Having been together for ten years, Lanqin was already very familiar with the Fourth Prince's expressions and body language. Seeing him like this, she knew that he did not mean to blame Hongli.
"Master, today Hongli and Hongsheng got into a fight over a trivial matter. I'm sure you already know about it. What are your thoughts on this?" Lanqin asked.
"It's best for adults not to interfere in children's affairs. However, Hongli, brothers should be more respectful and loving towards each other," said the Fourth Prince.
"Father, your son has never been disrespectful to Hongsheng, it's just..." Hongli said with some grievance. He himself didn't have a good impression of Hongsheng, because from the beginning Hongsheng liked to put on airs in front of people, and then he liked to be self-centered and show off like a maniac. Hongli really couldn't like him.
Lanqin knew her son's thoughts. She knew that the Fourth Prince's words must have put Hongli in a difficult position, because the child was still young and did not know that "brotherly love and respect" could be just a formality.
“Hongli, you really shouldn’t have acted.” Lanqin nodded to Hongli, indicating that he didn’t need to say anything more, just admit his mistake.
But Hongli didn't understand. Why make things so unclear when they were so obvious? His father had just mentioned brotherly love and respect—didn't brotherly love have to come first before brotherly respect?
“Father, ‘brotherly love and respect’ is a cause-and-effect relationship. As the elder brother, one must first be loving and respectful to the younger brother to set an example. The younger brother is young and doesn’t understand, but seeing his elder brother’s love and respect will inspire him to be respectful. Hongli doesn’t think he has been disrespectful to the Third Prince in any way,” Hongli said stubbornly.
Lanqin was taken aback. Hongli had actually spoken her thoughts aloud, which surprised her greatly, yet also filled her with a strange joy. The Fourth Prince was also stunned by Hongli's words. In truth, he didn't truly revere "brotherly love and respect." He and his brothers were merely maintaining a facade, secretly vying for power while striving to present this image to Emperor Kangxi.
The Fourth Prince then said to Hongli, "Then tell your father what happened. Don't hide anything, don't miss a single word."
Upon hearing this, Lanqin was overjoyed. She knew that the Fourth Prince had begun to believe Hongli, which was why he was willing to listen carefully to Hongli's account of what had happened.
Hongli recounted the entire story without missing a single detail, and finally said to the Fourth Prince, "Father, you can ask the Fifth Prince, who witnessed the whole thing. And the Second Prince, they both saw it too. The teacher didn't see the whole thing, and the servants outside don't know exactly what happened either."
Fourth Master nodded and said, "After you've finished your dinner, go back and study."
Lanqin smiled and nodded to Hongli, who then bowed to the Fourth Prince and Lanqin before leaving.
"Si Hua, go and tell Niu Baoquan to make another eight-treasure duck and a pork bone and yam soup, and also stir-fry some beef with bell peppers. These dishes are getting a bit cold, so take them away," Lan Qin said to Si Hua.
"Only now will you cook me a few hot dishes?" Fourth Master smiled, a smirk playing on his lips. He had already formed a general impression after hearing the steward's report. He knew Hongli's temperament; he was definitely not as Nian Shi described. On the contrary, the child was quite perceptive. But even knowing this, he still didn't reprimand Hongsheng.
“It’s not easy being a prince either. But that’s just Hongli’s nature. As long as you’ve done this much, that’s enough,” Lanqin said.
"However, it's still best to avoid conflicts, hmm?" Fourth Master said to Lanqin.
Lanqin understood what Fourth Master meant, pouted slightly, and finally nodded.
That night, the Fourth Prince naturally stayed at the South Courtyard. When Madam Nian found out, she was only annoyed. She understood that the Fourth Prince's heart still favored the South Courtyard.
The next day, Hongli went to school as usual. When he saw Hongsheng, he smiled at him, which meant he remembered the "brotherly love and respect" that the Fourth Prince had told him. However, he simply couldn't bring himself to interact with Hongsheng again.
Hongsheng was completely stunned when Hongli smiled at him. But then he remembered his father's words to him yesterday, which clearly showed that he didn't like him and Hongli to have another conflict. He also saw that his mother didn't seem to have the upper hand this time, otherwise she wouldn't have lost her temper with the maids last night.
So, for the first time, Hongsheng returned a somewhat awkward smile to Hongli.
From then on, Hongli and Hongsheng no longer acted as if they would fight every time they met, but they still ignored each other. Hongli didn't want to associate with him anyway, but he had promised Lanqin that he would try his best to avoid conflicts with Hongsheng.
Children are less likely to hold grudges; even if they have a huge argument, they'll forget about it afterward. But adults? Once they harbor hatred, it's hard for them to let go.
On this day, Lady Nian had Bai Zhi summon Lady Fucha to the East Courtyard again. She was getting impatient, as Lady Fucha seemed to be making no move, and she had no idea that Lady Fucha had already laid a subtle trap for her.
Lady Fucha, dressed in a light blue cheongsam, walked into the East Courtyard, supported by Hongqiao.
With spring in full bloom, the potted plants and trees in the Nian family courtyard are bursting into color. The rich fragrance of the flowers has made the air almost too stuffy to breathe.
"This concubine greets Consort Nian!" Lady Fucha saw Lady Nian standing under a hibiscus tree and walked over.
“Look, the hibiscus tree is actually blooming, which is unusual,” said Madam Nian. “In previous years, hibiscus trees wouldn’t bloom at this time. This year, however, they’ve bloomed earlier than usual.”
"Perhaps it's because the feng shui here is good, even the flowers have bloomed early. It's truly an auspicious sign!" Lady Fucha said flatteringly.
“Is that so? I think it’s an ominous sign. The flowers are about to bloom, and the animals are restless; these are all signs of misfortune,” said Madam Nian.
“No one in the inner quarters can match the Consort now. Although she is only a Consort, she already manages the affairs of the inner quarters. How could there be any ominous signs?” Fucha said, slightly tightening her grip on the handkerchief in her hand.
"Although Niohuru seems to have changed a bit, I'm afraid the Prince still values her highly. Last time, I, as a concubine, tried to let the ladies in the palace know what she had done, but she still managed to get away with it. I'm afraid her luck is unstoppable." As Lady Nian said this, her eyes swept over Lady Fucha.
"Consort, there's no need to rush. The Prince clearly understands the importance of the Nian, Fucha, and Ulala families, which is why he's ensuring the ladies of the inner quarters receive equal favor. The Niohuru clan is currently weak; it will only take time," Fucha said, stalling for time. This was because the poison she had placed in Nian's bird's nest soup needed time to accumulate and eventually kill her.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
