Hongli had no such intention and politely declined, saying, "Empress Mother, he's already gone. What good would it do to make him Crown Prince?"
The Empress Dowager, however, thought this was very important. “The Emperor is wrong. For example, aren’t all the generals who died in battle posthumously honored? Posthumous honors are the rule. They can bring peace to the deceased and comfort the living. It is of great significance.”
Yonglian was your only legitimate son, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, he should have been the Crown Prince. You rarely spent time with him during his lifetime, so posthumously bestowing upon him a title is only right and proper.
The Empress was standing nearby, also waiting for the Emperor's reply. Didn't he say that he didn't dislike Yonglian? According to the rules, Yonglian should be posthumously honored.
Hongli initially wanted to refuse outright, but considering that Yonglian had not yet been laid to rest, he couldn't bear to refuse him there, so he made up an excuse:
"This matter is of great importance; I must consult with my court officials before making a decision."
Deeply disappointed, Yu Ying sneered inwardly. She knew it; Hongli couldn't possibly care about Yonglian. His so-called concern was all an act. He wouldn't even grant him the simple favor of posthumously granting him the title of Crown Prince. Had he ever truly considered Yonglian his legitimate son?
Although Hongli felt sorry for Yonglian, he was unwilling to comfort Yuying, because Yuying was unreasonable and too confused. The Empress Dowager also sided with the Empress. He felt very depressed staying here. Exhausted, Hongli went to Jingren Palace to rest for a while.
Su Yushan already knew about this, but seeing the sorrow in Hongli's eyes, she understood his feelings and wanted to comfort him, yet she knew that anything she said at this moment would be futile.
"I know you're feeling terrible, and I don't know how to comfort you..."
Speechless, she could only embrace him, offering him silent comfort.
With a deep sigh, Hongli embraced her back. Only when he could feel her presence could he truly find peace.
"Just now the Empress was saying again that Yonghuang's fate is too strong and will bring misfortune to Yonglian. Fortunately, you had the foresight to leave Yonghuang in the temporary palace. If he had come back to the palace with us, who knows what kind of trouble the Empress would have caused."
Yu Shan had anticipated the Empress's attitude, which is why she made this arrangement, leaving Yonghuang temporarily in the imperial palace.
"The Empress firmly believed in this, and no matter what anyone said, it was useless. The Taoist's words were already etched into her heart. It's just a pity about Yonglian. Such a well-behaved child, how could he not be safe and sound?"
At this point, Su Yushan couldn't help but feel worried, "Yonghuang is in the palace and doesn't know yet. How heartbroken he would be if he knew that Yonglian was gone."
"Yonghuang must be well, and all the children must be safe and sound." Hongli could no longer bear the pain of losing another child.
Su Yushan was very worried about leaving Yonghuang in the temporary palace, but the palace was still holding a funeral for Yonglian. If Yonghuang were brought back at this time, it was hard to guarantee that the Empress would not cause a scene.
Su Yushan suggested bringing Yonghuang back to the palace after the funeral, but Hongli was unwilling to wait too long, fearing that something unexpected might happen.
"During the time Yonglian was in trouble, Yonghuang was not in the palace. The Empress has no reason to blame Yonghuang. Let's bring the child back! It will save you from worrying and me from being uneasy."
Furthermore, before Yonglian passed away, he told me that his wish was to play with Yonghuang, so I plan to have Yonghuang see him off on his final journey.
The bond between the two children is truly touching; they both care for each other. Su Yushan has no objection to Yonghuang seeing Yonglian off, but she doesn't know if the Empress will accept it.
"The Empress might not want to see him. If she makes unfounded speculations and slanders Yonghuang, I'm afraid it will upset him."
Previously, because of the Empress, Hongli did not want the two children to be together, but after hearing Yonglian's wish, Hongli changed his mind and only wanted to fulfill Yonglian's wish.
“Actually, I know that Yonghuang cares a lot about his younger brother. If you don’t tell him about Yonglian’s funeral, what do you think he will think? This will definitely become a lifelong regret for him.”
Yu Shan had no way to refute Hongli's words. Since he was determined to do so, she did not object anymore and let him make the arrangements.
After the two had discussed it, Hongli sent someone to the temporary palace early the next morning to bring the eldest prince back to the palace.
The guards who went to fetch the eldest prince kept their mouths shut, and no matter what Yonghuang asked, they all said they didn't know.
Yonghuang had a bad feeling. On the way back, his eyelids kept twitching, fearing that something might happen to Yonglian.
Upon arriving at the palace, he immediately noticed that the palace servants had changed into mourning clothes. At that moment, Yonghuang's heart clenched. He didn't even have the courage to ask any questions and hurriedly headed straight for Jingren Palace.
Upon seeing his mother, he didn't even have time to pay his respects before anxiously inquiring about Yonglian's condition, "Mother, how is Yonglian? Has he recovered?"
“Yonglian, he…” The truth was too cruel, and Su Yushan looked troubled, not knowing how to tell him.
Knowing that her master would find it difficult to speak, Yunfang took the initiative to reply, "The Second Prince has passed away. Please accept my condolences, First Prince."
The moment he heard those two words, Yonghuang's mind went blank. Passed away? How could that be? It had only been a few months, how could Yonglian have become so seriously ill?
He hadn't even had a chance to say goodbye to Yonglian when he returned to the palace, and there he was, gone?
Yonghuang was devastated and could not accept this fact. Hot tears instantly welled up in his eyes. "How could this happen? Mother, I still have so much to say to him. How could he just leave like that?"
Su Yushan knew her son's thoughts all too well. She took two steps forward and tenderly embraced him.
“Good child, I know you are in pain, but this is fate. Many things are beyond our control. Separation and death are the natural course of life.”
Yonghuang wept uncontrollably, sobbing as he expressed his heartfelt wish, "Mother, I want to see him one last time, is that alright?"
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