"I loathe her utterly. Just looking at her makes me irritated. If I keep her in the manor, who knows what evil tricks she might pull and drug me again. A woman as vicious as her must never be kept by my side."
If Jin Minjing were childless, and she dared to drug Hongli, Consort Xi would certainly punish her severely. However, she was pregnant, and the sex of the baby was still unknown to Lady Fucha. Having another child would provide some protection. Therefore, Consort Xi insisted on keeping Jin Minjing. However, her son's attitude was resolute, leaving Consort Xi with no choice but to find a compromise.
"Then find a reason to send her to another residence to rest and prepare for childbirth, so that you won't have to see her and worry about her. It's not too late to deal with her after she gives birth."
“Mother…” Hongli wanted to say more, but Consort Xi waved her hand, the gems embedded in her sharp and slender nail polish gleaming with a cold and eerie light, “I didn’t rest well yesterday and have a bit of a headache. You should go back first and we can talk another day.”
This is already the biggest concession Consort Xi has made; the child must be saved.
Hongli believed he had caught his mother red-handed, but she ignored him. No matter how indignant he was, he could not go against his mother's wishes and had to take his leave respectfully.
Once outside the palace gates, his fingers slowly clenched, the veins on the back of his hand bulging faintly, revealing his inner discontent.
Kim Min-jung is clearly someone in his backyard, yet he has no right to deal with her and has to consult his mother. When will he finally be able to make his own decisions?
He arrived full of hope, but left disappointed. Upon returning home, Hongli went straight to the Huatang Pavilion.
Today, the weather was warm, and Chang Yue and several maids laid out all the flowerpots, while Su Yushan sat at the stone table in the courtyard tending to the camellia branches.
Having no intention of going out, she didn't apply any makeup, only drawing her eyebrows and applying a light layer of lip rouge. Her complexion seemed rather poor, and her lake-blue cloak made her face appear even paler. Hongli paused for a moment, then slowly approached. Changyue served tea and quietly withdrew.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him sit down, but Su Yushan didn't greet him. Holding the scissors, she continued to trim the branches and leaves, acting as if he didn't exist.
Hongli then revealed the truth, saying that Jin Minjing had drugged him.
“According to Lizhi, that kind of medicine can cause hallucinations. No matter who appears, the person who has taken the medicine will see the other person as the person they most want to see in their heart. When I was in a daze, I seemed to see you enter the study. I thought it was you, so I let her help me into the tent. It was the medicine that confused my mind. It was not that I wanted to touch her. Yushan, I have never betrayed our feelings.”
She remained silent, so he continued, "Just now I went to the palace to find Mother and explained my stance: I wanted to expel Jin Minjing from the mansion. But Mother told me to send her to another residence. As you know, the matter of offspring is of great importance and cannot be decided by me alone."
Yushan, I understand your grievances and resentment. Seven months, just seven more months. After she gives birth to the child at the other residence, I will completely sever ties with her and kick her out.
How can two people who are bound together by a child completely sever ties? The so-called "wait a while" is just an excuse!
If Kim Min-jeong gives birth to a girl, perhaps Consort Xi won't care. But if she gives birth to a boy, she will rise in status because of her son. For the sake of the imperial grandson, Consort Xi probably won't go so far as to kill her. She might even reward Kim Min-jeong.
Half a year is enough time for too many changes to happen. Su Yushan didn't want to wait, nor would she trust Hongli anymore. No matter what he said, Su Yushan wouldn't respond.
Her expression was unusually calm, as if his words had nothing to do with her, as if those conflicts had never happened. However, he knew in his heart that there was a deep-seated grudge between them.
Hongli strode forward, snatched the scissors from her hand, slammed them onto the stone table, and forced her to face him by turning her shoulders.
"Yushan, I'm talking to you, are you listening?"
Su Yushan glanced at him indifferently, her eyes devoid of joy or sorrow, and quickly looked away. She reached for the scissors, but he gripped her arm tightly, preventing her from moving.
"What do you mean? Do you hate me that much that you don't even want to argue with me? Are you planning to ignore me for the rest of your life?"
Yushan, I'm the one who's been wronged. Can't you put yourself in my shoes and consider my perspective just this once?
She had considered his situation countless times. It was precisely because of his status as a prince and the fact that he already had many maids when she entered the household that she forced herself to integrate into his life and not care whether he belonged entirely to her.
Once he's made a compromise, he'll naturally demand a second one, until she completely changes.
Su Yushan just wanted to cut her losses; she didn't want to continue sinking deeper, losing her soul and self for a man.
However, she only thought about it and didn't want to say a word to him. He didn't need to know her thoughts, and he wouldn't understand anyway, so why bother saying anything?
Her indifference left Hongli feeling helpless and anxious. If it were anyone else giving him the cold shoulder, he would not have put up with it. But it was Su Yushan. Even though she treated him coldly, he still couldn't bring himself to say anything harsh to her.
She neither refused nor responded, and the two remained in this stalemate, the atmosphere growing increasingly awkward. Helpless, Hongli had no choice but to release her hand, sighed, and turn away dejectedly.
Feeling depressed, he didn't want to stay in the mansion, so he took a carriage to the Fifth Prince's mansion.
The emperor had been drowning his sorrows in alcohol and hadn't said much. Seeing this, Hongzhou understood. "I've done some calculations, and I think you're troubled by love, Fourth Brother. Tell me! What's bothering you? Maybe I can give you some guidance."
Hongli was reluctant to talk about his romantic relationships with his children in front of others, but when a person is extremely depressed, the urge to confide in others becomes particularly strong.
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
