After returning to the palace, the Crown Prince first went to meet the Emperor.

Perhaps distance makes the heart grow fonder; the Crown Prince had never been away from him for so long since birth, and Kangxi looked at the travel-worn Crown Prince with great delight.

He prepared the dishes that the Crown Prince liked well in advance and held a private date between the father and son in the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Upon seeing Emperor Kangxi, Yinreng immediately knelt down and wept bitterly: "Your subject greets Your Majesty. Since leaving the capital, your subject has missed you every moment. Seeing that Your Majesty is in good health, your subject is at ease."

Emperor Kangxi was also deeply moved. He personally helped the Crown Prince up and said, "Baocheng looks much thinner. He must have had a long and arduous journey. Tell Father Emperor about it."

Yinreng was in high spirits, and he talked animatedly about his embarrassing moments, such as starting to vomit uncontrollably not long after leaving the city, but Fei Yanggu said to slow down, but in reality he probably sped up.

For example, when they finally reached the border, the local officials actually thought of having beautiful women by their side and sent many young girls to his tent in the middle of the night, but he chased them away.

“Father, do you know what’s most absurd? I drove everyone away, and the next day, they actually sent some boys over.” Yinreng still finds it both funny and absurd. “These parasites, holding positions without doing any work, even killing them wouldn’t be enough to atone for the suffering people on the border.”

As he spoke, Yinreng revealed some of his personal emotions, and he did indeed kill these people.

Emperor Kangxi sighed: "Corrupt officials have always existed. As long as they are capable officials and not extremely greedy, they can be used. These people are truly despicable. They take the court's money and fatten their own pockets. They even dare to embezzle the soldiers' rations, which makes them powerless against the rabble of the Dzungars. It was good that they were killed."

Yinreng showed his filial piety as he served food to Kangxi: "When I was at the border, I was very anxious every day, but when I thought that Father Emperor was there to protect me, I felt no fear at all. I know that Father Emperor has been watching me all along."

"You have done very well." Kangxi was very pleased. Even if he went to the border in person, he could not have done better. Thinking this, he raised an eyebrow slightly. "Not only do I think so, but all the civil and military officials think so too. I have been receiving a whole basket of memorials praising you every day recently."

Yinreng's mind was on high alert. He swallowed a piece of green vegetable and spat out the root: "Your subject is terrified. I only tried my best. I thought about how Father Emperor would act if he were here, and that's why it was somewhat watchable."

"Eat it all. You're so old, yet you still can't shake the habit of spitting out the roots of your vegetables." Kangxi said these words of affection to Yinreng as he looked at his eating habits.

Yinreng was a little embarrassed. He wiped his mouth and said, "In Yuqing Palace, I have to keep a proper distance and set an example for Hongxi and Hongjin. Only here with Father Emperor can I relax a bit."

"By the way, you don't know yet, but there's good news waiting for you at Yuqing Palace." Kangxi suddenly felt cheerful, and you could feel his joy just by listening to his voice.

"Good news?" Yinreng was stunned for a moment, then his heart suddenly pounded wildly. Could it be...?

"Less than half a month after you left, the Crown Princess found out she was pregnant. I originally wanted to tell you immediately, but the Crown Princess is very understanding and didn't want this to affect you. She is currently resting in the Eastern Palace, and Liang Jiugong visits her every day. Apart from having a slightly poor appetite, everything is going well."

Seeing that Yinreng was so happy he couldn't speak, Kangxi felt a pang of sympathy for this man who was middle-aged and still had no legitimate son: "Take good care of Hongxi and Hongjin. The kind of thing that happened to the late Crown Princess must never happen again."

Yinreng nodded in agreement, but suddenly felt a chill in his heart. He felt that his father had said something insinuating. Did he know the cause of Guarjia's death?

He looked up and met the Emperor's gaze. Kangxi's eyes were filled with affection, as if they were filled with longing for his grandson. Yinreng's wildly beating heart slowly calmed down. The two chatted for a few more minutes, and Yinreng couldn't help but walk towards Yuqing Palace.

******

Tong Guining was taking a nap. Ever since she found out she was pregnant, she had been unusually sleepy.

Although she knew the Crown Prince was returning today and she would have to wait to greet him, her physical reactions couldn't lie, and she couldn't hold on any longer, so she went back to her inner room to rest.

Perhaps because she had something on her mind, Tong Guining suddenly opened her eyes not long after. She saw the person who had terrified her day and night standing by the bed, staring intently at her stomach, a smile playing on his lips.

"Ning'er is awake."

Tong Guining forced a smile: "Your Highness is back. It's all my fault. I was going to congratulate Your Highness on your triumphant return with the child, but I ended up falling asleep. Please punish me, Your Highness."

"Ning'er, what wrong have you done? You've not only done nothing wrong, but you've also done something good." The Crown Prince gently touched Tong Guining's belly. "How many months pregnant are you?"

"It's been almost two months." Tong Guining felt as if a cold snake was wrapped around her stomach, slowly wriggling.

"Hmm, no wonder you'd rather resort to underhanded tactics than go to the battlefield with me," Yinreng said casually.

Tong Guining immediately shed tears: "Your Highness, I was indeed unsure before. I just felt that my body was different from usual, and the imperial physician was not sure either, which is why I did not tell Your Highness."

"Moreover, I did indeed fall seriously ill, and you have truly wronged me." Relying on the child in her belly, Tong Guining could be a little more unrestrained.

The Crown Prince did not delve into the matter. He inquired in detail about Tong Guining's daily life, and then said something meaningful as he left: "Be careful of my legitimate son. Take good care of him."

Once the Crown Prince was out of sight, Tong Guining took a deep breath; her back was soaked with sweat. She called for maids and servants to come and change all her clothes. Everywhere she had been in contact with the Crown Prince, goosebumps rose uncontrollably.

The child came very suddenly. She had originally planned to either have a miscarriage after a false pregnancy or find someone to conceive with. Who would have thought that she would suddenly feel nauseous and dizzy that day, and after the imperial physician examined her pulse, he said that she was indeed pregnant.

That's a real relief.

She's passed the current hurdle, but what if the child isn't a boy? The Crown Prince's madness simply won't allow that to happen; she needs to make plans soon.

After leaving the Crown Princess's quarters, the Crown Prince went to his study, where someone was waiting for his questioning.

Yinreng took a closer look. The beggar, who had been covered in filth and whose gender and age were indistinguishable, was now sitting quietly in different clothes. Judging from her figure and attire, she was actually a woman. This was quite interesting.

The woman heard the sound and looked up. A bright and elegant face came into view. A hint of experience flashed in the prince's eyes. After dressing up, she was still a pretty woman.

She wasn't the gentle and refined type like Tong Guining; one glance at her eyes revealed a burning ambition beneath her calm surface.

"What's your name?" the prince asked casually, but the woman's answer made his eyes widen.

"Your Majesty, I am Niohuru, a princess in the Fourth Prince's household. I greet Your Highness."