The signs that Consort Xi has fallen out of favor are bad. He and Consort Xi are now in the same boat; if she drowns, he drowns too. So, no matter what, he has to help Consort Xi regain favor. He asked Consort Xi:
"Mother, what kind of person is Consort Xian?"
Looking at Hongli asking the question, Zhen Huan recalled Meng Jingxian's face, and her expression became tense. "Hongli, you can't go to see Consort Xian. It's not urgent to see Hongche either. Once you enter the Imperial Study, you won't be able to see him however you want. But Consort Xian is different, understand?"
Hongli looked at the somewhat overly nervous Consort Xi. He said "okay" but in his heart, he was indeed curious about this virtuous consort. He could tell that Consort Xi was afraid that he would do something outrageous, but how could that be? He was not the Emperor Father. Would he do something incestuous like stealing his brother's wife? That was too absurd. Although the rumors in the palace said that Consort Xi was as beautiful as a fairy, how beautiful could a person be to the point that he could make people lose their minds?
Hongli didn't believe in this, so naturally he didn't follow Consort Xi's instructions and went directly to Yuehua Palace with Princess Longyue to visit his adopted younger brother, Hongche.
Inside the Moonflower Palace, Hongche sat on a fluffy carpet, struggling with a six-linked ring in his hand. Although he could walk, he didn't like sitting on a cold chair. Instead, he preferred to sit on the carpet and play. The doting Emperor Yongzheng waved his hand and sent some rare and precious furs to cover the entire Moonflower Palace, ensuring that little Hongche could play to his heart's content.
Qingyin looked at Hongche, who was sitting on the ground, his chubby little face straining with effort. She could see how serious he was. His hair wasn't completely straight; the ends curled up slightly, forming cute little curls. Paired with his fair, chubby, and exquisitely delicate little face, he looked like a little princess from Europe. His boyish features were obvious. Qingyin hadn't expected that after her baby took the beauty pill, his appearance would develop in a direction that was both charming and adorable. Now, he no longer resembled Prince Guo at all. Although at first glance the outlines looked somewhat similar, upon closer inspection, there was no resemblance whatsoever.
Qingyin ruthlessly reached out and gently pinched the cheek of the earnest little Hongche. Little Hongche's skin was thin, and he immediately blushed slightly. He innocently raised his little face and looked at his beautiful mother, his eyes conveying the innocent question, "Mother, is something wrong?"
Qingyin glanced at him guiltily from a different direction, without answering her son's gaze.
The sensible young Hongche glared at his unscrupulous, beautiful mother, then lowered his head to carefully study the six-linked rings sent by his father.
Seeing this, Granny Ma exchanged a helpless glance with Yulan. "Her Majesty is good in every way, except that she loves to tease the young master too much!" Yulan nodded in agreement.
Lin Fucheng, the young eunuch who was standing guard at the door, trotted in and said, "Your Majesty, Princess Longyue, Princess Wenyi, and Prince Hongli have come to see you."
Qingyin was slightly surprised; it was unexpected that Princess Longyue and the Fourth Prince had come to see her. She nodded and said, "Let the princess and princes come in quickly."
Hongli, Wenyi, and Longyue sat in the side hall, chatting and laughing. Although Hongli was much older than them, as long as people are willing, they can chat no matter how big the age difference is. Wenyi was invited by Longyue. She was a quiet person, and she listened attentively while Hongli and Longyue talked, occasionally replying with a few words.
They stopped their idle chatter and entered the main hall of Yuehua Palace only after the eunuch who had invited them to sit down returned.
As soon as he entered the main hall, Hongli carefully observed the decorations of Yuehua Palace and secretly compared the palaces of the two imperial concubines with those of Consort Xi, Yongshou Palace.
Although Yuehua Palace was not as close to the Emperor's Hall of Mental Cultivation as Yongshou Palace, it was definitely spacious. The decorations inside were the newest and most valuable ceramics and ornaments presented as tribute, and the arrangement was also quite thoughtful. Seeing such an arrangement, Hongli felt a chill in his heart. He originally thought that his father's feelings for Consort Xian were just a passing fancy, but now it seemed that his father was different.
Compared to Hongli, who was worried about this and that, Longyue and Wenyi didn't have so many worries. What they were most curious about now was the famous Empress Xian and Hongche, who was originally their cousin but had become their younger brother.
Upon entering the inner room, Hongli and his companions, who had been bombarded by the beauty of the scene, were stunned. It wasn't the luxurious plush carpet that filled the room, but rather the presence of Consort Xian, who sat at the head of the table, smiling as she looked at the tiny figures on the floor.
The room was incredibly luxurious, yet all you could see was that face so beautiful it left you speechless.
A beauty that surpasses even the most beautiful June days in the world—Hongli had never understood that phrase so deeply. Like a moth drawn to a flame, he knew perfectly well that the beauty before him was the sharpest knife in the world, yet his eyes unconsciously revealed a fleeting longing and aggression. Yes, why could his father, the Emperor, have it, but he couldn't?
It took Longyue and Wenyi a while to react before they bowed to Qingyin and said, "Your subjects pay their respects to Your Majesty."
Startled awake by his sisters' voices, Hongli quickly averted his gaze and respectfully bowed to greet them.
Qingyin said gently, "Alright, princesses and Fourth Prince, please get up quickly."
Listening to Consort Xian's gentle voice and her exquisitely beautiful face, Wenyi and Longyue's affection for Consort Xian grew stronger.
The youngest, Longyue, who couldn't hide her emotions the most, asked expectantly, "Your Highness, we've come to see Brother Hongche today. Can we play with him?"
Qingyin smiled and said, "Of course you can. Hongche has become obsessed with the Six-Ring Puzzle lately. Why don't you go play with him over there? They've laid out lichen and prepared some pastries. You can play together for a while."
Wenyi and Longyue were a little reluctant to leave Empress Xian and play with their younger brother Hongche. However, they were happy to play with Hongche, who was super cute and resembled Empress Xian. Hongli, on the other hand, did not dare to show his emotions on his face. His eyes were darker, and he played with his two sisters and their new brother in the side hall.
Qingyin understood that look. She disliked it and felt disgusted by the way it treated her like prey. Hongli made her feel nauseous. Remembering that Hongli was the last emperor to ascend the throne in the original story, her eyes darkened. This fourth prince was incompetent and only got the throne because there were few princes in the palace. This time, she was afraid he wouldn't get what he wanted.
The way Hongli looked at Qingyin was naturally reported to Yongzheng by the secret guards. His eyes were deep and unreadable, and he simply built a residence for the fifteen-year-old, unmarried Hongli outside the palace. Zhen Huan in Yongshou Palace was shocked by this news, but Hongli understood something in his heart.
He kept his head down, making it impossible for anyone to read his thoughts. When he looked up, the servants saw that he had the same expression as before, but they felt an unusual fear of this prince.
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