Lanqin nodded and said, "Therefore, we cannot be careless about Hongshi's matter. It seems that he is getting impatient and is about to come out of seclusion."
Remembering the ruthlessness of the former Ulanara clan, Cui Niang couldn't help but shrug her shoulders and said, "Master, she has been disliked by the Prince for so many years. Does she really think she can get out now?"
Lanqin said, "Her only trump card is still her status. When Hongli and Hongzhou see her, they still have to call her 'Madam'. With that, she can control them. Now, Hongshi is causing trouble, which is probably something she's been plotting behind the scenes."
“What can we do? You can’t very well go and ask the Prince for help. But if we keep delaying like this, and the wedding day is approaching and the courtyard is still not ready, I’m afraid the Prince will think that you’re not doing your job properly!” said Cui Niang.
"That's her goal. What a wicked wife! She'll stop at nothing to achieve her own ends, even at the cost of her adopted son's reputation," Lanqin said. "She probably wishes this marriage would just fall through, so her niece could marry into the family."
Immediately, Cui Niang fell silent, and the other maids in the room also dared not utter a sound. Lan Qin's face had never been so pale. She hadn't expected that person to set such a big trap for her as soon as he appeared, and yet she couldn't go to the Fourth Master to complain.
Meanwhile, Hongshi was sitting in his wife's room, drinking tea. Both mother and son remained silent.
“Mother, if she goes to tell Father, I will say what you told me to do?” Hongshi put down the blue and white porcelain teacup with intertwined branches and said.
"Hmm. Just say that. Your father's willingness to rebuild your courtyard shows he cares a lot about your marriage. If you say that, he won't think we're making things difficult for the girl in the South Courtyard." The Fujin's face was obscured by the rising tea steam, but her words were clear. She had told Hongshi since he was little who his birth mother was, and who had taken away her favor and status. Now, whose son had won the Fourth Prince's favor?
Hongshi was naturally a very quiet person, but he would only reveal his sinister side when no one else was around. Over the years, he had harbored a deep resentment towards Nanxiaoyuan, resenting that his birth mother had died so young, resenting that he was not valued by his father, and resenting everything about Nanxiaoyuan.
"Mother, I know what to say. Uncle didn't blame you too much for Cousin Xueying's matter, did he?" Hongshi said with a faint smile. He had always been somewhat afraid of his primary consort, but he also deeply respected her. This was because she had raised him; he had grown up under her care, unlike other children born out of wedlock. Hearing that his father was a prince raised by the Empress, Hongshi felt even more strongly that even though he wasn't her biological son, his respect and love for her were no less.
"It's Xueying who's unlucky. Sigh, your uncle has placed great hopes on you. Shi'er, after you get married, you'll be an adult. You must behave well in front of your father." The meaning in the wife's words was very clear: she wanted him to fight for it and firmly grasp what rightfully belonged to him.
"Mother, don't worry, I understand. I will ask Father for help. I'm not a child anymore, I can help Father with some things," Hongshi said. He looked quite like Li Shi, and was therefore a handsome man. In addition, he was also quite learned, so the Fourth Prince was quite satisfied with him.
The Fujin nodded and said, "Regarding the construction of the courtyard, all you need to do is let your father know which one isn't taking it seriously. Then you can back down and take charge of the overall situation. That way, your father will appreciate you even more. Also, I have something else to say. Your uncle has several illegitimate daughters, one of whom has just reached marriageable age this year. How about taking her as your concubine?"
Hongshi looked at his wife with slight surprise, then nodded and said, "It's all up to Mother to decide."
The princess looked at Hongshi with satisfaction, then said to Lingxiu who was waiting beside her, "Go and sort out all the things that came with my dowry. Once they're sorted, show them to Shi'er and pick some out to take to his new courtyard."
Back when the Fourth Prince's wife married him, the procession stretched for miles. As Fei Yanggu's legitimate daughter, and with the Emperor himself bestowing the marriage upon her, the pomp and circumstance were naturally extravagant. Fei Yanggu only had one legitimate daughter, and his principal wife, the Dowager Lady, was also from the prestigious Gioro clan, so naturally, she provided her daughter with a substantial dowry. Currently, much of that dowry is still in the Fourth Prince's private treasury. Now that she has no son of her own, she's using it to embellish the family fortune of her adopted son—truly a loving mother. Even if the Fourth Prince knew, he would praise her for being so good to Hongshi.
Upon seeing this, Hongshi immediately straightened his back and said to his wife, "Those are all Mother's beloved possessions, how could you give them to your son? Besides, we don't even know what kind of person Irgen is, I would rather Mother manage the household affairs for me!"
The Fujin smiled; Hongshi's words struck a chord with her. The reason she had Yingge send another concubine's daughter as a secondary wife was precisely to prevent Hongshi from being bewitched by the new principal wife. She had raised Hongshi with great difficulty, and she was unwilling to simply hand him over to another woman. Now, by sending her niece to keep the principal wife in check, and by interfering further, Hongshi's heart would be firmly in her grasp.
Hongshi was unaware of his wife's true intentions; he simply felt incredibly fortunate to have been raised by her.
"Shi'er, how about the main wife and the concubine enter the house together?" Thinking of this, the Fujin immediately seized the opportunity, taking advantage of Hongshi's gratitude towards her, as everything was negotiable.
"It's all up to Mother!" Hongshi naturally agreed. For him, marrying a girl from the Ulanara family would be more beneficial to his future career, as it would connect him with the Duke of Ying's mansion. Thinking this way, he was even more grateful to his wife for her kindness.
“Alright, I don’t think your father will object,” the Fujin said with a smile.
As expected, when the Fujin mentioned to the Fourth Prince the idea of having Hongshi take a concubine at the same time, the Fourth Prince only thought about it for a moment and then did not object. After all, the Ulanara family was prestigious, and since the woman was willing to be a concubine, it would be too embarrassing to refuse, so he agreed.
Upon hearing this, Lanqin could only chuckle. Although she knew that the Fujin was trying to gain favor with her, she couldn't interfere. The only thing that worried Lanqin was Hongzhou's lingering feelings for Xueying. Fortunately, the young man's feelings were like a spring breeze—coming quickly and leaving without a trace.
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