The palace maid Qinglan, who was standing to the side, saw a smile on the Empress's face and then coaxed her.
"Your Majesty, look, how adorable our Fourth Prince is!"
The Fourth Prince was holding Duofu when his stomach suddenly rumbled. He saw that his mother and the others were all looking in his direction.
They immediately used Duofu as a shield.
"Mommy, Duoduo is hungry. That's what Duoduo's stomach was growling just now."
The lingering melancholy in Chengqian Palace dissipated with the sight of the Fourth Prince's embarrassed expression, realizing he wasn't actually hungry.
"Yes, yes, Mother knows. It's Duoduo who's hungry, not Zhen'er. Mother will send someone to bring food right away."
"Aoki, wait a moment, order a few more dishes that the Fourth Prince likes, and also a few suitable ones for Duo Duo."
Consort Tong sat on a couch in the palace, leaning against a pillow, her smile impossible to hide.
Sipping freshly brewed flower tea from the small tea table next to the bed, he watched as the Fourth Prince and Duofu played nearby.
As soon as Consort Tong finished speaking, Aoki walked out of the room and smiled at his mistress, a smile he hadn't shown in a long time.
Her voice unconsciously carried a hint of lightness as she instructed the eunuchs outside the courtyard about the dishes her masters would eat that day, as well as Duofu's dinner.
The eunuch outside the door responded with a smile on his face.
"Sister Aoki, Your Majesty, are you in a good mood today? We could hear laughter coming from inside the palace from outside."
Aoki replied to him in a good mood.
"What are you asking about? Hurry up and bring dinner; the Fourth Prince is starving."
The eunuch outside the palace, Little Li, had a smile on his face. He knew that Aoki was in the mood to reply to him.
The Empress's mood can't be too bad. When our mistress is in a good mood, our lives as servants will be easier.
"This servant will go immediately."
After saying this, he hurriedly led the other two eunuchs out of Chengqian Palace.
The scene shifts again, this time to the palace.
Duofu, who was being called by the Fourth Prince in his arms, forgave the Fourth Prince's act of shielding him when he heard that it was time for dinner and that he would have an extra meal.
It rubbed its belly with both paws, feeling hungry; it was dinnertime. It became excited, its four paws flailing in the Fourth Prince's arms, as if it wanted to get down.
Sure enough, things are different when you latch onto a powerful figure; the first thing to do is change the food.
As the saying goes, the most indispensable things in life are food, clothing, shelter, and transportation.
Duofu's meals have started to be upgraded and changed, and next they should have nice clothes.
A warm, cozy bed replaced the cold, hard iron cage.
Now he has a pet owner, and someone will take him away in the future. It feels like he's suddenly reached the pinnacle of life.
Here, there will be no academic pressure, no pressure about future employment, and no pressure to carry on the family line.
If you can please your pet owner, he'll have everything he needs.
They own a house, a car, and people.
The house is a well-known, world-famous landmark of the Forbidden City in Beijing. Even today, no matter how rich you are, you can't live there.
Needless to say, cars are pure human labor, they are safe and environmentally friendly, and can be repaired and upgraded by oneself. Most importantly, they are free.
He was always followed by a large group of highly conscious people who provided for his basic needs.
The Fourth Prince looked at Duofu, who was moving around in his arms, with a look on his face as if he had discovered new evidence. His little eyebrows were raised, and he looked very proud.
"Mother, Duoduo must be very hungry. As soon as she heard that Mother was going to serve food, she started moving."
Consort Tong, half-reclining on the couch, saw the Fourth Prince's raised eyebrows and amused expression, and her eyes and brows were filled with laughter.
"Hmm, maybe Duoduo is hungry. We'll feed Duoduo a little something in a bit."
The Fourth Prince listened to his mother's teasing, his little face gradually turning red, but he still pretended to be serious.
"Mother, I'm really not very hungry right now, just a little bit."
Consort Tong, standing to the side, could no longer help but let out a clear and melodious laugh.
"Mother knows, Zhen'er, I'm not hungry, it's just that Duoduo is hungry, and I'm a little hungry too."
Outside the palace, a question suddenly came; the person did not enter, but the words came first.
"Cousin, what happened that made you laugh so much?"
They saw Kangxi walking in with his legs raised, followed by Liang Jiugong, the chief eunuch who served Kangxi personally.
Consort Tong looked at the maids at the palace gate with a hint of anger on her face, her tone slightly furious.
"Why didn't you announce the emperor's arrival? What are you all for?"
Emperor Kangxi had already entered the palace and sat down on the other side of the couch. He gently pulled Consort Tong back as she was about to pay her respects.
"Cousin, don't be angry. It was I who told them not to announce it. They haven't even said what made you laugh. I haven't seen you smile like this in a long time."
Standing to the side, Liang Jiugong quickly took the tea that Qinglan had brewed and placed it on the small tea table next to Kangxi, while also explaining.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, this is why they didn't send anyone to announce our arrival, as they wanted to see Your Majesty sooner."
Upon hearing this, the anger on Consort Tong's face vanished, and she spoke with a light and joyful tone.
"Your Majesty, please try this. It's your favorite, the latest Lu'an Melon Seed tea from this year."
After listening, Emperor Kangxi picked up his teacup, smelled a faint and pleasant aroma of tea, then lowered his head to take a sip and praised it.
"It tastes good. My cousin's tea is really good."
Upon hearing Kangxi's praise, Consort Tong blushed, her face glowing with a beautiful blush that left Kangxi speechless.
Although Consort Tong was a Manchu noblewoman, she possessed the charm of a woman from Jiangnan. She was delicate and frail, appearing fragile and easily endearing herself to others. Now, with her face slightly flushed and radiant with spring-like beauty, she was truly captivating.
“Cousin Emperor, please don’t make fun of me. Look at the little puppy in the Fourth Prince’s arms. It’s those two that made me laugh.”
The Fourth Prince, with his chubby little legs, carrying Duo Duo, hurried over to pay his respects, his tone filled with joy.
The Fourth Prince hadn't seen his father for a while, and today he not only received good fortune but also saw his father again. The little dumpling's face was full of smiles.
"Your subject greets Your Majesty. Your Majesty, look at the gift your mother gave you. Isn't it beautiful?"
Kangxi looked at Duofu in the arms of the Fourth Prince, then at his own Fourth Prince, and couldn't help but laugh.
The two were practically identical, both with chubby bodies, plump paws, and two big eyes. All four eyes were fixed on him, looking as if to say, "I'm so handsome."
Upon hearing Consort Tong's explanation that the Fourth Prince was hungry but too embarrassed to admit it, he insisted that it was this little puppy, Duofu, who was hungry, he couldn't help but smile and burst into laughter.
Seeing the Emperor's delighted expression, Consort Tong also seemed happy, her eyebrows arching, her eyes crinkling into crescents, and her face beaming with joy.
“My cousin the Emperor, our Fourth Prince, isn’t he just that adorable?”
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