Then, just as he was lost in the dream and didn't want to wake up, he was slapped back to reality.

The intense physical pain and exhaustion reminded him of what had actually happened.

But fearing he would forget the dream, he closed his eyes and tried to recall it carefully.

The more I think about it, the more heartbroken I become!

He saw his good son show extreme grief after his death.

He beat his chest and wailed incessantly. Even during the funeral, he clung to the coffin, refusing to let anyone close the lid. This behavior impressed the court officials and members of the imperial family, who all marveled at his filial piety.

In just three days, he gained considerable fame by performing in the daytime opera.

They would even mock his policies and methods at night...

Even more ridiculous is that, in order to silence the court officials who were making unfounded accusations, his good son quickly revealed the cause of his death through a series of actions.

He first publicly dismissed the Taoist priests from the palace, but secretly killed them on the spot!

How could he let those people live?

He then issued another decree implying that he had died suddenly from taking a poisonous elixir.

Little did he know that those people were all people his good son had painstakingly sent to him.

Also, the Niohuru clan!

His good tenth brother is also a troublemaker!

The more Yongzheng thought about it, the angrier he became, but this wasn't even the most infuriating thing.

His good son is a typical example of someone who eats meat from the bowl and then curses his mother!

In order to consolidate his power base after ascending the throne, he pardoned the descendants of criminals in the royal family and restored their royal status.

This move actually earned him a good reputation.

He didn't mention the grievances and insults he suffered at all, and his words were full of complaints about him!

What right does he have to forgive him?!

The difference is that he won. If he had lost, there would still be a day when he could step on his shoulders and act all high and mighty!

Little did he know that in the same situation, it was uncertain whether he could control those people. Given his personality, he would probably secretly exploit them and gain a good reputation in return!

The difference is that he's too lazy to put on a show, while his good son is a natural actor!

Emperor Yongzheng was so angry that he couldn't sleep most of the night!

If he remembered correctly, the time seemed to speed up afterwards!

The late emperor went to the south of the Yangtze River to understand the people's conditions, but this man, an emperor, is playing with prostitutes!

He also loves luxury. Did he work so hard to accumulate that little bit of wealth just so he could squander it like that?

That was fine, but Emperor Qianlong frequently corresponded with King Louis XVI of France and knew that the outside world was changing rapidly!

But he insisted on hiding in the prosperous Qing Dynasty and not making any progress!

In times of peace and prosperity, there's no need to seek development!

Even the British Museum in the UK preserves a 976-word reply that Emperor Qianlong wrote to King George III of England in 1793.

In the letter, Emperor Qianlong rejected Britain's request for trade and displayed his arrogant attitude.

At that time, Emperor Qianlong was no different from a frog in a well!

The news that Louis XVI had been beheaded during the French Revolution further strengthened the Qing Dynasty's rule over literary inquisitions!

The Great Cleansing had cleared him of all other sounds and changes; he was even afraid that the guns would eventually be pointed at him.

It's important to know that at this time, the West referred to the Qing Dynasty as the Celestial Empire!

The complete annihilation of the Dzungar Khanate was a shock to the West, given that it was supported by both Great Britain and Tsarist Russia.

The Opium War, in particular, was a small test, a way to deal with this behemoth.

However, Zuo Zongtang's reconquest of Xinjiang, even with his own coffin, forced the then-powerful Tsarist Russia to relinquish Ili, causing the Western powers to become somewhat fearful.

Later, Japan's First Sino-Japanese War made the West see the weakness of the Qing Dynasty.

From then on, they had no more scruples about the Chinese land, truly beginning the unbridled partitioning of China by the great powers.

An island nation supported by Britain was able to expose the secrets of the Qing Dynasty. When the great powers saw this, they were eager to share the spoils.

The cultural and ideological constraints, coupled with the extravagant lifestyle of the later Manchu nobles who sat high in the imperial court, led to extreme corruption, leaving no room for ambitious individuals to realize their aspirations!

It can be said that it was because of him that the Qing Dynasty gradually became a fish on the chopping block!

Yongzheng was actually relieved at this moment!

He doesn't need a headstrong and self-righteous successor!

The next day, Yongzheng lay there on the verge of death.

It was Consort Xi who was attending to the ailing emperor. Hongli arrived early in the morning with his men, thinking that the emperor was dying!

Seeing Yongzheng's pale face, he cried out to heaven and earth, tears streaming down his face.

When Yongzheng recalled everything he had seen in his dream, he found it interesting.

He dared not fully believe everything in his dream, but his good son's actions were constantly moving in that direction!

"Father, Father, your son can't bear to part with you!" Hongli crawled over on his knees, grasped Yongzheng's hand, and sobbed.

"Father, please wake up! Your son doesn't want anything, he just wants you to wake up!"

Hongli was so engrossed in crying that he didn't even notice that Consort Xi wasn't there at all.

"Fourth Prince, the Emperor cannot continue like this! Why don't you ascend the throne, Fourth Prince? The Emperor's health is not good, so he should move to Changchun Garden to recuperate. Wouldn't that be perfect?"

A courtier looked around and hurriedly expressed his opinion.

"How can this be? Father Emperor will definitely wake up!" Hongli said angrily.

"But a country cannot be without a ruler for a day! If the emperor is not awake, the court will be in turmoil, and the emperor will not be able to leave in peace!"

Seeing Yongzheng's pale face, several court officials quickly expressed their opinions and hurriedly tried to persuade Hongli.

"I don't believe it. Father Emperor will definitely be safe." Hongli said with an upright expression.

"Fourth Prince, we also hope that His Majesty will be blessed with good fortune, but Physician Ye said something about His Majesty... Waaah..."

Even the ministers of the Niohuru clan couldn't hold back anymore.

While the courtier was speaking, he even started sobbing.

Those who reacted quickly joined in the weeping and wailing, while those who reacted slowly couldn't hide their surprise on their faces.

"Then, young master—" After the emperor and his ministers had declined the throne three times, Hongli felt that he could ascend the throne in accordance with everyone's wishes.

"This young master disagrees! Father Emperor is only ill, and you're already plotting rebellion?"

Hongzhou strode in and stood beside Yongzheng, glaring angrily at Hongli.

Following closely behind were Zhang Tingyu, Li Wei, Yunli, Yunlu...

Hongli saw Zhang Tingyu narrow his eyes, then suddenly his face turned grief-stricken!

Hongzhou didn't have any particular thoughts; he simply saw through Hongli's character and didn't want to do as he wished!

"Fifth Prince, you can't just say things like that! Who would dare to commit treason?" Ortai jumped out immediately.

"Oh? Father is ill. Fourth Brother has detained Su Peisheng and dismissed Physician Liu! He has even replaced the guards guarding the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Is Fourth Brother afraid that Father will wake up?!" Hongzhou felt annoyed when he thought of the news he had just learned.

His older brother even arranged a job for him outside the capital!

Is this to prevent him from hindering his ascension to the throne?

Otherwise, he wouldn't have turned back halfway; he just didn't want to let this scheming villain get away with it!