Nowadays, Hongli is particularly sensitive to wine offered by women. The moment his wife mentions the word "wine," Hongli immediately becomes wary.
"Your memory isn't very good, Madam. Have you forgotten that I once said I would not spend the night at Lanzhao Courtyard again?"
Yu Ying finally mustered up the courage to ask him out, but he refused outright. Her face immediately turned red, and she felt utterly humiliated.
She initially intended to leave, but remembering Consort Xi's words, she changed her mind, forcing herself to continue smiling and striving to win him over.
“How can a husband and wife hold a grudge overnight? What happened before was my fault. I apologize to Your Highness. Your Highness is magnanimous and will not hold a grudge against a woman like me.”
Her so-called apology was probably not sincere, but rather had ulterior motives. Hongli didn't take it to heart, merely raising an eyebrow and glancing at her.
"I don't have time to argue with you, nor do I have time to dine with you. Just behave yourself, and we'll live in peace. But if you have any more wicked thoughts, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
As he spoke, his eyes became unusually fierce, and Yu Ying felt only sorrow.
"May I ask Your Highness, what is my duty? As your consort, my duty is to bear you children. If I have no children, the Empress resents me, thinking I am not capable of pleasing you. If I want children, you also resent me, thinking I am greedy. What should I do to be right?"
She was caught in the middle, but Hongli was no less troubled. "You wanted a legitimate daughter and a legitimate son, and I gave them both. You're still not satisfied, you keep pushing your luck, and you still feel wronged?"
“That Bao’er is gone! Mother still wants another granddaughter, and she’s putting pressure on me. What can I do?” Yu Ying was heartbroken when she talked about her daughter who died young. If her daughter were still alive, she wouldn’t have to be so humble.
"Then don't! What if you have a daughter and then lose her?"
Hongli's tone was harsh and his attitude was cold, showing no regard for her feelings. Yuying felt as if her heart was bleeding from his words!
Afraid of losing her child, she won't have any more? What kind of logic is that? Doesn't she deserve a daughter? Why is it that Su Yushan has both a son and a daughter, while she can't even keep her daughter?
But Hongli still refused to give her another child. Yu Ying was heartbroken and disappointed. Her throat was sore and she clutched her handkerchief tightly, unable to speak for a long time.
To prevent her from nagging again, Hongli reiterated, "Take Mother's words with a grain of salt. If she asks again, just shift the blame to me. In short, I can no longer spend the night at Lanzhao Courtyard like before, so don't have any expectations!"
She had already humbled herself to the dust, but Hongli still refused to give her any face. After trying to negotiate with her in a kind and reasonable manner, she had no other choice but to leave.
Clenching her teeth and remaining silent for a long time, Yu Ying said indignantly, "I understand. I will not bother Your Highness again."
On the way back, snowflakes drifted down from the gloomy sky. Even though the maid had opened an umbrella, snowflakes still fell on her face, cold as ice, just like her mood at that moment.
The dry, cold wind rushed into her nasal cavity through her mouth and nose, and Yu Ying felt a pang of bitterness in her heart. She smiled bitterly. Being a legal wife to this extent was truly a failure!
But what could she do? Hongli regarded her as a monster and refused to approach her at all. He was even reluctant to visit her twice a month. What could she do? She couldn't very well run up to Hongli and take off her clothes on her own, could she?
She could never do something so shameful!
She tried her best, but still couldn't change Hongli's mind. Since that was the case, she could only give up and stay in Lanzhao Courtyard, no longer wanting to make trouble for herself.
Gao Xiuwen had long since come to terms with it. She only cared about managing the affairs of the household and never disturbed Hongli. In addition, her father was an accomplished official and was highly regarded by Emperor Yongzheng. Therefore, Hongli treated her with respect and would occasionally visit Lanyue Pavilion to have a meal with her and talk to her about her father when he had free time.
Unlike Gao Xiuwen, Lan Rong is ambitious and cunning. Hongli had always suspected that Lan Rong was behind the Rebirth Pill incident, but he had no evidence and could not pursue the matter further. After this incident, he became wary of Lan Rong.
Occasionally, Lan Rong would ask Qiu Cha to invite him, saying that her old illness had relapsed. Hong Li rarely paid attention to this. Only when he couldn't refuse would he take a look, give a few perfunctory instructions, and leave in less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. He wouldn't even accompany her for a meal.
Lan Rong thought to herself, "That matter hasn't been exposed yet, so Hongli shouldn't suspect me, right? Why is he being so cold to me?"
She longed to take things further, but Hongli was different from ordinary men. She couldn't figure out his temperament and never had the chance to consummate their marriage.
At the end of the year, Yonghuang returned to his residence for seven or eight days, allowing Su Yushan to alleviate her longing for her son. After the sixth day of the new year, he had to return to the palace to continue his studies.
Before she knew it, it was already the thirteenth year of the Yongzheng Emperor's reign. Su Yushan knew that something big would happen that year, but she didn't know which month it would be.
In May, Hongli became busy, often spending the whole day in the palace and occasionally even staying overnight. This was because Miao bandits in Guizhou were causing trouble on the border, and Yongzheng sent troops to suppress them. However, the area was plagued by miasma and had complex terrain, making it extremely difficult for the Qing army to advance.
Emperor Yongzheng specially ordered the brothers Hongli and Hongzhou, along with Grand Councilors Ortai and Zhang Tingyu, to jointly handle affairs in the Miao region. This was also a valuable experience for Hongli.
In handling state affairs, Yongzheng was exceptionally strict with Hongli. Whenever the father and son disagreed, Hongli would be reprimanded and feel dissatisfied. He would then complain to Yushan when he got home.
Yu Shan knew that Hongli felt wronged, but if she spoke ill of Emperor Yongzheng, it would only deepen the conflict between father and son. Therefore, she could only mediate and advise him to think more positively.
"Fathers are always stricter. I think the Emperor is not targeting you on purpose. He is just raising you as the crown prince and has higher expectations for you, so he is more demanding. This will help you handle government affairs with ease when you become emperor. Besides, the Emperor is getting old and his health is not as good as before. Spend more time with him when you have free time."
There were some things she dared not say outright, but could only hint at. Hongli did not take it seriously. In his view, the late Emperor Kangxi lived to be nearly seventy years old, which was considered a long life. His father, the Emperor, was only in his fifties, and since he had always been in good health, he must also be a long-lived person.
Hongli never considered that possibility, and no one else did either. Even Yongzheng felt that he was still young and vigorous and could continue to rule.
On August 21st, Emperor Yongzheng felt unwell. The imperial physician prescribed medicine, but after taking it, he continued reading memorials without resting.
He initially thought it was just a minor illness that would pass quickly, but two days later, his condition suddenly worsened. The imperial physicians were helpless, and on the 23rd at midnight, Emperor Yongzheng suddenly passed away!
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