Chapter 139: Another Version of the Deposed Crown Prince: Xuanye's Good Intentions

In the Fengxian Hall, Xuanye inserted the lit incense into the incense burner, Yinreng knelt on the ground with his head lowered, and the atmosphere was depressing for a while.

"Which one do you choose, the world or Zheng Ying'er?" Xuanye put his hands behind his back, staring at his son kneeling on the ground with burning eyes.

Yinreng clenched his fists tightly and said firmly, "Father, I will not let Ying'er die."

"If she hadn't died, my Qing Dynasty would no longer have a crown prince!" Xuanye declared firmly, "Yinreng, you'd better think carefully!" That was the old father's final words of advice to his unmotivated son. He had never imagined that he and Yinreng would end up in this situation. In the past, he often felt that he had raised a promising crown prince, and that the Qing Dynasty would be as stable as a rock under the rule of him and his son. Of course, he did consider whether Yinreng's growing influence would one day threaten his own power. But at that time, he even felt that as long as Yinreng could shoulder the heavy responsibility and bring hope to the country and the family, it would be okay for him, as his father, to become the retired emperor, appearing only occasionally when Yinreng needed him. Perhaps there would be arguments between him and his son, but those would be over state affairs.

But today...

He and his son, the child he personally raised, would end up in such a mess because of a woman. This was something Xuanye could never have imagined.

Yinreng took a deep breath, his eyes filled with determination. "Father, you've always understood me. I've never changed my mind. So..." As if making the most difficult decision, Yinreng slowly spoke. "Father, Ying'er has given me feelings I've never experienced in my life. If I abandon Ying'er for the sake of the empire, do you really think I can be a good heirloom?"

Xuanye didn't expect that Yinreng would ask him back.

Yinreng continued, "Father, I dare to ask you another question. If one day you had to choose between the empire and Concubine Yi, what would you choose? Would you abandon Concubine Yi and choose the empire? Or would you abandon the empire and choose Concubine Yi?"

Xuanye walked up to Yinreng, stared into his eyes, and said, "Yinreng, the person who is most suitable for you in this world will definitely not be a stumbling block on your road to success, but will be your greatest help! Concubine Yi is like this to me. But Zheng Ying'er, she is your test! If you can pass this test, I believe that the Qing Dynasty will be as stable as a rock in your hands in the future, but if you can't..."

Yinreng spoke for Xuanye, saying, "If my son can't survive, he will no longer be the crown prince of the Qing Dynasty. The future of the Qing Dynasty will have nothing to do with him. Is this what Father meant to say?"

Xuanye did not expect that at this moment, in this situation, Yinreng could still remain so calm.

But Yinreng continued, "Father, I am an unfilial son. I have failed you and have carefully nurtured me for so many years." As he spoke, Yinreng kowtowed and said, "I have made my decision."

Before summoning Yinreng to Fengxian Hall, Xuanye had already prepared himself mentally. As his own son, and having personally raised him, he knew Yinreng's temperament very well. Compared to himself, Yinreng was actually more benevolent. However, being too benevolent was not a good thing for the world.

Xuanye slowly sat down on a chair beside him. Naturally, his personal guards accompanied the prince out of Fengxian Hall. He looked at the portraits of his ancestors with a wry smile on his face. "Father, it's really hard to be an emperor. So you don't want to do it anymore and hand over the world to Mama and your son, right? The royal family needs face. Mama gave you respect back then. Shouldn't your son also give respect to Yinreng? In fact, Yinreng is very smart. Your son believes that as long as he keeps going, our Qing Dynasty will surely prosper and create a prosperous scene under the rule of our three generations of father and son. But now... Father, let your son follow the will of heaven and see what kind of successor the will of heaven will choose for our Qing Dynasty."

No matter how powerful the Galdan army was, they could not defeat Xuanye. However, a few words from his own son broke him down.

After leaving Fengxian Hall, he went straight to Yiku Palace and summoned Chu Tiankuo. After an hour of secret discussion, Chu Tiankuo left. Xuanye suddenly felt dizzy and had an inexplicable fever.

This illness had come on so suddenly that Xiu Yu was completely overwhelmed. If Xuanye had been lucid, it would have been fine, but he had collapsed unconscious the moment he hit the bed. This time, Xiu Yu not only had to care for the patient, but also deal with the visitors. Having only recently returned from the battlefield, she was somewhat overwhelmed.

At three o'clock in the morning, Xiu Yu changed the scarf on Xuanye's forehead and rubbed her temples with her hand.

Xiao Tao brought a bowl of soup over and handed it to Xiu Yu, saying, "Master, you should take a rest. The emperor has servants here to serve him."

Xiu Yu had no intention of eating the soup. She placed the bowl on a small table beside her and motioned for Xiao Tao to sit down beside her. She then said, "I feel uneasy if I don't stay with him, and it's hard to deal with those visitors from the harem. Fortunately, I'm in good health and can handle it."

"But you've only been back for a short time." Xiao Tao was still worried and couldn't help but whisper, "The Emperor really knows how to pick the right time to get sick. Even if it's a few days later or he's in another place, he still has to come to you. He really thinks you're not causing enough trouble."

The originally dull atmosphere was slightly broken by Xiao Tao, and Xiu Yu managed to force a smile on her slightly tired face. She looked at Xuanye lying on the bed and said, "He is really tired, not only physically but also mentally. Let him indulge himself just this once, and don't blame him."

"How dare I blame the Emperor?" Xiao Tao's voice was naturally low. "Master, are the rumors in the palace true?"

"What gossip?" Xiu Yu had been staying in Yiku Palace to take care of Xuanye for the past two days. Naturally, she was not as well-informed about the gossip as Xiao Tao.

Xiao Tao said: "I heard that it was because of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and the newly-admitted concubine in the palace, that's why the Emperor..." Xiao Tao spoke very vaguely, but it was clear enough.

Xiu Yu hadn't expected the palace walls to be so leaky, and the news wouldn't spread so quickly. Xiao Tao was her closest relative, so naturally, she had nothing to hide. She just nodded slightly.

"Oh my god!" Xiao Tao continued in a low voice. "As expected, the 'Secret History' might be more true. No wonder the Emperor is ill. He must be mentally strong to be so ill."

Xiu Yu sighed: "In the end, what is meant to come will come. No matter what the cause is, there is always the inevitable result."

Xiao Tao continued to report the gossip she had heard: "I also heard that Zheng Ying'er has disappeared, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince seems to be ill, and he is seriously ill. The former court is almost in chaos."

"Really?" Xiu Yu frowned slightly. She looked at Xuanye, not knowing whether these were his secret arrangements. She vaguely felt that most of them were done by Xuanye.

Xuanye's illness came quickly, and passed just as quickly. But Yinreng wasn't so lucky; his illness ultimately claimed the crown prince's life. Upon hearing the news, Xuanye was devastated and absent from court for ten days. With Yinreng's passing, not only did the palace rumors spread, but also those who had spread them. Of course, Xiao Tao, due to her special status, escaped unscathed.

The Crown Prince's death was a solemn occasion, and the Forbidden City was shrouded in mourning. As the elderly mourned the young, Emperor Xuanye spent most of his time in the Yikun Palace, casually flipping through memorials sent by the previous dynasty. After all, he had only recently recovered from an illness, and had lost his most capable son. Which minister of the previous dynasty was so desperate to force him to resign?

Xiu Yu had some doubts in her mind. Seeing Xuanye close the memorial in his hand, she sent the soup over, hesitating and wanting to say something but stopping herself.

Xuanye knew Xiuyu's temperament and said, "I've been holding it in for a long time. If you want to ask something, just ask it."

"The Crown Prince..." Xiu Yu felt that her guess was a bit absurd, but she was still curious: "Did he really die of illness?"

"This is what the Imperial Hospital Director reported to me." Xuanye looked at Xiu Yu with a smile: "He doesn't have the guts to lie to me."

Seeing Xuanye's expression, Xiu Yu also smiled and said, "He wouldn't have the guts to disobey the Emperor's order, would he? If Yu'er is right, has the Crown Prince left the palace?"

Xuanye lowered his eyelids, neither admitting nor denying.

Xiu Yu had already gotten the answer she wanted, so she stopped asking. After all, the best strategy was for these things to remain a permanent secret, preferably without even a rumor.

"Yu'er," Xuanye sighed. "He feels better now, but I feel as if the burden on my shoulders has grown a thousand pounds heavier. If the current emperor doesn't appoint a crown prince, I'm afraid my sons..." After hesitating for a moment, he added, "Forget it! As you said, if an enemy comes, we'll fight him. If a flood comes, we'll block it. I'll always have you by my side, that's all."

Whatever worries Xuanye, Xiuyu shares her worries. She wants to stay by Xuanye's side, but she can't help but think about her children. Perhaps, as long as her ninth child doesn't hang out with the eighth child, she won't have to worry too much.

But then Xuanye added, "Actually, the fourth and fifth sons all have their own merits, and the crown prince doesn't have to be Yinreng."

Xiu Yu knew that Xuan Ye still harbored some anger towards Yin Reng. But when he actually mentioned Yin Qi, Xiu Yu couldn't help but speak out: "Your Majesty, my three children are not of any consequence. Please don't set your sights on them." There was a hint of joking in her words, but her tone was firm.

Xuanye smiled and looked at Xiu Yu: "Concubine Hui and the others are eager for their children to sit on my throne. You are so close to me, yet you are trying to push them away?"

"Is your job a good one?" Xiu Yu continued to joke, "According to Yu'er, being a prince, having something to do in your spare time and not being forced to move around, isn't that a happier thing?"

Although Xuanye said more than once that being a leisurely prince was more comfortable, the feeling of holding great power was a great temptation. This time, he did not directly agree to Xiu Yu.