Consort Cheng covered her face with a handkerchief and thanked her again.
Consort De looked on and said softly, "The Eighth Prince's marriage has also been arranged. He is betrothed to a girl from the Guo Luo Luo family."
Consort Cheng's body stiffened, and she was stunned: "Your Majesty, are you referring to that Guo Luoluo clan?"
Consort De nodded: "The daughter of Heshuo Efu Mingshang, and the granddaughter of Anqin Wang Yuele, is that Guoluo clan woman."
Consort Cheng's breath caught in her throat, and for a moment she could hardly believe it: "Such a distinguished family background?"
What is Your Majesty thinking? Did you specially choose such a distinguished family to make up for the shortcomings of the Eighth Prince's mother's family?
But isn't Prince Zhi behind the Eighth Prince?
this……
Consort De patted Consort Cheng's hand lightly: "Some things are not as simple as they seem. Although Prince An's family is of illustrious lineage, His Majesty does not favor them, and none of his descendants have ever been given important positions. This speaks volumes. Moreover, that girl from the Guo Luo Luo family is probably not even as good as the third prince's family."
Consort Cheng was not stupid and immediately understood Consort De's meaning: "Your Majesty, I understand. I heard that Consort Hui has kept another cage of canaries in her palace, and they've been making quite a fuss these past few days."
A seemingly random remark made Consort De burst into laughter instantly.
"Indeed, Consort Wei in the side hall has complained quite a bit. Luckily, she has a well-mannered son who went to persuade her." Consort De picked up her tea, gently brushed away the tea foam with the lid, and smiled faintly.
When will the caged canary be freed from its cage?
On the surface, it was because the Emperor pitied the Eighth Prince and promised him such a good marriage, but in reality, the Emperor did not like Prince An's family at all.
It was simply to give the Eighth Prince enough leverage. The Eighth Prince was no ordinary man; he was the son of an ambitious woman, and in that respect, mother and son were alike.
Consort De brought up this matter today out of good intentions, reminding Consort Cheng that the Seventh Prince's marriage is not as good as the Eighth Prince's Guo Luoluo Clan. This is because she is afraid that Consort Cheng will be instigated by someone with ulterior motives.
Consort Cheng knew perfectly well what was going on and was naturally extremely grateful. She smiled and asked, "From what Your Highness is saying, has the Imperial Household Department already set a date?"
Consort De put down her teacup and nodded: "Seventh Prince is scheduled for May next year, and Eighth Prince for July next year."
Comparing the pros and cons of one after the other inevitably makes people feel unhappy.
Consort Cheng noted down the date and smiled gently, "I have remembered what Your Majesty said today. I am very grateful for Your Majesty's guidance."
It was late at night, and seeing that it was getting late, Zhao Mama came in. Upon seeing this, Consort Cheng got up, took her leave, and departed.
As Consort Cheng emerged from the main hall, she slowly made her way to the side hall, occasionally hearing the clear chirping of sparrows and the sound of their flapping wings.
Consort Cheng paused slightly, muttering to herself, "How come I can hear the birds' voices all the way from Yonghe Palace? That shouldn't be the case."
That shouldn't be the case...
...
After the Golden Festival, the palace returned to peace, but soon another incident broke this brief tranquility.
On the 18th of October, Grand Secretary Alantai passed away. The Emperor mourned his death and sent Prince Zhi to offer condolences. He also granted him a funeral and a memorial service and posthumously named him Wenqing.
It wasn't a big deal, but such matters were usually handled by the Crown Prince, and now, out of the blue, it was the Prince Zhi who took over.
Immediately, the court officials discussed the matter, and the Prince Zhi's residence was bustling with activity.
The Fourth Prince returned to the capital on October 19th. He heard about this on the way, so it was natural for him to be surprised, as this was truly the first time he had ever heard of such a thing.
Upon returning to the capital, the Fourth Prince first went back to his residence, took a bath, changed his clothes, and then went to the palace.
He first went to the Qianqing Palace to report back, and after leaving the Qianqing Palace, the Fourth Prince was somewhat puzzled.
The Emperor's thoughts are becoming increasingly difficult to fathom.
On the way, they encountered Prince Zhi, who looked like he had just come from Consort Hui's place, beaming with joy.
After seeing the Fourth Prince, he surprisingly refrained from making sarcastic remarks and even laughed.
The Fourth Prince suppressed his thoughts and went straight to Yonghe Palace.
In Yonghe Palace, when Consort De saw the Fourth Prince arrive, she smiled and inquired about his well-being, and then brought up the marriage of the Seventh Prince and the Eighth Prince again.
The Fourth Prince nodded in agreement. After thinking for a moment, he understood what Consort De meant. He then heard Consort De say that Lady Song in the mansion had given birth to a princess. He couldn't quite describe his feelings, but he felt a sense of expectation. It was good whether it was a boy or a girl.
"Fourth son, your wife is a good woman, but don't blame your mother for being nosy when it comes to having children. I can turn a blind eye to your usual jealousy and rivalry, but when it comes to having children... Fourth son, this is your backyard..." Consort De carefully chose her words, afraid that they might hurt the mother-son relationship.
Upon hearing this, the Fourth Prince quickly stood up: "I'm sorry to trouble you, Mother. It's my fault for not being careful enough to remind you of these things..."
Consort De breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "Good, Mother is at ease with you. This pregnancy of Song Shi has not been easy either. When we return to the manor, tell her to take good care of herself. As for the eldest princess, she should also take good care of herself. She is at a vulnerable time right now."
The Fourth Prince, thinking of his wife, pursed his thin lips, unable to suppress a hint of disappointment.
After leaving Yonghe Palace, the Fourth Prince, who had been traveling overnight for several days, got into his carriage as soon as he exited the palace gate.
Once inside the carriage, I closed my eyes, my mind filled with thoughts...
His wife... his nominal primary wife, how could she be so ruthless? He remembered the first time he met Ulanara, she was a very nice person, dignified and modest. Indeed, Ulanara had always been dignified and modest.
Because in Ulanara's heart only the glory of the entire Ulanara clan, the glory of being the wife of a prince, the glory of giving birth to the eldest legitimate son, and the glory of her virtuous reputation, ha.
As for Madam Song, her premature birth was not as simple as it seemed on the surface, but Fourth Master did not show her much pity.
Song... Ha, she started making underhanded moves, both openly and secretly, as soon as the Fujin entered the mansion, and her methods were endless.
She was gentle and virtuous towards him, flattering and fawning, but towards the Fujin (the wife of the deceased prince), she was cold and sarcastic, even disrespectful.
At this age, the Fourth Prince still harbors fantasies about his primary wife. He hopes to treat her with respect and courtesy. As for the princesses below him, as long as he doesn't mistreat or indulge them, and the inner court remains stable, that's enough.
A peaceful backyard seems like a pipe dream now...
Song Gege's pregnancy and the ways the Fujin used to make the Fourth Prince "suddenly realize" how ridiculous his ideas were.
The Fourth Master was a little tired. His cold and hard face softened slightly. He pressed his hand to his temple and closed his eyes for a short rest.
With his other hand resting on the table, he bumped into the letters on the table. The top one was the one written by Li Chenjiao.
The Fourth Prince opened his eyes, looked at the delicate handwriting on the letter, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.
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