Chapter 122: The Spicy Ninth Princess Consort 19

The bond between the First Prince and the First Fujin was truly strong.

During the three campaigns against Galdan, the Fujin’s brothers had fought to the death to protect him. One of his brothers-in-law had died before he could even marry or leave behind any heirs.

One could not say a husband and wife had a poor relationship just because they lacked romantic passion.

In a marriage, that nonsense called romantic love was actually the least important thing.

Tears began to fall from the First Fujin’s eyes. “To be fair, Old Eighth’s wife didn’t slap me on purpose. But when she looked back at me, there wasn’t a shred of guilt in her eyes, as if hitting me was no big deal. The Ninth Princess Consort was right. Old Eighth’s wife lived in Prince An’s Mansion for so many years that she never learned proper etiquette.”

After applying his medicine, the First Prince got off the bed and patted the First Fujin’s shoulder. “From now on, when you see Old Eighth’s wife, there’s no need to be polite or worry about saving face for my brother. Put her in her place when you need to. You are the eldest sister-in-law, after all.”

There was a reason the First Fujin always held her chin high when speaking to her sisters-in-law. It was exactly what the First Prince had taught her to do.

Over at the Crown Prince’s quarters, the Crown Princess was feeling incredibly aggrieved today. She had been beaten black and blue by the First Fujin, with bruises wrapping all the way around her waist. Even the Crown Prince’s eyes twitched when he saw it. The eldest brother and his wife truly wished the two of them would drop dead immediately to vacate the position.

The Crown Prince did not particularly like his Crown Princess. How should he put it?

She was too dignified and proper, not the type of woman men found appealing.

But seeing the Crown Princess sitting in silent dejection today, the Crown Prince suddenly felt that things had not been easy for her. Not only did she have to support him in all matters, both inside and outside the household, but whenever someone targeted him, she was always the one who suffered.

As for the side consorts he doted on?

Heh, they got all the benefits, but the moment trouble arose, they hid behind the Crown Princess.

Thinking of this, the Crown Prince felt rather uncomfortable.

I should treat the Crown Princess better in the future, he thought.

The Crown Princess soon discovered that the brawl had its benefits. Previously, the Crown Prince only visited her room on the first and fifteenth of the lunar month^[1]. Now, he only spent three to five days a month in other women’s rooms. It seemed getting into a group fight was quite advantageous. Perhaps she should arrange another one in the future?

Over at the Third Prince’s quarters, he was acting like a complete fool, jumping up and down as he pointed at the Third Fujin and scolded her. “You are her sister-in-law and her cousin! How could you just watch your cousin run wild like that? No matter what, Old Eighth’s wife is an elder sister-in-law. When a younger sister-in-law dares to hit an elder one, where is the moral order?”

The Third Fujin had once shared romantic moments with the Third Prince. In those days, she had been young and naive, finding his pedantic, poetic speech to be refined and cultured. But after living together for so long, she saw him for what he truly was.

The Third Prince did not just share romantic moments with his Fujin. He would do it with any woman who was literate.

His pedantic refinement was of no help in daily life. On top of that, he constantly prattled on about status and moral order. His brain had been completely ruined by the tutors in the Upper Study.

You Aisin Gioro Princes were told to learn Han ways so you could manipulate and rule the common people, yet you actually brainwashed yourself. What a brainless idiot.

“Don’t talk to me about moral order. Let me ask you this: is it moral order for Old Eighth’s wife to interfere in her brother-in-law’s bedroom affairs? If you think it is, then I’ll go mention it to the First Fujin and the Crown Princess, and let those two sisters-in-law manage you. I just worry that while you might look forward to it, they will want nothing more than to bash your head in and call you shameless.” The Third Fujin hated reasoning with the Third Prince. She could never win a battle of pedantic words against him, so her way of handling him was always to drag in unrelated matters.

The Third Prince gave a cold snort and walked away with his hands behind his back.

The Third Fujin did not care in the slightest if he stayed. Before he even left the courtyard, she shouted, “Hurry up and lock the main gates! Don’t let any random people in. I exerted myself today and need to rest well.”

The Third Fujin had targeted the Eighth Fujin specifically during the fight. Except for the face, she had beaten the Eighth Fujin all over her body.

Damn it, how dare she insult the Donggo Clan? Just wait until I get another chance. If I catch her again, I’ll teach her another lesson.

Over at the Fourth Prince’s quarters, the Fourth Fujin and the Fourth Prince sat cross-legged opposite each other. Both kept their heads lowered in silence. After a long while, the Fourth Prince finally spoke. “You worked hard today. Keep your distance from Old Eighth’s wife in the future. She is crooked and not someone to associate with. It is getting late, let’s rest.”

The Fourth Fujin quickly stood up to help him undress, thinking to herself, You just got flogged. What’s wrong with lying face down after applying your medicine?

There are no outsiders in the room, yet you insist on sitting so upright. Is it because your backside hurts too much to sit, so you’re calling it a night?

The sky outside was still bright.

Over at the Fifth Prince’s quarters, he was lying on his stomach on the bed, drinking with his Fujin.

“Only today did I realize my Fujin is really something,” the Fifth Prince said, giving the Fifth Fujin a thumbs-up.

The Fifth Fujin did not even want to bother with him. The moment he wiggled his tail, she knew exactly what he was up to. Wasn’t he just praising her for taking his side?

Don’t think saying this will make me like you. I know very well that you look down on my family background because my father is only a fifth-grade official. For this reason alone, I will never like you as long as I live.

Over at the Seventh Prince’s quarters, he wanted to say something to his Fujin several times, but seeing her cold face, he lost interest.

Forget it, let it be. I’ve known for a long time that she dislikes me. There’s no need for me to waste my warmth on her cold shoulder!

Over at the Eighth Fujin’s quarters, once she took off her clothes, there was not a single patch of unbruised skin on her body. When the medicine was being applied, she cried so much that the Eighth Prince, who was already annoyed, felt himself growing irritable.

The Eighth Prince could not understand. Before their wedding, his Fujin had seemed very steady and mature. Why did she become such a troublemaker after they married?

She wanted to compete with everyone over everything, always trying to trample others underfoot. Did she not realize they were all wives of imperial princes? It was only a matter of who married in first. Who was inferior to whom?

The Eighth Prince felt it was necessary to give his Fujin the cold shoulder for a while. Once she finished applying her medicine, he went back to the front courtyard to rest. The Eighth Fujin was left dumbfounded and cried the whole night.

Over at the Tenth Fujin’s quarters, she lay under the same blanket as the Tenth Prince, her voice filled with wonder. “With the Ninth Princess Consort’s strength, do you think the Ninth Prince gets beaten up at home?”

The Tenth Prince’s eyes darted around. “Are you sure about that?”

The Tenth Fujin scoffed. “I just don’t have that kind of strength. Otherwise, I’d show you what’s what. In the end, you’re luckier than your Ninth Brother.”

The Tenth Prince turned to look at his smug Fujin. She actually has a point, he thought. His Fujin’s whip would at most sting, but if it were someone like Ninth Sister-in-law, it would be a miracle if he didn’t end up with internal injuries.

Over at the Ninth Prince’s residence, the Ninth Prince lay face down on the bed, still seething with anger. “Eighth Sister-in-law dared to treat you like that in public. It just goes to show that Eighth Brother never truly saw me as a brother. Look at how you treat Fifth Sister-in-law and Tenth Sister-in-law. Isn’t it all because I value those two brothers? But what about Eighth Sister-in-law’s behavior? It’s clear that all that brotherly love Eighth Brother spouts is just a sham.”

Su Huandan looked the Ninth Prince up and down. Today’s fight had really been worth it. The Ninth Prince had actually grown a brain and could think logically now?