Lüdou looked at Duoduo with admiration. “Commandery Princess, you know so much!”
Duoduo beamed. “That’s because Father taught me well!”
“Father said that when it comes to royal marriages, the most important thing is that the families be well matched.”
“If Second Uncle only cared about Second Aunt’s family background, he could never divorce her.”
“Even if Second Uncle ascended the throne, Second Aunt would certainly remain Empress.”
“Unless, of course, Second Aunt did something treasonous or otherwise unforgivable.”
Lüdou did not quite understand.
“Commandery Princess, if even you understand this principle, how could Princess Consort Ling not know it?”
“I heard that Princess Consort Ling and the Secondary Consort fought so fiercely that the entire Prince Ling’s household was thrown into chaos. In the end, both sides suffered!”
“She could have simply done as you said—secured her position as the principal wife and looked after her children.”
“Why did she have to fight so bitterly with the Secondary Consort and end up being despised by Prince Ling?”
Duoduo tilted her head and looked at Lüdou.
“Lüdou, have you forgotten? Nanny taught us what a mother can tolerate least of all.”
“What she can tolerate least of all?” Lüdou fell into deep thought.
“The thing a mother should be least able to tolerate is… her child, right?”
Lüdou was not married, but there were plenty of married women with children among the wives and maids in the residence.
The things they talked about most were their children and their husbands.
Princess Consort Ling was naturally no different.
But her husband was also the Secondary Consort’s husband.
So that could not be what the Commandery Princess meant.
Duoduo nodded approvingly.
“And then?” Rather than giving Lüdou the answer, Duoduo guided her to think it through herself.
After all, there was nothing else to do.
“And then?” Lüdou clearly still did not understand what Duoduo meant.
“Why did Second Aunt fight with the Secondary Consort?” Duoduo prompted her.
Lüdou thought hard. “Commandery Princess, do you mean that Princess Consort Ling fought the Secondary Consort for the sake of her own child?”
Duoduo broke into a huge smile.
“Mm-hmm! That’s exactly right!”
Encouraged by the Commandery Princess’s approval, Lüdou’s face flushed with excitement.
“I remember that the Secondary Consort of Prince Ling’s residence also has a son!”
“If Princess Consort Ling were cast aside, the Secondary Consort would very likely be promoted to principal wife.”
“Although the Secondary Consort’s son could also be considered a legitimate son…”
“Still, no matter how you put it, he would never have the same prestige as the principal wife’s legitimate son!”
Lüdou’s thoughts suddenly became much clearer.
“But Shitou said it was because of the eldest young lady… because of Commandery Princess Funing?”
Duoduo tilted her head.
She suddenly remembered a story Li Jin had once told her.
When fishermen transported fish in their boats, they discovered that many of the fish had died by the time they reached the shore.
Later, someone happened to catch a catfish and put it in among the other fish.
When the boat reached shore, the fishermen found that most of the fish that would previously have died on the way were still alive.
It turned out that the arrival of a different fish had kept the rest of the school on alert. To survive, the fish had swum desperately the entire way.
That was known as the “catfish effect.”
Duoduo first told Lüdou the story.
“Lüdou, think about it. In the past, Second Aunt and the Secondary Consort didn’t get along, but they never openly competed so fiercely.”
“That means Second Aunt had always kept the Secondary Consort under control.”
“Why, then, was Second Aunt suddenly pushed down by the Secondary Consort this time?”
“Because of Commandery Princess Funing?” Lüdou finally understood.
Duoduo nodded.
“Perhaps it wasn’t entirely because of her, but I’m sure she was the reason it all started!”
Lüdou curled her lip. “Commandery Princess Funing really does bring trouble wherever she goes!”
“Prince Ling must be blind to mistake a fish eye for a pearl!”
Duoduo knew that Lüdou was only defending her.
“Lüdou, who do you think is better—Second Uncle or Father?”
Lüdou answered without hesitation, “Of course His Highness and Her Highness are better!”
Duoduo nodded happily. “Teacher said that when one loses something in one place, one gains something elsewhere.”
“Heaven is fair! I’m very happy now too.”
“So you should be happy for me.”
Lüdou immediately nodded hard. “Commandery Princess, you’re right!”
But then a hesitant look appeared on Lüdou’s face.
Duoduo noticed it at once and found it strange.
“What is it? You disagree?”
Lüdou hurriedly shook her head. “No. I only heard that yesterday, Her Highness stayed in the study…”
As she spoke, Lüdou quickly glanced behind her.
When she saw no sign of Nanny Li, she patted her chest in relief.
Thank goodness Nanny Li wasn’t there. Otherwise, she would have been scolded again.
Duoduo was amused by her reaction.
She lowered her voice and leaned closer to Lüdou.
“You heard about that too?”
Lüdou nodded, her face full of worry.
“Commandery Princess, what if… I mean, just what if…”
“What if His Highness and Her Highness have a child of their own? What will happen to you then?”
Duoduo smiled brightly. “If Father and Mother have a baby, isn’t that a good thing?”
“But, Commandery Princess, I’ve heard that people’s hearts are naturally biased.”
“Right now, His Highness and Her Highness don’t have a child of their own, so they dote on you.”
“But what if they have a child and stop caring about you?”
Lüdou had heard some kitchen maids talking about a woman who could not have children and had adopted one.
A few years later, however, she gave birth to a child of her own.
After that, she could never look at her adopted child favorably again.
Duoduo tilted her head and looked at Lüdou. “Don’t listen to those servants gossiping!”
“Father and Mother aren’t like that!”
“Besides, Mother and I have already agreed that once my little brother is born, I’ll be the one to raise him!”
Lüdou’s eyes lit up.
“Then I’ll help you raise him, Commandery Princess!”
If His Highness and Her Highness ever came to dislike the Commandery Princess, they might raise the young master badly.
The Commandery Princess really was clever!
Lüdou looked at Duoduo with even greater admiration.
The change in Lüdou’s attitude was so drastic that Duoduo felt somewhat suspicious.
But she did not want to explain too much.
Because she herself was not sure whether Father and Mother would change.
Her teacher had taught her that people’s hearts were ever-changing, and no one could guarantee that they would always remain true to their original intentions.
If Father and Mother really changed, then she would simply leave.
After all, everything Father had taught her would be enough for her to make a living on her own.
Duoduo was very confident. With her own abilities, she could carve out a place for herself in the world!
“Huh?” Lüdou sensed something different.
“Commandery Princess, look! It seems to be getting windy!”
Lüdou raised her hand and held it in the air, gauging the direction of the wind.
Duoduo also curiously stretched out her hand, then tilted her head back to look at the sky.
The sun still hung blazing overhead.
There was only wind.
It wasn’t enough.
And wind alone could still lead to trouble.
Duoduo took Lüdou’s hand. “Come on. Let’s go somewhere higher and look.”
Duoduo and Lüdou climbed onto the roof and gazed toward the Imperial Ancestral Temple.
