Chapter 105 Thankfully, Yinxiang made this trip...
Fortunately, Yinxiang was careful on this trip and was not discovered by anyone. After several horses died from exhaustion, he rushed straight into Chonghua Palace after returning to the capital.
Just then, Lady Guoluo was talking with Lady Fucha in Chonghua Palace when a palace servant came to inform them that the two were making clothes and shoes for their child.
"I understand. Have the kitchen send some fruit over at this hour. There's no need to invite Fourth Master over for dinner," said Lady Fucha.
Empress Fucha knew what Yinxiang had been doing these past few days, and naturally understood that the two of them would have a long talk this time.
Yinzhi's affairs were still kept tightly under wraps from Guoluoshi. Yinzhen had given a strict order that no rumors should be allowed to enter Yuqing Palace until there was concrete information.
The fifth son who tried to pass a message to Wen Shan was also found out. He was indeed a newcomer to the palace. The message had passed through several hands before it reached him and was arranged to be sent to Wen Shan. So he was just an unlucky guy who was being used.
However, there are only a few people in the palace who are capable of doing such things, so they are all kept under close surveillance.
At least for the next few days, no such news has reached Xianfu Palace and Yuqing Palace.
However, after so many days without any news from Yinzhi, Lady Guoluo knew in her heart that something must have happened.
"Fourth Sister-in-law, just tell me the truth, what exactly happened to Eighth Master?" Guo Luoluo put down the half-embroidered bib she was making for the child, hesitated for a moment, and finally asked.
It's better to tell her the truth than to keep it from her, otherwise she'll always be feeling uneasy.
Lady Fucha remained silent, looking somewhat embarrassed.
She naturally knew that this matter couldn't be kept secret for long, but Yinzhen's idea was to keep it a secret for as long as possible.
"Fourth Sister-in-law, just tell me. I'm worried because you're keeping it from me, so it's better to just tell me directly."
Guo Luoluo said, "I understand the intentions of Fourth Brother and Mother, but I am not a delicate person who can't be frightened. It's better to know sooner rather than later so that I can be at ease."
Empress Fucha sighed and finally told Empress Guoluo about Yinzhi's imprisonment in the Luoyang Palace.
Upon hearing this, Guo Luoluo's face paled instantly, and her lips moved but she couldn't utter a word.
"Sister-in-law, don't worry. Fourth Master and Thirteenth Brother have already gone to investigate, and we should have news soon. Eighth Brother is definitely safe now," Fucha Shi comforted her.
Guo Luoluo breathed a sigh of relief; she had been feeling uneasy for some time now, and sure enough, something had happened.
"Thank you, Fourth Sister-in-law. I understand." Guo Luoluo picked up the half-embroidered bellyband and said, "I believe in Eighth Master. He will definitely be alright."
Empress Fucha nodded and said, "It's good that you think that way. Don't worry, your mother and I are in the palace. Just focus on your pregnancy."
As soon as she finished speaking, Fucha's head maid came in, bowed, and said, "Fujin, just now the Fourth Prince sent someone to tell you that Prince Lian is doing well and that you should not worry."
Upon hearing this, Lady Fucha understood that Yinzhen had guessed that he would not be able to keep it from Lady Guoluo today.
"I understand, you may leave."
Fucha said, "My thirteenth brother just visited my eighth brother privately a few days ago. He said he's fine, so he's fine."
Guo Luoluo nodded, biting her lip. Her thoughts were in turmoil, and she could no longer continue embroidering.
Just then, Yi'an and Hongxi were brought over by their wet nurse. Fucha quickly asked that the two children be taken over. Yi'an and Hongxi's innocent words made Guoluo Shi relax a little.
Yinxiang had just sat down in the study of Chonghua Palace, looking travel-worn. Yinzhen could tell from his disheveled appearance that he must have rushed back day and night.
"Fourth Brother, that's all Eighth Brother told me."
Yinxiang gritted his teeth and said, "My eighth brother means we should leave it alone."
“He’s talking nonsense,” Yinzhen said coldly. “We all know what will happen to him if Father finds out about this. How can we ignore him?”
“Thirteenth brother, you should have forcibly brought him back then.”
While staying at the Luoyang Imperial Palace, Yinzhi sneezed. Calculating the days, he estimated that Yinxiang should have already met his fourth brother. He thought that his fourth brother shouldn't be as impulsive as the thirteenth prince.
Yinxiang nodded in agreement with Yinzhen’s words: “I told Eighth Brother that even if Fourth Brother went, he wouldn’t have ignored it, but Eighth Brother insisted and there was nothing I could do.”
Yinxiang was indeed no match for Yinsi.
Yinzhen never expected that Kangxi would find out about the Crown Prince's rebellion. If he had known earlier, he would have made Yinxiang bring Yinsi back no matter what.
If all else fails, they'll have to act ahead of schedule.
“It’s too late to talk about this now,” Yinxiang said. “Besides, what Eighth Brother said makes sense. Father Emperor is also having some trouble outside. Let’s wait until Father Emperor returns to the palace before we make any plans.”
After pondering for a long time, Yinzhen had to admit that what Yinsi said was the most appropriate solution for the current situation.
"Let's get ready. Fortunately, we've been secretly preparing for the past few years."
Yinzhen said, "If we calculate it, we have a 70% chance of winning."
They now have people in the court and the army, and the palace has always been controlled by Yinzhi. They originally planned to accumulate strength in another two or three years, but now that the incident has happened suddenly, they can only act expediently in this emergency.
Yinxiang nodded coldly. In the past two years, since he took over the Ministry of War, he had recruited many of his former subordinates in order to prevent any unforeseen events.
Once Kangxi returns to the capital, all they need to do is control the capital.
"Let's find an opportunity to tell Mother and Consort Liang about Eighth Brother's matter as well," Yinzhen said, lowering his eyes. "This matter can't be kept secret. Father will be returning to the palace in another month."
In the end, it was Yinxiang who told Wenshan about it, and Wenshan was surprisingly calm.
"I know, and I expected this day to come."
Kangxi was neither a fool nor a figurehead emperor. As Yinzhen and Yinsi and Yinxiang grew up, he would eventually discover the truth. However, Wenshan had always hoped for a peaceful handover, thinking that after a few years, once they had complete control of the court, they could naturally force Kangxi to abdicate. Now, it was just a few years earlier than expected.
Of course, the most important thing is that Kangxi probably wouldn't kill Yinzhi directly. Whether he was imprisoned or demoted to a commoner, as long as he was spared, it wouldn't be a big deal.
But Yinzhi is going to suffer another injustice.
“Mother, don’t worry. Fourth Brother and I have been working hard on preparations these past few days. We’ll discuss how to proceed once Father and Eighth Brother return and we see how things are going.” Yinxiang comforted Wenshan, saying, “Eighth Brother is doing well now, nothing’s wrong.”
"Your eighth sister-in-law's side..." Wen Shan frowned, "She's not even three months pregnant yet, which is a critical time, and now Yinzhi has had this accident..."
Yinxiang helped Wenshan sit down and said, "Eighth Brother also instructed us to take good care of Eighth Sister-in-law. Mother, don't worry, Eighth Sister-in-law is not a weak woman. She is the most resilient and strong woman. Many men are not as good as her."
When Yinxiang recalled how Guoluo remained dignified and composed even after Yinsi was rejected by Emperor Kangxi in his previous life, he knew that his eighth sister-in-law was definitely a strong person.
As expected, Lady Guoluo remained even more composed after learning about the situation. While taking care of her pregnancy, she kept a close watch on everything inside and outside Yuqing Palace. Under the current circumstances, there could be no trouble in Yuqing Palace.
The news that Yinzhi had angered Emperor Kangxi and was imprisoned in the Luoyang Palace quickly spread throughout the palace. Consort Liang was extremely worried and came to Xianfu Palace to inquire about the specific situation. Wen Shan was also reluctant to talk about what Yinzhi had done, as Yinzhi had been keeping these matters from Consort Liang.
In Consort Liang's heart, Yinzhi was always a precocious, sensible, intelligent, and filial child. Yinzhi had told Consort Liang that he was working with Yinzhen, and Consort Liang did not ask any questions but silently supported all of Yinzhi's decisions.
Therefore, when Consort Liang heard that Yinzhi was in trouble, she instinctively felt that it must be a matter of the court. She didn't understand these matters and couldn't get involved. She came over to find out how Yinzhi was doing.
Wen Shan comforted Consort Liang, telling her that Yinzhi was safe and sound, but also gave Consort Liang a heads-up that the punishment would not officially begin until Kangxi returned.
Consort Liang nodded and said, "I ask for nothing else but that Yinzhi be safe and sound."
"Don't worry," Wen Shan said earnestly, "With Yinzhen and Yinxiang here, we will never let anything happen to Yinsi."
Consort Liang had tears welling up in her eyes. She nodded and took her leave without saying anything more.
Besides, Consort Yi and Consort Tong had all come to Xianfu Palace to inquire about news, and even the Empress Dowager had summoned Wen Shan to ask her.
Yinzhi was also a child who grew up in the Empress Dowager's presence, so the Empress Dowager was naturally worried about him.
Wen Shan managed to handle things fairly well with all parties involved, but privately she couldn't help but worry about Yin Si.
The situation in the capital was turbulent and unpredictable, and it wasn't until two months later, when Kangxi returned to the capital, that the real drama began.
Yinzhi was escorted back to the capital alone, returning a few days earlier than Emperor Kangxi. He was guarded by Kangxi's trusted guards. Upon returning to the palace, Yinzhi was immediately taken to the Imperial Clan Court and kept under strict guard, with no one allowed to visit him.
Those who were initially confused and didn't know what had happened understood from this situation that Yinzhi had encountered a serious problem.
A few days after Kangxi returned to Beijing, he summoned his ministers and several princes to a meeting at the Qianqing Palace before lunchtime. The deposed crown prince was also among them, marking his first participation in court affairs since his deposition.
Wen Shan was distracted in Xianfu Palace. She knew that the discussion in Qianqing Palace was about Yinzhi. The waiting process was the most painful. Wen Shan couldn't eat or sit still. She paced back and forth in the courtyard several times until Bao Quan finally came running back, panting.
"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! The Emperor has just issued an edict stripping the Eighth Prince of his title of Prince of the County and imprisoning him in the Imperial Clan Court. He has also ordered that Yuqing Palace be vacated so that the Eighth Prince's wife can move to the Fifth Palace in Qianxi first."
Wenshan was somewhat prepared for this result and is still relatively calm.
"Any other news?"
Baoquan said in a low voice, "The Emperor said... that the Eighth Prince framed the Crown Prince with treacherous intentions, and that he was an unfaithful and unfilial person. He also cursed the Eighth Prince as... the son of a lowly woman from the Imperial Household Department..."
Baoquan's voice grew softer and softer; he found it difficult to say these words.
The Emperor's words were indeed too harsh.
Wen Shan was furious when she heard this. Sure enough, Kangxi was still the same, no matter how many times he came.
"Where are Yinzhen and Yinxiang?" Wenshan asked, suppressing her anger.
Baoquan said, "The two princes were not implicated and will come over after the meeting."
On the surface, Yinzhen and Yinxiang were always on opposing sides with Yinsi. Kangxi naturally wouldn't cause trouble for them, but he still privately warned them not to even think about pleading for Yinsi.
Emperor Kangxi was furious this time. He had high expectations for the Crown Prince and loved him dearly. The Crown Prince's rebellion was a hurdle he couldn't get over. Now that he knew that Yinzhi had been behind the scenes, he was furious but also somewhat relieved.
In this light, the Crown Prince was merely caught in someone else's trap, and is not beyond redemption.
Kangxi's thoughts were not only understood by his sons, Yinzhen, but also by many ministers.
The Emperor probably wants to take this opportunity to reinstate the Crown Prince.
Yinzhen remained unmoved, seemingly still steadily and methodically carrying out his work. Tong Guowei and the others who followed Yinsi were now like ants on a hot pan. Yinsi seemed to have no power to reverse the situation, so what should they do now?
Unfortunately, Tong Guowei then claimed illness and took leave from court, refusing to see any guests.
Tong Guowei knew perfectly well that he was now one of the people Kangxi had to be wary of, to prevent him from making a desperate, last-ditch effort like Suo'etu had done years before. Therefore, he was able to remain calm and secretly make contact with Kangxi.
Meanwhile, some of the former crown prince's former subordinates began to stir and started contacting each other to petition for the reinstatement of the crown prince.
After receiving the news, Lady Guoluo calmly instructed the palace servants to start packing. Lady Fucha, worried about her, even made a special trip there.
"Why are you here, Fourth Sister-in-law? The palace is in such a mess these days," Guo Luoluo said with a smile as she welcomed Fucha in.
Seeing that she looked normal, Fucha secretly breathed a sigh of relief: "Come and see if there is anything I can help with. Your mother and I have tidied up the place at Ganxi Wusuo. It is where your eighth brother used to live. You can move there and take good care of yourself during your pregnancy."
"Fourth Master asked me to pass on a message to you." Lady Fucha patted Lady Guoluo's hand and said, "Don't worry."
Yinzhi was only stripped of his title, not removed from the imperial clan and demoted to a commoner, so Guoluo was still a prince's wife. Kangxi did not make things difficult for her because she was pregnant, and he turned a blind eye to Wenshan's arrangements for the five garrisons in Qianxi.
Guo Luoluo is now more than five months pregnant, and her belly is already slightly protruding. After listening to Fucha's words, she nodded slightly and said, "It's good that Eighth Prince is safe and sound. My child and I will wait for him to come out."
With Yinzhi having many people and confidants in the palace, and with Yinzhen and Wenshan looking after her, Guoluo naturally wouldn't be mistreated. After moving to the Fifth Palace in Qianxi, she stayed at home and focused on her pregnancy.
She believed in Yinzhi and was certain that nothing would happen to him.
So the most important thing now is to let their children come into the world safely.
Since returning to the palace, Emperor Kangxi has not visited Xianfu Palace. Currently, Consort Mi and Consort He are the most favored concubines. Wen Shan is happy to have some peace and quiet and doesn't bother with Emperor Kangxi.
What infuriated Wen Shan the most was that Kangxi still uttered the phrase "born of a lowly woman from the Xin Zhe Ku," which was utterly despicable.
Consort Liang was depressed for a long time after learning about it. Even after so many years, her background still brought such great humiliation to her son.
He only came a few days before Kangxi's birthday, more than a month after Kangxi's southern tour.
At that time, Wen Shan was in the small kitchen preparing some food to be secretly taken to the Imperial Clan Court for Yin Si. Although Yin Si was under guard, the situation was much more manageable back in the palace than in the Luoyang Palace, so some things could be sent in. Yin Zhen and Yin Xiang even secretly went to see Yin Si.
Wen Shan was somewhat surprised to hear that Kangxi had come. Ever since Yinzhi's incident, she had become invisible to Kangxi. For more than a month, he had not mentioned her at all, let alone seen her. It was hard not to suspect that he was trying to trap her again.
Wen Shan changed her clothes before slowly making her way to the main hall. Kangxi was already sitting cross-legged on the couch, drinking tea and flipping through a book.
After Wen Shan greeted him, Kangxi casually gestured for her to sit down.
"Since returning from the Southern Tour, I have been busy with court affairs and have not had time to visit you. Please do not blame me."
hypocritically.
Wen Shan cursed under her breath.
"Your Majesty is too serious. Of course, the affairs of state are of utmost importance."
Emperor Kangxi squinted at Wen Shan for a moment and said, "I thought you would go to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to plead for Yinzhi."
Wen Shan: "Will the Emperor agree?"
"Won't."
Wen Shan smiled and said, "So I didn't go either."
The atmosphere between the two suddenly became somewhat tense.
In Kangxi's memory, Wen Shan rarely spoke out so openly, and almost every time it happened, it was related to Yinzhi.
"I have repeatedly told you to keep a close eye on Yinzhi, but it seems that all of that has been just empty talk," Kangxi said calmly.
Why is this a case of coming to interrogate someone?
Wen Shan also knelt down immediately with a cold face and said, "Your Majesty, I am guilty and beg for punishment."
Kangxi: "..."
Consort Liang was Yinzhi's birth mother, yet Emperor Kangxi did not pursue her mistakes, let alone Wenshan, who is now an Imperial Noble Consort. How could he possibly punish her for not disciplining her properly after the matter has been settled?
Kangxi came here because he felt that Wenshan had been neglected these days and wanted to make some goodwill and appease her. However, Wenshan bluntly retorted, which made him angry. He left without saying anything more.
Pearl watched Kangxi's angry departure and said worriedly, "Your Majesty, the Emperor seems to be angry."
"If you're angry, then be angry."
At this point, who's afraid of whom?
"Next month is the Emperor's birthday, and you haven't prepared a birthday gift for him yet, Your Majesty," Amber reminded him.
Wen Shan has no mood to prepare any birthday gifts for him right now.
"Just prepare something that won't go wrong."
Kangxi's inexplicable visit and outburst of anger delayed her from preparing food for Yinzhi.
Pearl and Amber exchanged a glance and could only helplessly prepare birthday gifts for Emperor Kangxi.
This was Emperor Kangxi's fiftieth birthday, a significant milestone. Reaching the age of knowing one's destiny, Kangxi intended for this birthday celebration to be grand, specifically appointing Consort Tongjia to oversee the event, with Consort Rong and Consort Hui assisting.
On the day of the Emperor's birthday, Wen Shan was still a little listless. When Pearl was doing her hair and makeup, she asked Wen Shan with concern if she hadn't slept well the night before.
"Yes, I dreamt of Yinzhi." Wenshan said with a bitter face, "No matter what Yinzhen and Yinxiang say, they won't let me go to the Imperial Clan Court to see Yinzhi. I'm so worried and can't put my mind at ease."
Pearl: "The two princes are doing this for your own good. If you go to the Imperial Clan Court to see the Eighth Prince, who knows how upset you will be when you come back."
Although he was taken care of by Yinzhen and Yinxiang, Yinsi's life in the Imperial Clan Court was probably not very comfortable.
Therefore, Yinzhen and Yinxiang kept stopping Wenshan from going to see it.
When the time came, Wen Shan went to the Hall of Supreme Harmony. On the way, she ran into Consort Mi, and the two chatted as they walked. When she arrived, there were already quite a few people in the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Wen Shan was now an Imperial Noble Consort, with the same rank as the Empress, so her seat was arranged to be slightly to the left and below Kangxi. She was not the Empress, so she could not sit next to Kangxi.
Lady Fucha came with Lady Guoluo. Lady Guoluo was seven months pregnant and her body was already a bit cumbersome. Lady Fucha helped her and said, "You are pregnant now, so you can ask for leave. Father Emperor will not make things difficult for you."
Given Yinzhi's current situation, if Guoluo were to come, she would inevitably be ridiculed by some petty people again. It would be better to send the gifts to the Fifth Palace in Ganxi for recuperation.
Anyway, she is indeed pregnant and quite far along, so it doesn't matter if she doesn't come.
"Of course I must come in person to congratulate Father on his fiftieth birthday," said Lady Guoluo, supporting her belly. "Eighth Prince has not been stripped of his imperial lineage, and I am still Father's daughter-in-law, so of course I must come."
Lady Fucha sighed and said nothing more.
The arrival of Lady Guoluo did indeed attract a lot of attention. After taking her seat, Lady Guoluo sat upright without looking to the side, displaying an impeccable royal demeanor.
Among the princes' wives, Lady Fuca should have been seated in the first place. Yinzhen was the only prince with the most prestigious status, and Lady Fuca would naturally have been as well. However, for this birthday banquet, Emperor Kangxi specifically informed Consort Tongjia that the banquet should prioritize filial piety and respect the order of seniority and the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children. Therefore, Prince Li's seat was placed in front of Yinzhen's, and Lady Guarjia was also seated in the seat above Lady Fuca.
Guarjia had already taken her seat, and compared to her slightly awkward appearance when she met Fucha a few months ago, she now looked quite smug.
"Fourth sister-in-law has arrived," Guarjia said with a smile.
Fucha also smiled and said, "It's been a long time since I've seen my second sister-in-law. She looks much better."
Guarjia adjusted her temples and said, "As the saying goes, people are in high spirits when they have good news, and there is some truth to that."
"It is naturally a joyous occasion to celebrate Father Emperor's birthday," Lady Fucha replied tactfully.
Guarjia was momentarily speechless, then asked, "Why didn't you bring Hongxi and Yi'an today?"
Empress Fucha said, "These two children caught a cold a few days ago due to their mischief and cannot come today. They have already apologized to Father Emperor."
"That's a pity. Everyone knows that among his grandchildren, Father Emperor's favorite is Hongxi." Guarjia said meaningfully, but Fucha pretended not to understand her words and gave a few perfunctory replies before Kangxi arrived.
Prince Li entered with Emperor Kangxi, and it seems that the father and son had just spoken before the birthday banquet.
Seeing this scene, the princes, ministers, and other princes looked at each other in bewilderment. Today, the deposed crown prince had already been given the treatment and privileges he used to enjoy, and now he was entering with Emperor Kangxi. Kangxi's intentions were crystal clear.
After everyone paid their respects and offered birthday greetings to Emperor Kangxi according to custom, Kangxi was very pleased and asked everyone to stand up.
Next, the princes presented their gifts, followed by the concubines and ministers of the harem.
Prince Li was naturally the first to present a piece of lake stone with the character "Shou" (longevity) on it, which he claimed was formed naturally. He also said a lot of auspicious words. Emperor Kangxi was obviously very satisfied and praised Prince Li for his benevolence and filial piety.
Wen Shan found it all boring; these things were practically being sold in bulk, so what was there to be happy about?
The birthday gifts presented by the next few princes were all standard and without any mistakes. When the seventh prince finished presenting his gift and it was Yinzhi's turn, the atmosphere in the hall became somewhat subtle.
Since Yinzhi was confined to the Imperial Clan Court, he naturally couldn't present a gift. However, all the princes and their wives presented a gift. Although Yinzhi wasn't present, Lady Guoluo was at the banquet, but no one knew whether she was to present a gift or not.
Offering or not offering, both are troublesome.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, whether openly or secretly, Guo Luoluo rose and stepped forward to bow.
“On behalf of the Eighth Prince, his daughter-in-law, Guo Luoluo, sends her greetings to the Emperor, wishing him good health, longevity, and boundless blessings.”
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