After riding horses at the racecourse for an afternoon, Erlinzhu finally calmed down and returned to the palace with her second brother.
Yunyi wasn't too worried about this. The second son was the older brother and would take good care of his younger sister. Besides, the second son was highly skilled in martial arts, and the youngest daughter was born with superhuman strength. She had been practicing with whips since she was a child and was no ordinary woman.
The two of them went horseback riding together, and Yunyi was not worried at all. Three days later, Prince Darhan arrived in the capital and stayed at the post station.
Yinzhen sent the eighth prince, Lianjunwang Yinsi, or rather, now renamed Yunsi.
Prince Duan, Hongyao, also received Prince Darhan and his son.
A few days later, Yinzhen held a banquet in the palace to entertain the princes and bestow rewards upon them.
Prince Darhan, however, proposed in court that his son marry a princess, demonstrating the national policy of intermarriage between the Manchus and Mongols.
A moment of displeasure crossed his mind, but Yinzhen did not agree directly; instead, he evaded the question.
After the banquet, on the way back to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Yinzhen was furious. After some investigation, he discovered that it was the Eighth Prince who was behind it.
Although Yinzhen sat calmly on the dragon throne, his mood was far from pleasant.
Hmph! Eighth Brother, you're always up to these low-class tricks.
But even Yinzhen had to admit that he was disgusted by these petty tricks.
With his left hand stroking the thumb ring on his right hand, Yinzhen lowered his head in thought, pondering how to handle this matter.
Prince Darhan had rendered meritorious service, and his tribe was the most prosperous place besides the Khorchin.
The most difficult thing is to refuse a request made in public without hurting feelings.
When Yinzhen returned, he was furious, while Empress Ulanara was full of worry.
If it was just a rumor before, we might not have taken it seriously, but now that the prince has brought it up in public, it is now a done deal and absolutely true.
Back at her residence, the Empress held her daughter and wept bitterly, her heart aching terribly, yet there was nothing she could do.
Erdeni was held in her mother's arms, her mind blank. She was also very worried at the moment, afraid that her father would marry her off to Mongolia.
Putting aside whether she could accept the climate, customs, and environment of Mongolia, the prince was not the one she had in mind.
Back in Chengqian Palace, Yunyi was also worried after returning.
Although she understood her daughter and knew that even if she were to marry there, nothing would happen, the environment in Mongolia was indeed very bad, and it was too far from the capital, unlike her eldest daughter, whom she could see anytime.
In this era, with the current transportation, if Erlinzhuzhen married into Mongolia, she would have to wait a long time to see her daughter.
Yunyi was worried about her daughter's future, while Erlinzhu was thinking about the person she had seen at the banquet earlier.
With her chin resting on her hand, Erlinzhu's mind wandered.
I never expected the heir to be him. If Father really wants to marry a princess to Mongolia, I would be quite happy.
From a young age, Erlinzhu disliked the rules and regulations of the Forbidden City; she longed for freedom and the world of martial arts.
Ever since she read picture books as a child, she has been interested in being a female knight-errant, but as a princess of the imperial family, she was required to be elegant, quiet, dignified, and polite.
Being able to learn whip techniques from her mother was already her greatest fortune. According to her mother's wishes, she would definitely marry in the capital and live a simple and ordinary life like an ordinary woman, supporting her husband and raising her children.
But Erlinzhu refused. She longed for freedom, and the capital city was a cage that bound her. Rather than marrying into the city, she would rather go to Mongolia.
But after hearing from her third sister-in-law that Mongolian men are all very rugged, unkempt, muscular, and rather...unattractive, Erlinzhu was very worried about this and in recent years she had given up the idea of marrying into Mongolia.
But when I met that prince today, apart from being a bit dark-skinned and thin, he was actually quite good-looking.
The next day, Erlinzhu went to visit her best friend, but unexpectedly bumped into her painting.
He tiptoed over without making a sound, quietly approaching Erdeni from behind, only to see the familiar figure in the painting.
"Oh, so it's him you like, Fourth Sister!"
"Ah!" Erdeni was startled by the sudden appearance of the person, and when he turned around, he saw that it was his third sister.
Her face flushed red with embarrassment, and she quickly covered Erlinzhu's mouth, saying, "Shh! Third Sister, keep your voice down, or someone will hear us."
Blinking her eyes, Erlinzhu indicated that she knew, and Erdeni reluctantly released her hand from her mouth.
Having discovered a shocking secret, Erlinzhu approached Fourth Sister with a wicked grin and stopped her.
"No, your paintings are so beautiful, why would you want to put them away?"
Erdene's expression changed, and he lowered his head, remaining silent.
At this moment, the oblivious Erlinzhu suddenly remembered something. The idea that she had been hesitant about last night suddenly solidified, and she whispered something in her fourth sister's ear.
Then, taking advantage of her inattention, he snatched the painting and ran away in a flash.
Erdeni, who had just realized what was happening, was left calling out from behind, but could only watch helplessly as her third sister snatched the painting away.
"Oh dear!" The shy Erdeni stood there, unusually unladylike, and stamped her foot helplessly, her heart filled with complicated feelings.
Yunyi ran all the way to Chengqian Palace, feeling somewhat helpless. This child, how old is he, still so impetuous.
She waved for Bai Zhi to serve tea and gave Erlinzhu some water to soothe her throat: "You must be tired from running all the way back. Have some water to relax."
Then he put down what he was holding and teased, "What's wrong? Did you get into trouble again? Or is there a monkey chasing you?"
"Mother, why do you always tease your daughter?" Erlinzhu pouted and complained to her mother.
After sitting down and resting for a while, she waved for everyone to leave before revealing her plans.
"What?! You want to marry into Mongolia?!"
Shocked by her daughter's words, Yunyi almost dropped the teacup in her hand.
Erlinzhu nodded seriously. "Mother, I've thought it through. I'm willing to marry into Mongolia."
Preventing Yunyi from speaking, Erlinzhu continued.
“My daughter was different from those princesses from a young age. She liked playing with swords and spears and didn’t like knitting. She liked a free and unrestrained life and didn’t like etiquette and rules. Only by marrying into Mongolia and staying away from the capital can she get the freedom she wants.”
"There's another point. Fourth Sister has always been dignified and polite since she was a child. She loves poetry and books and is just as well-behaved as her stepmother. With her personality, she is really not suitable to marry into Mongolia. In order not to make things difficult for Father, I might as well take the initiative myself and get the better of her."
The last reason was not stated directly by Erlinzhu, but rather whispered in Yunyi's ear.
"There's one more thing. Fourth Sister already has someone she likes. I've always liked Mongolia and I'm skilled in martial arts, so I'm not afraid of these things. I'm happy with this, and it will also fulfill Fourth Sister's wish. Why not?"
Yunyi sighed deeply, speechless.
My daughter is willing and has given such a long explanation. If she disagrees, she'll seem like a wicked mother.
But still somewhat uneasy, Yunyi made an exception and called her eldest son over at this time, intending to inquire about the situation of this heir.
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