Chapter 96, "Father's Instructions Before the Expedition..."

"Before Father Emperor went on the expedition, he instructed me to consult Lord Mingzhu if I was ever unsure of anything," Yinzhen said. "Although I am now overseeing the country, I do not have the authority to deal with matters involving princes."

Mingzhu remained silent for a while, thinking that the Fourth Prince was planning to make him take the blame.

Yinzhi and Yinxiang discussed in hushed tones in the back.

"Myna, do you think Mingzhu will agree?"

Yinzhi: "If he could agree, he wouldn't be Mingzhu."

After a long silence, Mingzhu said, "This old minister understands what the Fourth Prince means, but His Majesty has not given this old minister such authority. Now that the matter is urgent, we should act expediently and keep the Fourteenth Prince under secret for the time being."

"The Fourteenth Prince is currently in the palace; a few guards will suffice."

Yinzhen's expression was subtle: "I'm afraid Tuoheqi, the commander of the Nine Gates, won't obey my orders."

Mingzhu understood that he couldn't completely absolve himself of responsibility, so he said directly, "This old minister and Tuoheqi have been comrades for many years, so this old minister will go and convey the Fourth Prince's message."

Yinzhen nodded, and without further pleasantries, Mingzhu left.

Yinzhi and Yinxiang came out from behind. Yinxiang put his hands in his pockets and said, "I didn't expect Mingzhu to be so agreeable today."

"The arrow is on the string, and we have no choice but to release it," Yinzhi said with a smile. "Look at the sky outside, it's really fitting, gloomy and it looks like it's about to rain."

Mingzhu acted swiftly; within an hour, Baohua Palace was heavily surrounded, trapping the Fourteenth Prince inside.

The commotion was so great that all the concubines in the palace knew about it, and they were all filled with anxiety, wondering what had happened.

Consort Tong rushed to Xianfu Palace to inquire, but Wen Shan told her not to worry.

"Please sit down. Yinzhen has already spoken to me about this." Wenshan comforted her, "You saw how the Fourteenth Prince was today. He was acting like a madman. Now that the Emperor is not in the palace, Yinzhen is worried that he might do something impulsive again. He just injured a guard. What if he hurts a concubine or a prince?"

That makes sense, but Consort Tong was still a little worried.

"Your Highness, the Fourteenth Prince is, after all, a prince. It might not be appropriate for word to get out that he's being surrounded like this."

Consort Tong wasn't there to plead for the Fourteenth Prince, but the scene looked rather tense, like a storm brewing, and she was a little scared.

"There's no better way." Wen Shan gestured for Pearl to serve tea to Consort Tong. "Wu Ya's condition is still unstable. If things get worse, who can control the Fourteenth Prince?"

"Moreover, it's only temporary custody, nothing serious will happen. He will be released once the Emperor's decree is issued."

Consort Tong could only nod, her lips pursed.

"What you said earlier makes some sense. The concubines in the palace will inevitably be frightened when they see this. I am not feeling well today, so I will trouble Consort Tong to inform the other concubines not to frighten the ladies."

Wen Shan rubbed her head at the opportune moment: "I caught a chill today and have a bit of a headache, so I need to rest. I won't keep Consort Tong any longer."

Consort Tong was still dizzy when she walked out of Xianfu Palace.

"Ru Mo, I still feel like something's not quite right."

Although Consort Tong was raised in seclusion and was of the Tongjia clan, she still had a keen sense for these political signals.

Ru Mo held her hand and said, "What the Imperial Concubine said makes sense. The Fourteenth Prince did indeed act like a madman today. If we don't keep an eye on him first, it will be troublesome if he hurts someone."

Consort Tong frowned, feeling that something was amiss.

"Have someone leave the palace and inform Father."

Wen Shan inside Xianfu Palace also breathed a sigh of relief.

"Luckily, Yinzhen sent me the cheat sheet in advance, otherwise I really wouldn't know what to say."

Pearl massaged Wenshan's shoulders: "Your Highness has worked hard. From now on, we can just pretend to be sick and avoid seeing people."

"Not now, we need to go to Ning Shou Palace."

When Emperor Kangxi was not in the palace, the Empress Dowager's words carried the most weight.

After returning to Chengqian Palace, Consort Tong did not immediately issue an order to the six palaces as Wen Shan had suggested. Firstly, she felt that the matter was a bit strange, and secondly, it seemed too odd for her to issue an order to the six palaces regarding the imprisonment of a prince.

"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager has just issued an imperial decree." Ru Mo came in from outside and said, "The Empress Dowager said that the Fourteenth Prince broke into Yonghe Palace and injured a guard. Moreover, the imperial physician diagnosed him as being somewhat delirious, so he is temporarily being held in Baohua Palace."

Consort Tong took a breath and pressed, "Is it an imperial edict from the Empress Dowager?"

Ru Mo nodded: "Yes, Consort Xuan just went to Ning Shou Palace."

"The Empress Dowager has not concerned herself with palace affairs for so many years..."

Ru Mo said, "The Empress Dowager dotes on Consort Xuan the most. Now that such a big thing has happened in the palace, it is normal for Consort Xuan to ask the Empress Dowager for advice."

"This servant has heard that when the Empress Dowager was alive, she doted on Consort Xuan even more."

Consort Tong smiled upon hearing this: "The Empress Dowager is a formidable figure, far superior to the current Empress Dowager who merely practices vegetarianism and chants Buddhist prayers."

Inside Ning Shou Palace, Aunt Yu saw Wen Shan off.

"Aunt, there's no need to see me off. Hurry back and serve the Empress Dowager."

Wen Shan held Aunt He Yu's hand and said, "With the Emperor away, it's inevitable that things won't be peaceful in the palace. Aunt, please take good care of the Empress Dowager. I will come to dine and talk with the Empress Dowager every day."

Aunt Heyu smiled and said, "Her Majesty the Empress Dowager also told Consort Gui to take good care of yourself. Just bring more of the Empress Dowager's favorite dishes tomorrow."

Aunt Yu watched Wen Shan's imperial carriage leave before returning to Ning Shou Palace, where the Empress Dowager was already chanting sutras in the small Buddhist hall.

"Sent out?"

Aunt He Yu stepped forward, took three incense sticks, and handed them to the Empress Dowager, saying softly, "They've been sent out. The Imperial Concubine said she'll come to dine with you again tomorrow."

The Empress Dowager opened her eyes, bowed, and placed the incense sticks upright on the ground.

"Wen Shan is a simple-minded child. She always does whatever Yinzhen and the others tell her to do. Fortunately, these children are quite filial."

Aunt He Yu said, "Your Highness is very fortunate. In the past, you had the Empress Dowager and several princes to look after you. Naturally, you will have a worry-free life."

Wen Shan has been in the palace for decades, and has spent almost every day with the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager. Whether it was the Cining Palace when the Empress Dowager was still alive or the Ningshou Palace now only occupied by the Empress Dowager, Wen Shan often came to eat and talk with them.

After so many years of living together day and night, the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager had long since come to love her like their own daughter.

The Empress Dowager chanted a few Amitabha Buddha's names: "Go and tell Wenshan that she doesn't need to come every day. Since she is not feeling well, she should rest well at Xianfu Palace."

He Yu replied that she was right and then went to deliver the message.

Wen Shan, who had just returned to Xianfu Palace, was stunned when she heard the news.

"What does the Empress Dowager mean by this?"

Just then, Yinxiang happened to be next to her, so Wenshan asked a question.

"Grandmother, this is for your own good, Mother," Yinxiang said with a smile. "These past few days have been filled with rumors and gossip. There will only be more people coming to see you, so you should just stay out of the noise and keep quiet."

"Your mother doesn't know what you brothers are doing," Wen Shan said. "But there's one thing you must do: be careful and don't make any mistakes. Your mother doesn't care about wealth or honor; she just wants the three of you to be safe and sound."

Yinxiang smiled and hugged Wenshan's arm affectionately, "Mother, don't worry, Fourth Brother and Eighth Brother said this matter will be settled in three days at most."

Although the detention of the Fourteenth Prince appeared to be ordered by the Empress Dowager, anyone with a decent ear and eye knew that the Fourth Prince had first surrounded the Baohua Palace to summon Consort Xuan before going to the Ning Shou Palace, and only then did the Empress Dowager's decree come down.

So this matter is definitely not that simple.

The concubines all knew that this was a power struggle between the princes, and it was best to stay away and not get involved. Consort Yi also kept the Ninth Prince from going out and causing trouble.

"Mother, I need to talk to Eighth Brother and Tenth Brother. Why have you locked me up in Yikun Palace?" Ninth Prince sighed helplessly.

Consort Yi even disregarded the rule that princes could not stay overnight in the inner palace after the age of seven and insisted on keeping him in Yikun Palace for one night.

"Don't go running around recklessly. These are turbulent times, so you'd better stay put."

Consort Yi didn't even look up; she was focused on sewing clothes for the Eleventh Prince.

"That's a battle of wits between Fourth Brother and Fourteenth Brother, what does it have to do with me and Eighth Brother?"

Consort Yi: "...In short, you just stay put. The Eighth Prince and the Fourth Prince grew up together, what do you have?"

Consort Yi naturally knew that her son, who was obsessed with making money, had long been a member of the Eighth Prince's faction. It was normal for her to go to the Eighth Prince to discuss things now. However, Consort Yi coldly observed that this was a power struggle between the Fourth Prince and the Crown Prince or the First Prince. The Eighth Prince was obviously going to watch from the sidelines and was not making any moves. Who knew what trouble Yinzhen might stir up if he went out?

The Eighth Prince and the Fourth Prince have a brotherly bond, and with Consort Xuan around, they're naturally safe. But if their Ninth Prince acts recklessly and becomes the first to stick his neck out, he won't be so lucky.

The Ninth Prince pursed his lips, just as his personal eunuch brought in a message.

"Your Highness, the Eighth Prince sent me to tell you that since Consort Yi misses you, you are to stay in Yikun Palace and keep her company. You don't need to worry about things outside."

Ninth Prince: "Did Eighth Prince say this?"

"yes."

The Ninth Prince waved his hand: "I understand, you may leave."

Consort Yi glanced over here: "Go see your eleventh brother. It's not easy for him to stay in Yikun Palace for so long."

The Eleventh Prince's condition has improved, but he is still unable to get out of bed. The Eleventh Prince loves to read, so Consort Yi had many books moved to his room.

The Ninth Prince got up, dusted off his clothes, and readily agreed.

"Your Highness, the Ninth Prince is still young, please teach him well." Xuelu served Consort Yi a cup of tea.

Consort Yi took the drink and said, "He's still young? The Emperor is about to bestow a marriage upon him."

"This servant remembers that His Majesty once said that he had found a girl from the Dong'e clan for our Ninth Prince?"

Consort Yi felt somewhat uncomfortable when the matter was brought up.

"How did His Majesty end up choosing someone from the same family as the Third Prince's wife after all his pickiness? Fortunately, His Majesty only mentioned it casually and hasn't finalized the decision yet."

The relationship between Consort Yi and Consort Rong was only superficially acceptable; these four senior consorts had never gotten along well when they were young.

"It's just that they both share the surname Dong'e. In terms of age, Miss Dong'e and the Third Prince's great-grandfather were brothers, so they're not that close," Xue Lu said with a smile. "Besides, Miss Dong'e's father, Lord Qi Shi, is a first-rank military commander in the capital, and he is highly regarded by the Emperor."

Consort Yi waved her hand: "Never mind, never mind. Anyway, it's just a few families' daughters. As long as they are good-looking and have good personalities, that's fine."

After speaking, Consort Yi asked, "Is Her Highness the Noble Consort still recuperating?"

Xuelu: "Yes, the Thirteenth Prince accompanies him to Xianfu Palace every day."

Consort Yi sighed and ordered someone to send some more things over.

The entire Forbidden City seemed to be shrouded in a dark cloud, and even the usually most lively Consort Hui and Consort Rong became quiet and well-behaved.

Consort Ping has been feeling uneasy lately. Some time ago, Suo'etu sent her a letter, asking her to keep a close eye on the movements of Consort Xuan and the Fourth Prince in Xianfu Palace.

The Fourth Prince was staying at Chonghua Palace. Suo'etu instructed Consort Ping to be on high alert and to relay any news to him immediately if there were any unusual movements.

"Chonghua Palace is as impenetrable as an iron barrel; there's no way any news could possibly come from there," Consort Ping sighed.

Although Suo'etu didn't say much to her, she understood that this might be a crucial moment.

Chunjiang, a maidservant of Hesheli, was also very worried at this moment.

"Your Majesty, a message has come from Yuqing Palace that the Crown Prince and Prime Minister Suo wish to meet privately and ask you to help mediate."

"Father is going to the palace at this time?" Consort Ping was shocked.

"Perhaps it is precisely at this critical moment that Prime Minister Suo wants to discuss matters with the Crown Prince," Chunjiang said.

"Sigh." Consort Ping sighed, "The palace is now on edge... Never mind, you can send someone to make arrangements and try your best to cover it up."

"Chunjiang, I've been feeling really anxious lately, do you think it might be..."

Chunjiang quickly reassured him, "My lord, please don't worry. With Prime Minister Suo and the Crown Prince here, nothing will go wrong."

"I hope so."

Soetu entered the palace that very night, and the Crown Prince was extremely anxious in Yuqing Palace.

"Grand Uncle, Fourteenth Brother has been placed under guard. What should we do?"

Soetu tried to calm the Crown Prince down first: "Your Highness, the Fourth Prince must have noticed something, and it seems the Emperor has instructed Mingzhu to assist him. That old man..."

“Mingzhu?” The Crown Prince was startled. “Mingzhu and you, Uncle, are mortal enemies.”

The Crown Prince had experienced the period when Mingzhu and Suo'etu were rivals, and knew that Mingzhu's abilities were no less than Suo'etu's. When he heard that Kangxi had specially left Mingzhu to Crown Prince Yinzhen, he immediately panicked.

"Therefore, we must act quickly at this moment." Soetu said in a low voice, "Your Highness, the latest military report from the front is that the army has suffered a setback and has retreated thirty miles."

"Could it be..."

“The problem lies with the supplies.” Soetu’s face darkened. “Your Highness, since we have already tampered with the supplies, there is no turning back. The Dzungars are attacking from two sides, and the Emperor’s situation is not good. If we take over the capital, everything will be much easier.”

Although the Crown Prince had agreed to Suo'etu's plan beforehand, he was still uneasy when he actually got to this point, as if someone was choking him and he couldn't breathe.

"Then... Father Emperor, now..."

"Your Highness, rest assured, the Emperor is still safe and sound, but things may change in a few days." Soetu interrupted the Crown Prince, "Your Highness, we must not be sentimental now and must make a decision as soon as possible. Tuoheqi and the men of Fengtai Camp are waiting for your order!"

The crown prince closed his eyes, sat in the chair, and took a deep breath.

"Then, let's get started."

That night, Wen Shan felt a throbbing sensation between her eyebrows and couldn't sleep well. At the hour of Xu (7-9 PM), Yin Xiang received a message, his face darkened, and he hurriedly left. Before leaving, he told Wen Shan to turn off the lights and go to sleep early, and not to see anyone who came.

"What's wrong?" Wen Shan asked Pearl Amber and the others. "I feel really anxious in my chest."

Yinzhen and the others didn't tell her anything. Although Wenshan roughly understood that they didn't tell her because they were afraid she would worry, she still couldn't help but feel anxious.

"Don't worry, Your Highness. The princes all have their own ideas. Look, when the Fourth Prince and the Eighth Prince came to pay their respects today, they were no different from usual," Pearl comforted her.

Wenshan and Pearl chatted for a while before gradually feeling sleepy. Amber noticed that Wenshan was starting to have trouble keeping her eyes open, so she quickly helped her wash up and then helped Wenshan to bed to rest.

"Fortunately, the Eighth Prince instructed that a calming soup be made for the master, otherwise the master really wouldn't have been able to sleep all night." Pearl tucked Wen Shan in and then told Emerald and the others to leave.

The sounds of fighting could be heard outside, though it seemed they were still some distance from the capital, but even that was enough to send shivers down one's spine.

"I wonder what's going on outside?" Emerald stood on tiptoe and looked out, but couldn't see anything.

Pearl sighed and said, "At least it seems that the matter hasn't reached the palace."

Amber came around from behind and whispered, "The Crown Prince and Lord Suo'etu rebelled, but the rebel army has just been wiped out."

"What?!"

Neither Pearl nor Jade could have imagined that it was the Crown Prince who started the rebellion.

"The Fourth Prince sent someone to say that the work is being finished and that we don't need to be afraid. We just need to guard our master carefully."

Jade was so frightened that she kept chanting Amitabha Buddha and praying to Heaven and Earth for protection several times.

"It seems that the Fourteenth Prince is also involved. Just now, the Fourth Prince and Lady Mingzhu discussed taking the Fourteenth Prince to the Imperial Clan Court first." Pearl continued to keep them updated on the current situation.

"Sister Pearl!" Just then, Baoquan rushed over: "Sister Pearl, Consort Min has come and wishes to see Your Majesty."

“The mistress has just fallen asleep, and it’s probably not appropriate to wake her at this time,” Emerald said. “Why has Consort Min come here so late at night with the dew so heavy? Did she say what it was about?”

"No, I saw that Consort Min was in a great hurry, so I had someone take her to the main hall first."

Pearl and Jade went to the main hall. Consort Min was waiting and, upon seeing them arrive, hurriedly asked, "Pearl, has Her Highness the Imperial Concubine retired for the night?"

"Your Highness Consort Min, the lady just fell asleep after taking her medicine. The imperial physician instructed that she should rest more, so we dared not go to wake her," Pearl said with difficulty.

"Did Yinxiang come to Your Majesty's place today?" Consort Min asked again.

Pearl: "The Thirteenth Prince was here just now, but I don't know why he left the palace overnight."

Consort Min was immediately disappointed: "Then...then I'll go to Chonghua Palace to see the Fourth Prince and his wife."

“Consort Min,” Pearl stopped her, “Consort Min, you are a kind person, but given the current situation… Fourth Princess Consort is more than seven months pregnant and is not feeling well. It might not be appropriate for you to go there at this time.”

Consort Min and Wen Shan had known each other for many years and knew that Consort Min would not deliberately avoid seeing her. If she did not see her today, it meant that Wen Shan had really gone to sleep. Since Yinxiang was not in the palace, the only place she could go was Chonghua Palace.

But after Pearl said that, Consort Min began to hesitate. Yes, the Fourth Prince's wife was six months pregnant, and it was a critical time for her to rush over like this...

Seeing that Consort Min wasn't completely confused, Pearl offered a few more words of advice before finally sending her away, allowing Consort Min to return to her own palace first.

"Go and deliver a message to the Fourth Prince and the Eighth Prince, saying that Consort Min has arrived but has not seen our Lady."

Jade instructed a palace maid to deliver the message, then turned to Pearl and said, "Fortunately, the mistress is asleep, otherwise she would definitely have helped Consort Min today."

Pearl: "No wonder the princes are so resourceful."

When Yinzhen and Yinsi received the news, Yinsi was just about to leave the palace.

"I knew Fifth Sister would ask Consort Min to go to Mother." The flickering candlelight reflected on Yinzhen's brow. "Given Mother's temperament, she'll be in a dilemma again. It's better not to see her."

"Alright, things are almost done here. I need to go see Tong Guowei." Yinzhi stood up and said, "It wouldn't be appropriate if I didn't show up soon."

Yinzhen nodded: "Things are still unsettled outside, so be careful."

As soon as Yinzhi left, Lady Fucha brought in a late-night snack.

"Fourth Master, let's have some supper first." She put down the food, looked around but didn't see Yinzhi, and asked, "Where is Eighth Brother? I've been busy all night, so I asked him to come and have some with us."

"Eighth Brother had to leave first." Yinzhen grasped Fucha's hand and gestured for her to sit down. "Didn't I tell you to rest first? Why did you get up again?"

"How can I sleep tonight given what has happened? I'd rather stay with Fourth Master for peace of mind," Fucha said softly.

Yinzhen took a sip of soup and said, "It's all over now, it's all in the past."

Wen Shan slept soundly through the night, but when she woke up the next day, she was told that the Forbidden City had changed.

The Crown Prince and Suo'etu, together with Tuoheqi, the commander of the Nine Gates, and the general of Fengtai Camp, launched a rebellion. Fortunately, Kangxi had made preparations in advance and left 30,000 troops not far from the capital. He also ordered Mingzhu to take care of them. The Crown Prince was captured almost as soon as he started his rebellion. In addition, it also implicated the Fourteenth Prince and the Crown Prince in a plot to poison Consort Xuan and cause chaos in the palace.

In the end, Yinzhen made a decisive move, imprisoning the Fourteenth Prince in the Imperial Clan Court, and imprisoning a series of officials involved, including Suo'etu and Tuoheqi, in the Ministry of Justice prison. As for the Crown Prince, since Kangxi had not stripped him of his title, he was still the heir apparent and was temporarily placed under house arrest in Yuqing Palace.

"Such a big thing, and those kids dared to keep it from me." Wen Shan clutched her chest and said, "They even saw swords and spears, are Yinzhen and the others alright?"

"Don't worry, Your Majesty, the princes are all well," Pearl quickly said. "The Fourth Prince just sent someone to say that he would come to have breakfast with Your Majesty."

Emerald said indignantly from the side, "The Fourteenth Prince is really audacious to try to poison the master. Fortunately, the Fifth Princess still has some conscience."

Wen Shan felt a little scared when she thought about it; indeed, people's hearts are unpredictable.

"By the way, Your Majesty, Consort Min came last night, but she left after you fell asleep," Pearl said while instructing the palace servants to prepare breakfast.

Wen Shan quickly realized that the Fifth Princess had probably asked Consort Min to come because of the Fourteenth Prince.

"Looking back now, I really don't know if I should have let her raise the Fifth Princess."

Consort Min was such a kind person, but after raising the Fifth Princess, she was bound to get caught up in these disputes. Perhaps Yinxiang was right and shouldn't have let the Fifth Princess be raised in Yanxi Palace.

Wen Shan was just sighing when Bao Quan suddenly came in and said, "My lord, something terrible has happened! The eleventh prince has passed away!"