Chapter 64 Consort Hui only takes benefits and does no work
Baoqing's attempt to freeload a meal failed, and he was sent back to the Prince's Mansion by his mother before lunch.
Knowing that his mother meant well by wanting him to spend more time with his family, Baoqing wasn't too unhappy. He strolled to Donghua Gate and rode back to the mansion.
The streets were already filled with the atmosphere of the New Year. There were several stalls on one street selling lanterns and couplets. Bao Qing was not in a hurry. Occasionally, he would buy something that looked special. When he returned to the Prince's Mansion, he had already carried quite a few trinkets with him.
The First Princess Consort thought he would be kept at Yanxi Palace for lunch by his mother, so she was somewhat surprised to see him, but she did not show it. She simply took off his cloak herself and said in a gentle voice, "Lunch is ready, please eat first."
The most important thing about Chinese New Year is family reunion.
Because the eldest princess had been talking about mutton hot pot yesterday, lunch today was served in the main room of the house. The round table made of rosewood in the center was large enough to hold all the side dishes and condiments that would be put into the pot.
Even Hongyu was placed on a specially made chair with a small blue and white porcelain bowl in front of him.
Baoqing ate quickly, a skill he honed while working outside. However, taking care of his wife and three children, Baoqing continued to slowly and leisurely simmer mutton slices in the hot pot after he had finished eating, only putting down his chopsticks when he saw that they had almost finished.
After rinsing his mouth with tea, Baoqing brought up the matter of New Year's gifts for each family: "Give the eighth brother a 20% increase. As for the Crown Prince, send him some fruits and vegetables from his estate, and forget about the rest."
When he left the palace to establish his own residence, his father bestowed upon him two imperial estates. With the tributes from his servants over the years, the produce from the estates was more than enough to supply the household's needs.
There was a village with many persimmon trees, and they decided to send a few baskets to the prince.
The First Princess Consort had already prepared the list of New Year's gifts and had someone fetch it from the small study for reference. "Eighth Brother has not been in office for long, so in the past, he has sent practical fabrics, pendants made of gold, silver, gemstones, and coral, as well as fashionable gold and silver jewelry. This year, how about adding an ivory folding fan, a top-quality Suzhou embroidery screen, and some famille rose porcelain and glass bowls, plates, and tea sets?"
The Grand Consort was in charge of the household affairs of the Prince's mansion and knew everything about what was in the storeroom. In no time, she had figured out what to add.
Baoqing nodded.
My wife is always very capable and handles all kinds of affairs with the various households perfectly, without ever making a mistake.
"But wouldn't it be too meager to send some fruits and vegetables to the Crown Prince?" the First Princess Consort asked, frowning.
Is it really a good idea to openly express dissatisfaction with the Crown Prince?
She conveyed the following sentence with her eyes: with her two daughters here, she couldn't speak of the gossip outside. Her daughters should at least address the Crown Prince as "Second Uncle Crown Prince."
Bao Qing was the same, speaking cryptically, "What good things hasn't the Crown Prince seen? How can the gold, silver, jade, silk and satin outside the palace compare to the tributes from the Imperial Household Department? It would be better to send some from our own estate, so he can have a taste and experience some rustic charm."
"When I was on official business in Yongding River, I lived and ate with the Manchu bannermen for a period of time. It was both rustic and novel."
Seeing his insistence, the First Princess Consort said no more.
Now that all the princes have established their own residences, the atmosphere between the Crown Prince and her own master has gradually become delicate. Her main concern is that her master might act impulsively and cause unnecessary controversy.
However, since he already knew what had happened, the First Princess Consort didn't ask any further questions.
He took care of the affairs of the court, and all he could do was manage the household affairs well and not cause any trouble.
Having made up her mind, the First Princess Consort added a few lines to the booklet with her pen, carefully checked the quantity and specifications again, and then folded the booklet and handed it to her trusted confidante who was standing by: "Take it to Steward Liu and Granny Sun, check the items according to the list and then affix the Prince's Mansion mark, and be careful not to make any mistakes."
After finishing his business, Baoqing lovingly pulled out some trinkets he had bought from the street from his waistband and sleeves to amuse his two daughters.
He spent little time at home that year and felt he had grown distant from his daughter.
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All the brothers greeted us with smiles during the New Year.
Only Baoqing and the Crown Prince's mouths drooped as soon as they saw each other, their animosity practically written all over their faces.
The Fourth Prince remained silent and unassuming, following behind the Crown Prince.
Baoqing considered himself the eldest brother, and all the other princes were like younger brothers in front of him. He never formed cliques.
Mingzhu was extremely worried about his career.
The Crown Prince has one or two princes as staunch supporters, so why does Prince Zhi, despite holding the title of eldest son, not know how to win over one or two princes and completely act as a hands-off manager?
Is Mingzhu the only one with influence in the court?
Why does Prince Zhi only take the benefits he's given without doing any work?
But there's nothing we can do; circumstances are beyond our control.
Mingzhu simply couldn't compete with Suo'etu, who had the Crown Prince as his protector, so he used the name of the eldest prince to win people's hearts.
Throughout the New Year, Baoqing attended banquets, eating, drinking, boasting, and having fun, while Mingzhu attended banquets and used both kindness and severity to win people's hearts.
Congratulations to Bao Qing for his growing power without him contributing a single bit of effort.
They completely reap the benefits without lifting a finger.
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