My father is Yongzheng, and I am Qianlong?

Chapter 203 First Meeting with the Primary Consort, Lady Fucha!

Then, Yongzheng, looking somewhat ashamed, stood up and walked behind Hongli, saying:
"But I really didn't mean what you said. I only asked Zhang Tingyu to find this painting, 'A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains,' because I heard from Hongzhou that you like painting. I thought I would give it to you to express some of my thoughts."

"Firstly, I hope you don't think I don't know what you did for your thirteenth uncle and the meticulousness you showed in dealing with the framing of your fourteenth uncle."

"Secondly, I intend to bestow this painting and that box of inkpad upon you, hoping that you will continue to focus your attention on the country and its people, and leave your mark on the land of my Great Qing."

After Yongzheng explained it this way, Hongli cupped his hands and said, "Then I thank Father for the reward."

Yongzheng smiled slightly, then excused Hongli from the formalities and began to read the memorials.

At this moment, Hongli took the initiative and said to Yongzheng with a sincere expression, "Father, I know that you are a diligent and hardworking ruler, because you have dark circles under your eyes."

Yongzheng nodded and said "Mm".

This warmed his heart.

Because Hongli noticed the dark circles under his eyes from not sleeping well, he said that he was a diligent and hardworking ruler.

Therefore, Yongzheng felt that Hongli had begun to pay serious attention to him again and was looking at him in terms of diligence and governance, which showed that he was still a very good emperor and father in Hongli's mind.

Hongli knew that Yongzheng was sensitive and suspicious, and only caring about details could make him feel that it was sincere. He also longed to be affirmed and cared about other people's opinions.

Even if he were an emperor with absolute power, he wouldn't need to care what others thought.

But in fact, he was an emperor who cared a lot about even the opinion of a down-on-his-luck Han scholar.

That's why Hongli first mentioned that Yongzheng hadn't slept well, and then affirmed him with a sentence.

But Hongli didn't offer to help him.

That would backfire, making Yongzheng feel that he did not recognize Yongzheng's ability to handle state affairs, or even that Yongzheng was trying to seize his power.

Therefore, Hongli did not say that you were working too hard and should rest more.

Yongzheng then picked up a memorial and gave it to Hongli, saying, "Ma Qi's son has submitted a memorial saying that Ma Qi is ill. After all, he is now the uncle of your primary consort, so he is practically your uncle. Go and see him."

"Whoo!"

Hongli took the memorial and saw that the imperial rescript on it read, "The fourth prince, Prince Bao, Hongli, is to bring the imperial physicians to visit him."

Hongli understood that Yongzheng was not sending him to visit Ma Qi at all, but rather to see his future wife. He wanted him to see if the wife he had chosen for him was good, and thus understand whether he, as a father, was good or not.

Because, without the emperor's permission, he could not privately contact important officials like Ma Qi.

As long as he goes to visit Ma Qi by imperial decree, Ma Qi and his family will come to pay their respects, and he will naturally be able to see his betrothed primary wife.

After all, in this era, large families all lived together.

After taking the "A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains" painting and the Zhangzhou Eight Treasures Ink Paste home, Hongli took the imperial physicians to Ma Qi's residence.

Ma Qi's family had already learned of his arrival through the imperial edicts and comments, so they opened the central gate in advance. Except for Ma Qi himself, who had been exempted from going out to greet the emperor by imperial decree, everyone in Ma Qi's household knelt to welcome this Prince Bao.

The "General Rites of the Qing Dynasty - Etiquette for Guests" stipulates that when a prince arrives, the host, along with his officials in court attire, kneels to greet him outside the central gate... Female relatives greet him inside the gate, and after the ceremony, they withdraw.

Therefore, when Hongli arrived, the men of Ma Qi's household knelt outside the central gate, the women knelt inside the central gate, and the unmarried women knelt behind the screen inside the central gate.

Hongli first noticed the male members of Ma Qi's family, and then he took notice of Fu Heng, who was still young at the time.

As the youngest son of Fucha Li Rongbao, born in his later years, kneeling among his many older brothers and cousins ​​was indeed quite conspicuous.

Hongli noticed that Fuheng was fair-skinned and had very bright eyes. He couldn't help but think that if Fuheng was so handsome, his sister, Lady Fucha, must be just as good-looking.

Li Yu, the eunuch who had accompanied the Minister of the Interior and the Lady of Quanfu to present the betrothal gifts, also secretly pointed out Fu Heng to Hongli, and also pointed out Lady Fucha inside the gate.

Hongli smiled at this, and then said, "Never mind."

These people then thanked him and stood up.

Hongli also took the opportunity to steal a glance at his primary consort, Lady Fucha, inside the gate.

Lady Fucha also looked at him.

Eyes facing each other.

But in an instant, Lady Fucha had already left and retreated behind the screen.

As the sound of jade pendants faded into the distance, Hongli finally came to his senses and asked Fu De, the son of Ma Qi, a Grand Secretary of the Cabinet and Vice Minister of Rites, "How is Uncle doing these days?"

"Thanks to your concern, Fourth Master, my father is much better than when he first fell ill, but he still has a cough and shortness of breath."

Fu De replied.

Hongli nodded and had Fude lead the way to see Ma Qi.

Since Ma Qi's younger brother, Ma Wu, was still on duty in the palace, and Ma Qi's eldest son, Fu Erdun, was serving as an official outside, Fu De, the head of the Fucha family, was the one who came out to greet them.

But on his way to see Ma Qi, he couldn't get the image of Lady Fucha he had just seen out of his mind.

Bright and beautiful, pure and lovely.

Even though he already has many beauties, he still lost his composure just now.

This forced him to admit that Yongzheng and the thirteenth prince had indeed put their hearts into it.

Ma Qi's illness was actually caused by his recent strenuous writing. He was already quite old, but in order to earn money, he had been staying up too late, which led to a relapse of his old illness and a sudden worsening of it. After seeing him, Hongli, on behalf of Yongzheng, advised him to rest well and had the imperial physicians he had brought examine him.

Ma Qi was naturally extremely grateful, and had his nephews and nieces help him to his feet and kowtow to the north to express his gratitude to Heaven.

Hongli bowed in return, and then, citing the reason that he would not disturb Ma Qi's recovery, went to the front hall to exchange pleasantries with Ma Qi's sons and nephews.

Ma Qi's sons and nephews also came to pay their respects to him. Hongli asked about each of them and bestowed some gifts upon them.

When Fuheng arrived, Hongli personally knelt down, allowing Fuheng to stand up and thank him before facing him, and asked him, "How old are you this year?"

Fu Heng opened his mouth earnestly and replied, "Fourth Master, this servant is five years old this year."

"Then call me brother-in-law, let me hear it?"

Seeing that Fu Heng was so well-behaved and adorable, with rosy lips and white teeth, Hongli couldn't help but smile and make a request.

Lady Fucha had been designated as the primary consort by Emperor Yongzheng, so according to family etiquette, he needed to address Ma Qi as his uncle, while Fu Heng could also address him as his brother-in-law.

However, the latter had to be requested by Hongli himself; otherwise, Fuheng could only call him Fourth Master.

After all, Hongli's request for him to call him brother-in-law was merely a gesture of affection from the prince towards his brother-in-law, a favor bestowed upon him.

Although it was Hongli who took the initiative, Fuheng hesitated, and his fair hands unconsciously crossed themselves as he glanced at his second brother, Fucha Fuqing.

Five-year-old Fu Heng was still at the age where he was shy around strangers.

It was already quite remarkable that he was able to respectfully greet and pay his respects as instructed by his elder brother, given that a prince of high status had suddenly appeared and was to marry his sister.

Therefore, how could he possibly be able to call a stranger "brother-in-law" without any pressure?

Now that Hongli was making such a request, he wished he could run back to the backyard immediately and hide behind his sister, Lady Fucha.

Unfortunately, his sister was a woman and couldn't stay there, so he could only ask his second brother, Fucha Fuqing, who was more than 20 years older than him, for help.

Fucha Fuqing had no choice but to apologize to Hongli: "Fourth Prince, please forgive me. I am young and timid, so I dared not obey the king's order and addressed him with family etiquette."

"Don't be afraid!"

Hongli then took the initiative to put his arm around Fuheng's shoulder.

But Fuheng still didn't speak. He was shy and nervous, completely at a loss, and dared not break free from Hongli's hand. His bright eyes were about to overflow with tears.

Seeing this, Hongli could only give Li Yu a meaningful look.

He also prepared a gift for Fuheng when he came, and even put the most thought into it.

This is not only because Fuheng was closest to Lady Fuca, who raised him from childhood, but also because of Fuheng's own historical value.

Li Yu understood and brought out the gift she had prepared earlier.

After receiving the gift, Hongli began to handle it in front of Fuheng.

The gift that Hongli prepared for Fuheng was a gilded music box made by the Imperial Workshop.

The principle behind this music box is the same as that of the gilded writing clock received during the Qianlong era; both use mechanical springs and gears.

However, music boxes are more sophisticated. They can use a spring to drive the rotating pins (the cylinders) arranged in different positions on the cylinder to rotate, and these pins will strike the metal teeth (the combs) to produce different sounds, thus playing music.

However, because this music box uses mechanics to play music rather than electromagnetism, it cannot play multiple songs; it can only play one song on a loop.

Historically, during the Qianlong era, Western craftsmen created music boxes that could play the song "Jasmine Flower".

When Emperor Hongli asked the craftsmen of the Imperial Workshop to develop a music box ahead of schedule, he only asked them to make a music box that could play the song "Jade Plate".

"Jade Plate" is a song composed by combining traditional musical scales, and his sixteenth uncle, Yunlu, was a master of music in this era. So when Hongli hummed "Jade Plate" to Yunlu, Yunlu was able to help him make such a music box.

Emperor Hongli gave Fuheng the music box that played "Jade Plate" because the song had an extraordinary meaning and was suitable for children to listen to, especially the child on whom he had high hopes.

When Hongli finished winding the mechanical spring and made the gilded music box play, the melody of "Jade Plate" was played. Although it was just the metallic sound of different rhythms, it was still heard by Fuheng, who already had the gene of pioneering spirit.

Fu Heng then looked directly at the music box without glancing to the side.

"Like it?"

Hongli then jokingly asked Fuheng about this.

Fu Heng nodded: "Your Highness, this servant is pleased!"

Emperor Hongli rewarded him for this.

Fu Heng hurriedly knelt down and bowed, saying, "This servant thanks Fourth Master for his kindness!"

Hongli helped him up and asked with a smile, "Then call me brother-in-law now."

Fu Heng pursed his lips, looked at the music box in his arms, and a thoughtful look appeared in his eyes.

Fucha Fuqing could also see that Hongli liked Fuheng very much and had prepared such an exquisite gift for Fuheng in advance. She was also afraid that Fuheng would offend Hongli, so she also advised Fuheng: "Fuheng, be good and quickly do as the Fourth Prince says and call him brother-in-law!"

Fucha Fude and others also began to persuade Fuheng.

(End of this chapter)