Chapter 22 Foster Mother
Leaving aside how much effort Zhen Huan put in to make Shen Meizhuang's life better, Yongzheng's mood had been very bad ever since the night he went to Xian Yue Pavilion. On the one hand, he was dissatisfied with Consort Hua and others using the imperial heir as a tool to scheme against people, and on the other hand, he was unhappy because it involved Hongli.
The day after the false pregnancy, while Hongli was studying, Yongzheng secretly ordered someone to bring in Hongli's attendants to inquire about the purse.
After listening to their stories, Yongzheng admired Hongli's kindness but also felt that he was somewhat "womanly." However, upon further reflection, he realized that Hongli's birth mother had died early and he had no adoptive mother to manage these affairs of the inner palace, which inevitably limited him in many ways. Yongzheng couldn't help but feel sorry for him, and his desire to find him an adoptive mother grew stronger.
On this day, Prince Guo, Yunli, was summoned by Emperor Yongzheng to play chess again.
The game of chess was in full swing when Emperor Yongzheng, holding a white jade chess piece, suddenly sighed, threw the piece into the chess basket, and lost interest in continuing.
"Brother, what's wrong?"
Yunli looked at him with concern, "Is there something troubling you? Although I don't have much talent, I can still be a good listener."
Yongzheng smiled faintly, then sighed, "I want to find a foster mother for Hongli, but it's not easy to decide on a candidate. Seventeenth, do you have any suggestions?"
Yunli's eyes flashed, and he pretended to be troubled, saying, "I don't know the sisters-in-law in the harem very well... What about the Empress? She is kind and loving, would she be suitable to raise the Fourth Prince?"
Yongzheng shook his head, naturally not saying that he was wary of Ulanara. But the reason he gave was also reasonable: "The Empress is indeed kind, but as the legal mother, she should be more cautious in raising her children."
“Your Majesty is right,” Yunli nodded in sudden realization, then said as if racking his brains, “Then… what about Consort Hua? Consort Hua looks elegant and generous, and I heard from the palace servants in the garden that she is also good to the Fourth Prince.”
Knowing that Seventeenth Prince had also heard the news of Consort Hua's preferential treatment of Hongli, a shadow crossed Yongzheng's eyes. After the incident of the false pregnancy, Yongzheng's thoughts had changed drastically. Before, he thought that Consort Hua loved Hongli because of her love for him. But now he wondered if she was using this rumor to coerce him into letting her raise Hongli.
Or perhaps she felt certain of victory, believing that Hongli would definitely become her adopted son? Was it Nian Gengyao who gave her this confidence?
Yongzheng was displeased, but he did not show it. He casually made up a reason: "Consort Hua is not steady enough. She is impulsive and her personality is like that of a child. How can she raise imperial heirs? She is not suitable, not suitable."
Yunli nodded, looking troubled. "This... Your Majesty, I remember there was a Consort Duan at Wenyi's first birthday banquet..."
Before Yongzheng could refuse, Yunli shook his head, "No, no. Judging from his complexion, he seems to be in poor health. Taking care of the prince would be too much work and not suitable for him."
“That’s right, that’s what I was thinking too.” Seeing that Yunli’s reasoning was the same as his stated reasoning, Yongzheng sighed as if he were in a difficult position.
He then said, "Consort Duan is too weak to be suitable, and Consort Qi has Hongshi, her own son, so I don't feel comfortable letting her raise Hongli. The rest are all of too low rank..."
Although Yunli really wanted to say that the Fifth Prince's birth mother was still only a concubine, when you were bestowing titles upon the birth mother of the imperial heir, you were stingy and only gave her a title, instead of making her a concubine.
But he only thought about it in his heart; on the surface, he had to pretend to be worried about the emperor's worries.
"My brother is a kind and compassionate man; this matter is indeed difficult to handle."
He first flattered Yongzheng, then, as if suddenly having an idea, Yunli hesitated before speaking: "Your subject has suddenly thought of an idea, but I don't know if it's appropriate."
"Oh, what idea is it? Tell me about it." Yongzheng looked at Yunli with curiosity and interest.
Yunli cupped his hands in greeting to Yongzheng, saying, "If it weren't for Your Majesty's wisdom and magnanimity in treating me, I wouldn't dare to speak so recklessly. I can't bear to see Your Majesty worried, but I don't understand politics and worldly affairs, so I'll just say what I think, and Your Majesty can just listen casually."
Satisfied with Yunli's explanation, Yongzheng nodded with a smile: "Speak, I will naturally not hold it against you."
"Yes, thank you, Your Majesty." Yunli bowed respectfully and said, "Since there is no suitable candidate above the rank of Consort, Your Majesty might choose one of the remaining Consorts to be the Fourth Prince's foster mother. If the candidate is suitable, Your Majesty could then promote her to the rank of Consort for her meritorious service in raising the prince. Wouldn't that be appropriate?"
"Of course, this is just a humble idea from your younger brother. What do you think, Your Majesty?"
Yongzheng twirled the beaded string in his hand in deep thought. After a while, he relaxed and laughed, patting Yunli on the shoulder. "Excellent, excellent. After all, it is still my seventeenth brother who can share my burdens."
"Your Majesty is too kind. I was just mentioning it casually. As for the specifics of the selection and who is suitable, that is something Your Majesty will have to worry about."
...
When Yunli climbed in through the window of Yichenzhai, Hongli was practicing calligraphy.
"You're always writing diligently, practicing calligraphy every time you come back."
"Seventeenth Uncle, you're always the same, coming in through the window again." Hongli put down his pen helplessly and looked at Yunli.
Feeling embarrassed by Hongli's gentle yet indulgent gaze, Yunli awkwardly touched his nose and explained, "Now that there are more people serving in your courtyard, it's inconvenient for me to come here often. It's more discreet to come through the window."
Mentioning this, Yunli gradually became serious, glanced out the window at the courtyard, and asked, "How are the newcomers? Are they behaving themselves?"
"Uncle Seventeen, there's no need to worry. All three of them are fine right now. Granny Qin and Wang Ren are watching over them. I never allow them into the study anyway, so they won't be able to find out."
"That's good." Yunli nodded, walked closer to Hongli, looked at the large characters written on his desk, and exclaimed, "Your running script is quite elegant and unrestrained, even somewhat similar to the Emperor's handwriting. I remember you used to prefer the flying white style, didn't you?"
"When the emperor has a preference, the people will follow suit. Since my father favors Dong Qichang's running script, I naturally have to learn from him."
Hongli spoke calmly, but Yunli felt he had been wronged. In his eyes, Hongli appeared mature and steady, but deep down he still longed for fatherly affection, which was why he even imitated the emperor's handwriting.
Yunli was in a dilemma, unwilling to shatter Hongli's idealized fantasy about Yongzheng, so he could only change the subject, "I've said everything I need to say. How can you be sure that the Emperor will agree, and that the final selection will follow your wishes?"
"Father Emperor values state affairs most. With Ulanara and the Nian family around, neither the Empress nor Consort Hua is a possibility. Consort Duan and Consort Qi each have their own shortcomings, and Father Emperor doesn't approve of them. But he is determined to find me a foster mother, so this is the only solution."
“Actually, even if you, Seventeenth Uncle, hadn’t brought it up, Father Emperor would have come to his senses sooner or later. As for the candidate…” Hongli smiled slightly, “Father Emperor only has that one choice.”
...
Three days later, Emperor Yongzheng issued an edict promoting Consort Jing to Imperial Concubine Jing, entrusting her with the responsibility of raising the fourth prince, Hongli.
Upon receiving the imperial decree, Feng Ruozhao was stunned. Was this a bolt from the blue—a royal consort title and a healthy baby? She would never have to count bricks again!
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