"Now that the Crown Prince is about to be deposed, my opportunity is right in front of me. At this moment, I must not let Father Emperor find out about your affair with me." Prince Zhi had no choice but to tell the truth.

"How confident is Your Highness in winning the position of Crown Prince?" Bao Yue asked, a thought stirring in her mind.

"I am the eldest son of the Emperor, and I have made countless military achievements. I am naturally qualified to take that position. As for the others, hmph, I don't even consider them a threat." Prince Zhi was always very arrogant.

A glint of light flashed in Baoyue's eyes as she said, "Alright, I will stay here with my son. But if Your Highness becomes the Crown Prince, you must make my son your successor."

Prince Zhi was surprised that Bao Yue was so direct in saying such things to him. After all, if he were to actually obtain the position in the future, the position of Crown Prince should first be considered for the son born to the Empress.

“Baoyue, let’s wait until everything is settled before discussing this matter. Right now, I need to focus on the succession struggle. You and the child should stay here and rest. He is my eldest son, and he will naturally have a bright future.” Prince Zhi did not directly answer Baoyue’s question.

“No, Your Highness must swear an oath here before me, before the true God, that after you succeed, you must make our son the Crown Prince.” Bao Yue stared at Prince Zhi with unusual determination.

Prince Zhi stared blankly at Bao Yue, only to see an unusually firm and determined look in her eyes.

“Baoyue, our affair cannot be known to others yet. I also have a wife, and we have always been very loving. Whether I can succeed depends on the influence of her maternal family. It is far too early for you to make such a request now,” said Prince Zhi.

“I don’t care. I only know that the person you love most is me, right? You don’t have a son either. Since she can’t give you a son, how can she still occupy the position of the Fujin (principal wife)? I can overlook her status, but my son must be the one you ultimately choose. Swear it!” Baoyue said.

Prince Zhi looked at Baoyue, repeatedly asking himself, "Is she the woman I love most?" When he first saw her on the grasslands, he was indeed captivated by her exquisite beauty and ethereal气质 (qi zhi, a kind of refined elegance), and then fell madly infatuated with her. But upon calming down, he realized that his weakness lay precisely in her. If Emperor Kangxi found out that Baoyue had eloped with him, it was truly uncertain whether he would be able to gain Kangxi's forgiveness.

"Baoyue, let's wait until I've accomplished my goal, okay?" Prince Zhi was somewhat displeased with being threatened by a woman, especially with his own son being used as leverage.

"Alright, I'll wait here. Your Highness, please don't be angry with me. I'm just anxious because I have no one to rely on." Baoyue said this for the time being when she saw the Prince's disgusted expression.

Prince Zhi's expression softened slightly. He held Baoyue's hand and said, "Yue'er, just stay here and rest. I'll come back to see you and your child whenever I have time."

Baoyue nodded and nestled in Prince Zhi's arms. Prince Zhi gave instructions to the maids who would take care of Baoyue during her postpartum period, and then returned to his residence.

After Prince Zhi left, Baoyue dismissed the people he had arranged, and holding her child, she said resentfully, "Zhuoma, after a few days, once we've recovered, we'll leave this place."

Droma asked in surprise, "Princess, where are you going?"

Bao Yue said resolutely, "Of course I'll go back to the grasslands. I have the son of the eldest son of the Qing emperor in my hands, I'm not afraid he won't covet it. I'm going back, going back to reclaim everything that belongs to me."

Zhuoma and Jinyang knew that Baoyue was unwilling to stay here as the concubine of Prince Zhijun. They were Baoyue's most loyal servants, following her wherever she went.

However, the weather that followed forced Baoyue to temporarily abandon her escape plans. Heavy snow began to fall, and it continued for three days and three nights without showing any sign of stopping, falling intermittently. Such weather made it impossible for the carriage to travel, which was hardly a good time for Baoyue, who already had a child. She decided to wait until the weather warmed up before making any further plans.

After Prince Zhijun returned to his residence, he and Lady Jueluo pondered repeatedly who else they could contact. Since the New Year was approaching, those who were supposed to send gifts had already done so.

"When exactly will the Crown Prince be deposed?" Jue Luo asked.

Prince Zhi had actually been thinking about this issue for a long time. Although Emperor Kangxi said he wanted to depose the Crown Prince, it had never been put on the agenda, leaving them all eagerly waiting.

"Judging from Father Emperor's expression, he hasn't made up his mind yet. It seems we need a trigger to make him decide," said Prince Zhi, reclining on the warm couch.

“Unless the Crown Prince did something at such a time that would be extremely displeasing to Father Emperor,” said Lady Jue Luo.

Prince Zhi thought for a moment, then suddenly had a flash of inspiration and said, "Why don't we have someone investigate what the Crown Prince did during the time Father Emperor made him regent? If he did anything out of line, someone will definitely know."

Jue Luo nodded and said, "Your Highness might as well go to the palace and see if you can bribe the Crown Prince's personal attendants. They are the ones who know the Crown Prince best."

Prince Zhi said, “I’ve already tried. But now the Crown Prince’s palace is under the Emperor’s control, and no one is allowed to enter. Even if I wanted to find fault with the Crown Prince, I wouldn’t be able to find anyone to ask.”

Jue Luo said, "I remember once when I went to the palace to pay my respects to my mother, she said something like this: 'She is used to doing things that are different from others, seeking fame and reputation, and being hypocritical.'"

"Who is Mother Consort referring to?" asked Prince Zhi.

“They’re talking about the Lady of Yonghe Palace,” said Lady Jue Luo. “It’s said that when the Crown Prince was confined, the Crown Princess sent someone to plead with the Lady of Yonghe Palace, saying that the Crown Prince’s third princess was ill and urgently needed a royal physician. At that time, the Emperor had already issued an edict forbidding anyone from entering the Crown Prince’s palace. But the Lady of Yonghe Palace allowed the royal physician to enter the Crown Prince’s palace.”

"Hmph, Consort De always plays the good person and tries to please Father Emperor. But what does what you're saying have to do with what we want?" Prince Zhi asked, puzzled.

“Your Highness, since she can get in, we can use the same method. Although Father Emperor has decreed that no one is allowed to visit, the imperial physicians or those delivering daily necessities can still enter,” said Lady Jue Luo.

"What you say is true, my lady. How could I not have thought of that?" Prince Zhi pulled on Lady Jue Luo's hand, feeling that his wife was still the best. Although Bao Yue was incredibly beautiful, it was ultimately just a fleeting infatuation. Lady Jue Luo, on the other hand, had been his wife for over ten years, and in comparison, she was more important.