Chapter 154 Pity for the Son
The crows scattered and left, leaving only a chubby baby whimpering in front of the Qianqing Palace, along with a group of palace servants and guards who had witnessed the "miracle" and were so terrified that they knelt on the ground, not daring to breathe.
Kangxi's cold, murderous gaze swept across the crowd, his tangible gaze sending shivers down the spines of those who felt it, causing them to break out in a cold sweat.
"Changquan..."
The cries of Bao Cheng in his arms brought Kangxi back to his senses, and he said in a deep voice, "Get up, all of you."
The crowd rose shakily, their heads hanging even lower, wishing they could shrink into the ground.
Kangxi paced slowly, each step seeming to tread on the hearts of everyone present. He looked around, his gaze sweeping over the panicked faces of the crowd. "About what happened today, everything that was seen in front of the Qianqing Palace, if even one person dares to divulge a single word of it, I will not let them off lightly. Their entire families will be implicated. Do you understand?"
The crowd shouted in unison, "This servant understands!" The voices were uneven and trembled uncontrollably.
Emperor Kangxi nodded slightly. "Liang Jiugong, take Prince Changquan away to wash up."
After giving his instructions, Kangxi carried Baocheng back into the palace, carefully examined him, and, finding nothing amiss, asked, "Baocheng, do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?"
Today's situation is quite clear: if Bao Cheng hadn't commanded the divine bird to rescue Chang Quan, Chang Quan would likely already be dead. However, Kangxi cares more about Bao Cheng than Chang Quan; he worries that Bao Cheng's actions might have some impact on him.
As if knowing what he was thinking, Bao Cheng shook his head seriously, "No, Father, don't worry, I'm fine. Father, is Brother Changquan alright?"
Looking into Bao Cheng's clear and pure eyes, Kangxi couldn't help but sigh. Although he was unwilling to admit that Bao Cheng was a "Buddhist disciple," he couldn't deny that Bao Cheng had a heart of crystal.
At this moment, he was still worried about Changquan's safety, completely unaware of the turmoil his act of summoning crows to save Changquan had stirred up.
"A common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime." To outsiders, Bao Cheng's extraordinary abilities were what mattered, but to Emperor Kangxi, there was only deep worry and fear.
He reached out and gently smoothed Bao Cheng's slightly messy braids, trying to soften his voice: "Don't worry, the imperial physician is watching over him, Chang Quan will be fine. But Bao Cheng, if you're worried about Chang Quan, your father will be worried about you too."
"Father... I didn't mean to."
Perhaps realizing the inappropriateness of his behavior, Bao Cheng leaned against Kangxi's chest and whispered, "Changquan is my younger brother, I can't watch him get into trouble."
Kangxi looked at Baocheng with affection, not wanting him to feel any unease. "Baocheng, you acted very bravely today and saved Changquan. Your father is very pleased."
Kangxi held Baocheng's small hand and continued earnestly, "But today's method is too bizarre. The world is full of complicated people. If others knew that you had such skills at such a young age, they would inevitably covet them and have bad ideas."
Bao Cheng blinked his big eyes, looking like he understood but not quite. "Father, Changquan is more important."
Kangxi's heart skipped a beat. He was acutely aware that even though he had tried his best to keep anything related to Buddhism out of Bao Cheng's sight, even though Bao Cheng was still young and didn't yet understand why he was doing this, he still possessed a natural compassion and selflessness.
This is a good quality, but it's not the kind of quality Kangxi wanted to see. His protector should be the most prestigious person in the world, enjoying the best, and only expecting others to do things for him. Absolutely no one is worthy of his sacrifices, not even himself.
“But Bao Cheng, in your father’s heart, you are the most important person. Your father doesn’t want you to get hurt because of anyone.”
Kangxi looked directly into his eyes. As an emperor who rarely showed his emotions, Kangxi would only speak so frankly about his feelings when facing Baocheng.
Perhaps Bao Cheng didn't understand why he saved Chang Quan, or what such an action represented. But he sensed the intense worry and anxiety emanating from Kangxi at that moment. He reached out his small, tender hand and touched Kangxi's eyes, saying apologetically, "Bao Cheng will listen to Father Emperor."
Kangxi hugged the innocent yet sensible Baocheng tightly and said softly, "Then for the next few days, you will pretend to be sick. As for others, we'll say that you were frightened and caught a cold. Just don't show off your skills in front of outsiders again, okay?"
Bao Cheng nodded vigorously, his little hand clutching the corner of Kangxi's dragon robe: "Father, I will listen to you, I will not go out, and I will not use that method recklessly."
Kangxi smiled with relief, picked him up, and walked towards the bed: "My good child, you should rest first. Just focus on recovering for now. With your father protecting you, nothing will happen."
Even if Bao Cheng doesn't actually have to pay any price for this, those in the know believe that this matter must have a cost, because only with a cost can there be a deterrent effect.
Even if the news were to leak out accidentally in the future, those with ulterior motives would have to consider whether they dared to make the next emperor pay the price to save someone.
When Fuquan and his wife rushed into the palace, Xiluke embraced Changquan and wept with relief. Fuquan learned the "truth" from Kangxi and realized that Bao had fallen ill and was bedridden because of saving Changquan. He was both grateful and guilty.
If we say that Fuquan's previous liking for Baocheng was 50% genuine, 20% due to the divine bird's reliance, and 30% due to political inclination, it can be said that he liked him because of the emperor's third brother's affection.
Now, Fuquan truly felt grateful to Baocheng from the bottom of his heart, and loved him dearly. From this moment on, no matter how Kangxi's attitude changed, Fuquan would always consider Baocheng his nephew.
This change was clearly something that Emperor Kangxi was happy to see, and it was something he personally facilitated.
He was certain that at this moment, he was the best father to Bao Cheng. But he couldn't guarantee that one day he wouldn't lose his mind, or that he wouldn't become the one who hurt Bao Cheng. So, while he was still lucid, he would keep increasing the support for Bao Cheng.
Even though he still finds it hard to accept that Bao Cheng has other close relatives besides him, he can suppress his reluctance and sadness and help Bao Cheng so that Bao Cheng can live well and continue to live well.
He only hoped that his son, Baocheng, could have a smooth life.
...
Two months later, Bao Cheng recovered from his serious illness, and Yin Zhi, who was outside the palace, was finally able to return to the palace.
With longing for her younger brother in her heart, when she paid her respects to the Empress Dowager at Cining Palace, she saw Baocheng walk in and couldn't wait to raise a big smile.
"Brother Baocheng, I'm back!"
"elder brother."
Bao Cheng had just finished greeting him when a fair-skinned little face appeared behind him. The girl tilted her head to look at Yin Zhi, then hugged Bao Cheng tightly, exclaiming, "Brother, it's me!"
Yinzhi's eyes widened instantly. Who is this ugly child?!
"Baocheng is my younger brother!"
"My brother!"
"mine!"
"My love!"
...
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Note: This volume leans towards immersive storytelling. Our young Bao Cheng is so engrossed in the "Buddha's disciple" persona that he won't easily reveal his true nature.
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