The Qianqing Palace.

Emperor Kangxi was examining some letters and even some notes laid out in front of him.

"Is that all?" Kangxi raised his eyebrows and asked.

"Your Majesty, we intercepted these documents from the letters between the Crown Prince and Shi Bingde. In addition, we saw some of their men moving around within the Imperial Guards," said the guard standing in the lamplight.

"They even have their own people in the Imperial Guards? Haha, it seems I've underestimated their abilities all these years. He told me he's not going to the hunt anymore; is he planning to take control of the inner palace as soon as they succeed there?" Kangxi's face had never been so calm. There was no sign of rage on his face, only a deathly stillness.

The guards naturally dared not speak further, and all lowered their heads in silence.

"Take this!" Kangxi pulled out something resembling a gold token from under the imperial table and threw it on the table. "Before tomorrow's hunt, immediately go to the Western Hills camp and transfer five thousand troops. Quietly surround all the palaces from Zhenshun Gate and take control of the entire Forbidden City. Await my next instructions."

"Yes! Your Majesty, should the person going hunting be protected by secret guards?" the person under the lamplight asked. Kangxi had already arranged for a double to go hunting in his place tomorrow, while he himself would remain in the Qianqing Palace, where no one would even notice.

"Yes, send one. His safety must be ensured," Kangxi said.

After the guards had all left, Liang Jiugong walked in from outside. He was one of the few people who knew Kangxi's plans.

"Your Majesty, can't this old servant not go tomorrow? This old servant has never left Your Majesty before!" Liang Jiugong said to Kangxi with some concern.

“Old man, they’ll become suspicious if you’re not by my side. Go ahead, I’m fine. I’ll be right here in the Qianqing Palace, strategizing and wiping out those treacherous officials in one fell swoop,” Kangxi said.

Liang Jiugong looked at Kangxi with worry, unsure of the emperor's true feelings. He had appointed the crown prince, then deposed him, and now reinstated him, only to witness this turn of events—it was truly lamentable. Kangxi appeared strong, but his heart and body were already hollowed out. Liang Jiugong knew this. However, he dared not offer advice, for some matters of Kangxi were not open to questioning.

"Do you think I should be very sad?" Kangxi asked.

Liang Jiugong felt a chill run down his spine and cautiously glanced at Kangxi, saying, "This servant dares not comment on Your Majesty."

Kangxi snorted coldly and said, "I know, the whole world is laughing at me, laughing at how I raised such a disloyal and unfilial son as my crown prince. I've gone blind!"

Liang Jiugong said, "This servant dares not. This servant is only saddened on behalf of His Majesty. This servant knows that His Majesty is actually a loving father, and has always been very fond of the Crown Prince. He has poured all his heart and soul into him. This servant is saddened on behalf of His Majesty."

Kangxi was silent for a while before saying, "I am indeed very sad. I have devoted the most effort to the Crown Prince, but he is the most useless one. He is not as good as the third prince in literature, nor as good as the eldest prince in martial arts. He is not as good as the fourth prince in terms of strategy and tactics, nor as good as the fourteenth prince in terms of filial piety. I have truly raised a good Crown Prince. The whole world will laugh at me."

“Your Majesty, everyone in the world understands you. As the saying goes, the hearts of parents are full of love and concern for their children. How could any parent not understand Your Majesty’s deep love for your son?” Liang Jiugong said.

"So be it. Even if people laugh at me, I cannot leave the Qing Dynasty with someone who cannot rule this land to inherit my position. Let them laugh if they want," Kangxi sighed.

"Your Majesty is wise!" Liang Jiugong also sighed.

"Old man," Kangxi said, "I have already written it down and placed it under that plaque. You are the only one who knows this. Do you realize the heavy responsibility on your shoulders?"

Liang Jiugong was so frightened that he knelt down with a thud and said, "How could this lowly servant gain such great trust from His Majesty!" As he said this, Liang Jiugong's voice trembled. Just now, Kangxi told him something that none of his trusted ministers knew.

"Get up, I trust you. We've been together for almost fifty years, and you're the only one I absolutely trust," Kangxi said. As he said this, he suddenly felt quite pathetic, because in all his years, the person he trusted most was actually a eunuch.

"Even if I were to die a martyr, I would never forget His Majesty's trust," Liang Jiugong said, kowtowing heavily on the ground.

"Yes, tomorrow, stay by that stand-in's side and protect him well," Kangxi said.

"Your Majesty, tomorrow you should send some trustworthy people to serve you," Liang Jiugong said.

"Hmm, I understand. Go ahead, I want to be alone for a while." Kangxi was already quite tired; his energy was dwindling.

After Liang Jiugong left, Kangxi collapsed like a statue, all the divine aura he had just exuded vanishing instantly. He now lay slumped on the table like an ordinary old man, utterly powerless.

Thinking of Empress Hesheli, whom he hadn't seen for thirty years, Kangxi gradually shed tears. He had promised her that he would take good care of the Crown Prince and nurture him to become the ruler of the country. But now, father and son were estranged, and he didn't know how to face Hesheli. One day in the future, he would see Hesheli again; how would he explain it to her?

Kangxi lay on the kang table and gradually fell asleep. In his dream, he dreamed of Hesheli. In the dream, Hesheli kept asking him why he and the Crown Prince had come to this point.

In fact, Emperor Kangxi himself was asking himself how he and the Crown Prince had come to this point. Once, the Crown Prince had relied heavily on his father, often trying to please him with small gifts, fearing his criticism, and readily sharing his daily thoughts. But when did the Crown Prince change?

Growing increasingly greedy, his influence extended to various places, constantly soliciting bribes to satisfy his desires. The Cao family of Jiangnan alone amassed over a million taels of silver for the Crown Prince, and this was just the tip of the iceberg. He even began to favor eunuchs, turning the Crown Prince's palace into a chaotic mess. He was jealous of his favoritism towards his other sons and secretly sabotaged their affairs. He even disliked his own brothers, displaying cold-blooded ruthlessness. Kangxi once thought these traits would change, but as time went on, the Crown Prince's temperament became increasingly difficult to alter.

"Hesheli, if you want to blame me, then blame me. I have done my best. I wanted to raise him well, but it was all in vain. However, I will not kill him, I will not kill my own son. I will imprison him forever," Kangxi said in his dream.