In the afternoon, Bai Zhu came in to report.
"Your Majesty, trouble has broken out again at the banquet at the Sixteenth Prince's residence."
An Ning was not surprised. The crown prince had been deposed, the eldest prince was imprisoned, and there was no possibility of him succeeding to the throne.
These princes appear to be brothers and respectful on the surface, but in private they're practically fighting each other. Whenever they get together, they always manage to cause some trouble, especially when they gather alone, which is when they're most likely to make a scene.
An Ning: "I just exposed Consort De's background, so I don't think anyone would be foolish enough to mess with Yin Yi. It seems someone is bullying my daughter-in-law? Who is it?"
"Your Majesty, the Eighth Prince's wife behaved inappropriately towards the Sixteenth Prince's wife, and her words were full of contempt for the Sixteenth Prince's wife's family background. However, the Sixteenth Prince's wife is not the type to swallow her anger. She reported back to the Eighth Prince's wife, which made the Eighth Prince's wife lose face. In addition, the Fourth Prince's wife almost got into a fight with the Eighth Prince's wife at the banquet."
An Ning's eyes widened: "The Fourth Prince's wife and the Eighth Prince's wife almost got into a fight? What happened?"
The Fourth Prince and the Eighth Prince were somewhat at odds, but they had to consider their reputations and feelings. However, their wives started fighting.
Royal sisters-in-law fighting—that sounds awful!
The crucial incident occurred at her son's residence, and the whole thing is disgusting.
"The Eighth Prince's wife mocked the Fourth Prince's wife for not being able to manage her household, with women coming in one after another. The Fourth Prince's wife wasn't one to take it lying down, so she mocked the Eighth Prince's wife for being a barren hen. Plus, they'd both had a bit of wine at the banquet, and then..."
An Ning chuckled lightly: "These two really know how to stab each other in the back!"
An Ning: "This can't be blamed on Yin Yi and Jin Yao. It can only be said that their brother and sister-in-law did not do a good job. Go to the storeroom and pick out some things for the young lady to use, and send them to Jin Yao. She was wronged to encounter this during her honeymoon."
"When the Sixteenth Princess Consort learns of Her Majesty's loving heart, she will surely be grateful for Her Majesty's kindness."
——
The residence of the Sixteenth Prince.
Jin Yao was somewhat taken aback when she received An Ning's gift. That evening, she asked Yin Yi, "Mother sent over quite a few things today. I wonder why. What do you think Mother means by this?"
Yin Yi was indeed An Ning's good eldest son. The two of them thought alike, so he explained to her, "It's probably because your fourth and eighth sisters-in-law made too much of a fuss. Your mother felt that you were wronged. Your mother is not the kind of person who is polite."
"Your mother has given this to you, so please use it. Don't be shy about it. If you have any questions, you can ask me or your mother directly. Don't feel embarrassed."
After listening, Jin Yao gained a new understanding of her husband and mother-in-law, and felt fortunate that she had married well.
The Fourth Prince's Residence.
The couple didn't say a word after they returned. Dong Eshi had been married to the Fourth Prince for more than ten years, but she could never warm his heart.
Now she doesn't even have a child. She has regained control of the household affairs, but whenever a concubine or child in the household gets into trouble, her control is taken away.
This forced her to become virtuous. The Fourth Prince was really strict in controlling the inner quarters, even more so than in her previous life. Now the Fourth Prince had quite a few children in the inner quarters, and Dong Eshi's life over the years was even more stifling than in her previous life.
If it weren't for the allure of the Empress's position, she would have gone mad.
Fourth Prince: "Princess Consort, if this happens again, I think you'll just stay in the backyard eating vegetarian food and chanting Buddhist prayers. As the wife of a prince, fighting with your sister-in-law, are you afraid of having too much of a comfortable life...?"
The Fourth Prince was truly furious. He had never seen her act so recklessly before. His relationship with the Eighth Prince was strained, and now that this had happened, he couldn't just stand by and do nothing.
Husband and wife are one. Both Dong Eshi and the Eighth Prince's wife have their faults. If he bows down to the Eighth Prince, he will have to bow down for the rest of his life.
In his plan, he did not intend to confront the Eighth Prince openly so soon.
The Fourth Prince was usually a man who didn't talk much to people he didn't like, but today he unusually spoke a lot to Lady Dong'e. However, Lady Dong'e probably didn't want to hear what he said.
"My lord, it was clearly the Eighth Prince's wife who started the inappropriate behavior. Am I supposed to tolerate her in every situation?"
The Fourth Prince frowned: "Her words and actions were inappropriate. You can tell her to go back, but how can you take action against her?"
He disliked the Eighth Prince's wife, but if word got out that he had taken action against her, even if he was in the right, he would be wrong.
Dong Eshi realized she had acted impulsively today and bowed her head to admit her mistake: "What I did today was wrong. I will not do it again. Next time I meet my eighth brother's wife, I will apologize to her."
The Fourth Prince's face darkened: "What are you apologizing for? I only said that you shouldn't have laid a hand on her. The Eighth Prince's wife started it. The incident has already happened. If you apologize, wouldn't that mean you've done something wrong to her?"
"What I'm saying all this to warn you is to watch your words and actions in the future. As for your eighth brother and sister-in-law, there's no need to apologize. Since we don't get along, let's just leave it at that."
Dong Eshi's eyes widened. "This is acceptable too?"
The Fourth Prince left with a heavy heart and went to visit his concubine.
It is often said that one should marry a virtuous wife, and this is certainly true. Dong Eshi was clever, but she lacked foresight and political acumen in her actions.
If they were an ordinary couple, it would be fine, but he is the emperor's son, and the crown prince and the eldest prince have been deposed, so he wants to compete for the throne.
Looking at this wife, he couldn't help but think how much better it would have been if he had married Anning instead.
Everyone in the palace knows the name of Consort Shu. She is capable and resourceful, and her son is intelligent and well-mannered.
That was originally the consort chosen for him by his mother, but unfortunately, Dong Eshi ruined it and she became his father's concubine.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, and the already meager favor bestowed upon Dong Eshi was completely gone.
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