After settling Shuhui and her son in the east courtyard, the Tenth Prince returned to his own front yard. Once back in his room, he was filled with conflicting emotions. Should he immediately report to his father, the Emperor, what he had seen of Prince Zhi and Princess Baoyue at the inn near Jiayuguan? If he did, would Prince Zhi be arrested or even punished?
The Tenth Prince hesitated, worried that if Emperor Kangxi discovered the affair between Prince Zhi and Baoyue now that he had just deposed the Crown Prince, he might be furious. He feared that Kangxi would be enraged if he spoke out. But should he simply keep it a secret? Should he tell his Eighth and Ninth brothers?
The Tenth Prince wasn't particularly quick-witted, which is why he was able to attend to Shu Hui's every little detail—it was because he truly loved and cared for her.
Meanwhile, Mingyue rode in a sedan chair all the way to the Eighth Prince's residence. Inside the sedan chair, she still had an angry expression on her face. The thought of how the Tenth Prince cared for Niohuru Shuhui so much made her furious.
As the Tenth Prince's wife entered the mansion through the main gate, throwing her handkerchief in the air, the Ninth Prince's sedan chair also stopped. The Tenth Prince's wife had barely stepped inside when the Ninth Prince followed.
"Second cousin!" Ninth Master called out to the Tenth Princess Consort in front of him.
When the Tenth Prince's wife turned around, she saw that it was none other than the Ninth Prince. They used to play together a lot when they were young. She had always had a little bit of feelings for the Ninth Prince, but he didn't seem to have any feelings for her at all, so Mingyue simply gave up on those thoughts.
"Ninth Master!" The Tenth Princess stopped and waited for the Ninth Master to come up.
"Judging from my cousin's hurried appearance, is it because the Tenth Prince is back?" Ninth Master asked.
"Yes, he's back, but the way he looked made me really uncomfortable. I came to chat with my sister to cheer myself up. Ninth Master, are you here to see your husband?" Mingyue asked.
"Isn't the princess that the Tenth Prince favors also surnamed Niohuru? I heard she gave birth to a boy." Ninth Master was really bringing up a sore spot.
Mingyue ignored Ninth Master with a frosty expression. Seeing this, Ninth Master quickly said, "How about I send someone to invite Tenth Master over? It's been a long time since I've seen that kid."
Upon hearing this, Mingyue's expression softened somewhat, and she said, "If my cousin could invite him over, I would be eternally grateful."
Ninth Master then turned to Xiao Wuzi, who was accompanying him, and gave him a few instructions. Xiao Wuzi then turned and ran towards the door.
At this moment, Mingyue had already bypassed the front courtyard and headed towards the main courtyard of the Eighth Prince's wife. The Ninth Prince naturally went to the front courtyard to find the Eighth Prince.
The Eighth Prince's wife was sitting in the room sketching out fabrics for the New Year. She first kept the ones she liked, and then began to allocate the supplies to the princesses.
"Sister~" Mingyue called out aggrievedly when she saw Minghui sitting there looking at the account books with a serious expression.
Minghui looked up at Mingyue and said calmly, "What's wrong? Who wronged you again?"
“Who else? It’s none other than the Tenth Prince, and of course, that Niohuru Shuhui. Just because she gave birth to a son for the Prince, she wants a new house as soon as she comes back, and she also wants to add more servants. Look at her, wearing a plum blossom red cheongsam, she’s dressed brighter than me. She’s deliberately trying to annoy me.” Mingyue ran to Minghui’s side, feeling wronged, and grabbed his arm.
“Get angry? There are plenty of things to get angry about. Every three years, a few alluring new women will come into the inner quarters. Can you handle getting angry?” Minghui turned her head to look at Mingyue and said.
"Sister, what's wrong?" Mingyue noticed that Minghui was no longer as gentle and quiet as before, and the look in her eyes was somewhat indifferent and cold.
“Mingyue, you are the Tenth Prince’s wife. You shouldn’t panic at the slightest thing and come to your sister to complain. After all, your sister can’t manage the Tenth Prince’s household for you. Since you are the principal wife, you should act like one. When the concubines or princesses below are pregnant or have given birth, as the principal wife, you should generously treat their children as your own and raise them well, so that your husbands can have more offspring,” the Eighth Prince’s wife said calmly.
Mingyue looked at Minghui and felt as if her sister had changed overnight. The once intolerant and strong-willed Minghui had suddenly transformed into a gentle and virtuous primary wife.
"Sister!" Mingyue looked at Minghui in surprise.
"You may leave now. Just send them all over as they were just now," the Eighth Princess said, raising her hand adorned with crimson gold armor to the two head maids.
After they had all left, the Eighth Princess Consort's composed expression immediately relaxed. She exhaled and said, "Your brother-in-law is currently at a critical juncture. I cannot be like you, vying for favor in the inner quarters. I must ensure that his mind is entirely focused on the court."
Upon hearing Minghui's words, Mingyue breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I was wondering why my sister seemed to have changed. It turns out she didn't want to reveal her true colors in front of the servants."
“You, don’t think that just because you’re the Tenth Prince’s wife, all the stewards in your household will obey you. If you’re not smart enough, they’ll find all sorts of ways to bully you. You don’t even know it, you even give them money as a reward. Mingyue, put away your childish temper. The Tenth Prince is no longer the Tenth Prince you used to be, the one who let you beat and scold him at will. Although what you said just now was not what you truly meant, it is indeed the way we, as the principal wives, live.” Minghui said. Since the incident with Consort Liang, the Eighth Prince seemed to treat his wife differently than before. Minghui knew that he was still angry that she had spoken those words to Consort Liang so openly, leading to Consort Liang’s suicide, but she was clearly still doing it for him.
Seeing that Minghui couldn't offer any good advice, only advising her to treat her concubines well, Mingyue felt very resentful.
Seeing that Mingyue still wouldn't let go of her obsession, Minghui knew she wouldn't understand, so she could only offer a few gentle words of advice.
Meanwhile, upon receiving an invitation from the Ninth Prince, the Tenth Prince immediately rode to the Eighth Prince's residence. The Eighth Prince and the Ninth Prince were discussing matters of state at court.
"Eighth Brother, Ninth Brother!" Tenth Master called out as soon as he entered.
"Tenth Brother, you're finally back! Your Ninth Brother and I have missed you terribly." Eighth Master stood up and greeted Tenth Master warmly.
Tenth Master was a little embarrassed. He hadn't taken the initiative to visit them upon his return, but Ninth Master had sent someone to invite him. He touched his forehead and said, "My two brothers, how are you? I'm in the northern desert, figuring out how to fight."
Ninth Master patted Tenth Master on the shoulder and joked, "And he hasn't forgotten to have a baby yet."
Tenth Master blushed at Ninth Master's words and said with a grin, "I heard that Madam Chen from Eighth Brother's household is also pregnant."
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