Yonghuang, sitting in the carriage, also saw this scene and couldn't help but feel puzzled. Why wasn't the Empress accompanying them on such an important occasion as the Mulan Autumn Hunt? Why did her carriage turn and head towards the palace? Could it be because of Yonglian?
Yonghuang was filled with worry and longed to find out the truth. However, his mother and father were both sitting on the imperial carriage, so he could not go to his mother. He could only suppress his curiosity, lower the curtain, and follow the procession to the hunting grounds.
Since acquiring the imperial carriage, Su Yushan is no longer afraid of long journeys.
They traveled in silence until they arrived at their destination. She slowly stepped down from the imperial carriage and was immediately struck by the sight, for the scenery here was completely different from that of the Summer Palace. Before her eyes lay a sea of green.
The Summer Palace is elegant and refined, while the scenery of the Mulan Hunting Grounds is vast and unrestrained, stretching as far as the eye can see with little obstruction. In order to relive the life of the Manchus, even their accommodations are not houses, but tents.
Seeing such a sight for the first time, Yonghuang inwardly marveled, but his expression remained calm. Yongzhang and Rongyu, unable to contain their joy, exclaimed in amazement, especially Rongyu, whose large eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Wow! This place is so beautiful! This grassland is so huge! Horseback riding here must be so much fun!"
After many years, Hongli returned to the Mulan Hunting Grounds and felt the refreshing and fragrant breeze on the grassland. He was filled with emotion and couldn't help but recall the scene of hunting with his father and grandfather in the Mulan Hunting Grounds when he was young.
At that time, Hongli was just a grandson of the emperor, not a prince. He did not bear too many burdens and had a carefree time in his youth, with nothing to worry about except reading and riding.
Later, when Yongzheng ascended the throne, Hongli was secretly designated as the crown prince and given special attention. From then on, his life quietly changed and was no longer as pure as before.
Returning to this familiar place today, witnessing his daughter's joyful, longing, and innocent eyes, he seemed to see his younger self. Such childlike innocence was truly rare. Holding his daughter's little hand, Hongli laughed heartily:
"You've been learning horseback riding for a long time, so this is the perfect place for you to practice."
Without needing his father's reminder, Rong Yu, who already had this intention, replied crisply, "Your subject will definitely practice horsemanship every day."
I still remember when Rong Yu first arrived at the Summer Palace, her reaction was lukewarm. She didn't seem to think the palace was that beautiful. But when she saw the Mulan Hunting Ground, her reaction was very strong. Compared to the garden-style scenery of Jiangnan, she seemed to prefer this magnificent and vast landscape.
The daughter is carefree and easygoing, while Yonghuang is very thoughtful. The two children have completely opposite personalities, and Su Yushan often wonders if the two siblings were born to the wrong gender.
Su Yushan shook her head and sighed with a smile. She took her daughter's hand and reminded her to speak more softly and not to be so loud. She said that she could be unrestrained in her own palace, but she had to behave properly outside to be like a princess.
Rong Yu readily agreed, but soon forgot about it again.
Upon arriving at Mulan Hunting Grounds, there were many things to settle down, the first of which was finding accommodation.
It was the first time that Yu Shan and the others had stayed in the imperial tent. She had thought that this place was different from the imperial palace and would be simpler. However, after entering the tent, she was surprised to find that the imperial tent was of a higher standard. The tent was spacious and luxurious, with beds, tables and chairs, antiques and ornaments. It was not much different from a normal room.
All the utensils were prepared, and the palace servants only needed to arrange the luggage.
At dinner time, Hongli was granted an audience with the Mongol princes, and Su Yushan dined with the children.
After finishing their meal, Yongzhang suggested going out to look at the moon. Rongyu also wanted to go for a stroll and called her mother and elder brother to come along.
After having just finished dinner, it was indeed time to go out for a walk to digest, so Yushan took the children out of the tent and strolled on the grassland.
The wind on the grassland was a bit chilly in August, so Su Yushan specially asked the palace servants to put cloaks on the children to prevent them from catching a cold.
Tonight, the moon is bright and the stars are few. Without the obstruction of palace walls and forests, the view is exceptionally wide. The bright moon in the deep blue night sky is like a dazzling pearl, inlaid on the grassland.
As soon as Yongzhang and Rongyu came out, they were like horses that had broken free of their reins; they weren't taking a walk, but running.
Su Yushan ordered the guards to follow them closely, instructing them not to stray too far. The two children agreed verbally, but their pace did not slow down, following the sounds of insects to explore the mysteries of the grassland.
Yonghuang did not walk with his younger siblings, but instead strolled slowly beside his mother.
Two guards were also with them. Yonghuang could not speak, so he said to his mother, "Mother, there is something I want to tell you in private."
Yu Shan then dismissed all the palace servants, telling them to wait at a distance, leaving only Chang Yue to stay by her side.
After everyone left, Yu Shan asked him what had happened. Yong Huang held back for a long time, but finally couldn't help but ask the question that had been bothering him, "Mother, why did the Empress suddenly return to the palace? Has something happened to Yong Lian?"
Su Yushan had only heard about this and was not sure of the specifics. "I heard it was because Yonglian caught a cold."
Is that so? Yonghuang felt something was off. "If it were just a cold, Her Majesty the Empress wouldn't have needed to return to the palace, would she?"
This was exactly what Su Yushan found strange. In her vague memory, the Empress's son did die young, but she didn't know exactly how old he was or what caused his death. Surely it couldn't have been this time that caused the accident?
Thinking of this, Su Yushan felt a tightness in her chest.
Because of the Empress, the two children could not play together, but Su Yushan herself had no objection to Yonglian. Occasionally, she would see the child at a palace banquet and thought he was handsome and very well-behaved.
Yu Shan secretly hoped that the Second Prince would be safe and healthy and recover soon, so that Yong Huang would not have to worry about him.
As the mother and son were talking, Rong Yu turned back and called out in a voice as melodious as a silver bell:
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