The Fourth Prince had just received news from the palace that Emperor Kangxi had returned to Beijing, and without a second thought, he immediately went to the palace.

Zhao Quan was temporarily detained, and Su Peisheng went to the room where he was being held to see him alone.

"Master, please save me. If the master returns, he will surely beat me to death." Zhao Quan knelt down with a thud, then crawled on his knees to Su Peisheng's feet, tugging at the hem of his robe.

Su Peisheng tugged at the hem of his robe, angrily saying, "When you took that silver, why didn't you think of this moment? How am I supposed to save you? Colluding with the masters in the inner quarters, leaking information about the master. You've done everything the master fears most. How am I supposed to save you?" Su Peisheng continued angrily, "I advise you to think carefully about how you're going to explain yourself to the master. Where did all that stolen goods come from? What information did you leak to which master? Think it through quickly and confess everything. Maybe I can still plead for a quicker death for you." Su Peisheng anxiously looked at Zhao Quan kneeling before him.

"No, no, Uncle, I don't want to die. Please save me! Find a way to let me out now, I'll escape far away and never come back." Zhao Quan couldn't bear it when Su Peisheng said this. He hadn't even had a chance to properly enjoy the silver he'd received, and now he was going to die like this?

Su Peisheng was also feeling bad. He had originally wanted to train Zhao Quan well so that the two of them could look after each other in the Prince's Mansion. But he never expected that the kid would get himself into this situation and almost get himself into trouble.

“You don’t need to beg me anymore. Just tell me what I just told you, and I’ll ask your uncle to help you clean up the mess.” Su Peisheng sighed and was about to turn and leave when he heard Zhao Quan suddenly curse, “I’m in this situation because of you. Now you’re not going to help me anymore.”

Su Peisheng turned around in surprise and asked him, "What did you say?"

Zhao Quan had already gotten up from the ground and said to Su Peisheng, "You never let me do anything important, only trivial things. You prevent me from getting close to the master and gaining his trust. In the end, you're just too selfish, afraid that I'll take your place! Do you know how stifled I've felt all these years working under you? My abilities are no less than yours. Why should I always be suppressed by you?"

Zhao Quan spoke with great emotion, his eyes even starting to glow red, as if he were extremely jealous of Su Peisheng.

Su Peisheng never expected that his friend would be so dissatisfied with him; it was a complete waste of his good intentions in helping him.

"Not only do you shit and piss on my head, but I also have to smile and beg. Do you think I can feel good about that? Now that I've committed a crime, you just want to kick me away. How can your heart be so black?" Zhao Quanxu could no longer bear the desperate situation of being executed by the Fourth Master, and his whole body began to teeter on the edge of a crazy epileptic seizure.

Su Peisheng turned to look at Zhao Quan, as if he didn't recognize the person in front of him, because he was completely different from how he usually acted in front of him.

"So that's how you see me?" Su Peisheng said dejectedly.

"Isn't that right? You always rush to do anything important that can earn the master's trust, as if you're afraid I'll steal your credit." Zhao Quan seemed to release all the emotions he had been suppressing.

“I’ve served the Fourth Prince for nearly twenty years. I know his temperament. What you think is about gaining trust and favor is actually all about the Fourth Prince’s preferences. One wrong move, and you could face suspicion or even death. Do you think your little bit of cleverness can get you anywhere in front of him? You might not even know how you died. I don’t let you always be the first to act, but it’s for your own good. Do you think that just being close to the master will get you promoted? If I weren’t protecting you, would you be so comfortable now, receiving rewards everywhere and getting face from everyone?” Su Peisheng became more and more agitated as he spoke. He was afraid that Zhao Quan would cause trouble, so he hadn’t let Zhao Quan handle the Fourth Prince’s personal affairs. He had served the Fourth Prince for nearly twenty years and knew his temperament and psychology. It would be really difficult for someone who didn’t understand him to serve him well.

"Forget it, don't try to portray yourself as so noble, saying you're doing this for me. You're just afraid I'll surpass you and take your place." Zhao Quan wouldn't listen at all, still believing that Su Peisheng was blocking his way.

"Fine, I won't say anything more to you. In short, after you die, I will have your body transported back to your hometown and given to your parents. You should think carefully about how to explain this," Su Peisheng said, though he still wanted to beg Fourth Master to spare Zhao Quan's life.

Then, he turned and walked towards the door. Suddenly, a gust of wind rushed from behind. Zhao Quan grabbed Su Peisheng by the neck from behind and dragged him backward. Because it happened so suddenly, Su Peisheng was caught off guard and was dragged back several steps.

Su Peisheng felt as if Zhao Quan was about to snap his neck, and he couldn't breathe at all. His face immediately turned purplish-red.

"Old man, if you want me dead, I'll strangle you first," Zhao Quan said viciously, his eyes practically bulging out of their sockets as he spat.

Su Peisheng felt a deep desolation in his heart, never expecting Zhao Quan to be such a heartless beast. But he had no time to think further; he had to save himself. In his panic, Su Peisheng kicked over the washbasin, causing a loud noise. The servant guarding the door heard the noise and immediately pushed the door open, only to see Zhao Quan choking Su Peisheng.

In a short while, Zhao Quan was knocked to the ground, and Su Peisheng was panting heavily.

“Sir, this guy seems to have gone mad. Should we tie him up?” someone asked.

"You old fool, even if I die, I'll come looking for you!" Zhao Quan still wouldn't give up and continued to curse.

"Gag him!" Su Peisheng was afraid that if he continued to curse like this, it would reach the ears of the Fourth Master, who would hate him even more.

By the time they had finished dealing with Zhao Quan, Su Peisheng had already come out. He returned to the front yard, only to find that the Fourth Prince had not yet returned. He immediately regretted not having gone to the palace with the Fourth Prince.

Meanwhile, the Fourth Prince was waiting solemnly in the palace. The Crown Prince's Minqing Palace had been sealed off, and everyone inside was forbidden to leave or enter. Even the Thirteenth Prince's residence was sealed off, with no one allowed free movement. The Fourth Prince waited in the Southern Third Palace for news from various places, his heart filled with complex emotions. He didn't understand why Kangxi had issued such an order, why the Crown Prince had been taken into custody, and why even the Thirteenth Prince had been placed under control. What had happened?