"It's such filthy stuff!" Hongli was shocked. Little did he know that in the courtyard next door, the Third Prince's wife, Dong E, was weeping bitterly while hugging her quilt.
"Cry, cry, cry! What are you crying about!" Hongshi was very annoyed. "Were you unhappy just now? You were yelling loudly too!"
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty..." Dong E felt as if the sky had fallen. She wept uncontrollably and could not utter a single complete sentence.
This was a humiliation she had never experienced in her short twenty years of life, but it was brought to her by the man beside her.
Lady Dong'e fainted from crying. She didn't even have time to call a maid to serve her. Covered in mottled marks, she collapsed in front of Hongshi.
Hongshi merely glanced at her disdainfully: "Pah, what bad luck! You're not even as good as Qiaoqiao!"
After saying that, he didn't even glance at the person again before walking away.
The princess consort is too easily aroused; it's better to find someone else. Unfortunately, the one he favored most was beaten to the point of near death and probably won't be able to serve him for the next few days. Hongshi looked at the small bottle in his hand and decided to go play with his concubine, Tian Shi, tomorrow.
Hongli didn't know what good deeds his third brother had done, but after hearing about his various exploits, Hongli pondered for a long time and devised a scheme within a scheme for his good third brother.
However, he can't be blamed entirely. Even if he hadn't given him a push, his third brother was already entangled with Yinzhen and the others. He was just adding fuel to the fire...
Hongli entered Yongshou Palace with a pensive expression. Qian Shengyan was already waiting for him. Upon seeing him, she quickly pulled him aside, looking at him expectantly, and was about to ask—
"Mother, don't worry, I will report this to Father Emperor," Hongli suddenly said.
Qian Shengyan: ? ? ?
Qian Shengyan: !!!
Qian Shengyan: "Wait a minute, I'll go tell your father what he wants. What kind of person is he? Which family does he belong to? You should at least let me know first, right?"
"Ah, well..." Hongli was taken aback, "We haven't figured out which family they belong to yet, and we don't even know which concubine's people they are, yet they have connections with Ninth Uncle..."
"What???" Qian Shengyan exclaimed in shock, "The person that Fuerguochun has taken a liking to is connected to your Ninth Uncle? And is he someone from the Imperial Concubine's faction in the palace???"
Hongli: ? ? ?
Hongli: "Who has Foerguochun taken a fancy to???"
After a period of mutual shock, the mother and son were finally able to sit down and talk properly.
First, Hongli mentioned that he had caught a suspicious little eunuch. Qian Shengyan frowned after hearing this: "You want to arrest the Third Prince as well..."
"No, Your Majesty, I do not know his relationship with the three. I only saw that he was acting suspiciously and peeking around the princes, so I sent him to the Department of Criminal Justice for questioning," Hongli said with a smile.
Qian Shengyan nodded: "That's fine too."
In Qian Shengyan's opinion, if Hongshi dared to have anything with Consort Hua, he would be doomed sooner or later. However, it would be unwise for Hongli to be involved with her too much, as it would only arouse Yinzhen's suspicion.
After that, it was Folgochun's turn.
Hongli asked in confusion, "Does my sister have someone she likes?"
"Oh, Mother was just guessing." Qian Shengyan recounted how Foerguochun had blushed earlier, and then asked, "When you took her out of the palace, who did she meet?"
She thought for a moment, then said, "When you went out to play on the fifteenth of the first lunar month, did you have any companions? I've noticed that she's been acting strangely ever since that day."
“On the Lantern Festival, I did have friends with me…” Hongli paused.
His friends, who are all quite young, have already started to make advances towards his sister?
Upon further reflection on the friends who had accompanied him to the lantern festival, as well as the people he had recently seen while overseeing construction at the Princess's residence, Hongli, after cross-referencing the information, basically identified the suspect.
He said angrily, "That Zhang Qinglan! I thought he really considered me a friend, but he...! Ferguchun is still so young! That beast!"
"Who? Who? What blue?" Qian Shengyan asked curiously. Surname Zhang? What blue is Zhang?
Who is this? I've never heard of him before!
"Mother, don't be anxious. I will report back to you after I have investigated this matter!" After saying this, Hongli hurriedly left with a head full of anger. Qian Shengyan quickly stepped forward to pull him back: "Don't rush, go and report the matter of that little eunuch to your father first."
"Mother is right." Hongli took a few deep breaths, but was still angry. "Your son will never be friends with Zhang Qinglan again!"
Qian Shengyan: ...
She watched her eldest son leave angrily, and then saw him exchange a few words with Folgochun in the courtyard. Folgochun looked completely bewildered and came to her to complain: "Mother, has Fourth Brother gone mad? He actually called me a child? I'm all grown up! Hongshan is the child!"
"What did your fourth brother say?" Qian Shengyan asked curiously.
Folgochun pouted and said, "He said I'm still a child and should do things that children should do. What does that mean? Does he expect me to wet the bed like Hongshan?"
“That’s not what he meant—besides, Hongshan doesn’t wet the bed anymore.” Qian Shengyan was both amused and exasperated. She had originally wanted to ask about Zhang Qinglan, but after thinking about it, she held back and decided to inquire about it later.
Qian Shengyan had a vague guess that someone surnamed Zhang could play with Hongli, but she didn't say much. She just comforted Foerguochun and told her to continue playing.
Back in the palace, Qian Shengyan pondered for a moment and asked Qingxue, "Do you know Lord Zhang Tingyu?"
"Lord Zhang is an important official in the court; I have heard of him." Qingxue smiled as she served Qian Shengyan a cup of light tea. "Why does Your Highness ask about him?"
"Do you know how many sons he has?" Qian Shengyan asked again.
"This servant does not know," Qingxue shook her head.
Qian Shengyan also sighed. She thought that Zhang Qinglan might be Zhang Tingyu's son, but the name sounded very unfamiliar, as if she had never seen him before.
I wonder how old he is and what he looks like. Qian Shengyan was so curious. I should have asked him a few more questions instead of letting Hongli go.
She paced back and forth in the palace, her heart aching as if a cat were scratching at her. Unlike Hongli, both Fuerguochun and Hongshan were children unlike any in history. Like all mothers in the world, Qian Shengyan was curious and apprehensive about their future.
Qian Shengyan simply told Xiao Shunzi to wait outside the Hall of Mental Cultivation. If Hongshi came out, she would have him come to Yongshou Palace again.
...But she didn't expect that Hongli and Yinzhen would come together.
Yinzhen came to have dinner and took the opportunity to instruct her on something: "Two years ago, before Hongshan was born, I investigated all the servants in the harem. But in the past two years, people's hearts have become restless, and some have become ambitious again. I know you are lazy, so you don't need to worry about the six palaces for now. First, investigate the servants serving in Ning Shou Palace and Ci Ning Palace."
"Yes," Qian Shengyan replied.
"In recent years, there have been no problems with the allowances for Ning Shou Palace. This is thanks to your excellent management; I know it all." Yinzhen held her hand and asked with a smile, "Is there anything you wish for?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
