In the residence of the Sixth Prince Hongzhou.

"..."

"Your Highness, news of the Emperor's actions against the Imperial Household Department has spread throughout the court and the palace."

Sixth Prince Hongzhou nodded and instructed, "I understand. You may leave now."

"Yes, Your Highness, this servant takes his leave."

Next, Sixth Prince Hongzhou couldn't help but pace back and forth in the room.

After a moment, he sat down, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and thought to himself: Hmm, I wonder if Father Emperor is making an example of someone this time?

After all, this time the Emperor took action against the servant who managed his private treasury, and the Emperor had always turned a blind eye to it before.

Thinking of his imperial father, Sixth Prince Hongzhou couldn't help but sigh.

Alas, fortunately, my imperial father is extremely clever and came up with a secret method for establishing an heir.

Otherwise, just thinking about the struggle for the throne among the nine princes during the reign of the Emperor makes me feel lingering fear.

Of the Emperor's three adult sons, the third brother, Hongshi, is the eldest, as he is several years older than both the Emperor and the fifth brother, Hongli.

Although she appeared to be the youngest of the three, she and her fifth brother, Hongli, were actually born in the same year; she was only a few months younger than him.

Although both of Hongli's birth mothers, Consort Xi and Consort Yu, were princesses when they were still in the Prince's residence, their statuses were different.

Consort Xi was a member of the Manchu Bordered Yellow Banner, and from the prominent Manchu clan of Niohuru.

It was only because Consort Xi's father did not hold a high official position that she served her father as a princess.

Her mother was a bondservant from the time her father was a prince, and she was also Han Chinese. Therefore, there was a certain difference in their social status.

Oh, I almost forgot that Consort Shu and Consort Xi were both Manchus; she was a member of the Manchu Plain White Banner.

However, Consort Shu was not from a prominent Manchu family, and her father held an even lower official position, so she was only a concubine when she entered the palace.

Well, it seems that I am still quite different from Xiaoqi, Xiaoba, Xiaojiu, Xiaoshi, and Xiaoshiyi in terms of status.

However, they are all still young, and since the death of the Thirteenth Uncle, there have been reports of the Emperor having health problems.

Although we've managed to hold on for so many years, what if something unexpected happens in a year or two?

No matter how you look at it, the possibility of it being the Fifth Brother, Hongli, is still much higher.

Yes, and besides, Fifth Brother Hongli has always been better at his studies than me since childhood, and has even been praised by Grandfather.

Therefore, I have always been self-aware and have never coveted things that do not belong to me.

However, it is clear that Emperor Ming favored his fifth brother, Hongli, for several years after he ascended the throne.

Well, I don't know why Father Emperor changed his mind later?

So later, the three brothers were all granted the title of Beile and moved out of the Yuanmingyuan together. It seemed that their father treated them all equally.

Well, there's another thing. About six or seven years ago, there were frequent rebellions in Miao territory, so Father Emperor set up the Miao Affairs Office.

At that time, he ordered his third brother Hongshi and fifth brother Hongli to jointly manage affairs in Miao territory with him.

Moreover, it was said at that time that the Emperor and his ministers had let slip that he would bestow the title of Prince upon one of his three Beile.

This is actually a subtle hint about who will succeed to the throne.

However, it's possible that the three brothers didn't perform their duties very well at that time, or perhaps the Emperor had other considerations.

So for many years afterward, all three brothers remained Beile (princes), and none of them were granted the title of Prince.

Oh, it seems that the Emperor has become a bit more lenient in recent years, so recently someone has reportedly mentioned this issue to him.

Hmm, so Father Emperor did two things: he reformed the Imperial Household Department and made an example of someone to scare others?

...

Pure, unique, and beautiful.

"Seventh Brother, the imperial physician has prescribed medicine for Mother."

"Yes, Seventh Brother, that Physician Sun prescribed medicine for Mother."

As soon as the Seventh Prince Hongzhao, the Eighth Prince Hongxu, and the Ninth Prince Hongxuan entered the main hall, the Tenth Prince Honghao and the Eleventh Prince Hongyao ran up to them to report.

Ituma Shushu: "..."

Ninth Prince Hongxuan rushed to Ituma Shushu and asked anxiously, "Mother, how are you?"

Immediately afterwards, the Seventh Prince Hongzhao and the Eighth Prince Hongxu also came to her, looking at her with worried expressions.

"Mother, what did Physician Sun say?" Seventh Prince Hongzhao asked.

Ituma Shushu felt a warmth in her heart and said softly, "Doctor Sun said that Mother's health is fine, but she has a bit of excessive heart fire, so he just told Mother to continue to rest and recuperate."

The Seventh Prince, Hongzhao, frowned and said, "Mother, Father Emperor wants you to rest and recuperate in peace for your own good. Otherwise, he wouldn't have had us come to see you every day."

The Eighth Prince Hongxu also spoke up, "Yes, Mother, you don't need to worry too much. Father is not placing you under house arrest."

Ninth Prince Hongxuan tugged at Ituma Shushu's sleeve and whispered, "Mother, Father Emperor doesn't let the Tenth and Eleventh Princes go to the Imperial Study to study so that they can keep you company."

Ituma Shushu stared speechlessly at the Ninth Prince Hongxuan, blinked a few times, and thought to herself: Hongxuan, how much of a filter are you using for your imperial father? You actually have such unreliable guesses. Please, that's Emperor Yongzheng!

Well, Ituma Shushu couldn't voice her thoughts.

So she said softly, "Hongxuan, stop fooling your mother."

That's because Honghao and Hongyao weren't as mischievous as you and Hongxu were when you were little.

So your mother and your father, the Emperor, couldn't bear to send the two of them to the Imperial Study at such a young age.

The Eighth Prince Hongxu immediately feigned pitifulness and said, "Mother, are you and Father Emperor really willing to let Hongxuan and me go to the Imperial Study when we are so young?"

Ituma Shushu recalled her thoughts during that time and said with a smile, "Back then, your mother really wished that you two would go to the Imperial Study as soon as possible."

If you don't believe me, ask your seventh brother, Hongzhao. He knows that Mother wanted to send you two to the Imperial Study as soon as possible.

Besides, your seventh brother wanted to go to the Imperial Study as soon as possible; it wasn't that Mother wanted to send him there prematurely.

Ituma Shushu thought about it and couldn't help but burst into laughter, hahahahaha...

When the Seventh Prince Hongzhao, the Eighth Prince Hongxu, and the Ninth Prince Hongxuan saw their mother smile, they couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Then, the three of them pretended to be talking and laughing as if they were hearing about this for the first time.

Finally, the Tenth Prince Honghao and the Eleventh Prince Hongyao also joined in with curious expressions.

After a while, the Seventh Prince Hongzhao remembered what had happened that morning.