Yinreng was almost an omnipotent person. Tong Wanyan looked at herself in the mirror and praised his eyebrow-drawing skills.
"What beauty!" Tong Wanyan exclaimed, cupping her face in her hands.
Yinreng stood behind her, smiling as he watched her, an eyebrow pencil in his hand.
He coughed lightly, signaling Tong Wanyan to look at him.
In the mirror, Tong Wanyan's bright eyes were framed by delicately arched eyebrows. They looked so beautiful, it was hard to believe they were drawn by a novice.
Tong Wanyan smiled mischievously: "However, your eyebrow-drawing skills are even better, that's what you call adding the finishing touch."
"Didn't Xiao Yan say anything?" Yinreng gestured with his lips.
Tong Wanyan stood up with a smile, put her arms around his neck, and met his lips, leaving a faint blush on his thin lips.
"Does my return gift please you, my lord?" Tong Wanyan asked with a bright smile.
Yinreng wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her tightly into his embrace: "This is not enough."
Whispering sweet nothings in the early morning, their love was so tender.
De Shun was outside, scratching his head in frustration. The Emperor had summoned the Crown Prince early in the morning; this was truly agonizing.
Everyone knows that whenever the Crown Prince stays in the South Courtyard, his morning washing and grooming are the most time-consuming tasks. Not only that, but the servants can only wait and must not disturb their master's enjoyment.
The eunuch sent by Emperor Kangxi kept gesturing to Deshun, signaling him to knock on the door.
De Shun glared at him fiercely. This grandson knew that the Crown Prince was not someone to be trifled with, yet he still sent him to invite a scolding.
"Your Majesty, the Emperor summons you to discuss something." De Shun finally mustered the courage to knock on the door.
Yinreng's smiling face instantly twisted into a grimace.
"He's really my dear father!" Yinreng said.
Tong Wanyan covered her mouth and giggled, gloating: "Of course he's my brother, otherwise he wouldn't want to see you so soon."
After giving Yinreng a comforting hug, Tong Wanyan said to the outside, "Deshun, come in and help your master change his clothes."
Because Emperor Kangxi was urging him on, Yinreng hurriedly tidied his appearance and clothes, without even having time for breakfast.
Coincidentally, not long after, Jia Rong and Princess Shuo arrived.
"It's been a long time since I've seen you since my brother returned to Beijing!" Tong Wanyan was very happy to see her.
She helped her sit down and, before breakfast arrived, asked her what she wanted to eat.
Having rushed here from outside the palace so early, they certainly haven't had a meal yet.
Jia Rong and Princess Shuo were absentmindedly pressed into their seats by Tong Wanyan: "I'm not picky, just something light. If it's noodles, don't put scallions, ginger, or garlic in them, and if it's porridge, use rouge rice."
"You call this not being picky? How can you be so shameless?" Tong Wanyan said reproachfully.
Jia Rong and Princess Shuo slumped dejectedly on the table: "In three months, I will be marrying Lord Tong."
"Hmm? Is she getting too excited and starting to panic?" Tong Wanyan asked curiously after Chun Que and Xia Zhu left.
“Yes, getting married is always different from staying at home. Besides, what if we get tired of each other every day? Since I’ve married Lord Tong, I have to be responsible for him.” Princess Jia Rong and Princess Shuo were very worried.
Tong Wanyan was overjoyed. Should she worry about her elder brother's fate of having an old and unattractive servant who would be disliked by his wife?
After venting for a while, Jia Rong and Gege Shuo smiled again.
For no other reason than that breakfast was served. Nothing is more important than eating, not even her fiancé.
The saying "one should not speak while eating or sleeping" was not something Princess Jiarong and Princess Shuo valued, but the chefs at Yuqing Palace were becoming more and more skilled, and she ate until she was full, so she didn't have time to talk.
Tong Wanyan couldn't stand it, so she pulled her around the yard a few times to help her digest.
"Would you like to sit down and play a game?" Jia Rong and Princess Shuo spotted the chessboard in the pavilion.
“Great, Big Brother really enjoys playing chess.” Tong Wanyan generously revealed all of Tong Qinian’s hobbies.
Sure enough, after Jia Rong and Princess Shuo found out, their enthusiasm for playing chess grew even stronger.
She strode into the pavilion and looked at Tong Wanyan excitedly: "Let's play Connect Four!"
“My older brother is good at Go,” Tong Wanyan said, struggling to speak.
"They're both Othello, there's no difference. Anyway, I can't beat Lord Tong in chess skills, so why don't he keep me company?" Princess Jiarong and Princess Shuo said matter-of-factly.
"Consort, my lady is too nervous." The maidservant brought by Jia Rong and Princess Shuo awkwardly tried to smooth things over for her mistress.
“I know she’s being unreasonable,” Tong Wanyan said, showing no mercy.
Jia Rong and Shuo Gege chuckled: "We're all family, it's so much better to relax."
Since it's a game of Gomoku (Five in a Row), who takes the black and white pieces is entirely up to personal preference.
Jia Rong and Shuo Gege casually took the black pieces, and Tong Wanyan followed suit by taking the white pieces.
Black moves first, then white moves second.
Tong Wanyan was surprised that Jia Rong and Princess Shuo were so bad at even a game of Gomoku, which is a game for toddlers.
"Big brother is going to have a headache from now on." Tong Wanyan rubbed her head, feeling a bit of a headache.
Jia Rong and Shuo Gege stared blankly at the five white pieces that were now connected on the chessboard: "How did you manage to connect them again? Are you trying to trick me? My brother said he was a very good player."
When Prince Su was mentioned, Tong Wanyan recalled Yinreng's evaluation of him: his talent for leading troops was extraordinary, but his other talents were hard to describe.
"You should play less chess in the future. Playing the zither and practicing swordsmanship are also very good options," Tong Wanyan advised.
"I'm in a difficult position trying to please her," Jia Rong and Princess Shuo said, troubled.
"Alright, alright, don't show off in front of me. I've already had a child, so I'm not envious at all." Tong Wanyan pushed her closer with a grin.
Jia Rong and Shuo Gege clung to her arm affectionately, constantly acting coquettishly.
Not far from the pavilion was the North Courtyard. Consort Li took a stroll and saw a group of people standing in the pavilion from afar.
She looked up and pulled her foot back.
"Sister Li, Consort Tong is truly enviable. Isn't that Princess Jia Rong next to her?" Princess Tang stood beside Consort Li, her expression somewhat envious.
Consort Li frowned and distanced herself from her.
"From now on, Princess Heshuo and Consort Li will be sisters-in-law, and their frequent interactions are tacitly approved by the Emperor and Empress Dowager." Consort Li cut off Princess Tang's unspoken meaning.
Tang Gege was not giving up. Her round face lit up with an innocent and sweet smile: "It was all thanks to the master's connections. Otherwise, with Consort Tong's family background, how could she have married Prince Su's own sister? In terms of family background, Sister Li's is not much worse than Consort Tong's!"
The more provocative and malicious her words, the sweeter her smile became.
What a beautiful and sweet girl, yet she's so restless.
Consort Li felt that she was living a good life and did not want to get involved with Princess Tang and get into trouble.
"Lord Tong is a second-rank official with the title of Viscount bestowed by the Emperor. Such a young talent has earned all his merits through military exploits. It is only natural that Prince Su would take a liking to Lord Tong." Consort Li said, "If Princess Tang says such things to me again, she need not come to the North Courtyard."
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