The end of Chapter 103 was expanded with additional text, and the beginning of Chapter 104 was increased by approximately 1,500 words, while the rest remained unchanged.
To Yintang, the words "Ninth Brother" sounded eerie and faint, as if he had seen a ghost in broad daylight.
The Tenth Prince, who had been climbing, froze mid-motion, his hair standing on end. He scrambled down the rockery with all four limbs, cautiously turning his head to look. Meanwhile, the Ninth Prince, who had already reached the summit of the artificial hill, was so startled that he executed a backflip—thud, thud, thud, thud, thud!
Xiaogouzi lunged forward, his shrill cry piercing the sky: "My lord!"
Yintang sighed inwardly, realizing his miscalculation, and closed his eyes as he tumbled into the bushes below.
He had expected to be carried straight to the Imperial Hospital, but instead, he landed on something soft and warm. When he reached out to feel it—
"My lord," Xiaogouzi gasped, half-dead from fright, finally catching his breath. "D-don’t take advantage of your servant!"
Yintang looked down and saw his delicate little hand resting squarely on the dog servant’s backside. His face instantly turned green, and he nearly vomited up last night’s dinner.
Considering the servant’s life-saving favor, he barely suppressed the urge to shout, "Someone, drag him away!" Instead, he fished out a jar of ointment from his robes and placed it on the ground. His fury then redirected toward the true culprit standing nearby.
But when he saw who it was, Yintang’s round, dumpling-like face stiffened, and his anger evaporated instantly. "Eldest... Eldest Sister-in-law."
It was said that an elder sister-in-law was like a mother. No matter which lifetime it was, the brothers always held deep respect for the Eldest Princess Consort.
When it came to virtuous wives among the imperial princes, the first name that came to mind was the Crown Princess, followed closely by the Eldest Princess Consort.
As for the Second Sister-in-law—her manners were impeccable, embodying the word "virtuous," but whether she had truly been of much help to Second Elder Brother? Yintang couldn’t see it. Their marriage was, at best, one of mutual courtesy, and at worst, a tangled mess.
The Eldest Princess Consort was different. She had cleaned up countless messes for the Eldest Prince—wherever he charged ahead recklessly, she followed behind, tidying up. She even bore him children tirelessly, sacrificing her health to give birth to Hongyu, the heir, before finally succumbing to illness.
Yintang still remembered the day she passed away, not long after the Eldest Prince had been confined by the Emperor. The wails from Prince Zhi's Mansion had been heartbreaking.
Even Eighth Brother had remarked that the Emperor had chosen an excellent wife for the Eldest Prince.
A harmonious marriage—yet it ended in tragedy. Who wouldn’t sigh in regret?
Unlike his own wife, Lady Dong'e—that wretched woman—
No, no. He had to stop that train of thought.
Snapping back to the present, Yintang put on an obedient smile and stepped forward to bow properly. "This younger brother was at fault. Did we startle Eldest Sister-in-law and our little niece?"
Watching Yintang roll down the slope, the eunuchs and maids around them had nearly lost their souls in terror. The Eldest Princess Consort, too, had been struck speechless, nearly collapsing on the spot.
She hadn’t caught his mention of a "little niece." Seeing him unharmed, she trembled as she pulled him close, inspecting him from head to toe before finally exhaling in relief. "Thank goodness, thank goodness. It was my fault—I shouldn’t have called out to you. But climbing the rockery is far too dangerous! If Noble Consort Yi were to find out, imagine how distressed she’d be!"
Yin'e hurried over and shot his Ninth Brother a glare—what "little niece"? You’ve given yourself away!
"Eldest Sister-in-law," Yin'e grinned, the plumpness of his round cheeks puffing up. "Ninth Brother’s built tough—he can take a fall. Besides, Mother Yi wouldn’t be distressed!"
Seeing his secret about to be exposed, Yintang stomped hard on Yin'e’s foot. With a yelp, Yin'e shut his mouth.
"And you, Tenth Brother," the Eldest Princess Consort sighed, unable to resist lecturing the two six-year-olds with their wide, innocent eyes and fair, delicate faces. "Why must you ignore warnings about such dangerous behavior? I’ll have someone escort you back to the palace at once. Today’s incident must also be reported to your noble mothers."
"Eldest Sister-in-law, there’s no need—"
"What do you mean, no need? Princess Consort, what are you doing here admiring flowers?" A booming voice cut through the air—the Eldest Prince’s.
In appearance, Yinti was undeniably striking—tall, broad-shouldered, and handsome.
The Eldest Princess Consort paused, about to adopt her usual gentle demeanor, but then recalled Consort Hui’s words from that morning. She sighed inwardly and sneered mentally.
To her surprise, Yintang and Yin'e simultaneously rolled their eyes—
Exactly what she was thinking.
Her fondness for the two princes grew. Truly, their noble mothers knew how to raise children. Turning back, she smiled softly and said, "My lord, I was admiring chrysanthemums with Ninth Brother and Tenth Brother."
The Eldest Prince’s cheerful expression darkened instantly, his face turning ashen as if he’d swallowed a fly.
These two little devils were born to oppose him! They always seemed to wander into his courtyard uninvited, making off with the prized foals he had painstakingly selected. That was bad enough, but they had even sneaked into his study and stolen his policy essays, earning him a scolding from the Emperor!
Worse still, during his wedding, after all the guests had left, they had crouched in a corner and poked a hole in the wall! If the kitchen staff hadn’t arrived with food and caught them, his dignity would have been ruined!
Yet both were the sons of noble consorts—untouchable, unpunishable, and impossible to accuse without proof. Yinti gritted his teeth in frustration.
That black-hearted Yinreng, unable to surpass him in horsemanship and archery, had sent these two nuisances to harass him instead. Glancing at the two boys who barely reached his thighs, the Eldest Prince forced a smile. "Princess Consort, you’re with child. If anything were to happen, some people couldn’t possibly atone for it. As for the flowers—I’ll admire them with you."
The Eldest Princess Consort was taken aback, her smile vanishing. "My lord, what are you saying?"
Since when had he become so harsh toward his six-year-old brothers?
Before entering the palace, she had vaguely heard rumors of discord between Yanxi Palace and the other consorts’ residences. But how could such "discord" extend to the next generation?
This was her first time interacting so closely with Yintang and Yin'e.
Hah. That forced smile of his was hideous—who was he putting on airs for?
Yintang exchanged a subtle glance with Yin'e. In perfect sync, their eyes welled up with tears, and they tugged at the Eldest Princess Consort’s sleeves with their tiny hands.
"Eldest Sister-in-law," Yin'e whispered timidly.
Yintang hung his head mournfully. "Since Eldest Brother despises us, we won’t trouble Eldest Sister-in-law any longer."
Under the Eldest Prince’s furious glare, the Eldest Princess Consort pressed her lips together and replied coolly, "We’re done admiring flowers. My lord, please go about your business."
Half an hour later...
Yintang tiptoed toward the palace gates, preparing to sneak back into his residence, when a clear, composed voice rang out: "Stop right there."
The Crown Prince stood before him, clad in apricot-yellow court robes, his youthful softness long gone. At sixteen, he was tall and poised, his handsome features striking as he fixed Yintang with a steady gaze.
"Disheveled clothes, grass stains everywhere," the Crown Prince remarked mildly after a thorough inspection. "Out with it—where did you and Tenth Brother cause trouble this time?"
"..." The word "this time" was particularly damning.
Yintang stayed silent, looking everywhere but at his elder brother. The Crown Prince didn’t press him, merely smiling. "Fourth Brother just finished practicing calligraphy. He has some free time lately..."
"Second Elder Brother, I’ll go teach Eldest Prince a lesson to vent your anger!" Before the Crown Prince could finish speaking, Yintang’s expression changed abruptly. He hurriedly confessed in a hushed, childish voice, "Eldest Princess Consort gave him such a cold glare—tsk tsk, he lost all face and dignity."
By the end, Yintang no longer felt the slightest guilt. Instead, he was thoroughly pleased with himself, eagerly awaiting praise from the Crown Prince.
Sneaking away while shaking off the maids sent by Eldest Princess Consort—only someone as clever as me could come up with such a brilliant plan, he thought smugly.
Hearing this, the Crown Prince fell silent for a long moment before asking, "Will you accompany me to pay respects to Mother Yi?"
"A man about to begin his studies shouldn’t cling to his mother every day," Yintang declared with an air of wisdom, his toes already pivoting as he prepared to flee. "I’m returning to the princes' quarters to study."
Noticing his fidgeting, the Crown Prince arched a brow but mercifully let him go. "Off you go, then."
He Zhuer opened his mouth several times, hesitating as if wanting to speak but holding back.
The Crown Prince shot him a light, sidelong glance that clearly conveyed: Keep your mouth shut.
Unable to defy his master, He Zhuer could only mourn silently for the Ninth Prince in his heart.
Today was a rest day for the imperial study hall, and the Crown Prince had already arranged for the Fourth Prince to supervise his lazy younger brother’s calligraphy practice.
Surely, the Ninth Prince would receive quite the "surprise" upon returning to his courtyard.
"Greetings to Mother Yi. Has Yinzi not risen yet?" After his usual morning respects, the Crown Prince never failed to inquire about his youngest brother, the Eleventh Prince.
"It’s still early. I’ve let him sleep a little longer," Yunxiu replied with a smile, leaning on Nanny Dong’s arm as she took her seat. "He’s at the age where he needs rest to grow. Even His Majesty wouldn’t dream of disturbing him."
As Noble Consort Yi spoke, her laughter was radiant. Time seemed to have left no mark on her peony-like beauty—her delicate brows, peach-blossom eyes, and luminous complexion remained as striking as ever, now enriched with an added grace.
"Mother Yi, I happened to run into Yintang earlier..."
Yunxiu paused, her fine brows lifting slightly as a sharp glint flashed in her eyes. "What mischief has he caused now?"
"No mischief this time. He accompanied Eldest Princess Consort to admire the flowers," the Crown Prince replied with a light cough, smiling. "Now he’s headed to the princes' quarters to study diligently."
Studying diligently?
Though Yunxiu was deeply skeptical, she refrained from pressing further.
Still, the idea of that little troublemaker Yintang quietly appreciating flowers—and with Eldest Princess Consort, no less, who was heavy with child—was hard to believe.
Before she could question further, the Crown Prince added pensively, "Mother Yi... I wish to marry."
At the dining table, Yunxiu’s hand trembled, sending broth splattering across the surface.
Later that noon, Kangxi arrived at Yanxi Palace after Noble Consort Yi sent for him.
Liang Jiugong efficiently directed the eunuchs to transport the memorials—a routine he had long mastered.
Seated on his palanquin, the emperor, whose authority had grown ever more imposing, stroked his trimmed beard and asked, "What do you suppose the Noble Consort seeks me for?"
The seasoned chief eunuch answered without batting an eye, "This servant does not know, but Her Ladyship must have missed Your Majesty."
Kangxi gave a noncommittal hum, suppressing the upward twitch of his lips.
Yet what greeted him was not sweet words of longing, but a direct and startling question:
"When does Your Majesty plan to begin selecting a Crown Princess?"
