After the portrait circulated, the princes all looked displeased. The Crown Prince was restless again. They all knew that Shi Bingwen had tampered with the Qingyan selection process, forcing Kangxi to grant the marriage ahead of schedule to ensure the safety of the Qingyan and the dignity of the royal family.
"Fourth Prince, this matter concerns you. Speak up." Kangxi was extremely disappointed in the Crown Prince. It was possible that the Crown Prince was also aware of these matters.
Logically speaking, the Crown Prince should be fully aware of what's happening in Yuqing Palace, and as his elder brother, he should stop the Crown Princess's actions.
"Father, I think it would be best to bring that maidservant here so that you can interrogate her personally and give your family an explanation in the end," Yin said.
Qingyan glanced at Feiyanggu and nodded in satisfaction. Just now, Tulichen had summoned Fuquan and the others, as well as Feiyanggu, in case the Mongol leaders were about to riot.
Unexpectedly, the scandal in the royal offspring's harem was also exposed, and Kangxi felt a sense of defeat. The Crown Prince's actions had gone too far, causing a ruckus and making the royal family a laughing stock in front of outsiders.
Kangxi beckoned Tulichen to his side and whispered a few words to him. Tulichen bowed and left.
Many Mongol leaders have already sided with the Crown Prince. They are somewhat uneasy and believe they should send a message to Yuqing Palace in advance. Only when the Crown Prince's position is secure can they reap more benefits.
Yin smiled coldly. These people only cared about their own interests. Apart from Dari Achi's doting daughter, the rest of them didn't care at all whether their legitimate daughter was happy.
Here, the leaders viewed the eldest daughter as a pawn in political marriages, or a bargaining chip for climbing the social ladder. Seeing their actions, Yin felt even more contempt for these people.
For Emperor Kangxi, the Mongol leaders were mediocre, which made them the best candidates.
After a cup of tea, Tulichen appeared with the Crown Prince, the Crown Princess, and three maids, one of whom was the palace maid in the portrait.
As Qingyan watched the palace maid enter the imperial tent, and saw Wurige kneeling on the ground, a sinister glint flashed in her eyes.
"Si Si, this palace maid might be a problem." Qing Yan had a feeling that the palace maid seemed to look down on Kangxi.
Could it be... someone from the Lotus Sect?
"Huh?!" Yin followed Qingyan's gaze and his heart skipped a beat.
Kangxi stared intently at the palace maid behind the Crown Prince. Shi Bingwen had gone to great lengths; this maid was clearly prepared according to the Crown Prince's preferences. The Crown Princess had been taught to be too proper, and the Crown Prince did not like her.
The Crown Prince was very fond of the concubines personally selected by his wife. The Crown Princess watched her husband with a calm expression as he embraced one of them, behaving with such grace and poise that she seemed almost like a mannequin rather than a living person.
"Greetings to Father Emperor, greetings to the Imperial Concubine." The Crown Prince and Crown Princess bowed respectfully.
When the princes and leaders paid their respects to the crown prince, Urig was present, and he instantly realized that the maid's instigation had been exposed.
The Crown Prince kept a straight face, his eyes constantly scanning Kangxi's expression, feeling somewhat uncertain.
When Prime Minister Suo brought up this matter, neither he nor his wife appeared. The servant's entire family was under Prime Minister Suo's personal control. If the matter came to light, it would be closed by Suo'etu.
"Li Dequan, show the portrait to the Crown Prince." Kangxi pointed to the portrait on the table. Yin and the others lowered their eyelids. Kangxi would definitely not let them discover the Crown Prince's shortcomings.
Li Dequan respectfully presented the portrait to the Crown Prince with both hands. Upon seeing it, the Crown Prince understood everything.
"This... isn't this Liying?" The Crown Prince glanced at the Crown Princess and gestured for her to come and take a look as well.
The Crown Princess was astonished. She looked at Li Ying with suspicion. Some of the maids that Shi Bingwen had personally selected as dowry servants were specially prepared for the Crown Prince, and Li Ying was one of them. The Crown Prince had originally said that he would take her into the harem after returning.
"This servant...did nothing, I only heard it from Liqiao." Liying looked at the Crown Princess in horror. "Everything this servant said was told by Liqiao. This servant kindly told the princess."
Liying and the Crown Prince had already gotten into bed, but they hadn't officially become lovers yet. Liqiao flattered her, and Liying decided to try to curry favor with the Crown Prince.
What?!
The Crown Prince breathed a sigh of relief; it was good that Li Ying hadn't been approached by Suo'etu.
"Liqiao?!" The Crown Princess looked at Liying. "Liqiao was sent to my daughter-in-law's side by the Imperial Household Department. Your Highness, should we also call Liqiao here?"
The Crown Princess hoped to protect Li Ying, hoping to gain favor with the Crown Prince. Li Ying was taught to be too well-behaved and would certainly not win the Crown Prince's favor. The maids who accompanied her were just pawns in her game.
Each time a selection of girls was held, Emperor Kangxi would bestow gifts, and the Crown Prince would request them, resulting in three or four girls entering Yuqing Palace. If she were to fight alone, she would not be able to control Yuqing Palace at all.
She envied Qingyan; no one in the backyard competed with him, and among his sisters-in-law, many wished they could switch places with her.
"Go and call them." Consort Tong nodded. The Crown Princess knew her place and did not leave the matter of the women to Kangxi to decide.
Emperor Kangxi nodded in satisfaction. The Crown Princess knew her place; men did not participate in matters concerning women.
Qingyan sized up the Crown Princess; her actions clearly indicated she was preparing to protect Liying.
Li Ying was a woman of outstanding beauty, and was probably prepared by the Guarjia clan for the Crown Prince. The Crown Princess was merely a pawn to protect herself.
The palace maids knew that Liqiao, who was dragged out, was someone else's spy.
"They must be the Crown Prince's people; the Crown Princess must be protected." Yin's voice echoed in his mind.
Qingyan was somewhat surprised, as Liying was dressed entirely as a palace maid and should not have been formally recognized.
"Already?" Qingyan couldn't help but complain. These gentlemen are all such troublemakers. They already have a concubine chosen for marriage in the imperial concubine selection, but they still want to take a palace maid as their concubine.
"Yes!" Yin agreed. He believed that it was better to have none than to have a bad one. It was good to stay with one's primary wife. At least, he only had his sons.
Unlike the other princes who had many illegitimate sons, Qingyan pursed her lips. With more women, there would be more infighting.
The imperial tent quieted down, and the princes and their wives sat obediently in their chairs, listening intently to how the Crown Prince and Crown Princess would resolve the situation.
Dong Eshi smiled, relieved that nothing had happened to her people. Before, she had people spread these rumors in front of Li Qiao, but she hadn't used her own people; they were double agents.
The lower-ranking concubines couldn't control the maids around them; those people in the Imperial Household Department were all greedy. Without enough silver to feed them, they would definitely rebel.
Qingyan saw through Dong E's thoughts and immediately wrote down Dong E's account in her notebook.
"Fourth Prince, it must have been the Third Prince and his wife who spread the rumor." Qingyan didn't want the Crown Prince and the others to be wronged; it was better not to take the blame.
Yin nodded. He anticipated that both Kangxi and Consort Tong were aware of the situation. The question was whether Kangxi was prepared to warn the Crown Prince. If he was determined, even if they spoke out, it would be futile. (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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