The Third Prince and Gaishan went out together; Gaishan was going home, while the Third Prince rode quickly to the palace.
When Consort Rong saw her son come to the palace to see her, her face was full of smiles.
"Didn't you just leave the palace? Why are you back again?" Consort Rong busied herself having the palace maids bring over the Third Prince's favorite snacks and tea, her eyes full of affection.
Seeing her so happy, the Third Prince couldn't bear to say what he was about to say.
"Mother, Suhetai has gotten into big trouble," the Third Prince said directly.
Judging by the time, the Crown Prince and the others had probably already returned to the palace. He hadn't told his mother earlier, and now that she was coming to his door, he was caught off guard.
Consort Rong hadn't yet realized the seriousness of the matter. She asked in confusion, "Who is Su Hetai? Which concubine in your household has a brother?"
The Third Prince slapped his thigh: "It's my uncle's son. The one who was sent to Yangzhou more than ten years ago and only came back two months ago."
"My son, make sure your mother is seated properly before you speak," Consort Rong said, her heart pounding with anxiety.
If it were a trivial matter, it certainly wouldn't have warranted the Third Prince's hasty entry into the palace.
“Tell me, did he go gambling? The Emperor detests gambling among the Eight Banners' sons; the Eighth Prince's father is a prime example.” After saying this, Consort Rong denied it herself.
“No, gambling is just his own affair. Could it be that he used your or our names to commit murder?” Consort Rong said.
The Third Prince said, "It wasn't murder, but it was close. He offended the Crown Prince. Today, the Crown Prince and Consort Tong went out of the palace, accompanied by Xiao Jiu. Perhaps because they were dressed simply, Su Hetai didn't notice and flirted with Consort Tong."
Consort Rong lost her grip on the teacup she was holding, and it shattered on the ground.
Tea leaves and tea splashed onto her skirt. Normally she was very particular about cleanliness, but at this moment she didn't care about that.
“He would have been better off committing murder. The Crown Prince is vindictive, and Consort Tong is his darling. Even offending the Crown Prince is better than offending his beloved!” Consort Rong said in a trembling voice.
"Yinzhi, once the Crown Prince returns to the palace, we will immediately bring generous gifts to apologize to him. We will leave Ma Jia alone, but we must not let her affect you."
Consort Rong's motherly affection warmed the heart of the Third Prince.
“My son is not a problem. He has the job of compiling books and can hide in the library. It’s just that I’m worried about you, Mother, being alone in the palace. The Crown Princess is in charge of the household affairs, the Consort and Consort Yi are close to Consort Tong, and there are people from the Tongjia clan in the Imperial Household Department. If they all make things difficult for you in secret, wouldn’t you be suffering for them for nothing?”
The Third Prince looked at Consort Rong with concern, but he didn't touch the pastries placed beside him. The pastries were still sweet, but he had no appetite for them.
Consort Rong relaxed: "Do you think your mother has lived in the palace for decades for nothing? You don't need to worry about that."
The mother and son helped each other relieve their worries, and for a while, their feelings were not as fearful as they had been at the beginning.
“You have already established your own residence outside, so it’s not appropriate for you to be in the inner palace at this time. Your mother and your wife will handle the apology. Su Hetai, that idiot, shouldn’t have his actions made a big fuss.” Consort Rong calmed down and rejected her previous decision.
The Third Prince thought about it again and realized, "That's true."
The women in the palace were not allowed to leave the palace. The fact that Yinreng was able to take Tong Wanyan out meant that he knew that Kangxi was lenient with them and turned a blind eye.
But if this matter gets out and people find out, not only will the person who caused the trouble be punished, but he, Tong Wanyan, and Yintang will all be punished as well.
"Mother is right. Then your son will go back." The Third Prince looked relieved.
Consort Rong said, "Take a box of pastries back with you. You're rushing into the palace, so someone will definitely notice. If anyone asks, just say that Hongqing is sick and has a craving for pastries from my palace."
“Hongqing is indeed thinking about the snacks from your palace, Mother,” the Third Prince said with a smile.
His eldest son held a very special place in his heart; he valued and favored him.
"Then take two boxes with you." Consort Rong thought of her eldest grandson and revealed the same doting smile as the Third Prince.
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