Su Peisheng heard a commotion inside, but since his master hadn't given any orders, he didn't go in and instead stayed outside obediently for a while.
The noise stopped after a short while, followed by the rattling of a cabinet and the sparse rubbing of fabric against the clothes.
Once Su Peisheng was sure there was no sound in the room, he went downstairs to rest, while other eunuchs took his place to stand guard at the door.
Don't underestimate the job of guarding the gate at night. Only those with a certain status would get the chance. And the opportunity to show their face in front of the master is only for those who are close to the master.
Duofu opened his drowsy eyes and looked out the window. It was already daylight. Another day he had missed a meal. He would have to eat more at noon today to make up for it with breakfast.
Duofu unconsciously sniffed the dark chocolate, sensing a different smell in the room, a slightly sweet, cloying scent, somewhat like the smell of sugary pastries with lots of sugar.
Did the Fourth Prince sneak some pastries into his room while he was sleeping?
He wouldn't eat those sweet but bitter pastries even if you offered them to him.
Duofu glanced at the clock not far away; it was almost lunchtime.
With a snap, he transformed into a chubby little boy, grabbed the little clothes that had been placed by the bedside, and quickly put them on.
This was made for him by Su Peisheng. It was just two pieces of cloth sewn together with a small opening. It was simple, convenient, and cool to wear.
He didn't want to wear their complicated clothes; the styles were too complicated, and they were too hot to wear anyway.
Duofu dressed, stepped barefoot onto the soft cushion, and walked to the pastries on the table next to him, including his favorite rose cake and peach blossom pork.
Although it was cold, it still tasted great, and Duofu said he wasn't a picky eater.
---
The Fourth Prince went to the Imperial Study for his lessons and spent a lot of time reciting the words of the talkative Third Prince, teasing him about how his night had gone.
The Fourth Prince had a cold face, remained silent, and stared intently with his dark eyes.
The Third Prince couldn't help but shudder; his fourth brother was getting less and less fun as he grew older.
Childhood was so much fun.
He always has a cold face, as if everyone owes him money.
The Third Prince turned his head away listlessly, holding the newly bought poetry collection in his hand.
The Third Prince and the Fourth Prince have reached the age where they can enter the Imperial Academy. They have completed their studies there and are about ready to serve in the court.
However, since they were not yet married, the two of them were still spending their days in the Imperial Study.
When will Emperor Kangxi remember them? Perhaps they can enter the court sooner.
The Third Prince couldn't stay still in front of him, and after a while he turned around and swallowed hard as he looked at the cold-faced Fourth Prince.
Sometimes, even he, as the older brother, was a little afraid of his fourth brother, who always had a cold face.
"Fourth brother, when do you think Father will bestow marriage upon us? If we don't get married, are we going to have to stay in the Imperial Study with these little brats forever?"
"Only after we get married will it be possible for us to leave the Imperial Study and take up some positions."
...
The Third Prince was rambling on and on, while the Fourth Prince, thinking about his experience last night, which wasn't pleasant, had no intention of marrying a princess now.
Anyway, his wife has already been arranged for him by his deceased mother, the Empress Dowager.
They have both social standing and prominent family backgrounds, which can provide them with significant assistance.
He's only thirteen or fourteen now, about the same age as him, so he's not in a hurry.
However, what Third Brother said makes sense. If he wants to enter the court as soon as possible, he must get married quickly so that Father Emperor will realize that this son has grown up and can share his burdens.
The Fourth Prince stopped writing, his eyelashes trembled slightly, and he looked up at the Third Prince.
"What's the rush? Father should bestow a marriage upon you in the next year or two."
The Fourth Prince thought that the First Prince had also gotten married at around fourteen years old, so their children should be in similar situations.
The Crown Prince was forced to observe three years of mourning for his chosen Crown Princess's grandfather, which is why they are still unmarried.
The Fourth Prince thought that his Third Brother would get married around this year, so he could marry his wife around next year.
The Fourth Prince thought about it and realized there was nothing wrong with it. He was going to marry a wife sooner or later anyway, so it was better to get her sooner.
When the Third Prince heard that the Fourth Prince was willing to reply to him, he felt even more eager to confide in him. In the Imperial Study, this Fourth Prince was the only one he could talk to.
The Fifth Prince was raised by the Empress Dowager, and it was difficult to talk to him. Moreover, he was even less talkative than the Fourth Prince, and he was dull and looked very honest.
The Seventh Prince was disabled and of low status, and was generally gloomy and sullen, so he was usually unwilling to communicate with him.
The remaining eighty or ninety were just little kids, and he had even less desire to speak.
Only the Fourth Prince, who was of equal status to him, was a good listener to him.
"Fourth brother, you always have a cold face. Be careful, your future wife won't like you. You're not attractive to girls at all."
The Third Prince looked at the Fourth Prince with a smile, thinking that there should be some reaction.
The Fourth Prince glanced up at him, his eyes filled with speechlessness.
The princess was brought in to manage the inner quarters, so why should he care whether she liked him or not? Even if she didn't, it was none of his business, since there were plenty of people who liked him.
Does he have to marry them all?
The Third Prince was so engrossed in reading those poems by talented men and beautiful women that he was completely dumbfounded. What was a royal prince supposed to do about love and romance?
"As long as Third Brother's wife likes Third Brother, then we should mind our own business regarding Third Brother."
The Third Prince looked at the Fourth Prince, who seemed oblivious to the situation. He thought his younger brother was really boring, and it was difficult to have a conversation with him about matters between men and women.
He always had a cold face and seemed indifferent to everything. No one knew what his younger brother liked, except that he was unusually fond of a dog that His Highness the Crown Prince had given him.
I've never heard of him having any hobbies. He spends all day reading, writing, and studying; he really doesn't get tired.
The Third Prince touched his newly acquired poetry collection like a precious treasure. Never mind, he was just an ordinary mortal. He had to quickly memorize this collection of poems, even though he had gone to great lengths to get it from someone.
That Nalan Xingde was indeed quite talented, it's just a pity he died young, otherwise I would definitely have come to see him.
Is it as poetic and picturesque as they say?
However, this guy said "one person for life, one love".
As a result, he secretly had three wives and four concubines, living a very happy life, which was a disgrace to scholars.
They couldn't do it, yet they wrote it with such righteous indignation.
Surprisingly, those women actually fell for it; what a despicable person.
The Third Prince thought bitterly, but he did have some talent and wrote a few good poems.
The Third Prince began to read aloud, swaying his head. The Fourth Prince, who was behind him, looked on with a hint of helplessness. He couldn't understand why his Third Brother always liked these poems that had no nutritional value.
I picked up the Doctrine of the Mean again and read it with great interest. No matter how many times I read it, I always had a different experience each time I read it.
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