During the New Year's greetings, the twins stole the show. Emperor Kangxi felt that the two children were not bound by rules, and that the Crown Princess's legitimate daughter was too shy.
After the ancestral worship ceremony, on the way back, Kangxi picked up Yiken'e. Hutulifengsheng Zhalafen saw that his brother was being held by his mafia again, and his little face was puffed up with anger. Kangxi looked at him and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly. He always held both children together.
"Li Dequan, bring Hutulifengshengzhalafen over too!" The princess was with her mother, and the place where the prince worshipped his ancestors was some distance away.
Upon receiving the order, Li Dequan bowed and went to the side of the Fourth Prince's wife.
"Madam, His Majesty has ordered me to take the little princess to him!" Li Dequan's appearance made the ladies of the house perk up their ears.
It was no surprise that the twins were favored.
At such an important ceremony as ancestor worship, Emperor Kangxi did not shy away from the honor and directly picked up the twins, a glory that was too dazzling.
Qingyan was in a dilemma. The twins were still young and didn't understand the harsh reality. They spent a lot of time with Kangxi, and their familiar mannerisms could be used against Yinzhi by those with ulterior motives.
"Don't worry, Madam, this servant will take good care of the little princess." Li Dequan said with a smile, understanding Qingyun's concerns.
Consort Tong nodded slightly to Qingyan, who then let go. She watched her daughter being carried away, feeling uncertain in her heart.
At this moment, the glances exchanged between the Crown Princess and Lady Dong'e made her alert.
With so many servants surrounding the children, Emperor Kangxi and his son Yinzhen constantly investigated them. Now, only after several investigations were conducted could the people around the twins be entrusted with taking care of the children with peace of mind.
Inside the side hall, Consort Tong led her wives to their seats. She took a sip of tea and looked down at her. The wives sat upright on the chairs on either side of her, each with a smile on their face.
Consort Tong knew that the smile was somewhat awkward, and more so a result of calculation and deliberation.
"Your Highness, the children have grown up, and it's time to send the governesses to serve the young prince and princess." Consort Yi said, but her eyes were looking in Qingyan's direction.
After speaking, Qingyan suddenly realized that the matter Yin had mentioned had come to mind. Did Consort Yi want to be Yin's enemy? No! She should be using this matter to annoy Consort Tong.
"Grooming nannies? The oldest of these young princesses is only three years old and hasn't even started their education yet. The appointment of grooming nannies is decided by His Majesty. Who among us can make that decision?" Consort Tong looked at Consort Yi, who was being closely watched by Emperor Kangxi for interfering in the affairs of the Imperial Household Department.
Now, the Guo Luo Luo clan is preparing to turn its fortunes around, and is targeting the third generation of princes and princesses.
“Your Highness, the young princesses represent the royal family, and every move they make should be noble and elegant.” Consort Yi glanced at Qingyan out of the corner of her eye, and upon hearing her words, Qingyan’s expression changed.
Consort Tong took a sip of tea and listened to what Consort Yi had written down.
The imperial concubines thought that Consort Yi was making a mountain out of a molehill. They argued that all the princesses in the royal family were noble and elegant, and that they were generally carefree and leisurely before the age of six.
"Consort Yi, the Thirteenth Princess should be four years old by now, right?" Consort Tong remembered that Consort Min died young after giving birth to the Thirteenth Princess. In order to give the Thirteenth Princess a good home, Emperor Kangxi sent her to Consort Yi to be raised.
At the age of four, the thirteenth princess had not yet received proper instruction in etiquette.
"Yes." Consort Yi was speechless. She was planning to instigate the Noble Consort to give strict upbringing to the third generation. Hutu Lifengsheng Zhalafen was on the list. The twin princesses were definitely the object of everyone's scramble.
"Have you learned the rules?" Consort Tong put down her teacup and looked coldly at Consort Yi.
"No, Your Majesty, I have overstepped my bounds," Consort Yi said, embarrassed.
In front of all the women, Consort Yi lost face, and her expression turned very ugly.
“Your Highness, the young princesses are still quite young, and they are much more well-mannered than the princesses of the imperial family,” said the wife of Prince Zhuang, trying to smooth things over. Their household only had one legitimate daughter and one illegitimate son, both of whom were in poor health. Therefore, Prince Zhuang and his wife had discussed extending the age at which the children began learning manners.
“What the Princess Consort says is absolutely right. Even the young Hutuli Fengsheng Zhalafen is well-behaved. Don’t be fooled by the fact that the little guy likes to act spoiled and needs someone to help him when he walks. His manners are impeccable.” Consort Tong intentionally mentioned the twins.
Consort Yi's face darkened. Before, she could find excuses to expose Qingyan, but now, her words made it clear that she herself was narrow-minded.
Several wives of princes with hereditary privileges quickly flattered Consort Tong, as they all favored the twins. Some of Emperor Kangxi's actions had greatly elevated the twins' status.
"Your Majesty, I think the little princess is quite good. She speaks early and is very close to His Majesty and you." Being a royal child is not easy, and being liked by both Emperor Kangxi and Consort Tong at the same time is even more difficult.
Looking at Qingyan, they all felt that the Fourth Princess Consort was blessed. She was beautiful, her children were promising, and she had the two things that women wanted most.
"Yes, His Majesty loves the two children and often brings them to Changchun Garden to be raised. There aren't as many rules in the villa, but the two children don't have a trace of spoiled bratness." Consort Tong didn't hold back in praising the two children.
Since Hongxi entered the Imperial Study, he has been punished by the Grand Tutor several times, making the Crown Prince feel ashamed.
Hongxi was often punished within the Yuqing Palace.
The Crown Princess smiled and said, "Your mother is absolutely right. Even Hongxi loves his younger siblings. In the Imperial Study, he is the only one studying, which is quite lonely for him."
As soon as he finished speaking, the faces of the princes' wives and the wives of the imperial clansmen all turned sour. Did Hongxi, as the crown prince's illegitimate son, really want all the legitimate sons to become his study companions?
The Crown Princess's tone was somewhat arrogant. Consort Tong was stunned. Had the Crown Princess lost her mind?
"Your Highness, please be mindful of your behavior!" Consort Tong rarely interfered in the Crown Princess's affairs. Today, with all the other consorts present, if Your Highness were to act too presumptuously, it would be a disgrace to the royal family.
The ladies-in-waiting quickly lowered their heads. They knew it was not easy for them to get involved in the power struggle between Consort Tong and the Crown Princess; they could easily be dragged into it.
“My dear mother, I know my place. As the Crown Prince’s son, Hongxi should set a good example for the third generation of princes.” The Crown Princess did not want to let it go. The twins had already received too much love and attention. Even the Empress Dowager liked the two children very much. If this continued, Hongxi’s glory would be completely stolen by Yiken’e.
Qingyan glanced at the Crown Princess, who was far too arrogant. The Iron-Capped Prince's wife's eyes flashed with disdain. Qingyan lowered her head, but the corners of her mouth turned up slightly where no one could see.
Hongxi has lost the support of the hereditary princes. Outside the Great Wall, the status of the wives of the princes is different from that inside; the hereditary princes will heed their advice. (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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