When Kangxi returned to the capital, Yinreng and his attendants went straight back to Yuqing Palace without showing their faces, which only intensified everyone's curiosity.
As long as Emperor Kangxi did not issue an official decree to depose the crown prince, Yinreng would remain the crown prince of the Qing Dynasty.
Even though he requested to be confined to his residence at the Rehe Imperial Palace, the servants still dared not mistreat him.
When Tong Wanyan saw Yinreng, she hesitated and did not immediately step forward.
Yinreng smiled at her, walked over, and took her hand: "Have you been worried these past few days? I'm fine. It's just that we might have to move away from here in the future."
Tong Wanyan carefully examined his pale and red face, comparing it to how he looked before leaving home in her memory.
"Sir, you've gained weight," Tong Wanyan said.
The summer heat is unbearable; while others lose weight from the heat, the young master manages to gain weight – that's truly remarkable.
Yinreng immediately stopped smiling. His face looked big when he smiled, so Xiao Yan must have seen wrong.
Shi Xiuzhu laughed out loud without any attempt to hide his laughter: "Your Highness, don't worry. Apart from a few children who were a little worried at first, my sister and I are fine. Do whatever you want. We've been under your protection for so long, we won't hold you back."
Yinreng gave him a curious look. He had previously threatened to force the emperor to abdicate if things didn't work out, but now he was being quite magnanimous.
Tong Wanyan smiled and said, "What the Crown Princess says is true. Wealth and power are things you can't take with you when you die. Whether you are a king or a commoner, my children and I only want to be with you. We've lived in Yuqing Palace for many years, so we know what it's like without even opening our eyes. Changing places will only bring us more novelty."
Yinreng's brows relaxed: "Don't worry, even if I'm not the crown prince, our family isn't short of money. You can still throw money around to hear the sound."
Tong Wanyan retorted reproachfully, "I have never done such a thing."
"I was just saying that. I promised to give you the best of everything, but now I'm afraid I have to break my promise," Yinreng said.
Tong Wanyan looked at him disapprovingly, her eyes full of tenderness: "I have already obtained what I wanted most. To be with you, my lord, for a lifetime is the best thing in this world. I have never cared about anything else."
Actually, no. Before meeting Yinreng, she also craved wealth and power. Everyone says the view is best from the top, and who doesn't love looking down on others and being admired?
But when you meet that one person and win their heart, nothing else matters.
Yinreng squeezed Tong Wanyan's hand, touched. There were too many people here, so they decided to save some things for later.
"Your Highness, I will do my best to fulfill your wish." Yinreng did not try to be unreasonable with Shi Xiuzhu.
He promised to release her from the palace and grant her freedom, and he will definitely keep his word.
Shi Xiuzhu sighed. Although the Crown Prince was usually quite shrewd in his dealings, he was actually quite admirable in crucial moments. No wonder so many ministers in the court defended him so fiercely.
“There’s no need for that. I’m already quite content with things as they are,” Shi Xiuzhu said.
The mystery between Yinreng and Shi Xiuzhu is known only to the three of them.
The servants were bewildered, but they understood from the conversation that the Crown Prince was a responsible man. Servants, wherever they were, were always serving others; they all grew up suffering. For so many years, they had enjoyed the good life in Yuqing Palace, only ever stepping on others, never being bullied by servants from other palaces—that was enough for them.
"We, your servants, will always be by your side, Master," the eunuchs and maids in the courtyard declared their loyalty.
Of course, there were also those who were restless and wanted to leave. In the past few days, the servants who had been making trouble had been dealt with by Shi Xiuzhu and Tong Wanyan, and they would not be left to cause any trouble today.
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