Hongli knew that Mingyu was already heartbroken from the loss of her son, and if he were to reveal the truth now, there was no guarantee that Mingyu wouldn't do something foolish. He couldn't bear it, so he decided to hide the pressure Yonglian had been under from Mingyu and only told her a few things.
"Your Majesty, you don't need to worry anymore. Yonglian went to Yikun Palace simply to play. There's an adorable little cat in Yikun Palace. It's not wrong for Yonglian to go there to relieve some stress after studying." Hongli laid Mingyu's upper body down on the bed and then thoughtfully covered her with a blanket.
Mingyu grasped Hongli's hand, then said somewhat emotionally, "Your Majesty, do you believe what Consort Xian said? What if..."
"Your Majesty, please don't think about it anymore," Hongli interrupted Mingyu, and then continued, "Yonglian was also my son, and his departure saddened me greatly. However, as the ruler of the country, I have to take care of not only Yonglian's affairs but also the affairs of the people. Therefore, I hope that Your Majesty can also cheer up and continue to manage my harem well."
Mingyu felt somewhat comforted by Hongli's words, but how could she not be troubled by Yonglian's death? So Mingyu continued, "Your Majesty, I know that you are the ruler of a country and have to deal with many state affairs every day. But Yonglian was my flesh and blood, born after ten months of pregnancy, and I do not want him to die without a clear explanation."
Looking at Mingyu's appearance, Hongli couldn't help but think about how the gentle and virtuous empress had become like this, and how he, as her husband, was powerless to change it.
"I know that Yonglian's death has also made me feel bad. I can understand the suffering and exhaustion you have endured."
Actually, she was somewhat convinced after Hongli finished speaking, but her prejudice against Consort Xian caused her to lose her temper repeatedly.
Mingyu said, "Since Your Majesty has vouched for Consort Xian, then I can't say anything more. But from a mother's perspective, I'd like to confirm with you again whether Yonglian's worsening condition is related to Yikun Palace?"
"No," Hongli answered decisively, without the slightest hesitation.
Even though she had no relation to Consort Xian, seeing how the Emperor protected her, Mingyu felt a sharp pain in her heart. The Emperor might not have known it himself, but Mingyu had eyes and a heart. Seeing how concerned the Emperor was about Consort Xian, she knew that the only person the Emperor truly cared about was Consort Xian, and she immediately felt a distance from Hongli.
Hongli seemed to realize his mistake, so he said, "I have some memorials to review. Empress, you should rest and recover first. I will come to see you later."
After Hongli finished speaking, he left.
"Respectfully seeing off His Majesty."
The thought of Hongli's cold demeanor just now kept Mingyu's heart from calming down. She knew that she was no longer the person Hongli cared about the most; she was now just the Empress of the Qing Dynasty, the mother of the nation.
In the following days, although Hongli often visited Mingyu at Changchun Palace, Mingyu was still troubled by Yonglian's death. Hongli repeatedly tried to dissuade Mingyu from being too obsessed with the past, but Yonglian's death was shrouded in mystery, and this matter remained a thorn in Mingyu's heart that she could not remove, causing her excruciating pain.
However, Hongli denied that Yonglian's death had anything to do with Consort Xian, making it difficult for Mingyu to regain the dependence and trust she once had for Hongli.
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