Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the flickering candlelight illuminated Emperor Yongzheng's stern face.

He sat upright before his desk, his fingers lightly tapping the tabletop, his gaze fixed intently on the secret memorial in his hand.

The secret memorial stated: Emperor Qianlong often talks to himself, saying things that others cannot understand.

"The Qing Dynasty is doomed," "Father Emperor is confused," and so on.

Su Peisheng stood respectfully to one side, barely daring to breathe; the hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Yongzheng sneered, "I'd like to hear what he has to say."

He stood up, flicked his sleeve, and said, "To the Ministry of Justice prison."

---

Inside the Ministry of Justice's death row cell, a cold and damp atmosphere filled the air.

Hongli huddled in a corner, his clothes tattered, and he had long lost the demeanor of a prince.

Hearing the sound of the iron gate, he slowly looked up and saw Yongzheng standing outside the prison gate, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

"Father..." His voice was hoarse, sounding like he was both crying and laughing, "You've finally come."

Yongzheng gestured for the guards to leave, then looked down at him and said, "Hongli, I'm giving you one last chance. Tell me, why do you want to rebel?"

Hongli suddenly laughed, his laughter tinged with madness: "Treason? No, I just want to save the Qing Dynasty!"

He took a sudden step forward, lowering his voice, "The Qing Dynasty closed itself off from the world, remained stagnant, and was eventually forced open by the powerful ships and cannons of the West, becoming a semi-colony! And all of this started with you!"

Yongzheng's pupils contracted slightly, but his expression remained calm: "Oh? How do you know these things?"

Hongli sneered: "Because I was reborn! In my previous life, I inherited your throne and worked hard to govern the country, but in the end I still couldn't stop the tide of history."

In this life, your son will change all of this! Only through cooperation and mutual development between the Qing Dynasty and the Russian Empire can those calamities be avoided!

In his previous life, he trusted the English too much, to the point that the English brought opium to the Qing Dynasty.

Yongzheng was silent for a moment, then suddenly chuckled: "Hongli, you keep saying you want to change the future of the Qing Dynasty, but your method is to let the Qing Dynasty cut off its own path to survival?"

Hongli exclaimed excitedly, "Father! Westerners are wolves in sheep's clothing! Their weapons and ideologies will corrupt the foundation of the Qing Dynasty! Only by cooperating with Russia, suppressing the Han people, and developing our Manchu people can we preserve the Qing Dynasty!"

Yongzheng's gaze was sharp as a knife: "What about opium? Can you stop it? What about the guns and cannons of the Westerners? Can you stop them?"

Hongli was taken aback. How did his father know? He then gritted his teeth and said, "As long as the Qing Dynasty is strong enough, they won't dare to invade!"

"Powerful?" Yongzheng sneered. "So the Russian Kingdom is being so kind? Helping you become powerful, and then what? How do you know they won't turn their guns on you?"

Hongli's expression changed drastically: "...The Qing Dynasty is adjacent to the Russian Kingdom, so we can restrain them."

Yongzheng did not answer, but simply said, "Hongli, I know your ambition, but you have chosen the wrong path."

The Qing Dynasty will never throw the baby out with the bathwater. I have already opened the seas to trade and learned from the West. And you—”

He stood up and looked down at Hongli. "Go to jail and reflect on your actions. If you remain obstinate, I won't mind adding another entry to the history books: 'The prince committed suicide.'"

Hongli staggered backward, his eyes filled with despair: "Father! You will be cursed by posterity! The Qing Dynasty will be destroyed in your hands!"

Yongzheng turned around and walked out of the prison cell, ignoring what he was saying.

Hongli's roars gradually faded into the distance, eventually disappearing into the night.

Su Peisheng cautiously stepped forward: "Your Majesty, what the Fourth Prince said..."

Yongzheng raised his hand to interrupt: "No need for further words. Have someone keep an eye on him, and kill him without hesitation if he makes any unusual moves."

"Yes, sir." Su Peisheng bowed and withdrew.

Emperor Yongzheng stood alone in the hall, his mind filled with countless thoughts.

The "future" that Yun'er once casually mentioned now coincides with Hongli's words.

He clenched his fist and muttered to himself, "The Qing Dynasty must never go down that path."

---

Inside Yanxi Palace,

Lin Yun was coaxing Zhao Hua to sleep.

Chunlan tiptoed in and whispered, "Your Majesty, the Emperor just interrogated the Fourth Prince and seemed to be very angry."

Lin Yun paused, then asked softly, "Do you know what was said?"

Chunlan shook her head: "The people in the Hall of Mental Cultivation are tight-lipped; we can't find out anything."

Lin Yun nodded thoughtfully: "Go down."

She handed Zhaohua over to the wet nurse and went to the window alone.

The cool night breeze dispelled the worries in her heart.

Regardless of Hongli's situation, she believed the Emperor could handle it well...

As for her, as a beneficiary who had traveled back to the Qing Dynasty, it was best for her to remain silent at this moment.

"Your Highness, is something on your mind?" Daiyu's voice came from behind.

Lin Yun turned around and saw Daiyu standing under the eaves, wearing a light-colored cloak and holding a small lantern in her hand.

She smiled and asked, "Why isn't Yu'er asleep yet?"

Daiyu approached and said softly, "I saw that the light was still on in Your Highness's room, so I came to keep you company and have a chat."

Lin Yun felt a warmth in her heart and took her hand: "Perfect timing, I also have something I want to ask you."

The two sat in the warm pavilion. Lin Yun pondered for a moment and said, "Yu'er, if one day you know that certain things are destined to happen, but you are powerless to change them, what would you do?"

Daiyu blinked, thought carefully, and replied, "If it's a bad thing, I'll try my best; if it's a good thing, I'll wait and see."

Lin Yun laughed: "You're quite insightful."

Daiyu said softly, "Why does Your Highness suddenly ask this?"

Lin Yun looked out at the night sky and sighed softly, "I just feel that sometimes things in this world are more bizarre than a play."

---

In the Ministry of Justice prison, Hongli huddled in a corner, his eyes lifeless.

Outside the prison gate, the footsteps of the guards drew closer, followed by the sound of a key turning.

"Fourth Prince, it's time for your meal." The jailer put down the food box and turned to leave.

Hongli suddenly spoke up: "Wait! Tell Father Emperor... Your Majesty knows you were wrong, please ask him to see me one more time!"

The jailer hesitated for a moment, then nodded and left.

Hongli stared at the food box, a ruthless glint in his eyes.

With trembling hands, he opened the lid of the teapot on the table and took out a pill—the last bit of "decency" the Niohuru family had left him.

"Father, you will regret this..." He tilted his head back and swallowed the pill, tears streaming down his face.

He wanted his father, the Emperor, to see that he had killed his own child with his own hands.

A moment later, the jailer's cry of alarm pierced the night: "The Fourth Prince is dead!"

---

Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, when Emperor Yongzheng received the news, his vermilion brush paused, and the ink smudged on the memorial.

He closed his eyes and said in a hoarse voice, "He was buried with the rites due to a prince."

Su Peisheng knelt on the ground, choking back tears: "Yes, sir."

Yongzheng got up and walked to the window. The night was as dark as ink, and the starlight was dim.

He murmured, "Yun'er is right... history can be changed."

As for Hongli... he did everything he could to be kind and righteous!