"I heard you've caught a suspect," Consort De said.
"Yes, he's a young eunuch. But he still has some backbone; he's been in the Imperial Prison for several hours and hasn't confessed yet," Fourth Master said.
“Someone must have instructed him to do it. The other party must have grasped his weakness, which is why he is so desperate to be loyal to them,” Consort De said.
“That must be it, otherwise there’s no reason for a eunuch to have such backbone,” the Fourth Prince said.
"Fourth Prince, why would anyone harm a baby? Is it because your father dotes on Hongli?" Consort De asked.
The Fourth Prince understood the meaning behind Consort De's words and said, "I never imagined that Hongli, even while by Father Emperor's side, could suffer such a conspiracy."
Consort De's eye twitched, and she murmured, "I think there are probably very few people who would dare to harm someone by your father's side. I think that person is probably from the Crown Prince's side."
The Fourth Prince stared at Consort De in surprise and asked, "The Crown Prince?"
Consort De said, “Consort Hui has the heart but not the courage; Consort Rong has long since withdrawn from worldly affairs; Consort Yi, she doesn’t have the courage yet. So I think Hongli’s existence has affected the Crown Prince’s position in your father’s heart.”
"Mother, why do you say that?" Fourth Master asked.
"It's actually quite simple. The Crown Prince has only recently been reinstated, and yet your father is bestowing great honors upon you all and even bringing Hongli into the palace to raise him personally. As the Crown Prince, how will he perceive this?" Consort De said. "He will decide that you intend to compete with him."
The Fourth Prince had a vague sense of unease. He remembered that the Crown Prince had just gone to see Hongli and that he had said so much to him.
"Fourth Prince, your position is quite awkward now. The Crown Prince was appointed by your Imperial Father, and your son has been brought into the palace. You and the Crown Prince can no longer get along as before," said Consort De.
After leaving Yonghe Palace, the Fourth Prince was deep in thought. He was currently living in the former residence of the Fourth Prince.
He wondered if the Crown Prince was truly behind all of this, and if everything he had told him would lead him to do something—kill him to silence him!
Oh no, Kobako is in danger!
Suddenly, the Fourth Prince realized this possibility: if the other party was indeed the Crown Prince, then he might very well have killed him to silence him. Thinking of this, the Fourth Prince immediately headed towards the Censorate. At this time, the Censorate should not have been completely closed yet.
Sure enough, the interior of the Imperial Prison was still brightly lit. As soon as you walked in, you could hear screams coming from inside from time to time.
"This servant greets Prince Yong!" The eunuch at the gate saw the Fourth Prince arrive at a glance and hurriedly went to greet him with a smile.
Fourth Master looked at him and nodded, saying, "Well, did that little servant confess?"
The eunuch sighed and said, "Alas, I didn't expect this little fellow to be so stubborn, refusing to say anything. But don't worry, we will definitely find a way to make him talk."
Fourth Master felt a chill emanating from the other party, which sent shivers down his spine.
"Go in and tell him to stop torturing him, but to imprison him, and to do so secretly. From now on, no one except Father Emperor and I are allowed to see him. Understand?" the Fourth Prince said.
The eunuch was slightly surprised that the Fourth Prince would say such a thing, but he quickly realized what was going on.
As Xiao Baozi was carried out of the torture chamber, the Fourth Prince glanced at him from afar and felt a chill run down his spine. How could a fifteen-year-old boy endure such torture? If it weren't for Hongli's involvement, the Fourth Prince wouldn't have treated him this way.
The next day, the Fourth Prince ordered a thorough investigation into the eunuch's background. They discovered he was indeed clean, having never served any respectable master. His assignment to Hongli's side was a stroke of luck. But why would he plot against Hongli? It didn't make sense. A eunuch like him wouldn't do such a thing without orders. It seemed the Fourth Prince had truly wronged him. The investigation had reached a dead end, and the Fourth Prince had to halt it.
Fortunately, Hongli recovered quickly. Kangxi also inquired about the Fourth Prince, who reported back to Kangxi. Kangxi had considered interrogating Xiao Baozi again, considering the state of his entire family, but the Fourth Prince stopped him, saying: "Let those who instructed him be afraid for a while!"
Seeing that no news came from the Qianqing Palace, the Crown Prince assumed that Xiao Baozi had held out and hadn't confessed, which put them at ease. However, Xiao Baozi was still a ticking time bomb; if he couldn't hold on any longer, he could implicate them at any moment.
Shi and the Crown Prince discussed whether they should take the opportunity to get rid of this little servant.
“Your Highness, keeping him around will only cause trouble!” Shi said.
“But if we get rid of him, it won’t be so easy to find out about Hongli’s situation in the future.” The Crown Prince was still a little reluctant to give up this informant.
"I always feel uneasy, as if he might betray us at any moment," said Madam Shi.
"His younger brother is still here, he wouldn't dare," the Crown Prince said, pouring himself a drink.
"Perhaps I'm worrying too much. Your Highness, now that Hongli has escaped again, it won't be easy for us to deal with him again," Shi asked.
"Yes, this matter needs careful consideration. We can't rush it!" the Crown Prince said.
The matter was thus put on hold. The Fourth Prince resumed his daily routine of entering and leaving the palace. When Lanqin heard that Hongli was better, she immediately requested permission to come and see him, and thankfully, nothing serious had happened.
The year-end was approaching, and there were many things to do in the manor. Lanqin couldn't rely entirely on Nian Shi; otherwise, Nian Shi would extend her influence to the South Courtyard. Since punishing that maid, Wuya Shi seemed to have calmed down again, eating well every day and recuperating, and her complexion gradually returned to normal. She still found an excuse to pay her respects to Lanqin every few days, just as before. When Cui Niang and the others saw her, they would glare at her. But she didn't seem to care, chatting and laughing with Lanqin as usual, and sometimes she would even run into the Fourth Master.
The Fourth Master would occasionally ask her a few questions, such as whether she was feeling better, but he still didn't go to her room. The Fourth Master was also very busy; he hardly ever went into the backyard, and he only came to Lanqin's place for meals.
For a time, everyone eagerly awaited the arrival of the 50th year of Kangxi's reign. Everywhere, like hibernating animals, they lay dormant in their nests, waiting to emerge in the spring. Lanqin, with her three children, was so busy every day that her feet barely touched the ground, spinning like a top being whipped.
However, something came from the palace that made Lanqin feel a little disheartened. Emperor Kangxi had assigned more women to the princes. Upon hearing this, Lanqin silently rolled her eyes: "Sigh, can't they stop just randomly sending women in like this?"
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