The tenth year of Yongzheng's reign was a very important point for Hongli, who was then still Prince Bao.

Although Hongli believed that among the few remaining sons of his father in the harem, he had the best chance of ascending the throne, this was not the consensus among the others, and it had not been fully discussed.

Moreover, having learned from the lessons of the past, the Emperor has secretly designated an heir to avoid a repeat of the earlier succession struggle. The written imperial edict is placed behind the plaque of "Upright and Bright" in the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

What Hongli can do right now is to actively perform in front of his father, the Emperor, in order to gain his father's satisfaction as soon as possible and make the court officials more obedient.

It was another afternoon when Hongli returned to his residence after finishing his duties at the palace.

Instead of going directly to his wife's quarters in the main courtyard, Hongli first returned to his study in the front courtyard.

"Wu Shulai, these past few days the master hasn't been to the back courtyard. Have the two new concubines who came in been behaving themselves?"

It was impossible for Hongli not to know that Su Jingtong and Chen Yuwei had come in, because they were women specially chosen for him by his own mother, who were said to be very fertile.

Even though Hongli has three children now, what family doesn't want more children and grandchildren?

Hongli himself also had to consider the losses that would occur if his children grew up successfully.

Although Hongli disliked his father having sons, he envied his grandfather Kangxi for having many children.

Because people are hypocritical. They think that what their own family has is acceptable, but what others have is outrageous.

Wu Shulai is Hongli's personal eunuch. He has served Hongli since he was a child and is now Hongli's most favored person.

With a smile and a slight bow, Wu Shulai said, "Reporting to Master, the two new concubines are both very well-behaved."

Concubine Su would still manage to go out a couple of times, but Concubine Chen had stayed in Ruyi Residence these past few days without leaving.

That's right, none of the people Wu Shulai arranged for had ever seen Chen Yuwei; she was quite mysterious.

Upon hearing Wu Shulai's words, Hongli suddenly became curious about Chen Yuwei.

Hongli didn't think that Wu Shulai was trying to win Chen Yuwei's favor by saying those words; it was just that Wu Shulai had guessed Hongli's thoughts and that's why he said those words.

"This concubine Chen is quite interesting." She's not an ordinary person; she can stay cooped up in the courtyard.

You should know that the mansion he lived in was not very big; if a person wanted to explore it, they could walk through all the courtyards in half a day.

In fact, Hongli himself disliked that the mansion was too small, but what could he do if his father, the Emperor, wouldn't let him build a mansion outside the palace?

Hongli could only make do with living here. When he was granted the title of Prince again, he would take the opportunity to renovate the two vacant courtyards on the left and right.

Hehe, at this time, Hongli already knew that it wouldn't be long before he could climb from the title of Prince of the Second Rank to the title of Prince of the First Rank.

After all, he had previously gone to Jiangnan and accomplished something for his father, the Emperor. Compared to his fifth brother, Hongzhou, who had no worries and only knew how to eat, drink, and enjoy himself every day, Hongli was far more outstanding.

Feeling pleased with himself, Hongli didn't say anything more, but waved his hand, telling Wu Shulai to leave first.

Wu Shulai, as if on cue, retreated to the doorway, thinking to himself that this Concubine Chen was luckier than Concubine Su. Now that she had a name in front of the Prince, if nothing unexpected happened, she would definitely serve the Prince soon.

Serving a prince is a good thing. If you can seize the opportunity, you might be able to escape the position of concubine and climb to the position of princess.

It should be noted that there are no concubines in the mansion now, and a proper princess can see the prince at least once or twice a month.

Compared to concubines who are used and discarded at will, being a princess is much more secure.

Hmm, I've decided. I'll observe this concubine Chen's temperament more closely in private.

If Concubine Chen is a good match, Wu Shulai wouldn't mind praising her to the prince a few more times. After all, he's a eunuch, and what he values ​​most besides power and money is money. If he can benefit from Concubine Chen, Wu Shulai won't lose out.

Just like Jin, the most favored concubine now, Wu Shulai recommended her. Because if a concubine wants to leave an impression on the prince, she has to rely on external things in addition to her own abilities.

After all, it's all about vying for favor and living a good life; there's nothing shameful about it.

Hongli did not stay in the study in the front courtyard for long before deciding to go to the main courtyard to see his son and daughter, and also to check on his wife.

"Wu Shulai, go to the main courtyard."

“Zha”

A large group of people set off from the front yard, bypassed the corner archway, and walked along the long covered walkway in front of them to the main yard.

Because the front yard and the main yard are the closest, it didn't take Hongli much time to get there.

Besides the excellent location of the main courtyard, the Jinghong Pavilion where Gao Hongshan lived was also in a good location.

Gao Hongshan is Gao Bin's daughter, and Gao Bin is now a formidable general under Hongli.

Furthermore, Gao Hongshan is beautiful, witty, and knows how to get things done. Apart from her poor health, she can be considered Hongli's most perfect lover.

Compared to Fucha Jinyi, a supportive wife, Gao Hongshan represented the deepest stirring in Hongli's heart—a possessive desire, devoid of romantic love.

"By the way, I just got a new set of jewelry yesterday. Go and deliver it to Madam Gao in a bit."

I haven't visited her at Jinghong Pavilion these past few days; I reckon Madam Gao isn't in a good mood."

While they were talking, Hongli did not delay their journey, and even though he knew that Gao Hongshan would be upset, he still did not turn towards Jinghong Pavilion.

This shows that Hongli did not value the historical Consort Huixian, Gao Hongshan, that much. In his actions and in all other matters, Hongli preferred to be self-centered, and only when he had the energy or interest would he focus on other people.

At present, Gao Hongshan's role to Hongli is more like a bargaining chip to win over Gao Bin and a pet that he can play with at will when he is bored. If he is happy, he will play with her for a while, and if he is not happy, he will leave her there and ignore her. If he feels that she has gone too far, he will give her some perfunctory rewards to get rid of her.

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