The emperor did not refuse, but made a condition. He gave Hongli a glimmer of hope, but did not give a definite answer. No matter what Hongli said, Yongzheng always said the same thing: "Let's discuss it after the child is born."
Hongli clenched his fists, filled with resentment, yet helpless, and could only give up. He knew his father's temper well; if things escalated too much, the emperor might cut off Yushan's escape route in a fit of anger, leaving no hope at all!
Settling for second best was Hongli's only option.
After returning home, Hongli was sullen and unusually depressed. He had no appetite even for the black chicken soup that Yushan had personally stewed for him. He only told her not to cook anymore, as she should rest more while pregnant.
"I've only been here for two months, I'm still very agile, just like usual. Cooking a meal occasionally isn't tiring, so don't think of me as weak. But you, why are you so listless?"
Considering his recent involvement in military intelligence discussions, Su Yushan couldn't help but think of a possibility, "Is he troubled by military matters? Has something happened in the Dzungar Khanate? Is Jiafeng alright?"
"The Prince Consort has won a great victory. Galdan Tsering was routed and fled in disarray. Our army is still searching for Galdan Tsering's whereabouts. Jiafeng is safe and sound. If nothing unexpected happens, she will be able to return to the capital in the next few months."
Since her younger brother went to the Dzungar Khanate two years ago, Su Yushan had been following the war closely. Upon hearing the news of the victory, she was filled with emotion. "This battle has lasted five years, and we've finally won. It was truly hard-won! Jiafeng can finally come back and reunite with Yunning!" However, what Su Yushan found strange was...
"This is a joyous occasion, so why are you looking so gloomy?"
"I chose today to tell Father Emperor that I wanted to promote you because I saw that he was in a good mood. After all, I am now Prince Bao and can have three concubines at the same time, but Father Emperor still disagrees!"
Without needing to ask further, Su Yushan had already guessed the reason: "It's probably because of my Han Chinese identity, right?"
With a frustrated sigh, Hongli scoffed, "Father Emperor only knows how to bring this up. He said that no one in the Su family was in officialdom, but later your brothers all entered officialdom and held high positions. Jiafeng even went to the battlefield and showed great bravery. Now he says that Consort Qi was promoted to the rank of secondary consort only after giving birth to three sons, and that you can only be promoted if your baby is a boy."
"What if it's a girl and he won't grant her a promotion?" Su Yushan suddenly found it amusing. "The Emperor is just finding a way to refuse! Even if I really give birth to a boy next year, I reckon he'll find some other reason."
This was exactly what Hongli was worried about. He always felt that his father's words were just an excuse. The emperor was supposed to keep his word, but his father kept making excuses, which made Hongli increasingly disappointed in him.
"What use is this throne to me? Even if I am granted a title, I still can't make decisions for my own concubine. I'm already twenty-three, and my family affairs are still controlled by my father. This life is really boring!"
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He lost his appetite and simply poured himself a drink, trying to drown his sorrows. Yu Shan wanted to keep him company, but unfortunately, she was pregnant and couldn't drink. So she smiled gently and advised him not to take it to heart.
"Then let's wait until next year after the baby is born! Whether it works out or not is up to fate, I won't force it. At least in this year, the Emperor shouldn't force you to take a concubine."
"I won't marry her, I absolutely won't this time! He won't do what I want, and I won't do what he wants either." Hongli was determined this time; the position of the third concubine must be reserved for Yushan, and he would never give it to anyone else!
“I understand your feelings. Let the promotion happen naturally. I don’t want it to affect your mood. You should smile and eat more. How can I feel at ease with such a long face?”
Su Yushan coaxed him gently and even served him food herself, hoping he wouldn't put so much pressure on himself.
He had talked about the matter of a concubine for many years, each time filled with anticipation, only to be disappointed time and time again. Hongli felt sorry for Yushan, but she not only did not blame him, but also comforted him with gentle words. Hongli was moved and did not mention the matter again, so as not to make Yushan worry about him.
Later, when she had some free time, Su Yushan asked Yunsong to inform He Yunning that Jiafeng was about to return to Beijing.
He Yuning was overjoyed and began to look forward to Jiafeng's return.
After Hongli became Prince Bao, the happiest person in the mansion was not Yuying. Yuying had known all along that Hongli was going to be the emperor, so the title of prince was expected by her and there was no surprise in it.
The one who truly cared about this matter was actually Princess Fucha.
Over the years, Hongli has not taken many new women into his household. After Jinshi left, he had fewer and fewer women.
Although Princess Fucha's father did not hold a higher official position than Gao Xiuwen's father, she was a Manchu woman and her family background was superior to others.
Now that Hongli has become a prince, he will inevitably have three concubines. Yuying believes that Princess Fucha is qualified for this, and Princess Fucha also feels that it should be her turn, but she still has some worries.
"Fourth Prince is definitely biased towards Consort Su. I heard that the Emperor said that if Consort Su's baby is a boy, he will make her a concubine."
"If she were a girl, wouldn't you have a chance?"
The words of the Fujin gave Princess Fucha a glimmer of hope, but Su Yushan was only three months pregnant, and no one knew whether she was carrying a boy or a girl.
Princess Fucha had consulted the Qing Palace Chart, which predicted that Su Yushan's baby would be a boy. Once she gave birth to the little prince, Emperor Yongzheng would be so happy that he would promote her to Hongli's secondary consort, and then Princess Fucha would completely lose all hope!
How to turn the situation around is a tricky question.
In the Yiyun Pavilion, with nothing to do, the autumn tea party would inquire about the affairs of the mansion and relay them to the master to pass the lonely time.
"I heard that Princess Fucha is feeling quite melancholy right now!"
"Oh?" Lan Rong was dyeing balsam flowers when she heard this and couldn't help but laugh. "Fourth Master doesn't favor her. She just needs to live a peaceful life. What's there to worry about?"
"She was worried about how to get promoted..." Qiu Cha vividly recounted what she had heard.
Upon hearing this, Lan Rong chuckled, "So she wants to stop Su Yushan from having a son! Isn't that simple?"
Qiu Cha paused slightly, her eyes filled with curiosity, "Master, do you have a way?"
After a moment's thought, Lan Rong beckoned, and Qiu Cha placed the balsam flower in her hand into a porcelain bowl, then went to her master's side and listened attentively.
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