Chapter 23 Mother and Son's Relationship

The Empress, Consort Hua, and Consort Duan were vying for power, but the ultimate winner turned out to be the previously unknown Consort Jing—no, she's now Consort Jing.

The news shocked everyone in the harem.

In Qingliang Palace, Consort Hua had already smashed most of the things, and no amount of persuasion could calm her down. Songzhi hurriedly summoned Cao Qinmo. This only made Consort Hua angrier.

"Useless thing!"

Consort Hua picked up the ancient book that was originally intended to be given to Hongli from the table and smashed it on Cao Qinmo's head, knocking Cao Qinmo's headdress askew and making her look extremely disheveled.

"It must be because you acted carelessly, causing the Emperor to become suspicious, which is why Feng Ruozhao got away with it."

"Your Majesty, please forgive me..."

Before Cao Qinmo could think of a way to defend herself, Nian Shilan interrupted her directly, looking at her coldly: "No need to argue. Since I cannot raise the Fourth Prince, then bring Wenyi here."

"Your Majesty!"

Cao Qinmo looked up in shock. Nian Shilan sat upright in her chair, her words leaving no room for refusal: "No need to say more. How could I, a concubine in charge of palace power, not take good care of a little princess?"

Compared to Consort Hua's exasperation, Yixiu, though disappointed, was still in a relatively good mood because she had expected it.

"Your Majesty..."

Jianqiu looked at her with considerable worry, while Yixiu still seemed to be in the mood to prune the flowers. "I'm fine. I already knew this, didn't I? Besides..."

Considering Feng Ruozhao's personality, Yixiu felt it wasn't a bad thing. "Let's just consider him another visible shield. It's good for both the Fourth Prince and me."

After receiving the news, Consort Duan indeed fell ill.

She had always believed that with the Emperor's guilt towards her, she would surely get what she wanted. However, it wasn't until she discovered that the Emperor would rather promote Consort Jing to the rank of Imperial Concubine to raise the Fourth Prince than choose her that Consort Duan realized how shallow her guilt truly was.

Her hatred for Nian Shilan and her conviction that the Emperor felt affection and guilt towards her were the beliefs that allowed her to continue living such a grotesque life.

Once her beliefs were shattered, Consort Duan truly could not persevere and fell seriously ill.

“I should have realized it sooner… From the moment I picked up that bowl of medicine, I also became a stain that the Emperor could not speak of, and did not want to see…”

...

Regardless of what others thought, Feng Ruozhao, still reeling from the shock of receiving the imperial decree, being promoted, and having an adopted son, received news that the Fourth Prince, Hongli, would be visiting. She was immediately flustered yet overjoyed, directing the servants in the palace to make preparations.

"Hongli greets Consort Jing."

"Get up, get up quickly."

Seeing Hongli bow to him, Feng Ruozhao hurriedly and excitedly helped him up, carefully examining her new son. He had a handsome face and an otherworldly air; no wonder he was so popular.

"I...I didn't know what you liked to eat, so I asked them to prepare a little extra. Take a look, is there anything you like?"

Feng Ruozhao gently led Hongli to the dining table, where a large table of exquisite dishes had already been prepared.

"Thank you for your trouble, Your Highness. Hongli is not picky about food and likes everything."

Hongli smiled gently at Feng Ruozhao, which softened her heart and made her even happier. She pulled him to sit down, saying, "I'm glad you like it. You're tired from studying all day, so please use more."

"Thank you, Your Highness. Please have a seat."

The two sat down to eat together. Feng Ruozhao tentatively put a piece of food on Hongli's plate. Seeing that Hongli accepted it naturally without any change in expression, she breathed a sigh of relief and felt even more joy. She then began to keep putting food on Hongli's plate.

"This stewed Yunnan ham is quite delicious, you should try it..."

"This is Ziyun Ginseng Duck Soup. It clears heat, improves eyesight, and greatly replenishes vital energy. It's perfect for someone your age. Have a bowl..."

"The roasted mutton is tender and juicy, full of flavor. Try it and see if you like it..."

Seeing Hongli obediently eat the food she picked out for him, Feng Ruozhao gradually found the joy in feeding him and became even more proactive, piling Hongli's bowl full.

Hongli was both amused and exasperated. He gave Feng Ruozhao a rather affectionate smile, tinged with emotion, and said, "Your Highness, don't just put food on my plate, you should eat some too."

"I don't know what Your Majesty's tastes like, but this crystal water chestnut cake looks delicious and looks perfect. Why don't you try it?"

Hongli carefully picked up a piece of crystal-clear water chestnut cake and placed it in Feng Ruozhao's bowl, looking at her with anticipation.

Feng Ruozhao's heart melted completely. She picked up a piece of water chestnut cake, put it in her mouth, and nodded repeatedly. "Delicious! The water chestnut cake that Hongli picked up is especially delicious."

It was the first time Feng Ruozhao had felt cared for by a child, and she couldn't help but tear up.

"Your Majesty..." Upon seeing this, Hongli appeared quite worried and at a loss.

"It's nothing, it's nothing," Feng Ruozhao quickly waved her hand to explain, "I'm just... I'm just too happy..."

Upon hearing this, Hongli was even more moved, like a small animal that had found its family, cautiously reaching out a tentative foot, "Is Your Majesty happy for me? Is Your Majesty happy to have a son like me?"

As if sensing the unease in Hongli's words, Feng Ruozhao looked at him earnestly: "Of course, Your Highness is very happy to have the Fourth Prince as a son."

Hongli smiled brightly. "That's good. Father's decree came suddenly. Although I wanted a foster mother, I was worried that Consort Jing wouldn't like it. I was thinking that if Consort Jing was unhappy, I would try to persuade Father to withdraw the decree."

"Now that I see Your Majesty is happy, I am also happy." A hint of embarrassment and a hidden longing appeared on Hongli's face. "Then, Your Majesty, may I call you Mother?"

After hearing Hongli's words, Feng Ruozhao understood everything. It turned out that Hongli's initial politeness was just a test of her feelings. Seeing how understanding he was, Feng Ruozhao was deeply moved and felt a pang of heartache.

If her previous affection for Hongli stemmed from a long-held obsession with having a child, then at this moment, Feng Ruozhao's ideal child became tangible—Hongli. She felt that besides Hongli, there was no room for any other child in her eyes.

"Of course, Mother likes Hongli, and naturally hopes that Hongli likes Mother."

"Mother." Hongli called out happily, his whole body radiating joy. His already stunningly handsome face became even more vivid, and he made no attempt to hide his closeness and affection for Feng Ruozhao.

"Why."

“Mother, my nickname is Yuanshou, you can call me Yuanshou.”

Looking at Hongli, who was beginning to open his heart to her, Feng Ruozhao smiled even more kindly and gently, her eyes filled with undisguised affection for Hongli: "Good, my good Yuanshou."

"Mother, I especially love this stewed Yunnan ham. Can we have it again tomorrow?"

"Of course, Mother prepares it for Yuanshou every day."

"Thank you, Mother."