The memorial was submitted, and a reply arrived in less than half a month. Strangely, however, Kangxi did not mention establishing an heir apparent, but instead said he missed Hongli and instructed Yinzhen to take Hongli to Rehe.
Upon receiving the imperial decree, even with a belly full of doubts, preparations had to begin. Hongli was already nine years old, and Yinzhen planned to take him there on horseback.
"Riding a horse? But... Hongli is not even ten years old yet. Can he manage riding a horse for several days on his own?" Qian Shengyan asked Yinzhen worriedly. "How about taking a carriage? A carriage isn't much slower."
"It's alright, we can go slowly," Yinzhen said with a smile, reassuring him.
No matter how worried Qian Shengyan was, there was nothing she could do. She saw Yinzhen and Hongli off, but unexpectedly, half a month later, only Yinzhen returned.
"What do you mean, 'Hongli stayed to accompany the Emperor'?"
Qian Shengyan was completely dumbfounded. Her son had never left her side since birth. Heaven knows how she had survived the past two weeks. And now, even worse, they were just leaving him behind?!
"It should be a good thing, don't overthink it," Yinzhen said, adding, "Father Emperor said that a crown prince will not be appointed for the time being."
Whether or not a son is chosen as heir apparent is none of her business. All she wants now is a son!
Unfortunately, the capital and Rehe are thousands of miles apart, and even though Hongli frequently sends back letters, it doesn't stop Qian Shengyan from worrying.
The previously arrogant Lady Li was now deflated. This time, she didn't even have time to cry. It was said that she prayed to the gods and Buddhas devoutly every day, hoping that the Emperor would quickly decide on the matter of establishing an heir.
In early August, the Emperor returned to his residence. Qian Shengyan waited early at the gate, hoping for Hongli's return, but to her surprise, Hongli did not return; instead, she received an imperial edict from Kangxi.
—So, they actually intend to keep Hongli in the palace so that he can be personally instructed by Emperor Kangxi!
Qian Shengyan nearly fainted. The eunuch who came to deliver the message was still smiling and saying something like, "Congratulations, Consort." Qian Shengyan had no heart to deal with it, but Qingxue was quick-witted and slipped a purse to the eunuch.
In the evening, Yinzhen returned from the palace, but he brought Hongli with him!
Holding her son, whom she hadn't seen for two months, Qian Shengyan wept uncontrollably.
"Mother, your son has grown taller and bigger. Aren't you happy, Mother?" Hongli tried his best to comfort Qian Shengyan, but Qian Shengyan was speechless. She could only hug Hongli, touching his face while shaking her head and crying.
After shaking her head, she realized something was wrong, so she nodded frantically. This amused Yinzhen, who reached out and pushed the mother and child aside. He then called over Fuerguochun, who was holding a child in each arm, and said to Qian Shengyan, "You're only back today; you have to go to the palace again tomorrow."
Qian Shengyan: ?...
Waaaaah...
It wasn't until October, after the Golden Banquet, that Kangxi's health deteriorated further due to the cold weather, allowing Hongli to return home.
Hongli had already been allocated his own courtyard and was living on his own, but having barely seen him for almost half a year, Qian Shengyan wished she could keep her son in her sight at all times. After some consideration, Yinzhen decided to take them to a manor in the outskirts of Beijing to stay until the New Year.
Unexpectedly, Emperor Kangxi suffered from severe foot pain, and the imperial physician suggested that soaking in hot springs could alleviate it. Therefore, in November, Kangxi also moved into the imperial estate on the outskirts of Beijing. Now that it was closer, he summoned Hongli (Hongli) over every few days.
Fortunately, he went every day and came back in the evening, so Qian Shengyan could barely accept that her son was going to school; she could tolerate not seeing him for a day.
However, this time Kangxi didn't just meet with Hongli alone; he also brought along the fourteen princes born of the emperor's main wife, spending time with them day and night.
Hongli suddenly seemed less conspicuous, and Qian Shengyan felt much more at ease.
During this visit to the estate, the favored "Lady Nian" was naturally present, but the so-called young prince named Fuyi was too ill to travel far and remained at the manor.
Because of this non-existent child, the entire Zhuqing Courtyard was surrounded by Yinzhen's men, as if it were an iron gate. For this, Lady Li harbored resentment for a long time, constantly speaking ill of Lady Nian to Lady Ulanara.
However, Li soon had no time to criticize others. In early December, Emperor Kangxi issued several imperial edicts at the Imperial Estate, officially establishing the heirs of Prince Cheng and Prince Wu as heirs.
Of the three princes, only two sons were designated as heirs, leaving only Hongshi, all alone, which immediately attracted attention.
The next day, Emperor Kangxi bestowed a marriage upon Hongshi, to Dong E, the legitimate daughter of Xidaer, the Minister of the Court.
Xidar was a trusted confidant of Emperor Kangxi. He distinguished himself during the suppression of the Rebellion of the Three Feudatories and was now a first-rank official, making him one of Kangxi's most trusted ministers.
By assigning such a powerful family to Hongshi, the previous claims of Kangxi's dissatisfaction with Hongshi vanished instantly, leaving everyone somewhat bewildered, unsure of Kangxi's true intentions.
But Yinzhen, for some inexplicable reason, was quite happy for several days.
He pulled Qian Shengyan up the mountain, insisting on riding a horse even in the dead of winter. As they galloped at breakneck speed, Qian Shengyan's heart nearly jumped out of her chest. But he leaned down and whispered with a smile in her ear, "Shengyan, Father Emperor told me not to rush into establishing an heir. Shengyan, do you know what that means?"
Qian Shengyan couldn't guess, so she asked cooperatively, "What does it mean?"
"Heh heh, usually so quick-witted, why are you acting so silly now?" Yinzhen laughed loudly, then cracked the whip again, "Giddy up!"
The horse galloped off at breakneck speed, and Qian Shengyan screamed in fright, while Yinzhen's laughter carried far.
After finally waiting for him to finish his rant, Qian Shengyan nearly fell to the ground as soon as she dismounted. Her legs were weak, and Qingxue and the others helped her to the side. She glanced helplessly at the now composed Prince Yong, utterly speechless.
That single, ambiguous sentence made him so happy.
What if Emperor Kangxi didn't mean that the heir of Prince Yong's family was important, but rather that he personally favored Hongli?
Wouldn't that mean Yinzhen's joy would be for nothing?
However, Yinzhen probably anticipated this possibility; he only indulged in his pleasure in front of Qian Shengyan once, but afterwards began to be more strict with Hongli.
Hongli was already a gifted reader with a remarkable memory, so Yinzhen (Emperor Yongzheng) found him several tutors, keeping him constantly on his toes and almost leaving him no time to even pay his respects to Emperor Kangxi.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
