Chapter 68 Consort Hui, Suo'etu
After Consort Nara passed away, Yanxi Palace remained quiet for quite some time, and Yunyun was also listless and lacked energy.
But life goes on.
After the Crown Prince fell ill, Emperor Kangxi showed him great care and affection, and their relationship seemed to have returned to the filial piety and parental love of their childhood.
Only Baoqing scoffed at this: "Don't be fooled by how well Father Emperor treats the Crown Prince now, practically wanting to keep him by his side. The Crown Prince's excessive worry still hasn't been resolved."
There aren't many things that can make the Crown Prince worry for a long time. Considering the Emperor's actions in recent years, it's obvious what the Crown Prince is worried about.
Bao Qing could guess it without even thinking.
It was just the father and son, pretending to be something they weren't.
Could the Crown Prince really believe that his father, the Emperor, has reformed? He's dreaming.
The relationship between the two didn't even last a year. In May of the 42nd year of Kangxi's reign, the Crown Prince was leaving the palace to visit the ailing Prince Yu when an imperial edict reached his ears before the carriage even arrived at Prince Yu's residence.
Grand Minister Songgotu was accused of forming cliques and embezzling huge sums of money, and was declared "the number one criminal in the land" and imprisoned in the Imperial Clan Court.
Baoqing happened to be at Prince Yu's residence. Upon hearing the news, his uncle abandoned his visit and quickly rode his horse to Donghua Gate to enter the palace.
The Crown Prince will definitely go to the Qianqing Palace to plead for mercy; he wants to see the Crown Prince make a fool of himself!
Knowing her son's temperament, Yunyun had sent someone ahead of time to intercept him and bring him back to Yanxi Palace. Then she immediately launched into a tirade: "Are you out of your mind? What are you doing going up there at this time? Do you think your father has dealt with Suo'etu but not you?"
Who is Songgotuna? He is the Crown Prince's great-uncle and a leading figure in the Crown Prince's faction. Without him, the Crown Prince's faction would be halved.
Is it appropriate for Bao Qing to openly watch the Crown Prince make a fool of himself?
Baoqing thought it was very appropriate: "Mother, although Lord Suo'etu has been imprisoned, Father has not issued a specific decree of punishment. Perhaps Lord Suo'etu will be released after the Crown Prince pleads for him. The Crown Prince will not have many opportunities to bow his head. Your son must carefully record this."
He genuinely believed that Suo'etu would be alright.
As for the Imperial Clan Court, in this day and age, which high-ranking official doesn't rise and fall? Entering the Imperial Clan Court once is nothing special.
It's estimated that when Songgotu leaves the Imperial Clan Court, the Crown Prince will be the one to pick him up.
Then Baoqing received a steady stream of messages.
The crown prince knelt in the Qianqing Palace for an hour.
The Crown Prince was asked to leave the Qianqing Palace.
For half a month, the Crown Prince repeatedly requested an audience at the gate of the Qianqing Palace, but the Emperor ignored him.
This time, Emperor Kangxi was truly ruthless. Fearing that he would see the Crown Prince change his mind, he first forbade the Crown Prince from entering the Qianqing Palace, and later even imprisoned the Crown Prince in the Yuqing Palace.
Bao Qing was stunned by his father's move. He pointed to his head, hinting, "Father, here..."
Is something wrong with Father Emperor's brain?
Or was he provoked?
That's the Crown Prince, his precious child whom he raised with his own hands. Just last year, he was still showing him great care and concern. How could he turn his back on him now?
Yunyun also found it unbelievable.
Because of Bao Qing, she had a fairly good understanding of the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince's closest elders were his father, the Emperor, and his great-uncle, Suo'etu. Especially when his father began to play the game of weighing options, the Crown Prince became even more dependent on his great-uncle, who was wholeheartedly devoted to him.
Now.
His father, the emperor, wanted to kill his great-uncle.
To put it bluntly, it's like the father is going to kill the mother.
It would be strange if the crown prince didn't go mad.
She warned Baoqing: "Don't hang around your father these days, or you'll upset him."
Even the crown prince has been dealt with; who knows what else the emperor might do?
Yes, there really is.
The Third Prince and the Fourth Prince were also reprimanded and lost all their duties. As a result, all the princes below them were also scolded.
It was rare for Baoqing not to talk back when she was being scolded.
Sigh, Father Emperor's mind isn't working properly anymore, so let him have his way.
Emperor Kangxi's attacks were indiscriminate. A few days ago, he went to Consort De's palace, then stormed off, severely humiliating her.
Yunyun's first reaction upon hearing Fuling mention this was disbelief: "Consort De?"
"You heard me right, right? That's Consort De, the gentle and kind Consort De who has no flaws whatsoever."
Consort De always presented herself as an innocent and virtuous woman to Emperor Kangxi, never speaking ill of others. Her ability to read people's expressions and moods was impeccable, and her emotional value was top-notch.
If we were to say who in the harem would be least likely to offend the emperor, it would undoubtedly be her.
Fu Ling affirmed, "It was Consort De. The news has spread throughout the palace. It is said that the Emperor left Yonghe Palace less than a quarter of an hour before returning to Qianqing Palace. Afterwards, the Fourth Prince was summoned to Qianqing Palace and reprimanded."
Yunyun was unsure whether the Emperor was angry with Consort De because of the Fourth Prince, or because Consort De was angry with the Fourth Prince.
In short, the emperor was like a powder keg about to explode; whoever touched it would be set off.
Baoqing was originally staying quietly in his own residence, but after hearing about this matter, he was shocked to realize that his mother was also at risk of being affected. So he hurriedly hitched up his carriage and went to the palace to give his mother some advice.
"Or, Mother, could you pretend to be sick?"
Zhang Taiyi, her usual partner, has retired due to old age, but before retiring, he did not forget to recommend his apprentice as the new partner of Yanxi Palace, so there is potential in faking illness.
Unfortunately, Yunyun refused: "It's best to stay quiet and not cause trouble right now."
If she falls ill, it might remind the Emperor of something, which would be terrible. It's better to keep things as they are.
They waited and waited, from May to September, a full four months, and the hearts of those in the imperial court and the harem were on edge.
It wasn't until Emperor Kangxi personally issued the order to execute Suo'etu that the execution was carried out.
Both the imperial court and the imperial harem breathed a sigh of relief. Should this be the end of it?
No, no, no, Kangxi fully demonstrated the emperor's pettiness. Officials who were labeled as accomplices of Suo'etu were either killed, imprisoned, or exiled.
Soetu's two sons were implicated and executed.
What's even more remarkable is that Kangxi denied Songgotu's achievements over the years and was determined to nail him to the pillar of shame, in order to demonstrate that his handling of Songgotu was an extremely wise move.
Baoqing felt a sense of shared sorrow, so he went to Yuqing Palace to visit the Crown Prince. When he returned, his face was grave: "Mother, the Crown Prince is ill."
When he arrived, the Crown Prince was lying in bed, without a servant by his side, and reeked of alcohol.
When asked, he only said that he had driven those people out.
There were still some broken teacups, wine cups, and porcelain shards on the ground near the entrance.
"Your subject asked the Crown Prince if he had summoned the imperial physician. The Crown Prince smiled and shook his head, saying, 'Why would I summon the imperial physician? Would Father Emperor see him just because he is ill? Father Emperor probably doesn't even want to hear news from Yuqing Palace these days.'"
Baoqing spoke vividly, but his face was full of confusion: "Mother, that's the Crown Prince."
How did things get to this point?
All those past conflicts seem so insignificant in the matter of Songgotu.
Can the Crown Prince really face his father, the Emperor, without any resentment?
The next second, Baoqing's face was filled with determination again: "Your subject will absolutely not fall to that point."
Even if Mingzhu were to die right in front of him right now, he would never show the slightest weakness!
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