Chapter 177 The Emperor's Great Change 01
Of course, all of this was on the surface, a performance for Emperor Kangxi's benefit.
Privately, half of the court officials were already loyal to the Crown Prince's faction. Not to mention the military generals that Fanghua had arranged in her early years, they could now replace those noble families. Apart from not being famous, they were all capable. If it weren't for Kangxi's suppression, they would have all been in high positions long ago.
However, holding real power is just as good; they only need to wait for the successor to ascend the throne to give them a bright future.
Because no one was on the Crown Prince's side, he had to do everything himself, which gradually made him cold and unpredictable.
Even if the crown prince doesn't do anything, the servants and palace staff below are terrified.
Even the people who served Fanghua were no exception.
Fanghua had said this many times, but she just couldn't change it, so she could only let him be.
"What's wrong with Your Majesty today?" Chengren asked, puzzled, as he pushed open the door, before anyone in the room could even see him clearly.
As he finished speaking, Cheng Hu's figure appeared in his eyes, "Big, Big Brother."
How many years has it been since he last saw his older brother?
My older brother is really ruthless; he left and never came back.
"Big brother." Chengren rushed to Chenghu and hugged him tightly. "Big brother, I missed you so much."
After his elder brother left the palace, he seemed to have returned to the helplessness he felt in his previous life, with no one to help him. If it weren't for his mother's occasional care, he thought he would have given up long ago and killed all those people who were in his way.
"Big brother misses you and Empress Dowager too." Chenghu's eyes welled up with tears. He thought that after not seeing his younger brother for so many years, his brother would definitely become a little estranged from him. But he never expected that his brother would still miss him as much as he did when they were children.
"You've worked hard all these years." He had achieved some success in his cultivation and planned to relax, so he came back to see his family.
"Now that your older brother is home, you don't have to work so hard anymore." Yes, he's back, and his younger brother should be confident and carefree.
Alright, my brother is going to be an emperor someday, so he won't be able to live a carefree life.
"Really?"
Chengren was shocked to hear his elder brother's words, "Brother, are you not leaving anymore?"
If that's true, then he'll never be lonely again.
"That's not necessarily true, but he probably won't leave before you ascend the throne." Cheng Hu smiled and patted his younger brother's shoulder. Looking at his brother, who had reached his shoulder, Cheng Hu was very gratified. "I've heard some of what has happened over the years from Mother Empress. You've worked hard."
Chengren was very excited to be praised by his elder brother. His elder brother's praise made him even prouder than the praise from his father, the Emperor.
From a young age, he knew that his older brother carried a mission and possessed talents and responsibilities that he could not match.
If he can gain his elder brother's approval, does that mean he is really capable, or that he is not an unfilial son of the Emperor?
"It wasn't hard work, and my brother didn't do anything. It was all thanks to Mother Empress." He dared not take credit, after all, everything he had now was given to him by Mother Empress.
"Alright, you two rascals, have you forgotten all about your Empress Mother the moment you see each other?" Fanghua was pleased to see that there was no distance between the brothers due to the passage of time, but she couldn't stand their clingy behavior.
"Your elder brother will still live outside the palace. When you have time, go out and keep him company. Follow him and practice your physical fitness. Although you can't cultivate, it won't be a problem for you to improve your physical fitness."
Although he has the help of the dragon spirit, Chenghu is destined to be an emperor, so he cannot cultivate. However, he can hone his strength and bones from a young age, and it will be much easier for him to embark on cultivation after he abdicates the throne.
"Your Majesty, I will." If he could, he would like to live outside the palace, but unfortunately, he has not yet entered the court and still has to go to school every day.
He knew everything the Grand Tutor had taught him, but he dared not show off too much, since his father, the Emperor, was becoming increasingly suspicious.
He hasn't even entered the court yet; we can't let him become suspicious.
His mother has suffered a lot for him over the years, so he can't give up halfway.
"Alright, now is the mourning period for your royal grandmother, so you must behave well, especially Chengreng. Don't be temperamental, the whole court is watching you."
Fanghua came to her two sons. The younger son was almost as tall as her, while she had to look up to look at the older son. Seeing them like this, she felt extremely proud.
This is her son.
"Yes, I know. I just returned from mourning, and I plan to keep vigil during the period of mourning." He was most skilled at putting on an act, and no one would find out.
Keeping vigil at night is the best way to show filial piety.
I believe there are quite a few brothers who share the same idea as him.
I wonder if they'll do anything interesting during this time.
If so, he wouldn't mind taking the opportunity to get rid of a few troublesome ones.
Because his elder brother's leg injury had delayed his marriage, the Emperor wanted to arrange a marriage for him, but the Empress Dowager refused.
In addition, these elder brothers rarely visit their father in the palace, so the father is now quite displeased with this disobedient eldest son.
The second prince had long lost the emperor's favor, but even so, his wife had been chosen. She was a member of a collateral branch of the Mingzhu lineage, Nalan Wenjie, who was fifteen years old. She was chosen during last year's imperial selection. Although they had not yet married, their status was already set and the imperial decree had been issued. They were supposed to choose an auspicious day to get married this year, but unexpectedly, they encountered the Empress Dowager's funeral.
After three years, Chengreng thought this was a good thing, to prevent them from causing a repeat of the incident in the previous life where Yinzhi fought over the birth of the eldest grandson.
We've gone off on a tangent.
"Just make sure you have your own plans. When you're on night watch, bring Fuyun and the others with you, just in case." Fanghua knew what he meant and gave him this advice out of concern.
Chengreng naturally understood his mother's worries. "Yes, they will. All four of them are with their son now." Speaking of this, Chengreng couldn't help but thank his mother for her good intentions.
If it weren't for the four of them, he would have suffered countless assassinations over the years.
"I've entrusted all the secret guards to you, so don't be stingy with their use. As for the internal energy pills, have Long Ling ask Xiao Feng for as many as he wants. The people around you must be the strongest of the strong."
This child truly has no idea how vast the world of martial arts is.
Even a grandmaster is just the starting point for some innate martial artists.
At first, she didn't know any of this, but during a ancestral worship ceremony at the imperial mausoleum, she learned that the royal family actually had a trump card hidden, but it wasn't kept in the palace.
The palace has grandmasters protecting the Dao, but the imperial mausoleum has innate beings protecting its veins. After discovering this, she asked Xiao Feng to investigate. Xiao Feng lost ten bodies before she found out that there were actually no fewer than five innate beings in the imperial mausoleum.
If Emperor Kangxi really intended to depose the crown prince, she feared those old fogies would intervene.
"Empress Mother, has something happened?" Cheng Hu immediately sensed something was wrong when he heard his Empress Mother and younger brother talking.
"Tell your son if you have anything to say. Although your son is not invincible, his strength is not to be underestimated." Afraid that his mother would worry about him, he dared not tell her the truth. After he finished speaking, he even demonstrated his strength.
When Fanghua witnessed such extraordinary abilities, she was shocked, and Chengren was also stunned.
"That's too strong."
"Brother, can I learn this after I stop being emperor?"
"Big brother, wait for your little brother. You must teach me in the future."
The originally serious atmosphere was disrupted by Chengreng's antics, and Fanghua and Chenghu couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"I'll teach you, I'll teach you everything. After you step down, I'll teach you everything," Chenghu promised earnestly.
Fanghua was also a little envious, but Xiaofeng had made it very clear when she was reborn that she only had this one life, and from then on she could only be a ghost cultivator, and she would need to accumulate merit to protect herself.
Who told her to drain all of Feng Yun's luck?
If you borrow something, you have to pay it back. If you can't pay it back, you can't even be a ghost.
She used to not care about what happened after she died, but now that she sees Chenghu's abilities, she wants to spend more time with her sons.
She should also work harder to do good deeds.
"Alright, tell your elder brother to put away this supernatural power. Be careful that someone finds out. Don't let this slip out. Wait until you've completed your mission before embarking on the path of cultivation. Remember that."
This child is truly unpredictable.
If he had had a different choice in his previous life, I believe he wouldn't have died so tragically.
"How could you say such a thing to your son, Mother Empress? Your son's mouth is sealed tight!" Chengren immediately objected upon hearing his mother's words, hugging her and acting coquettishly to defend himself.
The mother and her two children chatted in the main hall for a while before having their meal.
After finishing their meal, they went to Shou Kang Palace to mourn.
The Empress Dowager's body lay in state for seven days, after which it was sent to the imperial mausoleum, with Emperor Kangxi personally escorting the coffin to its departure.
Fanghua originally wanted to go with them, but the emperor refused.
She didn't insist.
What she didn't expect was that the emperor's temperament changed drastically after he returned, and his hidden ailment was also 80% cured.
This was an outcome she could not accept.
So she wanted to go find Wu Ming, but Qiaoling told her that Wu Ming had died.
The cause of his death remains unknown, but it is said that the Emperor executed all those involved with Judge Wu, including his friends.
Fanghua slumped heavily into a chair, thinking to herself, "Did he find out that Wu Ming had drugged him?"
As for worrying that Wu Ming might expose her, I really don't.
Loyalty pills aren't given for nothing.
No one can say a word about her without her permission.
Seeing the Empress's absent-minded appearance, Qiaoling stepped forward with concern and asked softly, "Your Majesty, are you alright?"
Fanghua took a while to come to her senses, but her face was still very pale. "I am fine, I never thought I would die. It seems that the Emperor has discovered something. Qiaoling, tell our people to keep a close watch, lest they lose their lives in vain."
Qiaoling knew the importance of the matter. "Your Majesty, rest assured, I have already had them hide it, and there will be no contact with them recently."
"That's wonderful, that's wonderful."
It's unclear whether he only discovered Wu Ming or someone else.
"By the way, Consort Gui, Qiaoling, you..." Fanghua originally wanted Qiaoling to go to Yongshou Palace to check on Consort Gui, and if she was alright, she could clean up her mess.
But then he thought about his relationship with her and realized that he shouldn't do anything now.
"Never mind, I believe she shouldn't be in any trouble given her current status." It was unclear whether he was saying this to reassure himself or to comfort Qiaoling.
"Your Majesty," Qiaoling wasn't stupid. Having served by the Empress's side for many years, she understood how worried the Empress was at this moment. "If you're still worried, why don't you let Xiaofeng take action?"
Ever since Xiao Feng's body was destroyed in the imperial mausoleum, she has stopped letting it appear in the form of a parrot.
Therefore, very few people know that Xiaofeng is not alive.
Apart from Qiaoling and Qiaoyun, who remained by her side, Qiaomeng and Qiaoruo both left the palace to marry.
All the men she married were chosen by the Hesheli clan as capable men.
Qiaomeng and the others were originally from bondservant families, and with the favor of the Empress, they were not disgraced as chosen brides.
Given their own circumstances, they might not be able to marry such an outstanding wife.
After the two women got married, Xingyue, Huayue, and others were promoted. These were all people that Zhang Mama had trained, originally intended to replace Qiaomeng and the others.
It's easy to use.
Only Qiaoling and Qiaoyun knew that Xiaofeng still existed, so Fanghua was not surprised when she heard Qiaoling mention Xiaofeng.
"Alright, go outside and catch a sparrow, but don't disturb anyone." This is the only way to send a message to the Imperial Concubine now.
The Emperor's behavior is too abnormal; we must be on guard.
"Yes, this servant will go right away."
As soon as Qiaoling went out, Fanghua contacted Xiaofeng in the space.
"Xiao Feng, you have to deliver a letter to Yongshou Palace for me, and make sure no one finds out."
Xiao Feng was cultivating when she heard her master calling her. She immediately came out of her meditation and asked, "Master, is something wrong?"
Since learning of the existence of innate beings, Xiao Feng has become even more diligent in her cultivation. Unfortunately, she spent too much merit to help her master reverse time. Not only that, but she also caused Feng Yin to become possessed by demons. To repair it, she would need to spend merit, but her master was always scheming in the harem. Even if she didn't have any merit, it was pitifully little.
Now it's all trying to steal the Dragon Spirit's source power.
It hasn't left the space since then, and now that its owner is calling it so urgently, something must have happened.
"Yes, it seems that Emperor Kangxi knew he was poisoned. After returning from the imperial tombs, about 80% of the poison in his body was gone." Fanghua nervously told Xiaofeng everything. "I'm afraid he'll find out that the Consort poisoned him, so I want you to remind her."
Over the years, she had developed some feelings for the Imperial Concubine. They were both pitiful people, and she didn't want the Imperial Concubine to lose her life because of it.
"Yes, Master, give me a body."
"I've gone out to look for Qiaoling. Wait for me."
After saying that, she began to write a letter. Once she finished, she put it into her spatial dimension. "Remember, after the Imperial Concubine has finished reading it, you should burn the letter and then die in front of her, with your soul entering the spatial dimension."
There are some things she doesn't trust anyone about.
"Xiaofeng knows, Master, don't worry, I won't let you down." It's the final moment, we can't let anyone ruin Master's plan.
Yes, Xiao Feng is a spirit born from the Phoenix Seal, so naturally she can sense the changes in dragon energy.
The true dragon has grown old and has begun to transfer its fortune to the new dragon. Soon after, a new emperor will ascend the throne, the true dragon will be reborn, and the new dragon will replace the true dragon.
Before long, Qiaoling brought a sparrow into the inner hall.
"Give it to me, Your Majesty."
Fanghua didn't hide anything from Qiaoling. She put the half-dead sparrow on the table and called out "Xiaofeng" to the air.
Then a halo of light appeared, and the sparrow, which had been on the verge of death, came back to life.
Without waiting for Fanghua's instructions, the sparrow flew directly out of the inner hall.
After watching the sparrows leave, Fanghua's uneasy heart gradually calmed down.
She's done everything she could; now it's up to fate.
She wouldn't let outsiders ruin her plans.
Yongshou Palace.
Consort Xi is still accompanying Princess Xizhu to scout out talented young men in the capital.
Then he saw a sparrow fly into his study.
She was about to open her mouth to call for someone to drive them away, but then, for some reason, seeing the sparrows circling overhead for so long, she immediately said to Xizhu.
"Xizhu, take all of these back and take a look. If you like any of them, come and tell your mother tomorrow, okay?"
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