Chapter 218 Immersive

Seeing that the Empress seemed somewhat absent-minded, Yinzhen simply assumed that she had been too preoccupied with his illness these past few days and was inevitably distracted when she relaxed.

He bent his finger and gently tapped her forehead—"What are you thinking about? You can get distracted even when we're talking about our daughter. What kind of mother are you?"

This startled Lü Jiaying, who quickly came to her senses. She touched her forehead to cover her embarrassment and chuckled twice, "I was thinking of our Shu'er. She was just a tiny little bundle in my arms a moment ago, and now it's time to discuss marriage."

Her words inadvertently revealed bitterness and reluctance, which Yinzhen took as her reluctance to part with her only daughter.

In truth, he was reluctant to part with her. If it weren't for this turn of events, he would have wanted to keep Hongjin by his side for another two years. After all, as a princess of the royal family, being older meant no one would dare say anything, but...

To put it bluntly, if something unfortunate were to happen, Hongjin would have to observe mourning for three years. He's almost sixteen this year, and he really can't bear to wait another three years.

He realized that he and the Empress had the same idea, and he put his arm around her shoulder and let out a long sigh of relief. "I know you can't bear to part with our Shu'er, and neither can I. So I plan to build the Princess's residence in the capital, preferably right next to us. I'll have someone bring the map later, and then I'll send it to the Imperial Observatory so we can choose a location together."

Um?

Lu Jiaying looked stunned and repeated uncertainly, "The princess's residence can be built right next to us?"

Yinzhen gave her a reassuring look, snuggled against the soft pillow, and nodded gently—"Of course, Amur also grew up in the Forbidden City. I deliberately didn't bestow a princely mansion upon him back then, precisely for today."

“Amur…” Lü Jiaying blinked in confusion. Who else could Amur, who had grown up in the Forbidden City since childhood, be but someone by Hongzhao’s side?

That means...

Before she could finish thinking, Yinzhen spoke first: "Hongjin is the daughter I have raised with my own hands. Naturally, I will not let her go far away at any time. Amur has received my and your teachings, and has been by Hongzhao's side for many years. She knows him well and is of noble blood from the northern desert and the Aisin Gioro clan. She is the most suitable person for this job."

"Yes, yes, it couldn't be more perfect."

Lu Jiaying's tone gradually hardened. She smiled and leaned closer, secretly stuffing the medicine box in her sleeve even more. Such a treasonous thing should be burned.

Yinzhen was unaware of her ulterior motives, and she was too preoccupied with them to care. Once he decided to bestow a favor upon someone, he was completely absorbed and couldn't easily stop.

Having come up with this idea, Yinzhen thought it best to get married as soon as possible.

"The time is a bit short, but I will make sure that Shu'er has everything she needs. Empress, please keep a close eye on things as well. I know you are a meticulous person."

Lü Jiaying nodded obediently – “Your Majesty, please rest assured.”

Yinzhen still felt it wasn't enough. Talking about this matter even made his physical pain feel better. His eyes were wider than before, and he unconsciously tapped the brocade quilt with his hands, silently calculating.

“Princesses are usually given titles when they get married, but our Hongjin already has the title of Princess Gulun Jinghua…” He said as he thought, and he and Lü Jiayingfeng put their heads together, just like an ordinary couple in the common people, counting their daughter’s dowry on their fingers.

“Our Shu’er is naturally not inferior to others. Since she has a title, we will make up for it in other ways. Our daughter was named by the Emperor and will be in the same generation as the princes, with the character ‘Hong’. Since the title of Princess Gulun is equivalent to that of a Prince, Hong Jin’s annual salary will be the same as that of a Prince.”

It should be noted that although the title of Princess Gulun is the same as that of a Prince, the annual salary is more than ten times higher. Now, this is a real benefit that Lü Jiaying has received, so naturally, she has no reason to disagree.

"Your Majesty, you have always been so thoughtful. As your mother, I am truly ashamed of my own inadequacy." She held a handkerchief and wiped the cold sweat from the Emperor's forehead, her tone still as flattering as ever, without any ulterior motive. This was exactly the kind of person Yinzhen liked.

“You are not being inconsiderate. I understand. There are some things you are hesitant to say, so I will say them myself. Hongjin is my eldest daughter, and she and Hongzhao are twins. Neither I nor Hongzhao will treat her unfairly.”

With the matter of Hong Jin essentially settled, Yinzhen glanced at the sky outside. He had been in a deep sleep for several days, but his spirits were still quite good. After talking for a while without any intention of resting, he changed the subject to another matter.

"I wonder how the repairs at Yuqing Palace are going."

His seemingly casual question, however, carried a deeper meaning in Lü Jiaying's ears.

True to her nature of speaking her mind most of the time, she asked directly, "Is Your Majesty considering arranging Hongzhao's marriage at the same time?"

After all, judging from the way Yuqing Palace has been built over the years, the Emperor had never thought of letting Hongzhao move out before. The fact that he brought it up today, along with the matter of Hongjin just now, makes his intentions quite obvious.

"Hmm." Yinzhen pursed his slightly dry lips, and he became even more concerned about this matter. "Our Hongzhao is naturally excellent in every way, but the woman must not only be a good match for Hongzhao, but also have a good character so that she can sit securely in the future. Do you have a good candidate for Empress? Tell me so that I can hear it too."

Lu Jiaying rolled her eyes inwardly. She really hadn't noticed when the Emperor had chosen a consort for Hongjin, which led to the misunderstanding earlier. But she was absolutely certain that Hongzhao would become the Crown Princess.

Seeing that the Emperor still couldn't shake his old habits, and that he was always trying to test her as soon as he opened his eyes, she curled her lips and said, "Your Majesty is asking a question you already know the answer to."