Mingyeong Palace.
"Your Highness, I must change my plans." The Crown Prince returned to the Crown Prince's palace and went into Shi's room with her, dismissing all the palace maids and eunuchs.
"Your Highness, what's wrong?" Seeing the Crown Prince's displeased expression, Shi thought he was about to desert his post.
"Besides that person, I also need to get rid of someone else." A glint of light flashed in the Crown Prince's eyes.
Shi thought the emperor was temporarily scared and didn't want to take that step anymore, but she didn't expect that he had murderous intentions towards Prince Yong.
“Your Highness, if you want to kill him, you’ll have to change your plans. Everyone is already in position, and if you suddenly decide to kill another Prince Yong, you’ll have to make changes to many people’s plans,” said Shi.
“But if we don’t kill him, I think he’ll definitely be a problem in the future. Why not take advantage of this opportunity to eliminate him as well?” The Crown Prince’s eyes grew increasingly sinister. He had just been overshadowed by the Fourth Prince at the palace banquet, and he hated the Fourth Prince to the core.
"Perhaps we should arrange an unexpected event. That's the only way; we don't have enough manpower to deploy. There's no time to make further arrangements, Your Highness," said Shi.
"Isn't the fourth prince very fond of his concubine? Why don't you try to make a move on her?" the Crown Prince said.
"Is Your Highness referring to the Niohuru clan?" Shi asked.
“Yes, it really is her. The child she gave birth to isn’t very popular with Father Emperor. If something were to happen to her, do you think Fourth Prince would rush to find her?” the Crown Prince said.
"Your Highness means to cause something to happen to Niohuru, so that the Fourth Prince will come to rescue her, and then..." Shi made a throat-slitting gesture.
“What my beloved consort says is quite true. However, we still need to plan carefully how to cause trouble for that Niohuru clan member. At that time, Father will definitely divide us into several groups. The third prince will be in one group, the fourth prince in another group, the fifth and seventh princes may not go, the eighth and ninth princes will be in one group, and the tenth and fourteenth princes will be in another group,” the Crown Prince said.
"And what about those foreigners? I wonder if they'll be separated this time, or if they'll be placed into different groups of princes?" Shi asked.
“Father didn’t say. I’ve already told him I’ll stay and not go. I’m not sure how the groups will be formed,” the Crown Prince said.
"Your Highness, we can only spare a few people to act according to circumstances. Fortunately, my father is among those accompanying you," said Lady Shi. This time, Shi Bingde and his son instigated the Crown Princess to persuade the Crown Prince to take action against Kangxi. They plotted to have Kangxi die suddenly so that the Crown Prince could immediately ascend the throne.
"Very well, let my father-in-law handle things accordingly. Anyway, that Hongli makes me very uneasy. If we get rid of the fourth prince along with him this time, then we'll cut off all of that child's support. After I ascend the throne, I'll find a way to get rid of him," the Crown Prince said. The brotherly affection and fatherly love of the past had all been overwhelmed by the lust for power.
Shi glanced at the Crown Prince a few times, a faint smile playing on her lips, and quickly said, "Your Highness, please don't be angry. Why don't you let Xiao Quanzi keep you company?"
The prince nodded and went back to his room.
Shi immediately whispered a few words to her trusted palace maid, instructing her to go to the Ministry of Justice and deliver a message to her father, Shi Bingde.
At dusk, Shi Bingde appeared in the Crown Prince's palace, in the Crown Princess's bedroom.
"What? Your Highness also wants to get rid of that person?" Shi Bingde asked after hearing the Crown Princess's account.
“Father, judging from his expression, it seems he is determined to get rid of Prince Yong,” Shi said.
"No, it's come to this. Everything is ready. The Shi family, and everyone related to the Shi family, has already staked everything on this. We absolutely cannot afford any further complications." Shi Bingde was so angry about this that his beard bristled.
"Father, how could I not know? It's just that His Highness the Crown Prince insisted on doing this at the last minute. But I also think that Prince Yong will be a formidable rival sooner or later," the Crown Princess said.
"Once the Crown Prince sits on that throne, eliminating him will be a piece of cake. Why are you in such a hurry now? Foolish!" Shi Bingde said, puffing out his beard and glaring at him in dissatisfaction. Was the Crown Prince's mind getting increasingly sluggish?
“Father, have you forgotten that child named Hongli? If the old man suddenly passes away, it’s uncertain whether the Crown Prince will be able to succeed to the throne smoothly. What if the old man left behind a will? That child has already stayed in the Qianqing Palace twice. We must be wary of this. What if the old man passes away and the fourth prince produces a will saying that the old man passed the throne to Hongli?” the Crown Princess said.
These words calmed Shi Bingde down. Although the Crown Prince's impulsive decision was somewhat foolish, what the Crown Princess had just said wasn't entirely unreasonable. If Prince Yong were to unfortunately die during this hunt, then even if the child had a will, it wouldn't amount to anything; who would care about a mere infant?
“Father, think about it, isn’t that right? So I think the Crown Prince is right this time. We should get rid of the Fourth Prince as well,” Shi said.
“But I’ve already made the personnel arrangements. How can I change them?” Shi Bingde said with difficulty. “We’re going all out this time. I’ve brought in everyone I can. If we fail, the consequences will be unimaginable.” Shi Bingde’s weathered face was beginning to show signs of exhaustion. His mind was already full of the great matter he was carrying, and there was no room for anything else.
“Father need not worry about that. As long as we manipulate that Niohuru clan member, we can divert the Fourth Prince’s attention,” said Shi. “I already have a plan. I will send Consort Li. She used to have some connections with the Niohuru clan member.”
“Daughter, you must be careful. One wrong move and you’ll lose everything. If you have no other choice but to get rid of Prince Yong, then just give up,” Shi Bingde said.
“Father, I know. Don’t worry,” Shi said. “You just need to assign me a reliable person. Let him take orders directly from me.”
"What do you want to do?" Shi Bingde asked.
“Use Niohuru. For example, make her horse get frightened and lose control, isn’t that normal?” Shi said.
“Alright, I will assign someone to you then. The Crown Prince will not go. You can go with the concubines in the harem, and perhaps you can avoid them?” Shi Bingde said.
"Father, don't worry, your daughter has already come up with a plan, and she will definitely be able to achieve her goal," the Crown Princess said.
Shi Bingde quietly left the Crown Prince's Palace, while the Shi family had fallen into a kind of madness driven by an extreme thirst for power.
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