The news that the Second Prince was scolded by the Emperor at Empress Xiaoxian's funeral quickly spread throughout the imperial court and the inner palace.
Although Yunyi had issued a gag order forbidding them from discussing the matter, too many people had witnessed it, and it inevitably got out.
Although Niohuru also felt that Yonghuang's actions were not good, she still chose to protect her eldest grandson.
If the Empress passes away and the Second Prince loses power, then the power of Lady Gao and the First Prince will be too great, which is not the situation she wants to see.
Before Consort Shen's child was born, Niohuru needed someone to temporarily keep Gao in check.
His mother's plea only added fuel to the fire; instead of calming down, Hongli became even angrier.
Less than 100 days after Empress Xiaoxian's death, Hongli punished many officials who had made mistakes, and Yonghuang was no exception.
Emperor Qianlong rebuked the second prince for this, saying that he "failed to fulfill his filial duties and etiquette in many ways," and declared unequivocally that "this son is absolutely unfit to inherit the throne."
History has changed, yet it seems unchanged. Yonghuang is still being scolded by his father, but because he is on good terms with his fourth brother Yongxuan, Yongzhang escapes this fate.
The funeral was a busy affair that lasted for a long time before it ended. Because Emperor Hongli had not yet passed away and his mausoleum was still under construction, Empress Xiaoxian was temporarily placed in the Jing'anzhuang Funeral Palace, where she would be buried once the mausoleum was completed.
The death of the empress is a national mourning event, and people are not allowed to hold any celebrations for three years in order to observe mourning for the empress.
Although Hongli was not required to observe mourning for Empress Fucha, he was naturally not lingering in the harem due to the grief of losing his first wife.
Moreover, his current physical condition does not allow him to do so; since Empress Xiaoxian passed away, his health has deteriorated.
He had initially planned to keep it a secret, but because of Yonghuang's matter, he was angered again, and in his rage, Hongli vomited blood once more.
This terrified Li Yu. If something really happened to the Emperor, he would be finished. So, instead of listening to Hongli, he summoned the imperial physician on his own.
Zhang Yuanpan was already the most skilled physician in the Imperial Medical Academy, but after examining the emperor's pulse, he couldn't discern anything wrong.
It was only said that Hongli had been mentally and physically exhausted and overwhelmed with grief, and that he needed to take good care of himself.
But what Zhang Yuanpan didn't say was that he felt the emperor's pulse was a bit strange.
He once examined the emperor's pulse and found that the emperor was in excellent health, saying that he could easily live to be sixty or seventy.
But recently, when I examined the Emperor's pulse, I found that his health was very poor. If he doesn't take good care of himself, calm his mind, and allow sadness and anger to fill his heart, I'm afraid...
But Zhang Yuanpan couldn't say these things; he could only keep them to himself and try to improve the emperor's health through other means.
The inner palace became peaceful after the death of Empress Xiaoxian. Everyone had witnessed the emperor's madness some time ago, and even if they had any thoughts in their hearts, they dared not make any rash moves at this time.
Therefore, when Hongli conferred the title of Imperial Noble Consort Hui (née Gaojia) upon her, he did not encounter the opposition he had imagined.
According to custom, after the death of the empress, an imperial concubine will be appointed to assist in managing the affairs of the six palaces, and this imperial concubine is usually the one who becomes the empress.
Everyone had anticipated that Consort Hui would become Imperial Noble Consort, but there was no rush. They couldn't object now, but who knew what the future held?
The Empress Dowager wanted to object but couldn't. She had recently displeased her son and dared not say anything now. She could only watch helplessly as Lady Gao became a Noble Consort with the rank of Vice Empress.
Fortunately, Niohuru was comforted by the fact that Consort Shen's pregnancy looked good, and the imperial physicians said it would be a healthy prince.
With Consort Shen's family background, it wouldn't be a problem for her to be promoted to the rank of Consort after giving birth. If she were to die in childbirth, she could be posthumously granted the title of Noble Consort or Imperial Noble Consort.
At that time, the young prince was the son of a Noble Consort or Imperial Noble Consort, and his status was noble. Seeing that her son still had a long life ahead of him, and with her around, Gao and her son might not have a chance to succeed.
Niohuru had thought things through very well and arranged everything for the future, but what she didn't know was that Hongli's health wasn't as good as she thought.
Consort Shen lived a peaceful life during her pregnancy. With the Empress Dowager backing her up, no other concubine dared to approach her.
Although safety was guaranteed, her pregnancy was actually very difficult. She couldn't eat or sleep, and while the fetus was developing healthily, she herself became frighteningly thin.
Having never been pregnant before, she didn't know what the problem was. The imperial physician and the maidservant who served her both said it was normal, so she didn't suspect anything and just thought it was because she had an unlucky pregnancy.
After ten months of pregnancy and childbirth, at the end of the thirteenth year of Qianlong's reign, Consort Shen gave birth to a very healthy daughter, the sixth daughter of Hongli, and the sixth princess in the palace.
After giving birth to the child, Consort Shen suffered a sudden massive hemorrhage and ultimately passed away despite attempts to save her, leaving behind her young daughter.
Niohuru was extremely disappointed. This time, she lost both her wife and her army. She lost Consort Shen, who was born into the Niohuru family, and she did not get a grandson with Niohuru blood.
With her mind already set on selecting another niece from her maternal family through a talent show in a few years, Lady Niohuru ignored her newborn granddaughter and left directly.
Hongli was heartbroken by this. His mother had taken such good care of Consort Shen, but now that Consort Shen had died in childbirth, leaving behind a granddaughter who had lost her mother, he didn't even look at her and showed no respect for her as a grandmother.
Even an emperor like him did not discriminate against girls, and although she was a princess, she was not disappointed. However, her mother was full of disappointment because she did not get a grandson.
This made Hongli wonder what his mother was planning and thinking.
Looking at his daughter in swaddling clothes, Hongli shook his head. At this moment, he did not feel disgusted by Consort Shen, but rather felt sorry for her.
Consort Shen's funeral was quite grand. Emperor Hongli posthumously conferred upon her the title of Noble Consort Shen'an, hoping that her spirit in heaven would bless the infant girl in her arms to grow up safely.
The sixth princess was entrusted to Chen Shi for upbringing by Hongli. Chen Shi was experienced, had a quiet personality and never caused trouble, and had no powerful backing, making her the most suitable person than anyone else.
As a result, Lady Chen was promoted by Emperor Hongli, from Noble Lady Chen to Consort Wan.
After a year of recuperation, Hongli's health showed no improvement. Meanwhile, the Second Prince, who was in the Prince's quarters, was also dejected and ill for a whole year because of his father's reprimand.
Knowing that his health was probably not good, Hongli began to groom his eldest son, Yongjie, both openly and secretly.
The eldest prince was the oldest and had the best personality and abilities. He had always hoped that the legitimate son would ascend the throne, but the reality was unpredictable.
After all these years, he has come to terms with it. He shouldn't place his hopes on unrealistic wishes. The most suitable person is right in front of him, and he should choose that person.
Hongli's actions were quite clear, and the ministers understood that the emperor had ultimately chosen the eldest prince.
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