The weather suddenly changed, and a blizzard swept in. Fourteenth Prince's troops had been stationed for several days, more than 200 kilometers from the capital. Scouts had long ago relayed Fourteenth Prince's movements to the capital, but there was no response from the Fourth Prince.
Fourth Master knew in his heart that this day would come sooner or later, but considering that Fourteenth Prince was his brother after all, and also his mother, he really didn't want to take action against him at this time. Besides, Fourth Master knew that Fourteenth Prince had stopped halfway and seemed to still have expectations and fantasies in his heart.
However, the Thirteenth Prince and Longduo Ke did not think that way. They had repeatedly asked the Fourth Prince in secret, hoping that he would make a decision soon. Today, a scout reported again that the Fourteenth Prince's army seemed to be making a move. Upon learning this, Longduo Ke went straight to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
The Fourth Prince had long anticipated Longduo's arrival. He put down the memorial in his hand and slowly got off the chair. Longduo was momentarily taken aback by the change in the Fourth Prince's status. He opened his mouth to speak but then realized he had almost mispronounced the name. After a pause, he said, "Your Majesty, the Fourteenth Prince is already impatient. If we remain indifferent, I'm afraid there will be a bloody storm in the future."
A flash of malice crossed the Fourth Prince's eyes, but it vanished in an instant: "Haven't we even reached the capital yet? He stopped halfway there..." Longduo stepped forward urgently, loudly admonishing and reminding: "Your Majesty, you already know, so why are you still calmly waiting here? Are you going to wait until the enemy is right under your nose before you start to fight back? Besides, the Fourteenth Prince's return to the capital with his troops was already ill-intentioned; Your Majesty has every reason to punish him..."
The Fourth Prince pondered for a moment, but couldn't bear it any longer: "He is the late Emperor's son, and it is only right that he returns to fulfill his filial duties. I want to give him a chance... Besides, he is also my brother!"
Londoko said, “Brother? Would a brother come with a large army when the emperor is about to ascend the throne? Besides, loyalty and filial piety are two sides of the same coin; loyalty is the best form of filial piety. Now that the throne is secured, he is just looking for an excuse to come back and cause trouble. The emperor knows this perfectly well, so why should he still consider brotherly affection and tolerate such treasonous behavior…”
The Fourth Prince didn't want to say much. What he was most eager to know right now wasn't the Fourteenth Prince's actions or thoughts, but rather the movements in the court and news about other imperial relatives and ministers.
Rondoko's concern was the urgency of party affairs. Fourth Master also knew that if they didn't prepare now, and the Fourteenth Army came to the city gates, when the swords were drawn, the brotherhood he cherished would vanish.
“Your Majesty, we cannot delay any longer. If you continue to drag this out, it will only give those with ulterior motives an opportunity to take advantage of us. There are indeed disloyal people in the court, but they just dare not show it. Your Majesty’s benevolence will not move them, but will only make them more reckless… Your Majesty,” Longdoko hurriedly said.
With his eyes closed, the Fourth Prince seemed to have gone through a great struggle. He turned to Longdoko and said, "Immediately send someone to keep a close watch on the movements of all the important officials, relatives, and princes in the capital. If anyone leaves the city or makes any unusual moves, arrest them immediately without reporting it..." Seeing that the Fourth Prince had changed his mind, Longdoko thought he had persuaded him and was overjoyed. He immediately agreed to do it.
For a time, the capital was filled with panic and fear. Although Rondoko was secretly observing, everyone was fully aware of the situation. Never before had Beijing been so lifeless as the New Year approached.
The Fourth Prince really didn't want to start a war with his own brothers right after Kangxi's death, but would the Fourteenth Prince be the first to send troops?
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