Yongjie was entrusted with important responsibilities by Emperor Qianlong and frequently participated in important court affairs. He did not disappoint everyone and completed every task assigned to him very well.
Having been severely scolded by his father, Yonghuang listened to his elder brother's stories every day, feeling both envious and jealous. His already poor health deteriorated further due to his mental distress, making it even harder for him to recover.
Fifteen years have passed in the blink of an eye. The New Year's banquet should have been a lively affair, but Yonghuang caught a cold at the end of last year and has been bedridden ever since, so he was unable to attend the banquet.
Like him, Hongli's health was also not very good. Last December, he caught a cold while reviewing memorials late at night, and it kept recurring without getting better.
The Second Prince's illness didn't cause much of a stir. He had been ill for the past year or two and had also been reprimanded by the Emperor, thus losing any chance of ascending to the throne.
No one in the court fawned over him, and even the palace maids and eunuchs who served him dared to neglect him.
Fortunately, Yunyi would inquire about his life from time to time, and his adoptive mother, Nara, was also kind-hearted and often sent people to visit him; otherwise, Yonghuang would not know how he would have survived.
In February, Yonghuang's illness worsened. After two years, Hongli had calmed down and still loved his son, so he specially arranged for him to recuperate in Nanyuan.
Many imperial physicians accompanied him, all hoping to cure their son.
With the Emperor's order and so many imperial physicians present, Yonghuang's condition did indeed improve slightly in early March.
However, on the fifteenth day of the third month of the fifteenth year of Qianlong's reign, Yonghuang's condition deteriorated rapidly. Hongli was only able to see him one last time before his son died young.
At this time, Yonghuang was only twenty-three years old. His primary consort, Lady Irgen Gioro, was only eight months pregnant and about to give birth. This child had not yet met his father and had become a posthumous child.
On the day Yonghuang passed away, Hongli vomited blood again. This time, he could neither hold on nor hide his illness, because he collapsed to the ground after vomiting blood.
The imperial physicians, who were originally there to treat the Second Prince, were summoned to treat Hongli at the last minute, but they were all powerless to help him. Hongli's life force was gradually fading, and it seemed that there was no way to save him.
It wasn't until the next day that Hongli woke up. This time, he could clearly feel that there was a serious problem with his body.
Knowing that he had vomited blood and fainted at Yonghuang's place yesterday, Hongli was startled, but then he had a feeling that it was expected, as he had some idea about his physical condition.
Upon returning to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Hongli dismissed all the concubines who wanted to visit him, including his own mother, Niohuru. He did not see anyone except for Zhang, the Imperial Physician.
After carefully inquiring about his physical condition, Hongli knew what was going on. He waved for Zhang Yuanpan to leave and stayed quietly by himself for a long time.
Memories of the past years kept flashing through my mind: my grandfather, Emperor Kangxi; my father, Emperor Yongzheng; my first wife, Lady Fuca; my beloved Lady Gao; Yongjie, who is currently the most suitable successor to the throne; and many other people.
Hongli remained silent for a long time, choosing to stay by himself and not wanting to see anyone.
After a night, Hongli finally came to his senses. He was the emperor, and what he should do now was to choose the most suitable successor for the country.
The Emperor was seriously ill and unable to handle state affairs, so he ordered the First Prince to temporarily take over the administration.
After a year of hints, the ministers accepted the matter well. In their minds, the eldest prince, Yongjie, was already the de facto crown prince and the future emperor.
Half a month later, Hongli suddenly issued another decree, conferring the title of Empress upon Imperial Noble Consort Gao Jia and bestowing upon the title of First-Class Duke of Cheng'en upon the Empress's father, Gao Bin.
The decree was issued suddenly and without any prior warning, catching everyone off guard.
Logically, after the death of the late empress, at least three years of mourning should have passed before a new empress was established. However, it is only the fifteenth year of Qianlong's reign, and Hongli has issued an edict at this time, which has surprised everyone.
On the night the decree was issued, Hongli summoned all the concubines of the harem to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, along with a group of former court officials, but Empress Dowager Niohuru was not among them.
Knowing that his time was near, Hongli had Li Yu summon these people in advance to clear the obstacles for Yongjie's ascension to the throne, so that he could inherit the throne as the eldest son of the Empress.
In front of everyone, Hongli instructed Prince He, Hongzhou, and the Grand Secretary to retrieve the secret edict hidden behind the "Zhengda Guangming" plaque in the Qianqing Palace. It clearly stated that the eldest prince, Yongjie, should succeed to the throne.
Having read the secret edict, and knowing that the eldest prince was the legitimate son, there would be no obstacles to his ascension to the throne, and no one would dare to oppose him.
Afterwards, Hongli pulled his newly appointed empress aside and said many things, his tone full of emotion.
Knowing that he was about to leave, Yunyi didn't show any impatience and listened attentively to his rambling words.
The hall was filled with sorrow. Everyone was somber and silent, not daring to utter a word, as they mourned the Emperor's impending death.
Just then, a commotion arose outside. It turned out that Lady Niohuru had learned about her son's situation and was making a fuss about coming over.
Sighing inwardly, Hongli couldn't understand how his mother, who used to be so kind and gentle, had become so muddle-headed and rude, as if she had become a completely different person.
He waved for everyone to leave, and the people in the hall immediately dispersed like a tide, leaving the hall completely empty.
As Yun Yi stepped out the door, she could see Niohuru glaring at her fiercely. She smiled, not wanting to stoop to Niohuru's level; there would be many more days when this Empress Dowager would be angry.
Upon entering the palace, Niohuru was speechless. Hongli was, after all, her son. Now that he was leaving, she would suffer the pain of a white-haired person burying a black-haired one. She simply couldn't bring herself to say any words of reproach.
“Mother, I don’t know why you dislike Gao so much, but when Yongjie ascends the throne and Gao becomes the Empress Dowager, you should restrain yourself!”
Before Niohuru could speak, Hongli continued.
“Your son has already spoken to Madam Gao. She will take good care of you. You are still in good health. After I am gone, you should live a good life. Yongjie will not mistreat you, his grandmother…”
Hearing her son's words and seeing him pale and confined to his sickbed, Niohuru wept uncontrollably.
The greatest pain in the world is for a parent to outlive their child. Niohuru was still in good health, but her son had reached the end of his life.
The death of the previous emperor and the ascension of the new emperor were different from the bloodshed that occurred during the succession of imperial power in previous dynasties.
Yongjie was the heir chosen by Emperor Qianlong before his death, and no one could compete with him, so the transition of imperial power was very smooth and nothing happened.
Yunyi became Empress Dowager as she wished. Even if Niohuru was the Grand Empress Dowager, there was still a big difference between having an emperor as your son and having an emperor as your grandson.
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