Chapter 124 Successfully Passed the Test: Yu Lang was fine when he left this morning, but now she can't get out? Shen Wanqing thought to herself…

Yu Lang was fine when he left this morning, but now she can't get out? Shen Wanqing's heart skipped a beat. She stood in the yard and paced back and forth for about ten times before she slowly calmed down her panicked emotions.

Yu Lang had been away from the Imperial Guard for several years, but his personal relationships were not particularly strained. From E Shan to Fu Cha De Yin and then to Tu Nan, who had only recently become a Blue-Lanyard Guard, Yu Lang had tried to avoid getting too close to the current Crown Prince's personal guards, but he still knew all the people he needed to know.

"Chang Shun, do those two guards outside look familiar to you?"

“I’ve never seen them before, they’re all unfamiliar faces. They’re either transferred from elsewhere or are guards serving His Majesty. The master and those in the Qianqing Palace are mostly nodding acquaintances, so I haven’t seen them much.”

"Madam, could it be that something has happened to the Emperor?"

"Everything was fine yesterday, so what could have happened?"

“Yes, Madam is right. With so many people around His Majesty, nothing can happen. Even if something did happen, there should at least be some leaked information.”

Chang Shun thought Shen Wanqing was afraid that these guards were people close to the emperor, but in fact Shen Wanqing wished that these guards were really sent by Kangxi.

The struggle for the throne among the nine princes sounds intimidating, but no matter how fierce the competition, they were all his own sons. When Emperor Kangxi was alive, these princes were all still alive and well.

The fact that the crown prince was appointed and deposed twice sounds tragic, but the most unfortunate ones were the people around Yinreng, while he himself was still alive and well.

Even after he and Yinzhi were placed under house arrest, perhaps because they had nothing to worry about, they had more children during that period than before they were placed under house arrest.

The real struggle and the most deadly battles occurred after Yongzheng ascended the throne. The Fourth Prince, who wanted to implement reforms with harsh laws, and the Eighth Prince, who was even more eager to win over the officials and form a faction, were both determined to leave each other no way out.

Therefore, Shen Wanqing is not afraid of Kangxi's guards at the moment. As long as Kangxi does not intend to kill the Crown Prince now, she and Yulang should be able to hold out for a while longer.

The original historical timeline is no longer relevant, and Shen Wanqing can no longer simply apply those things. What she's worried about now is that these people outside are Yinzhi's men; that would be a real problem.

“Madam, how about I try spending some money to see if I can get them to talk and find out what really happened?”

"No, it's not worth it if we cause more trouble."

Suddenly being forbidden to leave, the maids who had come out with Shen Wanqing and Yu Lang were also frightened. They stood around Shen Wanqing or under the corridor, not daring to make a sound or move. They just looked at each other and waited for Shen Wanqing to make a decision.

Shen Wanqing went to the base of the wall first and listened carefully to the sounds outside.

After arriving in Suzhou, the emperor, along with the empress dowager, the crown prince, and the princes and concubines, stayed in the imperial palace, while the accompanying officials stayed in residences prepared by local officials.

Because of their close relationship with the Crown Prince, Yu Lang and Shen Wanqing were assigned courtyards with excellent layouts and locations. It was only a quarter of an hour's walk from the imperial palace, and the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue lived on one side and the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War lived on the other.

Both of them brought their female relatives with them when they left the capital. The Ministry of War official even brought his two unmarried daughters along, saying that he wanted them to have some fun before they got married.

Both children were thirteen or fourteen, the most lively age, and being children of military officers, their stay in Suzhou was lively every morning.

One day, they happened to run into Lord Yu and Madam Shen working and delivering grain early in the morning. Suddenly, they were interrupted by the noise from next door, which almost scared Lord Yu out of his wits.

The entire day, the Ministry of War official felt that Yu Lang was targeting him, finding fault with everything he did, and even withheld the money that was supposed to be allocated to him.

This caused him to spend his nights racking his brains with his wife, trying to figure out exactly when he had offended Yulang.

After racking his brains for a long time without coming up with a solution, it was his wife who made the final decision to stop him from thinking about it anymore. The next day, she sent a lot of silk and tea to Shen Wanqing, and only then did Yu Lang manage to get rid of the matter.

The usually bustling courtyard next door was now silent, and there was no commotion from the direction of the imperial palace in the distance. Shen Wanqing felt slightly relieved; at least the family of the Ministry of War official should also be surrounded.

This at least proves that even if, hypothetically, Yinzhi was indeed the one who caused the rebellion, he still couldn't collude with the Ministry of War. If he couldn't even control the Ministry of War, then there's no way he could have the personal guards and attendants around Kangxi.

In a situation not marked by chaos, rebellion must begin from within. The only viable method was likely to bribe one of Kangxi's cooks or maids to poison him and then forge an imperial edict to abdicate in his favor—perhaps offering a sliver of hope.

However, this method is clearly a suicidal one. Most of the troops in the country still obey the emperor. Even if the emperor is gone, there is still the crown prince. Even if Yinzhi poisons the emperor and his generals, it is impossible for him to bypass the crown prince and directly support Prince Zhi.

Unless Mingzhu's estrangement from Prince Zhi in recent years was all a pretense, and Prince Zhi had already taken over the Ministry of War and the Vanguard Guard Office, he was just too cunning to live up to the title of "Zhi," and he was determined to pull off a big heist.

As she was thinking, Shen Wanqing even chuckled to herself. She wasn't a local after all, and even in this predicament, she was still thinking about "one hundred feasibility cases of usurping power." If others found out, even ten more heads wouldn't be enough to chop off her.

Seeing her smile, Qiuwen and Changshun, though unsure of the reason for her smile, also relaxed. In their view, with their matriarch around, even the most difficult problems could be solved.

In truth, Shen Wanqing was at a loss. There was only one gate to the courtyard, and two guards with swords stood outside. Whether she forced her way in or bribed them, there was no guarantee that she could find Yulang safely once she got out.

Therefore, it's better to remain still than to act rashly at this time. If something really goes wrong, it can't be just happening to me. Logically speaking, Yulang should have noticed something was wrong by now.

Yu Lang, on the other hand, naturally sensed that something was wrong. According to the original schedule, he was supposed to meet with local gentry, elders and scholars these past two days, but yesterday the imperial eunuch suddenly sent word that His Majesty had local government affairs to attend to and that they would meet with these people again tomorrow.

Such things are quite common; it's an essential part of the emperor's travels to handle local government affairs along the way. However, they've already been in Suzhou for nearly ten days, and any important matters should have been dealt with by now. The sudden disappearance of the students and gentry suggests that something serious must have happened.

The Crown Prince hadn't heard of any major events happening before the Emperor. He was even more cautious and disciplined when out in public than in the palace, and asking the Emperor for information was the last thing he wanted. So, after receiving the news yesterday, no one said or asked any questions; everyone simply followed the Emperor's orders.

Even today, Yu Lang first went to the courtyard in the palace where the officials of the Six Ministries had specially prepared their offices. When he entered, he found that several officials looked strange. When asked if something was wrong, they would not say anything. Yu Lang immediately turned around and gave Akdun, who was standing outside the courtyard, a look.

Akdun's identity on this trip out of Beijing was that of a cavalry captain under Yulang's command. He and Fan Gu, along with two other bannermen under their command, were considered Yulang's close attendants.

After receiving Yu Lang's look, he didn't move, but simply made an inconspicuous gesture towards the distance. A little while later, someone went to the other side of the palace.

Unbeknownst to Shen Wanqing, who was confined to the small courtyard and unable to leave, the elders and gentry who were supposed to be summoned a day later still failed to see the Emperor and the Crown Prince.

The entire palace appeared normal, but most of the guards had been replaced with unfamiliar faces. The guards who were supposed to be guarding the Crown Prince's gate remained the same, but early in the morning, a junior eunuch under Liang Jiugong came to deliver Kangxi's oral decree, instructing him not to go out today unless absolutely necessary.

The Crown Prince's thought process was very similar to Shen Wanqing's. His first reaction was whether he had offended his father, the Emperor, and his second reaction was whether his eldest son was plotting a rebellion.

But no matter how I thought about it, it didn't seem right. I hadn't done anything, and the boss certainly didn't have that kind of guts, or perhaps the situation hadn't even gotten to that point yet.

The officials in front of the Crown Prince were from the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. The Court of Imperial Sacrifices was practically useless to Yinreng, except for accompanying him in his studies.

Neither of the two Hanlin scholars had ever experienced anything like this before, and they panicked even before Yinreng had done anything to them. One suggested that the Crown Prince immediately go to the Emperor to plead his case, while the other suggested that the Crown Prince summon Yulang and Qingde to discuss their options.

Qingde is Shi Wenbing's son, the Crown Princess's second brother, and the Crown Prince's brother-in-law. He is currently serving as a reclusive minister before the Emperor. He and Yulang can indeed mobilize some people, and they are certainly more well-informed than the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

But at this time, the Emperor had already sent someone to tell the Crown Prince not to go out, and you turned around and summoned away the Emperor's dismissed ministers and the Ministry of Revenue official. What does this mean? If you are not at ease, then why are you not at ease? Are you planning something all along, and now you feel guilty?

The Crown Prince quickly realized he couldn't move, so he not only ordered the guards of Yuqing Palace to keep a close watch on his courtyard, but also detained the two officials from the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. Even if you were both personally appointed by the Emperor to the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, don't make any rash moves or assumptions now.

For an entire day, the entire palace and its surroundings were in a state of seemingly normal but actually abnormal, seemingly nothing had happened but everyone was on edge. Even local Suzhou officials were too frightened to leave their offices.

However, Shen Wanqing suddenly stopped worrying after taking a nap in the afternoon. If she couldn't go out, she wouldn't go out. She even had Ningxiang sort out the dried seafood that the local officials had sent over the past two days.

They were already trapped, and there was no point in struggling anymore. She had a feeling that Kangxi was secretly observing everyone's state and reaction.

Or perhaps the sudden change of heart in bringing the Crown Prince along was a deliberate attempt to bring all his older princes together, using this ambiguous situation to pressure Yinreng, Yinzhi, and even Yinzhi into making a decision.

Let's see what their choices will be when things really come to this. Whoever betrays us at this point is doomed, and whoever can hold back will gain everything.

Sometimes it's the idle busyness that causes anxiety. Shen Wanqing used these small tasks to get everyone in the courtyard going, and half a day passed in the blink of an eye. When she heard the noise outside and got up to look, Yu Lang had already returned.

"You're back?"

"I'm back."

“Someone brought over a basket of ribbonfish and snails yesterday. I saw that there’s still a jar of the spring wine that was delivered a few days ago. How about we have braised ribbonfish and stir-fried snails tonight? We can just put them in the yard to eat.”

"I'll follow Grandma's arrangements."

Everyone could tell something was wrong, but no one dared to make a move. Everyone pretended not to know, and tried their best to act as naturally as possible.

Shen Wanqing and Yu Lang were standing in the courtyard talking back and forth, like they were performing on a stage. When Yu Lang stepped into the courtyard, their eyes met and they roughly understood each other's meaning.

"I heard that the local knife fish can be pickled and stored for a long time. Tomorrow, I'll find a place to buy more and have them delivered home first. It's not just the two of us who are out here with His Majesty; I don't know what Yi'an is grumbling about us at home."

"Don't worry, my mother dotes on Yi'an. My brother will keep an eye on him while he studies, and my second brother will be there if he gets into trouble. We don't need to worry about him."

Shen Wanqing went on a trip to Beijing with Yulang, and took the opportunity to leave Yi'an at his maternal grandparents' house. The Shen family is large and closely connected, and it's better for children to stay in such an environment.

The conversation, which started with food and then moved on to the children, inevitably veered into the topic of hiring a new tutor for Yi'an. The old tutor at home couldn't keep Yi'an in check, and they didn't want to risk upsetting him over tuition fees.

As dusk fell, the two sat in the courtyard eating fresh ribbonfish and snails, chatting about the trivial matters of home and work. What started as a play turned into a real conversation. Children, money, estates, shops—each and every one of these things was a small matter on its own, but together they represented nearly ten years of life that Shen Wanqing and Yulang had shared.

The two guards standing outside the door were listening intently to what was being said in the courtyard. They were so engrossed in the conversation that they didn't come back to their senses until the guards who were changing shifts came over.

After the changing of the guards, the off-duty guards quickly returned to the temporary palace where Emperor Kangxi was staying. Standing in the outer courtyard of the palace waiting for these guards to return were Aling'a and Ma Qi, the Grand Ministers of the Imperial Guards who served Emperor Kangxi.

Aling'a was from the Niohuru family, the same Niohuru family as Empress Xiaozhao and Consort Wenxi. Aling'a was the son of Ebilun, the half-brother of Empress Xiaozhao and Consort Wenxi, and now inherited the title of First-Class Duke. He was currently the most favored person in the Niohuru family by Emperor Kangxi.

Ma Qi was from the Fucha family. His father, Misihan, had served as the Minister of Revenue for many years. In recent years, he had been sent to serve as an official outside the capital. After returning to the capital, he gained experience in various ministries, from the Ministry of Works to the Ministry of War and then to the Ministry of Revenue. He had gone through all aspects of the government, from the purse strings to military power and equipment reserves, before finally returning to Kangxi's side to serve him closely.

Both of them were promoted in the last two years. Consort Wenxi has been dead for several years, and the palace has not taken any more women from the Niohuru family into the palace.

The Fucha family currently has no daughters in the harem, only one daughter who has been betrothed to the Twelfth Prince, Yin Tao. However, both the Twelfth Prince and the Fucha girl are still young, and they will have to wait a few more years before they can actually get married.

Therefore, neither of them currently has any specific involvement with the harem or the inner quarters; their future and wealth are solely tied to Kangxi through their own efforts.

The two men compiled the actions and reactions of everyone who had been placed under surveillance that day, and privately drafted a report before solemnly entering the inner palace.

Upon entering the house, the heat was jarringly incongruous with the already warm April weather in Suzhou; in such sweltering weather, a charcoal brazier was still burning inside. As soon as Aling'a and Maqi stepped inside, sweat began to trickle down their foreheads.

Outside, there were one imperial physician and two imperial doctors, all of whom were specially appointed to take the emperor's pulse. The two groups exchanged glances but said nothing. The three of them continued to sit and guard in silence, while the two men continued walking into the side room.

It was even hotter in the side room, so hot that Ma Qi had a strange feeling. He felt that the crown prince, the officials, and their families, who were being guarded by the guards today, were all like ants on a hot pan.

Looking at Kangxi sitting on the daybed in the side room, he instantly felt that the emperor was just like an ant on a hot pan, waiting for the outcome.

"How did the Crown Prince and the eldest son react?"

"Your Majesty, there is nothing unusual about the Crown Prince. The Junior Chamberlain and the Left Vice-Chancellor of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices were kept by the Crown Prince to study and learn from him until half an hour ago when they were finally released."

"Prince Zhi acted normally in the morning, but caused a scene during the afternoon shift change..." A-Ling paused, then subconsciously looked up at Kangxi. Seeing that his expression remained unchanged but he looked even more somber, she couldn't help but shudder.

“Prince Zhi tried to force his way out, but was stopped by the guards. He then shouted that he had no intention of rebelling or treason. If anyone said anything to His Majesty, it must be because the Crown Prince would not tolerate him.”

In the afternoon, Yinzhi made such a big scene that Ma Qi even went over with more than ten guards. He couldn't say anything, but he really felt that Prince Zhi was a very complicated person. Who said you were plotting rebellion? You just jumped out and insisted on dragging the Crown Prince down with you.

Well, that's great now. Not only did he reveal what he was thinking, but he also managed to elevate the Crown Prince's reputation a bit.

The Crown Prince is indeed more composed than you, Prince Zhi. The Crown Prince is indeed not guilty. From now on, whether the Emperor likes it or not, no one can shake the position of Crown Prince.

"Where's the third brother?"

"Prince Cheng also suspected that the Crown Prince or Prince Zhi might be plotting a rebellion. He ordered someone to warm a pot of wine and asked his concubine, Gege, to accompany him. They tasted the wine and evaluated it from the Crown Prince to the Seventh Prince."

Yinzhi was not a good talker, and his temperament, to put it nicely, was that of a scholar; to put it bluntly, he was unruly in the wrong place. He berated each and every one of his sons, from the eldest to the seventh. Neither Aling'a nor Maqi dared to repeat what he said, so they wrote a separate memorial and presented it to Kangxi for him to read.

Kangxi took it, glanced at it, and then tossed it aside, too lazy to even look at it.

To put it bluntly, this whole thing was just his paranoia acting up, and not knowing what to do, he could only temporarily keep all the sons he suspected might have ulterior motives with him.

Originally, Kangxi hadn't thought of any specific plan on the way, and even felt there was no need to do anything more. It wasn't until he suddenly experienced severe heart pain the night before last, and after a period of panic, his heart condition subsided, that he came up with this idea to try it out on his son and ministers.

You have to admit, emperors think differently. When faced with a life-or-death situation, most people are reflecting on themselves or having a sudden epiphany about their lives. This guy, at a time like this, is still thinking about how to scare his son. Is he an ordinary person?!

The results of the test were neither good nor bad for Kangxi. In other words, the reactions of his three sons were within his expectations, but he couldn't help but feel a little regretful.

The eldest son is all talk and no action; a little scare and he'll lose all his composure. The third son should just continue writing books; letting him go out and take on a real job would be a disservice to him.

As for the Crown Prince, Kangxi clenched his still slightly numb right hand and felt a tightness in his chest. He knew that Yinreng was not without ambition, but he now had enough patience and confidence to wait until the day when the world truly belonged to him. It seemed that his earlier prediction that the Crown Prince's position was secure had indeed come true.

A stress test unique to Emperor Kangxi began inexplicably and ended even more inexplicably. After that night, the guards outside the gate disappeared again.

Shen Wanqing was left standing at the door, watching the wife of the Ministry of War official who came out from next door look at her with lingering fear, hesitant to speak, and in the end, she said nothing.

Even the rumors that Emperor Kangxi had fallen ill only spread in private and murky ways after the imperial carriage had already set off and was almost at the shore in Tongzhou.

At this moment, Yu Lang and Shen Wanqing were fishing for shrimp on the boat, each with a fishing rod, sitting on the deck enjoying the scenery along the shore. After hearing the whole story of the rumor, Yu Lang shook his head and said nothing. It's really pointless to turn a perfectly good father and son into this.

Shen Wanqing suddenly remembered that one of the reasons the Crown Prince was deposed was because he sneaked into the royal tent at night. Now that the Crown Prince has stabilized, does that mean that the hurdle of being deposed has been overcome?