After returning to the room, Su Yushan held Yan Yan in her arms. Yan Yan was too tired and fell asleep on the couch after playing for a while. The nanny said she wanted to take the child back to the room to sleep, but she couldn't bear to leave him. She covered him with a blanket and sat by his side to watch over him.
Gazing at her sleeping child, she fell into deep thought. No mother could accept today's turn of events, and Su Yushan couldn't imagine how she would cope if something were to happen to Yan Yan…
Lost in thought, Su Yushan heard familiar footsteps approaching. She looked up, her eyes flashing with surprise, and asked, "Why are you back? How is the Princess Consort?"
Hongli, who had just entered, sat down by the bed, took Yan Yan's little finger, and gently stroked it with affection. He replied softly, "She fainted, but she has woken up now."
With a soft sigh, Su Yushan gently advised, "The Princess Consort is in a bad mood; you should spend more time with her."
Hongli raised an eyebrow at her. "Aren't you jealous?"
She could still tell what was more important. "At a time like this, how could I be in the mood to be jealous? A child is a mother's heart and soul. Losing a child is like cutting off one's own heart, which is extremely painful. I understand her feelings and I won't be jealous for no reason."
Comparing the two situations, Hongli sighed deeply, "You still know how to think of her, but she only blames me and Yan Yan, thinking that Yan Yan brought bad luck to Bao'er."
This situation was truly unexpected for Su Yushan. "The wizard's words have been proven false, so why is the Princess still blaming Yan Yan?"
Yes! It's a principle everyone understands, and Yu Ying couldn't possibly be unaware of it, yet she keeps targeting Yan Yan. Perhaps it's her inner demons at work again.
"Because the jealousy in her heart had demonized Yan Yan, especially when the two children were vaccinated against smallpox together, Yan Yan was lucky enough to survive, but Bao'er died, which made her even more unbalanced."
She blamed me for favoring Yan Yan, but she couldn't do anything about it. She wanted to transfer her hatred onto someone else, and Yan Yan became her target.
That year, the Fujin believed that Yan Yan had caused Bao'er to fall ill, and wanted to give Yan Yan talisman water and send him out of the mansion. Fortunately, she stopped them and prevented them from succeeding.
Now that Bao'er is gone, Su Yushan couldn't help but worry, "Would the Fujin (wife) be eyeing Yan Yan again? I don't care if she hates me, but she can't harm my child!"
In fact, Hongli had also considered this point: "I have ordered people to strengthen the guards, and no one will break in casually, not even people in the palace."
Hopefully, the Fujin (wife) only said those angry words because she couldn't accept it for a moment, and hopefully she won't have any more designs on Yan Yan, otherwise Su Yushan will never let it go!
When Consort Xi in the palace learned of this, she also asked someone to tell Yan Yan's fortune. The person said that Yan Yan's fate was different from that of ordinary people.
Consort Xi took it seriously, worried that the child would bring misfortune to the legitimate son born to the Fujin (the emperor's wife). So she discussed with the emperor that she wanted to bring Yan Yan to live in the palace and have him raised by several imperial concubines.
With no young sons left in the Yongzheng Emperor's harem, it was indeed quite desolate. If there were a child to keep those noble consorts entertained, that would be wonderful.
The next morning, Hongli went to the palace for court. After the court session, Yongzheng summoned Hongli to the Hall of Mental Cultivation and asked him to send Yan Yan to the palace on a chosen day.
Sending the imperial grandson to the palace to be raised would bring him closer to the emperor. Even if the child was in the palace of the Dowager Consort, the emperor would visit him often. This was an unparalleled honor, and Hongli had no reason to object. However, he knew that Yushan's thoughts were different from others and guessed that she would not agree. Moreover, he was also reluctant to be separated from Yan Yan. Therefore, Hongli did not agree and only said that he would go back and discuss it with Yushan.
Yongzheng found it laughable. "My words are orders. What is there to discuss? You, a prince, can't even decide who your concubines are? Or are you worried that I'll harm my own grandson?"
Hongli immediately bowed and said, "Your subject has no such thought. It's just that Su has been raising Yan Yan all this time, and she will surely be reluctant to be separated from him suddenly."
Reluctant to part with him? This excuse was not convincing to Yongzheng. "You know the rule that royal offspring cannot be too close to their birth mothers. Let Yan Yan enter the palace. I will not mistreat him. With me protecting him, no one can harm him!"
The emperor insisted on this, and Hongli had no choice but to agree for the time being.
After leaving the Hall of Mental Cultivation, he felt increasingly uneasy. Why would his father, the Emperor, allow Yan Yan to enter the palace? What had happened to make his father suddenly have this idea?
Suddenly recalling what his wife had said that day, Hongli couldn't help but suspect that she was secretly plotting against him!
Suspicious, he did not leave the palace, but went straight to Jingren Palace to pay his respects to his mother and inquire about the matter.
Consort Xi knew her son's personality all too well. If she were to speak on this matter, Hongli would definitely not agree and would have a big argument with her. But if the Emperor were to speak on it, the situation would be different.
The emperor's words are an imperial edict; he has no reason to disobey.
To avoid upsetting her son again, Consort Xi refused to say anything. "Perhaps the concubines have not been able to bear children for the Emperor, so the Emperor feels that the palace is too lonely and wants to bring his grandson over. This is a blessing for our Yan Yan!"
How eloquently you speak these high-sounding words! Hongli scoffed disdainfully, "Is your so-called blessing simply to let Yushan suffer the pain of separation from her child?"
When it comes to this matter, Consort Xi is the one who has the most authority to speak on it.
"Back then, didn't the Emperor insist on entrusting you, who was still young, to Consort Tongjia for upbringing? Did anyone consider my feelings as your birth mother? I clearly couldn't bear to be separated from you, yet I still had to thank him with tears in my eyes and a smile on my face."
As a member of the royal family, one should be prepared to be separated from one's children! Even I couldn't escape it, so what makes Su Shi think she can be an exception?
If Yan Yan had been allowed to enter the palace at a different time, perhaps Hongli wouldn't have been so resistant. But it happened in the last few days, so he couldn't help but suspect that this was Yu Ying's trick.
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