Chapter 115: There are no secrets in the palace. The prince is still a good boy...

As Xiuyu chatted with Yinzhen and Yinqi, it grew dark. Xuanye finally regained consciousness. Xiuyu went to get some water while Yinzhen and Yinqi helped him up.

After drinking a cup of tea, Xuanye said, "I seem to have had a very long dream, but I can't remember anything at the moment. I just feel that there were both happy and sad moments in the dream."

Xiu Yu said, "I can hardly remember how long you've been sleeping. If you don't wake up, I'm afraid I'll fall asleep with you."

"Is that so..." Xuanye gently held Xiuyu's hand: "I'm sorry for making you worry."

"Yinzhen and Yinqi are here. Don't you want to ask about the situation in the capital?" Xiu Yu pulled out her hand as if inadvertently, with fatigue showing between her brows.

Xuanye then noticed Yinzhen and Yinqi behind him and asked, "Why are you here?"

Yinzhen replied, "It was Concubine Yi's mother who sent the guards back to the palace with the news that you were ill. My fifth brother and I took the imperial physician from the Imperial Hospital and that student of Tang Mafa with us and headed north."

Seeing that his fourth brother was being very careful with his words and had no intention of mentioning the Crown Prince and Soetu, Yinqi also kept silent. After all, the Crown Prince was different from ordinary princes like them.

Xiu Yu could see that Yinqi seemed to be hesitant to speak, and she certainly didn't dare to ask in front of Xuanye. After she took care of Xuanye until he fell asleep and sent Yinzhen to rest, she finally got the chance to talk to her son alone.

"Did anything happen in the palace before you left?" Xiu Yu and Yin Qi found an empty corner outside the big tent and sat down, chatting while looking at the stars in the sky.

Yinqi said, "Why do you ask, mother? Everything is fine in Yikun Palace, and Concubine Tong's mother often goes there to take care of us."

Since this was mentioned, Xiu Yu casually said, "Did you guys tear off the roof of Yikun Palace?"

"Mother, what are you talking about?" Yinqi said with a hint of guilt in his laughter. "You can go and see when you return to the palace. The roof is still in good condition."

The roof is fine, but other things may not be... Xiu Yu thought so in his heart, but of course he couldn't say it out loud.

"Did your trip go smoothly?"

"It's fine after leaving the palace." Yinqi told the truth. After all, he was taught by Xiu Yu since he was a child that he should not tell lies in front of the people closest to him. Unless it is absolutely necessary, he should not tell lies. If he really has no other choice, then he will not tell lies.

Xiu Yu understood her son's temperament. After a moment's hesitation, she said, "Your fourth brother grew up under the Imperial Noble Consort's wing. He knows more about the affairs of the palace than our mother does. If you follow your fourth brother's instructions, you won't go far wrong."

Yinqi was actually hesitant in his heart. He knew that Yinzhen was a deep-minded person and it was probably impossible to discuss with him. So, apart from swallowing the doubts in his heart, he could only discuss it with his mother.

"Mother, tell me, apart from that kinship, between the former Prime Minister Suo and the Crown Prince, could there be..."

Xiu Yu immediately understood what her son was trying to say. She clasped her hands on her knees, her brows slightly furrowed. "First, don't make any assumptions about the Crown Prince. Second, remember that your father is a wise emperor. He's the emperor first, and your father second."

"I understand what mother said." Yinqi sighed, "But now it's just you and me, is it okay for me to talk about it?"

"Don't say it, you feel uncomfortable holding it in?" Xiu Yu looked at Yin Qi's sparkling eyes and said, "Then say it. Say it in front of mother, it doesn't matter."

Yinqi nodded. "My son suspects that Suo'etu is planning to usurp the throne. It was my fourth brother who asked me to go with him to the crown prince to request to go north with the imperial physicians. If we don't go, the imperial physicians' departure date will probably be delayed, and there might even be further delays along the way. Mother, you can imagine what the consequences will be."

"Actually, the Crown Prince is kind." Xiu Yu expressed her inner thoughts about Yinreng: "Besides, he is the Crown Prince. Can't he just wait for him?"

"That's exactly what Mother said." Yinqi was also a little puzzled: "You say, is Father's position really that good?"

"Do you feel good?" Xiu Yu asked with a smile.

Yinqi shook his head. "I'm afraid only those who like to hold great power think it's good. I still think those firearms in the southern suburbs are more interesting." At this point, he couldn't help but ask, "Mother, did those firearms show their power this time?"

"Yes." Xiu Yu knew that some of these were the work of Yin Qi. Yan Ran said, "They beat Galdan away, fled in a hurry, and even used tricks to escape. Tell me, are those firearms powerful?"

Yinqi was happy.

Xiu Yu's brows quickly furrowed again. Even if she wasn't interested, she'd at least heard about the Nine Dragons' struggle for the throne. The situation was brutal, far more severe than depicted in later television dramas. She knew that historically, Yinzhen ultimately triumphed, and her ninth son, the ninth, had insisted on siding with the eighth. Now, it seemed as if that trend had been contained.

Nine princes vying for the throne, ultimately, it was the crown prince who dug his own grave. It wasn't until this moment, hearing from Yinqi that there were some unspoken secrets between Soetu and the crown prince, that Xiuyu realized that if Xuanye heard of this, and realized that the crown prince he had painstakingly nurtured was actually treacherous and even wanted to take the throne early, he would probably be more than just heartbroken...

"Yinqi..." Xiu Yu held her son's hand and said, "Your fourth brother knows his limits, but sometimes you can't hold back enough. From now on, don't say a single word about the Crown Prince. Can you do that?"

Yinqi also knew how important the matter raised by his mother was. He nodded seriously and said, "Don't worry, mother. After all, the Crown Prince is the heir to the throne, and my sons will all be his subjects in the future. I know what to do, and I will also restrain my ninth and eleventh brothers."

Xiu Yu nodded.

With the quinine brought by foreigners, Xuanye's illness quickly improved, and the army finally set out north again.

After returning to the Forbidden City and entering the Palace of Heavenly Purity, Xuanye lay down on his bed. He held Xiuyu's hand and said with a smile, "Don't go back to the Yikun Palace yet. Stay with me for a while."

"Then why don't you come back to Yikun Palace with me?" Xiu Yu knew that Xuanye probably had other intentions in returning to Qianqing Palace. She gently held Xuanye's hand and said, "I've been away for so long. I have to go back to the palace to see if my roof has been blown off by those kids. If you want me to come, just flip the card!"

"Okay." Xuanye smiled and said, "Then go back and take a shower and change clothes. I will turn over your card tonight."

After Xiu Yu left, Xuan Ye rested for a while, then he pulled himself together and sat upright in the study. At this time, the door of the study was tightly closed, and Chu Tian Kuo was sitting next to Xuan Ye.

"After so many years as a spy, have you ever felt wronged?" Xuanye clasped his hands on the desk and was not in a hurry to ask what he wanted to know.

Chu Tiankuo replied, "The Emperor once said, 'Once a spy, always a spy.' I have never felt wronged."

"I will not treat you unfairly." Xuanye made a promise to Chu Tiankuo: "In the future, when you are old and can no longer be a spy, our Qing Dynasty will have another prince of a different surname, and the throne will be hereditary. Is that okay?"

Chu Tiankuo unexpectedly said, "Your Majesty has never treated me unfairly in every job I've held. I don't want to be a prince, and I don't want the throne to be passed down from generation to generation. It's better for my child to follow that path on his own."

"You're ambitious." Xuanye understood Chu Tiankuo and knew that what he said came from the heart. "Let's talk business. How is things in the palace these days when I'm personally on the expedition?"

"Your Majesty, Prime Minister Suo is too close to the Crown Prince after all." Chu Tiankuo knew the Crown Prince's position in the Emperor's heart, so he finally hesitated and said, "I think Your Majesty should stop it."

Xuanye could hear the hidden meaning in Chu Tiankuo's words: "When I was personally on the expedition, what did Suo Etu say to the Crown Prince? I trust you, so feel free to tell me."

Chu Tiankuo said, "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is the heir to the throne, but he also has the blood of the Hesheli family in his bones. Prime Minister Suo wants to ensure the eternal prosperity of the Hesheli family, so naturally he hopes that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince can inherit the throne as soon as possible."

"So, Suo Etu hopes that I won't be able to return to the Forbidden City smoothly?"

Chu Tiankuo was silent.

"But I didn't stop the imperial physician and the foreigner from coming to see me." Xuanye snorted coldly.

Chu Tiankuo said, "In my opinion, His Royal Highness is loyal to the emperor and loves his father, but some disloyal voices around him inevitably disturb his thoughts. His Royal Highness once pointed at Suo Etu's nose and accused him of rebellion, but Suo Etu is His Royal Highness's great uncle after all, and he couldn't bear it."

Xuanye nodded. After hearing Chu Tiankuo's words, he was somewhat comforted. After all, he had invested a lot of effort in raising this child. If he had any rebellious thoughts, he would probably vomit blood.

"In that case, please step back. I understand."

Chu Tiankuo stood up, bowed, and left the study.

Xuanye, however, stroked his forehead and frowned. Chu Tiankuo was a straightforward man, a confidant, so naturally, he wouldn't tell a single lie. However, Soetu was Yinreng's great-uncle, a key official at court, and had even made contributions in the negotiations with Tsarist Russia. At this point, it was impossible to move him. But if things continued like this, even he, as Yinreng's father, couldn't say for sure whether Yinreng would remain the good boy he once was.

***

On a separate note, back in Yikun Palace, Xiu Yu returned to find everything neatly arranged. Kejing's room, Yinqi's room, Yin'er's room, and Yin'an's room were even cleaner than before she left. Sitting down on the couch, she asked Xiao Tao, "Did you clean up overnight? Are there any uncollected items hidden under the bed or the table?"

Xiao Tao laughed and said, "Master, the princess and the prince are so worried about you that they're dragging the servants along to clean up the mess quickly. Please stop exposing their shortcomings."

"Aunt Tao is right." Ke Jing snuggled up to Xiu Yu and sat down, saying, "Mother, just turn a blind eye and take a good look at our clean Yikun Palace."

Xiu Yu touched Ke Jing's face and simply leaned against the beauty's backrest: "Mother is tired. Tell me what you have learned recently. How many times have you begged Aunt Tao to take you out to make trouble?"

The siblings looked at each other again and again. The youngest Yinzhen was about to be sent out, but the emperor turned over Xiuyu's card and the news that Xiuyu would sleep with him tonight saved Yinzhen in time.