At this moment, Yu Ying was already immersed in endless self-blame and did not hear what the emperor said. She did not even notice when Hongli turned away indifferently.
Her mind was beginning to wander. She seemed to hear a child crying, which soon turned into giggling laughter. She tried to find the source of the laughter, but found nothing around her. The hall was empty, and she couldn't find her child at all!
In her delirious state, she kept talking nonsense. The palace servants, fearing something might happen to the Empress, hurriedly went to fetch the imperial physician.
When the imperial physician arrived, he only said that the empress's mental state was abnormally chaotic and that she needed to be treated with medicine.
Without informing the Empress Dowager, Hongli directly ordered the Empress to be sent to the Cold Palace. By the time the Empress Dowager found out, the Empress was already in the Cold Palace.
The Empress Dowager was furious and went to the Cold Palace to visit the Empress. She refused to believe that the Empress had any problems and insisted that it was Hongli who was behind it!
The Empress Dowager, accompanied by two imperial physicians, went to the Cold Palace. As soon as she entered the hall, she saw the Empress holding a small quilt, affectionately playing with it.
"My sweet baby, you're back! Mommy missed you so much. Be a good girl, Mommy will lull you to sleep!"
When the Empress Dowager came closer, she saw that there was a pillow inside the small quilt!
Her appearance made the Empress Dowager's scalp tingle. Why was she calling for her child while hugging a pillow? "Yu Ying..."
The Empress Dowager wanted to remind her, but Yu Ying covered her lips with her finger, signaling her to be quiet, "Shh! Bao'er is asleep, don't disturb her, don't wake her, she'll cry!"
The Empress Dowager assumed that Hongli was framing the Empress, but seeing the Empress's strange state, even the Empress Dowager felt uneasy.
Two imperial physicians took turns diagnosing the Empress, and finally came to the conclusion that the Empress really had mental problems!
The Empress Dowager, who witnessed it firsthand, was speechless. She was also worried that if this matter got out, people would laugh at her. The only thing she could do was to let the Empress stay there and recuperate until she recovered, and then bring her back.
Although the Empress Dowager intended to conceal the matter, Gao Xiuwen was well-informed and soon learned that the Empress had been banished to the Cold Palace.
Cui Ning asked in surprise, "Your Majesty, why would the Empress suddenly go mad?"
Gao Xiuwen was unaware that the Empress intended to raise Rong Jin, and she assumed there was some conspiracy involved, thinking, "Perhaps he was drugged."
Cui Ning was startled and covered her mouth, gasping, "Who would dare to drug the Empress?"
This requires a reverse reasoning: "If the Empress is gone, who will benefit?"
"Imperial Noble Consort?" Cui Ning guessed to herself, but then thought it was unlikely. "But for her, this is already the highest rank, right? Even if the Empress is gone, a Han woman like her could never become Empress. Killing the Empress wouldn't make a difference!"
Taking a sip of honey and osmanthus water, Gao Xiuwen's lips curled slightly, her face showing a mocking expression. "Our emperor favors her so much, he wants to give her everything. Children, status, she has it all."
"No matter how much the Emperor dotes on her, he cannot change the rules set by our ancestors. Establishing an Empress is a major event, and the Empress Dowager is the first to disagree!"
Whether it was Su Yushan's doing or not, Gao Xiuwen wasn't sure, but one thing she was certain of was, "Just you wait and see! The Empress's days are probably numbered!"
After drinking the honey water, a palace maid brought a basin of water for the mistress to wash her hands, and then handed her a towel.
Kao Hsiu-wen took the handkerchief and carefully wiped her hands. She had to keep them clean, without any stains. Only by keeping herself clean could she have the chance to watch the play to the end...
Su Yushan had already heard that the Empress had been banished to the Cold Palace, but she did not know why the Empress had gone mad. Hongli had not told her that he had been to Changchun Palace. Yushan only thought that the Empress was going mad because she missed her son so much.
As for the Empress's condition, Su Yushan didn't want to go see her. Firstly, she had no interest in it, and secondly, the Empress already hated her. If she went to the Cold Palace, it would only further agitate the Empress's emotions. Therefore, she did not plan to visit her.
With the matter of the Empress temporarily settled, Yu Shan is about to get busy again, as the selection of concubines is approaching once more.
The previous imperial concubine selection was for the eldest prince Yonghuang to choose a consort. This year, it's Yongzhang's turn. Yongzhang is only fourteen years old, so there was no rush. But if they wait for the next imperial concubine selection, he will be seventeen, which is a bit too old.
Therefore, Hongli decided to choose a wife for his third son ahead of schedule, to arrange the marriage first, and then postpone the wedding for a year or two.
As usual, Su Yushan asked Yongzhang if he had someone he liked.
In truth, she was just asking casually. Yongzhang was a playful boy and didn't usually joke around with the palace maids, so Yushan assumed he was like his older brother, not yet understanding matters of the heart and letting his parents make the decisions. Unexpectedly, Yongzhang's ears turned slightly red, and he whispered something...
"Your subject does indeed have someone he admires."
Upon hearing this, Yu Shan couldn't help but ask curiously, "Oh? Which girl do you like? Why have I never heard you mention her before?"
Yongzhang had never had the courage to speak up, but the imperial concubine selection was just around the corner, and if he didn't say it soon, he would have to get engaged to another girl.
Thinking of this, Yongzhang no longer hesitated and mustered his courage to say, "Your subject's preference is... Yanzhi."
Upon hearing this familiar name, Yu Shan's smile froze, and Hongli was also surprised. When did Yongzhang develop feelings for Yan Zhi? How could he not have noticed?
Not only did Hongli not notice, but Yushan also didn't realize it. Because Yongzhang often bickered with Yanzhi, she just thought the two children were incompatible. She never expected that Yongzhang would have such thoughts!
"Yan Zhi is your cousin! How could you like her?"
Yongzhang has always denied this, and he has never called her "cousin" in all these years. "She's only three months older than me, so she doesn't count as my cousin."
“It’s not a matter of age; even if she were my cousin, it wouldn’t work.” What bothered Yu Shan was that they were close relatives, which greatly puzzled Yong Zhang.
"Why not?"
Every time Yu Shan had to explain why close relatives couldn't marry, she felt a headache coming on, because no one around her understood. This time, before she could even speak, Hongli had already spoken first.
"Because she is a Han woman, she cannot be your wife!"
Yongzhang pouted unhappily, "Father, can't these palace rules be changed?"
Emperor Hongli had also considered this idea, but unfortunately, he couldn't realize it. He ultimately married Yuying as his primary wife. Even though it led to tragedy, this custom couldn't be changed.
"Even I cannot change this, let alone you? Your wife must be a Manchu woman, not a Han woman!"
Seeing his father's anger, Yongzhang refused to compromise and reiterated, "Father, I truly love Yanzhi. I beg you to grant my wish!"
This isn't something that can't be discussed; there's actually another way...
After a moment of silence, Hongli said, "If you really like her, you can be together, but she can only be your concubine."
After saying this, Hongli subconsciously looked at Yushan and saw that Yushan's expression changed drastically. "Making my niece a concubine, wouldn't that be unfair to her? I don't agree!"
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