My father-in-law is Kangxi

Chapter 1685: Foreshadowing
Although both are elder sisters, Princess Rongxian behaves differently from Princess Chunxi.

Princess Chunxi is more rule-abiding, while Princess Rongxian is more easy-going.

This is the confidence of the eldest princess.

In addition, Princess Rongxian returned to the court twice in recent years and had more dealings with the young couple, so they became more familiar with each other.

The Ninth Prince couldn't help but complain to Princess Rongxian about the Third Prince's strange behavior, saying, "It wasn't obvious when he was in the palace earlier, but now that he's in charge, it's incredible. He's so stingy. I heard that the servants in the kitchen of Prince Cheng's mansion have a meal of sticky buns every day just to stave off hunger. Don't you think this is a big joke?"

Princess Rongxian was stunned and asked, "When did this happen? Why didn't I hear about it when I returned to Beijing last year?"

What's up with this?

Don't you want dignity anymore?!
The Ninth Prince said, "Even after being promoted back to the Prince's Mansion, there are more people working there, and more money needs to be spent. The income is not enough to cover the expenses, and all kinds of interception are done. Now everyone in the capital knows that the master of the Prince Cheng's Mansion only has four dishes..."

"When I first heard about it, I tried to persuade him, saying that you can save a little money everywhere, and there is no need to save money on your mouth. As a result, Third Brother still argued that it is the same to fill the stomach, one catty of rice can be exchanged for two catties of yellow rice, and this strong man can eat half a catty of rice in one meal, but cannot eat half a catty of sticky buns. With this amount alone, this big kitchen can save more than two hundred taels of silver a year..."

"And the servants' clothes for all seasons are made of defective cloth from various cloth shops. They are colorful and a sight to behold..."

Princess Rongxian felt something was not right when she heard this.

Isn't this a bit much?

Even if the Third Prince is stingy, he is a prince after all. Why would he do this?
They moved out of the palace at the end of the 37th year, and it has been four years since then. How come everything was fine in the early years without any major problems?
Princess Rongxian felt heavy in her heart, but she didn't show it on her face. She just shook her head and said, "You've grown old, but you just love money. You must be afraid that your salary won't be enough to support the palace, and you're afraid that you'll have to subsidize it, so you're trying every way to save money."

Is this because he is afraid of the prince's power and is "defiled himself"?
Princess Rongxian somewhat understood the Third Prince’s thoughts.

This is because he knows that the situation is not right and he is afraid of becoming a target, so he reveals his weaknesses first.

The Ninth Prince curled his lips.

"I've never heard of a family relying on the salary to make a living. They have also divided up various industries. If they don't manage them well, they can earn 18,000 taels of silver a year, and there's also the silver for the blue armor!"

Prince Duolo was given fifty pieces of blue armor and one thousand eight hundred taels of silver for the armor each year.

"What did Khan Ama say?" asked Princess Rongxian.

The Ninth Prince shook his head and said, "I haven't heard what Khan Ama said. Who knows if he was reprimanded in private? But I think even if he was reprimanded, it would be difficult for Third Brother to change."

Princess Rongxian sighed and said, "He is almost thirty years old, and he can't change anymore. Let him be!"

After the Ninth Prince finished his chatter, he saw Princess Rongxian looking worried and felt a little regretful.

He hurriedly tried to make amends, "But it's not all bad. There are actually a lot of people praising Third Brother outside, especially those old gentlemen in the Ministry of Rites and those in the Hanlin Academy. When they mention Third Brother, they only praise him, saying that Third Brother is not mean to his servants, but that he starts from himself and practices frugality..."

Of course, there are only a few people who praise it, and there are even more people who make fun of it.

Especially the people of the Eight Banners, all regarded it as a rare matter and kept talking about it for half a month.

Although Shushu had heard about it before, she didn't take it seriously. Now, after listening to it, she realized that it was this node.

After being promoted back to the position of County Queen...

Do you want to withdraw?

Still want to come in?
Or both.

The Third Prince was one of the nine players in the “Struggle for Succession”. Even though he was not the main player, he followed the fight from the beginning to the end and never fell behind.

Before, the Third Prince was demoted first, and his biological mother was demoted as well. Compared with other princes, his status became a little delicate.

Now that he has been promoted back to a prince, the past is over and the situation is completely different.

Princess Rongxian pinched her palms.

She was a little anxious.

She guessed most of the reasons why her biological mother was sealed from the palace.

She would not interfere in royal affairs beyond her capabilities, but she also knew that if the crown prince came to power, her biological mother and brother would probably not have a good ending.

During several generations of the Qing royal family, many branches of the royal family had their yellow belts revoked.

She also knew her brother's shortcomings. If he didn't jump around, it would be fine. As long as the crown prince was not the one who took the throne, the other princes would have nothing but respect for the older brother, the Third Prince. But if he jumped around, it would be hard to say.

But that is the throne. My husband is honest and kind, but if he has the chance to inherit the throne of the county prince, he will take it without hesitation. This is what men are like. They all want power...

Shushu and the Ninth Prince stayed with Princess Rongxian for half an hour and then said goodbye and left.

Princess Rongxian also prepared a return gift, which was two jars of mare's milk, two rolls of lynx skin, a bloodstone ornament and a box of bloodstone seal material.

When they arrived at the third princess's place, she was already waiting there.

The small banquet for the third prince consort was held at the prince's residence, not here.

So just like before, the third princess was the only one receiving the guests.

But unlike the eloquent Princess Chunxi and the thoughtful and kind Princess Rongxian, the third princess is as taciturn as ever.

Be it towards the Ninth Prince or Shushu, she was indifferent.

Although the Ninth Prince knew that she was a confused person, he was not very happy when he saw her indifferent look.

The third princess was hesitant. She had planned to find Shushu in private to find out about the personalities of Honghui from the fourth prince's family and Hongsheng from the fifth prince's family.

Among so many brothers, these two are the most considerate.

The Fourth Lady was a child bride of the royal family. She married into the palace when she was in her teens. The Third Princess had also dealt with her before. She was a kind and honest person who didn't meddle in other people's affairs.

But in front of the Ninth Prince, the Third Princess was a little hesitant.

But she remembered the importance of things. The Ninth Prince was a nagging boy when he was young, and he couldn't hold two taels of sesame oil in his stomach.

She looked at him alternately, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated. The Ninth Prince was a little impatient and snorted, "Third sister has been eager to see my wife, and now we are here, why don't you say anything..."

At this point, he reacted and said, "Okay, are you on guard against me, your brother?"

He has some emotions.

Since it is not something that can be said in front of him, then it is not the Tenth Prince’s business.

The Third Princess came to Rehe. Even if she didn't return to the court, she had already gone halfway. Why didn't she mention it to the Tenth Prince?
The third princess touched the Duobao bracelet on her wrist. The color combination was a bit lively, which did not match her personality. It was made for her by her daughter.

This marriage is not about making enemies, she glanced at the Ninth Prince.

After serving as an official for several years, the Ninth Prince should not be as outspoken as he was when he was a child.

It would be good if some appropriate words could be leaked out.

She coughed lightly and said to Shushu, "I wanted to find my sister-in-law before because I wanted to find out about the personalities of the Fourth Prince and the Fifth Prince."

She was not a very active person and had no intention of beating around the bush, so she asked directly.

Shu Shu was stunned and didn't answer for a moment.

The Ninth Prince became more and more unhappy as he listened.

A proper brother doesn't ask a single question, but instead asks about the nephew he has never met. What's the logic behind this?
"Third sister, why are you asking about this? Even though he is my nephew, he is younger than me and we cannot interact with each other." asked the Ninth Prince.

The third princess was speechless for a moment.

It's not right to talk about choosing a husband for my daughter when we haven't even started yet.

Shushu understood that this was for the third princess's eldest daughter.

She then said after careful consideration: "Honghui is valued by his fourth brother and his sister-in-law, and his academic performance is above average; Hongsheng is like his fifth brother, he is a good eater and has a leisurely personality."

The third princess glanced at Shushu and understood what she meant.

Honghui, the eldest son of the Fourth Prince's Mansion, is both talented in civil and military affairs, has a strong desire to make progress, and is loved by his parents.

Hongsheng's academic performance is not very good, but he has a good temper.

The third princess felt a little melancholy.

There are fewer and fewer Mongolian noble ladies marrying in the capital.

Even if she was born to a royal family or a noble lady, she would not be the preferred choice for a noble family.

The Ninth Prince finally understood after listening to the child's story. He widened his eyes and looked at the Third Princess and said, "Third Sister, are you confused? The marriage of the Emperor's grandson can only be arranged by Khan Ama. Why would anyone else care about it?"

The arranged marriages of the Eight Banners were limited to close relatives of the royal family. It was a form of royal dignity and also a way to prevent royal family members from having connections with outsiders through marriage.

This close clan member, starting from the emperor's father, all of Taizong's descendants and even the emperor's grandchildren, were within the scope of arranged marriages.

The princes of these families do not have the final say in their marriages.

The third princess's face flushed, her lips moved, and after a long while she managed to utter a word, "I just want to ask first..."

The Ninth Prince snorted and said, "My brother advises you not to ask around in private, so as not to offend Khan Ama's taboo. If you really want to do this, then find a chance to ask Khan Ama for mercy and let Khan Ama choose the person. That's the right thing to do!"

If the marriage is arranged before the third prince consort inherits the title, there will be more room for choice.

All the legitimate sons and illegitimate sons of the appropriate age in each prince's mansion are considered suitable.

When the third son-in-law is appointed as a prince consort, he will not be able to marry someone too high or too low, and his choices will be limited.

But this is for the third princess.

For the princes in the capital, marrying into the Eight Banners nobles or famous families in their own banners was more economical than marrying their sons to Mongolian wives...

(End of this chapter)