Lanqin's refusal seemed to be within the Fourth Prince's expectations. He did not press the matter, but as he left Changchun Palace, he said to Lanqin, "You should understand what I'm thinking. Hongli is no longer a child; his extraordinary nature was destined from birth. As his mother, it's only natural for you to protect and cherish him! But Qin'er, you should consider his future more..."
After the Fourth Prince left, Lanqin sat alone by the window, lost in thought for a long time. As a modern person, Lanqin could never accept that her son had multiple wives and concubines. As a mother, Lanqin knew perfectly well that Hongli had someone else in his heart, yet she felt guilty for forcing him to marry Xueying. But this wasn't the 21st century; this was the Qing Dynasty!
History is history, and no matter how many changes and cycles it goes through, the ending is always the same! Hongli is the son of the Fourth Prince, the future emperor of the Qing Dynasty, and Lanqin cannot change that. The Fourth Prince is right; since Hongli is destined to be the emperor, she should consider Hongli's future more.
Lanqin vividly recalled the arduous journey of the Fourth Prince to the throne; he had walked a path fraught with peril, facing death countless times. Lanqin did not want Hongli to repeat this ordeal in the future. To minimize Hongli's suffering, she needed powerful and influential supporters to assist him.
Lanqin sighed softly and murmured, "The Fucha clan and the Ulanara clan... it turns out that Heaven had already arranged it all..."
Despite her initial disapproval, Lanqin quickly came to terms with it. Hongli's primary consort and secondary consort were both from prominent Manchu families—the Fuca and Ulanara clans. Both families had their own strong foundations, and they could become Hongli's support in the future.
"Baoqin? Bring the birth charts of the selected ladies that we prepared today..." Lanqin called out, perking up.
Baoqin deftly spread out all the birth charts for Lanqin to review: "Your Majesty, these birth charts are categorized according to each candidate's region and family background. What kind of girl is Your Majesty interested in?"
Lanqin casually flipped through a few, and sure enough, they were all young ladies from prestigious families. Not only were they all highly talented, but they also listed the official positions of their ancestors for three generations in detail.
Lanqin knew she was paving the way for Hongli's future, and every young woman she selected would be a future asset to him. She felt a surge of pressure and took a deep breath, desperately trying to recall. She vaguely remembered several particularly famous concubines from the Qianlong era, but Lanqin couldn't recall anything; only the surnames Gao and Su came to mind.
Lanqin tentatively looked through a few and asked, "Are there any prominent families with the surname Gao in the Jiangnan area?" Baoqin was taken aback. After helping Lanqin search several times, she pondered and said, "It seems there aren't any particularly famous ones with the surname Gao! However, the Governor-General of the Waterways is surnamed Gao, I think... I think his name is Gao Bin. His daughter was originally the daughter of a bondservant in the Han Banner Internal Affairs Department, and her name is particularly beautiful, Gao Xiyue!"
Lanqin felt a strong sense of familiarity, then a sudden realization dawned on her: wasn't Gao Xiyue the future Imperial Noble Consort Gao Jia? Lanqin felt a chill run down her spine; this feeling of peeking into history was unpleasant, and she felt somewhat dizzy. Grasping Baoqin's hand, she slowly asked, "And what about Lady Su?"
Baoqin quickly pulled out a marriage certificate and said with a smile, "This looks familiar. I wonder if Your Majesty is referring to Su Lufu from the famous Su family in Jiangnan?"
Lanqin held the two betrothal letters and said calmly, "These two young ladies will do. Send them to the Fourth Prince and say they are the princesses I have chosen for Hongli..."
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