Chapter 34 Yunli Returns to the Capital
"When autumn comes, all the flowers wither and die, but Consort Hua stands out alone."
This was Zhen Huan's lament, but wasn't it also the lament of everyone in the harem? Ever since General Nian returned to court, the Emperor's eyes had been fixed solely on Consort Hua, and Consort Hua had become even more obstinate, not allowing the Emperor to visit anyone else.
She frequently summoned the imperial heirs, not only the Fourth Prince Hongli, the Fifth Prince Hongzhou, and the Third Prince Hongshi, but also Princess Wenyi and Princess Shuhe, acting as empresses despite her status as a concubine. As a result, the atmosphere between Consort Hua and the Empress was exceptionally tense during their daily greetings.
"Your Majesty has been spending all his time with me lately, and hasn't gone to see your other sisters..."
One day, Yongzheng was having dinner in Yikun Palace when Consort Hua suddenly spoke up.
Yongzheng chuckled and made a move to leave, saying, "Since Consort Hua is virtuous, then I will go and see Consort Qi and the others."
“Your Majesty—” Nian Shilan quickly pleaded, trying to keep Yongzheng with her, “I was just asking, but it’s late and the dew is heavy outside, so it’s not advisable for Your Majesty to go out.”
"I knew you wouldn't want to part with her." Yongzheng smiled and sat back down, sighing, "I remember when you first entered the Prince's residence, I always accompanied you, sometimes even neglecting Yixiu, who had just become the Fujin."
“Yes,” Nian Shilan said, somewhat dazed as she recalled the past, “His Majesty was so good to me.”
The Emperor is neglecting Yixiu. Hasn't he always disliked her? Is it really for her sake? Or is it for the sake of the Nian family behind her?
Nian Shilan couldn't help but overthink, and the more anxious she became, the more she tried to keep the Emperor in Yikun Palace, refusing to let him leave, attempting to prove something. But the longer they spent together, the more she thought, and the more she thought, the clearer her mind became.
If she fell in love with the Emperor because of his preferential treatment when she was young, what about the Emperor? He treated her so well when she first entered the palace. Could it be that he suddenly fell in love with her? Was it because of her beauty, or because of the Nian family behind her?
In this day and age, a woman's initial marriage depends on these two things, and only later, through gradual interaction, can feelings be discovered. However, after observing for some time, Nian Shilan sadly discovered that most of the Emperor's kindness towards her remained based on family background. He didn't love her, or rather, he didn't love her as much as he showed.
"You used to be a concubine in the Prince's mansion, now you are a consort. There are many people and many things to do in the palace, so you must relax and take care of me. The Empress is not well, so you must be more tolerant of her. I have noticed that you have treated the princes and princesses very well recently, showing the demeanor of a kind mother."
Hearing the Emperor's words, Nian Shilan felt a moment of sorrow for Yixiu. To elevate her, the Emperor truly disregarded the Empress's dignity entirely. If the Emperor truly loved Yixiu, how could he have gone to such lengths? Yet, in his words, he deliberately shifted all the blame onto her…
"I understand."
Nian Shilan felt that she had grown a lot. Although she had a lot of thoughts in her mind, she could still show a smile on her face as always.
...
"Is Nian Gengyao doing well in the capital?"
Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Emperor Yongzheng closed his eyes, twirling a string of beads in his hand, as if asking a question casually.
"The welcoming and sending-off festivities are quite lively," the official standing below reported meaningfully.
Emperor Yongzheng's expression remained unchanged, as if he trusted Nian Gengyao greatly: "It's quite common for him to have old friends in the capital."
"Your Majesty, please forgive my bluntness, but those who come to greet and see off are all his subordinates; he doesn't even look at the other officials..." The minister spoke angrily, resentful of the emperor's trust in Nian Gengyao, his words directly accusing Nian Gengyao of disloyalty.
"When Nian Gengyao went to Beijing to pay his respects, he ordered General Fan Shijie and Governor-General Li Weijun to kneel and greet him on the way. When he arrived in Beijing, his carriages and horses were magnificent, and officials from the Prince's Palace down knelt to receive him. Nian Gengyao remained calmly on his horse and did not even glance at them."
"Is that so?" Yongzheng pretended not to know, still appearing very magnanimous. "Nian Gengyao has returned home victorious and in glory. He is bound to be overconfident. I will remind him."
"With Your Majesty's words, I am at ease."
After the ministers took their leave, Yongzheng's face turned cold and his expression became grim. He closed his eyes and asked, "Has the seventeenth prince returned?"
Su Peisheng carefully reported, "Your Majesty, the Seventeenth Prince has just arrived and has gone to Shou Kang Palace to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager."
“Your Majesty is worried about him, so you should go and pay your respects to her.” Yongzheng nodded, his tone softening. “Su Peisheng, go and summon Prince Dun to the palace for an audience.”
"Yes, sir."
In Shou Kang Palace, Prince Guo, Yunli, was sitting below the Empress Dowager, telling her about his experiences on this trip.
"On this trip, I visited the ancient plank roads of Jiange and Zitong, Li Bing's Dujiangyan Irrigation System, and Du Fu's Huanhua Residence."
Is the Thousand Buddha Cliff ready to be visited?
"Your subject knows that Your Majesty is devoted to Buddhism, and has already bowed on behalf of Your Majesty."
"It's kind of you to be so filial. The road to Shu is harder than climbing to heaven. You must have had a hard journey."
Hearing the Empress Dowager's sigh, Yunli smiled freely, "It's not tiring at all. Your Majesty loves these magnificent mountains and enjoys traveling. I know that too. It's just that I haven't been back for a while. Has Your Majesty found a new favorite pastime?"
Seeing Yunli looking at Hongli strangely on the other side, Wuya chuckled: "You, how old are you? Are you still jealous of your nephew?"
"Your subject understands. Your subject is too old, and not as popular with the Empress Dowager as the Fourth Prince."
Yunli feigned grievance, which amused the Empress Dowager. "Look at you, acting like such a fool in front of your nephew."
"How can my act of entertaining my mother with colorful clothes be considered a joke? Your Majesty's heart is now completely devoted to the Fourth Prince."
"Yes, yes, since you know I'm biased, you, as my uncle, must bring out some good things," Wuya teased, looking at Hongli and saying, "Hongli, quickly thank your seventeenth uncle."
"Hongli thanks his seventeenth uncle."
Hongli obediently walked up to Yunli and bowed to him. Yunli laughed and said, "Since you've already done the Fourth Prince's greeting, I have no choice but to give you one too."
"No, no, I can't give this gift for nothing. I just happen to be on my way to pay my respects to my elder brother, so I'd be grateful if you could give me a ride, Fourth Prince?"
Yunli held onto Hongli's hand tightly, looked at the Empress Dowager and asked, "Is Your Majesty willing to part with him? Your son may take your good grandson away."
"Go ahead, go ahead, you're only favoring your good stuff. What's wrong with giving you a ride?"
The Empress Dowager nodded in agreement. Hongli bowed to her and took his leave, not forgetting to add, "Then Hongli will take his leave. The weather has turned cold recently, so I asked the kitchen to prepare some medicinal food. Grandmother, please don't forget to eat it."
"I know, I know." Uya was very pleased with Hongli's concern and watched the two leave with a smile.
...
How have you been lately?
With the Empress Dowager's words preceding them, Hongli and Yunli walked together openly on the palace road.
"Didn't you see, Seventeenth Uncle, that the Empress Dowager has been quite kind to me?" Hongli said with a gentle smile, then asked, "But Seventeenth Uncle, was your trip to Shu smooth?"
"Didn't you hear it too? Of course it went smoothly."
Yunli replied by echoing Hongli's words, reporting only good news and concealing the bad. Under the guise of a travelogue, he was actually investigating the local situation for Yongzheng. The treacherous terrain of Sichuan and the difficulties encountered during the journey need not be elaborated upon.
Not wanting Hongli to worry, Yunli quickly changed the subject: "With Nian Gengyao back in court, Consort Hua stands out. From what I've heard since entering the palace, has she developed feelings for you? Has it affected Consort Jing's attitude towards you?"
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