Clutching her handkerchief tightly, Su Tang remained silent for a long while before finally speaking in a low voice, "Tang'er has no objection, but leaves it to His Majesty and Aunt to decide."

Su Tang actually agreed! This situation was beyond Yu Shan's expectations. Since her niece did not refuse, she had no reason to stop it and could only let Hongli bestow the marriage upon her.

The arranged marriage went smoothly, and Yongying finally got what he wanted. However, he discovered that Su Tang still ignored him. Unwilling to endure the torment any longer, Yongying went directly to ask her.

"We're engaged, why are you still so cold to me?"

The thought of them saying Yongying liked to chat with girls made Su Tang feel hopeless about her future. A man like that wouldn't be faithful after marriage, Su Tang had no hope for this marriage and naturally couldn't be happy. She casually asked,

"Then how should I treat you?"

"At least you should smile!"

However, Su Tang was in a bad mood and couldn't even be bothered to force a smile. "I can't smile."

Seeing her sorrowful expression, Yongying couldn't help but ask curiously, "Why? Are you unhappy? Have you encountered some problem? You can tell me, and I'll help you solve it."

Su Tang was filled with bitterness, yet had nowhere to confide in. She dared not even tell the princess or Yan Zhi. She feared that if the princess found out, she would tell the Imperial Noble Consort, which might cause a conflict between the Imperial Noble Consort and the Emperor. Therefore, she could only hide her feelings. However, Yong Ying kept pressing her for answers. In a fit of anger, Su Tang turned around and glared at him, sneering:

"My problem is caused by you. Are you going to solve your own problem?"

Her eyes were blazing with anger, and she seemed genuinely furious. Yongying was puzzled. "What do you mean by that? How did I make you angry?"

She was already feeling wronged, and he asked a question she already knew the answer to, which made Su Tang's eyes redden and tears fall down her cheeks. "You take advantage of being the emperor's nephew and have the emperor arrange a marriage for you, and you expect me to smile and accept it? Don't you think you're being unreasonable?"

When she cried, he panicked. However, the accusation came out of nowhere and was completely different from Yongying's understanding. "Father said that the Imperial Noble Consort asked for your opinion and you nodded. How can you say that I forced you?"

"That's because the Emperor gave the order beforehand, requiring me to nod in front of my aunt. This was not my intention at all!"

Yongying thought that Su Tang's agreement meant she was interested in him, but little did she know that the truth behind it was like this!

Su Tang's accusations and disgust wounded his pride. Confused, Yong Ying immediately went to his father to find out what was going on. "Father, Su Tang doesn't agree to this marriage. How can you force her?"

After taking a sip of tea, Hongzhou slowly turned his head and said unhurriedly, "So what do you mean? The Emperor just bestowed this marriage upon you, are you perhaps planning to annul it?"

The current situation has developed beyond Yongying's expectations. When he thinks of Su Tang crying so sadly, he feels sorry for her. "But she doesn't like me. The Emperor's forced marriage will only make her hate me more."

However, Hongzhou thought it was no big deal. "You don't know each other yet, so it's normal that she doesn't like you. Once you get married, you can find a way to make her like you."

Patting his son on the shoulder, Hongzhou encouraged him, "As my son, you should be more confident and not easily compromise or back down in front of women! If you can't even win a girl's heart, what great things can the Emperor and I expect you to do?"

Hongzhou meant that since the Emperor had already bestowed the marriage, the matter was now set in stone and could not be changed.

If the engagement is broken off again, it will only cause trouble for the Emperor and make him lose face. It will also cause conflict between the Imperial Concubine and the Emperor. It would be better to accept the marriage and treat Su Tang better in the future. He expects Su Tang to change her mind.

His father wouldn't allow him to break off the engagement, and Yongying was also reluctant to give up. So he thought he should wait until they got married, and maybe Sutang would change her opinion of him.

Thinking this way, Yongying felt a little better. Even though Su Tang didn't pay much attention to him, he still treated her very well and often talked to her. Even if he was met with a cold shoulder, he didn't mind and was happy to accept it.

Throughout the entire ordeal, Su Tang never revealed her true feelings to her aunt. Su Yushan assumed that Su Tang liked Yong Ying and only hoped that Yong Ying would cherish Su Tang and not let the good girl down.

On the eighth day of the tenth month, it was the wedding day of the eldest prince, Yonghuang. Since the eldest prince had not yet been granted a separate residence, the wedding ceremony was held in the palace. Hongli's idea was that the couple would continue to live in the palace after their marriage. Their residence outside the palace was under construction, and they would move out of the palace to live after the residence was completed.

Yonghuang and Irali had only met once and had no feelings for each other. However, Yonghuang understood his responsibilities. As a man, he should treat his wife well and not let her suffer any grievances.

Her eldest son was already married, and Yu Shan was pregnant with another child. This situation seemed strange to her, but it was quite normal in the eyes of the ancients.

On the second day after their wedding, the newlyweds came to serve tea to their parents-in-law. Yu Shan, who was only thirty-four years old, had already become a mother-in-law. Yu Shan was filled with emotion at this sight.

Summer lotus and winter snow come and go year after year, making it difficult to perceive the passage of time. However, the changes in the children make her realize that time flows much faster than she imagined.

At this age, she has no grand ambitions, only hoping that her son and daughter-in-law can get along harmoniously. As the mother-in-law, she must remember past mistakes, keep her distance, and try not to meddle in her son's affairs so as not to make them feel suffocated.

At the end of November, the first snow of winter fell gently. Su Yushan longed to go out into the courtyard to feel the auspicious snow, but unfortunately, her due date was approaching. Even though she was wearing flat embroidered shoes, the palace servants dared not let their mistress go outside, for fear that she might accidentally fall. They would not be able to bear the blame even if they had ten heads!

Su Yushan didn't want to cause trouble for others, so she stayed quietly in the house and asked someone to open the window so she could stand in front of it and watch the snowflakes falling on the dark white sky.

Just as she was peacefully enjoying the snow, she suddenly felt a stomachache. Chang Yue quickly helped her to sit down and rest by the bed, but she was restless.

The familiar cramping pain made her realize that she might be about to give birth!

Yunfang immediately went to invite several midwives over, and at the same time ordered someone to report to the Emperor at the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

At that time, Hongli was discussing the newly compiled "General Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners" with the Grand Councilors. Upon hearing that the Imperial Noble Consort was about to give birth, Hongli became very nervous. He immediately closed the book, ordered the ministers to leave, and said that they would discuss it another day.

Afterwards, Hongli went to Jingren Palace to accompany Yushan.

Because it was her fifth pregnancy and the baby was in the correct position, Yu Shan didn't suffer for too long; the baby was born around noon!

The midwife glanced at it and happily reported, "Congratulations, Your Majesty, Her Majesty! The Empress has given birth to a little princess!"

It's a daughter! It really is a daughter! Upon hearing this, Yu Shan was overjoyed. Her greatest wish was for a daughter, and thankfully, it had come true!

Since he already had so many sons, Hongli didn't really expect any more sons. He hoped to have another well-behaved daughter to stay by Yushan's side.

The midwife carefully placed the little princess into the new quilt, and then, as usual, carefully examined the child to see if she was healthy.

Just as she was examining the child, the midwife's smile froze, and she secretly thought, "This is bad! There seems to be something wrong with this child!"