Song Shucheng and Wu Ruyue stood in front of the dough figurine stall for a long time, choosing which one to wear. Song Shucheng personally helped her try on the figurines, but Wu Ruyue seemed unable to make up her mind, trying on one after another.
"If you like them, then buy them all," Song Shucheng said generously when he saw that Wu Ruyue was interested. Although his salary as a Hanlin registrar was not much, buying a few dough figurines was still within his means.
After spending a long time choosing, the two of them selected a clay figurine for each of the Song and Wu families. After paying the money, Song Shucheng and Wu Ruyue immediately took the clay figurines and headed towards the Song family.
As dusk settled, the streets became increasingly crowded. Wu Ruyue and Song Shucheng walked through the flow of people, each carrying a dough figurine.
Suddenly, the sound of horses' hooves rang out in the bustling city, and a man dressed in a brocade robe sat atop one of them. He wore a hat inlaid with jade, and his clothes were from the Imperial Clothing Bureau.
The whip lashed mercilessly down from the horse towards the crowd, causing them to erupt like a drop of water falling into a frying pan. People scrambled to avoid the rider, pushing Song Shucheng and Wu Ruyue aside.
"Who is this person? So arrogant! There are so many people here, and he's riding a horse and even whipping people. He's completely lawless!" someone said.
"Hey, he's the grandson of the Prince of Anding. He's on the government payroll, and thanks to the good fortune his ancestors have accumulated, he'll enjoy wealth and luxury for the rest of his life," said another vendor selling candied hawthorns.
Wu Ruyue stared blankly at the crowd who were all muttering curses at the man on horseback, a strange light flashing in her eyes.
"What's so great about them? They're just relying on their ancestors' protection. They're arrogant and domineering, and they'll be punished one day," Song Shucheng said dismissively.
Wu Ruyue said nothing, but in her heart she thought: Ordinary people live at the bottom of society, like ants, being driven by others. Rather than waiting for her husband to take a concubine, it would be better to become a concubine of a powerful person. Once she gives birth to children, she would live a more comfortable life than a concubine in an ordinary family.
"Ruyue, did I scare you?" Song Shucheng saw that Wu Ruyue's eyes were unfocused and thought she had been frightened by the person from earlier.
"It's alright!" Wu Ruyue left Song Shucheng behind and walked towards the Wu family alone. Only she knew that she had just made a decision in her heart: to become the Fourth Prince's concubine, not to marry Song Shucheng, but to be an ordinary woman. If she couldn't bear a son, she would have to let her husband take a concubine, or even be poisoned by a concubine.
Meanwhile, Lanqin was at a family banquet in Yonghe Palace. Consort De sat at the head of the long table, with the Fourteenth Prince and his wife on her left, and the Fourth Prince, his wife, Hongshi, Lady Nian, and Hongsheng on her right, and finally Lanqin and Hongli. This time, all the princes were brought along for the attack; no princesses were included.
Seeing her two sons and daughters-in-law present, Consort De was quite pleased. She repeatedly asked the Fourteenth Prince's wife about the child, specifically the legitimate son she had given birth to for him. The Fourteenth Prince's wife now felt a sense of pride among the other wives, a welcome relief from the previous embarrassment of being pressured to have children by her sisters-in-law and other concubines. The Fourteenth Prince seemed to have suddenly matured, no longer arguing with his wife. The couple lived in harmony, much to Consort De's satisfaction.
"Mother, I wish to offer this cup of wine to wish you good health and eternal youth." Lady Nian went to great lengths to please Consort De, first presenting her with a lingzhi mushroom—its size was unlike anything Lanqin had ever seen, priceless indeed. And that wasn't all; she also gifted Consort De a set of ruby jewelry. While ruby jewelry wasn't rare, the size of the rubies in the set she presented was something Lanqin had never seen before.
"Good, I know you have always been a filial child. Hongsheng, come here to the Empress Dowager's side. You're almost four years old now, aren't you?" Consort De said to Hongsheng, who was sitting next to Lady Nian.
"Hongsheng, hurry, go to your Empress Dowager's side," Lady Nian said hastily to Hongsheng, who was standing to the side.
Hongsheng landed beside Lady Nian, then walked to Consort De's side and bowed to her.
"My dear, come here. Your Majesty heard that you can read. Tell me, how many characters do you know?" Consort De pulled Hongsheng into her arms and asked him affectionately.
Hongli watched as Lanqin secretly picked up a piece of chicken and placed it in his bowl. Since the start of the banquet, Consort De hadn't touched her chopsticks much, causing everyone else to hesitate to eat. Taking advantage of Consort De's inattention, Lanqin secretly picked up some food for Hongli and herself.
Hongli was already hungry, so he immediately picked up the chicken piece and put it in his mouth to eat.
The smacking sounds of Hongli eating chicken seemed to disturb Hongsheng. He couldn't remember how many characters he knew for a moment, then looked in the direction of the sound and found Hongli eating.
"Your Majesty, he's eating! Your Majesty hasn't even touched it, yet he's already started eating!" Hongsheng said, pointing at Hongli. He actually couldn't remember how many characters he had learned, which was why he led Consort De to Hongli's side.
Lady Nian glanced at Lanqin and Hongli with disdain and said, "Didn't Consort Niu teach the Sixth Prince? His mother hasn't even touched her chopsticks yet, and he's already eating. He has no manners at all."
"Your Majesty, why did you make us sit here?" Hongli was not intimidated at all. Although he was not yet three years old, his speech was already very clear.
"Of course, it's our family reunion to have a meal together." Consort De didn't actually mind Hongli eating first, after all, he was just a child!
“That’s right. Since the whole family is gathered together for a meal, what’s wrong with Hongli eating when he’s hungry? Is the rule that no one else can eat before the Empress Dowager finishes eating?” Hongli’s childish voice echoed clearly in the hall.
The Fourteenth Prince looked at Hongli and smiled, "The Sixth Prince is right. Mother, he is still a child. If he is hungry, eating something is not a violation of the rules."
When Lady Nian saw that the Fourteenth Prince was speaking up for Hongli, she glared at him with displeasure.
"Haha, you must all be hungry. Let the servants serve the meal!" Consort De said immediately. She then hugged Hongsheng and said a few more words before sending him back to Lady Nian's side.
"Fourteenth Prince, I wonder if we have asked Father Emperor to bestow a name upon the young prince?" Lady Nian was somewhat displeased, so she took the initiative to ask the Fourteenth Prince.
“He’s still young, and we haven’t asked Father Emperor to bestow a name upon him yet. It’s not too late to ask after he’s three months old,” said the Fourteenth Prince.
“Our Sixth Prince was given a name by the Emperor right after he was born!” Lady Nian said deliberately.
“Our little prince is Jiao Zuohui, isn’t he, Your Highness?” The Fourteenth Prince’s wife saw through Lady Nian’s sarcasm and immediately became dissatisfied.
"Hui? What is this?" Consort De asked.
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