The villain prince is three and a half years old

"Since it's ten days, why not add a few more people?"

Three pairs of embroidered cloth shoes stepped over the threshold, and three figures walked into the house. They stood beside Concubine Yun and looked at Concubine Duan.

They are Xiao Yue, Concubine Xian and Concubine Yi.

Yunpin looked at Luhua, and Luhua looked away. It was she who asked Ning Xuenian to go to Jingyixuan for help before leaving.

"If Empress Duan feels that the number of people is not enough, I can find another group. What do you think, Empress Duan?" Empress Xian said with a smile.

Concubine Duan didn't dare to respond. She could bully Zhaoyi and Jieyu as she pleased, and with a concubine who volunteered to join the game, she could barely keep them under control. But with two more concubines and a concubine, she would no longer be able to control them.

The three who came later were all very prominent. Xiao Yue had Xiao Jida and Empress Dowager You behind her, Yipin had the Yuzhou officialdom behind her, and although the Xue family behind Concubine Xian had declined somewhat, they still had connections and were able to rally the support of the civil officials in the court.

Unless the Ge family really becomes the king of the Western Territory, Concubine Duan would not dare to face so many forces at the same time.

She sneered: "You two are very close sisters."

Without even bothering to say polite words, Concubine Duan walked out of the room directly, with eunuchs and palace maids following her in a large crowd.

After leaving the palace, Concubine Duan looked around and her eyes fell on the right.

She saw two children waiting on the roadside, they were Xia Jing and Ning Xuenian.

"Aunt." Ning Xuenian spoke, calling Concubine Duan timidly.

Concubine Duan ignored her and walked straight forward.

The direction she was heading was the same direction where Xia Jing and Ning Xuenian were. Ning Xuenian looked at the strange aunt and hid behind Xia Jing in fear.

Anming Palace is not in this direction. Concubine Duan walked towards this side on purpose to scare the two children.

She was half successful. The Seventh Princess was very frightened, but the Ninth Prince was unmoved. He held his head high and looked at him calmly.

Concubine Duan didn't like this peace. What she wanted was fear, anxiety, and hatred, just like she had before.

Now was her time, for these former enemies to huddle in their rooms and feel what she had once felt.

She stopped in front of Xia Jing, reached out, pinched the boy's face, and slowly applied force.

The cheek beneath her fingers lost its color, and the skin around them quickly turned red. Just by looking at this, one could tell how hard Concubine Duan had pushed.

Xia Jing didn't hide or cry out in pain. He wanted to tell Ning Xuenian that Concubine Duan couldn't really hurt them. At most, she could pinch their cheeks like children fighting.

"Let go!" Ning Xuenian slapped Concubine Duan's hand away, raised her tearful eyes, and stared at her former aunt.

Concubine Duan laughed and turned to leave.

Chapter 177 The Queen Mother Arrives

"Does it still hurt?"

In Jingyixuan, Xiao Yue gently picked up the ointment and applied it on Xia Jing's face. Concubine Xian, Concubine Yun and Concubine Yi stood beside her.

Xia Jing shook his head. Concubine Duan wasn't so aggressive as to strangle her to death. Her strength wasn't even as strong as when Rendong was sparring with her.

The red marks on his face were deep because the Ninth Prince had fair skin.

Ning Xuenian was lying beside Xia Jing, holding the boy's arm and crying.

"It doesn't hurt, don't cry, Sister Nian'er." Xia Jing held her hand tightly, "Thanks to sister for opening her hand."

"It's my fault that she pinched you because I hid behind you!" The girl raised her head with tearful eyes.

"Then I'll hide behind my sister next time." Xia Jing wiped away her tears.

"Don't hide next time, watch me teach her a lesson!" The girl bit her lips, looking very fierce and cute.

Xia Jing felt relieved. As long as the girl dared to resist, Concubine Duan couldn't do anything to her. This was the harem, and the Yunpin family was an important training target for Emperor Kangning. Everything had to be done according to the rules.

"I didn't expect her to become like this." Yunpin's eyes were red, and if the two children were not present, she would have shed tears.

Concubine Yun knew that her family and Concubine Duan's family were like water and fire, but she still thought that with her friendship with Concubine Duan, at most they could just go their separate ways. She didn't expect that Concubine Duan would be so cruel!

It would have been fine if they had asked Concubine Zhao and Concubine He to lure her out, but they actually attacked the child!

Xiao Yue patted her back to comfort her.

The four adults walked to the corner and discussed the matter of Concubine Duan.

"Sister Yun still doesn't understand Concubine Duan," Concubine Xian shook her head. "Just ask the palace maids and eunuchs. Who doesn't know that Concubine Duan is the most difficult to deal with? In this palace, apart from Concubine Rong who committed suicide, the servants around Concubine Duan have suffered the most injuries."

"It's not too late to know now. We are together. Sister Yun doesn't have to be afraid of her!" said Yipin.

After she finished speaking, Xiao Yue and Concubine Xian did not immediately respond. Worry flashed in their eyes, worrying about the war in the western border and the power of the Ge family.

Unlike the local wars in the east, south and north, once the war in the west breaks out, it will be a major war. The entire reserve army of the Ning Dynasty may have to be deployed, and the entire country will have to revolve around that war.

By then, Ge Hongsheng would have controlled most of the Ning Dynasty's military and the lifeblood of the dynasty.

And Concubine Duan's power will definitely expand greatly.

Although she has lost the position of queen, she still has the position of imperial concubine. If Concubine Duan becomes an imperial concubine, even if they join forces, it will be difficult to deal with her.

Without saying these words, Xiao Yue and Concubine Xian held Concubine Yun's hands and agreed with Concubine Yi's words.

"If she can find Sister Yun today, she can also cause trouble for us tomorrow. There's no need to hide from her. We won't provoke her, but we're not afraid of her!"

Xiao Yue, Concubine Xian, Concubine Yun and Concubine Yi formally formed an alliance in Jingyixuan.

Xia Jing used the art of inquiry to look into the hearts of the four people and found that they all had the same expectations.

"I hope the Western Territory will soon be stable."

Don't worry, it will happen very quickly. It only lasts for a year in the plot. If Xiao Jida works harder, it will take less than a year for Emperor Kangning to know the truth and become furious and burn the Ge family to ashes.

He looked at Ning Xuenian in front of him again. The girl was frightened and had been crying all the way. She was exhausted both physically and mentally and fell asleep on the edge of the bed.

Yunpin walked to Xia Jing's side and stroked his cheek guiltily: "I've caused trouble for Jing'er."

Xia Jing shook his head and smiled at Yunpin.

……

The story of Concubine Zhao and Concubine He spread throughout the harem that day. All the concubines, especially the lower-ranking beauties, concubines, and concubines, were terrified. Concubine Zhao and Concubine He had the four sisters of Jingyixuan to rescue them, but they didn't! If Concubine Duan came looking for them, how would they save themselves?

Many concubines have planned to get closer to Concubine Duan. Since they cannot beat her, they can only choose to join in order to avoid being beaten.

In the Cining Palace, Empress Dowager You finished square dancing and took a bath in a side hall.

She used the lightly scented soap specially made by the Ninth Prince.

Empress Dowager You was old, and even her sense of smell had weakened. She could not smell strong smells. The soap that Xia Jing had given her before was a bit irritating to her, so she gave it to the palace maids.

A few days ago, the Ninth Prince specially sent a batch of light-flavored ones.

"This soap is very useful." Queen Mother You sniffed her arm and praised.

Yuhe helped Empress Dowager You wash off the soap foam and let the old woman transfer from one bathtub to another.

She said, "In order to make this lightly scented soap, the Ninth Prince forcibly pulled the Fourth Prince out of the Craftsman's Supervisor."

"Oh? That kid didn't even mention this to me?" Empress Dowager You said in surprise.

Yu He said, "The Ninth Prince doesn't like to show off his achievements. Whenever he brags to the Queen Mother, it's always about trivial matters, just to amuse her."

"That's right. You complain of back pain after just two massages for me." Empress Dowager You said happily.

She leaned against the bathtub, feeling the warm water soaking her, and looked towards Jingyixuan through the mist.

"Is the Ninth Prince here today?" she asked.

In order to take Ning Xuenian and the other two out of the palace, the Ninth Prince had signed a ten-day dining agreement. Ten days had already passed, and the Ninth Prince still came every evening to see Empress Dowager You.

Yuhe paused as she washed Empress Dowager You's shoulders. "Rendong just said that the Ninth Prince has something to do today and will come back tomorrow."

"Where has he been?" Empress Dowager You didn't think much about it, thinking that the boy had gone crazy somewhere again.

The warm water and the faint scent of soap made the old man feel very comfortable and he closed his eyes.

Yuhe was silent for a long time. Empress Dowager You slowly opened her eyes and half-closed them: "Tell me, what happened?"

Yuhe fell to her knees.

……

Xia Jing lay on the bed, looking at his face in the bronze mirror, feeling a little annoyed.

The body was so delicate that even after half a day, some red marks still remained. Empress Dowager You was a meticulous person, and if she went to the Cining Palace, she would definitely be noticed.

He didn't intend to embarrass Empress Dowager You. Although he knew that nothing was wrong in the western border, Empress Dowager You and the others didn't know that the General of the Western Frontier, Ge Hongsheng, was the most important minister of the Ning Dynasty, and Ge Hongsheng's daughter, Concubine Duan, was the most important concubine in the harem.

This is not a matter of venting anger, but a matter of military and national importance.

When he arrived at the Cining Palace, Empress Dowager You saw the red mark on his face. If she didn't ask, he would be embarrassed. If she did, she would be embarrassed again. There was no need to put the relationship between the two of them in such an awkward position.

Putting down the bronze mirror, Xia Jing turned over, snuggled into Xiao Yue's arms, took her hand and placed it on his back.

Xiao Yue patted his lower back gently and watched him fall asleep.

Outside the window, the night in the harem was exceptionally quiet. All the candles in the palaces were extinguished, with only a few remaining for night watch.

Only Anming Palace was brightly lit.

Empress Dowager You, who had not left the Cining Palace for many years, came to the Anming Palace tonight.

Concubine Duan was overjoyed, thinking that after Emperor Kangning, Empress Dowager You had also come to express her love for her.

She asked the palace maids and eunuchs to make careful preparations and solemnly welcome Queen Mother You, but all she received was a distant smile from Queen Mother You.

Empress Dowager You took out an old handkerchief and placed it in front of Concubine Duan. "This handkerchief is very old. I heard that Concubine Duan's Shu embroidery skills are unparalleled. I wonder if I would be lucky enough to get one?"

Concubine Duan felt cold, how could she dare to refuse?

The candles in Anming Palace were lit all night, and the black curtain above the palace was dyed light blue. The eunuchs of the Direct Palace Supervisor held brooms and swept the road in front of Anming Palace.

Under the candlelight, Concubine Duan finished her last stitch and swayed. After a night of embroidery, her cheeks had turned pale and her eyes dark.

She gritted her teeth and handed over the embroidered handkerchief.

"Not bad." Empress Dowager You took it, praised it lightly, handed the handkerchief to Yuhe behind her, and walked out of Anming Palace.

Chapter 178: The spoils dropped by Concubine Duan

In the Cining Palace, Empress Dowager You sat on the Luohan bed, wearing an old man's mirror and reading a book.

Emperor Kangning stood by the bed and greeted her.

Empress Dowager You turned a page and said, "If the Emperor comes here to ask questions, then he should go back to his work."

Emperor Kangning sat by the bed and said with a smile, "I heard that there is a rift between my mother and Concubine Duan. I have come to ask how Concubine Duan has offended my mother."

Empress Dowager You glanced at him. It sounded nice, asking Concubine Duan how she had offended her, but it was just rhetoric, waiting for her to answer so she could smooth things over and try to appease the situation.

Maybe she, the empress dowager, would have to shamelessly reconcile with Concubine Duan.

These were all leftovers from her youth. It was impossible for Emperor Kang Ning to use this rhetoric to control her.

"What did the emperor say?" She put her ear close to Emperor Kangning. "I am old and my hearing is not good. Please don't blame me, Your Majesty."

Emperor Kangning had no doubts and approached Empress Dowager You, raising his voice: "How did Concubine Duan offend the Queen Mother? I want her to apologize to the Queen Mother."

"What? Who is Concubine Duan going to sleep with?" Empress Dowager You was astonished.

Emperor Kangning understood and the corner of his mouth twitched: "Mother, why is it so?"

"What kind of paper?" Empress Dowager You was puzzled.

Knowing that the conversation could not continue, Emperor Kang Ning gave up the rhetoric and directly stated his meaning.

He placed his hand on the old man's arm and said, "The overall situation is the most important thing, and personal feelings come second. This is what the Queen Mother taught me. Why did the Queen Mother ignore it?"

"Are you going to eat mushrooms?" Empress Dowager You put down her book. "No, mushrooms are poisonous. Your Majesty, how can you take such a risk?"

Looking at the concern on Empress Dowager You's face, Emperor Kangning didn't know whether he should be moved or angry.

He stood up and said, "Your Majesty, your mother is worth a fortune. It is a blessing for you that she is willing to discipline Concubine Duan. However, the Western Territory is in turmoil right now. I hope Your Majesty will wait a moment."

He looked at Queen Mother You, and the old lady simply stopped talking and pretended not to hear.

"I will tell Concubine Duan to stay away from Jingyixuan. What do you think, Empress Dowager?" Emperor Kangning said again.

Empress Dowager You flipped a page of the book, turned her head to look at Emperor Kangning, and asked in surprise, "Is the Emperor still here?"

Emperor Kangning shook his head helplessly.