Recalling the past, Hongli was still indignant. "Back then, I wanted to promote you to the position of secondary consort, but Father Emperor chose one from among the selected ladies-in-waiting. He also chose Gao Xiuwen for the other one. A prince can only have two secondary consorts. I couldn't go against Father Emperor's wishes, and you suffered injustice."
"If I could grant you a princely title, according to the rules, a prince can have three concubines, and I could then promote you to a higher rank."
In fact, Su Yushan was self-aware. She knew that she was of low status and not favored by the emperor, so she did not have any hope. Unexpectedly, Hongli still kept this matter in mind.
Su Yushan smiled indifferently and advised him not to think too much. "I don't care about those empty titles. Whether you're a concubine or a secondary consort, it's all the same to me. As long as you're good to me and the children, that's enough."
Gently brushing away the stray hairs at her temples, Hongli gazed at her and said softly, "I know you don't care, but I want to give you a high rank. When you like someone, you want to give her all the good things in the world."
In Su Yushan's vague recollection, Hongli had been granted a princely title before ascending the throne, but she couldn't quite remember the exact year. She simply replied:
"It should be soon! The Emperor values you so much, you will surely get what you want."
This is indeed true. Hongli sighed, "He values me, but he has also placed many shackles on me. My days are truly unbearable!"
Now, Hongli is both a prince and a subject, and Yongzheng is extremely strict with him. Su Yushan can only advise him to think positively, "When you ascend the throne in the future, you will no longer be subject to others."
Thinking of the late emperor's sixty-year reign, Hongli felt that his succession was far away. "Father is in his prime, and it is too early for him to succeed to the throne. I do not expect to ascend the throne. I only hope that Father will grant me a princely title as soon as possible."
"It's getting late!" Su Yushan thought to herself: "Yongzheng won't be on the throne for many more years." However, she dared not say such things carelessly, so she pretended not to know and responded with a joking smile.
"You should still have dreams, what if they come true?"
Hongli put one arm around her and gently stroked her high nose with the other, teasing her with a laugh, "So you should also dream of becoming a concubine, what if it comes true?"
She really didn't want to have this dream.
Once a person develops a desire for power, they will unconsciously become greedy and want more. Su Yushan already knew the general fate of those around her. In her view, what good was a high position? Life was short, and everything was ultimately empty. Therefore, she did not covet power and status, but cared more about her physical and mental health.
"It's just a few dozen taels more in monthly salary! It's nothing special."
“There are more benefits than that,” Hongli patiently explained to her. “If you become a secondary consort, the court will provide you with official robes and hats, and I can take you with me to the palace to pay my respects and express my gratitude to Father Emperor.”
Previously, when Su Yushan was being harassed by Consort Xi, she had entered the palace once. The carriage had to stop at the palace gate, and she walked for nearly half an hour in her flowerpot shoes to reach Jingren Palace. After making the two trips, her feet hurt terribly, and her calves ached for about ten days after returning home before recovering.
The mere thought of such a situation filled her with dread. "Does that mean I have to attend any palace banquets or similar events in the future?"
"No need for that. According to palace rules, only the primary wife needs to attend palace banquets."
Su Yushan breathed a sigh of relief after hearing this, "That's good. If I become a concubine and have to enter the palace from time to time, I would rather not do it."
Hongli sighed with a helpless smile, "This is an honor that others can only dream of. I've been trying my best to win it for you, but you don't care at all."
She was very grateful for Hongli's good intentions. In fact, Su Yushan wasn't ungrateful; rather, she had her own concerns.
“I was spoiled by you at home, and no one cared about me. I could do whatever I wanted. But once I enter the palace, there are many rules. I’m worried that saying or doing the wrong thing will cause trouble. So I’m afraid and somewhat resistant to entering the palace.”
So she knew how much he doted on her! These words greatly pleased him. He gently patted her back and smiled comfortingly:
"You'll have to go to the palace sooner or later, but I'll protect you then. No one will dare to find fault with you, so don't worry!"
Nodding, Su Yushan nestled comfortably against his shoulder. Through the window, she saw Yonghuang playing happily with the young eunuchs by the crabapple tree in the courtyard.
Su Yushan felt very lucky to have a son and a daughter, with her children and husband by her side, never having to be separated. This was her greatest happiness.
Spring turned to summer, and Su Yushan was able to spend every day with her child, while Yu Ying had to endure the pain of missing her son. She wondered how Yonglian was doing in the palace, and whether he had adapted to palace life.
On the ninth day of the seventh lunar month, it was Yonglian's second birthday. Yuying missed her child, so she begged Hongli to take her to the palace to celebrate the child's birthday.
Hongli had no reason to refuse, so he took her to Shou Kang Palace to pay respects to the imperial concubines and visit the children.
After three months apart, Yu Ying was afraid that Yong Lian wouldn't recognize her. Fortunately, Yong Lian smiled happily when he saw her, and ran to her with open arms for her to hug. Upon seeing her son, Yu Ying was so excited that she burst into tears of joy, hugging him tightly and unwilling to let go.
The separation is short now, so he can still remember her. But if they are separated for too long in the future, I'm afraid her son won't recognize her. It seems she needs to find more excuses to visit her son in the palace.
After paying their respects to the imperial concubines, Yu Ying and Hongli, along with Yonglian, went to Jingren Palace to pay their respects to Consort Xi.
Today it was cloudy and windy, and not hot outside. Yonglian didn't want to stay indoors and wanted to go outside to see the lion dog. So Yuying accompanied her son to play outside the palace.
Previously, Hongli would always leave immediately after paying his respects and would never linger. However, today, with Yuying and Yonglian here, Hongli stayed with them a little longer.
Since her son was here, Consort Xi took the opportunity to talk to Hongli about having children, saying, "You've been married for so long and only have three children. That's too few. You should have more children."
Hongli said that there was no rush and that they should wait until Yushan had recovered before discussing the matter.
Consort Xi scoffed in displeasure, "There are other women in the mansion besides her; other women can also have children."
Hongli suddenly regretted coming here today. "Mother..."
Before he could explain, his mother interrupted him, "I know you're going to say you only like Su Shi. You can like whatever you want. Your mother didn't say you couldn't like her."
"You may not have feelings for other women, but at least you should give them a child, right? The royal family values offspring above all else; as a prince, you should bear the responsibility of continuing the family line."
Hongli was thoroughly annoyed by these words; his ears were practically calloused. "We already have a legitimate son, Mother, why are you making further demands?"
"How can one legitimate son be enough?" Leaving aside distant matters, Consort Xi brought up a more recent example. "Look at your thirteenth imperial uncle's children. His legitimate son, Hongtun, died at the age of nineteen. I'm not afraid of anything else, but I'm afraid of accidents! So you and the Fujin should have more children, both legitimate sons and daughters!"
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