The princesses in the backyard were seeking ways to conceive and give birth to children as soon as possible, while Princess Fucha was worried about having a child.
Since her difficult childbirth a few years ago, her health has been deteriorating, especially after she caught a cold last year and became seriously ill, which made her health even worse.
At the beginning of spring this year, when it was still chilly, others could simply remove the charcoal fire and wear only thick clothes, but the charcoal fire in Princess Fucha's room could not be extinguished.
She has been bedridden for more than half a year, and her body is so weak that she cannot get out of bed.
At the age of six, Yonghuang was able to study in the Imperial Study in the palace, but because he was worried about his mother's health, he could not concentrate in class and did not complete his studies well.
Princess Fucha was very worried about her son. He was only six years old and had not grown up yet. What would happen to the child if she really passed away?
He is neither the eldest son nor the legitimate son; his children are those of the secondary consort and the primary consort. The concubines in the inner quarters may also become pregnant and give birth, and now a new secondary consort has entered the household.
The future emperor will have many more children, but Yonghuang is only her son. Without his mother's protection, how can he grow up safely?
Princess Fucha couldn't sleep all night, worried about her son. The thought of her son not doing well after she left broke her heart.
But her body wouldn't last much longer, and she needed to make sure her son was settled before she left, otherwise she wouldn't be able to leave in peace.
Soon, the wedding day arrived in September. Early in the morning, the mansion was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers to celebrate Prince Bao marrying his concubine.
The Fujin was receiving guests in the front courtyard, and Yunyi, as another concubine, also helped her greet the guests.
Although he was marrying a concubine, quite a few people came today. This was mainly because Hongli's status was quite special. As the hidden crown prince, with Emperor Yongzheng's health deteriorating, there were naturally many people trying to curry favor with Hongli.
Moreover, the banquet is being held at the Prince's Mansion, which occupies a vast area, far exceeding that of the princes in the Imperial Palace.
Even today, Lady Fucha remains as generous and poised as ever. Even though her husband has taken a concubine, she still smiles gently, a perfect wife known to all.
She personally saw her husband off at the door, and then Lady Fucha, accompanied by Yunyi, came to greet the guests. She was the wife of an official of the third rank or above, as well as a member of the imperial family.
Yunyi entertained the wives of officials of slightly lower status, as well as the concubines of the imperial clan.
While things were bustling and lively here, the wedding procession was also making its way to the Nala Mansion with gongs and drums.
Nerbu never imagined that one day his family could be related to the royal family through marriage, and that Prince Bao would be...
From the day the imperial edict was issued, he kept instructing his daughter to serve Prince Bao well and strive to give birth to an heir as soon as possible so that she could promote the family in the future.
If Prince Bao were to ascend the throne one day, then he would become the maternal family of the concubines; and if his daughter were to give birth to a prince, then he would become the maternal family of the prince.
The emperor's sons, at the very least, would have the titles of prince or duke. If you think about it a little more optimistically, then the princes would be able to... and their families would certainly enjoy wealth and honor.
It has to be said that Nerbu's idea was quite grand. His daughter hadn't even married into Prince Bao's mansion yet, and he was already thinking such wonderful things. He really dared to dream.
Hongli easily welcomed Lady Nara into the bridal sedan chair, and the group then set off back to the mansion. After a series of ceremonies, Lady Nara was escorted to her own courtyard.
The wedding was organized by the Imperial Household Department. As the Noble Consort Xi, Niohuru was in charge of palace affairs, and she also offered her opinions on how the wedding should be conducted.
Seeing how concerned Consort Xi was about this matter, the people in the palace did their best to handle it, fearing that if they did not do it well, they would anger Consort Xi and be punished.
Nara chose her own concubine, and her wedding was to be beautiful but not surpass that of the primary consort, Fucha.
Actually, this was just a bit of Niohuru's perverse sense of humor; she wanted to disgust Lady Gao in this way, since Lady Gao had risen from the rank of Gege without a wedding.
But she was really overthinking it. Yunyi had been the primary consort and the empress, and had experienced weddings and investiture ceremonies. She wouldn't have any bad feelings about watching this wedding of a secondary consort.
She's not unfamiliar with these things; when she married Hongli as a member of the Nara clan, it was similar to what she's going through now.
Only the primary wife and secondary wives could go to the front courtyard; princesses like Jin and Su were not allowed to go.
On such a joyous day, they could only stay in their own courtyards, listening to the sounds outside and grieving alone.
"Master, please don't stand by the window. If you stand too long in the wind, you'll catch a cold. Your health isn't what it used to be, so you should be careful."
September was already early autumn. In the northern part of the capital, it was getting cooler in the mornings and evenings. Biyun walked over with some worry on her face and gently closed the window.
Su was helped to sit down by Biyun, who did not blame her for her slightly impolite behavior earlier.
With a soft sigh, Madam Su placed her hand on her lower abdomen, her eyes filled with sorrow.
"Biyun, did you hear that? The master is going to take another concubine." Madam Su's voice rang out with a hint of resentment: "I have served the master for almost five years, and seeing him take a new wife, my heart really aches!"
As Su's personal maid, Biyun was well aware of her mistress's feelings for the prince. Now that the prince was marrying a new woman and her mistress was so sad, Biyun also felt sad for her mistress.
As the time spent in the manor increases, the number of people in the prince's harem will also increase. As the master grows old and loses his beauty, how can he compare with the charming newcomers?
Su was not the only one with this worry; all the women in the backyard thought the same way.
Apart from the unassuming Chen and the low-key Hai, everyone else was depressed because of Nara's entry into the household.
The front yard was filled with joyous celebration, but Mrs. Su sighed to herself by the window, her heart filled with sorrow.
Biyun could do nothing but stay by her mistress's side and take care of her health.
After entertaining the guests, Yunyi returned to her courtyard, exhausted. After a long day, she could finally rest.
As for Consort Fucha, she was finally able to return to the main courtyard to rest. As the primary consort, she had even more and more things to do and was more tired.
When Hongli entered Nara's courtyard and lifted the red veil, he was quite surprised.
He originally thought that the person his mother chose would be of average appearance, but he did not expect that Nara would be so beautiful, bright and dignified, with a very strong beauty.
After a moment of surprise, Hongli quickly calmed down. Although Nara was beautiful, she was not his type.
Furthermore, as a royal prince, he had seen countless beauties. Although Nara was beautiful, she was not enough to make him act so rashly.
While in a fairly good mood, Hongli chatted with Lady Nara for a few moments, but his impression of her worsened.
Hongli, who was somewhat arrogant at heart, preferred delicate and gentle girls. However, Lady Nara was rigid and like an elder, which made Hongli dislike her even more.
They stayed at Nala's place as a matter of routine, without any tenderness or affection. Others didn't know what was going on, but Li Yu knew immediately that the master didn't like this concubine.
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