Три мандариновые утки и полторы пары

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"The four great families have five sons. The sixth son is up to fate. If it is a daughter, she will belong to the Heavenly Family."

This saying, which circulates among the common people, refers to the four prominent families of Gao, Duan, Lu, and Su, who currently assist the imperial family.

In their early years, the four great families helped the court quell the war and were rewarded with great favors. However, they also paid another price: any child born after the fifth son of the four great families who was a girl would become a member of the royal family. The emperor would adopt her as a princess and bestow upon her the title of princess. Her demeanor would be as noble as that of a member of the royal family. Such honors were, in fact, a political bargaining chip!

When foreign tribes sought peace and marriage alliances, or even offered generous rewards to victorious generals and important ministers, the imperial family would bestow a marriage upon a princess, which would be the greatest honor. In this case, the "Imperial Princess" who was granted the title of princess would have to bear the responsibility of this political marriage. This was the imperial family's own choice, as they were unwilling to sacrifice their own flesh and blood!

In view of this, unless one is eager to climb the social ladder, no one is willing to send their children into the palace to be manipulated by others. Therefore, to avoid separation of family members, most of the four great families do not have more than five sons.

As the sixth son of the Su family, Su Shaochu was repeatedly warned from a young age to be careful about his identity and secrets.

"Chu'er, you must remember that the sixth son of the Su family must be male. The existence of the seventh son is a secret. You and Xiao Chu cannot appear at the same time. If these things are discovered, someone will separate you from your parents and brothers. Remember, you must never let anyone know about these things."

Before the age of three, she and her younger brother rarely left the courtyard. After the age of three, they were sent away from the capital and grew up in a town near the capital. During this time, her second sister married the crown prince as a concubine. When her eldest brother came to visit, he told her with relief that the fate of the sixth son would no longer be confined to the four great families, because the crown prince who would succeed to the throne in the future would abolish this bad custom.

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Through the lush foliage, a pair of bright black eyes gazed at the beautiful woman sitting before the blossoms, meticulously sewing the pattern on her handkerchief with a needle.

"Wow, that's the legendary Nanyuan Maiden, she's as beautiful as a fairy," the little boy holding the ball exclaimed.

"I heard from my father that Nanyuan is inhabited by people like Xuanyuanwa. The girls there are very beautiful and good at dancing, and the boys are very good at sword forging. They are also very good at herbal medicine!" The little girl looked at the beautiful woman in front of her and spoke with the air of a little adult.

"Shanshan, don't worry, you'll grow up to be prettier than the fairy in front of you!" The little boy assured his playmate, his small, delicate face already strikingly beautiful.

The compliment truly delighted the little girl, who smiled sweetly. "Shaochu, I like you the most."

"Your Highness." A palace maid carrying a meal approached and saw her mistress about to bend down to pick up the ball of thread that had fallen to the ground. She quickly stepped forward to help her, looked around to make sure no one was watching, and then reminded her, "You forgot, your current body is not suitable for bending over or lifting heavy objects."

"Linglong, it's only been less than a month, it's alright." Song Meige smiled as she looked at Linglong, her personal maid who had been with her since childhood. She had accompanied Linglong all the way from Nanyuan to the Central Plains royal family.

"It's always better to be careful, especially in this palace. It would be troublesome if something went wrong." Linglong helped her back to the chair and sat down, lifting the lid of the food bowl that had been brought out, releasing a rich aroma of medicinal cuisine. "You need to eat something nourishing right now."

Song Mei'e covered her nose, as if she were about to vomit. "I hate these smells."

"Given Your Majesty's current condition, this is understandable, but you still need to nourish your body, so drinking some soup would be good."

Unable to resist Linglong's insistence, he could only accept the soup she served.

"Third Prince, has he... sent any message?" she asked hesitantly, sipping her medicinal soup.

Linglong shook her head.

"No news, and he no longer comes to Yizhai Pavilion. Is he simply giving up?" She lowered her brows in disappointment and let out a long sigh. "Was I wrong? I shouldn't have insisted on staying..."

"Maid, now that you've made your decision, don't think about it anymore." Linglong invoked her mistress's highly respected status in Nanyuan.

"After committing the greatest sin and mistake in the cycle of life and death, what right do I have to possess such a title?" She smiled bitterly. "I shouldn't think about it anymore, otherwise, the pitiful thing is..." She gently stroked her now flat stomach and couldn't help but sigh deeply. "If only I could be as ruthless as him, but I just can't let go and can't bear to part with him."

"I heard that the previous Holy Maiden was a kind and loving person. Why did she give birth to such a... cruel prince?" After all, he was the Holy Maiden's son, so Linglong couldn't bring herself to say anything harsh, but she really couldn't bear to say it.

Sixteen years ago, Song Piaoping, the Holy Maiden of Nanyuan, was a compassionate woman who wanted to resolve the war between the Central Plains and Nanyuan. She couldn't bear to see her people and innocent civilians suffer any more. So, she arranged a marriage to create peace between the two sides and became the concubine of the emperor of the Central Plains. However, she never expected that she would fall ill and die after giving birth to a son.

During this time, the cause of the Holy Maiden's death was questioned by the Xuanyuanwa clan, and the relationship between the two sides dropped to a freezing point. If the Holy Maiden had not given birth to a son in the Central Plains, the two sides would probably have gone to war again.

Sixteen years later, Nanyuan was unable to select a Holy Maiden. For the sake of the Holy Maiden's son, Xuanyuan Wa Shi was willing to resolve her inner conflict and allow the Protector Maiden to marry into the Central Plains Imperial Palace in the style of the Holy Maiden, to take care of and teach the prince Xuanyuan Wa Shi's history, and to mend the rift between the two sides through marriage.

The current generation of maid, Song Meie, is the younger sister of the previous generation's saintess, Song Piaoping. These two sisters, who are very different in age, were still infants when the older sister became a saintess and married into the Central Plains.

Although the maid of Nanyuan married the emperor of the Central Plains, it was only in name. Her duty was to serve the son of the Holy Maiden. The emperor of the Central Plains treated her with great courtesy and respect, granting her a separate villa and freedom of movement without being bound by palace rules. To avoid unnecessary disturbances from other concubines, only the emperor, empress, crown prince, and third prince were allowed to enter this villa. No one else was allowed to enter without her permission.

"The Third Prince has a problem, but no one has noticed." Song Mei'e's brows were furrowed with worry, her voice filled with bitterness. "Everyone is afraid of hurting him. The Empress is like that, the Crown Prince is like that, and the Emperor is even more so. Pampering him has become the only thing everyone can do for him."

When the Holy Maiden married into the palace, she was from a foreign tribe and had no relatives. The concubines in the harem fought fiercely. The emperor's favor and the Holy Maiden's extraordinary status, which set her apart from the other concubines, only made this foreign Holy Maiden a thorn in the side of the other concubines. This situation changed until one event occurred.

"Sister Piaoping saved the Crown Prince who was suffering from a strange disease back then, which made the Empress extremely grateful to her and treat her like a sister."

The kind and benevolent empress never indulged in vying for the emperor's favor in the harem. In addition, she was almost ten years older than the emperor, so he respected her more than anything. She always kept to her duty, and for many years she was a vegetarian and a Buddhist. She prayed for the crown prince who was suffering from headaches. When the crown prince's condition worsened and he fell into a coma, the Holy Maiden of Nanyuan, who came from a place with advanced herbal medicine, saved the crown prince and also exposed the conspiracy among the concubines to poison the crown prince in order to fight for the throne.

From then on, the Empress cared deeply for the Holy Maiden of Nanyuan. Due to the age difference and the Holy Maiden's thoughtfulness, the Empress felt a sense of affection for her as an elder. After the Holy Maiden's death, the Empress cherished and cared for the child she left behind.

"The Empress's affection for the Holy Maiden's son is obvious to everyone."

If outsiders didn't know that the Crown Prince was the Empress's biological son, they would really think that the Third Prince was her biological son.

Song Meie put down her soup bowl, shook her head, and sighed with a smile. "The Empress's affection for the Third Prince is more like that for her children and grandchildren. After all, the relationship between Sister Piaoping and the Empress is more like that of mother and daughter than sisters. So, the Empress should treat the children left behind by Sister Piaoping as if they were grandchildren."

The crown prince had to receive training to become the ruler of a country. He could only stay with the empress until he was three years old. As he got older, he began a series of palace etiquette training. Therefore, the third prince was the one who stayed with the empress the longest.

"Since arriving at the palace, I finally understand why the Third Prince wields such power at such a young age." Song Meige stood up, looking at the sky with a serene expression. "I should be happy that the Holy Maiden's son is so loved in the Central Plains, and I am also happy for my deceased sister, but... too much pampering and indulgence, if it continues, will only bring misfortune rather than blessing."

Half a year ago, she came to the Central Plains and finally met her sister Piaoping's child, her own nephew who was only two years older than her, the son of the Holy Maiden whom the Xuanyuanwa clan had always longed for.

The Third Prince, Zhu Yu, was exceptionally handsome, with a captivating charm in his eyes. She remembered that when he smiled at her and even called her "Auntie," she realized she had been staring at him for a long time.

"Maid, don't worry too much. The Third Prince's power is largely due to his own exceptional abilities. Otherwise, no matter how much the Empress dotes on him, or how much the Emperor and Crown Prince protect him, without real ability, the court officials would not be convinced. Such power is illusory. However, it seems that the entire court has no objection to the Third Prince's rule."

The Empress, who had personally raised the prince since he was a child, felt sorry for him because he lost his mother at a young age, and also had a "doting mentality towards her children and grandchildren." She would never say "no" to any request the Third Prince made. She couldn't bear to see frustration on the poor child's face, and she couldn't bear to see anything sad happen to the prince she had personally raised.

The Empress has decided that she should protect the prince she raised and ensure his lifelong favor, in order to be worthy of Song Piaoping, who saved her son in his prime and passed away.

Under the Empress's strenuous "care" and protection, the Emperor, who felt guilty about the death of the Holy Maiden, and the Crown Prince, whose poor younger brother had lost his mother, were "pampered, indulged, and turned a blind eye" to create the extraordinary mentality and power of the Third Prince Zhu Yu.

"He's dealt with all the objections, hasn't he?" Song Meie said with her eyes closed, feeling sorrow for him and for her own current situation. "Sometimes I really think he's as terrifying as a devil, and sometimes he's like a child who needs someone to tell him what warmth is. I've been ruined by him, and in this life, I'll never have the chance to tell him how many different kinds of affection between people are worth cherishing. God hasn't given me much time left."

Doesn't she understand? Because of Zhu Yu's extraordinary abilities and the fact that he is so favored, he is very clear about the extent to which he can manipulate events.

"Maid, you'll be fine. Don't worry too much."

"Linglong, go back to Nanyuan in a few days." Song Meige took the tea that she was handed, and said thoughtfully, "Take my letter with you. Remember, whatever news you hear about me in the Central Plains, do as the letter says."

"Maid, what do you want to do?" Linglong was taken aback by her unusual appearance.

Just as Song Meie was about to speak again, she heard a small voice coming from not far away.

"How dare you! Who's there?" Linglong shouted sternly!

A ball rolled out from behind the grass.

"Who is it? Show yourself!"

Linglong picked up the ball and shouted sternly.

A little boy emerged from behind the bushes, followed by a little girl. The boy held the little girl's hand protectively and bowed respectfully.

"I'm sorry, we were playing with a ball and it accidentally rolled into the corner hole of Yizhai Hall. We had to climb in through the hole to retrieve it. We apologize for offending you, Madam. I had to drag her in." Actually, it was Shanshan who insisted on coming in to see, but Su Shaochu, who was always very protective of girls, couldn't let Shanshan be affected.

"What a remarkable child!" Song Meie smiled, speaking simply and honestly, also afraid of being punished and not wanting to harm the little girl beside her.

"They should be called a beautiful pair of children." Linglong's anger subsided considerably when she saw that they were children. Upon seeing the two beautiful children who looked like they had stepped out of a painting, she smiled and was about to step forward when the little boy immediately blocked the girl's way.

"Madam, this palace maid, the ball is mine, it has nothing to do with her, let Shanshan leave first!"

"Shaochu, I'm the one who pulled you in, you don't need to shield me anymore." The little girl behind him didn't appreciate his loyalty at all.

"Shao Chu, Shan Shan?" Upon hearing them call each other by name, Song Mei'e pondered for a moment and asked, "Is it Yan Shan Shan, the daughter of the young master of the Su family and the old martial arts prodigy Yan Xiaotong?"

"Yes, yes." The two little ones were taken aback when they heard that their identities had been recognized so easily.

"No wonder it's so different. I've heard from people in the palace that whenever Young Master Su brings Young Master Su into the palace, there's always a beautiful little girl by his side," Linglong said, recalling the incident.

She often heard people mention this when she chatted with some servants from other palaces. These two children, who seemed to be playing together innocently since childhood, were so eye-catching that it was hard not to notice them.

"I wonder if my future children will be this beautiful?"

"Your Highness Consort E." Seeing her mistress lost in thought, Linglong quickly addressed her formally.

"How much can they understand at such a young age?"

Song Meige sighed softly, then reached out to them. The other party hesitated slightly before coming to her side.

"The young master of the Su family and the old prophet's daughter." A gentle face knelt down before them, stroking their faces. "A handsome young master and a beautiful young girl. Your future, with the support of your families, should be full of happiness. You are well-matched in terms of social standing, so there is no need to worry about any worldly problems."

The two little ones seemed to understand but not quite, and Linglong could only sigh, no longer reminding her master that his impromptu remarks were so inappropriate and dangerous.

"I remember that the Su family, one of the four great families in the Central Plains, and the Xuanyuan Wa family of Nanyuan have a different origin and friendship. Your father had an extraordinary relationship with several reclusive elders in Nanyuan, and your brother also helped the clansmen a lot. In Nanyuan, the Su family is highly respected."

She spoke softly, taking the little boy's wrist as she tried to lead them inside to play. However, she was surprised to find that the little boy's wrist was quite slender and fair. Song Meie looked slightly surprised, carefully felt his pulse, and looked at him with astonishment as if she had discovered something.

"You...you're not a boy?!"

"Uh!" Su Shaochu was gazing at the beautiful and gentle lady with fascination when he was startled awake by someone's words.

Chu'er, you must remember that the sixth son of the Su family must be male. ... If these things are discovered, someone will separate you from your parents and brothers. Remember, you must never let anyone know about these things.

"I...I'm sorry, we've disturbed you, we'll be going now." Su Shaochu hurriedly shook off Consort E's hand, grabbed Yan Shanshan, and ran away.

"Wait a minute, you guys..."

Linglong called out, but before she could finish, the two little ones had vanished into the bushes in a flash.

Su Shaochu and Yan Shanshan emerged from the hole in the corner of the wall at Yizhai Hall, panting and patting their chests. They then exchanged a smile, for their adventure today had led them to witness the legendary Nanyuan Maiden.

But was it just his imagination? Young Chu always felt that Consort E's face looked somewhat sickly...pale.

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A few days later, Su Shaochu entered the palace again. This time, it was because his elder brother had returned from his travels in the Eastern Regions. The Crown Prince held a special banquet to welcome him back and also wanted to see the "secret" of the Su family.

Because after the second sister married the Crown Prince as a concubine, she firmly advocated for the four great families, which convinced the Crown Prince, who had always been keen to reform outdated customs, to accept it. He would then change the outdated rule among the four great families that if the sixth son was a girl, he would be a member of the imperial family.

While the adults were chatting happily, the younger brother, who couldn't show himself at the same time, was being lectured by his second sister. He was being told not to keep silent and let the unruly sixth brother, Su Shaochu, lead him around. Seeing that she was about to be scolded next, he quickly sneaked out of Yingfu Garden, where the Crown Prince was hosting a banquet, and strolled to a corner outside Yizhai Hall.

Looking through the hole in the wall and around to make sure no one was there, she slipped back into the Yizhai Hall.

Su Shaochu had a good impression of Consort E, but she was too panicked last time and had to run away in a hurry.

Using the bushes for cover, I evaded the guards and arrived at the same place as before. I found it unusually quiet today. There was no one outside the palace where people usually stood, and I hid for a long time without seeing any palace maids come or go!

She cautiously stepped out, looking around in confusion. Where had everyone gone? It was as if everyone had been evacuated, with guards only on the outer perimeter.

As she passed the entrance to a palace, she heard a faint sobbing sound. Curious, Su Shaochu tiptoed and peeked through the crack in the door, but saw no one.

She jumped up, and the resulting gust of air caused the half-closed door to open slightly. She couldn't help but peek out curiously. The sound came from the inner bedroom. She walked over quietly and gently lifted the veil. The sound of Song Meie crying came out.

"Is this the answer you came all this way to give me? To make me abort my own child!" She covered her lips, trembling uncontrollably.

Beside him stood a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy in a dazzling golden crown and splendid robes. His flowing black hair was neatly combed, and his handsome face always carried a lazy smile. He was adorned with exquisite jewelry, gold earrings, and almost eight fingers covered with gemstones, yet he did not appear gaudy at all; on the contrary, he was incredibly elegant and refined.

Su Shaochu recognized him as Zhu Yu, the Third Prince, whom everyone in the palace feared!

"Mei'e, dear aunt, is it really that exciting for you to give birth to your own nephew's child?" Zhu Yu asked with a smile, cruelly revealing the truth.

"They... are innocent lives! They are your own flesh and blood, Zhu Yu's children," Song Mei'e said, her voice choked with emotion.