Chapter 167 Ending
On the palace paths of the Forbidden City, the sunlight seemed to be swallowed by the haze, exuding a depressing chill.
Emperor Kangxi had just finished court and was reviewing memorials in his study when a close eunuch from the Crown Prince's side rushed in to report that Consort De had stopped the Crown Prince and was using words like "Buddha's son" to coerce him into saving the Sixth Prince. Emperor Kangxi was immediately furious.
The vermilion brush in my hand snapped with a "snap," and the ink splattered onto the bright yellow paper, leaving several glaring stains.
"Uya clan, how dare you!"
Kangxi immediately stood up, his robes billowing in the wind, and strode out, followed by a group of servants and eunuchs who hurriedly followed behind.
Not long after leaving the Qianqing Palace, he encountered Yinzhi. Yinzhi knelt down in front of him with a thud, his eyes red, and said loudly, "Your subject is guilty. Your subject beat the concubine and begs for forgiveness from Father Emperor. One should take responsibility for one's own actions. Your subject does not need Baocheng to bear the responsibility. I beg Father Emperor to save Baocheng."
Emperor Kangxi was startled by his behavior. After hearing this, his face darkened. He didn't have time to argue with him and grabbed him, saying, "Let's go to Yonghe Palace first!"
Fuming with anger, he led Yinzhi forward, only to encounter Orondai, who had come to complain, halfway there.
Orondai, always fearless, knelt directly on the bluestone slab and shouted, "Your Majesty must stand up for the Crown Prince! What are Consort De's intentions in stopping the people around the Crown Prince and coercing him!"
Kangxi's face grew increasingly gloomy. Yes, what were Uya's intentions? And how did she find out about the "Buddha's son"?
With a surge of anger in his eyes, Kangxi flicked his sleeve and said, "Get up, all of you, come with me to Yonghe Palace!"
Having said that, he quickened his pace, his boots striking the ground with rapid, hurried sounds, and the group rushed towards Yonghe Palace as if swept by a storm.
Seeing this, the eunuchs and palace maids along the way were so frightened that they quickly stood against the wall, heads bowed, silent as cicadas in winter, hoping that this storm would not affect them.
Before they could even catch their breath, just as they had seen off the Emperor and his entourage, the Empress Dowager also hurried past with her entourage, followed by the Crown Prince's two beloved pets, whose cries were shrill.
Soon after, several officials, including Suo'etu, Mingzhu, and Tong Guowei, also hurried past. The palace servants couldn't help but swallow hard. What major event had occurred in the palace?
"Chirp—"
Hearing the familiar call, Kangxi and the others looked up and saw Xiao Wu fly over their heads, leading countless crows straight towards Yonghe Palace.
The last time this happened was when Bao Cheng rescued Chang Quan.
Kangxi's heart tightened. He wasn't sure if Xiao Wu was going to rescue Bao Cheng, or if Bao Cheng was trying to save Yinzhuo. He immediately ran off, shouting, "Quick, to Yonghe Palace!"
Seeing that Kangxi had lost his composure like this, Yinzhi and Orondai were also on high alert. They followed closely behind, and the group quickly arrived at the entrance of Yonghe Palace.
The atmosphere before the palace gates was tense. The guards stood in neat square formations, their expressions stern, their swords and halberds gleaming coldly in the sunlight. Leading them was Nalan Xingde. He wore a blue robe and stood tall and straight, but his face was tense, revealing his solemnity and worry.
Before anyone could speak, a strange scene unfolded before their eyes—countless crows were circling overhead. Their jet-black wings obscured the sunlight, and these crows, considered divine birds, now circled silently, each one exuding solemnity and vigilance.
Layer upon layer, they surrounded Yonghe Palace, forming an impenetrable barrier with their own bodies.
Emperor Kangxi was filled with panic and shouted, "What's going on here!"
Nalan Xingde quickly knelt on one knee, clasped his hands, and replied, "Your Majesty, I was patrolling with my guards when I discovered something strange about Yonghe Palace. I came here to keep watch and dared not leave without permission. The divine birds appeared out of nowhere and suddenly gathered together, as if guarding the palace gate and not allowing anyone to enter. We are also very anxious and at a loss."
Nalan Xingde was telling the truth. He led his men straight to Yonghe Palace to rescue the emperor, but before they arrived, they saw a flock of crows flying over. Knowing that the divine bird was the crown prince's beloved pet, he worried that something might have happened to the prince and tried to enter, but was blocked by the crows outside the palace. Just as he was getting anxious, the emperor arrived.
Emperor Kangxi frowned. He had never seen such a grand spectacle before when rescuing Changquan. His unease intensified, and he shouted, "No matter what, I must go in today. Get out of my way!"
After saying this, he strode towards the palace gate. Yinzhi and Orondai, eager to save lives, also wanted to follow him in. However, the flock of crows seemed to sense the threat and their cawing became even more shrill.
"Xuan Ye!"
Just then, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang and Suo'etu arrived one after the other, and were also terrified when they saw what was happening.
"The divine bird is angry!"
Everyone knows the relationship between the divine bird and the crown prince. Despite his advanced age, Suo'etu is more reckless than anyone else and also wants to barge in: "Your Highness the Crown Prince!"
"Chirp—"
The chaotic scene was interrupted by an exceptionally loud shout.
The noisy flock of crows, as if receiving a command, suddenly flapped their wings, and the overwhelming black shadows slowly dispersed. Sunlight struggled to pierce through the gaps in the crow feathers, once again illuminating the vermilion walls and golden tiles of Yonghe Palace.
Yinreng's figure appeared inside the palace gate. He stood upright, holding the unconscious little Yinzuo in his arms, and walked out step by step with a steady and determined air.
Whether it was an illusion created by the light and shadow, a faint golden light seemed to flow around him, as if a god had descended to earth. Every step he took touched the hearts of everyone present, instantly calming the tense and solemn atmosphere in front of the palace gate.
Behind him, Lady Wuya was disheveled, her makeup messy, her former elegance gone, her eyes filled with panic and urgency. The palace servants of Yonghe Palace were also in a sorry state, shouting and struggling, but they were firmly blocked by the flock of crows that had not yet flown far away, unable to advance an inch.
The crows, like loyal guardians, formed a dark barrier, separating Wuya and Yinreng.
At the palace gate, the crowd seemed frozen in place, staring blankly at the scene before them. An inexplicable urge to worship welled up within them, as if the person before them had transcended the mundane and carried the will of heaven.
The ethereal and elusive aura filled Kangxi with apprehension, fearing that Bao Cheng would vanish before his eyes at any moment. He took a few steps forward and tightly grasped Bao Cheng's hand.
“Baocheng…”
Yinreng smiled reassuringly at Kangxi, the smile softening his usual Buddhist and divine aura. "Father, rest assured, Baocheng is safe."
"Your Highness..."
Uya screamed shrilly. The moment the flock of crows appeared, she regretted plotting against the Crown Prince, but she couldn't watch him take Yinzhu away.
Yinreng's face turned cold as he turned to look at Consort Wuya, his expression indifferent: "Consort De, I am the Crown Prince."
Regardless of whether he is a Buddhist or not, he is not someone she can manipulate at will. He is the Crown Prince, the next ruler of the world!
Uya Shi clearly understood his meaning. When she met the Emperor's murderous gaze, Uya Shi closed her eyes, her face pale. She had gambled on the Crown Prince's Buddhist nature, but she had forgotten that under the Emperor's power, she had no right to sit at the table.
Kangxi clearly understood Bao Cheng's words, and he suddenly relaxed. No matter how much he tried to avoid it or how hard he tried to get Bao Cheng to stay, nothing could put his mind at ease as much as Bao Cheng's words.
Sure enough, all those years of hard work paid off, and his efforts yielded the reward he desired. Even a single word brought Kangxi joy, and he also invested more in this "correct" direction.
The position of Crown Prince was never to be held by anyone else before, and from now on, anyone who tries to get involved with it will have their claws and teeth chopped off by Kangxi!
...
Thus, the "palace coup" ended in a miraculous way.
Yinzhuo was taken to Yuqing Palace to recuperate. After his condition improved, he was adopted by Emperor Kangxi and became the son of the deceased Prince Rong.
Consort De, of the Uya clan, who was so desperate to save her son that she caused this incident, was severely interrogated by Emperor Kangxi. After all the secrets she had hidden were uncovered, out of consideration for Yinzhen and Yinzuo, she was only demoted to a commoner and banished to the Cold Palace.
The several bondservant families implicated behind her suffered numerous persecutions, exiles, and demotions at the hands of Emperor Kangxi.
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