"Your Majesty, please take your medicine."

"You Ran, do you think I'm unworthy to be their Emperor Father?"

"What nonsense is Your Majesty talking about? You have devoted yourself to the children and are the best father."

"Why does Heaven take them away from me one by one? Is it because I have killed too many people, and it is punishing me?"

Geng Youran blew on the medicine and held it to Yinzhen's lips:

"Your Majesty, please don't overthink things. Take care of your health. Everyone has their own destiny, and perhaps this is all the children are destined to live."

"Fate? Ha."

From then on, Yinzhen gradually became obsessed with alchemy, and even occasionally took some so-called longevity pills.

In the sixth year of the Yongzheng Emperor's reign, Yinzhen became increasingly obsessed with Taoism.

"Did His Majesty summon Consort Ning again today?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Geng Youran frowned. This Consort Ning always knew how to say nice things, and recently Yinzhen had been taking pills more often.

"Go, send someone to tell Hongzhou to come to the palace when he has time."

"……yes."

"Wait a minute. Qianxue, are you hiding something from me? You just came in, is there something you want to tell me?"

"this……"

Qianxue didn't know how to start the conversation.

"Your Highness, please don't be angry if I tell you."

"That depends on what it is. Tell me."

"Your Majesty, the Fifth Prince held a makeshift funeral for himself at home. He sat in the middle of the courtyard and had his family members pay their respects. When the Emperor found out about this, he was furious and ordered the prince to stay at home and reflect on his actions."

...

Geng Youran was speechless. She hadn't expected that all her previous earnest advice would still fail to change the child's mind.

"This child is truly a worry for me. Let's go to the Hall of Mental Cultivation!"

"Your Highness, are you going now? Consort Ning is probably here too."

"If we don't go now, my son will surely suffocate."

Ignoring Qianxue's objections, Geng Youran went directly to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

And just as Qianxue said, Consort Ning was indeed still there at this moment.

"Your Majesty, you should go back. His Majesty said he will visit you when he has time."

Geng Youran immediately knelt down:

"Please go in and inform them that I will kneel here because I have failed to raise my son properly and am willing to accept punishment."

Gao Wuyong shook his head helplessly and stepped forward to advise in a low voice:

"Your Majesty, why make things so difficult for yourself? His Majesty said that as long as the Fifth Prince admits his mistake and corrects it, everything will be fine. You should go back and not hold a grudge against His Majesty."

But when Geng Youran gets angry, nothing can sway her.

Seeing that his advice was ignored, Gao Wuyong had no choice but to go in and announce the news.

"Since she likes to kneel, then let her kneel!"

Provoked by Geng Youran's words, Yinzhen became even angrier and simply ignored her.

And so, Geng Youran remained kneeling in a daze until nightfall.

When Consort Ning left, the way she looked at Geng Youran was as if she were watching a joke.

Is Consort Yu still outside?

"Your Majesty, the Empress is still kneeling at the door."

Yinzhen sighed:

"Come, accompany me out for a look."

He had just reached the door when he saw Geng Youran, swaying unsteadily, fall to the ground with a thud.

"Someone, quickly summon the imperial physician!"

Yinzhen quickly stepped forward and carried Geng Youran into the bedroom of the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

"how's it going?"

"Your Majesty, Consort Yu suffered a sudden attack of anger and a cold, which weakened her. She will recover after taking a few doses of medicine."

"And what about her knees?"

"Your Majesty, I have examined them. Both knees are somewhat red and swollen, and they need acupuncture for a period of time. Otherwise, I'm afraid they will suffer in the future."

"Then you'd better treat me properly. If you can't cure me, I'll take your life."

"Your humble servant obeys the decree."

After Qianxue and Gao Wuyong left with the imperial physician, Geng Youran opened her eyes:

"It's not good for Your Majesty to keep using human lives to scare people like this."

"How dare you say that? Whom am I doing this for?"

"Your Majesty, are you still angry with me?"

"snort."

Geng Youran was also angry, but for that brat's sake, she had no choice but to humble herself:

“Your Majesty, it is true that Hongzhou is acting recklessly, but there is a reason for it. As you know, the ministers in the court have always liked to take sides. As long as you do not announce the crown prince, these ministers will not behave themselves. Hongzhou is doing this simply to make those ministers who are trying to sow discord give up.”

"But have you ever thought about how he's disgracing the royal family? He's almost completely humiliated me."

"Your Majesty, I will criticize him. Please don't be angry, just let him out."

Yinzhen sighed:

"You..."

The next day, Yinzhen lifted Hongzhou's confinement, but still suspended him from all his duties.

A few days later, Hongzhou, who had finally recovered his spirits, went to the palace to visit the sick Geng Youran.

"Your son greets his mother."

"go out."

"Mother?"

"I don't want to see you right now, get out!"

That being said, Geng Youran knew her son wouldn't go out.

Hongzhou knelt down before Geng Youran not far from the bedside.

"Your son has caused Mother worry; I know I was wrong."

"To know one's mistakes but not to correct them is no different from not knowing them at all."

Hongzhou was at a loss for words.

"Your mother has repeatedly told you to follow your father and your fourth brother and learn from them. Your mother doesn't expect you to become a great talent, but at the very least you can't cause trouble for the court."

"My son didn't cause any trouble."

"How dare you talk back! Cough cough."

At this moment, Consort Xi, Wanru, and Emperor Hongli also arrived.

"elder sister."

"Wanru, you've arrived."

“Hongli is off duty today. I heard you were sick, so I brought him here to see you.”

"Oh, it's nothing serious. I'm getting old and useless. I just knelt on the ground for most of the day, and my body couldn't take it anymore."

Hongzhou, listening below, broke out in a cold sweat.

"Sister, I specially had someone find a prescription outside the palace. Boil these medicines, crush them, and apply them to your knees. It can improve blood circulation and relieve pain. It works very well."

"Thank you, sister."

Consort Xi, Wanru, gave Hongli a wink, and Hongli then walked up to Hongzhou and led him out.

"Sister, you must be very angry about Hongzhou's matter this time."

"Yes. I never expected him to do something so outrageous one day."

“Actually, when I heard about it from Hongli, I wanted to come and see you immediately. But Hongli said that he was afraid our arrival would only add fuel to the fire, so we came now.”

"Sigh, this child is really giving me a lot of trouble."

Geng Youran felt as if she had lost several years of her lifespan due to anger.

Outside, Hongli and Hongzhou were also discussing this matter.

"Fifth brother, what's wrong with you? Why did you suddenly decide to do something so absurd? Look how angry you've made Consort Yu."

"Fourth brother, your younger brother is tired."