With the addition of Princess Wuya to Prince Yong's residence, Little Wolf's eyes practically lit up with the mosquito coils that Yihua had told him to call her "sister."
In just a few days, Princess Wuya had won the respect of everyone in Prince Yong's mansion.
Previously, Li had privately mocked Yihua to Granny Jin for putting on a brave face, saying that bringing her back would give her an advantage, and that other families had no such intentions, but instead, it had fueled her desire.
Unexpectedly, Wuya Huixia was a woman of her word. Since moving into the Prince's Mansion, she spent her days either in her own courtyard or with the eldest princess. Every day, she would pay her respects to Yihua according to etiquette and then leave, never lingering in the main courtyard.
They didn't inquire about Yinzhen's whereabouts, nor did they mention paying respects to their cousin; the words "avoiding suspicion" were practically written on their faces.
When Lady Nian visited, her words implied that she could lend a helping hand, and that the two of them could look after each other in the mansion in the future. Her second brother, Nian Gengyao, would also take good care of the Wuya family outside the mansion.
To everyone else, this was a sure-fire deal. Huixia didn't say anything. After seeing Nian Shi off, the maid who had served her since childhood tentatively asked, "Princess, according to the Empress in the palace, you can call the Prince your cousin. The Princess is also a kind person. Why don't you follow the Empress's wishes? Otherwise, your marriage may encounter many twists and turns in the future."
Huixia glanced at the maid with a half-smile: "You've only been staying in the palace for a few days, and now you're lecturing me."
"Princess, I truly care about you." The maidservant hurriedly pledged her loyalty.
"There are plenty of people who want to curry favor with the Prince, but the Empress is not as omnipotent as you imagine." Huixia had been staying in the palace for a few days and had clearly seen that the Yongqin Prince's Mansion and Yonghe Palace were not on good terms.
"Furthermore, while the princess is indeed affectionate towards her cousin, what about her cousin who is about to compete with her for the man?"
"Don't be silly. For someone like me, the best outcome is to build a good relationship with the princess and marry someone from a respectable family, regardless of whether they are poor or rich. Only by leveraging the power of the royal family can I live a good life."
The maid didn't quite understand, but said with some regret, "It's such a pity that the princess has such a beautiful face."
"Alright, next time this young lady comes, just say I'm asleep or I'm going to see the eldest princess. Don't let her enter our courtyard alone." Huixia was afraid that the maid wouldn't be competent, so she gave the instructions very seriously several times.
"I understand, Princess. Aren't you curious about the Prince's appearance?"
"If you keep provoking me, I'll have no choice but to send you back to the Uya family." Huixia remained unmoved. "Even if the prince is a celestial being descended to earth, he is not someone I can imitate. Just give up on that idea."
"I understand." Seeing that her mistress was determined, the maid had no choice but to give up.
In the main courtyard, Granny Chen was also analyzing this Princess Wuya with Yihua.
"Madam, if you ask me, you've been incredibly reckless. Since this princess is willing to die to prove her innocence, why did you bring her into the manor? What if she and Her Highness are working together?" Granny Chen muttered to herself.
“Granny, I think… if I hadn’t brought her back, Her Majesty would have killed her.” Yi Hua recalled the look in Consort De’s eyes that day, especially when Hui Xia said that Consort De was also a concubine; that murderous intent almost solidified into a tangible form.
"If this Princess Wuya is truly as resolute as she claims, then I will grant her a future." After all, this was the first time in this dynasty that she had heard a woman loudly proclaim that she would never be a concubine, and she was drawn to this indomitable spirit.
"If she changes her mind, I will naturally find a way to send her back to the palace. What do I care how the two of them fight then?"
Granny Chen poured tea for Yihua: "This old servant is just afraid that this matter will fall apart."
"The Prince will not take a princess from the Wuya family as a concubine." This was something Yihua was very certain of. If Yinzhen had even the slightest goodwill towards the Wuya family, she wouldn't have had no recollection of anyone from them for so many years.
This is still a legacy of history. After all, Yinzhen was the adopted son of the Imperial Noble Consort, and his maternal uncle's family was nominally the Tong family, not the Wuya family. Although the Imperial Noble Consort passed away early and the Tong family fell into ruin, Yinzhen did not become close to the Wuya family because of this; he simply did not regard this family.
Now that the Wuya family is trying to put pressure on Yinzhen through Consort De's influence, Yihua knows that it would be strange if Yinzhen didn't take action to deal with the Wuya family.
Seeing that Yihua had a plan, Granny Chen didn't say anything more: "Madam, you should be careful. I think Princess Wuya is a smart one."
"Hmm, Granny, please check if the drunken shrimp is ready. It'll be a special treat for Honghui tonight." Yihua changed the subject.
"Yes, this old servant will go right away."
******
After dinner, the little wolf showed Honghui his self-taught achievements with his wooden sword, while the eldest princess and Liu Liu began to do needlework.
Yi Hua took away the sewing kit: "You two should go out for a walk. It's getting dark, so you can't do these things anymore. Be careful not to hurt your eyes."
"Yes." The eldest princess led Liu Liu to observe the little wolf.
Yinzhen held a cup of hot milk tea with two extra spoonfuls of sugar in it, feeling a sweet warmth in his heart: "Fujin, is Wuya still behaving herself?"
Yi Hua, holding a quilt of the same design, sat down next to Yinzhen: "Look at what you're saying, Your Highness. Princess Huixia is smart and sensible. She keeps the eldest princess company all day long, so she's not lonely."
“That restless Nian Gengyao followed the path of the Uya clan, which is why the Empress has become so cunning,” Yinzhen suddenly said, his tone quite displeased.
"I've heard Master talk about this Lord Nian many times. He's a very hardworking person," Yi Hua said with admiration. "His determination to achieve his goals is truly terrifying."
"You certainly know how to whitewash things," Yinzhen chuckled. "If you've been working in the wrong direction, you should learn your lesson."
Yi Hua looked up at Yin Zhen, but saw that he didn't continue speaking or ask any questions.
This is the way Yihua has figured out over the years to get along with Yinzhen. If he is willing to talk, then she must be willing to listen, but she cannot ask questions. Given his suspicious nature, if she learns any sensitive information, it could become a point of contention for future retribution.
If he didn't want to talk, then he could talk about it himself, telling stories about the children's funny incidents, which were what Yinzhen most wanted to hear.
"Why don't you go check on Little Wolf?" Yi Hua gestured towards the door. "This kid found a comic book somewhere, and there's a little guy in it gesturing with a sword. Little Wolf is imitating him. And you know what? He actually looks pretty convincing."
"This child's talent for martial arts is truly rare. Perhaps I should find him a teacher," Yinzhen said, looking up at the little wolf.
Thinking of her father's instructions, Yi Hua seized the opportunity to say, "Grandpa, what do you think of my father? He's quite idle at home these days. There are no martial arts talents in the next generation of the Ulanara family. My mother said he's always sullen. Little Wolf is still young, so he doesn't need to learn anything too advanced. It would be better if my father could take care of the basic skills for him."
"It's good that the old general is willing to take the lead personally, but I'm afraid it will be too much trouble for him." Yinzhen nodded, thinking that this was a good idea.
"Then I'll take the little wolf back in a couple of days and see if Father can still teach him," Yi Hua said happily.
"Um."
Outside, the children were gathered together, laughing and joking, while inside, Yihua and Yinzhen sat side by side, chatting.
What an ordinary yet extraordinary day.
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