The Empress Dowager was not to be outdone and continued to elaborate on her point of view in an attempt to save face, saying, "You can't say that, Emperor. You are the ruler of the entire Qing Dynasty, and you should set an example in the face of palace rules."
Yonghu is in good health, but his lineage and bloodline need to be considered.
Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, and many court officials and members of the imperial family have attended. His Majesty cannot ignore them.
emperor:……
The Emperor laughed out loud, his hearty laughter piercing through his ears and into his mind. "Hahahaha, Your Majesty is joking. How could your son not consider them? It is precisely because of this consideration that Yonghu came with his son and the Empress this time."
"Don't worry, Your Majesty, I know what I'm doing. Nothing will happen."
Empress Dowager: ...
The Empress Dowager sighed, feigning helplessness, "It is I who worry, Your Majesty."
"Father, your son is hungry and wants to eat," Yonghu said, rubbing his round little belly and looking longingly at Hongli.
Yonghu wanted to ask how long his father and grandmother would talk, but looking at his grandmother's cold face, he didn't dare to speak, no matter how fierce he was.
Helpless, Yonghu could only turn his attention to his biological father, Hongli.
Since it was Hongli who created this situation, he couldn't possibly argue with a child who was only six years old.
Hongli lowered his head and met Yonghu's watery eyes.
Well
Feeling both guilty and embarrassed, Hongli immediately lost his desire to engage in witty banter with the Empress Dowager and turned to pick up his chopsticks to serve food to Yonghu.
That's right, Hongli refused Wu Shulai's service and chose to serve Yonghu personally.
Empress Dowager: ...
Seeing Hongli's undisguised favor and importance towards Yonghu, the Empress Dowager felt a surge of nameless anger.
It should be noted that Hongli's newborn son and daughter were still struggling to survive in the palace, yet this man not only showed no concern for them, but instead devoted all his energy to his other children.
Why should they? Is it because the Niohuru clan isn't standing high enough?
Stripped of any negligible blood ties, the Empress Dowager found Yonghu utterly repulsive.
This child usually acts bold and careless; could he be doing this on purpose?
Just like his mother, Consort Shu, who stood proudly in the harem as a member of the Han army, it's clear she's not a simple-minded person. How despicable! They've all been played for a fool.
Her fingers clenched unconsciously as the Empress Dowager watched the interaction between Hongli and his son Yonghu with a displeased expression.
Fortunately, Yonghu was truly carefree and could ignore external factors when it came to food, otherwise, someone with more cunning and scheming would have been terrified by the Empress Dowager's actions.
However, Yonghu being targeted also served as a reminder to the Empress, who was observing coldly from the sidelines.
Even if Lian Yonghu couldn't lower the Empress Dowager's guard, wouldn't the news of her pregnancy mean she would have to be wary of the Empress Dowager's faction?
The Empress sighed inwardly, thinking that the Empress Dowager was not scary, but Niohuru, who was behind the Empress Dowager, was scary.
Fortunately, the matter at Jingren Palace was handled well, and the Empress Dowager did not find any substantial evidence. Otherwise, she might have been stuck in her position as Empress for the rest of her life.
However, if this child is not a prince, she will not be able to keep her position as empress.
Rather than following the example of the late emperor and empress, who sent their non-biological son to the throne, she would rather live her own life and do nothing.
Fucha Jinyi would definitely not want to raise someone else's son.
So if this doesn't work out, she can just drink more herbal medicine and try to get pregnant again.
Fucha Jin Yi made a terrifying decision for herself, and this decision ultimately led to her suffering the consequences.
But those are things for later. For now, Fucha Jinyi's future is bright, and at least hope remains.
...
At the head of the table, Yonghu was enjoying his meal, while the other three were each preoccupied with their own thoughts.
Sitting at the lower end of the table, Chen Yuwei kept a close eye on the situation and asked questions, worried that her eldest son might suffer a loss.
The system got annoyed by Chen Yuwei's nagging and finally just projected the image onto a small screen for her to observe.
"System, you're as sensible as ever," Chen Yuwei praised, pretending to drink a bowl of soup.
Believe it or not, even though Chen Yuwei couldn't hear what the people were saying, she could still deduce some of the situation from the changes in their facial expressions by observing through the small screen.
Tsk, judging from the situation, things aren't going well on the Empress Dowager's side.
Her eldest son, on the other hand, kept his head down and ate, not caring about anything else, which made him stand out quite a bit.
As the dance performances came to an end, the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet was already halfway over.
The crowd below, who had already drunk their fill, began to flatter Hongli under the guise of offering toasts.
The most talked-about topic was naturally the country and its people. Under Emperor Qianlong's rule, the Qing Dynasty had been thriving in recent years, which was undoubtedly a sign of a strong nation.
Hongli was also very proud of this, thinking to himself that he hadn't even put in much effort yet, and the Qing Dynasty had already made great strides. What would it have been like if he had focused all his energy on politics?
Ugh, I can't even think about it!
What none of the previous emperors could achieve, he can accomplish quickly. At that time, everyone will say that he has the qualities of a wise ruler.
Completely captivated by the grand promises he had made, Hongli looked at the crowd of people offering auspicious words with an increasingly amiable expression.
It wasn't until the Empress reached out and tugged at Hongli's sleeve, signaling him to turn around, that things changed.
Hongli: Hmm?
Empress: ...
The Empress, feigning composure, picked up a wine cup from the side and showered Hongli with compliments.
Then, the Queen shyly touched the wine glass to her lips but did not drink it.
"Your Majesty, I am unwell and cannot drink alcohol. Please forgive me."
What should have been a joyous scene between the Emperor and Empress was instead turned into a distraction by the Empress's two remarks.
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