The Virtuous Concubine

As soon as Malu said this, the squinting eyes of the Fourth Prince from the Aisin-Gioro family suddenly widened - what is mother playing at today?

On weekdays, Malu was always gentle, prudent, kind, and intentionally avoided matters related to power, so Yinzhen was still very confident in her. But today, Malu's fierce behavior was completely different from the person he was familiar with.

Malu asked someone to help the two "big boys" who were still kneeling on the ground up, and said in a light tone:

"Although I didn't tell you in advance, you should know that this is good for Yonghe Palace and for you. It is also in line with Fourteenth Prince's ambitions, and it will resolve the stalemate between Suo Etu and Mingzhu. It will also meet the emperor's urgent need to recruit people for the northwest war. Isn't it good to kill two birds with one stone?"

These words were like thunder from a clear sky, making the Fourth Prince dizzy and dazed. Is this still the mother who ate and drank all day long, and occasionally showed some temper and used some tricks to win favor?

All I can say is that Yinzhen, who looked down on women, would sooner or later fall into trouble because of a woman.

His current smooth sailing in the court, and Malu's deliberate low profile in recent years for the sake of his children and lover, have made him forget Malu's past achievements.

He couldn't help but said anxiously: "On the battlefield, swords and guns are blind. Is Fourteen's safety in danger-"

Malu smiled slightly and looked at Fourteen: "Did you hear that? Your brother is worried about you."

Without waiting for Fourteen to refute, she turned to look at the Fourth Prince: "Look at you, you are so much older than Fourteen, and you usually act calmly and steadily, but why haven't you learned to speak your mind? If you care about him, you should be calm and explain it to him in a pleasant manner. Is it necessary to argue with him?"

The Fourth Prince's face turned red and white at what his mother said, and he stammered, "Mother, what I am saying is that I lost my sense of proportion in my haste. I must be more careful in the future. Also, the Crown Prince recommended me, and I always feel that he may have bad intentions and is trying to use me. If anything goes wrong..."

Fourteenth Prince also recovered, and came closer to him affectionately, bumping his shoulder against Fourth Prince and winking at him: "Fourth Prince, I know you feel sorry for me, don't worry, I'm very capable, there's no such thing as a surprise."

He said with a clear and clear fist: "Thank you for your help, mother. When I return victorious, I will bring you a fox skin."

Seeing his fearlessness, Malu nodded, confirming that the two had reconciled, or at least the Fourth Prince did not bear a grudge against the Fourteenth Prince, and then drove the two men out to sweep the floor.

"Well, both of you should stop standing here. Now that we have nothing else to do, go to the courtyard and clean up the mess you two have made. Just consider it as making up to me."

The jar of lotus that was knocked over by Fourteenth was the one she had started raising when she first entered the harem. Under her careful care, the lotus plants grew from just a few at the beginning to something exceptionally lush. She then divided the jar into five more jars and had a deep affection for them.

When Wen Xian hurried over from the princess's residence, he saw his elder and younger brothers sweeping the floor with brooms, one foot deep and one foot shallow in the mud that the palace servants had not yet cleaned up.

But the two princes were born in the palace, grew up in wealth, and usually have nothing to do with housework. How could they know these things?

The broom was waving vigorously, but the result was just to spread the mud and water on the ground evenly.

"Why does it get dirtier the more I sweep?" Fourteen was so angry that he slammed the broom in his hand into the ground, splashing mud and water everywhere, splashing on his fourth brother's face.

Seeing the Fourth Prince's unfriendly look, Wen Xian couldn't help but burst out laughing.

These two people are obviously fine.

Hearing the laughter, both of them noticed Wen Xian. Fourteen put down the broom and stepped on the muddy water, running towards Wen Xian: "Sister, sister——"

She always loved cleanliness and was always dressed in a refined and elegant manner. How could she allow a dirty thing like Fourteen to get close to her? Wen Xian was so anxious that he pulled out the whip from his waist and threatened Fourteen: "Ah - you are so dirty, don't come over here!"

"Why are you so stingy! I want to come over anyway!"

Seeing the Fourteenth Prince covered in mud and hated by everyone, the Fourth Prince couldn't help but burst out laughing. But he was still worried in his heart, could this childish boy really come back safely from the northwest?

Fourteenth Prince glanced at Fourth Prince and said unhappily, "Fourth Brother, you are still laughing! Aren't you just as bad as me? Now you are teasing me."

Princess Wenxian saw that the Fourteenth Prince was about to quarrel with the Fourth Prince again. In a hurry, she swung the whip in her hand on the ground with a crisp sound, pretending to be angry and said, "Fourteenth brother, if you continue to make trouble like this, I will really be angry! Stop and clean yourself up."

The Fourteenth Prince was quickly distracted. He stopped unwillingly and looked down at his muddy robe and boots. He pouted and muttered, "Forget it, sister, don't be upset. I was just happy to see you and was anxious for a moment."

While the two were cleaning up, Wen Xian asked coldly, "What's the matter with the two princes? Not only did you quarrel with mother, but you also made a mess of the courtyard."

The Fourth and Fourteenth Princes looked a little embarrassed after hearing this. The Fourth Prince coughed lightly and explained, "Sister, today it was my Fourteenth Brother and I who were reckless and had an argument. We also knocked over the water tank where Mother kept the lotus. Mother asked us to make amends and clean up the yard."

Wen Xian sighed helplessly and said softly, "Brothers always quarrel. Even when eating, sometimes your teeth knock your lips or bite your tongue."

As he spoke, Wen Xian asked people to gather the mud on the ground together, and then directed the palace servants to clean up the mud with shovels, and then repeatedly rinse the ground with water. After a while, the courtyard regained some tidiness.

Originally, the three children wanted to go in to see Malu, but Bai Xia stopped the two princes with a smile and only let the princess in.

The fourth prince smiled and said, "In that case, please tell Auntie that my brother and I both know we were wrong. We will go back to the prince's residence and come to see mother another day."

The two of them watched Wen Xian go in eagerly. The Fourth Prince and the Fourteenth Prince stood at the door, speechless for a moment. The Fourteenth Prince was upset for a moment, and finally couldn't help asking the Fourth Prince: "I don't know why Mother only let Sister in. Is she still mad at us?"

The Fourth Prince shook his head: "Maybe Mother is tired and wants to have some private conversation with Sister first. Let's go! I still have many things to tell you about your trip to the Northwest."