Chapter Seventy-Three

When Emperor Kangxi learned of this, he flew into a rage, slamming his fist on the imperial desk, shouting, "What's going on?!"

In Kangxi's mind, the entire palace should be under his control. He had previously purged a large number of servants, and the people who replaced them should be poor people with clean backgrounds or trustworthy bondservant bannermen.

Consort De, as the head of a palace and holding the rank of Consort, was actually murdered? Without anyone noticing?

How could Emperor Kangxi believe this was a coincidence? Where were the maids and servants when a concubine got up in the middle of the night? Why didn't anyone call the imperial physician after she bumped into the wall?

He was poisoned?

"Investigate! Investigate thoroughly!" Kangxi roared in fury, ordering Liang Jiugong to investigate.

He was also afraid that if the master of Yonghe Palace was murdered today, the emperor of Qianqing Palace would be murdered tomorrow!

This matter caused a great sensation and even caused a great uproar. Even the Empress Dowager of Cining Palace and the three Consorts Huiyi and Rong were nervous.

When the Crown Princess of Yuqing Palace learned of this, she was also dumbfounded. Consort De had been murdered? Who was it? Consort De was able to rise from a mere maid to the rank of consort and remain in that position for so many years, which shows how capable she was.

But how could such a powerful concubine be murdered in her own palace?

"Your Highness, is it the matter I investigated last time? Not long ago, many servants and palace maids were murdered..." Jialuo also nervously grabbed Yinreng and asked worriedly.

No one knew who was behind this, and Jialuo was afraid that those people would turn their attention to Yuqing Palace, since she still had four sons.

Her son is almost five years old, and her other three sons are only three months old. If something happens to them, there will be no way to make amends.

“Possibly.” Yinreng frowned as well. He never walked around the inner palace and had no idea what others thought, but Jialuo’s thoughts were already laid bare before him.

Thinking of his four sons, Yinreng also worried that if someone were truly ruthless and interfered in the affairs of his Yuqing Palace, bribing people to risk their lives, it was not certain.

"Yuqing Palace is under tighter security lately, but I will handle it. Don't worry, Hongyao and the three children will definitely be safe," Yinreng reassured them.

"Yes, I believe in Your Highness." Jialuo knew her own limitations; when it came to scheming and trickery, she was certainly no match for Yinreng.

"Your Highness, the safety of the children is in your hands." Jialuo's eyes were full of trust and reliance. At this moment, she could only trust Yinreng.

Yuqing Palace was placed under heavy security, as were the other palaces.

Emperor Kangxi ordered an investigation, and the clues quickly pointed to the fourth prince's wife.

Upon learning this, Kangxi frowned. How could it be the fourth prince's wife?

Lady Guarjia was one of the candidates he personally selected for the position of Crown Princess. She was first-rate in both character and virtue.

"Investigate further! Dig deeper." Kangxi was still suspicious. It was too fast. They had found the Fourth Prince's wife in just one day, and the clues were so obvious.

If it was indeed the Fourth Prince's wife who did it, the crime of murdering a concubine would be enough to get her executed. How could Guarjia clan not have done any cleanup work?

The wise Emperor Kangxi believed he was not such a foolish person and that someone must be framing him, thinking that this would convince him.

"Yes." When Liang Jiugong found out, he also found it unbelievable and thought... impossible.

The key point is that many women in this era were mistreated by their mothers-in-law, and miscarriages were not uncommon. How could a concubine be murdered over such a trivial matter?

Apart from that, the Guarjia clan and Consort De had no enmity whatsoever.

However, the Emperor was pressing for action, and the clues were so obvious that once they were found, they were immediately handed over to the Emperor, leaving the rest to his discretion. He had already done what he was supposed to do.

However, the Emperor said that the digging was not deep enough, so it should be investigated further.

I remember a while ago, many servants in the harem went missing. At that time, Liang Jiugong didn't care. In the deep palace, how could there be few wronged souls?

Now, where should we start?

In addition, all the palace maids, servants and nannies of Yonghe Palace were sent to the Shenxing Division, especially the palace maids who were on night watch that night.

When the Fourteenth Prince, Yinzhen, learned that his mother had passed away, he ran back crying.

He knew that his current comfortable and carefree life was all because of his mother, who was a concubine. Now that his mother was gone, what would become of him?

To others, the Fourteenth Prince's sorrow and despair were seen as a symbol of filial piety.

When the Fourth Prince, Yinzhen, learned of Consort De's passing, he was still in a daze. How could it be so sudden? She was gone overnight?

Without any prior warning, the entire Fourth Prince's residence was soon covered in white cloth and filled with plain clothes.

The Fourth Prince's wife was also shocked, and then furious. Who was it, and why would someone be so ruthless and cruel as to murder someone in the inner palace?

However, it was unbelievable that Liang Jiugong was able to trace the clues to the Fourth Prince's wife, Guarjia, and that others were also able to follow that clue to the Guarjia family.

Fourth Prince's Consort, of the Guarjia clan? So ruthless? Could it be that she harbors resentment towards Consort De for harming the boy in her womb?

For a moment, Consort Hui, Consort Rong and others felt a chill run down their spines. Which mother-in-law hasn't made things difficult for her daughter-in-law?

Consort Hui almost caused her daughter-in-law to become infertile, resulting in a premature birth. Looking back now, she is filled with gratitude, thankful that Lady Irgen Gioro was not that kind of person.

I was terrified.

When the Empress Dowager learned of this, she immediately went to the Qianqing Palace to ask the Emperor what he was thinking. Why wasn't such a vicious and terrifying woman arrested?

Kangxi wanted to say that he had other plans, but then he thought that the culprit behind this had not yet been found out. If he let the Guarjia clan go, wouldn't that be telling the mastermind behind the scenes that he was determined to find out about them?

The other party remained vigilant and on guard, and might even shift the clues to someone else.

He immediately comforted the Empress Dowager, sent her away, and then ordered Liang Jiugong to arrest the Fourth Prince's wife.

As for whether the Fourth Prince's wife was innocent, it didn't matter. What Kangxi was more worried about was that the person behind it had such means that it would be easy for them to harm him.

In Kangxi's heart, no one was as important as him.

Now, I'm afraid to fall into a deep sleep at night. There are several people on night watch to keep an eye on each other, including my most trusted Liang Jiugong, who also has to stay here.

Liang Jiugong wasted several nights and looked much more haggard, but there was nothing he could do, since the emperor trusted him the most.

The Fourth Prince's residence.

While the Fourth Prince Yinzhen was still alive, Liang Jiugong, sent by Emperor Kangxi, led men to arrest people, including his wife.

As for the charge... murdering Consort De?

Yinzhen looked at his fourth wife, Guarjia, in astonishment. "Fujin, did you do this? How could you be so cruel?"

"No, it wasn't me." When Guarjia was arrested, she explained in a panic, "Eunuch Liang, is there a mistake? How could it be me? I didn't do it."

Yinzhen didn't believe it; could his father, the Emperor, possibly be wrong?

"Fujin, I am heartbroken that you have lost your child, but no matter what, you cannot harm your mother!!!" Yinzhen was anxious and flustered, but he still had feelings for Consort De.

Even though Consort De disliked him, she was still his birth mother. It would be a lie to say that he had no feelings for her at all. It was because of his expectations that he harbored resentment.

Yinzhen stared at Guarjia with disgust and hatred, "Poisonous woman, I never expected you to be such a wicked person."

No matter how bad his mother is, she is still his mother.

Yinzhen was a ruthless man; he knew immediately what choice he had to make.

Looking at his sinister expression, Guarjia shouted "poisonous woman!" and said, "A vicious woman like her deserves to die." Guarjia felt a chill in her heart.

What was once a respectful relationship has turned into a hostile exchange.

Unexpectedly, Consort De murdered their child and yet lived so well without a care in the world. Why?

That's true. He lost his own child, but there are plenty of princesses in the backyard who can have his children. What about him?

Liang Jiugong made no comment on their actions, but simply bowed to Yinzhen and left with Lady Guarjia.

After Lady Guarjia was taken away, Yinzhen immediately went to the Qianqing Palace to apologize and knelt in front of the palace.

When Emperor Kangxi learned of this, he frowned slightly. He also knew about what the Fourth Prince had done.

"Let him in." Kangxi knew that he couldn't blame Yinzhen for this, as he had once said that Yinzhen was 'unpredictable'.

Therefore, he always kept a cold face and never showed his emotions. Kangxi even thought that Yinzhen had overcorrected and was worried about him.

In retrospect, it seems that he simply suppressed all his emotions.

"Father, I pay my respects to you. I am guilty and beg your forgiveness."

Yinzhen knelt before Kangxi, his deep remorse and self-reproach permeating the air around him.

"The matter of the Guarjia clan is none of your concern." Kangxi did not mention anything to Yinzhen about the fact that the mastermind behind the scenes had not yet been caught, for fear of leaking information.

"Father, I never imagined that the Guarjia clan were such vicious people. It's all my fault for failing to properly educate them." Kneeling there with his head bowed, Yinzhen couldn't see Kangxi's expression. He could only hear his father's calm voice, which revealed no emotion. Thinking that his father was still angry, he continued to blame himself.

"Your subject accepts the punishment." Yinzhen only hoped that his father's dislike for the Guarjia clan would not affect him. At the same time, he blamed himself for not realizing that the Guarjia clan was malicious as his wife.

Kangxi looked down at his fourth son, and he could probably guess what the fourth son was thinking, but at the moment, he had no mind to pay attention to him.

I'm annoyed.

"Then kneel here for two hours and apologize to your mother." Just because the mastermind hasn't been found doesn't mean the Fourth Prince's wife isn't one. Everything depends on the investigation results...

"Yes!" Yinzhen accepted the punishment willingly, which meant that his father did not want to see him suffer, and that his father had not taken his anger out on him because of the Guarjia clan's affairs.

With his head bowed, reflecting on himself, above, Emperor Kangxi was reviewing memorials, giving Yinzhen not a single glance.

Two hours later, Yinzhen limped out of the Qianqing Palace, leading those behind him to believe that the matter was about to end.

After Guarjia was taken away, I was taken away and locked in a small house. No one interrogated me, and I was served good food and drink...

Guarjia's panicked face was calmed down considerably.

She had used all the spies and agents she had planted in the palace over the past eight years since her rebirth, so how could they possibly trace it back to her?

Her worried expression concealed the ruthlessness in her heart, mixed with resentment towards Yinzhen. Because of Consort De, all her plans over the years had been ruined. How could she not hate him?

Everyone believed that it was the work of the Guarjia clan, and as a result, the wives of the princes all lived a life of preferential treatment in front of their mothers-in-law. They were no longer difficult to them as before, and were all cheerful, gentle and kind, which was very kind to them.

The princes' wives never expected that the Guarjia clan would be so formidable.

Not only did she dare to do it, but what's even more surprising is that she actually succeeded?

Shocked and disgusted, if such a method exists, shouldn't one prepare their body before conceiving a child? Wouldn't that be better?

The princes patted Yinzhen on the shoulder to comfort him, saying, "No one expected that the Guarjia clan would be like this."

"Fourth brother, please accept my condolences."

Yinzhen was filled with grief. While mourning for Consort De, he was severely beaten by the Fourteenth Prince. Yinzhen could not put up any resistance and silently endured it.

But five days later, the situation changed drastically. The real mastermind behind it all was found to be Zhao Changzai of Yonghe Palace. More importantly, the White Lotus Sect, which was dedicated to overthrowing the Qing dynasty and restoring the Ming dynasty, was also discovered.

Consort Zhao was beautiful and charming, and her words pleased Emperor Kangxi. She was favored when she first entered the palace and soon became pregnant with his child.

However, to conceive a prince, one not only needs to be resourceful but also has a high social standing. Consort De of Yonghe Palace was not a kind-hearted person. Shortly after the Fourteenth Prince was born, even the son of Lady Zhangjia was overshadowed by her Fourteenth Prince.

The emperor's beloved youngest son should be her fourteenth son.

Consort De not only harmed Consort Zhao's unborn child, but also rendered her infertile, which Consort Zhao harbored resentment towards.

Someone contacted her, offering to lend her a hand. But Zhao Changzai, already possessed by a demon, didn't care who it was. The poison was originally intended for the Fourteenth Prince, but unfortunately, she couldn't get involved.

Since the death of Consort De's Amauya Weiwu, one of her lineages was exiled to Ningguta, while the lineage that remained in the Imperial Household Department in the capital became close to the Crown Prince of Yuqing Palace.

She had already purged a group of people, and had bribed many of the new people who entered the palace. She also poisoned Consort De in small amounts, especially when the Fourteenth Prince sought out Consort De.

The palace maid who kept watch over Consort De at night already had a grudge against her; her own sister had been beaten to death by Consort De.

Consort Zhao knew that the Fourth Prince's wife, Lady Guarjia, had lost her child due to the neglect of Consort De, so she gave her a perfect opportunity to take the blame.

The clue was obviously planted on the Fourth Prince's wife by someone else. Why would anyone suspect such an obvious clue?

The investigation by Kangxi's men revealed that the person who sent the poison to Consort Zhao was connected to the imperial court and that members of the White Lotus Sect were also suspected of involvement.

I've heard that the descendants of the Third Prince of Ming are in the White Lotus Sect.

Kangxi recalled that he would occasionally dine with Consort De and the Fourteenth Prince. Perhaps the White Lotus Sect wanted to harm him?

When Zhao Chang was captured, he had already committed suicide by biting down on the poison in his mouth.

However, before he died, he left behind a question: Why don't you believe that it was the Fourth Prince's wife who did it?

Kangxi sneered, "It's too obvious, too likely to arouse suspicion."

Finally, the Fourth Prince's wife was sent back to the Prince's residence, personally escorted by Liang Jiugong, and the Emperor's rewards were delivered to the Fourth Prince's residence one by one.

The truth was also spread. It seemed dramatic, but in reality, it involved a lot of people. There were wave after wave of purges. Kangxi, who had originally recruited poor people into the palace, started to recruit bondservant bannermen again.

The bondservant bannermen were at most greedy for money, but those Han people wanted them dead!

Every day, servants and maids in the harem were taken away, and no concubine or mistress dared to do anything. Even the twice-monthly greetings were waived.

Yinzhen really didn't expect things to develop this way.

Is the Princess Consort innocent?

His previous behavior...

Yinzhen felt guilty and tried his best to treat Guarjia well. Guarjia was only angry with him for a few days before forgiving him.

If you lose your first child, you should work hard to recover and not let anyone steal your glory.

But to everyone's surprise, just a few days later, Li Gege brought good news: she was pregnant.

Therefore, Yinzhen became happy in front of Lady Guarjia, "Reward, reward!"

This move made Guarjia's heart sink. Song Gege's two daughters had died young, and her first child, the little prince, was gone. In the inner court, Li Gege was now the only one in power...

This reminded Guarjia of Hailanzhu, the wife of Emperor Taizong (Huang Taiji), and Dong'e, the wife of Emperor Shunzhi (Shizu). Borjigit Zhe Zhe (Empress of Huang Taiji) gave birth to several princesses, but the throne was eventually won by the child of Empress Dowager Xiaozhuangwen.

The fourth prince, born to Consort Dong'e of Emperor Shunzhi, was called his first son by Shunzhi. Of his two empresses, one was deposed and the other could only be honored as Empress Dowager out of politeness.

However, since he wasn't her biological son, the Empress Dowager didn't even have the right to contradict or rebuke the Emperor. If the Emperor no longer respected her, she, the Empress Dowager, would be nothing more than a figurehead.

“Indeed, Consort Li is pregnant with Your Majesty’s child, bearing children for our Aisin Gioro clan. She should be rewarded handsomely.” Lady Guarjia smiled gently and also bestowed a reward upon Yinzhen.

Looking at Yinzhen, who wore a faint smile, Guarjia felt waves of resentment rising in her heart, even more so than she had felt for Yinreng back then.

Seeing the situation before her, Lady Guarjia felt a chill in her heart. Even if Yinzhen ascended the throne, would he make her empress?

No, as the wife of a princess, I will surely become the mother of the nation in the future.

But... if she were to be treated like the Empress of Emperor Shunzhi, allowing the concubines to trample on her head, what would be the point of being the mother of the nation?

(End of this chapter)