"My lord, do you remember what I told you? When everyone wants to kick the Crown Prince while he's down, if you go against the grain, you can often reap extraordinary rewards. It seems the Crown Prince is destined to be deposed by Father, but he hasn't been officially deposed yet. He's your second brother. You can help the family of the thirteenth prince who's in trouble, and you can help the seventh prince who has a leg ailment. Why can't you go see your second brother who's suffering? Only if you go see the Crown Prince will Father think you truly care about your brotherhood," Lanqin said hurriedly.

The Fourth Prince looked at Lanqin in surprise, astonished by the young woman's unusual words, but inwardly he felt she was right. Everyone was avoiding the Crown Prince, and he himself had once been on good terms with him. If he chose to back down now, it would only make his father think he was a traitor who followed the powerful and betrayed the weak!

The following day, after the morning court session, the Fourth Prince went alone to the Yuqing Palace, where the Crown Prince was imprisoned, to visit him. Emperor Kangxi had decreed that no one was allowed to enter, and the Fourth Prince could not openly disobey Kangxi's imperial edict, so he had to find a way to sneak in by blending in with the eunuchs.

The Fourth Prince bribed a eunuch who was responsible for delivering things to Yuqing Palace, swapped clothes with him, and then, during the midday meal delivery, mingled with a group of eunuchs carrying food boxes and entered Yuqing Palace.

"You, you take these and give them to the Crown Prince!" "You take these and give them to the Crown Princess!"

Among this group of eunuchs was one who acted as a minor leader, assigning tasks to everyone. He was referring to the Fourth Prince's task of delivering lunch to the Crown Prince.

The Fourth Prince, carrying a food box, arrived at the study where the Crown Prince usually stayed. He pushed open the half-closed mahogany door and went inside, where he saw the Crown Prince sitting in a large mahogany chair reading a book.

"Just leave it there!" the crown prince said without even looking up. He was used to it; a young eunuch would bring him lunch at this time every day.

"Today we have the Crown Prince's favorite crab roe tofu, braised pork with winter bamboo shoots, and yellow croaker with edamame," said the Fourth Prince.

The Crown Prince was taken aback. That voice? It certainly wasn't the voice of the eunuch who brought him meals every day. He abruptly turned his head to look at the Fourth Prince.

"Fourth Prince!!!" The Crown Prince stared at the Fourth Prince in surprise, seeing him dressed as a eunuch and smiling at him.

"Your subject greets Your Highness the Crown Prince!" Fourth Prince put down the food box in his hand and bowed.

"Heh, who still considers me the Crown Prince these days? You still call me Crown Prince?" The Crown Prince's heart stirred, but a mocking smile appeared on his face.

"Father has not yet deposed the Crown Prince, so Second Brother is naturally still the Crown Prince," Fourth Prince said.

The Crown Prince had probably not heard such words in a long time. He smiled wryly and said, "Fourth Prince, you've come to see me?"

"Yes, His Highness the Crown Prince has been confined in Yuqing Palace for many days. I should have come to see him sooner, to see if there was anything I could do to help." The Fourth Prince's words were not mere politeness. He and his second brother had indeed shared a close bond since childhood. After Empress Tong's death, the Fourth Prince was taken in by Emperor Kangxi to be raised. At that time, the Crown Prince was almost eighteen, while the Fourth Prince was only ten. The Crown Prince would sometimes bring the Fourth Prince toys that a ten-year-old would like, during his visits to Kangxi to listen to state affairs. Regardless of the Crown Prince's intentions at the time, he had at least been willing to be close to the Fourth Prince.

Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince was already deeply moved, for at this moment everyone was fleeing from him like a raging flood or a ferocious beast, yet this fourth prince still cherished the bond of brotherhood.

"Your Highness, please have your meal. I don't have much to offer, but I had the kitchen prepare a few dishes that Your Highness likes." With that, the Fourth Prince personally carried the food box to the table in front of the Crown Prince and then personally brought out the individual dishes.

The Crown Prince was actually only confined by Emperor Kangxi; his expenses were not reduced at all, he simply lacked the freedom to go out. He only needed to instruct the eunuchs who delivered his meals what he wanted each day.

"Do you still remember what I like to eat?" The Crown Prince looked at the plate of food laid out before him, his heart filled with even more emotion. Ever since he had been falsely accused by Kangxi, he had had no one to confide in about his grievances. What happened that day was clearly Kangxi's suspicion, yet he insisted on accusing him of plotting something sinister—it was truly a terrible injustice!

The crown prince was disheartened. He had not set up an ambush to assassinate him there, but given the circumstances, it seemed impossible to explain himself.

"Your Highness, there's no need to be sad. Your Majesty still cherishes the bond between father and son. It's just that Your Majesty hasn't thought things through yet. Once you've made up your mind, you'll naturally be free again," the Fourth Prince comforted him.

"Hehe, you don't need to comfort me. I know that this time Father Emperor is determined. Since I was born, Father Emperor has made me the Crown Prince of the Qing Dynasty, and I have been the Crown Prince for thirty-three years. I'm a little tired of it. This time, I can truly become an ordinary person, and I want to experience what it's like to be an ordinary person," the Crown Prince said.

Upon hearing this, the Fourth Prince was somewhat moved. The Crown Prince had indeed served as Crown Prince for thirty-three years, probably the longest-serving Crown Prince in history.

"Your Highness need not think too much. Father Emperor is a man who values ​​family ties. If I have the opportunity, I will speak to Father Emperor on his behalf," said the Fourth Prince.

"No need," the Crown Prince said, "lest you end up like Thirteen. He only said a few words for me, and Father Emperor exiled him to that godforsaken place. If you go and say anything more, I don't know what will happen to me, so it's best not to say anything on my behalf."

The Fourth Prince felt a pang of guilt. Lanqin was right; the Crown Prince was also his second brother. In truth, being the Crown Prince wasn't a free life. Born as the Crown Prince, he was inherently different from other princes. From a young age, his teachers were all renowned scholars of the time, and his daily studies were several times that of ordinary princes. Moreover, Emperor Kangxi's demands on the Crown Prince were extremely strict, making his life far more burdensome than that of other princes. Now, the Crown Prince was no longer as cautious as usual, living freely and authentically—perhaps this was the true nature of the Crown Prince.

"Today, I, your humble servant, will join His Highness the Crown Prince for a drink." The Fourth Prince took out wine from the food box and poured a cup for each of them.

"Alright, Fourth Prince, if one day I am sentenced to death by Father Emperor, you must pour some of my favorite wine on my grave. I will remember your feelings for me even in the afterlife," the Crown Prince said with a pessimistic expression. Ever since he was secretly brought back to the capital by Kangxi and then secretly imprisoned in Yuqing Palace, he had considered countless possibilities for his fate.

“Your Highness, please don’t say such discouraging things. I believe that Father Emperor would not treat Your Highness like this,” said the Fourth Prince.