With Hongli present, Su Yushan felt relieved, but deciding on a gift for the Empress Dowager was a headache.
Last year, on the Empress Dowager's birthday, Emperor Yongzheng was still alive. Hongli, as Prince Bao, went to the palace to present a gift, and she accompanied him. The two of them only needed to present one gift, so she didn't need to make any arrangements.
This year, she became a concubine in the imperial harem and had to prepare gifts for the Empress Dowager separately.
She had many treasures bestowed upon her by Emperor Hongli in her palace, but she knew nothing about gift-giving and could not estimate the value of those treasures. Moreover, the Empress Dowager was used to seeing rare and precious items, so she was unsure what would be appropriate to give her.
Hongli pulled her into his arms, whispered in her ear, and said in a hoarse voice, "I have already arranged the gift for you, so there is no need to worry."
"So you were all prepared all along. Did you know I would go? What if I didn't?"
“It’s fine if you don’t go. You’ll receive a gift, and I haven’t prepared anything unnecessary.” After thinking for a moment, Hongli added, “If you don’t want to go, I can help you find a reason.”
Based on his previous statements, Su Yushan could guess his attitude. This was the Empress Dowager's first birthday celebration after his ascension to the throne, and she should have attended. If she could have postponed it, Hongli wouldn't have allowed her to attend. Since he had already said so, it seemed he couldn't refuse, and she shouldn't put him in a difficult position.
"Go ahead! You'll be there anyway, I'm not afraid."
Hongli gently stroked her smooth, dark hair, a slight smile sliding from his Adam's apple. "Alright."
What pleased him most in this world was Yu Shan's trust in him.
December 25th is the birthday of Empress Dowager Niohuru.
Lan Rong had been confined to her quarters for over a month and twenty days. Although the Empress Dowager had some complaints about her, she still spoke up for her and had Hongli lift her confinement ten days early so that she could attend the birthday banquet.
Hongli was unwilling to lift the ban on Lan Rong, as he didn't want her to cause Yu Shan any more trouble. However, the Empress Dowager said it wouldn't come to that.
"She's only been confined to her quarters, so she'll definitely behave herself and won't do it again. My birthday is a joyous occasion, and everyone is coming to the banquet. Leaving her alone would be a bit pitiful and would arouse suspicion. Besides, the New Year is just around the corner, so there's no need to be so harsh."
A simple phrase, especially during the Chinese New Year, can often resolve many conflicts.
However, Hongli refused to compromise, saying, "If it's two months, then it's two months. A ruler's word is law. There are still ten days to go, not a single day less!"
The emperor refused, and the empress dowager had no choice but to give up.
The Cining Palace was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, and a grand banquet was held, with princes and ministers all coming to celebrate the Empress Dowager's birthday.
The Empress Dowager was first received by the court officials, and only then did the women of the inner palace offer their birthday greetings.
One after another, people presented their congratulatory gifts. The Empress presented a bright green jade bracelet, while Gao Xiuwen presented a red glass oval octagonal snuff bottle.
In Su Yushan's eyes, glass was an ordinary object, but at this time, glass products were quite rare, especially such exquisite snuff bottles, which were worth as much as gold!
Hongli prepared a blood-red coral tree for Su Yushan. The tree was about two feet tall, and such a tall coral was truly rare. It symbolized wealth and good fortune and was also one of the seven treasures in Buddhist scriptures. The Empress Dowager was a Buddhist and had a particular fondness for coral.
This gift was exactly what she wanted, and since it was her birthday, a joyous occasion, she didn't want to cause any conflict and therefore didn't deliberately make things difficult for Su Yushan.
After the concubines presented their congratulatory gifts, it was the imperial grandsons' turn to present theirs.
Gifts for the imperial grandsons do not need to cost too much gold or silver; the sentiment is what matters.
Yonglian presented a painting of orchids and bamboo, claiming it was painted by himself. When the palace servants unfurled the scroll, the Empress Dowager took a closer look and was overjoyed.
"My grandson is indeed extraordinary. At only six years old, he can paint bamboo forests, and he paints them so vividly. He is truly a prodigy!"
Yu Ying felt quite proud when her son was praised. "Mother, you flatter me. Yonglian is a beginner in painting and there are many shortcomings. He still needs to practice more."
"It's truly remarkable that a six-year-old can paint like this; he deserves praise!" The Empress Dowager showered him with compliments, and Yonglian bowed in return.
"Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty. I will certainly work even harder."
After the eldest grandson has delivered his congratulatory gifts, it will be the turn of the illegitimate grandson.
Yonghuang stepped forward and presented his carefully prepared congratulatory gift: a copy of the Heart Sutra, which he had personally copied.
Upon closer inspection, the Empress Dowager noticed that the small, elegant calligraphy appeared to be the work of a woman, which aroused her suspicion.
"Did you really write this yourself? You're only seven years old, how can you write so many new characters? And you can write them all without making a single mistake?"
Upon hearing this, Yonghuang's smile froze, and he felt quite frustrated. He nodded earnestly and said:
"It was indeed written by my grandson himself."
The Empress Dowager's questioning was very hurtful to his self-esteem. Su Yushan could see that her son's eyes dimmed and he was very depressed.
Yonglian's ability to paint is already a prodigy, but Yonghuang's excellent handwriting is questioned. The Empress Dowager's attitude towards these two grandsons is far too hypocritical.
Su Yushan, feeling indignant on behalf of her son, took the initiative to explain: "Your Majesty, before Yonghuang officially enrolled in school, I had already taught him to write in the mansion, so he knows relatively more characters."
Upon learning of the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet, he began practicing copying the Heart Sutra a month in advance. I personally taught him the complex characters. After finishing school, he did not play but diligently studied and practiced, all for the sake of writing a neat version of the Heart Sutra to present to the Empress Dowager.
For every word he wrote incorrectly, he would start over, trying many times until he finally produced a satisfactory version. Every word was written by his own hand; he never delegated the task to anyone else!
Hongli knew about this matter and had even advised Yonghuang not to go to such lengths. Yonghuang, however, insisted that sending gifts to the Empress Dowager required effort. Hongli had observed all of this.
“Your Majesty, Yonghuang prepared this gift with the utmost sincerity. Your doubts are disheartening!”
Yu Ying glanced at it and saw that the handwriting was indeed quite good, but it was too delicate and didn't look like a boy's handwriting. Yonghuang had only been in school for a little over a year, and she didn't believe that he could write the Heart Sutra perfectly.
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