At this moment, Hongli was about to go to court to perform his duties when he heard that Princess Fucha was inviting him over. Recalling what the imperial physician had said a few days ago, he sighed, knowing that she was probably going to...
"Li Yu, go and ask for leave for me. I won't be going to work today."
After all, Lady Fucha was the one who bore my children. Now that she is experiencing a final burst of energy, I will go and accompany her on her last journey, thus fulfilling her wish.
Lady Fucha stood quietly at the door waiting for Hongli to arrive, just as she had done before, but she had not done so since her health deteriorated.
Seeing that familiar figure in the distance, her eyes softened. As Hongli approached, Lady Fucha slowly spoke, "Your Highness has arrived. I have been waiting for you for a long time!"
Hongli went up to help Fucha up, took her hand and led her into the room, saying with concern, "The weather is getting colder, why didn't you wait inside? You're not well yet, don't catch a cold from the wind."
Empress Fucha was very pleased with Hongli's gentleness. How could she not fall for such a handsome man who treated her so tenderly?
But she also felt a lot of pain in her heart. Just thinking about how she was about to... made Fucha's heart tighten. She would not be able to accompany him on his journey from now on.
Thinking of her Yonghuang, Lady Fucha forced a smile. Today, she had to get the prince's permission to allow Consort Nara to raise her Yonghuang.
"Thank you for your concern, sir. I understand. You are right. It's chilly at the door. Let's go inside and talk."
Hongxiu already knew her mistress's thoughts. When she saw Fucha and Hongli enter the room, she tactfully led the servants out, leaving the two of them a quiet space to talk.
Hongli knew that Lady Fucha probably had something to say to him, so he obediently went into the house. After the two sat down, he said, "Is there something you want to say? I won't go to work today, so I'll stay here with you."
A warmth filled her heart, and Fucha's eyes reddened, tears welling up uncontrollably.
For once, Fucha was surprisingly clever. Instead of immediately suggesting that Nara raise Yonghuang, she played the emotional card and talked to Hongli about past events.
She entered the mansion with Consort Gao at that time. Although Consort Gao was favored, she was not far behind. As one of the first people to accompany Hongli, she also occupied a significant place in Hongli's heart.
As the beautiful woman was about to pass away, the recollections of the past brought a touch of sadness, making Hongli sigh even more.
As Lady Fucha reminisced, she kept an eye on Hongli's reaction. Seeing that his expression was becoming more and more gentle, she felt that the time was right before she brought up the matter of Yonghuang.
She said she was leaving soon, that Yonghuang was still young and couldn't bear the pain of losing his mother, and that she couldn't bear to leave her husband Hongli and her young child.
The more he spoke, the more heartbroken Hongli felt, for Lady Fucha and for his own son Yonghuang.
He knew, of course, that a child who had lost his mother at a young age must not have a good life. Although he, as the father, could keep an eye on him, he was too busy with other matters to look after him all the time.
The servants always flattered the weak and favored the strong. Without his mother around, they would inevitably look down on this son and treat him badly. Hongli was worried by Fucha's words and began to think about how to settle things for his son.
At this point, Lady Fucha expressed her thoughts, saying that she wanted her secondary consort, Lady Nara, to raise her son.
Hongli glanced at Lady Fucha with some surprise, unable to understand why she would think that way.
Fortunately, Lady Fucha had thought about this matter for a long time and had come up with many reasons to deal with Hongli. Faced with his doubts, Lady Fucha's explanation was reasonable and well-founded.
After considering Fucha's idea, Hongli also thought it was feasible. Yonghuang was a prince, and most of the princesses in the backyard were of low status and not qualified to raise him.
Nara, on the other hand, was a secondary consort and came from the Manchu Banner, making her a perfect match in every way.
However, if she were to raise Yonghuang, it might threaten the position of Yonglian, the son of the Fujin (principal wife).
It must be said that Hongli truly treated his eldest son differently; even at this point, he still had to consider Yonglian's situation.
Lady Fucha was a little nervous, afraid that the prince would disagree, and all her previous plans would be in vain.
In order to complete her plan and realize her wish, Lady Fucha deliberately pretended to be weak in order to arouse Hongli's pity.
Hongli was very receptive to this approach. Although he still had some concerns, his arrogance and confidence in himself led him to believe that he could balance the relationship between Yonghuang and Yonglian, so he agreed.
Having achieved her goal, Lady Fucha's energy and spirit vanished instantly, and her face turned much paler than before.
Upon seeing this, Hongli's pupils contracted sharply. "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell again? We've been chatting for quite a while now. You should go to bed and rest."
Lady Fucha grasped Hongli's hand that was supporting her and shook her head: "My lord, there's no need. I know my own body; I'm afraid my days are numbered."
At this moment, Hongli wanted to comfort her, but was interrupted by Fucha: "My lord, go and call Yonghuang over. In my final moments, I only want to spend some time with my husband and child."
In just a short while, Fucha's voice became much weaker and more listless.
Hongli didn't blame her for her somewhat inappropriate remarks. He called out to the others and asked them to invite the Second Prince over.
Since Fucha was unwell a few days ago, Yonghuang had taken leave from studying at the Imperial Study and had been staying in Fucha's courtyard these past few days, taking care of his mother.
Yonghuang was only six years old, but after experiencing these things, he seemed to have grown up a lot. The young child became taciturn and lost his childlike innocence and liveliness.
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