Chapter 11 The First Awakening of a Love-Obsessed Mind

Su Peisheng's statement about Consort Hua was not wrong at first; it was simply a case of loving the house because of the people around her.

Although her primary motivation was to oppose the Empress, it was also because she listened to Cao Qinmo's speculation and felt that the Emperor's attitude towards the two princes had softened, which is why Nian Shilan followed suit and showed goodwill. To put it bluntly, it was all for the Emperor's sake, and it had nothing to do with whether the two princes were Ding Mao or not.

But that was my thought before I saw Hongli.

When Songzhi first delivered the reward, she wasn't very attentive, knowing that the Fourth Prince, Hongli, was less favored by the Emperor than the Fifth Prince. So, instead of going to the Fifth Prince's quarters, she casually assigned a junior eunuch to go to Hongli's quarters.

However, after Consort Hua listened to Consort Cao's advice and specially held a small banquet, and saw the two princes at the banquet, everyone in Qingliang Palace unconsciously sided with the Fourth Prince.

On that very day, Emperor Yongzheng came to Qingliang Palace to rest.

During the meal, I picked up a piece of food for Nian Shilan and casually mentioned this matter, saying, "Shilan has quite the heart of a loving mother, and she takes very good care of the two princes."

"After all, she is the Emperor's child. For the sake of the Emperor, Shilan is naturally willing to be a magnanimous and loving mother."

For some reason, after not seeing the Emperor for several days, Nian Shilan was happy to see Hongli again. But suddenly she wasn't so infatuated anymore, she calmed down a bit, and was able to recite Cao Qinmo's words to her.

Unaware that Nian Shilan was acting, Yongzheng was simply intrigued by the sudden change in the usually flamboyant and glamorous Consort Hua's demeanor, and thus overlooked the inappropriateness in her words.

And his attitude became even more gentle, as he asked with a smile, "However, I've heard that Shilan is even more considerate towards the Fourth Prince?"

Nian Shilan was speechless for a moment. Could it be that she was a looks-obsessed person who thought the Fourth Prince was good-looking? Didn't she have any pride?

Cao Qinmo didn't guess the answer correctly either. Not knowing how to answer, Nian Shilan chose to act coquettishly: "Your Majesty—"

Seeing Nian Shilan's shy demeanor, Yongzheng believed Su Peisheng's words even more; Shilan indeed loved him dearly.

"You know that the Fourth Prince resembles me, so you inevitably pay more attention to him because you love him. But you should also be careful not to show too much favoritism and cause gossip."

At this moment, Yongzheng was moved by Consort Hua's sincerity; she was genuinely teaching him.

But Nian Shilan didn't hear a word he said. She was confused as she watched Yongzheng talking so eloquently.

Who? Who does the Fourth Prince resemble? She's love-struck, but she's not blind.

Nian Shilan carefully examined Yongzheng's appearance. For some reason, with Hongli as a comparison, her previous infatuation with the emperor had subsided by three points.

With less obsession, one's speaking ability improves.

"Your Majesty—you know that, if it weren't for my affection for you, I would never have interfered in matters of imperial succession. I'm doing this all for you—"

"Yes, yes, I know. Shilan did it all for me. I won't say anything more."

Yongzheng enjoyed Nian Shilan's coquettishness and said nothing more. Shilan was straightforward and loved him so much, so he let her do whatever she wanted, as she had no ill intentions.

During the meal, Nian Shilan pleased Yongzheng greatly, and the two spent a pleasant evening together. The next day, before leaving, Yongzheng instructed the servants not to disturb Nian Shilan and to let her rest.

So when Nian Shilan sat up, she was met with Songzhi's beaming smile.

"Your Majesty, the Emperor truly cherishes you. Before leaving, he even instructed me not to disturb you—"

In the past, Nian Shilan would have been proud and sweet. But at this moment, she was wearing a red nightgown, sitting on the bed, her expression indifferent.

"Your Majesty, what's wrong?" Songzhi immediately suppressed her smile and looked at Nian Shilan with concern.

Nian Shilan shook her head slightly and murmured softly, "I was just wondering what I saw in the Emperor back then?"

...

In Peach Blossom Valley, the master of balance, Yongzheng, arrived at the Empress's residence the day after visiting Consort Hua, and Yixiu happily received him.

"Your Majesty, Wenyi's first birthday banquet is in two days. It's been a long time since there have been any joyous occasions in the palace. Shall we hold a grand celebration?"

Emperor Yongzheng was in a good mood as he drank the nourishing old duck soup specially made by Yixiu. He quickly agreed to her idea, saying, "You are right. Let's have a big celebration and make it lively."

"Yes." Yixiu replied with a smile, showing the magnanimity and benevolence of the Empress.

Emperor Yongzheng nodded in satisfaction, appreciating Yixiu's thoughtfulness towards him. Although he didn't particularly like Yixiu, he had to admit that she was a magnanimous empress who had relieved him of a great deal of trouble.

Grateful for Yixiu's deep affection, Yongzheng, unlike the usual formality of the two using their own food, unusually served Yixiu some food, saying, "Your Majesty has worked hard, taking care of every imperial heir. You are truly my virtuous wife."

"Thank you, Your Majesty. This is my duty as Empress. I am not tired."

Yixiu was clearly very moved. She picked up the dish that Yongzheng had given her and put it in her mouth, finding it exceptionally delicious.

Previously, his attempts to persuade Consort Hua had failed, but Consort Hua was ultimately a concubine, so the impact was minimal. However, Emperor Yongzheng did not want to betray Empress Yixiu's sincere feelings, so he decided to try to persuade her. After all, she was the Empress, and her words and actions had a significant influence.

"Yixiu, I know you love Hongli a lot because of your affection for him. But you are the Empress after all, so you should be careful about your image to avoid attracting criticism."

Yixiu was even more moved, assuming that Yongzheng's change in attitude towards Hongli was because he recognized that Hongli resembled Honghui. She excitedly said, "Your Majesty, I know. It's just that the Fourth Prince looks so much like him... so much like him..."

As Yixiu spoke, she couldn't help but choke up, "Your Majesty, I have lost my composure."

Unexpectedly, Yixiu revealed such genuine emotion, which deeply moved Yongzheng. He reached out and patted Yixiu's shoulder reassuringly, "I know, I know your feelings for me. Yixiu, you are my Empress. Although Hongli resembles me, you must still be mindful of your boundaries..."

Yixiu froze, a crack appearing in her heart. She looked up at Yongzheng and saw that he truly believed it. Her eyes dimmed, and she forced a smile: "Your Majesty is right, I understand."

Seeing that Yixiu was barely suppressing her feelings for him, Yongzheng sighed and put another piece of food on her plate. "Let's eat. Eat more. I see you look haggard lately."

"Yes, thank you, Your Majesty."

The atmosphere between the couple seemed more gentle than ever before, and Yongzheng's way of expressing his appreciation was to have them stay overnight. That night, Peach Blossom Village unusually called for water, but unfortunately, they were not truly in sync despite sharing the same bed.

Early in the morning, after Yongzheng left, everyone in the hall seemed cheerful. Only Yixiu sat in front of the mirror, her face indifferent.

Jianqiu stood behind her, combing her hair. She was somewhat puzzled by Yixiu's attitude. Wasn't the Empress devoted to the Emperor? Why did she seem unhappy?

"Your Majesty, has something happened?" Jianqiu wondered if someone in the harem had angered Her Majesty again.

Yi Xiu looked up at herself in the mirror, remained silent for a moment, then her expression shifted between laughter and tears, a profound sorrow enveloping her. Jian Qiu, standing behind her, was startled and at a loss for what to do. "Your Majesty, what's wrong?"

A tear slid down her cheek. Yixiu covered her face and whispered her accusation, "How ridiculous, how ridiculous! He'd rather embellish his own image than remember his eldest son. Honghui... my Honghui... his father has forgotten him, forgotten him..."