"Your Highness, you cannot go to Jiangnan on this trip. Who do you think would be more suitable for the Crown Prince to take with him?"
Upon hearing this, the Crown Princess said, "I'm tired. Let the Crown Prince decide this matter."
The Crown Princess touched the baby in her belly, feeling that the trip to Jiangnan might not go smoothly. It was good that she was pregnant with this child and could avoid the trip.
“Master, you are too kind. Look at those little hussies in the backyard. They take advantage of your pregnancy and the inconvenience to do so, and they keep trying to play tricks on the Crown Prince. Don’t you do anything about it?”
The Crown Princess didn't seem to care much when she heard this. The Crown Prince's harem was full of clever people, but they were just not using their cleverness in the right place. Being sharp-tongued was not a real skill.
"Let them make a fuss, as long as it doesn't damage the reputation of Yuqing Palace, let them make as much noise as they want."
If things get out of hand, she won't be the one to suffer. She's a pregnant woman with a big belly and limited energy, so she can't handle all those trivial matters. A momentary oversight won't be blamed on her.
"Yes, Master, but you really shouldn't think about going to Jiangnan."
The trip to Jiangnan would last for several months. Encountering something along the way would be the easiest way to develop feelings. Her idea was that her master could find two gentler people to go with him.
The Crown Princess understood the thoughts of her maids, but she felt it was unnecessary.
"Don't worry! Whoever goes to Yuqing Palace this time is very likely to be relegated to the sidelines. The Jiangnan region is not lacking in gentle and tender women. The gentle land of men is not just a saying. Anyone who has the ability to get the Crown Prince to speak up can compete with the women of Jiangnan."
Therefore, she doesn't need to make any arrangements.
The head palace maid was stunned; she had forgotten to consider the charm of Jiangnan.
The Crown Princess, under the pretext of resting during her pregnancy, began to steal some time to relax. Then the Crown Prince discovered that the inner palace was in chaos. Every day, either Consort Tang would come to deliver chicken soup, or Consort Li would come to deliver a belt, and there were also sachets, inner garments, and outer garments from other consorts and concubines...
For a time, the crown prince felt like he was a hot commodity, and everyone who saw him wanted to take a bite.
The Crown Prince was furious: "What's wrong with the Crown Princess lately? Why is she becoming more and more unruly in the inner quarters?"
The eunuch standing nearby quickly said, "I heard that the Crown Princess is currently taking care of her pregnancy. The imperial physician has been summoned several times, for fear that something might go wrong in her womb. Many affairs in the inner quarters have been entrusted to her personal nanny and concubine."
Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince naturally couldn't muster any respect for his Crown Princess.
Pregnancy is indeed a big deal. Although the Crown Prince did not know how difficult it was for a woman to get pregnant, he could tell that carrying such a big belly was not easy for her.
The Crown Prince continued, "Go and tell the two concubines in the mansion to keep a good eye on things. If the inner courtyard continues to be so unruly, they will have to copy the rules every day from now on."
Two concubines and one nanny—the three of them combined are no match for the Crown Princess; they are truly useless.
“Zha”
"I don't want anyone to bother me lately, so please keep a close watch on the front yard from now on and don't let just anyone in."
“Zha”
After saying that, the Crown Prince added, "The Crown Princess is going through a lot during her pregnancy. The Imperial Household Department has just sent some new tonics to the storeroom. Take the imperial physicians to select some that pregnant women can eat and send them to the Crown Princess."
“Zha”
The Crown Prince's inner court was filled with many miscellaneous affairs.
Meanwhile, inside the First Prince's residence, in his study, the First Prince was talking with his advisors.
"Father is going to Jiangnan, leaving my third brother and me to guard the capital. Gentlemen, what do you think Father's intention is in doing this?"
One of them spoke first: "Your Highness, I believe that His Majesty's action is an affirmation of Your Highness's abilities."
"I think His Majesty's move is a warning to the Crown Prince. In the past, when His Majesty went on tours, he almost always left the Crown Prince in the capital to oversee the country. This time, His Majesty left you and the Third Prince behind, which shows that His Majesty is beginning to be disappointed with the Crown Prince."
"I believe that His Majesty's move is a test of Your Highness's ability to handle affairs. If you stay in the capital with Third Prince, there will be a proper order of seniority, and Third Prince will naturally listen to you in everything. If you make some contributions after the term expires, Your Highness's regard for you will naturally increase."
"Liu felt..."
...
The eldest prince listened attentively to the analyses given to him by his many advisors, and after hearing them, he decided to make a name for himself during his father's trip.
The best thing to do is to be perfect in everything and outshine the Crown Prince.
On the other hand, the Third Prince was unusually clear-headed for once. Staying in the capital this time might not be a good thing for him.
A few days later, the day that Kangxi had set for departure arrived.
Tong Cheng'er had a large number of things loaded onto the carriage.
"We're leaving early tomorrow morning, so I'll go to Mother's place today to send Hongzhao there."
Yinzhen naturally had no objections.
"Alright, I'll have someone prepare a carriage."
Tong Cheng'er: "I've had everything prepared, let's go!"
Yinzhen, along with Hongzhao, went to the Tong residence with Tong Cheng'er.
Because Tong Cheng'er had given prior notice, the people in the Tong family were not surprised by their arrival.
When Shumulu saw her grandson Hongzhao, she held him in her arms with great affection and doted on him for a long time.
Al-Hatu watched with envy, but with his daughter, son-in-law, son, and daughter-in-law all watching, he wasn't exactly thin-skinned, but he wasn't thick-skinned enough to be shameless.
“Mother, my husband and I are going to Jiangnan. I’m worried that Zhao’er will suffer from the change in environment and the journey will involve a lot of water travel, which will make the adults feel unwell. I don’t want him to come along and suffer.”
Shumulu: "Alright, you can rest assured that the child is in your mother's care!"
Shumulu was most happy to raise children, especially the younger generation.
However, since all of her daughters-in-law's children were raised by them, even if Shumulushi liked children very much, she would never take the children away from their own mother.
Shumulu was unwilling to separate a mother and child, so she was genuinely happy to learn that her grandson could come and be cared for by her for a period of time.
Tong Cheng'er chatted with Shumulu and her sister-in-law, while Yinzhen was pulled into the study by Alhatu and several of his brothers-in-law to discuss matters.
After everyone left, Shumulu looked at her pretty, happy daughter and felt once again that her daughter had married well.
His Majesty's bestowal of this marriage gift could never be better.
"Your mother can tell from your expression that your son-in-law must treat you very well."
Tong Cheng'er asked curiously, "How exactly did Mother see that?"
Looking at her daughter's chubby cheeks, Shumulu said with a smile, "Your face is full of happiness."
Tong Cheng'er was taken aback. Happy weight gain? Weight gain?
Has she gained weight?
"Mom, have I really gained weight?"
Shumulu quickly replied, "You haven't gained weight, just your face is a little fuller, but Mother thinks you look even better than before."
Upon hearing this, Tong Cheng'er immediately felt dejected. Well, she had indeed gained weight.
She made up her mind: she would lose weight during her trip to Jiangnan.
"The entourage for this trip to Jiangnan is quite diverse, so please be careful."
Tong Cheng'er was taken aback by these words: "Mother, why do you say that?"
Did you hear something?
Shumulu had indeed heard quite a bit, such as the fact that the Crown Prince's status with His Majesty seemed to have declined considerably recently.
This time, His Majesty is taking the Crown Prince with him to Jiangnan, and it's Jiangnan again. Who knows what kind of trouble might arise?
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