"As long as you have me in your heart!" Xiniu said, "Then I'll go home now and tell my parents if you'll come to pick me up."

He nodded at 2:40 and then went down the mountain with Xiniu. He intended to take her to the bottom of the mountain, to a place where there were people, before returning.

The Fourth Prince went to the cave where Kangxi and Xingchi were hiding, but he did not find Kangxi. He only saw Xingchi meditating inside.

This was the first time the Fourth Prince had met Shunzhi alone, and he felt both excited and apprehensive. This imperial ancestor had been a monk for fifty years and was now nearly eighty years old. He had white eyebrows and a beard, and a kind and gentle appearance.

"Greetings, Master!" Fourth Master bowed to Xingchi.

Xingchi opened his eyes, saw that it was Fourth Master, and said, "You've come to find your father?"

Fourth Master nodded and said, "All those outside have been captured by now, except for one who slipped through the net. He has probably already left the temple with the pilgrims who came down the mountain."

Xingchi smiled slightly and said, "You handled it very quickly and efficiently. It seems your father was right about you."

Upon hearing this, the Fourth Prince's heart stirred slightly. Hearing Kangxi's evaluation of him from Shunzhi's mouth was incredibly exciting!

"Father is a unique figure throughout history. I would be satisfied if I could surpass even one-thousandth of him," the Fourth Prince couldn't help but say.

Xingchi gazed quietly at the Fourth Master and said, "Your father did many things that others could not do. This humble monk admires him. The principles that this humble monk has never been able to comprehend in his entire life, your father has been able to put into practice. This is truly a blessing for the Qing Dynasty and a blessing for the nation!"

When Fourth Prince heard Xingchi talking about court politics, he thought to himself: It seems that even after fifty years of cultivation, his imperial grandfather still hasn't let go of the Qing Dynasty. But what exactly prompted this first rightful emperor of the Qing Dynasty to give up the throne and resolutely come to this remote mountain to become a monk?

Xingchi, observing the Fourth Prince's expression, felt a slight stirring in his heart. He couldn't help but want to say a few more words to him, after all, the Fourth Prince was the successor favored by Emperor Kangxi! He had been cultivating in these deep mountains for fifty years, yet he still hadn't completely let go of his attachment to the Qing Dynasty. Everyone believed that Emperor Shunzhi abandoned his throne for Consort Dong'e and entered a monastery, but who knew that he had never truly let go of his concern for the Qing Dynasty? His decision to abdicate the throne back then was due to unspeakable reasons.

"Do you know who I am?" Xingchi asked. When he saw the Fourth Prince, he felt that he possessed a more resilient heart than Emperor Kangxi, yet he was also very restrained, lacking Kangxi's flamboyance and outspokenness. Xingchi deeply admired these qualities; it was precisely because he lacked such virtues and spirit that he found his position so painful.

"Master Xingchi is a highly accomplished monk." Fourth Master decided to pretend he didn't know.

“You’re only right about one thing: aside from my status as a high monk, I am your royal ancestor, Fa!” Xingchi said.

The Fourth Prince's eyelids twitched, and he quietly looked at Shunzhi. Then, with a thud, he knelt down and performed a grand salute to Xingchi, kowtowing three times.

Xingchi watched quietly as the Fourth Master bowed to him without saying a word to stop him, which meant that he had accepted the Fourth Master.

"Get up! Your imperial father, at such a young age, shouldered a heavy responsibility that I could not complete; it was truly difficult for him. Now, seeing the Qing Dynasty peaceful, prosperous, and strong, this humble monk is deeply proud," Xingchi said. "Do you know why I chose to become a monk in the first place?"

Xingchi had never told these things to outsiders, not even to Emperor Kangxi. Yet, at this moment, he suddenly felt a desire to speak to the Fourth Prince about his experiences over the past fifty years. He felt that his days might be numbered, so he wanted to say all the things he had never spoken aloud.

"I am unaware, please enlighten me, Your Majesty!" Fourth Prince respectfully said to Emperor Shunzhi.

"Back then, it was actually I who didn't want to be emperor anymore. It had nothing to do with her." Xingchi seemed to be recalling the past, his voice becoming somewhat choked with emotion. Fifty years had passed, yet he still couldn't remain calm when he thought of Consort Dong'e.

The Fourth Prince remained silent, knowing that all he needed to do at this moment was listen quietly. The "she" he had just mentioned was Consort Dong'e.

"Everyone blames Consort Dong'e for bewitching this humble monk, but in truth, she bears the blame for me. I am the one who has wronged her! If it weren't for her appearance, I would probably be gone from this world long ago. But Mother hates her, believing that she bewitched me and caused me to neglect state affairs, when in fact I simply had no interest in such matters of state," Xingchi said. He had always felt guilty towards Consort Dong'e, allowing the world to misunderstand that she was the reason he abdicated the throne. This guilt had always troubled him, and even after fifty years of cultivation, he still could not shake off this sense of guilt.

“Your Majesty, why does everyone yearn for that position, yet you do not wish to be emperor?” Fourth Prince couldn’t help but ask.

“Everyone thinks that position is the most exalted in the world, believing that once you become emperor, you can do whatever you want. But in reality, that position is the loneliest place. Everyone around you is trying to get something out of you. Your mother stopped being like a mother, and your own uncle wanted to become your father,” Xingchi said. “At that time, so many people pointed fingers at me, and some even mocked me behind my back. Tell me, what’s the point of being an emperor like that?”

The Fourth Prince also knew how Emperor Shunzhi had become emperor. As the youngest son of Emperor Yongzheng (Huang Taiji), and with his elder brother, Prince Su (Haoge), as an adult, he could not have become emperor without strong backing. It is well known that Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, then Consort Zhuang, took the young Shunzhi to Dorgon's side. With his support, Shunzhi was placed on the throne. As for the relationship between Dorgon and Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, that was a closely guarded secret within the Qing court.

"Grandfather, you and I were born descendants of the Aisin Gioro clan, bearing the heavy responsibility of the Qing Dynasty's fate from birth. Only through striving and relentless pursuit can we obtain what we desire. The emperorship is merely a power, not an guarantee of everything. It's simply a starting point, a starting point for realizing one's thoughts, ambitions, and aspirations. If I were to face the same challenges Grandfather encountered, I might not be able to do better. But I understand one thing: I am a descendant of the Aisin Gioro clan, and therefore, I cannot retreat in the face of any adversity; I can only move forward," said the Fourth Prince. What Xingchi had just said was, in fact, the true reason why he had relinquished the throne. It wasn't the death of Consort Dong'e that caused his despair; he had long been disheartened. Consort Dong'e's death was merely the catalyst that ultimately spurred his decision.