The Qing Palace Never Meets Spring

Since the Fourth Prince Consort used such a formal method as sending an invitation, Qingwan couldn't make any more excuses. She got into the carriage, and Yinxiang followed.

The two only brought Hongtun with them, but Hongtun rode a horse outside with guards.

"You've been visiting Fourth Brother's residence quite frequently these days, is there some trouble with the war in the west?"

Yinxiang said, "No, on the contrary, the war over there is going quite smoothly. It will be different when the Fourteenth Prince comes back. It's all because of Nian Gengyao. Whenever the Fourth Brother gets angry, there's nothing he can do. He just calls me over and complains to me a bit."

Qingwan nodded knowingly. Although Nian Gengyao's sister was a concubine of Prince Yong, it did not mean that Nian Gengyao only had Yinzhen as an option.

After the two arrived, Yinxiang went directly to the place where Yinzhen was holding meetings, while Qingwan slowly headed to the place where the Fourth Prince's wife was.

Upon seeing Yinxiang, Yinzhen said, "You've arrived. I was just writing a letter. Please sit down for a while. I'll have someone summon Dai Duo and Nian Xialing over."

Last time, when Yinzhen was about to write a letter to Nian Gengyao, Yinxiang felt that there was no need to do so at that time, so he advised Yinzhen a couple of times. In the end, the letter was not sent. But this time, Nian Xialing also came, and Yinzhen was afraid that he would not be able to tolerate it anymore, so he did not advise him again.

He sat down next to Yinzhen and casually picked up a memorial to read.

After a while, someone came to report that Dai Duo and his group had arrived.

Just then, Yinzhen finished writing his letter, so he didn't let anyone in, saying, "Have them wait outside."

After Yinzhen finished writing, he went out on his own. Yinxiang had someone leave only a crack in the window so he could look at the situation in the courtyard outside.

His relationship with Yinzhen was unknown even to Yinzhen's retainers. Outsiders only knew that the two families had frequent interactions between their female relatives because of their children.

When Yinzhen hosted banquets for his brothers, he would not deliberately ignore Yinxiang, treating him like any other brother. Whenever Yinxiang visited the mansion alone, he would always have several children as cover.

Sometimes, Qingwan would pat Moyaqi's or Hongtun's luggage and jokingly say that there might be good stuff inside.

When Yinxiang saw Yinzhen hand over the letter he had just written to his retainers, their expressions changed after reading it. Knowing Yinzhen's character, Yinxiang feared the contents of the letter wouldn't be pleasant. Yinxiang shook his head, thinking that Nian Xialing was likely to suffer.

Sure enough, Nian Xialing arrived in less than a quarter of an hour. After paying his respects, Yinzhen did not tell him to get up, but just let him kneel.

Nian Xialing was, after all, a retired senior official, and quite old. He knelt in front of a group of people, but soon he was overcome with shame and swayed on the ground, muttering, "Your Highness, please calm down."

Unable to bear it any longer, he couldn't help but plead a few words, which made Yinzhen dare not open his mouth again.

Seeing that Nian Xialing seemed about to faint, Yinzhen said sternly, "Read it."

Yinxiang listened intently and discovered that Yinzhen was asking him to read a letter he had written to Nian Gengyao.

“Knowing you are a frivolous and unruly young man, you have often encountered misfortune…” Yinxiang was speechless. He felt that he had been harboring resentment for a long time, and when he encountered someone who was impatient, he was already very harsh in dealing with people. But compared with Yinzhen, he was still ashamed.

Yinzhen was a man who was extremely good at judging people's hearts, and he was even more so when he was extremely angry. He wrote a letter detailing Nian Gengyao's major crimes.

For example, Nian Gengyao never addressed Yinzhen as a servant in his letters. He also said that whether it was Consort De's sixtieth birthday or Hongshi's wedding, Nian Gengyao not only did not send gifts, but also did not send congratulatory letters. Furthermore, he wanted to preserve all the "evidence" of Nian Gengyao's crimes and report it to Emperor Kangxi for him to deal with.

In Yinzhen's writing, Nian Gengyao was portrayed as someone who was neither loyal to the emperor nor to his sovereign.

Finally, he demanded that Nian Gengyao send all his sons over ten years old who accompanied him back to Beijing, which seemed to imply that they were being held hostage.

Nian Xialing knelt on the ground and listened. Despite the sweltering heat, his clothes were soaked with cold sweat. He kept kowtowing and said, "Your Majesty, please calm down. This old minister will certainly teach him a lesson when I get back."

Yinxiang knew that Yinzhen was in a bad mood right now, and that only he could persuade him. However, he couldn't just show it in front of Yinzhen's many retainers.

When Yinzhen had the letter read aloud but still didn't let Nian Xialing off the hook, continuing to berate her until she was in tears, Yinxiang stopped looking at it, left the window, and went back to looking at the memorials on Yinzhen's desk.

Qingwan followed the people toward the Fourth Prince's wife. From afar, she saw someone kneeling. The person leading the way was a maidservant of the Fourth Prince's wife, whose expression changed upon seeing this.

It must have happened recently. Qingwan guessed that the Fourth Prince's wife probably didn't know about this, otherwise she wouldn't have made someone kneel at the door like that.

However, she was quite far away, and although she wasn't entirely unfamiliar with the women in the household, she couldn't recognize them from behind.

He stopped walking, shook the round fan in his hand, and said, "I really didn't expect it to be so hot today. Please tell Fourth Sister-in-law that I am too lazy to move around and will wait for her in the waterside pavilion."

Just then, Hongtun mentioned the fish in the pond, saying that if he could catch one or two, he could borrow his fourth sister-in-law's kitchen.

The maid was certain that what she feared most was that Qingwan would want to go and watch the spectacle, and she couldn't dissuade her. Qingwan didn't recognize the person, but she could recognize that the figure from behind was Consort Nian.

Although she didn't know why Madam Nian was kneeling at the door, no matter how good the relationship between the two families was, it was not appropriate to expose such family matters in public.

She hurriedly smiled and said, "The princess also mentioned Prince Tun. Everything is prepared. Whether you want to go to the lakeside or visit the two princes in our mansion, please feel free to do so."

"This servant will have someone lead you and the prince there immediately. Our Lady will arrive shortly."

"It's alright, I know this place well too." Qingwan changed direction and headed towards the waterside pavilion.

After watching Qingwan leave, the maid turned back and couldn't help but say to Madam Nian, "Ever since the concubine entered the mansion, although she serves in front of the Madam, the Madam has always treated her well. Now that the concubine is favored, she deliberately embarrassed the Madam at this time."

This refers to the thirteenth prince's wife who arrived today. If it were anyone else, this is how a concubine would repay the prince's wife's kindness.

Lady Nian hurriedly said, "I did not know that the Thirteenth Princess Consort had visited the residence today, otherwise I would not have appeared here at this time. However, I have urgent business to ask the Princess Consort for, so please ask for an audience with her on my behalf."

The maid sneered, "The concubine should think about how to explain this to the principal wife." She then turned and returned to the main room.

Before leaving, Fourth Prince Consort was told that Lady Nian was kneeling at the door and that Thirteenth Prince Consort would be arriving soon. She was furious that such an unexpected incident could occur during a common meeting. Mo Yaqi pretended not to hear anything and, not wanting to stay any longer, said that she was going to pick up Qingwan and took her leave.

They changed direction again, took a detour, and went out, but didn't see who it was.

After the Fourth Prince's wife cooled down a bit, she asked, "Did Thirteenth Sister-in-law see it?"

"The Thirteenth Prince's wife and the Nian Prince's wife didn't have much contact, so she probably didn't recognize her. She only saw her kneeling from afar. I was about to make an excuse when the Thirteenth Prince's wife said that it was hot and she was too lazy to walk around, so she had someone lead her to the waterside pavilion. Even the princess avoided going out."

When I returned, I heard that Lord Nian had come to the manor, presumably to discuss matters concerning him. No one expected the Prince to summon Lord Nian to the manor today.

"What use is it for Nian Xialing to come here? She should go to the front and find the Prince. Forget it, let her in first. She is a mistress after all. What kind of behavior is it for her to kneel like this?"

"This servant greets the Princess Consort." After entering the room, Lady Nian did not address herself as a concubine, but simply as her servant.

"You've really made me lose face in front of the Thirteenth Prince's wife and the Second Princess today!" The Fourth Prince's wife was also furious.

“This servant dares not,” Lady Nian said, kowtowing repeatedly. “It’s just that my father was summoned to the manor by the Prince. The Prince is currently holding a grudge, and my father is old. How can he withstand the Prince’s anger? He doesn’t know anything about my brother’s affairs. This servant begs the Princess to speak up for her.”

As for the matter concerning the Nian family, Nian Shi knew that even if she didn't explain everything clearly, the Fourth Prince's wife would understand.

How could one not feel soft-hearted when a beautiful woman sheds tears, especially since Lady Nian was personally trained by the Fourth Prince's wife: "I have never interfered in the affairs outside, Your Highness, and besides, that is your father. You can go and plead for him yourself."

Lady Nian cried and said, "Since Your Highness has invited my father into the mansion, he must have his own retainers and advisors. Now that I know that the Thirteenth Prince's wife has come to the mansion, I suppose the Thirteenth Prince is also there. Under these circumstances, how dare I go to the front?"

The prince is in a fit of anger, and only his wife can persuade him. This servant has no other choice but to beg his wife.

Seeing that she was still somewhat restrained, the Fourth Princess Consort's anger subsided considerably. She said, "You know the Prince's temperament. He won't feel comfortable unless he vents his anger."

After all, Lord Nian is your father. What can the Prince really do to him? Even if you beg me, there's nothing I can do.

If your brother continues like this, do you think you can keep asking and still fail? You know there are only three children in our household. You've been in the household for seven or eight years now, and you're at the age where you should be having children. If you give birth to a prince soon, you'll have more influence in front of the prince.

"Alright, stop kneeling here. I still need to see the Thirteenth Prince's wife."

Without waiting for what Mrs. Nian was saying, he left.