Chapter 83 Return

The Crown Prince was furious in court and forbade the officials to mention it again. He even reprimanded Suo'etu in private. Unfortunately, at this moment, the Crown Prince's prestige was clearly no match for the "merit of following the emperor" or the "greater good of the country."

When someone conceived the idea of ​​having the crown prince ascend the throne, that idea spread like wildfire, affecting many people.

Rumors of inviting the Crown Prince to ascend the throne grew louder, and a deluge of memorials piled up on Yinreng's desk. He went from feeling powerless and angry at first to gradually wavering and becoming indecisive.

On the seventh day after Kangxi's disappearance, after a fruitless search, most of the officials in the court stood up and asked the crown prince to ascend the throne.

"Your Majesty, we respectfully request that you ascend the throne!"

Looking at the majority of officials kneeling on the ground in the hall, Yinreng sat on the seat below the dragon throne with a grim expression.

"You...you're threatening me..."

"Your Highness, a country cannot be without a ruler for a single day. For the sake of the stability of the court, we request that the Crown Prince ascend the throne."

"Please, Your Highness, ascend the throne."

As if it were an inevitable trend, Mingzhu and Suhe, who were still standing, exchanged glances. At this point, it was useless for them to object, so they knelt down without saying a word.

Seeing that their superiors had knelt, the others followed suit. In this way, it seemed that all the officials in the court had agreed to the crown prince's ascension to the throne.

"Please, Your Highness, ascend the throne!"

Throughout the entire Golden Palace, only one voice rang out. Yinreng sat at the head of the table, gazing at the kneeling officials and the dragon throne just a step above. Although he remained silent for a long time, Yinreng clearly sensed the stirring ambition and desire within his own heart.

Just then, a familiar and authoritative voice came from outside the hall.

"What, my esteemed ministers, are you so eager for me to abdicate?"

The people in the hall were startled and turned around in unison, only to see Kangxi striding in under the sunlight, along with a group of princes behind him.

"emperor……"

When the living Emperor Kangxi walked before the crowd, the court officials were immediately thrown into turmoil. Some showed surprise and joy, some were flustered and uneasy, and some were incredulous. The atmosphere in the Golden Palace was frozen.

"Father..."

Upon seeing Kangxi approach, Yinreng's eyes immediately reddened. He rose and drew closer, his face full of joy, but also concealing a hint of unease and guilt.

"Baocheng, you've worked hard." Kangxi patted Yinreng on the shoulder, seemingly unconcerned. He then ascended the imperial steps, sat high on the dragon throne, and looked down at the kneeling officials below, asking in a powerful voice, "What's wrong? Weren't you having a hard time just now? You even dared to threaten the Crown Prince, so why are you all silent now? Don't you want to see me?"

His Highness was deathly silent; no one dared to be the first to speak out at this moment.

Yinzhi stepped forward, exchanged glances with his brothers beside him, knelt and bowed to Emperor Kangxi, and shouted: "Your subject pays respects to Father Emperor, long live Father Emperor!"

Led by the princes, the court officials finally realized what was happening and knelt even lower, chanting in unison, "Your humble servants pay their respects to Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!"

The loud greetings carried far and wide, startling the swallows resting under the eaves and announcing the emperor's return.

"Your Majesty?" Kangxi snorted coldly, his gaze sweeping over one familiar figure after another. He temporarily suppressed his anger and announced, "Now that I have returned, I suppose my beloved ministers have nothing more to discuss. Court is adjourned."

"Court adjourned—"

Liang Jiugong, flicking his whisk, loudly announced the adjournment of the court. A group of ministers, wanting to explain or unsure how, could only leave one by one, filled with unease.

Seeing that everyone had left, Kangxi's upright body relaxed slightly, a trace of pain appearing on his face. He swayed as he was caught by Liang Jiugong.

"Your Majesty... this servant has already arranged for the imperial physician to wait at the Qianqing Palace..." Liang Jiugong was quite anxious. As someone who had accompanied Kangxi all the way back, he naturally knew that the emperor was putting on a brave face at this moment, and that his injuries had not yet healed.

"It's alright," Kangxi waved his hand, swallowing the blood in his throat, and struggled to his feet. The situation was unstable; he couldn't show any sign of distress in front of others. "Has the imperial physician been sent to Prince Yong's residence?"

"It has already been sent."

"Send more people to ensure that Yinzhen is safe."

"yes."

Liang Jiugong nodded, naturally understanding Kangxi's meaning. After all, compared to the Emperor, Prince Yong, who had escorted the Emperor back to the capital, was more seriously injured. He had fainted after handing the Emperor over to Prince Zhi and had not woken up since. Therefore, upon returning to the capital, he was directly sent back to Prince Yong's residence.

"Return to the palace..." Suppressing his worry for Yinzhen, Kangxi frowned. There were still many things waiting for him to do. Suo'etu...

"How is Fourth Brother?" After Kangxi adjourned the court session, all the princes gathered at Prince Yong's residence. Regardless of their actual relationship, they all had to feign brotherly affection. After all, everyone knew that it was Yinzhen who had rescued their father.

Yinzhen was most worried and, disregarding hierarchy, rushed to the front to ask. Meanwhile, the Crown Prince, who had been bypassed by the Fourteenth Prince, was in a state of confusion and had no interest in Yinzhen's actions.

"The imperial physician is still treating him." Yixiu wiped away her tears, silently bowed to the princes, and answered Yinzhen's question with a choked voice. Thinking of the prince who had been sent back, covered in wounds and with a pale face, Yixiu couldn't help but feel heartache.

Seeing Yixiu's condition, the princes present didn't say much. After all, apart from the Crown Prince, everyone else had witnessed Yinzhen's miserable state. Even Yintang, who was at odds with Yinzhen, didn't say much at this moment, frowning and silently waiting for news outside with everyone else.

After an unknown amount of time, amidst everyone's anxious waiting, the door was finally opened, and the Imperial Physician Wang, covered in sweat and looking exhausted, emerged, only to be startled by the large number of princes standing at the door.

"Your humble servant..."

"Alright, no need for formalities. How is Fourth Brother?" Yinzhi interrupted him, asking impatiently.

"Prince Yong has been cured and is now out of danger. As long as he is well cared for in the next two days, he will not have a fever."

Hearing Physician Wang's words, everyone present breathed a sigh of relief, and the atmosphere improved considerably. Seeing this, Physician Wang could only grit his teeth and continue, "However..."

"But what?" Yinzhen was impatient. Seeing the imperial physician's troubled expression, his heart, which had just been at ease, skipped a beat again, and he quickly asked.

Under the questioning gazes of the princes, Imperial Physician Wang stammered, "However, the arrow wound on Prince Yong's left shoulder has been neglected for too long and has become infected. Although we have done our best to treat him, in the future... if his condition improves, Prince Yong's left arm will be painful on rainy days. If... if he doesn't recover well, then I imagine he will be unable to exert himself..."

"Aren't you the imperial physician? If you can't even heal this little injury, what use are you!"

"Fourteenth Brother." Yinxiang reached out and pulled the angry Yinzhen back, stopping him. He then turned to the Imperial Physician Wang and said politely, "I'd appreciate it if you would take good care of me. Please let me know what medicinal herbs you need."

"Thirteen is right. If you need anything, just come to me. Fourth Brother's left arm will be given to Imperial Physician Wang." At this moment, Yinreng finally realized and took on the responsibility of the Crown Prince.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will do my utmost." The Imperial Physician Wang bowed helplessly. This wasn't the first time he had treated Prince Yong, and the prince's condition seemed to worsen with each passing day. As a physician, he naturally wanted to save Prince Yong, but sometimes it wasn't as simple as wishing to do so.

The outcome was mixed; Yinzhen was still in a coma, and it was not advisable for anyone to linger. Except for the thirteenth and fourteenth princes, all the other princes left the Yongjun Prince's residence.

With Kangxi's return, the ensuing turmoil in the capital was entirely predictable. Regardless of whether they were involved in other matters, necessary preparations still needed to be made.

In the days that followed, apart from the Prince Yong's residence, the entire capital was filled with an atmosphere of fear and unease.