Chapter 94 Extra: About the Secret Revealed
In the years following Hongli's ascension to the throne, the Qing army was invincible. Also, due to their military backgrounds, the relationship between the three elders of the "Support the Fourth Prince and Oppose the Fourth Prince" faction—Yunli, Yunhe, and Nian Gengyao—became increasingly harmonious.
One day, the three of them sat down together for drinks again.
After several rounds of drinks, Nian Gengyao was extremely pleased with himself. He slammed his hand on the table and exclaimed, "I knew I had good taste! I spotted the Emperor at first glance!"
"Screw," Yun sneered, "Is that your judgment? It's clearly my judgment that's good!"
Yunli shook his head. "Tenth Brother, Liang Gong has had too much to drink, and so have you. It was clearly me who mediated and single-handedly brought about this situation. Otherwise, how could we have such a tacit understanding?"
Nian Gengyao stood up, shaking his head repeatedly, and pointed at the two of them, "What kind of relationship do the three of us have now? Don't try to use your status to pressure me. It was clearly my exceptional talent and persuasive words that allowed me to work behind the scenes to bring the three of us together to serve the emperor who had not yet ascended the throne. You can't be greedy for credit."
Yun, not to be outdone, put down his wine glass and raised his voice: "You two must not argue. This is clearly my carefully planned scheme. I saw your potential long ago, which is why I went to great lengths to win you over. And here you are, vying for credit."
The three held their own opinions and refused to give in.
Yunli frowned and said, "Back then, it was clearly you, Liang Gong, who found out about my close relationship with the Emperor, and that's why I acted as a go-between for you. And Tenth Brother, didn't you also try to build a good relationship with me for the sake of Eighth and Ninth Brothers, and were you persuaded by me?"
"Don't talk nonsense, Seventeenth Brother, you're the one who's drunk. I was just..." Yun hesitated, unable to reveal the truth that Hongli was Ninth Brother's child, so he turned to Nian Gengyao, "And Liang Gong, what do you mean by 'you're exceptionally talented'? It was clearly me who visited you after you were seriously injured, using Consort Hua to hint at your future, and subdued you for Hongli!"
Nian Gengyao was unconvinced. Even if the two people opposite him were princes, their talent could not be denied. "It was clearly me who used brotherhood to hint at you and win you over on behalf of the Emperor. And Seventeenth Prince, it was also me who used the Emperor's good name to hint at you back then. After a few drinks, why won't you admit it?"
Nian Gengyao was displeased and decided to go all out: "I've won over more than just two people for the Emperor. Su Peisheng! You know, the late Emperor's personal eunuch, I've won him over too! When the late Emperor was wary of the Emperor, I was always the first to receive the news!"
"Bullshit!" Yun slammed his fist on the table and cursed, "I clearly won Su Peisheng over! I was the one who received that news first!"
Upon hearing Su Peisheng's name, Yunli gradually realized something was amiss and couldn't help but say, "Su Peisheng was Hongli's man from the very beginning! I've already witnessed his abilities!"
After all, that was a fierce general who "resembled the late emperor" and had completely fooled him.
"ah?!"
The two, who had been arguing heatedly, looked at each other and calmed down.
Once they calmed down and compared notes carefully, the three of them awkwardly discovered the truth: they had all been Hongli's people from the beginning, and all that effort to win them over had just resulted in them being stuck in a small group.
After a long silence, Yunli finally broke the silence: "In that case, we were just being presumptuous."
Yun sighed. He knew it! How did he suddenly become so smart?
Nian Gengyao found it even more unacceptable that this was not due to his talent for eloquence.
...
"well--"
Yun sighed, and Yun Tang gritted his teeth.
"You've been sitting here for half an hour, reeking of alcohol, and all you've been doing is sighing."
“Ninth Brother, you don’t understand, sigh—” Yun looked at Yun Tang’s profile and couldn’t help but sigh again. How could he tell Ninth Brother that he had played the fool for Hongli and for his son?
This was a secret he planned to take to his grave; for the sake of everyone's bright future, he was willing to compromise.
Yun Tang raised an eyebrow, looking at Yun threateningly: "Then tell me! How am I supposed to understand if you don't tell me!"
"Ninth Brother..."
Yun Tang interrupted him directly, "If you don't tell me today, don't ever come to my residence again!"
Seeing that Yun Tang was genuinely unhappy, Yun sat up straight and, after thinking it over carefully, realized there was nothing he couldn't say, so he told him about the embarrassing incident he had caused with Yun Li and Nian Gengyao.
After listening, Yun Tang sighed softly, "You are indeed loyal to the Emperor, starting to plan for him so early."
“Ninth Brother, what are you saying?” Yun proudly puffed out his chest. “For your sake, I have to be good to the Emperor too! Of course, it was because of you before, but later it was indeed because the Emperor deserved it.”
Yun Tang sneered, "For me? Back then, I was still locked up in the mansion by the Fourth Prince, preparing to be exiled to Xining, right? I was in Xining worrying about you causing trouble in the harem, enduring disgust and bowing my head to the Fourth Prince, while you were wholeheartedly devoted to the Emperor."
"What do you mean I'm causing chaos in the harem?"
Yun jumped up and down, looking hurt at Yun Tang, and couldn't help but shout, "It was clearly your plan, Ninth Brother! I only looked after my nephew because of you, okay? If Hongli wasn't your child, why would I care about Fourth Brother's son?"
"Wait, wait..."
Yun Tang interrupted incredulously, "What did you just say? I think I misheard. You said Hongli is whose child?"
Yun sighed and patted Yun Tang on the shoulder. "Ninth Brother, we've come this far, let's lay it all out on the table. Hongli's throne is secure, you don't need to hide it for him anymore. I understand the pain of not being able to acknowledge your father and son."
"What do you know? What am I complaining about? Explain yourself!"
Yun Tang was going crazy, feeling like she was back in the dream of the day Yun said she wanted to cuckold the fourth brother.
As it turned out, the tenth prince told him that it was that day! He thought the tenth prince was going to cheat on the fourth prince and advised the tenth prince to be brainless and not get involved. But the tenth prince interpreted it as Hongli being his child, and he was even willing to give up Hongli for the sake of the tenth prince!
Good heavens! What's wrong with Yun's brain? How could Hongli possibly have a child like this?
"You..." Yun Tang was speechless. The whole thing was wrong, but the result was good. You could only say that fools are lucky. "Tenth Prince, you are really wise in your foolishness! Do I look like someone who can give birth to Hongli when we get along so well?"
Finally realizing that she had misunderstood, Yun awkwardly touched her hair. "Haha, haha... It's a misunderstanding... It's okay, it's okay, I didn't tell anyone anyway... But, Ninth Brother, why do I feel like you're scolding me?"
...
On the other side, at the Prince Lian's residence, looking at Hongwang, who was highly valued by the Emperor, Yunsi felt a little tempted to retire.
There was nothing I could do. I was left idle at home by my fourth brother before. I felt stifled, but I was also really free.
In the past few years, he felt that he had proven his abilities enough, and he could no longer keep up. It was time for the new generation of workers... no, the younger generation to take on the responsibilities!
As soon as he mentioned this idea to Hongwang, Hongwang looked at him with disappointment: "Father, the Emperor has had such a hard life, how can you retire?"
Yinzhi was speechless. What was so difficult about Hongli? Had he been watching too few plays or not getting enough sleep? Don't be so biased! At least look at your old father; he's almost exhausted!
"Hongwang, your father is getting old, and you are very capable now. The Emperor will entrust his duties to you..."
Hongwang sighed, "I know that you have a hurdle in your heart because you can't recognize Hongli. But you can't give up because of this. Hongli cares about you so much and has given you so much power. Don't be angry, Father."
Is giving me these rights a sign that you care about me and not that you're being lazy?
No, this sentence has too many problems, it's confused Yun Si. "What do you mean by throwing a tantrum? I'm serious. And what do you mean by recognizing each other? Recognize what?"
Hongwang shook his head. "At this point, is Father still unwilling to tell me the truth? Isn't my attitude towards my younger brother Hongli obvious? I can really accept it."
"What are you talking about? Explain yourself!"
After Hongwang finished his "reasonable and well-founded" explanation, Yunsi was dumbfounded. Looking at Hongwang, he couldn't help but wonder if Hongwang was really not switched at birth.
Sending the unwilling and unconvinced Hongwang to kneel in the Buddhist hall, Yunsi sighed, "With Hongwang's brains, for the sake of the future of the Prince Lian's mansion, I cannot retire now..."
Thinking about having to be a beast of burden for several more years, an angry Yunsi felt he should go and give Hongwang another beating.
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