Kangxi paused, turned around and looked at Li Dequan: "What's wrong with the Crown Prince?"

Li Dequan cursed inwardly. Suo'etu was truly a scourge. It was fortunate that the Emperor had acted in advance; otherwise, the Qing Dynasty would surely have belonged to the Hesheli clan.

Seeing Kangxi's dark face, he dared not delay any longer: "Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince has a knife to his throat. A servant from Yuqing Palace came to report that His Highness wants to see you, saying that if you don't release Suo'etu, he will... he will..."

Li Dequan dared not continue speaking; those words were truly unpleasant, and he decided to let the Emperor hear them for himself.

"Let's go! I want to see if his blade can bear to draw blood!"

Li Dequan gave Xiao Li a look, and Xiao Li understood immediately, taking off running towards Ning Shou Palace.

When Emperor Kangxi arrived at the entrance of Yuqing Palace, he happened to hear shouting and cursing.

No wonder Li Dequan dared not continue; these were words a prince should utter, let alone the crown prince.

He had considered that if he took action against Suo'etu, the Crown Prince would plead for him, the other families would try to stop him, and the court might be in trouble.

However, they did not anticipate that Yinreng would threaten suicide to protect Suo'etu.

Regardless of how well or poorly he handled this matter, there will definitely be a rift between the two of them.

He and the Crown Prince can never go back.

"Wei Yi!"

Kangxi did not go in. He stood at the door and said two things. Soon after, the knife in the crown prince's hand was taken away, and his mouth was covered so that he could no longer make a sound.

The insults stopped, and the guards around them breathed a sigh of relief.

Those repeated insults, calling them "bastards" and "illegitimate children," made them wish they could go deaf, fearing the emperor would silence them.

"Your Majesty, please don't upset yourself!"

Li Dequan felt sorry for Kangxi, and could tell from his furrowed brows that he was in great distress.

"What happened today has made them all shut up. If anyone dares to utter a single word, I will not let them off the hook."

"Dissent against the emperor will result in the execution of nine generations of his family."

After Kangxi finished speaking, he entered Yuqing Palace and looked at Yinreng, who was being held tightly by the guards and unable to move, with a face full of disappointment.

"Tie him up and throw him back into the hall."

Yinreng never expected that the Emperor would actually tie him up. Now he was truly terrified. He wanted to say something, but there was something in his mouth, and all the words he wanted to say turned into sobs.

The guards moved swiftly. Kangxi looked at his son kneeling on the ground, and all his emotions turned into a sigh in that instant.

“Baocheng, you were raised by Father Emperor, and Father Emperor has devoted his heart and soul to you.”

But you don't distinguish between insiders and outsiders, between relatives and strangers, and you don't even know what your responsibilities are.

I can tell you plainly what you and Suo'etu said in private, and I know the contents of your correspondence.

But because you are young, I have given you many chances.

I have asked you countless times if you have anything to say to your father, or if you have any worries that your father can help you with. But what have you done?

Instead of asking me, the Emperor, you trust an outsider.

Bao Cheng, Father Emperor truly never intended to touch your position as Crown Prince. You may not be intelligent, but you must have a good character.

"I had already given up on you when you conspired with Suo'etu to kill the Imperial Noble Consort and their two children."

Yinreng's eyes widened; he thought Kangxi didn't know.

Soetu said that the matter had been handled properly and that no one would find out.

“I have long placed secret guards around you. Not only you and Suo'etu, but everyone including the Imperial Noble Consort, I am monitoring them.”

Yinreng slumped to the ground, staring blankly at Kangxi, unsure how to react.

He never expected that his father would place secret guards around him, and even around Songgotu.

So all the things he and Suo'etu plotted this year, and his previous statement that he could also ascend the throne at the age of eight, were overheard by the secret guards, right?

"I know everything!"

However, I still think you are a child. Even when you tried to harm the Imperial Noble Consort and the two imperial heirs, I was giving you a chance.

Do you remember the questions I asked you that day in the Imperial Study? They were my way of giving you an opportunity.

But what about you?

Kangxi's voice was calm, his eyes were fixed on Yinreng, and his face showed no emotion.

"Baocheng, do you know what the Imperial Noble Consort said?"

She said she only wanted to keep to herself and not compete for the throne. She even told me that when I ascended the throne, I would give my two children a fiefdom and not let them stay in the capital.

And what about you?

They targeted her again and again, trying to harm her and her child.

Do you know that the children she gave birth to are your younger brother and sister, just like you, they are my children?

With a snap, Kangxi slammed his hand on the tea table, causing the kettle to shake and spill water that flowed down the table and onto the floor, wetting Yinreng's shoes and socks.

Yinreng twisted his body, sobbing as he tried to explain, but Kangxi no longer wanted to listen.

"Baocheng, I will definitely take Suo'etu's life."

The Hesheli clan has committed heinous crimes, and I will absolutely not let them go because of any one of them.

Even if your Empress Dowager were alive, it wouldn't change my mind.

Yinreng shook his head, trying to plead for mercy, but this very act of shaking his head chilled Kangxi's heart to the bone.

Despite all that he had said, he still sided with Suo'etu. At this moment, he didn't want to say a single word to this son he had once cherished.

"Baocheng, ascending the throne and becoming emperor, you don't even need to think about it. The Qing Dynasty doesn't need someone who can't distinguish right from wrong."

What could make Empress Hesheli act in this way be your position as crown prince?

Don't forget the order of ruler and subject first, then father and son.

Your position as crown prince, I gave you, and I can take it back.

"You will stay here and reflect on your mistakes for the next few days. Once everything is settled, I will bestow upon you the title of King. From now on, you need not dream of things that are not yours."

After Kangxi finished speaking, he stood up without glancing at Yinreng behind him again, but his flustered steps revealed how panicked and sad he was.

With bloodshot eyes, Yinreng stared at Kangxi as he walked away, the gag in his mouth falling off as he struggled: "Father, I beg you, I will use my position as Crown Prince to save Suo'etu's life! Father, I beg you."

These words were like a bomb, shattering not only Kangxi's sadness and reluctance, but also shocking Harigana, who was waiting outside the door.

"Song'etu really knows how," Harigana thought to himself.

Before he could think of anything else, he saw Kangxi walk out with a livid face.

"Xuan Ye!"

The sound was very soft, just loud enough for him to hear.

Without saying a word, Kangxi walked over, took her hand, and led her outside. However, the force in his hand was so strong that Harigana could hardly bear it.