Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace: Fawning

Chapter 150: No Adoptive Mother is as Good as a Biological Mother②

Jinbao took small steps into the Yangxin Palace.

At this time, Hongli was reviewing memorials.

"Your Majesty." Jinbao walked up to Hongli and called him softly twice.

Hongli nodded slightly, motioning Jinbao to continue.

"The Princess of Bahrain and two princes request an audience."

Hongli suddenly raised his eyes. He had actually forgotten about Princess Balin and the others because of the events in Dzungar. He immediately put down his pen and asked Jin Baoxuan and the others to enter the hall.

But just as Jinbao turned around, Hongli called him back and frowned, "What's wrong with your face?"

Jinbao knelt hurriedly, trembling, "Your Majesty, spare me! I don't know how I offended the Fourth Prince of Bahrain. He came up and beat me up. I think it must be because of Concubine Ying's matter..."

Hearing Jinbao's words, Hongli's cheerful face instantly fell. He had told Meiruo countless times that Jinzhong and Jinbao were his close associates, and no one could touch them except him. But Meiruo refused to listen. He remembered that Jinzhong had mentioned to him last night that Princess Bahrain and the two princes had stayed in Xianfu Palace for the entire afternoon before leaving for the temporary palace. Perhaps that was when Meiruo complained to her family.

If this is true, then even he was sued by Meiruo?

"You get up first and let them in."

"Yes." Jinbao retreated.

In fact, he deliberately let Hongli see the wound on his face. During this period, he had been with Jinzhong for a long time, and naturally became more tactful due to his influence.

"Princess, Prince, please come in." Jinbao made a gesture of invitation and invited them into the hall.

The princess and Jirimutu were relatively well behaved, but Huricha rolled his eyes at Jinbao when he passed by him.

"Your Majesty, I have seen you. May the Eternal Heaven bless my Lord."

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you. May the Eternal Heaven bless my Lord."

The three of them bowed deeply.

Hongli said calmly, "Stand up. Someone, let the princess sit down."

Jinbao quickly brought over a chair.

The Princess of Bahrain sat down.

Hongli held the Buddhist beads in his hand and said in a friendly tone, "Princess, you have come from afar. I wonder if there is anything you have neglected in this palace?"

After all, she was his mother-in-law and the Princess of Bahrain, so Hongli had to pretend.

The princess was kind and smiled, "The Forbidden City is prosperous, of course it is wonderful. I thank the emperor for his care, and I also thank him on behalf of my husband and Concubine Ying."

"Princess, you're welcome. You're both Concubine Ying's mother and the Princess of Bahrain. If there's anything missing in the palace, just tell the palace maids. I..."

Before Hongli could finish his words, Hu Richa interrupted him and snorted coldly, "Humph, Your Majesty is so lucky to trust treacherous people and favor a treacherous concubine. Where do you put my sister?"

Hongli frowned and said nothing. Did this Prince of Bahrain take the wrong medicine?

"Hu Richa, don't be unreasonable," the princess scolded.

Fearing that the emperor would be angry, she stood up and saluted Hongli, saying, "Your Majesty, Hu Richa just spoke without restraint and offended Your Majesty, but he did not mean to do so. Please do not blame me."

Hongli suppressed his anger, a smile playing on his lips, and said, "Princess, you are too kind." He stroked his sleeves, looked at Hu Richa, and said, "I wonder how I have offended this distinguished guest who has come from afar?"

Huricha was about to demand justice for Meiruo, but before he could utter a word, Jirimutu pulled him behind him. He knew this younger brother all too well: he was brave but not wise. There were six siblings in their family: the second loved to recite poetry and write couplets, the third was taciturn, and the fifth had been in poor health since birth, constantly taking medicine with him.

Jirimutu was afraid Huricha would say the wrong thing. Although the Balin tribe had established ties with the Qing, Meiruo was not an empress. To put it bluntly, she was merely a concubine, a gift from the Balin tribe to the emperor. Regardless, Hongli was supreme. While in the Balin tribe, Jirimutu had heard the Balin king speak of the two wealthiest tribes in Mongolia, the Dzungar and the Khorchin. One was his brother-in-law, the other his son-in-law. While the Balin tribe's influence in Mongolia was no less than theirs, they were no match for them in a real fight. If Hongli angered him and joined forces with the Khorchin and Dzungar tribes to destroy the Balin tribe first, he and Huricha would be criminals.

The princess was also afraid. She had warned Huricha before they set out that the Forbidden City was unlike the prairie; it was full of restrictions. Otherwise, King Bahrain wouldn't have sent Meiruo to the palace to learn the rules. If she had known he would still be so outspoken, she wouldn't have brought him into the palace.

Jirimutu knelt down and said confidently, "Your Majesty, it is clear that Huricha is so eager to protect his sister that he speaks so recklessly."

Hongli listened quietly.

He finally understood that today's visit was called a greeting, but in reality it was a settlement of accounts.

But at this time Hongli couldn't get angry.

He turned to look at Jinbao, and suddenly the corners of his mouth tilted up, revealing a faint smile. He whispered, "Oh, I guess the princess and the two princes are talking about Concubine Ying learning the palace rules? It was because the Queen Mother saw that Concubine Ying was intelligent that she sent her personal maid to Xianfu Palace to teach her the palace rules. This is all for her own good."

Hongli gave him a way out. Huricha was a stubborn person and he did not believe what Hongli said. Besides, those words were said by Meiruo herself, and his elder brother and Eji heard them. It was not only because of this incident, but also because of the isolation by the concubines. How could he explain this?

He wanted to continue asking, but Jirimutu didn't give him the chance and said bluntly: "Since the emperor has said so, perhaps we really have misunderstood..."

Huricha thought Jirimutu would seek justice for Meiruo, but he didn't expect him to back down first. He was so angry that his lungs were about to explode. He said disappointedly, "Brother?"

Jirimutu said sternly, "Shut up."

Huricha could only shut up in frustration and glanced at the princess. He did not expect that the princess and Jirimutu shared the same hatred and did not intend to pursue the matter at all.

At this moment, Hu Richa felt that they were cold-blooded and did not want to stay for even a moment. He bowed and said, "Your Majesty, Eji, I feel a little unwell, so I will return to the palace first."

Hongli naturally did not stop him. The princess and Jirimutu also felt that Hu Richa would only cause trouble and was not suitable to stay here, so they let him go.

But no one expected how much trouble Hu Richa's visit would cause for the Balin tribe.

As soon as Hu Richa came out of the Yangxin Palace, he saw Zhao Jiuxiao who had just wanted to fight with him.

He rolled his eyes and walked forward without hesitation, wanting to fight Zhao Jiuxiao.

"What's your name?" Hu Richa walked closer and pointed at Zhao Jiuxiao.

Zhao Jiuxiao knew the identity of the person in front of him, so he could only half-kneel and bow, saying, "Your Majesty's guard greets Prince Huricha."

"This prince wants you to fight with me, and I don't believe you can beat me." Hu Richa vowed.

This was the Yangxin Palace, not a market. If Zhao Jiuxiao really fought Hu Richa, Hu Richa was the Prince of Bahrain, Hongli's brother-in-law, and held a distinguished position. Zhao Jiuxiao, on the other hand, had nothing. If the emperor knew he'd fought outside the Yangxin Palace, he'd surely be sent to the Shenxingsi for punishment. Lan Cui would be devastated.