"Princess, I have been in the palace for a month. Please allow me to serve the prince." One of the ten beauties rushed out and knelt down.
The concubines had different expressions, some were surprised, some admired, some disdainful, and some contemptuous.
Jiang Changning looked at the man, frowning slightly, "You are Ruan..."
I didn't pay much attention to the ten beauties and couldn't remember who was who. It was good enough that I remembered her last name was Ruan.
The beauty replied, "My name is Ruan Lizhu."
"Your Highness, the charming Lady Ruan is waiting for your favor." Jiang Changning said with a smile that did not show in his eyes.
"Princess, didn't you arrange someone to teach them the rules?" Prince Jin asked in a deep voice.
Jiang Changning stood up and said, "I have arranged for someone to teach them the rules."
When the King of Jin saw Jiang Changning being humble, he couldn't bear to let him go. "Sit down and talk. I'm not scolding you."
"I have not managed the concubines in the mansion well and have failed the prince's trust. I feel guilty. You'd better stand and listen to the lecture." Jiang Changning lowered her head and said.
Seeing her being stubborn, King Jin was both angry and amused. He was anxious to appease his little wife and drove them away directly, "All of you go down and learn the rules well."
The prince gave the order, and both Ruan Lizhu, who had volunteered to serve in the bedroom, and Sixth Rank Lady Park were asked to leave by the maid.
When they reached the gate, Chen Yi finally realized what was happening. She asked, "Are we going back like this?"
Park sneered, "Why don't you go back and stay here to starve?"
After saying this, he left with his maid without looking back.
Liu laughed twice and walked away with her waist twisted.
Chen Yi looked at the ten beauties, gathered his cloak, and slowly walked away.
The ten beauties looked back with reluctance and left together.
In the warm room, Jiang Changning did not get on the kang, but sat on a chair far away from Prince Jin, and asked with a half-smile, "Are those beauties not pleasing to the prince's eyes?"
Prince Jin walked up to Jiang Changning, leaned over, and raised her chin with his hand, "Ningning, are you jealous?"
Jiang Changning started by saying, "Who would drink that stuff in such a cold winter?"
"I, I'll drink." King Jin smiled, pulled him up and held him in his arms, "It was you who asked me to pick the day, and now you're angry again."
"Who is angry? I'm not." Jiang Changning didn't lie, she really didn't care.
But the Prince of Jin thought that she was just being stubborn, so he hugged her and coaxed her softly. Jiang Changning had no choice but to go along with it.
According to Chinese New Year customs, people visit their neighbors on the first, second, third and fourth days of the lunar year.
The concubine had no daughter, so no one came to wish her a happy new year that day.
Qiao's father has passed away, and Qiao's mother is living with her son in another place, so Qiao has no mother's home to return to.
Jiang Changning's parents had both passed away, and she also had no place to return to her parents' home, but when she got married, she returned to the Jiashan Grand Princess's Mansion.
Prince Jin informed the Dowager Concubine and took her to the Grand Princess's residence to pay New Year's greetings.
At the Grand Princess's Mansion, people inevitably talked about the Laba Festival when Song Yirou came to settle accounts with Zhao Xifang.
Hearing them talking vaguely and indirectly about Song Yirou's love for Prince Jin, Jiang Changning simply made it clear, "Song Yirou loves the prince and wants to marry him. I know."
After a pause, "Song Yirou has never concealed it, it's hard for me not to know."
The women of the Fu family smiled with some embarrassment, "She really has no shame."
If two people are in love with each other, Song Yirou will be the pioneer who bravely pursues love.
It's a pity that I have feelings for him but he is not interested, so this story cannot be made into a good one.
"Princess Ningxia is fine. After all, we are already married. No matter how much she makes a fuss, it's useless. But Princess Yu, for some reason, insisted on dragging me into this. She almost said that it was me who made Princess Ningxia fall asleep during the wedding." Jiang Changning looked very distressed, "But I don't have the ability to do that."
"How can Princess Yu speak so recklessly?" Mrs. Fu frowned.
Mrs. Fu sighed, "The Princess of Ningxia is also a fool, cousin, you better be careful."
"I don't go out often, so I won't meet her. I'm not afraid." Jiang Changning smiled lightly.
"You still have to be careful. The Song family is a group of warriors who are unreasonable."
"Yes, the Song family is very arrogant."
"Don't scare my cousins. No matter how powerful the Song family is, can they go against the royal family?"
The women of the Fu family comforted her and reminded her.
Jiang Changning accepted their kindness and said that he would pay attention to it.
The slightly upturned corners of her lips indicated her good mood at the moment.
After finishing this topic and talking about the opera on stage for a few sentences, Mrs. Fu San suddenly asked, "Have you heard? Princess Yirao is planning to take a concubine for her husband."
The late emperor had eleven sons and nine daughters. Four of the eleven sons died young, and three of the nine daughters died young.
After the Chenglong disaster, two of the seven sons and four of the six daughters remained.
The two sons competed for the throne, and the current one won and ascended the throne to become emperor.
The four princesses are Princess Yiya, ranked second, Princess Chongyue, ranked fifth, Princess Jingduan, ranked sixth, and Princess Yirao, ranked eighth.
After the emperor ascended the throne, he married his sister, Princess Yirao, to Xiong Dinggen, the son of General Xiong, the commander of the Tianyu Army, who was another great contributor who had recommended him.
General Xiong had nine daughters, four legitimate and five illegitimate, but only one legitimate son, Xiong Dinggen.
Princess Yirao has been married for four years, but has no children.
The prince consort cannot take a concubine, but the Xiong family cannot be cut off from the lineage.
There have been divorces between princesses and their husbands throughout the dynasties, but it is impossible for the emperor to allow Princess Yirao to divorce Xiong Dinggen.
"How can a princess consort take a concubine?" Mrs. Fu didn't quite believe it.
"I heard about this." Grandma Fu continued, "I also heard that Princess Yirao went to the palace to ask for a divorce, but His Majesty and the Queen Mother disagreed."
"Of course I won't agree." Mrs. Fu curled her lips.
"The prince consort taking a concubine has set a precedent in this dynasty." Madam Fu said coldly.
As the legal wife, few would like their husband to take a concubine.
Because of the relationship with Princess Jiashan, the Xinjian County Duke's Mansion had no concubines among his descendants, and the rooms were also very clean.
"The inability to have children is not necessarily Princess Yirao's fault. Prince Consort Xiong must have maids surrounding him, and they are not pregnant either." Jiang Changning interrupted.
The women of the Fu family looked at each other for a moment, and Mrs. Fu San said hesitantly: "Prince Consort Xiong is tall and strong, so there should be no problem."
Jiang Changning smiled, "It's not impossible to be strong on the outside but weak on the inside."
The women of the Fu family were startled again. Second Madam Fu looked at the elders and said, "I think what my cousin's aunt said makes sense. Princess Yirao has been childless for four years, so she will definitely stop giving birth control soup to the maids. This way, no matter who gets pregnant, she can take the baby away to raise it, and she won't have to take a concubine."
"If you take a concubine and give birth to a child, the Xiong family will have nothing to say." Mrs. Fu sneered.
"That's also something to say. You can say it's the concubine's fault. If this concubine isn't good enough, just marry another one. After all, the Xiong family won't admit that there's something wrong with Prince Consort Xiong." Jiang Changning picked up a piece of apple and ate it.
Although we sympathize with Princess Yirao's situation, none of us here can help.
(End of this chapter)