"Master, have the kites we sent out set off yet?" Lanqin personally handed the Fourth Prince a cup of tea. Because of Hongli and Hongzhou, the Fourth Prince would come to Lanqin's place every day after court, and the two acted like an ordinary married couple. Lady Nian was about seven months pregnant and it was inconvenient for her to take care of the Fourth Prince, so sometimes he would go to Lady Nian's place to visit her, chat for a few words, and eventually come to the South Courtyard.
"They've been punished, don't worry, Hongli and Hongzhou will be rescued soon. These desperados, once I catch them, I won't let them off easily!" A shadow crossed the Fourth Prince's eyes as he spoke. He wasn't actually worried about Hongli and Hongzhou at the moment. Hongli's ability to write such a letter proved he was capable of protecting himself; it was just a matter of time. What worried the Fourth Prince most now was the situation with the Fourteenth Prince in the Northwest.
To monitor the Fourteenth Prince's activities in the Northwest, the Fourth Prince had secretly dispatched a small team there to specifically monitor his movements. If anything seemed amiss, they were to report immediately. Even when nothing was amiss, the team would still submit a report every two weeks, detailing the Fourteenth Prince's daily routine, who he had met, and what he had done.
Lanqin was unaware that the Fourth Prince had made such a secret arrangement, so when she saw him frowning and remaining silent, she said, "Your Highness, since you have already sent people to keep an eye on them, you don't need to worry too much. I believe that Hongli and Hongzhou will be fine and return safely."
Fourth Master glanced at Lanqin a few times and said, "It's not for those two, but for the matter in the Northwest."
Lanqin's brow twitched, and she quickly asked, "Is there some military intelligence in the Northwest?"
Fourth Master shook his head and said, "No, it's that Fourteenth Master has started to secretly expand his army in the Northwest. He's using the money the court gave him to support his own troops."
Lanqin felt a pang in her heart. She racked her brains to think about the Fourteenth Prince's historical achievements. It seemed that he hadn't raised an army in rebellion!
"Father Emperor doesn't know about this yet, does he?" Lanqin asked.
“I don’t want to tell Father Emperor, and there’s no solid evidence yet. Besides, Father Emperor’s health probably can’t withstand such a thing. In Father Emperor and Mother’s hearts, he will always be their filial and obedient youngest son.” A few glints of light flickered in the Fourth Prince’s dark eyes as he spoke.
“If we let him continue like this, it really won’t do. If it leads to war, Father Emperor will be even more distressed,” Lanqin said.
“I know, that’s why I’m gathering evidence. Not only that, I’ve already sent people to keep an eye on things. I don’t want to bother Father Emperor unless absolutely necessary,” the Fourth Prince said.
Lanqin understood that the Fourth Prince's feelings for Kangxi were not only the affection between father and son, but also his respect and love for a great emperor.
As Emperor Kangxi's health declined, the political situation in the capital became increasingly tense. The former Eighth Prince's faction, under the leadership of the Eighth and Ninth Princes, had now transformed into the Fourteenth Prince's faction.
In Ninth Master's villa, in the thick, juicy night, the sounds of zithers and pipa drifted from one of the courtyards. Shadows flickered on the paper windows, like actors in a shadow play.
As evening fell, the layers of clouds eventually turned into raindrops. Outside the house, the large banana leaves were pattering with raindrops, while the sound of raindrops on the bluestone ground and the chirping of insects hidden in the roadside bushes blended into a symphony of the rainy night.
Under a black oil-paper umbrella, a person carrying a glass kerosene lamp hurried through the rain. Large raindrops pelted the bluestone ground, creating layers of water that soaked most of the person's cloth shoes.
Several men in black stood under the eaves, almost blending into the darkness. They stood quietly in the corner, and without close inspection, they all looked like sculptures, making them difficult to distinguish.
"Halt! The master said no one is allowed to disturb us!" The man in black at the door stretched out his arm, blocking the newcomer.
"I have urgent business. My master said that any news from the west must be reported immediately." The visitor closed his umbrella, and rainwater, seeping through the gaps in the oilcloth, slid down like a small stream.
The man in black hesitated for a moment, then withdrew his arm and let the man in.
When the door was pushed open, the warm candlelight and the sounds of music immediately wafted out, a stark contrast to the dark and rainy scene outside.
The man in the blue robe immediately closed the door behind him, then walked around a large screen depicting the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove, almost as big as a wall. He lowered his head and then walked slowly along the corner of the wall towards where Ninth Master was sitting.
Two people sat in the main seats, namely Eighth Master and Ninth Master, with the other guests seated on either side of them. In the middle, two women were playing musical instruments, one holding a pipa and the other a guqin; both were beautiful young women, charming musicians.
Ninth Master and Eighth Master were talking and didn't see the person who came in, but Eighth Master did see him and gestured for Ninth Master to go and see.
The guests sitting on both sides were all enjoying their tea and listening to music, and they didn't notice the newcomer.
A servant in a blue robe walked up to Ninth Master, quickly pulled a slip of paper from his sleeve, and carefully handed it to him. Then, Ninth Master stepped aside and lowered his head to his chest.
Ninth Master opened the note, glanced at it a few times, and then gradually suppressed the smile on his face.
"Eighth Brother, take a look at the letter from Fourteenth Brother," Ninth Master said, handing the note to Eighth Brother.
Eighth Master took the note, unfolded it in his palm, and slowly read it through.
Those seated below noticed the unusual expressions on the faces of the two gentlemen in the main seats, and exchanged glances, focusing all their attention on the Eighth Prince, who was reading a letter.
Ninth Master waved to the musicians in the middle of the hall, and the melodious music stopped abruptly. The two quickly got up, picked up their instruments, and retreated.
"Ninth Brother, have you sent someone to deliver the silver you raised for him? Judging from the letter, he hasn't received it yet!" Eighth Master said with a frown.
"They should have arrived a few days ago. I'm waiting for their reply. Could something have happened?" Ninth Master asked cautiously.
“Something must have happened, otherwise they would have sent a message back to Brother Fei immediately. Fourteenth said that he found some strange people over there. He suspects they are Fourth Brother’s men,” Eighth Master said.
"This silver is all mine. I want to give it to Fourteenth Prince. Is it any of his business?" Ninth Prince sneered.
Eighth Master glanced at Ninth Master a few times and said coldly, "Foolish! At this time, giving him such a large sum of money, how can you not arouse his suspicion?"
The people sitting below were all former confidants of the Eighth Master, and still held important official positions. They all supported the Fourteenth Master. Hearing the Eighth and Ninth Masters say these words, they all understood what had happened.
“Eighth Prince, Ninth Prince, now is not the time to argue. We need to find that batch of silver as soon as possible,” said Lord Cao.
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