After looking at the list, Hongli did not reply immediately, but took it back to think about it carefully.
With the Empress having no son and unable to appoint a legitimate heir, the other princes are the alternative candidates for succession.
Of all of Hongli's sons, Yongjie was the eldest. His mother held a high position, and he himself was intelligent, studious, and quick-witted, earning praise from his teachers.
Considering these circumstances, and the fact that Hongli did not know whether Lady Fucha could give birth, Yongjie's choice of wife needed to be carefully considered and could not be made lightly.
Besides, Yonghuang is the same age as his older brother, and he should be getting married and starting a family this year.
After comparing the family backgrounds of the candidates and sorting out their relationships, Hongli finally chose a woman from the Guarjia clan to be the primary consort of his eldest son, Yongjie, while Yonghuang's primary consort was chosen from the Irgen Gioro clan.
The Guarjia family produced a crown princess during the Kangxi era. The girls raised by the family were known for their excellent upbringing. Although the crown prince was later deposed, the crown princess's family was not implicated.
The head of the Guarjia family was a smart man. Although he hadn't been very high-profile in recent years, he hadn't let the family decline either. His sons and nephews still held many official positions in the court, and the family's power was thriving.
Hongli had carefully considered his decision to choose this girl as the eldest prince's consort. She was of good character, manners, and etiquette, and her family had a moderate level of influence.
All things considered, Guarjia was the most suitable candidate.
The wedding date was set for the end of the year, as the Imperial Household Department needed some time to prepare for the wedding.
Guarjia was very promising; not long after her marriage, news of her pregnancy spread.
After her daughter-in-law became pregnant, Yunyi stopped her from coming to pay her respects. The distance from the prince's residence was quite far, and Yunyi was afraid that something might happen to her on the way if she had to walk.
When she was more than five months pregnant, news also spread that Empress Fucha of Changchun Palace was pregnant, which made Hongli very happy.
After many years, good news came from the Empress's palace again. What the concubines in the harem thought was unknown to others, but Hongli was truly overjoyed.
At the end of the tenth year of Qianlong's reign, Lady Guarjia successfully gave birth to Yongjie's eldest son, who was also Hongli's eldest grandson.
The little guy was born very healthy. He cried very loudly on the day he was born, and Yunyi heard it clearly from outside the door. She kept saying with delight that it was a big, fat boy, and she was right in the end.
Emperor Qianlong named his eldest grandson Miande, hoping that he would grow up to be a person of both virtue and talent.
With a legitimate son on the way, Hongli was not as strict with his eldest son, so he doted on his eldest grandson, Miande.
All the people serving his eldest grandson were carefully selected by him, so that his eldest grandson could grow up safely and healthily.
With the grandfather Hongli being so devoted, Yongjie, the father, had no chance to show his abilities. He could only smile wryly and comfort his wife.
The New Year of the eleventh year of Qianlong's reign was very lively. First, the eldest prince had a legitimate son, and Emperor Qianlong was promoted to grandfather.
Then, Empress Fucha in the inner palace became pregnant and was about to give birth to a legitimate son, which naturally made Hongli overjoyed.
On the eighth day of the fourth month of the eleventh year of the Qianlong reign, which happened to be the Buddha's birthday, the Empress's legitimate son was born.
Emperor Hongli named his son Yongcong, a name that was related to his brother's, the meaning of which is self-evident.
Consort Shen had been trying to conceive for many years without success. Although the Empress Dowager was disappointed, she was still happy now that her daughter-in-law had given birth to a grandson.
Yongcong was born to the Empress at an advanced age. After many years of trying to conceive, Empress Fucha's health was not actually very good, and this pregnancy was quite difficult.
Although the child was born relatively healthy, he was still slightly inferior to his nephew, Miande.
The Ninth Prince's full moon celebration and first birthday celebration were both very grand, much grander than those of his older brothers and sisters.
The other children in the harem were far inferior to the Ninth Prince Yongcong.
Jin felt nothing but resentment. She and the Empress had become pregnant and given birth around the same time, and the Ninth Prince was the legitimate son, holding a noble position.
Her tenth prince was also a royal prince, but not only was her treatment during her pregnancy inferior to that of the Empress, but now, after giving birth, the tenth prince's full-month celebration was vastly different from that of the ninth prince.
She knew in her heart that she was no match for the Empress, but the fact that her son was so much inferior to the Ninth Prince still made Jin feel uncomfortable.
This discomfort lasted until the end of the twelfth year of Qianlong's reign, when the two young princes were almost two years old.
According to custom, princes and princesses in the palace had to be vaccinated against smallpox when they reached a certain age, and it was best to be vaccinated during the cold winter months.
This year, not only the two young princes, but also the eldest prince's son has reached the age to get vaccinated. The three of them, uncle and nephew, will get vaccinated together so that they can keep each other company.
In early December, the Imperial Household Department prepared the inoculation room, and all the imperial physicians from the Imperial Hospital were ready to ensure that there would be no problems with the inoculation.
On the eighth day, led by Zhang, the head of the Imperial Medical Academy, all the imperial physicians in the academy who were skilled in pediatric diseases were sent by Hongli to inoculate his son and grandson with smallpox.
Although people at that time knew that vaccination could prevent smallpox, they used human variolation instead of cowpox vaccination, which had a higher safety factor.
After smallpox vaccination, people will experience a series of uncomfortable sensations, which will become more pronounced after five to eight days, and may also be accompanied by fever.
If the symptoms lessen after eight days and the scabs on the face begin to fall off, it means the vaccination was successful. After resting for three to five days, you can leave the house and return to your own residence.
If the high fever persists after eight days and the condition worsens, it indicates that the vaccination has failed.
At that time, smallpox was an incurable disease, and if inoculation failed, it meant the birth mother was nearing the end.
The vaccination was conducted entirely in a room prepared by the Imperial Household Department, where only the master receiving the vaccination and a few servants were present.
The imperial physician would come to check on the patient's condition every day, but he would not stay in the room.
Miande is the oldest and healthiest of the three. In addition, Yunyi gave him a health-building pill right after he was born, so it can be said that the little guy is quite healthy.
The Ninth Prince Yongcong and the Tenth Prince Yongxuan were younger and not as healthy as their eldest nephew, so the servants who served them were more attentive.
Yunyi wasn't worried about this; her eldest grandson was in good health and would definitely be fine.
When they were vaccinated, everything was fine. When Empress Fucha, Emperor Hongli, and Empress Niohuru came to visit the little ones, they were all in good spirits.
However, after five or six days, the situation changed. It seemed that something went wrong with the Ninth Prince during the smallpox vaccination. In his anxiety, Hongli ordered the imperial physicians to take care of the Ninth Prince, which resulted in the Tenth Prince being neglected.
Smallpox vaccination is dangerous, and problems can easily arise if not handled carefully. Ms. Kim was already very worried, and she couldn't eat or sleep because of it. She just hoped that her son could come back safely.
Now that this has happened, Jin is both worried and angry. The Empress's son is a son, which is very important. Does that mean that her own son is not the Emperor's son?
Jin couldn't understand Hongli's actions. If all the imperial physicians were taking care of the Ninth Prince, what would happen to her own son? If something happened to him, who would treat him?
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