Hongzhao chose Xinghua Chun Pavilion, which is adjacent to the Upper and Lower Sky View in Hutu, and is surrounded by lakes on two sides, with Xinghua Village to the west and a vegetable garden. Changning was quite surprised. What, hasn't Hongzhao grown enough vegetables yet?
Hongzhao's response was that there were still some parts he hadn't covered in detail in his previous plant growth journal, and he planned to continue writing it.
Changning and Yinzhen each gave him a thumbs up.
Hongyan chose the Sui'an Room in Huifang Academy. He liked this quiet and secluded place, which was convenient for studying. Not to mention, there was the Broken Bridge in Snow, which was modeled after West Lake, just across the stream.
Yierha chose Peach Blossom Village in Wuling Spring Scenery, where the peach blossoms were the most abundant and plentiful. When they were in full bloom, the whole house was filled with the fragrance of peach blossoms.
Honghui chose Junzixuan in Pinghu Qiuyue. It was quiet and rarely visited. He liked the name Junzixuan, which means "a gentleman's aspiration."
The rest of Hongmin, Hongchen, and Hongyang naturally stayed with Changning in the Natural Picture Garden.
After securing accommodations, the children were very excited and even considered inviting friends over to visit.
Of course, Yinzhen's brothers were also very excited.
After all, he was the first among all his brothers to have his own garden.
Especially after he became a prince, some people started pressuring him to host a banquet.
This was to be expected. With the new garden, a banquet should have been held, but having just experienced the rebellion of the three princes in their eighties and nineties, Yinzhen had not taken any action to avoid making a big fuss and attracting attention.
However, the Fourteenth Prince, who couldn't sit still, was already making a huge fuss. He posted three or four messages a day, all asking, "Fourth Brother, I heard you've been busy for a while now. Now that you're free, you have to let your little brother see your new garden!" "I'm just a prince, I don't deserve a garden. You're my own brother, you have to show me around!"
Of course, the wording was definitely more elegant than what Changning said, but it was by no means euphemistic.
The seventh and thirteenth princes also presented their congratulatory gifts, and in their words, they expressed their envy of Yinzhen for obtaining the garden, but there was absolutely no jealousy involved.
The fifth prince is now willing to follow Yinzhen. He is a discerning man and knows that the future dragon king is most likely the fourth prince. He could slack off before when vying for the throne, but he can't do that now.
His mother is still in the cold palace. He needs to please his fourth brother so that he will have a chance to bring his mother out and fulfill his filial duties in the future.
There were also a few other young princes, the seventeenth and eighteenth, who had always admired the fourth prince and wanted to join in the fun.
So, after discussing it with Changning, they decided to hold a small banquet at Yuanmingyuan to entertain their brothers and their families.
As for the other officials and lackeys who wanted to curry favor, he decided against it, since it wasn't appropriate to show off his power right now. Yinzhen always maintained a low profile.
When Yinzhen sent out invitations, all his brothers came, though of course, he didn't have many brothers left.
The deposed crown prince is now nowhere to be found, and although his position as heir apparent has been revoked, this move may have been intended to protect him, in case someone takes advantage of his misfortune and eliminates him as a thorn in their side.
Those three reckless younger brothers were imprisoned in the Imperial Clan Court.
Almost all the rest arrived.
Everyone brought a gift.
Since the death of his primary wife, Prince Zhi had been disheartened. Although he had always been at odds with the Crown Prince, he felt no schadenfreude at this moment. Instead, he felt a sense of shared vulnerability. Looking at his fourth brother, who was now riding high, he didn't know whether to be happy for his younger brother or to feel sorry for him.
He only stayed in the mansion with his children. Now the second princess has married and fortunately stayed in the capital. The third princess has also married far away to Mongolia. Only the fourth princess and Hongyu are left in the mansion.
He felt deeply guilty towards his wife, as he hadn't taken good care of the children, and had no desire to compete for anything.
But as Hongyu grew older, he had to start thinking about what would happen to his son.
It wasn't that he shamelessly tried to get close to his younger brother; for the sake of his and his wife's son, he would rather lose face.
Having grown up in the royal family, he knew better than anyone the importance of power. He knew that once he was gone, no one would be able to protect Hongyu.
All he can do now is pave more steps for him so that his future path will be easier.
Emperor Kangxi has already declared that he will choose a second wife for him during the imperial concubine selection.
He could only smile wryly, hoping that his second wife was kind-hearted and would treat the children well.
The Third Prince's temperament has improved considerably. He used to be quite confrontational and argumentative, but the Emperor had suppressed him for a long time. Now, I hear he is practicing self-cultivation techniques.
Watching him sit alone, pretending to be profound and aloof, drinking alone, Yinzhen wanted to sneer. The harem has been in turmoil for so long, and he can still maintain his composure.
His concubines, Lady Dong'e and Lady Tian, are constantly entangled in a passionate affair, and he's practically become a senile fool, neglecting important matters and spending all his time reading and writing.
With a father like that, it's no wonder that Hongqing turned out the way she does.
Thirteen and Fourteen are in the best mood right now. Having received their titles, they are full of vigor and have the ambition to follow their fourth brother on a broad and promising path to success.
Honghui, Hongyan, and Hongzhao also came out to greet the guests.
Seeing that Honghui's body had become as thin as a lamb, while Hongyan was becoming more and more imposing, everyone had some reservations.
When Changning received the ladies of the household at the Natural Picture Garden, these wives and concubines seemed to become more lively and cheerful as they strolled around the garden.
Wanhe and Fifth Prince's wife Shufen were both supporting Changning. There were many people today, and they were afraid that she would get tired or bump into something.
Especially Shufen, who was tasked by the Fifth Prince to prepare lavish gifts and befriend Chun Fujin.
The two already had a good relationship, and now they were talking intimately about their private conversations.
Shufen first praised, "This place is so comfortable. It's spacious and shady. I noticed that Qingbi Hall over there has a large bamboo grove. I imagine it would feel like autumn when the wind blows."
Changning nodded: "I stayed there for one night a couple of days ago. They say you can live without meat but not without bamboo, so I thought I'd indulge in a bit of refined taste. It was nice during the day, with a cool breeze, but I had to cover myself with a blanket at night, or I'd wake up freezing."
Shufen immediately exclaimed, "Oh dear!" "Then you really can't stay here. Don't catch a cold. It's best to avoid drafts while you're pregnant. I think this natural picture is quite nice. With the windows open in the front and back, there's a gentle breeze, which is perfect for you."
Wanhe picked up a grape and ate it, then laughed and said, "This garden is so big, there's not enough room to stay in it all. I'm afraid even if Sister Changning stayed there in turn, a month wouldn't be enough."
Changning smiled and said, "I invited you here as guests! The lotus flowers in the lake are in full bloom. It's a pity I can't go to the water's edge. You can go and stroll around the garden later. The lotus fish there are the fattest and most tender. I had them dry-fried. There are also fresh lotus seeds and lotus roots, which are all local specialties."
The three chatted and laughed as the Thirteenth Prince's wife, Yun Chun, and the Fourteenth Prince's wife, Wanyan, also came over, and they started talking about the different ways to cook lotus root.
This time, the Third Prince's wife, Lady Dong'e, also came along, but she didn't cause any trouble; she just sat alone to the side admiring the flowers.
Finally, everyone saw that she had stopped acting arrogantly.
Even Ninth Prince's wife, Lady Dong'e, has run into trouble. As her cousin, what right does she have to be so arrogant?
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