Hongli, forcing himself to stay awake, told the coachman the address of the Yong Prince's residence, and then he and Hongzhou fell asleep in the carriage. Upon hearing the address, the coachman was startled, and seeing their fine clothes, he knew they were important people.
The coachman composed himself, raised his whip, and lashed it across the horse. The horse, in pain, immediately reared up, kicking and thrashing its neck. Its black mane billowed, and then it broke into a gallop.
The coachman had thick eyebrows and big eyes, a burly build, and his face was covered in wrinkles etched by the elements. He wasn't actually that old, probably no more than thirty. He skillfully drove the carriage towards a less crowded area.
Meanwhile, after the Fujin (principal wife) and Hongshi (Hongshi) finished their vegetarian meal at Tantuo Temple, they returned home. Upon returning, Hongshi went to the Irgen clan's residence, while Ulanara Shuzhen and Xueying followed the Fujin to the main courtyard.
After removing her heavy jewelry and changing into casual clothes, the Fujin finally felt more comfortable. Looking at her two nieces standing before her, one already a concubine of Hongshi, and the other like a flower bud about to bloom, at the most beautiful moment.
"Please sit down. Now that you two sisters are here, I'd like to have a chat with you," the Fujin said, holding up a blue-and-white porcelain cup to the two women.
After the two sat down, the Fujin glanced at Shuzhen a few times and asked, "What's wrong with Lady Irgen today?"
When Shuzhen saw that the Fujin had asked the question so suddenly, she thought that she hadn't noticed anything. She didn't expect that she had been holding back and had finally asked the question.
"It seems she knows her niece is fooling her. It's rare that she actually saw through it," Shuzhen said, her eyes radiating disdain.
Xueying held her famille rose porcelain cup and drank her tea, completely ignoring Shuzhen's words as if she hadn't heard them at all.
"Didn't I tell you to serve her well? How come she figured it out so quickly?" the Fujin said unhappily.
“Aunt, that Irgen isn’t exactly a bright person. I think it would be better if she found out. As long as I keep my current attitude in front of the Second Master, and with Father’s help, the Second Master might gradually get tired of her,” Shuzhen said smugly.
The princess glanced at her, her right hand touching the nail guard on her left hand, and said, "Have you figured out Hongshi's temperament?"
The Fujin knew her adopted son, whom she had raised for over a decade, well enough to say to Shuzhen, "Better safe than sorry. Don't be careless. Hongshi's temperament is unpredictable."
Shuzhen nodded hurriedly and said, "Thank you for your advice, Aunt. I will be careful."
"How are things on your end, Xueying? You drew a marriage fortune stick today, what did it say?" Although the Fujin was talking to Shuzhen, she kept an eye on Xueying's actions, but seeing that she didn't speak, she took the initiative to start a conversation.
“Aunt, I didn’t draw the marriage fortune stick. Since I’ve already decided on someone, why bother drawing the stick? It’s just a way to scam some donations,” Xueying said. She had actually been thinking to herself about whether or not to tell her about Hongzhou and Hongli’s appearance there.
Upon hearing this, Shuzhen couldn't help but feel suspicious. She didn't know what Xueying and the Fujin were planning, and hearing her say this immediately piqued her curiosity.
"I wonder who my sister will marry?" Shuzhen asked.
Xueying glanced at her and said, "Anyway, it's not Second Cousin, so you can rest assured, Sister. You should hurry back, Sister, otherwise what if Second Cousin comes looking for you?"
Shuzhen was so angry she wanted to curse, but with the Fujin (principal wife) present, she had to swallow her anger and said to the Fujin, "Aunt, if there's nothing else, I'll be going back now?"
"Yes, you can go back now. Remember, don't reveal anything to Hongshi. Even if Irgen knows something, she can't prove anything if she can't find any evidence against her!" the Fujin instructed.
After Shuzhen left, Xueying slowly spoke up: "Hongzhou came today, in that so-called room where people draw marriage fortune slips."
The princess was startled and quickly asked, "What did he say to you?"
“He probably wanted to talk to my niece about the engagement, but I didn’t let him continue,” Xueying said. “As long as I don’t give him a clear answer, he won’t give up. Only in this way will my niece have a chance to see Hongli.”
The princess nodded approvingly and said, "Have you thought about how to sow discord between Fucha Mingyu and Hongli?"
Xueying paused for a moment, then shook her head and said, "We don't even have a chance to meet now, so how can we sow discord? I wonder what Father's plans are?"
The princess said, "Is Yartan's horse farm no longer hosting events? Only by going there will you have a chance to meet. Staying in this mansion, there is really no chance for you to meet."
Xueying said, "I'm not Wuxiha, so naturally I can't command Yartan. If you want her to reopen the horse farm, it will only be possible if this illegitimate daughter of my aunt intervenes."
The princess frowned and said, "I don't like Niohuru's daughter at all. However, she has already come of age, so I'm afraid Niohuru is actively looking for a marriage for her."
“Aunt, why don’t I go and visit those sisters? They’re all around the same age, and if I ask them for needlework advice, they won’t refuse, will they?” Xueying said.
“That Ushiha seems to know very little about needlework, while Bechuk seems to know a little. If you were to talk to Ushiha about needlework, I’m afraid she wouldn’t even listen. This girl has been raised by Niohuru and has no manners at all; she is a disgrace to the royal family,” the Fujin said.
Xueying glanced at the Fujin and said, "Aunt, then I will talk to her about it. I'm just worried that Niohuru will not allow it."
"She probably won't, but you never know, you should give it a try," the Fujin said.
Xueying then questioned Niohuru, Wuxiha, and Bechuk in detail, including their personalities and hobbies. Fortunately, the Fujin had been sending people to monitor the South Courtyard, so they were able to get pretty accurate information.
After hearing the Princess Consort's description, Xueying, supported by her maid A'luo, returned to her room. She wondered how someone like Niohuru could possibly gain the favor of Prince Yong, who was known for his strictness and ruthlessness.
"Princess, shall I help you to rest?" A'luo said, seeing that Xueying had been running around all day.
"A-Luo, did you bring in those books I was reading before?" Xueying asked.
"Yes, I brought them. The princess instructed me to bring them all in." A'luo didn't understand why Xueying was asking about those things.
“Take a list of them all. This Fourth Princess likes to read all sorts of books, so I’ll go chat with her. She’s just like me, she absolutely hates those kinds of things.” Xueying said with a slight smile.
“Yes, those things you’re looking at, the master and mistress wouldn’t allow it. You still secretly had me bring them in,” A’Luo said.
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