After calming himself down, he said:
“Mother, in my heart, you have always been a reasonable and insightful person. Jin Minjing’s fate was her own fault. If she hadn’t repeatedly tried to harm Yushan, would I have sent her to another courtyard? This is the retribution she deserves, and no one else is to blame.”
Su Yushan was just an ordinary woman from the common people. She had no family to rely on and never intended to harm anyone. Why were you so cruel to her, even wanting to kill her?
This commoner woman was able to firmly hold her son's heart. In Consort Xi's eyes, such a woman was definitely not simple. "Some women are good at playing the victim and pretending to be weak and helpless in front of you, but in reality they are scheming and love to whisper in your ear."
His mother's presumptuous assumptions were so self-assured that Hongli couldn't help but retort:
“Mother, have you met Su Shi? Do you really know her character? Just because I didn’t follow your arrangements, you’ve concluded that Su Shi was instigating me. In your eyes, am I just a fool who can’t distinguish right from wrong and can only be led by the nose by women?”
"Who is scheming, and who is purely kind, I know perfectly well. Jin Minjing has harmed her so many times, each time with fatal consequences, yet Su Shi never intended to take Jin Shi's life. Her only wish was for Jin Shi to stay away from her and stop harming her—that was all."
"Don't tell me how good your woman is, I don't care. I only care about my grandson. In a crisis, of course I must protect him!" In Consort Xi's view, her actions were perfectly justifiable. However, Hongli felt that his mother was downplaying the seriousness of the matter and trying to confuse the issue.
“I understand that you care about having children, but what was your intention in having the nanny poison Su Shi? You used childbirth as an excuse to poison her and fake her death in childbirth. Do you think that will make me stop resenting you?”
"Mother, Lady Su is the only one who truly understands me. Only with her can I feel genuine happiness. If she were truly gone, there would be an eternal rift between us. Is that truly what you desire?"
Upon hearing this, Consort Xi's expression immediately changed, and she frowned angrily, "What? Do you think you can become estranged from your own mother because of a woman?"
Hongli realized that his mother was acting so recklessly precisely because of their unbreakable family bond. Knowing that reasoning with her was useless, he decided to try a different approach, putting himself in his mother's shoes.
"Your subject will always remember that when my grandmother was still alive, there was a time when I had a conflict with Hongshi. He was the one who started it, but because he couldn't beat me and got injured, he falsely accused me of bullying him."
Because of this incident, you were also reprimanded by the Empress Dowager. Father Emperor was present at the time, but he didn't say a word in your defense, just watching you being scolded. At that time, I didn't understand why Father Emperor was so cold-hearted. If I ever find a woman I love in the future, I will never let her suffer even the slightest injustice.”
Upon hearing the past, Consort Xi's brow twitched slightly, her emotions stirring. Of course she remembered that incident, but she always knew that Yongzheng did not love her. Even if she suffered humiliation, he would never show favoritism towards her in front of Consort De.
But as a woman, who wouldn't want her man to favor her?
In that instant, Consort Xi suddenly felt that Lady Su was lucky. At least, Hongli's heart was with her. For her sake, he did not hesitate to defy his mother again and again. This affection was very rare. She had envied it when she was a daughter-in-law. Now that she was a mother-in-law, how could she have become that unreasonable person?
Seeing his mother deep in thought, Hongli pressed on, continuing:
"I am your only son, and I know you love me dearly. So, could you please extend that love to the Su family and show them some leniency? You already know the results of the blood test; the child is indeed mine, without a doubt. I hope you will stop targeting the Su family. Harmony in the family is the foundation of all things. If I am constantly troubled by trivial matters in the inner court, how can I concentrate on state affairs and gain Father Emperor's approval?"
Hongli deliberately brought up his father, the Emperor, and sure enough, Consort Xi was still somewhat hesitant. She didn't want to disturb her son's peace of mind over this matter. In the end, Consort Xi didn't refute him again, but she didn't admit her mistake either. She simply ordered the palace servants to prepare gifts to reward Consort Su, as a reward for her giving birth to the little prince.
It's impossible to expect my mother to admit she's wrong, but her actions clearly indicate that she has compromised.
Seeing this, Hongli was greatly comforted and cupped his hands, saying, "Thank you for your concern for Madam Su, Mother. I thank you on behalf of Madam Su."
Having resolved the conflict between his mother and Su Yushan, he had an even more important matter to attend to—the issue of Yushan's social status.
Consort Xi could not make the decision on this matter; he had to consult Emperor Yongzheng.
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