After the incident in the Imperial Garden, the Eighth Prince's wife truly suffered.
As the only daughter-in-law to be reprimanded by Emperor Kangxi, she became infamous within the imperial clan.
The more people fawned over her before, the more they hated her after this incident.
Especially for those whose daughters or sisters had entered the palace as concubines, who wouldn't consider it an honor? Now, their honor has been trampled underfoot and crushed again and again; how could they possibly be angry?
The Eighth Prince's wife was a member of the royal family, so they couldn't just point their fingers and scold her. But the people from Prince An's residence still had to attend court every day.
Everyone stared at Prince An's mansion with a shared sense of righteous indignation, digging up old stories to impeach him.
Among them, the powerful Tong family was the most ruthless. They not only targeted Prince An's mansion, but also their in-laws, relentlessly attacking them.
Taking advantage of the situation, Emperor Kangxi dismissed most of the officials from the Prince An's faction.
The aging Prince An felt like he was being tortured every time he went to court. If it weren't for his heir accompanying him, Tong Guogang might have already smashed his head in front of the imperial palace.
If your granddaughter dares to bully my daughter, I'll beat you half to death.
When it comes to being domineering, the Tong family has never lost.
Under such torment, the Prince An's mansion, which was plagued by misfortune, was targeted to the point of near collapse.
A perfectly good girl marrying a prince should have been a happy occasion, but how did it end up like this? Not only could she not help her family, but she also caused them suffering.
On a clear and sunny day, the Crown Princess of Prince An was ordered to enter the palace to beg the Eighth Prince's wife to apologize to Tong Wanyan and plead with her to show mercy and stop the Tong family from bullying her so cruelly.
Consort Ba, who had been confined to her home for three months and was about to go crazy from being cooped up, was initially overjoyed when her maternal relatives came to visit her, and she changed her clothes several times.
But after hearing the Crown Princess's words, her face, which was full of excitement, was suddenly chilled by a bucket of cold water.
"Did my aunt come to see me just so I could apologize to Lady Tongjia?" The Eighth Prince's wife's hands and feet were ice-cold.
The Crown Princess looked exhausted: "You don't know how hard it has been for your grandfather, uncles, and cousins these days since you left the palace. It's not easy being an official in the court, and they've been targeted everywhere because of you, which is really tough for them. Even I haven't received any invitations to go out and socialize for months, and all my invitations to go flower viewing have been politely declined."
“Both of your older cousins are of marriageable age. If this matter is not resolved, it will be detrimental to their marriage prospects.”
The Eighth Prince's wife burst into tears: "Does my aunt think my life is easy? Father and Empress Dowager have issued decrees to reprimand me one after another, and the Noble Consort and the Crown Princess have also sent people to watch me relearn palace etiquette. But what did I say wrong? I was just telling the truth. We are both Father's daughters-in-law, so why should I be considered inferior to her?"
The Crown Princess frowned at her: "You don't even realize you've done anything wrong?"
"What wrong have I done!" The Eighth Prince's wife showed no remorse.
After all, she was her niece whom she had watched grow up since childhood. The Crown Princess spoke earnestly: "I only ask you, if your second aunt saw me and spoke rudely to me, should I punish her?"
“You are the Crown Prince’s wife and also the eldest sister-in-law of the second maternal aunt, so it is only right. Aunt, why are you saying this? The second maternal aunt has always treated you with respect and put you first in everything, and has never overstepped her bounds.” The Eighth Prince’s wife saw things clearly at this moment.
"What's the difference between Consort Tong and me? What's the difference between you and your second maternal aunt?" the Crown Princess asked patiently.
The Eighth Prince's wife exclaimed in disbelief, "She's a concubine!"
"She is the first concubine. Before the Qing Dynasty entered the Central Plains, polygamy was common. While the Crown Princess was the principal wife, Concubine Tong was also the Crown Prince's wife, recognized by the Emperor. The Tong family provided her with a dowry to accompany her into the palace; this was a proper marriage, did you know that?" The Crown Princess was extremely worried.
The Eighth Prince's wife grumbled, "But things are different now than during the reign of Emperor Taizu. Back then, the various princes' wives were indeed equal, but now the primary prince's wife is clearly the most respected!"
"Therefore, the Emperor bestowed upon Consort Tong the title of First Consort. The Tong family is different. Do you think Consort Tong's status in the palace is different because of the Crown Prince's favor?"
“Isn’t that so?” said the Eighth Prince’s wife.
"It's because of the surname Tongjia! If she hadn't been left out in the countryside, who knows who would be the Crown Princess now!" The Crown Princess sighed. "No matter what, you must ask Consort Tong for forgiveness. Even if you don't want to, think more about the Prince An's Mansion that raised you."
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