It wasn't that Hongli changed his mind; it was just that Yushan was deceiving herself and unwilling to admit it. Hongli reminded her again:

"Rong Yu and Le Zhu'er's marriage is a done deal, it's just a matter of time."

Hongli's attitude seemed unusually cold and hard today, quite different from usual. Yushan couldn't understand why he had changed so quickly.

“You didn’t say that before. You said you would observe his character before making a decision.”

“I’ve been observing him for two or three months now, and I think there’s nothing wrong with Lejur. Didn’t he eat wasabi for Rong Yu before? That shows he’s very protective of Rong Yu.”

“I am grateful to him for helping Rong Yu out of that predicament, but that doesn’t mean I have to marry my daughter to him. You can’t tell anything in two or three months; this can’t be rushed.”

Hongli stared intently at her, and instead of answering, asked, "Then how long do you think we should observe?"

Su Yushan pondered for a moment and said, "At least wait until Rong Yu grows up and is fifteen or sixteen before discussing marriage."

Hongli chuckled and said, "Daughters of the royal family should get married at fourteen. By fifteen or sixteen, they're considered old maids. It's impossible to wait that long."

Fourteen-year-old Rong Yu was still a child. What did she know? Was she about to get married?

The thought of her daughter's future gave Su Yushan a headache, and she had no choice but to settle for second best.

"Even if we don't wait until we're sixteen, we should at least wait until we're twelve, right?"

"So what if she's twelve? If she still says she doesn't want to, do you think I'll grant her wish and prevent her from getting married?"

There were some things Hongli didn't want to say, not wanting Yushan to worry. But if he kept avoiding the topic, Yushan would develop unwarranted hopes, and when that day came, she would likely find it even harder to accept. Therefore, he decided to lay everything out in the open.

“Even if it’s not Lejur, it will be another Mongol prince. Whether it’s three months or three years, the result is the same.”

Hearing this tone, Su Yushan understood immediately. "So what you said about observing for a period of time was just to coax me?"

Her eyes clearly dimmed, and Hongli knew she was hurting. However, this time, he truly couldn't let her have her way.

"Yushan, the princess's marriage to a foreign ruler is her destiny; she cannot escape it. I hope you can understand my difficulties. I will do my best to fulfill your wishes, but I simply cannot do everything to your liking, because I am not only your man, but also the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty!"

The Manchu-Mongol alliance was inevitable. I only love you and have only this one daughter with you, so it was destined that Rong Yu could only go to marry a foreign ruler!

Unless I have more daughters with other women, and those daughters marry into other families, is that a situation you'd want to see?

Yes! Hongli chose to be loyal to her and refused to ask the Empress for a legitimate daughter, which meant that they could only send their only daughter to a political marriage.

She was well aware of Hongli's difficulties, yet she still hoped for a miracle.

"As a royal consort, I understand you, but as a mother, I secretly hope that my daughter won't be too restricted."

She didn't dislike Lejur initially, but your sudden engagement to him has made her feel repelled and even prejudiced against him.

Hongli only had one daughter, whom he cherished dearly. He was always kind and lenient towards her, unlike his strictness towards his other sons. However, marriage was a different matter, and Hongli did not want to force her unless absolutely necessary.

"It doesn't matter what her attitude is towards Lejur. Whether she likes him or not, she has to marry him. She has no choice."

"Get her engaged early so she can settle down sooner. If you wait until she really falls for someone else and then try to get engaged, she'll find it even harder to accept."

Knowing that Hongli was subtly hinting at something, Su Yushan couldn't help but say something.

“Actually, Mingyi is also a good choice. He comes from the Fucha family and is the Empress’s nephew. In terms of family background and status, he is worthy of Rongyu. Moreover, he is Yonghuang’s study companion and his character is also acceptable.”

“Mingyi is a good boy, but there’s no way he and Rongyu can be together! Rongyu has to marry into Mongolia, and there’s no going back on that, do you understand?”

He looked at her seriously, his gaze unwavering, unlike his usual gentle demeanor.

With a deep sigh, Su Yushan lowered her eyes and whispered, "I understand..."

Because she understood the so-called palace rules and Hongli's predicament, Yushan was particularly conflicted. She knew she shouldn't blame Hongli, but she felt extremely guilty towards her daughter.

Which woman doesn't yearn for mutual love? Su Yushan knows the importance of love in marriage, yet she still has to sacrifice her daughter's happiness. This is undoubtedly cruel to her and unfair to Rong Yu.

But what can you do when Rong Yu is the only princess in the royal family?

Rong Yu's special status prevents her from making free choices. Su Yushan can understand Hongli's suffering, but what about Rong Yu? Will she forgive her father, the Emperor?

Lost in thought, Su Yushan remained silent for a long time. She could no longer distinguish between right and wrong, and she didn't know how to explain it to her daughter.

After a long silence from her, Hongli felt increasingly guilty, realizing he had disappointed her.

"Yushan, I promise you, if this child is a daughter, I will definitely not let her go to a political marriage. You can decide the marriage of our second daughter, okay?"

It's still uncertain whether this baby will be a boy or a girl. Whether it's a prince or a princess, they can't just choose their own partner, right?

Hongli was probably just trying to comfort her; she no longer dared to believe his words about the children's marriages.

"The child isn't even born yet! It's too early to talk about marriage. Why bring up things ten years from now? Life is full of changes, there's no need to think too far ahead."

Yu Shan stopped arguing with him. She seemed to have given in, but Hong Li could tell that she was very depressed. She remained silent for a long time, her eyes so dark that it pained him.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!