The next morning, Princess Mingyu sent someone to the palace to announce the good news.
It turns out that yesterday, the Fourth Prince discussed the war in the Northwest with the ministers he had left behind.
Hongli and Hongzhou were not summoned, and the palace gates were locked, so they simply spent the night in the palace.
Hongli naturally stayed overnight at Changchun Palace, while Hongzhou's residence was not yet completed, so he naturally returned to the Prince's quarters.
By the time news of Bao Xi reached Changchun Palace, Hongli had already gone to the morning court session.
Lanqin was overjoyed to learn that Su had given birth to a boy, but she would have been just as happy to have given birth to a girl.
"Chunxi, go find Eunuch Su and ask him to find an opportunity to deliver a message to the Emperor, saying that Hongli's first child has been born and that both mother and child are safe," Lanqin instructed.
She learned that war had suddenly broken out in the Northwest, and that the Turks, who had been driven out by the late emperor, had been recuperating somewhere for years and had begun to provoke trouble in the Northwest.
"Lianqiu, prepare the gifts for the Su family according to what I have already agreed upon. The Emperor and Hongli are busy with the previous matters and may not have time to attend to them, so I will send the gifts over first," Lanqin said.
Hongli and the Fourth Prince learned about Su's childbirth at about the same time. The Fourth Prince ordered Hongli to return immediately, but he refused.
"Go back. I've already told you, you shouldn't go. There are no mercy on the battlefield, so you're not allowed to cause trouble," the Fourth Prince said to Hongli.
“Father, I’m not being silly. What I’ve learned is currently useless, and this is a good opportunity for me to gain experience. Father, you often teach me to be courageous in taking responsibility. Now that the Qing border is in trouble, what’s wrong with me volunteering to fight? Father?” Hongli said.
The Fourth Prince was speechless, stumped by Hongli's words. He was absolutely unwilling to let Hongli go out and take risks, because Hongli was the Crown Prince of the Qing Dynasty, chosen by the Fourth Prince, and would inherit the throne; of course, he couldn't go on a dangerous mission. Lanqin also strongly disagreed.
But these were reasons that Fourth Master couldn't bring himself to say. They were all reasons that could have been stated explicitly.
"You've just become a father, and your mother won't approve. I've already appointed Shen Binian as Grand General and your seventeenth uncle as Commander-in-Chief. What are you meddling for? Go and pay your respects to your mother right now," the Fourth Prince said sternly.
When Hongli saw that the Fourth Prince refused to agree, he simply turned around and went to Changchun Palace, hoping to ask his mother to persuade his father.
When Lanqin heard Hongli finish explaining his ideas, she immediately felt skeptical. However, she knew that her son genuinely wanted to do something for the Qing Dynasty. Moreover, Hongli had always lived under her protection, and he wanted to accomplish something on his own to prove himself.
“Hongli, war is not like fighting in a palace. There, swords and spears have no eyes, and they will not be lenient with you just because you are a prince. If you are in danger, what will happen to the women in the mansion and your son? What will happen to your mother? What will happen to your father?” Lanqin said slowly and deliberately.
Hongli was stumped by Lanqin's words. He hadn't really thought that much about it; he only knew that as a passionate young man, he shouldn't shrink back.
“Mother, I know that you and Father are worried about my safety. However, I think that if I want to do great things in the future, I can’t think about being tied down. If I only know how to guard the city, wouldn’t I be letting Father down?” Hongli said.
Lanqin was stumped by Hongli's questions. He knew everything and what he said was correct.
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