Chapter 61 Chapter 61 Yinxiang had

just arrived at Ningshou Palace when the dishes were served. Wenshan hadn't brought any prepared meals with her, but instead brought ingredients to cook in the small kitchen. Su Malagu arrived and volunteered to help. Wenshan had

n't seen Su Malagu in a while, and she was relieved to see that she was in much better spirits than when the Grand Empress Dowager had just left.

The Fifth Prince had also been raised under Su Malagu's care. He was a cheerful person, and none of the elders disliked him.

Except for his father, Kangxi, who always disliked him for his lack of literary and martial skills, the Fifth Prince was cheerful and didn't take it to heart. The Empress Dowager also provided him with constant protection. Kangxi tried several times to "guide" the Fifth Prince onto the right path, but when he found no results, he gave up.

Wen Shan had always envied the Fifth Prince. If Yinzhen and his children could live like him, she would be happy. Ultimately, as a mother, she didn't expect her children to be exceptionally capable; she simply hoped they would live a healthy, happy, and carefree life.

Now that Yinzhen and Yinsi had begun to stir up trouble in the former dynasty, she couldn't help much. She could only take care of their health and ensure they had a place to rest when they returned to Xianfu Palace.

Yinxiang arrived at Ningshou Palace to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager was quite fond of her grandson, especially since he bore a passing resemblance to Kangxi. She had always loved him dearly.

The Empress Dowager was delighted by the arrival of Yinxiang and Sumalagu. They had just finished a pleasant meal when Aunt Heyu, who was by her side, entered, announcing that someone had just returned from Mongolia with Kangxi's imperial edict.

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager hurriedly asked what had gone wrong on the battlefield. Aunt Heyu smiled and said, "Don't worry, Empress Dowager. The Emperor is fine. It was the Zasak Heshuo Prince of Western Mongolia who tragically died fighting the Dzungars. His wife also committed suicide for love, leaving behind only a daughter. The Emperor, pitying the young princess who lost

her parents so young, has had her escorted back to the capital, hoping you can provide for her well-being." Aunt Heyu also brought Kangxi's handwritten letter. After reading it, the Empress Dowager breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Poor girl! Her father died for his country, so we should take care of her. Let the princess rest in a side hall for a while and have some food. She'll come back this afternoon." Wenshan

didn't find it strange at first, but Yinxiang frowned. Had there ever been such a Mongolian princess in the capital in his previous life?

That afternoon, Wenshan met the Mongolian princess who had come from afar. The girl was only sixteen years old, tall and beautiful, a bright and generous woman with the charming name Yundai.

Wen Shan couldn't help but wonder if Kangxi, enticed by her beauty, had sent the girl from her Mongolian home to the capital.

Apparently, the Empress Dowager shared this thought after meeting her, but she was also pleased to have a Mongolian concubine in the palace. After a brief chat, she temporarily settled her in Ningshou Palace.

Yinxiang studied Yundai, confirming that she had never existed in his past life. When Yinzhen and Yinsi returned to Xianfu Palace that evening, he quickly shared the news.

"My fourth brother and I found out this afternoon," Yinsi said. "I've sent people to investigate this Princess Yundai. I expect to have news in a few days."

With Kangxi away from the palace, Yinsi's actions became even more brazen. He now had a complete understanding of everything going on in the Forbidden City; he and Yinzhen had received news the moment they entered the palace at noon.

"But I think it's just an orphan, so it shouldn't be a problem," Yinxiang said.

"If the Emperor has taken a fancy to her, there's nothing much to say." Yinsi then turned to Wenshan and asked, "Mother, you met someone today. What do you think?"

Wenshan, who was feeding the koi, replied, "She's quite pretty and graceful. It's quite possible that the Emperor has developed a lingering interest in her."

"..."

Yinxiang, who had also met Yundai today, disagreed. "I don't think the Emperor has taken a fancy to her. In recent years, the Emperor has favored gentle Han Chinese concubines like Concubine Mi and Concubine Yuan. That princess doesn't seem like that."

Even Wenshan's appearance and temperament leaned towards the gentle and tender nature of Han Chinese women.

Yinsi treated this unusual development with caution: "I've sent someone to keep an eye on her. There's no need to worry too much."

After discussing the unexpected appearance of the princess, Yinxiang mentioned his desire to leave the palace to watch the artisans at work. Kangxi's absence was a good opportunity.

However, Yinzhen was now required to attend daily meetings with the Crown Prince, so he couldn't leave. Ultimately, Yinsi and Yinxiang were the only ones to sneak out of the palace.

They returned after a day out, just before the palace gates were locked.

As expected, they were once again scolded by Yinzhen.

"Fourth brother, you don't know, that group of people is quite interesting," Yinxiang enthusiastically explained. "Someone actually came up with something similar to that steam engine Mother mentioned."

Wenshan was shocked: "Someone's already made one?!"

Yinsi washed his hands and, unusually voraciously, devoured the snacks on the table.

He mumbled, "It's just a prototype, and the cake isn't very big, but I think I'll be able to get something close in a while."

"Eat slowly," Wenshan said, watching Yinsi and Yinxiang begin to fight over the plate of pastries on the table. She smiled helplessly and waved for Zhenzhu to fetch more.

Worried they might choke from eating too quickly, she poured them both a glass of honey and grapefruit water she'd made that afternoon.

It was chilled in an ice jar right after it was made, and now it was perfectly refreshing.

Yinzhen had already drunk several cups before they returned.

Sure enough, Yinsi and Yinxiang also gave it high praise.

"Why do you look like you've been hungry all day?" Wenshan was a little surprised to see them finish two plates and still look so hungry.

Yinxiang snatched the last piece of glutinous rice cake and stuffed it into his mouth before saying, "My dear and I haven't eaten much all day. There are so many strange things in the garden now, it's hard to take in."

The people Yinzhen and his two companions brought to the capital were all passionate inventors, but their livelihoods kept them from dedicating themselves to these endeavors. Now, suddenly favored by a powerful figure, they were well fed and provided with everything they wanted, and their families and children were well taken care of. It was a life they had never dreamed of.

Wenshan's notebooks, in particular, sparked sudden insights and inspirations for many, and after a while, they created a wealth of new things.

Although there is still a big gap between them and the magical machines that Wen Shan mentioned, it is enough to show that these people are indeed capable.

Yinzhen was also moved after hearing this, and said that he would find a chance to go with them to see it next time.

When Wen Shan heard that they really had not eaten, she quickly stopped them from stuffing snacks into their mouths.

After not eating much all day and having to eat so many hard-to-digest snacks at night, Wen Shan was worried that their stomachs could not handle it.

So Wen Shan went to the small kitchen to make two bowls of egg noodles for them to fill their stomachs.

After Yinsi and Yinxiang ate and drank their fill, they took out a set of coral and jade jewelry as if presenting a treasure. It shone beautifully in the candlelight.

"This is what my thirteenth brother and I picked out for mother at the largest jewelry store in Beijing." Yinsi smiled and said, "Although the Ministry of Internal Affairs also sent a lot, the things in the palace are all similar, and sometimes not as fresh as those outside the palace. Mother, take them and enjoy them."

The two, busy all day and barely able to eat, still bought her jewelry, touching Wenshan to its core. Yinzhen, on the side, felt a bit jealous, as his two younger brothers had already bought gifts for their mother, leaving only him.

The next moment, Yinxiang chuckled, "My eighth brother and I picked it out for our mother. We used money from Fourth Brother's garden!"

Yinsi nodded and spread his hands, "We took five hundred taels directly from the garden manager. Fourth Brother, don't you mind?"

Yinxiang was fine, but why would Yinsi be short of money?

It was clear he was thinking of himself, so he was being so thoughtful.

Yinzhen, feeling warm inside, smiled slightly and said, "Of course, you and Thirteenth Brother, just use whatever you want."

Wenshan, delighted by the three brothers' good relationship, waved her hand and promised to make them a hot pot tomorrow, preparing to personally fry some butter for a proper hot pot.

Yinsi and Yinxiang bought jewelry for Wenshan, not only because she truly liked it, but also because Princess Yundai had arrived at the palace that day, and the concubines had all sent gifts. Wenshan, also of Mongolian descent and the highest-ranking concubine in the palace, reluctantly parted with a set of headgear from the treasury and sent it to her. Yinxiang witnessed the entire process.

So, after leaving the palace, when Yinsi mentioned that he wanted to bring something back for Wenshan after his last trip, Yinxiang mentioned it.

Yinsi immediately ordered his men to find the finest jewelry currently fashionable in the capital. They personally selected this set, and only this one looked good. The rest, Yinsi and Yinxiang felt, were too good to bring back for Wenshan to enjoy.

Within a few days, everyone in the harem began to understand why Princess Yundai had entered the palace.

The eldest prince frequently visited Princess Yundai's residence, Yuhua Pavilion, and the two often went together to admire the flowers and feed the fish in the Imperial Garden, appearing to be very close.

"Did your father bring back a daughter-in-law?" Wen Shan felt a little strange watching the direction they were heading.

But then she thought, since the eldest prince had just returned from the Mongolian battlefield, it seemed normal for him to know Yun Dai.

Could it be that they fell in love at first sight, so Kangxi decided to help the couple and grant them a marriage upon their return?

The people Yinzhen sent to gather information quickly reported back that the story of Yun Dai and the eldest prince was just a simple hero-rescue-beauty story. When Yun Dai's father died on the battlefield, it was the eldest prince who led the troops to rescue him. Although he failed to save the Jasak Prince, he did come to Yun Dai's rescue when she was nearly abducted by the Dzungars.

It didn't sound like a big deal.

But Yinzhen and the others felt something was amiss.

"Princess Yundai is the legitimate daughter of a Mongolian prince. Furthermore, the Zasak Prince just died on the battlefield. There's no way she'd become my eldest brother's concubine," Yinsi reminded Wenshan. "Mother, my eldest brother has only been married to Irgen Gioro for less than six months."

Wenshan finally came to her senses. Yes, the eldest prince had already married and had a legitimate wife.

And with Yundai's status and her father having sacrificed his life for his country, it was absolutely impossible for her to become his concubine.

Irgen Gioro's family was no pushover. Since they hadn't committed any wrongdoing and had only been married for less than six months, a divorce was out of the question.

"Then the eldest prince and the princess..." Wenshan paused, then said, "Doesn't this present a major dilemma for the Emperor?"

Yinxiang shrugged. "I think my eldest brother is acting this way because the Emperor is away from the palace. He won't be so foolish when he returns, will he?"

"It's hard to say," Yinsi said.

But what they didn't expect was that it wasn't just the eldest prince who was losing his mind, but also the crown prince.

After meeting Princess Yundai, the Crown Prince, whether to disgust the eldest prince or simply to develop a fondness for her, began visiting her regularly. However, the closeness between the eldest prince and the princess was still not as strong as it had been a few days ago.

Yinzhen and his three companions were stunned; no one had expected the

Crown Prince and the eldest prince to fight over a single woman. Upon learning of this, Concubine Ping and Concubine Hui were so distressed they couldn't eat for days, believing the princess to be a disaster.

Concubine Hui summoned the eldest prince to her for several days to understand what her son was thinking.

"Mother, Yun Dai and I are in love with each other. The Emperor knew about it when we were in Mongolia. You don't have to worry." The eldest prince was confident, "I wonder if the Emperor sent Yun Dai back to the capital in order to

arrange a marriage for his son after he returns to the capital." "Arranged marriage?" Concubine Hui's mind was rare and clear for a moment. "You just got married half a year ago. Irgen Jueluo has done everything right and there is nothing wrong with her. You want this princess to be your concubine or a sidekick?"

Concubine Hui was also skeptical about her son's claim that the Emperor also knew about it. How could the Emperor let Yinzhen act like this?

The eldest prince didn't find this a difficult matter. He said, "Although Yundai is the daughter of a Mongolian prince, the Zasak is dead and she has no one in her family. Now she's an orphan. There's nothing wrong with marrying her to me as a concubine."

Before Huifei could say anything else, the eldest prince interrupted her, "Mother, if you're talking about violating the rules, didn't the Emperor still marry Nuomin's daughter to my fourth brother? Don't worry."

The eldest prince's argument really convinced Huifei, and after thinking about it, she felt it made some sense.

Even someone of Ma Jia's background had been chosen as a concubine for the Fourth Prince. While the Emperor said that the Fourth Prince, now under the name of Concubine Xuan, had chosen Nuomin's daughter, Yinzhen also held the title of eldest son and was equally respected.

Thinking about it, it seemed to make sense.

"I can't let the Crown Prince outdo me in everything. Now I have to let my fourth brother do the same. When my tenth brother grows up, he'll still have to do the same," the eldest prince said indignantly.

Upon hearing the eldest prince's words, Concubine Hui's heart softened, a touch of heartache forming. She sighed, "It's all mother's fault. Your family can't help you much, and your position isn't as high as the other concubines. You've delayed my son." "

Mother, please don't say that," the eldest prince sighed. "When my son grows up, he'll make his own mark. He'll surely ascend to the throne, allowing you to become the Empress Dowager, and we'll never have to endure anyone's wrath again!"

Concubine Hui smiled with relief, but her brow furrowed again at the mention of the crown prince.

"Yinzhen, I heard the crown prince has been spending a lot of time with the princess lately. What's going on?"

This was arguably the biggest joke in the palace lately. Both the crown prince and the eldest prince seemed to have their eyes on Princess Yundai, who had come from Mongolia. While there hadn't been any competition between the two, it was certainly a rather unusual occurrence.

The eldest prince bristled at the mere mention of this, accusing the crown prince of deliberately making things difficult for him and deliberately antagonizing him.

After a moment's hesitation, Concubine Hui said, "The Crown Prince is now highly regarded

by the Emperor. If he truly wishes to compete with you, you must swallow your anger." After all, the Crown Prince hadn't married yet, so it wouldn't be a problem to make room for a concubine for Princess Yundai.

Furthermore, Kangxi had always been partial to the Crown Prince, so Concubine Hui felt that if the Crown Prince truly asked for her, he would most likely agree.

The eldest prince was furious, but he knew his mother was telling the truth. He truly couldn't compete with the Crown Prince right now.

However, having endured this for so many years, he also wanted a chance to confront the Crown Prince head-on.

The conversation between mother and son that afternoon had been reported to Yinzhen by Concubine Hui's spies.

"Endure this for so many years?" Yinxiang laughed after hearing this. "When did you ever endure this when you're always jumping around?"

It was a rare thing for him to say.

Wen Shan, taking this as gossip, casually asked the Crown Prince what was going on.

Yinsi replied, "You're right, brother. The Crown Prince isn't really obsessed with that woman; he just wants to disgust you."

"Besides, with Soetu checking on the Crown Prince, he won't act rashly," Yinzhen remarked.

Yinzhen now had infiltrated the Prince's faction, and the Crown Prince would share some of his thoughts with him and the Third Prince.

For example, Yinzhen had feigned admonition to counsel the Crown Prince regarding Princess Yundai.

The Crown Prince had replied nonchalantly, "Prince Zasak died in battle, and the Princess is his orphan. Since we're in the capital, as the Crown Prince Regent, I naturally have to visit her. Besides, we haven't done anything inappropriate. If Brother thinks anything is wrong, that's his business." He

was clearly trying to use this incident to further incite the First Prince into doing something irrational. Then, when Kangxi returned, he might be enraged and punish him for multiple crimes.

"Such a sinister trick, it's obvious that Soetu came up with it," Yinsi said while eating a piece of chilled watermelon.

Yinxiang came over and Yinsi fed him a bite. He had been teething recently and was so cold that he squeaked loudly, which scared Yinsi so much that he stopped eating the watermelon and quickly asked someone to take him away.

Yinzhen looked at his two younger brothers helplessly and asked Wenshan if she was bored in the palace recently. He suggested that they go out to the palace to see the craftsmen and bring her some small things from outside the palace.

"I'm not bored lately. It's quite interesting." Wenshan was enjoying the melon of the love triangle between the crown prince and the eldest prince. Not only her, but also Concubine Nianhulu, Concubine Yi and Concubine Rong were also watching the show with great interest, leaving Concubine Ping and Concubine Hui in a state of panic.

The fourteenth prince had recently fallen ill, and Concubine De was busy taking care of her son and had not left Yonghe Palace much, so she missed the excitement.

Even the empress dowager heard about it and asked Wenshan if she knew what was going on.

"I don't know the details, but it seems both the Crown Prince and the eldest prince are interested in the princess," Wen Shan said with a smile. "After all, they're young and full of vigor, so it shouldn't be a problem.

"

The Empress Dowager frowned. "Two brothers fighting over a woman is ridiculous." The Empress Dowager thought for a moment and asked Aunt Heyu to invite Princess Yundai over.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Wen Shan explained to the Empress Dowager the princess's and the eldest prince's Mongolian connection. The Empress Dowager listened in silence, then said, "If Yinzhen hasn't married yet... well, well, what's the big deal?"

Princess Yundai lived not far from Ningshou Palace and arrived shortly.

After greeting the Empress Dowager and Wen Shan, she stood politely to the side.

"Please sit down," the Empress Dowager raised her hand, signaling the palace maids to serve tea.

Princess Yundai had been at the palace for nearly a month. Still in mourning, her attire was simple, but it couldn't conceal her radiant beauty. The Empress Dowager looked her over and said, "You are indeed beautiful." "Your Majesty, your compliment is too kind, " Yun Dai replied modestly. "Since entering the palace, I have realized that there are so many beauties in the world that I cannot even begin to compare to. For example, the elegant and graceful Concubine Xuan makes me feel inferior." 

Wen Shan smiled silently. The Empress Dowager 

summoned her today to teach her a lesson, to prevent her from breaking the rules by playing between the Crown Prince and the eldest prince. She also wanted to help her because of her Mongolian origin and her father's recent death in battle. 

"I heard that you and the eldest prince knew each other in Mongolia?" 

Yun Dai briefly mentioned the eldest prince's arrival with his troops, and concluded by saying that she was grateful for his help. 

"It's good to be grateful, but it's not right to expect your benefactor to visit you all the time," the Queen Mother said. "The eldest prince got married a few years ago, and his wife and concubine are both living in the palace. I've had some gifts prepared for you later. You can take them to see them." 

The Queen Mother specifically pointed out that the eldest prince was already married, naturally wanting Yun Dai to understand that she and the eldest prince were not destined to be together, and wanted her to weigh the pros and extricate herself quickly. 

If Kangxi returned and found out, it would be difficult 

to deal with. The Queen Mother didn't mention the Crown Prince because she wanted to save the young woman some face and avoid an awkward situation. 

Yun Dai was no fool. From the Queen Mother's tone, she knew that she didn't support her and the eldest prince, let alone her marriage to the Crown Prince. So she accepted the gifts and went to Ganxi Wusuo with Aunt Heyu. 

"The Queen Mother has ignored palace affairs for a long time, but now she's intervening for the princess," Wen Shan joked. 

Assuming the position of Empress Dowager, she could be said to have no worries. She could choose not to intervene in Yun Dai's affairs. Even if the harem was in turmoil, Kangxi would question Concubine Niuhuru upon her return. Her intervention was likely motivated by the pity of her orphan. The Empress Dowager shook her head and said, "Why would a young girl at her age get involved in such turmoil? Wait until the Emperor returns, adopt her as his daughter and make her a princess, and then find her a good marriage. Wouldn't that be much better?" 

Su Malagu, who had also arrived today, said, "I think the princess is intelligent, but I wonder if she understands the Empress Dowager's intentions." 

Su Malagu had been at the Grand Empress Dowager's side for many years and had a ruthless eye for people. Although this was her first time meeting Princess Yun Dai, she could tell from her eyes that she was intelligent and resourceful, but it was hard to say what she was actually thinking. 

It wasn't long before Su Malagu's thoughts were confirmed. 

The prince actually had physical contact with Princess Yundai, and was caught by the eldest prince.