nycdaug Chapter 134 Raising Hongli
Chapter 134 Raising Hongli
Concubine Duan felt a little cold in her heart.
Everyone knows that if one has a prince by his side, he may live in the Cining Palace or live out his days in luxury in a foreign palace.
Even the late emperor's Concubine Yi, who had a mortal enemy with the Empress Dowager, was able to leave the palace and live out her life with her eldest son, Prince Heng, even though her second son, Prince Jiu, was imprisoned.
The emperor agreed deeply and was about to speak when he heard Concubine Duan cough lightly. "Xinhe is still so young, leaving her mother. I really can't bear it. Moreover, Xinhe is healthy. I am afraid that passing on my illness to the child would be a sin. It's time to drink the medicine. I will take my leave first."
The emperor frowned. He had not yet mentioned the matter of asking Concubine Duan to share the palace affairs, but Concubine Duan had already said so, so he had to wait and discuss it later.
Zhen Huan stood up and saw her off respectfully, giving Concubine Duan a reassuring look.
Concubine Duan took in Zhen Huan's expression without stopping.
After Concubine Duan left, Zhen Huan leaned forward and reached out to hold the emperor's hand.
She said seriously, "What Concubine Duan said is true. I was thinking that if there was a half-grown child registered under Concubine Duan's name, it would also provide Concubine Duan with support for the rest of her life, and she wouldn't be lonely and cold in Yanqing Palace."
"You mean Hongli——"
Zhen Huan remained silent.
The emperor pondered this carefully: Hongli was already nine years old, a member of the imperial family, yet his biological mother remained unnamed. It would be unwise for him to remain in the Old Summer Palace when he reached the age of marriage and childbirth. Concubine Duan's father, Qi Fu, had retired from the rank of Tiger Guard General, so registering Hongli under Concubine Duan's name seemed like a good idea.
"Your Majesty..." Zhen Huan gently called the emperor back to his thoughts, "The Fourth Prince has grown up and has his biological mother in his heart. He is not afraid of the power of mother and son in the future."
......
The palace road is long and seems endless.
Zhen Huan felt uneasy, always feeling that something was missing.
"Aunt Jingxi, I haven't seen Aunt Fangruo today. Maybe it's her day off. Please go to the imperial kitchen and get a few plates of cakes to visit Fangruo." Zhen Huan paused and lowered her voice. "Aunt Fangruo, please help me pay attention..."
The latter part of the sentence was too low, and Huanbi didn't dare to get close, so she didn't hear it.
Jinxi's figure disappeared at the end of the corridor.
Huanbi reached out to support Zhen Huan and whispered, "Eldest sister, I don't think Concubine Duan appreciates your help."
Zhen Huan frowned, turned around and ordered the other palace maids to retreat ten steps.
She wanted to reprimand Huanbi and save her face, but when she turned her head, she saw Huanbi's eager look and sighed.
"I have no children. Concubine Hua has Wen Yi, and Concubine Fang has the Sixth and Seventh Princes. It would be nice if I could win over Concubine Xin, but she has been making a living in the palace for a long time and is as slippery as a loach, trying to please both sides."
Zhen Huan frowned, "Right now, only Concubine Duan can rival Concubine Hua and Concubine Fang."
"So it's for offspring..." Huanbi thought thoughtfully.
The patter of snowflakes fell on Zhen Huan's eyelashes. She blinked and thought of the quilt with the inscription of "Fu Shou" (longevity and happiness) on it.
Suddenly, she felt a chill, and she pulled her cloak tighter and ordered, "Let's go back quickly. Remember to prepare some jujube soup for Jinxi to warm her up."
Huanbi, who was immersed in her own thoughts, finally came back to her senses and said, "Oh".
......
The weather has warmed up recently, and some people who like to feel light and wear less clothes have gotten sick.
This was the case with Hongxuan. He felt hot at night and quietly stretched his feet out of the quilt. Even though he was discovered and pushed back by the nanny soon after, he still started coughing in the morning.
Coughing doesn't mean he has learned his lesson. He surrounded Jiang Ruyin and recited the Three Character Classic loudly with a hoarse voice.
It is called: Isn't it a pleasure to learn and practice it from time to time?
Jiang Ruyin had a gloomy face and was about to hit the scroll with it. Hongxuan was already holding his head and screaming.
The emperor came in cheerfully, "Is our Hongxuan being bullied?"
Jiang Ruyin snorted, "Yeah, I was bullied by the worst mother in the world."
The deerskin blanket was rolled into wrinkles. Jiang Ruyin stood up and smoothed them out one by one before inviting the emperor to sit down.
As soon as he sat down, Hongxuan pouted and climbed onto the emperor's lap.
Jiang Ruyin said viciously: "Don't even mention your Royal Father coming, even if your Royal Grandmother comes, you have to drink the medicine obediently."
"Your Majesty~" Staring with his big watery eyes, Hongxuan looked at the emperor aggrievedly.
The emperor was busy pinching his chubby cheeks and added, "Your mother is right, but I will ask someone to prepare the best preserves."
Seeing that the emperor was unreliable, Hongxuan immediately put on a serious face and said, "Mother, you don't understand. I examine myself three times a day, and your son hasn't finished yet." As he said this, he shook his head seriously.
Jiang Ruyin didn't care about him and threatened that if he couldn't drink the medicine, he would never see red bean and yam dumpling soup again.
After Hongxuan drank the bitter drink, the emperor handed him a plate of pickled plums.
Hongxuan stuffed three of them in a row, his cheeks puffed up, and he said incoherently, "Kanglai... there's no place... for you to stay here!"
As he said this, he stuffed two more plums into his stomach, put on his melon-shaped hat solemnly, and ran to the east side hall.
The emperor couldn't stop smiling, "Children are so lovable."
"......" Jiang Ruyin looked at the emperor with an indescribable look.
Yes, the eldest and second princes passed away within a few years, the fourth and fifth princes had been in the garden since they were young, and Shuhe was also sent to the princes' residence early. The only ones who grew up in front of the emperor were Hongshi and Wen Yi.
"The other day, Concubine Qi wanted to give two women from the bannermen family to the Third Prince as his concubines, but the Third Prince himself asked for a woman to be his princess."
The emperor was surprised. "Well, Hongshi is old enough. Who is she from?"
"Uya clan."
"what?"
Jiang Ruyin lowered her eyes and whispered a few words to him.
The pink lacquer and carved wide-mouthed bottle was shattered by the cups thrown with great force, and the fragments fell to the ground with a clang.
The emperor's angry voice echoed in the hall.
"It's so presumptuous!"
This Uya was the illegitimate daughter of an unknown cousin of the current Empress Dowager. It was said that Hongshi met her by chance outside the palace and fell in love with her at first sight.
I don’t know whether this outrageous remark was directed at Hongshi or Uya.
Jiang Ruyin soothed him softly, "Your Majesty, please calm down. The Third Prince is young after all, and Concubine Qi is a kind and honest person. Please, for the sake of Concubine Qi's many years of service, calm down a little."
The emperor took the Pu'er tea and tasted it with a frown, then sighed deeply, "I understand."
"One more thing. Concubine Duan is weak, and Yanqing Palace is far away. I am thinking of bringing Hongli back to the Forbidden City and entrusting him to Concubine Duan for upbringing. What do you think?"
Jiang Ruyin blinked, "Of course it's possible, but the Fourth and Fifth Princes grew up together in the Old Summer Palace, so I imagine their relationship is different from that of other brothers. Do we want to bring them back together?"
The emperor hesitated, "This is a bit troublesome. Let's discuss it after the New Year."
As expected, Jiang Ruyin smiled silently and then asked, "I have a question."