ignored by his wife, did not feel bored. He first coaxed his eldest princess, and then went to find the second princess to practice holding the baby, so that he could show the baby to Yinreng later.
It's infuriating! I even dreamt about it that day, but Yinreng didn't follow my script at all. It's infuriating!
The eldest princess could barely keep up with her father's playtime, but the second princess was only a seven or eight-month-old baby, how could she possibly know anything?
If being held uncomfortably, she burst into tears, just like when Yinti dreamt of Yinreng crying.
Yinreng asked with a hint of despair: Could it be that I was dreaming about you?
The First Princess Consort no longer wanted to stop Yinqi from doing something foolish, and she hadn't even tried to keep the news quiet. As a result, many people already knew about it.
Sure enough, in Yuqing Palace, when Jialuo learned about this, she laughed so hard she slapped her thigh, "Hahaha, Your Highness, my elder brother said he wants to have a contest with you to see who is closer to the child."
Yinreng remained unmoved, a cold smile playing on his lips: He thinks he can compare to me? Everyone knows his son's favorite person is him.
A roughneck like the eldest brother definitely wouldn't get along with his own daughter.
However, the Crown Princess's amused attitude really displeased Yinreng.
"Someone, bring me the book 'The Great Learning'. The Crown Princess wants to read it." Yinreng had just spared the Crown Princess last time, out of consideration for her deep admiration and love for him.
But what about now?
The Crown Princess deserves to be taught a lesson.
Upon hearing this, Jialuo stared at him with wide eyes. "Your Highness, why do we have to hurt each other? Isn't it us, not you and the First Prince, who are the ones who got the love-hate relationship script?"
Yinreng: There is only love, not hatred. It's just that you are not calm enough and need more tempering.
(End of this chapter)
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