Inside Prince Yin's residence, the princes were having a relaxed gathering. After being criticized by the Crown Prince, the Crown Princess still sat down next to the Third Prince's wife.
Qingyan had long suspected that the Crown Princess harbored deep jealousy and hatred towards her, but she was completely baffled.
Why would someone harbor such hostility towards the Guarjia clan when they have never even met them before?
"Sister-in-law, have I met the Crown Princess?" Qingyan couldn't help but mutter under her breath. Yin walked to Qingyan's side and handed her the freshly grilled skewers.
"Don't ask questions, eat!" Si Si interrupted Qing Yan's question with an icy face.
When Yin delivered the gifts, he and the First Princess exchanged a glance and couldn't help but laugh.
After entering, the Crown Princess kept belittling Qingyan, which annoyed the Fourth Prince.
"Fourth Brother, I want to drink plum juice!" Qingyan looked at Yin with flattery. Today, he had finished the three cups of chilled plum juice that Yin had prescribed. If he wanted more, he had to tell Yin.
The man glanced at her sideways, then at the untouched fruit and desserts on the table, and nodded directly.
After Yin and Yin left, the Crown Princess smiled, but her eyes revealed hostility.
"Fourth sister-in-law, you are the head of the Prince's residence after all. You have to ask your fourth brother about such a small matter. Aren't you afraid that the servants will be disloyal?" The Crown Princess's tone clearly implied that Xiao Guai was spoiled and pampered, and that even the servants in the Prince's residence could not be controlled.
Qingyan pouted. "Is the Crown Princess just bored?"
“This is just marital fun! The Crown Princess must be someone you can trust, otherwise the Crown Prince would be so carefree!” Qingyan retorted.
She wasn't someone who would be easily bullied by the Crown Princess and still manage a smile.
The Crown Princess's smile froze. Everyone in the palace knew that the Crown Prince's favorite concubine was Consort Li Jia of Yuqing Palace. Ever since the Crown Princess entered the palace, she had been living a difficult life under Consort Li Jia's oppression.
As the primary consort, Qingyan always felt great sympathy for the Crown Princess. People are all made of flesh and blood; they can feel compassion for someone who is constantly being ridiculed.
She wanted to laugh at the Crown Princess. No wonder, the Crown Princess only had one daughter and no more legitimate sons or daughters. The woman in front of her appeared dignified and generous, but in reality, she was no better than the Eighth Prince's wife in terms of jealousy.
The First Princess used the table as a barrier, squeezed Qingyan's small hand, and told her not to say anything more. The Crown Princess's life is not easy. Outsiders all think that no matter how much the Crown Prince dotes on his concubine, he will still give the Crown Princess some face. Lady Yingenjueluo and the Crown Princess were both selected as imperial concubines in the same year. She had heard that the governesses around the Crown Princess were very capable.
Qingyan's words left the Crown Princess speechless, and the barbecue party, which should have been relaxed, ended in an awkward atmosphere.
In the evening, after Yin and Qingyan saw everyone off, she stormed back to her study, threw her small body onto the chair, and slumped down, unable to vent her anger.
"Little darling, who made you angry?" Yin entertained Yin, Yin and Yin Zhi, without inquiring much about the situation of the women.
Qingyan pouted. "Is the Crown Princess going through menopause? She's always causing trouble for no reason!"
So annoying!
She secretly grumbled to herself, "It's only natural that the Crown Princess isn't favored by the Crown Prince, okay?"
What man wants a woman to manage everything? There was only one Empress Zhangsun, wasn't there? Is being a virtuous empress really that easy?
The virtuous empresses were placed on wooden boards, and thus became the deities of bodhisattvas.
"Hmph, do you think the Crown Princess is being nosy? I didn't cause any trouble for the prince, so why is she always being so sarcastic!" Qingyan found a comfortable position in his arms, leaning back lazily, his large hand rubbing her lower abdomen.
Today's barbecue was right up her alley, so she ate a lot more than she wanted, and now her stomach is starting to feel uncomfortable!
"You always eat so much food that's hard to digest!" Yin tapped her forehead, directly avoiding her answer.
Just now, Yinhui stopped Xiaoguai from asking questions because he didn't want to make a big deal out of it.
Emperor Kangxi valued the Empress Dowager highly, considering the imperial family's reputation paramount.
The Crown Prince's feelings for Xiao Guai are probably known to several of the older princes. The Crown Princess may seem nice on the surface, but in private, she is extremely ruthless.
"Fourth Sister, you won't let me say it's stuffy here!" She pointed to her heart; the inside of her womb felt so oppressive, making her feel suffocated.
He smiled slightly. The concubines were always watching Xiao Guai, and every move she made would be misunderstood in a thousand ways, which was why Yin suppressed Xiao Guai's thoughts.
"Rub it!" Yin's large hand had just touched it when it was forcefully slapped down by her soft little paws.
"You lecherous Sisi!" She glared angrily at Sisi. The maids were all waiting outside, and he still dared to be so presumptuous.
Yin kissed her little face, not caring at all about Xiaoguai's denial.
"Fine, you don't want to hear it!" Yin had piqued Qingyan's interest, as Xiao Guai was unaware of many of the important matters concerning the palace.
Fortunately, during the Empress Dowager's mourning period, everyone behaved themselves and no one dared to challenge Kangxi's anger.
"Tch, Dong'e Wan Ning is quite resourceful. Not only did she keep the child, but she's also being doted on by the Third Prince!" Qing Yan was particularly impressed with Dong'e's illegitimate daughter.
Yin's face turned cold. Yin Zhi's illegitimate son was strong and healthy. Under the protection of Dong E Wan Ning, he was growing up well and had even been successfully vaccinated against smallpox a few days ago.
"Whose side is Dong E Shi planning to take?" Qing Yan asked with great interest. Putting aside everything else, Dong E Shi was beginning to split, with some standing behind the legitimate daughter and more behind the young prince.
"Watching a show?!" Yin didn't care about other people's backyards. After the mourning period, the imperial concubine selection would begin, and Consort Yi and Consort Rong had been plotting something.
“That’s right!” Yinzhi was quite an oddball. Not only did he have beautiful women in the palace, but when he went out of the palace on official business, he also stood guard at the outer residence. She found it strange that Kangxi did not do anything about it.
Qingyan's little head was filled with all sorts of little dramas, but in the end, it was suppressed by a single sentence from Sisi.
"Father doesn't have that much free time. Tomorrow, go to Chenggan Palace in advance; there's bound to be a good show to watch!" Yin said mysteriously.
That night, Qingyan tossed and turned, her mind preoccupied with the next day's events. She finally drifted off to sleep around 1 AM.
Just as the hour of Yin arrived, Yin woke up and prepared to go to court. He looked down at the little darling in his arms and couldn't help but lean down and kiss her cheek. He knew that the little darling hadn't slept soundly all night!
"Don't wake Xiao Guai up. Let her sleep until she wakes up naturally. Have her go to Chenggan Palace for lunch." Yin went to the outer room and had Su Peisheng help her change into her court robes. He whispered to Su Lan not to disturb Xiao Guai's sleep.
Su Lan was secretly delighted; the princess held a very important place in the Fourth Prince's heart.
"Yes, this servant has woken up!" Su Lan dared not say more and quickly nodded.
As dawn broke, Qingyan was awakened by the sunlight. She groggily opened her eyes, looked at the sun shining brightly outside, and felt unhappy, knowing she couldn't go to the Chengqian Palace to watch the play. (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please read at m.qidian.com.)
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