When Hongli came out of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, it was already late. Su Peisheng went up to him and bowed.

"His Majesty specifically instructed this servant to wait here to escort Prince Beizi to Jingling for the sacrificial ceremony. Prince Beizi, please..." Su Peisheng said respectfully. Hongli was somewhat surprised, feeling that he could go alone, so he declined, "Thank you for your trouble, Eunuch Su. I can go by myself. My carriage is waiting for me outside the palace..."

Su Peisheng said with a smile, "Your Highness, it's no trouble at all. His Majesty has already arranged an escort team... which is also outside the palace..."

Hongli disliked being high-profile, so the sudden appearance of the Fourth Prince from behind startled him. Su Peisheng was crouching in front, waiting. The Fourth Prince patted Hongli and said kindly, "I have already prepared the necessary personnel. This time you are going to the sacrificial ceremony in my place, so you must not be careless and let others look down on you..."

Hongli was taken aback, then suddenly realized that the Fourth Prince was indeed thoughtful and considerate, and he was slightly moved. He turned to the Fourth Prince and said, "Thank you, Father Emperor, I understand!"

The Fourth Prince nodded indulgently, then said earnestly, "Be careful in everything, and pay attention to safety!" Hongli could see the worry in the Fourth Prince's eyes, so he smiled and said, "Yes... Father, don't worry, your son will not let you down!"

The Fourth Prince indeed had dozens of guards escorting Hongli to Jingling. Along the way, Hongli sat in the carriage, his mind filled with the Fourth Prince's words. Especially the look in the Fourth Prince's eyes at the end; Hongli felt a deep pang of sorrow.

Once he truly becomes the crown prince, the dangers ahead will likely be even more frequent and intense… Recalling the past, the Fourth Prince faced a similar predicament, perhaps even more perilous and difficult than Hongli is now. Yet, the Fourth Prince persevered, remaining neither arrogant nor humble, gradually winning the late emperor's favor.

"Father Emperor is indeed worthy of being called Emperor. It seems I still have a lot to learn..." Hongli sighed involuntarily as he sat in the carriage.

Faced with the Fourth Prince's trust and affection, fourteen-year-old Hongli suddenly matured, knowing the heavy responsibility on his shoulders. Shedding his previous naiveté, Hongli now resembled a responsible and determined young man. He didn't know how arduous the road ahead would be, but he secretly told himself he must persevere and never give up. He couldn't let down those who had placed their hopes in him…

The mausoleum of Emperor Kangxi, Aisin-Gioro Xuanye, is located at the foot of Changrui Mountain in the Eastern Qing Tombs of Tangshan. Jingling is backed by Changrui Mountain to the north, and from south to north, it consists of: the Stele Pavilion of Sacred Virtue and Divine Merit, the Five-Arch Bridge, the Watchtower, the Stone Statues, the Dismounting Stele, the Divine Kitchen and Storehouse, the Archway Gate, the Stele Pavilion of the Divine Path, the Two-Pillar Gate, the Five Offerings on the Platform Stone, the Square City, the Ming Tower, the Treasure City, and the Treasure Mound. Below the Treasure Mound is the underground palace.

These buildings, large and small, are connected by a sacred road that forms a huge mausoleum. Hongli's carriage made a grand procession all the way to the treasure city, winding and turning like a dragon.

Hongli sighed in relief that the Fourth Prince had been so thoughtful. Originally, some people were unhappy that he had gone to the ceremony in place of the Fourth Prince, and they would have been ridiculed if he had gone alone. But now it was different. Seeing Hongli's entourage, they had nothing to say.

What followed was a complex and tedious sacrificial ceremony, which Hongli completed one by one according to the arrangements of the Ministry of Rites. Hongli's performance was commendable, and no one raised any objections.

The entire sacrificial ceremony didn't end until the afternoon. Hongli finally breathed a sigh of relief, and the weight in his heart was lifted. Thinking that he still had to go back to report to the Fourth Prince, he went straight back to the palace without resting.