Hongxi was very angry.

How could the Empress Dowager confine my mother to her quarters while my father is away from the palace?

Being confined to her quarters is one thing, but to also let Niu Hulu Yu and the steward... she's a troublemaker!

Hongxi's bad mood was very obvious; he just wouldn't smile.

No matter how the wet nurse and the palace servants tried to coax him, he didn't react at all.

He would only show a slight smile when Guarjia teased him, but the pity in his eyes was enough to make anyone who saw it feel uncomfortable.

It is still winter, but the temperature has risen somewhat, so the number of charcoal stoves in the hall has gradually decreased.

No one expected it to snow suddenly, and the temperature inside the palace dropped abruptly.

Zhang Quan ran in from outside, looking disheveled. He glanced at the sullen young master sitting on the cushion, then quietly approached the head maid.

She whispered, "Aunt Xiuhe, we didn't get any charcoal."

Xiuhe was sent by Shi Wenbing to take care of the young prince. She was skilled in medicine and martial arts. Originally an ordinary palace maid, she was later promoted by Guarjia clan to be the head maidservant by the young prince's side.

Xiuhe had already guessed what was going on from Zhang Quan's disheveled appearance, and now that she heard him say this, her face immediately darkened.

"Didn't you say that the charcoal fire in the young prince's room wasn't enough?"

Zhang Quan looked distressed. "Aunt Xiuhe, I'm someone who works for the young prince. How could they not know who I'm asking for charcoal for? They said that Niohuru has already distributed all the charcoal from Yuqing Palace, and there's no extra."

Xiuhe sneered, "They think that just because the Crown Princess is confined to Yuqing Palace, they can even swindle our little prince's things?"

The Crown Princess was confined to her quarters, but the young prince was not.

"Zhang Quan, dress the young prince properly, and bring the young prince's wet nurse and all his belongings with me."

Zhang Quan was a little confused. "Auntie, where are we going?"

Xiuhe sneered, "If it's not warm in our palace, then let's go somewhere warm, Cining Palace!"

Half an hour later, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang looked at Hongxi, who was wrapped up like a dumpling, and the row of palace servants standing behind him with a livid face. She was completely dismayed.

"Sumalagu, quickly add a few more basins of charcoal to the temple."

After giving her instructions, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang reached out and took Hongxi into her arms. The little guy's face was red from the cold, and snot was running down his nose. His big eyes blinked innocently and cutely.

The little guy seemed a bit confused. After Xiaozhuang took off his cloak, he reached out and hugged Xiaozhuang's neck, babbling in a childish voice.

"cold."

The little guy already knew and guessed Xiuhe and the others' intentions, so he naturally cooperated wholeheartedly.

Upon hearing this, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang's eyes immediately swept across the kneeling row of palace servants like knives.

"Can someone explain what's going on?"

Xiuhe crawled forward a few steps on her knees, kowtowed and said, "This servant is the head maidservant of the young prince named Xiuhe. Today, it suddenly snowed and the temperature in the palace dropped sharply. There wasn't enough charcoal in the stove. I was afraid that the young prince would get cold, so I had no choice but to bring him to Cining Palace to stay for two days. We will go back after the weather gets better."

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang comforted Hongxi, who was a little dazed from the cold, and felt a surge of annoyance when she saw that he was not as clever as usual.

"If you don't have enough charcoal, go ask the Crown Princess for some. Why come all the way to Cining Palace?"

Sumalagu coughed lightly, and only then did Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang remember that the Crown Princess was under house arrest, and that Niohuru Yuhe was now in charge of all matters in Yuqing Palace.

Thinking of Niohuru's past actions, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang had a plan in mind. She turned to Sumalagu and said, "You take the young prince and the others and settle them down first."

Sumalagu received the order and quickly arranged all matters concerning Hongxi.

Hongxi seemed to come to her senses, blinking her big eyes with a cute smile on her face.

"Hug...hug...hug."

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang was overjoyed to be addressed like that, and hugged and kissed Hongxi repeatedly, saying, "My little darling, who in the entire palace can be as noble as you?"

Seeing that Sumalagu had returned, she said in a fierce tone, "Go to Yuqing Palace and see what's going on. If it's Niohuru who's causing trouble, force-feed her a bowl of medicine."

Sumalagu hesitated for a moment, "After all, she is His Highness the Crown Prince's concubine..."

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang glanced at her. "Hongxi is still Baocheng's only son. I was angry with the Crown Princess because Baocheng sneaked out of the palace. If something happens to Hongxi now, Baocheng will probably turn the whole harem upside down."

Su Mala Gu thought about Yinreng's temper and Kangxi's indulgence of Yinreng, and decided that she should go and make the trip herself.

How could a princess of the Niohuru clan compare to His Highness the Crown Prince's precious son?

Inside Yuqing Palace, Guarjia simply smiled when she learned that Xiuhe had taken Hongxi to Cining Palace.

"Xiuhe was chosen by her father and mother after all; she's intelligent and bold in her actions."

Wenying laughed along, "Yes, when I first heard about this, I was startled, but then I understood. It was all caused by the Empress Dowager, so naturally she should clean up the mess. If Xiuhe had come directly to you, it probably wouldn't have been easy to handle."

Guarjia glared at Wenying, "Don't talk nonsense, be careful the walls have ears."

Wenying stuck out her tongue, no longer daring to talk nonsense.

"Now that His Highness the Crown Prince is not in the palace, we are already adrift in the storms of life. Fortunately, Hongxi is here, and the Empress Dowager can still show some leniency. Otherwise..."

Wenying didn't dare to say anything more, and just stood aside grinding ink.

“Your Highness, ever since you were confined to your quarters, you have been copying Buddhist scriptures. Although the Empress Dowager asked you to copy scriptures, she did not specify how many to copy. It would be fine if you copied less.”

Guarjia sighed, looked at the flying snow outside the window and murmured to herself, "These scriptures I copied are not only for His Highness the Crown Prince, but also for myself. If His Highness the Crown Prince can return safely, that's fine, but if something happens... the Empress Dowager will probably massacre the Yuqing Palace."

Wenying was so frightened that she dared not speak again.

A moment later, Granny Gui hurried in and whispered, "Your Highness, Su Ma La Gu has arrived."

After saying that, she whispered, "Su Ma La Gu brought a lot of people with her. They went straight to Niu Hu Lu Shi's courtyard after entering Yu Qing Palace. They looked very aggressive, and I'm afraid..."

Guarjia and Wenying exchanged a glance. "Did you see that? The Empress Dowager sent Sumalagu to interrogate him in such a grand manner because His Highness the Crown Prince's only son was cold. If it really is His Highness the Crown Prince..."

Wenying dared not let her mind wander anymore. She secretly resolved to recite Amitabha Buddha's name for an hour every night before going to sleep, praying for His Highness the Crown Prince's safe return.

Guarjia put away the newly copied scriptures and then said, "Bring me the cloak. I can't pretend I don't know that Sumalagu has come to visit. Let's go and see her together."

Wenying and Granny Gui dared not say anything more and silently followed them out.