Mu Shaoling said, "There is already someone in your palace who couldnāt resist taking action. What will happen three years from now during the selection of consorts?"
Baili Yan countered, "Is there really something wrong with the lotus seed soup?"
"Thereās nothing wrong with the lotus seed soup," Mu Shaoling chuckled, "Itās just that some flower juice was mixed into those pastries. If it happens to come into contact with rosemary, it indeed can cause someone to faint. That Luo Linfei probably carried rosemary in her purse."
Baili Yanās expression visibly darkened. These women indeed lacked propriety and were petty, causing such trouble during a national mourning.
"Cousin, they say a childās character is visible by the age of three and established by seven. Right now, the royal children are still young, at a critical moment for forming their personalities. Frankly speaking, if you donāt want the princes to end up like those of previous dynasties, with brothers not being brotherly and siblings not being sibling-like, you shouldnāt let them grow under the hands of harem women. Right now, the dynasty has just been established, yet the women of the harem are already showing their tricks. From this, you can understand a personās disposition and magnanimity. Putting a prince near such a person, can you really rest assured?"
Mu Shaoling was startled by his words; if they spread out, the consorts in the harem might become vicious.
Baili Yan wasnāt thinking too much about it for now, and he nodded, "What you say is indeed true. As I know, in some affluent families, children are brought to the front courtyard to be raised beside their fathers once they turn one, but royal children are raised beside their mothers, and not every prince lives in the princeās hall either. The ones with favored mothers grow up beside them, while those like me and Prince Le, lacking support in the harem, usually go to the princeās hall."
"Over time, the princesā character traits are mostly influenced by their mothers. It seems they should be sent to Lantai Hall ahead of time. As for their education, Iāll have to make the time to personally handle it."
"Cousin, the people managing the princeās hall, whether they are eunuchs or nannies or palace maids, must be your trusted ones, otherwise..."
Ye Ziāan didnāt finish his sentence, but Baili Yan understood his meaning; having brothers together has both benefits and drawbacks, if some are disloyal and the supervision is lax, it could lead to complete failure.
"I understand. You have given me a good reminder." Baili Yan added, "Fortunately, I still have your and Uncleās support, otherwise..."
"Oh, cousin, please donāt be so sentimental." Ye Ziāan was quite unable to handle this, "If you think weāre good, then for todayās conversation, donāt say it was my suggestion. Otherwise, it wonāt only affect me but my children will be affected too."
This conversation undoubtedly cut off the interaction between a mother and her child.
"Ha..." Mu Shaoling laughed.
Baili Yan held his head and asked him, "Have you noticed heās getting more and more shameless?"
"Youāre the one who spoiled him." Mu Shaoling coldly said a few words.
Baili Yan was speechless; alright, he nurtured himāthe bond with oneās own brothers might not be as deep as that with cousins who didnāt grow up together. Who else would he spoil?
"Alright, timeās up, letās go."
Baili Yan stood up, and the two followed behind him to Yunqian Hall.
In the evening, Yang Chuxia and Commandery Princess Dongyang stayed in the palace as usual. The Empress sent over two bowls of white fungus porridge again.
This time it was brought by someone else.
Yang Chuxia casually asked, "Miss Suāer said she would bring us lotus leaf porridge tonight, but it turned out to be white fungus porridge. Lotus leaf porridge is cooling, while white fungus porridge is nourishing. The Empress really put a lot of thought into it."
The person named Zhenāer smiled without answering and withdrew.