As soon as the words fell, Concubine Hui was stunned. She no longer cared about the Eighth Prince. Her pretty face changed, and she was surprised and happy at the same time. "Really? My son has really surpassed the Crown Prince?"
Yinzhi nodded.
Boundless pride filled Concubine Hui's heart. She said yes and said impatiently, "... Tell mother about the competition."
In the early years, the palace established a rule that when the prince reached the age of six, he had to go to the study to study, read Mingyi in the morning, and practice archery and horse riding in the afternoon.
Because Kangxi was very concerned about his sons' studies and often personally examined them, none of the princes dared to slack off in the slightest.
In every exam, whether it was reading or riding and shooting, the prince always came out on top. In addition to the prince's own intelligence and diligence, of course, there was also the subjective will of the teachers...
Yinzhi has been dissatisfied for a long time.
He likes martial arts and thinks he is not cut out to be a great scholar. His writing skills are not as good as the prince's.
He was naturally convinced of his defeat in terms of literature; but in terms of riding and archery, his accuracy was on par with that of the prince, and sometimes he even surpassed him!
When the Emperor asked about it that day, the An Das said that the Prince should be the best in riding and archery.
Yinreng relied on his status as the crown prince to suppress him in every way. Now, even An Da's judgment was unfair. Seeing the emperor's approving eyes towards the prince, how could Yinzhi be willing
In order to win the undisputed first place, Yinzhi gritted his teeth and practiced hard. Finally, in today's competition, he defeated the prince and made An Da no longer able to announce a "against his will" result.
Recalling the young prince's pale face, Yinzhi chuckled, hugged the eighth prince Yinsi tighter, and rushed to Huifei's side in two or three steps, sat down on the chair, and said with a beaming face: "Mother, you don't know, during the competition today..."
Yinzhi was speaking excitedly, and casually placed the Eighth Prince in his arms next to the table. Where he couldn't see, the sharper corner of the table pressed against Yinsi's waist, rubbing against it constantly.
Although it was early spring and the weather had not yet warmed up, Yinsi wore relatively thick clothes; but the baby's skin was so delicate, how could it withstand such continuous friction
A two-year-old child can already express his emotions. The Eighth Prince frowned slightly, looking pale, and wanted to say that it hurts, then he carefully glanced at his happy elder brother and the proud Hui E Niang... In the end, he held back and lowered his head silently.
No one noticed this except the wet nurse.
All those around the Eighth Prince were Concubine Hui's people. She put her hands into her sleeves and hesitated to speak. After weighing the pros and cons for a while, she still didn't remind him.
The queen was in high spirits because of the eldest prince's wedding. If she interrupted him, she would be punished for more than just punishment!
Besides, the Eighth Prince has three or four layers of clothes, so it shouldn't be a problem. At most, it will be worn out to a small blue spot, which will heal in two days...
***
The next day, in a side room of the Yanxi Palace.
Lady Liang sat in front of the mirror, touched the hairpin in her hair, pursed her lips and smiled, and said to the maid Xiangling, "How do you think of this outfit? Will Yinsi like it when he sees it?"
If Concubine Yi's beauty is bright and majestic, then Concubine Liang's beauty is gentle and beautiful.
She has willow-shaped eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes, and a watery look in her eyes. She has the misty temperament of a Jiangnan woman. Her gentleness is mixed with a hint of timidity, which makes people feel infinite pity for her.
"The Eighth Prince must like it." Xiang Ling responded and sighed in her heart.
Her master was good in every way. He had a kind personality and good looks, but his family background was low.
It's nothing to be born in a low class. Didn't you see that Concubine De was born in a bannerman class, but was ranked as one of the four concubines
If the emperor favors you, no one will care about your background.
With her God-given beauty, if the noble is willing to compete for her favor, how can she not win it? She was moved by such a beauty!
But the noble man just doesn't want to fight.
Since giving birth to the eighth prince, the noble lady has become more and more reclusive, acting as if she is content with having a son. She embroiders clothes, shoes and socks for him... Although she cannot raise the child herself, she is very satisfied.
Your Majesty, I'm afraid you have already forgotten about me.
But the noble lady doesn't care at all... Look, she even dressed up carefully just for the Eighth Prince.
Last night, Ying'er, the maid of Concubine Hui, came to tell her that the Queen was kind enough to allow the Eighth Prince to stay in the side hall for a day. The noble lady was so happy that she tossed and turned in bed at night and couldn't sleep. Today, she got up early, looking forward to the arrival of the Eighth Prince.
Xiang Ling saw this and felt sorry for her because she didn't fight back.
The master did not spend much time with the Eighth Prince, and always had to act according to Concubine Hui's mood, and suffered a lot of grievances.
And those cunning servants! She was the only one who deceived her superiors and neglected her duties, serving in the side hall all day long.
If the master is favored, can't he see the Eighth Prince whenever he wants? As long as he has half the favor of Concubine Yi...
Xiang Ling was full of thoughts. Soon, the wet nurse came to the side hall carrying the Eighth Prince.
Presumably after receiving instructions from Concubine Hui, the wet nurse handed the child to Concubine Liang and then retreated with a tantrum.
Liang Guiren held Yinsi in her arms, as if she were holding a rare treasure. After her joy, she said softly, "Yinsi, call me mother..."
Yinsi vaguely knew that Hui E'niang was just his adoptive mother, but E'niang was different. She was extremely beautiful and had a pleasant scent.
But it’s hard to see my mother.
He raised his head obediently and called softly, "Mother."
Concubine Liang responded with a smile, and her eyes suddenly turned red, as if she was about to cry.
Yinsi immediately became anxious, raised his tender little hand, put it on the white jade-like face of Concubine Liang, and said hurriedly: "Don't cry, mother!"
Lady Liang felt warm in her heart and said hurriedly, "Okay, don't cry, mother. Mother will take you to play."
The mother and son talked for a long time, which dispelled the strangeness in Yinsi's heart and made him gradually relax a lot.
There was laughter and joy in the side hall. Xiang Ling felt happy but also sad when she saw it. "I'll make you a cup of fruit juice." After saying that, she hurriedly lifted the curtain and walked out.
When I came back, the laughter was gone.
Lady Liang hugged the Eighth Prince and silently shed tears. Xiang Ling was so shocked that she threw the teapot in her arms and said, "Master, what happened?!"
Concubine Liang cried silently, motioned her to come forward, and then lifted the clothes around Yinsi's waist, revealing large patches of bruises, which contrasted with his fair skin and were shocking.
Xiang Ling took a breath and trembled, "This, this..."
Concubine Liang closed her eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks, she sobbed incoherently, "Such a big wound... it would be fine if it was just an injury... they didn't even apply medicine and pretended not to see it... Yinsi is only two years old!"
"Don't worry! I'll go to the Imperial Hospital right away." After being shocked, Xiang Ling turned around and was about to go out.
Lady Liang shook her head and called her hoarsely, "Come back."
"Master!" Xiang Ling said anxiously, "What time is it? Such injuries cannot be ignored!"
Lady Liang continued to shake her head.
She wiped her tears hastily, lowered her head and asked her son gently: "Why does it hurt there? Yinsi, can you tell me again?"
Yinsi's dark eyes were filled with anxiety. After hesitating for a moment, he whispered, "Brother, hold me. Mother, don't cry."
“…” Xiang Ling fell silent.
Concubine Liang laughed bitterly: "The eldest prince is only ten years old, how can he know how to take care of a child? But Concubine Hui doesn't care, and neither does the nanny. Xiangling, if we find the imperial physician, there will be no place for us in Yanxi Palace!"
Xiangling opened her mouth and thought that this was very true.
If the imperial physician was invited, rumors would spread that "Concubine Hui is not kind to the Eighth Prince" or "The Eldest Prince is not kind to his younger brother", and Concubine Hui would be so angry that it is hard to tell what she would do.
Unless the master moves out of the Yanx Palace, the Eighth Prince will not be raised by Concubine Hui.
But, how is this possible
"Under the box next to the dressing table, there is a plaster that the emperor gave me before..." Lady Liang wiped her tears and said softly, "Go and get it."
Xiang Ling forced a smile and whispered, "Master, things from two or three years ago are no longer usable."
Liang Guiren was startled, smiled bitterly, and slowly clenched his hands, "You are right..."
After a moment, she seemed to have made up her mind and said word by word: "Xiang Ling, go to Yongshou Palace quietly to ask for an audience with the imperial concubine."
Yesterday, when paying respects to Concubine Hui, Liang Guiren vaguely heard Concubine Hui say as she was leaving: "She is from the Niuhulu family, and it would be fine if she had no future, but she actually dared to hurt Kuixu..."
Kuixu was the second son of Nalan Mingzhu and the cousin of Concubine Hui. He was from the Niuhuru family and the only concubine in the harem with this surname.
Liang Guiren repeated, "Go quietly. If you are lucky enough to see the Imperial Concubine, just tell her the truth and ask her to give you a bottle of the best medicine..."
After saying that, tears gathered and rolled down his cheeks again.
***
Chengqian Palace.
The imperial concubine looked at the woman in front of her with an unpredictable expression. She was beautiful, graceful, and still in her youth, which made her feel ashamed of herself.
Her eyes were cold, as if she was looking at an object, which made Concubine Yuan clench her teeth and become more and more uneasy.
Yuan was a member of the Han army banner. She entered the palace in the 19th year and it has been three years since then.
Because her grandfather and father served in the Green Camp and made great contributions in the suppression of the Three Feudatories, and because she was outstanding in appearance, she was initially conferred the title of noble lady during the selection and was granted the right to live in a side hall of Chengqian Palace.
On the second day after entering the palace, the emperor turned over her name card. Concubine Yuan was overjoyed, but she was intercepted by the imperial concubine on the way. To this day, she still has not had a chance to sleep with the emperor.
In addition, the imperial concubine suppressed people everywhere, making it difficult for them to express their grievances.
What can she do
Chengqian Palace was run very tightly by the Imperial Concubine, so she had no choice but to go to her parents' house every morning and evening to pay her respects. When she did so, she was extremely respectful and did not dare to show any resentment.
Concubine Yuan knew very well that she would never be able to make a breakthrough.
Gradually, she accepted her fate and got used to the deserted and boring life in the side hall.
But today, the Imperial Concubine suddenly called her to the main hall, and the look in her eyes made her feel uneasy.
The Imperial Concubine stroked her belly and suddenly laughed, "What a rare beauty. What's even rarer is that she looks a bit like that vixen... Mammy, what do you think?"
Nanny Zhen suppressed her surprise and nodded slightly, "Your Highness is right."
Why didn't she notice it before
This Yuan, in appearance and temperament, is surprisingly similar to Concubine Yi. Although slightly inferior, after all, Concubine Yi is pregnant and cannot sleep with him...
Concubine Yuan is from Chengqian Palace and is more than capable of helping Her Majesty.
"Have someone teach her well. Teach her carefully about Concubine Yi's daily words, deeds, and manners!" The Imperial Concubine put away her smile, turned her head to look at the frightened Concubine Yuan, and said lightly, "At the Wanshou Festival family banquet, I will push you to the front of the stage. Don't let me down then."