After the concubines left, Yan Yinyao looked at Jiang Changning, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.
Jiang Changning smiled and said, "Whatever you want to say, cousin, you can say it."
"Cousin, you are too lenient to them. These concubines may seem obedient, but they are actually full of evil intentions. It is better to have no children. Once you have children, you will have endless delusions."
Yan Yinyao said, as if afraid that Jiang Changning would misunderstand, and quickly explained: "Cousin, I don't mean to sow discord between you, but wives and concubines can never be truly harmonious, don't be fooled by them."
"My cousin means well. I understand that. I have a distant relationship with them. I am lenient to them only because I think that women should not make things difficult for other women." Jiang Changning said with a faint smile.
"My cousin's wife is a kind person." Yan Yinyao said with a smile.
"I don't deserve such praise from my cousin." Jiang Changning has always believed that instead of targeting other women, it is better to control her own man.
After more than a year of marriage, she was still very satisfied with Prince Jin's performance.
Of course, if the King of Jin favors his concubines in the future, the relationship between husband and wife will end, and they will never see each other again in the sky or the underworld.
"This is a gift I give to my cousin's wife. I wish her all the best, peace and happiness." Yan Yinyao said sincerely.
"Thank you, cousin." Jiang Changning took the brocade box she handed over and opened it. Inside was a stone, a very beautiful, goldfish-shaped stone.
It is made of agate, with bright colors and lifelike shapes. The whole body is crystal clear and moist. The fish eyes and fins are clearly visible, and there is bloody water inside.
In addition to being precious and beautiful, this strange stone also has a very good meaning.
"Yu" (fish) sounds the same as "Yu" (surplus), which conveys the meanings of beauty, happiness, wealth, rapid career advancement, love between husband and wife, and deep affection between husband and wife.
"This is too valuable." Jiang Changning closed the lid of the box and wanted to return it to Yan Yinyao.
Yan Yinyao stopped the brocade box that was handed over and said, "Cousin, birthday gifts cannot be returned. Even if you don't like it, you have to accept it."
Jiang Changning thought for a moment and said, "The strange stone is very beautiful. I like it very much. Thank you, cousin. I will be honored to receive it."
When Yan Yinyao’s birthday comes, I will just give her something of the same value.
The aunt and sister-in-law chatted for a while, and then Yan Yinyao took Zeng Mi away.
At noon, Prince Jin returned home and went to Liuxuanyuan with Jiang Changning to invite the Concubine Dowager.
The concubine saw the couple and said, "Brother Yu's daughter-in-law is already eighteen or nineteen years old. When she was this old, she had already given birth to your brother."
The birth was as expected, but Jiang Changning remained calm.
Prince Jin smiled and said, "Don't worry, mother. My son and daughter-in-law will definitely give birth to some plump, smart and clever grandchildren for you."
"Don't make your mother wait too long," said the concubine.
"I won't keep you waiting too long." King Jin's tone was as if Jiang Changning was pregnant.
Although the banquet hall is the smallest warm hall in the mansion, it can accommodate five tables and there is a small stage in front.
Because of the ban, Jiang Changning did not arrange for a troupe to perform.
Entering the hall, King Jin saw the group of concubines and asked, "Why are they here?"
"Today is my birthday, let them come and have fun together." Jiang Changning said.
She said it casually, and there was a hint of helplessness in King Jin's eyes, but he didn't want to spoil her fun.
After they sat down, Jiang Changning told Xiulan, "Let them serve the food."
At the main table, the Concubine Dowager, Prince of Jin, Jiang Changning, Princess Kang Ren and Yan Yinyao were sitting, while the concubines were sitting at the two tables next to them.
Zeng Mi was too young, so he was taken care of by his wet nurse and ate at a small table.
The maid came in with food boxes and placed bowls of delicious food on the table.
The toffee picked up his chopsticks first, and then the others started eating.
After three rounds of wine and five dishes, Park led the concubines over and said, "Princess, I would like to offer you a cup of wine."
Before Jiang Changning could say anything, Yan Yinyao spoke up first: "This lady really doesn't know etiquette. Husband and wife are one body. If you want to toast, you should toast to them both."
Mrs. Pu's face turned pale. Chen Yiwan had never expected that the person who would attack them would be Yan Yinyao. She hurriedly said, "Today is the princess' birthday. The first cup of wine is for the princess alone. The second cup of wine is for the prince and the princess."
"Why doesn't she say it? Why do you have to say it? Are you using her stupidity to show off your ability?" Yan Yinyao sneered.
"I'm just afraid that my cousin will misunderstand me." Chen Yi lowered her head and said timidly.
"Misunderstanding? What misunderstanding could I have? Stop pretending to be pitiful and hypocritical here. You're annoying me." Yan Yinyao's tone became more and more sharp.
Chen Yi's face turned pale and she didn't dare to speak.
"Today is my cousin's wife's birthday, a happy day. I won't argue with you. Go away and don't get in the way of me toasting my cousin and his wife." Yan Yinyao raised his glass, "Cousin and his wife."
Jiang Changning and King Jin raised their cups and smiled, "Cousin."
"For this first glass of wine, I wish my cousin and his wife a happy and harmonious relationship." Yan Yinyao drank the wine in one gulp. "My cousin should finish the wine in the glass, and my cousin's wife can do as she pleases."
"Cousin, you are too biased towards your cousin's wife." Prince Jin joked.
Yan Yinyao smiled, "If you say so, then you should help drink the glass of wine from my cousin's wife. My aunt said that my cousin's wife is not good at drinking. On such a happy day, I can't get the birthday boy drunk."
"Okay, I'll drink these two glasses of wine together." Prince Jin said readily.
"My cousin is toasting to both of us. If you drink together, what should I drink?" Jiang Changning smiled. "Although I am not good at drinking, I can still handle two or three cups."
Yan Yinyao toasted three times and the couple drank three times.
While the three men were chatting and laughing, Park and other concubines had quietly returned to their seats.
Several beauties from Annan whispered to each other, "Should we still perform?"
"I'd better not do that. My cousin stopped me from even offering a toast, let alone performing."
"This is a rare opportunity, are you really not going to perform?"
"Can performing arts win the prince's favor? Have you forgotten that the princess asked us to wait for the prince in the back garden last time?"
"You mean the princess asked us to come here because she has bad intentions?"
"I didn't say that."
"It's better not to perform anymore. Just have your meal and go back to your room."
The beauties reached a consensus and ate honestly.
After the meal, Prince Jin and Jiang Changning sent the concubine back to Liuxuanyuan.
When returning to Rujing Courtyard, Jiang Changning casually said to King Jin: "My cousin seems to hate those concubines very much, and she even advised me to be on guard against them."
"My cousin suspects that my biological mother was killed by my concubine."
“Why couldn’t it be verified?”
"We have checked, but the key clues have been lost, so we can't continue investigating. We can only suspect it. This is also one of the reasons why my cousin has a grudge against my second uncle."
Jiang Changning sighed lightly. The hatred for his mother's murder was irreconcilable, and his father was an accomplice. It was natural for him to feel resentment.
When we returned to Rujingyuan, Madam Cui had already prepared some sobering soup.
The couple each drank a bowl, washed up, and went to bed for a nap.
Jiang Changning woke up from a nap and found that Prince Jin was not in the room, "Where is the prince?"
"The prince is in the study at the entrance of the courtyard." the maid replied.
Jiang Changning put on his cloak and went forward to look for him.