Chapter 93 Chapter 93 Wen Shan knew immediately...

Wen Shan knew immediately something might be about to happen.

"Is everything alright?" Wen Shan asked.

Yinsi: "Nothing serious."

Watching Yinsi leisurely playing with the dog, Wen Shan felt it shouldn't be a big deal.

Besides, any problems were from the previous dynasty. As Yinsi had said, the most she'd have to do was stay in Xianfu Palace for a while, while Yinzhen and his brothers would handle the situation.

"With your father gone, the palace will surely be much quieter. I can finally have a few months of rest." Wen Shan stretched, ready to enjoy her hard-earned downtime.

Yinsi agreed: "Exactly. Just rest up."

Wen Shan was about to discuss with Yinsi how to remove the flowers Kangxi had planted during his execution when Pearl entered through the curtain.

"Master, the Fourth Prince has sent someone with the wife of Master Tian Wenjing to pay their respects to you."

Wen Shan was puzzled. "Tian Wenjing's wife?"

She didn't know her.

Wen Shan looked at Yinsi, who explained, "Tian Wenjing's wife is Dai Zi's only daughter, and my Fourth Prince and I acted as matchmakers."

Wen Shan suddenly realized what had happened.

Zhenzhu continued, "The Fourth Prince wants Madam Tian to meet Master Dai, but it's not proper for a concubine to enter the palace without paying her respects to the master."

Dai Zi's improved muskets were instrumental to the state. Although he had politely declined the offer of an official position, Kangxi still appointed him a third-rank official, offering him a salary and little to do. Dai Zi had also been recruited to the palace and had been working in the firearms workshop.

Tian Wenjing had brought Madam Tian with him on his visit, hoping to ease her homesickness by allowing them to meet.

Upon hearing that Madam Tian was coming, Yinsi left with Laifu by the arm.

Wen Shan then stuffed Yinsi with Laifu's favorite snacks before letting him leave with the dog.

"Let Madam Tian in."

Zhenzhu soon arrived, ushering in a cheerful and generous woman dressed with a certain air of valor.

Wen Shan, momentarily, noticed a resemblance to Princess Yundai, though Princess Yundai was more charming than Madam Tian, while Madam Tian had the clarity of a clear spring.

"Your humble servant greets the Imperial Concubine,"

Wen Shan hurriedly had her helped to her feet. "Please rise quickly, Zhenzhu, and take a seat."

Madam Tian smiled and said, "Thank you, Imperial Concubine. This is my first time in the palace. I hope you will forgive me if I'm being impolite."

"I don't usually pay much attention to formalities. Please be as you please. There's no need to be so polite." Wen Shan looked at Madam Tian and thought to herself: Dai Zi truly had given birth to a beautiful and gifted daughter. Just looking at her was a joy to behold.

"I've met your father a few times, and you don't look like him. I never thought Master Dai could have such a beautiful daughter," Wen Shan joked.

Madam Tian smiled. "I look like my mother. I've often wondered how a beauty like my mother could have fallen for my father. If she had chosen a more handsome man, who knows, the daughter might have been even more beautiful."

Wen Shan: "..." She

couldn't help but smile at the thought of Dai Zi's expression when she heard her daughter say that.

What a generous girl.

"But your personality is like your father's," Wen Shan said.

This child really knows how to choose her own growth. She looks like her beautiful mother, but she also has her father's carefree and generous personality. What a wonderful girl.

"People often say that, and that's why I haven't been able to get married for so long," Madam Tian said with a bright smile. "I'd also like to thank the Fourth and Eighth Princes for their matchmaking, and of course, the Imperial Concubine."

"I was worried about those two children getting married, but seeing you and your wife getting along, I'm relieved." Wen Shan looked at her slightly swollen belly and said with concern, "I heard you're almost six months pregnant?"

This was something Zhenzhu had mentioned to her just before Madam Tian came in. The size doesn't look like it's been more than six months, so it probably won't be too obvious.

Madam Tian lowered her head and touched her belly. "Yes, more than six months."

Wen Shan asked, "Is the journey here tiring?"

"We've taken great care of you. If you can't even endure this little hardship, wouldn't the baby be too delicate after the birth?" Madam Tian said with a raised eyebrow and a smile.

Madam Tian had come to the palace to meet Dai Zi, so Wen Shan didn't talk much with her. When Amber came in to say the gift for Madam Tian was ready, Wen Shan let her take it and leave.

Because Fucha was also pregnant, Xianfu Palace had many items suitable for pregnant women. Tian Wenjing was Yinzhen and Yinsi's right-hand man, so Wen Shan had Amber prepare a gift identical to the one she had given Fucha last time for Madam Tian to take away.

"I really like Madam Tian's personality, but since she's pregnant, she could have come to the palace more often," Wen Shan lamented.

Kangxi was away from the palace, making it convenient for Madam Tian to visit.

Zhenzhu served Wenshan a bowl of sweet soup and said with a smile, "Master, have you been feeling bored lately?"

"That boy Yinxiang hasn't been home all day," Wenshan said. "Minpin told me the other day that she's been going to Mipin's Changchun Palace a lot lately. Yinxiang goes to Yanxi Palace and hangs out with the Fifth Princess and the others. By the time she returns, the palace maids are gone."

Mipin had given birth to the fifteenth and sixteenth princes in quick succession in recent years. The two children were close in age, making them both prone to fuss and illness. Mipin felt overwhelmed by the workload alone, so Minpin often went to help.

Minpin sighed repeatedly. Seeing Yinxiang visiting Yanxi Palace more often, she actually saw him less.

At this moment, Yinxiang was completely overwhelmed by his three sisters.

Although Dunke and Wenke had previously clung to him, they were both very obedient and sensible. Minpin told them not to constantly pester their brother to stay, saying he still had to go to school and return to Xianfu Palace, so she didn't want to burden him.

Although the two little girls didn't quite understand, they still obeyed their mother. They had a blast when Yinxiang came, and even when he was leaving, they didn't cry or make a fuss.

But the Fifth Princess's arrival changed things dramatically.

The Fifth Princess, who never tolerated being wronged, saw Wen Ke and Dun Ke's dismay every time Yinxiang left, and told them that if they liked Thirteenth Brother, they could come and play more often.

At first, Wen Ke hesitated: "Mother said I can't disturb you from studying." "Thirteenth Brother

has plenty of free time," the Fifth Princess argued.

Yinxiang was notorious for skipping classes and slacking off, and the Fifth Princess had heard the Fourteenth Prince complain about it many times. Especially now that Kangxi was preoccupied with the affairs of the previous dynasty, he had no time to pay attention to the children's studies. The teachers in the Shangshufang were helpless against this troubled Thirteenth Brother.

This little devil had a face resembling the emperor's and was incredibly intelligent. Although he seemed to be completely incompetent and neglecting his studies, every time the emperor checked on the princes' grades, he was always at the top.

In the end, Kangxi had no choice but to let him do what he wanted as long as it didn't interfere with his studies.

In the final analysis, it was Kangxi who favored this youngest son.

Zhang Ying and Gu Badai were both powerless to deal with him and could only turn a blind eye.

Therefore, Yinxiang had much more free time than the other brothers who were studying hard.

Dunke bit his fingers while listening to this. The next time Yinxiang came, Dunke hugged Yinxiang's arm with tears in his eyes and asked if his brother could play for a while longer.

Seeing that Yinxiang was very soft-hearted, he agreed.

Minpin was a little angry at first and scolded Wenke and Dunke. When Yinxiang found out, he hurried over to protect them, saying that he knew what was going on and would not delay the important work.

The sisters were still young and would not have much chance to stick to him when they grew up. It would be better for them to spend more time with each other while they both had time.

Yinxiang's frequent visits inevitably led to more interactions with the Fifth Princess. Initially, Yinxiang was indifferent to her, but Wen Ke and Dun Ke truly took a liking to this beautiful sister, especially after the Fifth Princess began playing with them, becoming incredibly affectionate. After observing her for a few days, Yinxiang concluded that the Fifth Princess wasn't inherently bad, just a bit spoiled, which, for a princess of the highest rank, didn't seem to be a problem. Convinced

, Yinxiang's attitude towards the Fifth Princess improved considerably.

Today, during his visit, Yinxiang noticed that the Fifth Princess seemed somewhat absent-minded, her attention constantly wandering when he spoke to her.

"Fifth Sister, what's wrong?" Yinxiang thought for a moment before asking. It was clear

from her expression that something was amiss.

Wen Ke and Dun Ke were playing a puzzle and hadn't noticed them. The two little girls were happily playing with their childish voices.

The Fifth Princess bit her lip and whispered, "Thirteenth Brother, Fourteenth Brother came to see me yesterday."

Yinxiang looked up and immediately noticed something was amiss. If it was just a normal sibling encounter, why would the Fifth Princess be so hesitant?

"Fourteenth Brother said Mother is having a hard time in the palace and asked me to ask Concubine Min to look after her."

Yinxiang said, "Mother doesn't manage the six harems, nor is she a high-ranking concubine. What can she possibly ask Wu Ya to do?"

The Fifth Princess naturally knew that Concubine Min couldn't help much, so it was obvious who could.

She told Concubine Min to ask Concubine Xuan.

Concubine Min and Concubine Xuan had always been good friends. If Concubine Min asked, she would never refuse. Even if she didn't help, she would be less harsh.

Yinxiang didn't want Concubine Min and Wenshan involved in Uya's affairs, so he said coldly, "Although Mother has the authority to assist in the management of the six palaces, all matters, big and small, are handled by Concubine Tong. If Fourteenth Brother truly cares for Mother, why not ask Concubine Tong for help?"

The Fifth Princess now had mixed feelings about Uya. To be fair, while Uya valued the Sixth and Fourteenth Princes more, the Fifth Princess was born at a time of prosperity and prosperity, and she couldn't possibly treat her daughter harshly. She still had a mother-daughter bond, so she couldn't just sit back and watch Uya suffer.

"Thirteenth Brother, I know this request may be a bit abrupt, but could I see Fourth Brother?" the Fifth Princess hesitantly asked.

Yinxiang keenly sensed that the Fifth Princess hadn't told him everything; there were things she still wanted to share with her fourth brother.

"I'll pass on the message, but Fourth Brother must be very busy as Regent," Yinxiang said, not making any firm statements.

Even so, the Fifth Princess was delighted. After thanking Yinxiang earnestly, she was pulled aside by Wen Ke and Dun Ke to play.

Yinxiang said goodbye to Wen Ke and Dun Ke, then squatted down and hugged the two little girls.

"Thirteenth Brother has something to do and won't play with you today."

Wen Ke nodded sensibly, "Mother said that the Emperor is out now, so Thirteenth Brother will be very busy. We will wait patiently for him to come."

Yinxiang smiled and patted their heads. Seeing the Fifth Princess looking over, he nodded gently before leaving the Yanxi Palace.

Yinxiang's personal eunuch, Lu Bao, was waiting at the door. Seeing him emerge, he quickly put his cloak on him.

"Master, the Imperial Concubine has told you to wear more clothes as the autumn winds are coming soon, so as not to catch a cold."

Yinxiang said "hmm" and then asked: "Where are the fourth brother and the eighth brother?"

"I think the fourth brother should be in Chonghua Palace, but I don't know about the eighth brother. "

Yinxiang nodded slightly and started to walk towards Chonghua Palace. On the way, he happened to meet the fifth prince who had brought his wife to the palace to visit the Empress Dowager and Concubine Yi.

"Thirteenth brother!"

The fifth prince saw Yinxiang from a distance, called him over, and then ran over excitedly to pat him on the shoulder: "It's been a while since we last met. What have you been busy with recently?"

Yinxiang spread his hands: "Wenkei and Dunke, the two little girls, have been very clingy lately. They insisted on having me play with them."

"You have two such lovely sisters, so you should be happy." The fifth prince punched him.

"Fifth brother, are you coming to the palace to visit the Empress Dowager?" Yinxiang glanced behind him and asked, "Why didn't you bring your fifth sister-in-law?"

The fifth brother, with his arm around Yinxiang's shoulder, walked forward. "My wife and I just paid our respects to Mother. Mother asked her to stay and talk, but I felt bored so I came out for a walk. I was planning to look for Fourth brother, but I bumped into you on the way."

"I was thinking of going to Chonghua Palace to see Fourth brother," Yinxiang said with a smile. "It seems Fourth brother wouldn't be right if he didn't treat us to a banquet today."

The mention of Yinzhen's banquet at Chonghua Palace reminded the fifth prince of the Hongmen Banquet, a bloody night.

He still felt a little terrified when he thought about it.

"Fortunately, the Crown Prince is under house arrest this time, so he can't go out and mess around," the fifth prince whispered.

As soon as he finished speaking, the third prince wandered out from the front.

Yinxiang: "...Fifth brother, you're such a bad mouth."

The Fifth Prince covered his mouth, his eyes rolling. Yinxiang said, "Don't say we're going to see Fourth Brother, just say we met on the way."

He had been going to see Fourth Brother for serious matters, so bringing Fifth Prince along would have been fine, but if Third Prince showed up to join in the fun,

it would have been troublesome. "Fifth brother, Thirteenth brother, where are you going?"

The Third Prince was clutching a birdcage, a emerald green bird chirping and leaping around inside, looking like a truly uneducated rich young man.

"I just ran into Fifth Brother after coming back from Mother's," Yinxiang said with a smile. "Why are you in the palace today too, Third Brother?"

"I came to pay my respects to Mother, too." The Third Prince studied the two men. "Where are you going, brothers?"

"Just a stroll," the Fifth Prince said. "The Imperial Gardens are looking pretty nice lately."

As expected, the Third Prince smiled and said they should stroll around the gardens together.

Yinxiang: "..."

He simply didn't check the almanac before going out today.

The Fifth Prince's attention was quickly drawn to the bird in the Third Prince's hand.

"Third brother, where did you get this kingfisher?" The Fifth Prince approached to tease it, but the bird was so fierce it nearly pecked his finger.

"Wow, it's still so fierce."

The Third Prince moved his wrist and lifted the birdcage a little further away: "This was given to me by my eldest brother a few days ago. It's not tamed yet. Fifth brother, stay away from this beast and don't hurt it."

The eldest prince gave the Third Prince a gift...

Yinxiang understood that the Crown Prince was in trouble, so he was trying to win over the Third Prince.

He just didn't know what the Third Prince himself was thinking.

"Third brother is now editing books in Chongwenguan, and with this bird, he really looks like a talented and romantic scholar." Yinxiang tilted his head and said.

Of the three princes in Xianfu Palace, Yinzhen was cold-faced and cold-hearted, and did things without mercy. Yinsi was versatile and good at making friends with court officials. On the contrary, the youngest Yinxiang didn't seem to have any outstanding qualities. He was young and spent his days eating, drinking and having fun. Therefore, the Crown Prince, the eldest prince and the Third Prince didn't take him seriously, and just regarded him as a child who only knew how to play.

The Fifth Prince also agreed. The Third Prince smiled and said to his two younger brothers: "Reading can enlighten you. Books can bring you wealth. Didn't the master teach you this?"

"Didn't Third Brother bring his Third Sister-in-law with him when he entered the palace today?" asked the Fifth Prince.

The Third Prince teased the bird in the cage: "Fifth Brother, didn't you bring your sister-in-law with you, too?"

Yinxiang replied: "Fifth Brother did bring her. She's in the Yikun Palace, talking to Concubine Yi."

The Third Prince raised an eyebrow at this: "After all, Fifth Brother is newlywed and can't leave for even a moment."

Although the Fifth Prince was honest, he was a little shy when talking about these things.

Yinxiang felt something was amiss. The Third Prince had never interacted much with them, and didn't particularly enjoy talking to his younger brothers. Yet, today, he'd been talking on and on about the same things for so long, as if deliberately trying to keep them at bay.

Yinxiang remembered that behind the place where the Third Prince had appeared was the Yujing Pavilion.

He hadn't thought about it before, but now that he realized it was the northeast corner of the Imperial Garden, with its rugged rocks. Not many people usually went there. Why would the Third Prince appear there so inexplicably?

Was there someone or something behind that they couldn't see, so he was deliberately trying to lure them away?

The Third Prince was indeed vaguely guiding them in the opposite direction.

Yinxiang suddenly called out, a thought stirring.

The Fifth Prince turned to look at him: "Thirteenth Brother, what's wrong?"

"I think I saw Lai Fu just now."

The Fifth Prince: "Why is Lai Fu here?"

Yinxiang said helplessly: "Since Fuqi was taken away by Fourth Brother, Lai Fu has been running around everywhere. Sometimes he runs away and can't be found for a long time, which makes Mother very worried."

The Fifth Prince immediately asked: "Where did you see him? Let's go look for him." Hearing this,

the Third Prince hurriedly stopped them: "Let the guards help look for him. Why do you two have to go there in person?"

"Let the guards look for him and scare Lai Fu again. Lai Fu is not young anymore, so we should not bother him anymore." The Fifth Prince rolled up his sleeves and said, "We are familiar with Lai Fu. Maybe calling his name will lure him out without mobilizing a large force."

Seeing that he couldn't stop them, the Third Prince could only follow the two of them closely to find the dog.

Yinxiang took advantage of the Third and Fifth Princes not noticing and kicked a stone in the direction of Yujing Pavilion.

The Fifth Prince heard the noise and went in that direction.

"Could Laifu have gotten into these rocks?" The Fifth Prince was puzzled as he looked at the holes.

Dogs could get in, but they couldn't.

The Fifth Prince called out twice but there was no response. The Third Prince panicked and hurried forward and said, "In that case, let us look for them. There aren't many people in this area so nothing can go wrong." "

Is Yujing Pavilion behind us?" Yinxiang stood on tiptoe and looked back. He could clearly sense the Third Prince's nervousness when he mentioned Yujing Pavilion.

The Fifth Prince also scratched his head and stretched it to look back: "Indeed, Yujing Pavilion is on high ground. Let's go up and take a look. Maybe we can see where Laifu is."

"Fifth brother!" The Third Prince hurriedly stopped him, "It's getting late, and the mountains are so rocky. It's better not to go up."

In his haste, the Third Prince couldn't think of any good excuse. Even the Fifth Prince could see that something was wrong with him.

"Third brother, why are you acting so strangely today? Why don't you let us go up and take a look?" The Fifth Prince asked bluntly.

The Third Prince was sweating profusely, and just when he didn't know how to explain it, Yinsi's voice suddenly came from behind him.

"Why are you all here? It's so lively."

Yinxiang turned around and saw that it was Yinsi holding Laifu and watching them from behind.

The Third Prince, as if granted amnesty, saw the dog in Yinsi's hand and said hurriedly, "It's in Eighth Brother's hands. You don't have to go up there and don't hurt it."

The Fifth Prince stepped forward and petted Laifu: "Thirteenth Brother just said he saw Laifu. So it was you, Eighth Brother, who brought him out to play."

Laifu barked twice and wagged his tail at Yinxiang.

Yinsi replied flawlessly, "I just let Laifu run around here for a while. Maybe you saw him."

The Third Prince was even more anxious as the crowd gathered, especially with the Eighth Brother. Yinsi, a shrewd man, immediately noticed something was wrong with the Third Prince.

"What's wrong, Third Brother? You don't look well," Yinsi said with a smile.

The Third Prince's face was indeed pale. The Fifth Prince said, "If you're not feeling well, go back home and rest." The

Third Prince was clearly unable to leave yet, but with everyone gathered here, it was not a good idea.

Yinxiang glanced towards the Imperial View Pavilion, thinking that the people inside were also trapped and unable to leave.

The fifth prince came forward and spoke to the third prince with concern. Yinxiang seized the opportunity and whispered to Yinsi: "Eighth brother, there is someone in Yujing Pavilion."

Yinsi understood and waved to the fifth prince: "Fifth brother, let the third brother have a rest. I am going to talk to the fourth brother. Do you want to go with us?"

The third prince did not expect that it was Yinsi who rescued him. He hurriedly said that he had something else to do and watched Yinsi and the other two leave.

The third prince breathed a sigh of relief, and they finally left.

Yinsi and the other two were halfway there when Concubine Yi sent someone to call the fifth prince who had slipped away halfway to go back. The fifth prince said with a bitter face that he could only go to Chonghua Palace for a free meal next time, and was then taken back.

When Yinxiang saw that no one was around, he said, "Who is in Yujing Pavilion that has caused Third Brother to be so anxious?"

"No matter who it is, we've already alerted the enemy." Yinsi said, "I've had someone keep an eye on them. We'll tell you when we have news."

As he was speaking, a guard came up and whispered a few words to Yinsi.

"Heh." Yinsi looked at Yinxiang with a subtle look, "It's Fourteenth Brother and Soetu inside."