"Your Highness need not be anxious. Once the Seventh Prince marries his primary wife, he will naturally have a grandson." Lanqin also knew that since the primary wife had not yet given birth to a prince, the secondary wives, princesses, and concubines dared not give birth to a prince.
"Very well, thanks to your auspicious words, I am worried that Yinzhi will be able to marry a woman of both talent and beauty, and a good temperament." Consort Cheng said with emotion, putting down Hongshi.
"Your Majesty, please wait a moment. I'll go to the kitchen and get things ready. We'll have something to eat soon," Lanqin said with a smile.
"Alright, I'm really looking forward to eating the meal you've prepared. It'll be an unforgettable experience," Consort Cheng said with a smile.
The Fourth Princess Consort coldly watched Lanqin chatting and laughing with Consort Cheng outside, and pursed her thin lips.
"Consort Shu, now that there's no other consort in your household, are you managing the affairs of your inner quarters?" Wanyan asked, bored and having just been rebuffed by Lanqin, noticing Shu's constant faint smile and remembering that the Seventh Prince's residence was being overseen by the Seventh Prince. Normally, she wouldn't bother speaking to a consort.
"Replying to Fourteenth Princess Consort, I am only temporarily in charge of the affairs of the inner quarters. Once Seventh Prince marries his primary wife, I will hand over all matters to her to handle," Madam Shu replied gently.
“Of course, the primary consort is the principal wife. The secondary consort can only assist, how can she overstep her bounds? Don’t you agree, Fourth Sister-in-law?” Wanyan suddenly changed the subject and asked the Fourth Consort. She wasn’t stupid; she had just been persuaded by the Fourth Consort to say that, and was clearly being used as a pawn.
The Fourth Prince's wife was already feeling uncomfortable. Seeing Lanqin chatting and laughing with Consort Cheng, and now being teased by the Fourteenth Prince's wife, she could no longer hold back. She suddenly stood up, ignored the Fourteenth Prince's wife's words, and walked straight out.
Meanwhile, Lanqin and the cook had already started heating the pots in the kitchen. She had prepared two pots, since she didn't want to eat at the same table as the primary wife anyway.
Lanqin gave a few instructions and then came out. She saw the Fourth Prince Consort leading Hongshi in the courtyard, looking up at the sky. It turned out that the fireworks had already started. Consort Cheng, as well as Lady Shu, Lady Wanyan, the First Princess, and the Second Princess, also came out and stood on the steps of the main hall of Yonghe Palace, gazing up at the sky.
Lanqin hurriedly came out, turned around the corridor, walked to Consort Cheng's side, and looked up at the fireworks in the sky.
"I watch these fireworks every day, but I never get tired of them. These dazzling sparks are truly beautiful." Consort Cheng's face was etched with the marks of time. Her maternal family was of lowly birth, and she had given birth to a disabled son, leading to her being disliked by Emperor Kangxi. She relied on Consort De for support, and her life was difficult. But she was still considered fortunate. Those women in the deep palace who had no children were probably also gazing at these fireworks in the sky at this moment, reminiscing about the past glory that seemed like a dream.
Once you enter the palace gates, it's like entering a deep sea; you'll regret sending a woman into the royal family.
At that time, Emperor Kangxi was hosting a banquet for important court officials. All the adult princes were present. The Crown Prince sat in the first seat below Kangxi, followed by the Prince of the First Rank, the Third Prince, the Fourth Prince, the Fifth Prince, the Seventh Prince, the Eighth Prince, the Ninth Prince, the Tenth Prince, the Thirteenth Prince, and the Fourteenth Prince. The first seat on the right was naturally occupied by famous ministers such as Zhang Tingyu and Li Guangdi.
Consort De and Consort Yi sat on either side of Emperor Kangxi, both radiant and elegant.
The princes and ministers toasted each other, but the crown prince was ignored. He simply sat there alone, drinking one cup after another. The fourth prince looked at him, then picked up a cup of wine and said to the crown prince, "Crown Prince, I toast you."
The Crown Prince smiled, cupped his hands in greeting, and raised his cup. The two brothers drank a cup of wine across from the Prince Zhi and the Third Prince.
"Eighth Brother, look, Fourth Brother is patting the Crown Prince's horse again. It's a pity that Father Emperor is clearly ignoring the Crown Prince today, can't he even see that?" Ninth Prince whispered to Eighth Prince beside him.
"Speak less, go, let's also go and toast the Crown Prince. No matter what, he is still the Crown Prince of the Qing Dynasty." The Eighth Prince smiled gently at the ministers who were toasting him, while talking to the Ninth Prince.
“If we go to toast him now, Father Emperor is already investigating him,” Ninth Master said, puzzled.
“Father has always liked to see us brothers being friendly and respectful. Even if it’s just for show today, it’s to make Father happy,” said the Eighth Prince.
Meanwhile, Emperor Kangxi was receiving toasts from his ministers, but he only touched his lips to the wine and didn't actually drink it; otherwise, he couldn't handle one cup from each person.
"Your Majesty, please have some of this fish. I specially asked the kitchen to add this dish of black nightshade fish. It tastes very delicious and is also warming and nourishing. Your Majesty, please have some and don't go hungry." Although Consort Yi was nearing forty, her voice was still as clear and melodious as a nightingale's, which was truly pleasing to the ear.
"My dear consort, you are very thoughtful," Kangxi said.
After Emperor Kangxi had indeed taken two bites of fish, Consort De promptly handed him a cup of tea, saying, "Your Majesty, this is a hangover soup that I had prepared. Although you only took a sip, you still drank a few cups, so please have some to soothe the effects of the alcohol."
Kangxi nodded, took the hangover soup, drank two sips, and then put it down, saying, "My dear consort, you've gone to so much trouble."
Consort Yi and Consort De exchanged a glance, then looked away knowingly.
"Father, I wish you good health and a long life!" The Fourteenth Prince suddenly stood up from his seat, walked to Kangxi, and raised his wine cup.
When Consort De saw that it was him, her eyes were full of tenderness as she looked at her youngest son with approval.
"Haha, it's my little fourteenth. Here, here, I'll give you this as a reward." Kangxi had always doted on the fourteenth prince and still treated him like a child. He casually took a piece of Hetian jade from his waist and handed it to Liang Jiugong.
"Thank you for the reward, Father. However, I am not here to ask you for a reward," the Fourteenth Prince said righteously.
These words shocked everyone present.
Everyone looked at the Fourteenth Prince, even Consort De was startled by his words and stared at him in confusion.
"Hehe, so what brings you here?" Kangxi asked with a laugh.
"Your Majesty, I have come to request permission to go to the north for training. I have heard that the Russians have been constantly finding various excuses to harass the borders of our Great Qing. I greatly admire Your Majesty's son and should not be here enjoying a salary. A true man should aspire to the battlefield and make a name for himself. I am seventeen now and I greatly admire my elder brother who went to the battlefield at fifteen," the Fourteenth Prince said, enunciating each word clearly.
The more Consort De listened, the more anxious she became. Naturally, she did not want the Fourteenth Prince to go to the north, which was a frigid place. Moreover, swords and spears had no eyes, and she dared not imagine what would happen if he got hurt.
Fourth Master listened coldly, thinking to himself: What an impatient fellow.
Looking at his son, who showed considerable martial talent, Kangxi was momentarily at a loss for words.
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