Because Hong Jiao insisted that it was just hearsay, and with Consort Yi sending Cuiwei to put pressure on her, Consort De ultimately had no choice but to release Hong Jiao and send her back. After some investigation, there were still no results, but no one in the palace dared to spread rumors anymore.
However, this rumor had already been relayed to Emperor Kangxi through a memorial submitted by a civil official on the side of the emperor. Kangxi did not respond; after reading it, he tossed it aside. These past few days, he was preoccupied with another matter: the eighteenth prince, Yin Jie, had suddenly developed a high fever. The accompanying imperial physicians had been constantly examining him, but his condition fluctuated. The eighteenth prince's birth mother, Consort Wang, clung to her son, refusing to leave. Seeing them, Kangxi felt a pang of sorrow.
Because of Jelier's interference with Galdan, there was no fighting between the two sides for the time being, so Kangxi ordered the army to rest and recuperate at their garrison. Seeing his beloved eighteenth prince suffering from illness, Kangxi was heartbroken and stayed with Consort Wang to keep watch over the eighteenth prince.
Several princes harbored some resentment, but none could afford to argue with a minor. The Third Prince, seeing no war, was content to enjoy himself in his tent with Consort Fan, who had accompanied him. The Eighth and Ninth Princes, along with the Fourteenth Prince, frequently went out riding to inspect the soldiers. The Tenth Prince, accompanied by Shuhui, was quite well-behaved. Only the Prince of Zhi and the Crown Prince were uneasy, especially after learning of the rumor circulating in the palace. They awaited Kangxi's reaction, but the Eighteenth Prince's illness at that moment drew all of Kangxi's attention.
That day, the Crown Prince invited several of his brothers to his tent for drinks. Because Kangxi had not yet made any further plans, he was wandering around the grasslands like an idle man. In addition, Kangxi spent the day with his young children, so the adult princes could hardly get close to him.
Prince Zhi was not on good terms with the Crown Prince, but he had not been involved in any battles recently, and he saw that the Eighth Prince had made merits and that the Fourth Prince was doing very well in the capital. He felt uncomfortable about this, so he went there as well.
At this moment, the Crown Prince sat at the head of the table, while the other princes sat on either side. Palace servants moved between the tables, serving delicious dishes and rare fine wines. The Crown Prince had brought many fine things with him, most of which were naturally to present to his father, Emperor Kangxi, but he had also kept some for himself, which was now being poured into the wine cups of the princes.
"Your Highness, this wine is much better than the horse-fed wine. It's been a long time since I've tasted such good wine." The Third Prince was really missing the fine wine and beautiful women in his mansion in the capital, and he had long since decided not to stay on the grasslands anymore.
"Yes, I don't know how much longer this battle will last," said the Tenth Prince. This battle has been going on for more than half a year, and they have been living on the northern grasslands for almost eight or nine months. Shuhui is pregnant, and the Tenth Prince wants to send her back, but he is reluctant to do so. He is also afraid that Guo Luoluo Mingyue will treat Shuhui badly while he is away, or even plot against the child in her womb. Therefore, he has not sent Shuhui back yet.
Seeing that the others seemed dissatisfied with the truce, Prince Zhi muttered, "Do any of you dare question Father Emperor's decision?"
Eighth Master quickly stepped in to smooth things over, saying, "They're just a little bored. Putting them aside, even I'm tired of living in tents and drinking too much horse tea."
Ninth Master suddenly said, "I wonder how things are going on Jellal's side? If they can move faster, and we step up our efforts, the war can proceed more quickly."
The crown prince remained silent. Seeing his younger brothers talking, he seemed somewhat distracted. He was the one who most longed to return, but now he was stuck here.
“Your Highness, I’ve heard that the Fourth Prince is doing very well in the palace, and some people are even saying…” Prince Zhi suddenly said to the Crown Prince.
When everyone heard him say this, they immediately understood what he wanted to say, but no one dared to mention it in front of the Crown Prince, and Kangxi did not react at all, so no one dared to discuss the rumor in private.
However, Prince Zhi was an exception. He had been favored by Emperor Kangxi since childhood, was the first to be granted the title of prince, and was also the eldest son. His maternal family was also powerful, so no one dared to ignore his existence.
The Crown Prince had also heard about it and had long harbored suspicions about the Fourth Prince. However, he was currently in the northern desert and, seeing the Prince of Zhi say such things, he knew that the Prince of Zhi was publicly challenging his position. So he suppressed his temper and said, "It's just some gossip. Father Emperor hasn't said anything yet. Why is my elder brother acting like those common women, enjoying gossiping?"
These words were spoken with great weight, and everyone fell silent. The lawsuit between the Crown Prince and the Prince of Zhi had been going on for quite some time; they had been fighting for a long time, and the other princes could only watch from the sidelines, not daring to get involved.
"When the Crown Prince came, he probably didn't even bring his armor. If war breaks out now, I wonder if the Crown Prince plans to stay at the main camp with Father Emperor to take care of the provisions, or to take care of his wife and children?"
The Crown Prince looked coldly at Prince Zhi, his eldest son who had always looked down on him with his military achievements, and said, "I will stay by Father's side. Father will make his own arrangements. Prince Zhi need not worry about it."
The Eighth Prince, watching the Crown Prince and Prince Zhi bicker, initially intended to simply observe the spectacle. However, upon hearing the rumor, he felt compelled to speak: "Crown Prince, Prince Zhi, most of us brothers are here now. What are the Fourth Prince and the Thirteenth Prince doing in the capital? Father is currently preoccupied with the Eighteenth Prince and cannot attend to matters within the palace. The Fourth Prince has always been a meticulous and thoughtful individual. Instead of arguing here, you two should consider the Fourth Prince's current situation."
The Eighth Prince's words effectively stopped the Crown Prince and the Prince of Zhi from arguing.
“I think Fourth Brother is very capable. He’s in charge of the army’s provisions and daily government affairs. He’s probably busier than any of us,” Tenth Prince said matter-of-factly.
"Did you start siding with the Fourth Prince just because you married a girl with the surname Niohuru?" Ninth Master couldn't stand how Tenth Master was talking to the Fourth Prince all the time these days.
And so, inside the prince's tent, a noisy commotion raged. Although no one liked anyone else, no one left the tent, for the northern grasslands were simply too boring. The prince had gone to great lengths to entertain his brothers, and none of them wanted to part with the fine wine.
When Kangxi returned from the eighteenth prince's tent and reached his own imperial tent, he suddenly remembered something and instead of entering his own tent, he went to the crown prince's tent.
“Crown Prince, Eighteen is only seven years old this year, but he really pleases Father Emperor. If he weren’t so young, hmph, I’m afraid there would be another trouble.” Ninth Prince suddenly said.
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