Chapter 228: Another problem arose.
"Prepare?"
Thinking of Jiang Gege, who was heavily pregnant, Fucha naturally understood what her third sister-in-law meant by the preparations, but she still pretended not to understand and said, "Of course, they are ready. There are many newly built houses in Yuqing Palace that are ready to be occupied, so it won't delay anything."
"Oh dear, that's not what I meant. In such a vast palace, would she be short of a room?" Huiyi waved her hand, lowered her voice, and looked around before speaking—"I mean, what kind of personality does that concubine have, including the matter of the child in the future? Are you prepared?"
Fucha didn't respond. She knew Huiyi meant no harm, but some things were just too difficult to say.
Huiyi patted her hand and said to herself, "Look at the Third Prince. Caiping only came to the Third Prince's side when I was pregnant. Even if it wasn't her, it would have been someone else. She is beautiful, of humble origin, and gentle and obedient, which makes the Third Prince like her. She is already the most standard and proper concubine."
“I didn’t let her get pregnant for the past few years, but after I gave birth to Hua’er, no matter how I tried to take care of myself, I couldn’t have another child. Hua’er’s health was also like that, and taking care of her every day was exhausting for me, so I finally gave up. To be honest, I’m happy that she’s pregnant now. She’s gentle and obedient. Whether it’s a boy or a girl, at least the Third Prince won’t be so childless.”
"Did you see just now? The Third Prince specially summoned a sedan chair. He dotes on her, doesn't he?" Huiyi asked softly. In fact, even if no one answered, she knew that for the Third Prince, who was not fond of standing out, to do this, he truly cared about her.
“But Your Highness, I’m not afraid you’ll laugh at me. The Third Prince is a bit slow-witted and single-minded. When he gets excited, he doesn’t think things through and does whatever he wants. But he will listen to what I say, and he will care about me. That’s enough.”
Fucha understood perfectly; all that she had said was simply to remind him of one thing.
She had a child to rely on, and only allowed someone else to get pregnant after three to five years of not being able to conceive again. Now that she and her concubine have entered the Eastern Palace one after the other, she hasn't even developed a proper relationship with the Crown Prince, let alone having a child. She has to make plans as soon as possible.
But she wasn't a prince's wife, and the crown prince wasn't an ordinary prince either.
Fucha had considered this matter before entering the manor, but her thoughts were completely different from Huiyi's.
The Crown Prince's children were not only grandsons of the Emperor, but also future princes, and if you think about it more deeply, they all had the right to inherit the throne. However, the Qing Dynasty had never had a fixed system of primogeniture. Even the two Crown Princes who were officially appointed were only nominally sons of the legitimate wife, not the eldest sons.
More importantly, the position should be held by the virtuous and capable.
The women who could enter the Eastern Palace as concubines were quite different from that Jiang Gege. Hui Fa Nara was a prominent Manchu family, and Shushen was a woman of quiet and far-sighted character who never competed for the top. Who could say what would happen in the future? Why should she make things difficult for herself?
"Having children is a matter of fate. If you prepare everything but the time isn't right, then it's all for nothing." Fucha wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief, his tone as calm as ever—"Whoever has a child is the Crown Prince's child, and I will treat them all as my own flesh and blood."
Seeing that she truly spoke these words without any pretense, Huiyi was somewhat speechless. After all, one should do what one is supposed to do in one's position, and perhaps the two of them were never on the same level from the beginning.
She treated the concubines in the mansion well, and even if she didn't want them to get pregnant for the time being, she never gave them any medicine that would harm their health. She was also willing to give them her own dowry, and it was common for them to chat and laugh together occasionally when they were in a good mood.
But the next Empress chosen by the Emperor for his beloved son was ultimately different.
Inside the Imperial Study.
The claim that the thirteenth prince was waiting was merely a pretext. After lunch, Yinzhen began to address the matter that Hongshi had repeatedly consulted him about.
He rubbed the handkerchief haphazardly in his hands and tossed it aside. His brow furrowed as he looked up at Hongshi, who was filled with both anxiety and hope. Seeing Hongshi's expression, he was immediately filled with anger.
"Given her background and status as a mere concubine, you're already asking her to be promoted to the rank of secondary consort when she's only four months pregnant? Let's not even discuss whether she's qualified. Even if she were to be promoted, it should wait until after the child is born."
Hongshi, however, has grown bolder in the past two years. Although he is still like a mouse in front of a cat, he dares to talk back to the emperor while cowering.
"Your subject asks for nothing else but to grant Caiping the position of a secondary consort. I hope Your Majesty will grant this request!"
Seeing him like this, Yinzhen was even more furious. He slammed his hand on the table and glared at him, saying, "Consort, you make it sound so easy. A consort is to be listed in the imperial genealogy. You can't just decide to bestow this title today and that title tomorrow."
As he spoke, he couldn't help but think back to when the Empress was just a concubine in the Prince's mansion. Even though she had given birth to two auspicious sons, she still couldn't be granted the title of a secondary consort. Thinking about this, he couldn't help but feel a little guilty.
He pointed at Hongshi with a look of exasperation—"Wasn't it the time you came to me praising the Fujin back then? Hmm?"
Then, feeling a pang of guilt, and seeing Hongshi's stubbornness in pleading with him, he pondered for a long time before finally sighing, "Fine, I promise you, as long as she gives birth safely, I will grant your request. Do not plead any further."
Hearing this, Hongzhao, who was standing to the side, understood that this was already a concession from his father, the Emperor. At this point, as long as his third brother stood up to express his gratitude, the matter would be resolved happily.
But whenever he felt "it was all settled," something was bound to go wrong.
Hongshi usually couldn't speak when he saw his father, but today, for some reason, he muttered, "There are still six months left. What if we can't wait?"
Unfortunately, those words reached the ears of everyone present.
His original intention was to say that he had promised Caiping the position of a concubine in preparation for the birth of their child. But now, half a year has passed, and he will not be able to receive this favor before the child is born.
But to Yinzhen, who was already in a bad mood, it sounded more like, "You won't live to see this child born."
He knew it in his heart, but it was another matter to be provoked to his face like that.
"Rebellious son!"
A crisp cracking sound rang in Hong Zhao and Hong Shi's ears as a fine inkstone shattered into pieces right before their eyes.
Before Hongzhao could recover from his shock, an angry shout immediately reached his ears.
"I'm not dead yet, you're in such a hurry!"
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