After a brief chat, Tong Yurou had to leave first, otherwise she might be easily discovered.
They returned the way they came, and when they reached Qiulan, the palace maid who had gone to fetch the cloak had not yet returned.
Before leaving, Tong Yurou instructed Qiulan to change the position of the cloak, which made it take the palace maids some time to find it.
Stepping forward to support her mistress, Qiulan discreetly observed Tong Yurou's expression but couldn't discern anything amiss.
Still keeping her head bowed and eyes downcast, Qiulan stood with her mistress, waiting for the two palace maids to return.
Fortunately, Tong Yurou had already wasted some time in the bamboo forest, so the two palace maids arrived shortly after she waited outside.
The two palace maids were very frightened, fearing that they had wasted too much time and would be punished by their mistress. Fortunately, Tong Yurou was thinking about other things and remained calm, without blaming them.
The journey back was quiet. Unlike when they came, when Qiulan would say some funny things, she was very tactful on the way back and kept quiet the whole way without daring to disturb her master's thoughts.
At this moment, Tong Yurou was very conflicted. She was very interested in Borjigit's proposal, but she was also worried that Borjigit's motives were impure and that things would be exposed.
She had previously considered switching children, but that was within her own palace, where she could ensure she wouldn't be discovered.
However, if they were to switch places with the Borjigits, the distance between them would be too great, and if any problems arose, they would be finished.
This is also why Tong Yurou hesitated; the risk was too great, and she needed to consider it carefully.
But she also told herself that Borjigit was, after all, an empress, and she should have some influence, as evidenced by the fact that she was able to place people in the imperial kitchen.
Moreover, what she just said demonstrated her abilities. Tong Yurou wanted to give it a try; if she succeeded, she would become the prince's birth mother.
Moreover, since Borjigit was going to leave the palace, no one would know this secret, and she would have no worries.
After the exchange, his child was in her hands, and her child was in his hands, which was equivalent to having hostages. This should also be a means for the Borjigit clan to balance the two sides.
Tong Yurou was somewhat worried about whether she would be deceived.
But her inner desires were greater; she seemed to want to take a gamble and see if she could succeed.
Tong Yurou tossed and turned on the third night, unable to sleep again. She had too many worries on her mind lately, and she felt that her spirit was extremely weak and she needed to rest and recuperate.
But the chaotic and complicated thoughts in her mind kept her from sleeping at all, and she couldn't help but think about this and that.
Yunyi waited for several days without seeing any response from Tong Yurou, but she wasn't worried at all. Knowing Tong Yurou's personality, she wouldn't refuse.
That's what she said, but Yunyi wasn't completely inactive. Since Tong Yurou was hesitant, she would give her a push.
At this time, Emperor Shunzhi had just met Consort Dong'e, and the two were deeply in love, at the sweetest time of their relationship.
However, since Lady Dong'e had already married Boguor as his wife, and Shunzhi wanted to spend time with her, there were many rumors circulating.
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang knew about this, but she had a bad relationship with her son and couldn't persuade him at all. She could only watch helplessly as her son did these things.
The inner palace was relatively closed off from matters of the court, and for the time being, no one knew that Shunzhi was having a secret meeting with his brother's wife.
Tongjia clan members, through their family members who held official positions in the previous dynasty, vaguely knew some of the information.
This is why she was filled with apprehension after her miscarriage in her previous life, fearing that Dong Eshi would steal her favor and thus switch her babies.
To provoke Tong Yurou, Yunyi instructed Su Mala Gu to send two palace maids to deliberately whisper and discuss the matter when Tong Yurou went out for a walk.
The two palace maids not only gossiped about the Emperor and the wife of Prince Xiang, but also said that the Emperor deposed the Empress to make room for the wife of Prince Xiang, and that he wanted to make this Dong E woman the Empress.
Tong Yurou was deeply in love with Shunzhi. She knew about Shunzhi's affair with Dong Eshi before, but she did not expect it to be so serious.
If the Emperor could depose the Empress Dowager's chosen Empress for the sake of Consort Dong'e, would I still have any hope once she enters the palace?
Women are all jealous. Dong Eshi was so favored by the emperor, but after she entered the palace, she stopped the emperor from going to other people's places. How could she get pregnant and give birth to the little prince?
Tong Yurou felt a strong sense of crisis, realizing that her previous escape route had been blocked. It seemed that cooperation was truly inevitable.
This was a very clumsy method. With Tong Yurou's intelligence, she could certainly see that Borjigit's methods were involved, but she also knew that the news was true.
From this, she also saw Borjigit's eagerness; her yearning for freedom was the same as her own yearning for power and status.
That evening, Qiulan went to the imperial kitchen with a menu and specifically asked Yulu to deliver the next day's breakfast according to the menu.
Yulu prepared two portions of the same breakfast. One portion was sent to Consort Tong in Chengqian Palace, while the other portion was sent to Yunyi's residence in Shuangyue Palace.
After washing up, she came to eat as usual. With just a glance, Yunyi understood what Tong Yurou meant.
Sure enough, when she was hesitant, she needed a push. Just as she took action, Tong Yurou's reply arrived.
After having breakfast as usual, Yunyi picked up her pen and wrote down another menu. The menu looked ordinary, but it contained the information that the two of them were conveying to each other.
They continued to communicate with each other, and Yunyi and Tong Yurou perfected their plan. They were just waiting for the time when the babies were due to be born so that they could exchange children and the matter would be settled.
As the New Year of the eleventh year of the Shunzhi Emperor's reign arrived, at the New Year's banquet, Tong Yurou, having learned of the relationship between the Emperor and Consort Dong'e, couldn't help but secretly observe the two of them.
Upon closer inspection, it was indeed a problem. The Emperor's heart was with the wife of Prince Xiang. Throughout the palace banquet, he would steal glances at Lady Dong'e from time to time, his eyes filled with deep affection.
As for that vile woman, Lady Dong'e, even though she's already married, she still dares to stare at the Emperor with those foxy eyes.
Jealousy burned in Tong Yurou's eyes, and she felt that if she continued to watch, she would be tempted to do something impolite.
But her strong reason held her back, and Tong Yurou forced herself not to look at these upsetting things. She raised her hand to touch her lower abdomen, feeling somewhat relieved.
Fortunately, she had already reached an agreement with Borjigit, and after giving birth to the child, she would have a prince by her side.
This is the emperor's second son, and being ranked higher, he has a greater chance of ascending to the throne in the future.
Even if Lady Dong'e enters the palace, it doesn't necessarily mean she'll have to wait until she gives birth, given her current level of favor and status.
Tong Yurou guessed that Dong Eshi would probably be targeted by the entire harem. Since she had a prince under her wing, she could just focus on raising her child and watch the tigers fight from the sidelines.
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