"Is such a thing really true?" the Empress Dowager asked, slightly surprised.
“Grandmother, Ruishu was not mistaken. Prince Indal’s gaze has always been fixed on that girl from Minrou County. Grandmother, she must have bewitched you. First, she seduced Father Emperor, even daring to talk back to Consort Yi; now she’s seducing the Tibetan prince. She’s simply a shameless woman.” The Sixteenth Princess seemed convinced that Lanqin was the culprit who ruined her relationship with Prince Indal, and thus poured all her resentment into Lanqin.
"If that's really the case, I will not let her off easily. As a concubine of a prince, how dare she meddle in the palace? She's incredibly audacious." The Empress Dowager didn't like Consort De very much to begin with, and now that Consort De's daughter-in-law had ruined her plans, how could she not hate her?
“Grandmother, Ruishu has gone back first. Ruishu will keep a close eye on her. If she dares to seduce Prince Indal again, Ruishu will definitely report to Grandmother.” The sixteenth princess, despite her young age, showed a very unusual expression on her face, as if she were gloating.
"Alright, I will keep an eye on them. You may go back now. If Indar is indeed interested in her, I will definitely intervene." A sinister glint flashed across the Empress Dowager's face. She had originally intended to use the marriage between the Sixteenth Princess and Indar to strengthen the connection between the Khorchin grasslands and the Tibetan royal court. She naturally didn't want to consider the other women of the imperial clan who were not under her control, but the Sixteenth Princess had always been obedient and listened to her, making her her primary choice.
After leaving the Empress Dowager's palace, the Sixteenth Princess's face immediately lost its girlish innocence and naivety, revealing a maturity completely inconsistent with her actual age.
"Chunfang, aren't you sisters with Chuncao from Cining Palace? Find a way to get her to keep a close eye on Indar's every move," the Sixteenth Princess said to one of her maids.
“Well, Your Highness, Chuncao is my younger sister, but she is only a third-class palace maid who does chores like washing clothes and sweeping. How could she possibly serve Prince Indal? I’m afraid…” Chunfang said with a troubled expression.
“That’s easy! Take this and have your sister give more silver to the head maid of Cining Palace and ask her to transfer you to serve Indal.” The Sixteenth Princess took off a ruby and gold bracelet from her wrist and handed it to Chunfang.
"This servant dares not, please take it back, Your Highness." Chunfang looked at the item and, although she knew it was extremely valuable, she dared not accept it. It was clearly something used by princesses and noblewomen; if a lowly servant like her took it, she feared it would bring trouble upon herself.
"You're afraid of trouble? Fine, I'll give you the silver, is that alright now?" The sixteenth princess saw through her thoughts and changed her mind.
"Yes, then this servant will give it a try." Chunfang knew the Sixteenth Princess's personality; if she didn't agree, she was afraid she would suffer the consequences.
The sixteenth princess said, "Alright, I'll give you one hundred taels of silver. Have your sister smash it. Make sure she gets transferred to serve Indal, understand?"
Chunfang had no choice but to nod in agreement.
Meanwhile, Indar was unaware that his feelings for Lanqin had already caught the eye of the Sixteenth Princess. He had already been served by the palace servants and gone to sleep. However, his mind was filled with the image of that Minrou County girl.
"Stop overthinking. She's the Fourth Prince's concubine," Indal muttered to himself.
"Your Highness, who are you talking about?" A servant brought by Indal's entourage, who was standing guard outside, heard him talking to himself and asked. His name was Hook, and he was Indal's personal attendant, absolutely loyal to him.
"Hook, come in and talk to me, I can't sleep," Indal said, jumping up.
“Your Highness, please rise and have some tea. This was given to me by the Queen, who said it is your favorite.” Hook brought in a long-spouted silver teapot, completely different from the teapots used by Han Chinese. He was also dressed in Tibetan attire and was a young man in his early twenties.
“I miss my mother a little.” Indal stood up, walked to the table, and sat down.
“The princess must also be thinking of the prince. Prince, do you have someone you love?” Hook asked.
“Alas, it’s a pity she’s already married, so it’s impossible. But I don’t like that sixteenth princess either. Yet my mother and the Empress Dowager insist on forcing me to marry her,” Indal said.
“Your Highness, there are so many women in this world. Is it possible that Your Highness will never find one who suits you? If Your Highness is unwilling, the Sixteenth Princess will not be able to marry you,” Hook advised. Although he was a servant, he had a very good relationship with Indal and spoke his mind directly to his face.
“That’s right. Although she’s already married, I believe I can meet another woman like her.” Indal was a free spirit, and after a little encouragement from Hook, he immediately understood.
After the master and servant drank a cup of tea, they talked about some things related to the Qing court.
“Your Highness, you came here this time to cultivate good relations with the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty. They have already sent people to Lhasa. They are frequently clashing with the local ethnic groups. Your Highness, please don’t forget about this,” Hook reminded him.
“Yes, I haven’t forgotten. The Emperor of the Qing Dynasty has never met with me alone. I need to find an opportunity to see him before I can bring up this matter,” Indal said.
"Her Majesty the Empress Dowager is so eager to promote the marriage between the Prince and the Sixteenth Princess. Is she trying to strengthen the relationship between the Qing Dynasty and Tibet? As far as I know, this Sixteenth Princess is not of noble birth. Her mother is merely an unfavored concubine who is not valued by the Emperor. If the Prince marries such a woman, it will not be of much benefit to Tibet," Hook continued.
“I have never been interested in her, so naturally I will not marry her. However, I also do not want to marry a woman who only promotes relations between the Qing Dynasty and Tibet. That would be too painful, having to spend my whole life with a woman I do not love,” Indal said.
“But Prince, your status doesn’t allow you to ignore these things. There are so many beauties around the King, and they can all bear him children. That’s why the Queen Consort is worried about these things, which is why she sent you to the Qing Dynasty to find supporters. Otherwise, Green Princess’s son, Batur, would also want to come,” Hook reminded him.
Hearing this, Indal felt annoyed and said, "I know, but why don't you go for a walk?"
Hook knew Indal was bored and didn't stop him, but quickly grabbed his coat and followed him out. They were complete strangers to the palace. They walked along the red palace path, avoiding the patrolling guards by standing at the foot of the walls.
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