The black bird cawed and laughed wildly, circling around Yinreng's head, mocking him from every angle.
Fortunately, it was smart and didn't fall for the beauty's trap.
"Go, go out and go play with Tana and Hongzhao." Tong Wanyan was afraid that Yinreng would burn the fearless parrot in anger, so she chased it out in advance.
The black bird, sensing the opportune moment, blinked its beady black eyes, gave Tong Wanyan a flirtatious look, and then fled as if its life depended on it.
Yinreng, furious, fanned the air in front of him: "Did Su Jixiang use the imperial soap from the palace to wash its feathers?"
A familiar floral fragrance filled the air; she was living a life even more carefree than an ordinary concubine.
Tong Wanyan clung to the jar given to her by Tong Fujin, munching on a sour plum: "The Imperial Household Department is sending more of its monthly allowance. Xuan Niao plays with Tana and Hongzhao all day long, so it's reassuring to wash it clean. Every time Su Jixiang takes it for a bath, it takes almost half an hour. He always has to use extra soap on it."
Yinreng looked at the green plums, covered his face and said with a toothache, "You should eat less, or you'll upset your stomach."
Consort Tong added, "The Crown Prince is right. This servant brought it here to whet your appetite, not to serve as a meal."
Tong Wanyan quickly picked up a green plum, took a bite, and then handed the jar to Chunque.
"Mother, are you and Grandpa bullying me together?" Tong Wanyan said coquettishly.
Consort Tong smiled lovingly and wiped her mouth with a handkerchief: "I only dote on you because I love you and don't want you to eat too much. You're young and don't understand, but I've been through it all and know that you can't always give in to a pregnant woman's every whim. If you restrain yourself now, the delivery will be much easier."
Yinreng himself could say a few words about Tong Wanyan, but he felt sorry for her when others said them.
“Mother-in-law, Xiao Yan is very well-behaved. It’s also my fault for not being able to find a chef whose skills suit her taste. She’s over a month pregnant, but she’s gotten even thinner,” Yinreng said protectively.
Tong Fujin smiled without saying a word. She was happy that her son-in-law was protecting his daughter and arguing with her a few more times.
"The Crown Prince has been very devoted to his concubine, which is a blessing for both the concubine and the Tong family. The Tong family has some ancient dietary recipes suitable for pregnant women, which I brought in today. Please have the imperial physician examine them. If they don't interfere with the pregnancy-stabilizing medicines we're using, we can give them a try." Consort Tong took out several stacks of papers.
The prescription, which was extremely rare and expensive, was casually placed in front of Tong Wanyan and Yinreng.
Yinreng thought to himself, "This is a good match!"
After sitting for a while, Yinreng went to his study to handle state affairs.
Tong Wanyan smiled and said to Tong Fujin, "After the master left, Mother breathed a sigh of relief, and even her posture was no longer as dignified and serious as before."
Consort Tong chuckled and tapped her forehead: "He is indeed the Crown Prince, his aura is growing ever stronger. You see the splendor of the palace, but it's all fleeting. This servant doesn't want to slight the Crown Prince for my own sake, lest he harbor resentment."
“I know how good my mother is to me. Now that it’s autumn, with its constant rain, my father has been fighting for many years and has many old wounds and chronic illnesses. Please let him rest at home during these rainy days and not overwork himself. Besides, we have several older brothers who are all successful, so there’s no need for him to carry the family’s glory outside,” Tong Wanyan said.
Tong Fujin said, "I will tell him when I get back. Elundai and Kuadai have spoken to him before, but he only listens to them and doesn't take them to heart. Only what you say, he listens to happily and does exactly as you say."
“In the past, your father wanted to achieve more merits to protect Orondai. He hoped that after his death, the emperor would be more lenient towards Orondai because of his achievements. Now that Orondai is sensible, even if he is destined not to be successful, as long as he doesn’t cause trouble and can protect the family’s legacy, that’s enough.”
What Tong Guogang and Tong Fujin were most worried about was their eldest son, who had a stubborn and unreasonable temper.
“Eldest brother is filial. He was wrong in the past, but now he knows how to put your and Father’s minds at ease. Naturally, he will not do anything to upset you again. It’s enough that the Tong family’s title can be maintained. Third brother will take care of the rest of the glory.” Tong Wanyan said.
“What you said is the same as what your father thinks. The Tong family is already very powerful. If it continues to prosper, it will probably be like fireworks, dazzling but then disappearing. It would be better to steadily bear the emperor’s trust and be a loyal subject to the emperor,” said Consort Tong.
The brothers Tong Guogang and Tong Guowei have always been farsighted and never meddle in other people's business.
"Speaking of which, I must thank you. Those brothers have worked tirelessly to take good care of their sister. Tong Qinian and Tong Ruita, one intelligent and the other skilled in martial arts, have taught her to be completely obedient. Especially Tong Qinian, it's truly a blessing that the Tong family has produced such a talented person. Even Nalan Xingde, whom the Emperor once favored, cannot compare to his talent and strategy," said Consort Tong with pride.
Hearing Tong Fujin praise Tong Qinian, Tong Wanyan was very happy.
While her relationship with Tong Guogang and Tong Fujin was close, it was still somewhat lacking compared to that with Tong Qinian and Tong Ruita.
With deep brotherly affection, Tong Qinian and Tong Ruita truly fulfilled their responsibilities and showed the love that brothers should have for Tong Wanyan.
The closest members of the Tong family to her heart will always be Tong Qinian and Tong Ruita.
"By the way, the other day, the First Princess's family secretly went to your uncle's residence, trying to find out if they had any secret formulas for conceiving a son. You and Jia Rong and Princess He Shuo were pregnant one after the other, so they've got their eyes on you. The people outside all say that the First Princess is pitiful, giving birth to daughters with every baby. In an ordinary family, she would have been divorced long ago. The First Prince, on the other hand, has earned a reputation for being loyal and righteous," said Princess Tong.
Tong Wanyan curled her lips: "It's true that the common people are simple and honest. But those who love to gossip and watch plays don't even look at the kind of life they live. Before she got married, my sister-in-law was a noble lady from an official family. After she got married, she became the eldest daughter-in-law of the royal family. In the future, she will definitely become the wife of a prince. She lives a life of luxury and honor, yet a group of people who are struggling to make ends meet worry about her and feel sorry for her."
Tong Fujin chuckled at her words: "Your little mouth is getting more and more eloquent. But what you're saying is the truth. They don't understand any of that. They just want to see those who are high and mighty living poorly, and that makes them happy."
"Mother, how did Uncle treat my sister-in-law's family?" Tong Wanyan was worried that Tong Guozhu and his wife might not handle the situation well, which would cause Yinti to misunderstand and resent them.
Tong Fujin understood her concern for Tong Guozhu, after all, they had been together for many years.
“Your uncle and aunt are no longer involved in the affairs of the household. The management of the household has been handed over to Princess Jia Rong and Princess Shuo. Princess Jia Rong and Princess Shuo have a certain status, while the First Princess's family is not a prominent clan, so their presence is already somewhat weaker. They couldn't sit still for more than a few words and wanted to go back. As for what they will say to the First Princess when they go back, we'll just have to wait and see how the First Princess treats you in a while.”
Tong Fujin told Tong Wanyan all this in advance to prevent the Grand Fujin's family from getting involved and causing trouble, which would affect the relationship between the Grand Fujin and Tong Wanyan.
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