"Get out! All of you, get out!"
A man's roar came from inside the room. A moment later, a young eunuch ran out in a panic. Behind him, there was a thud as an inkstone fell beside him, almost hitting him.
Then came several clattering sounds, the sound of things falling to the ground.
Zhang De, standing at the door, looked at the young eunuch from before, shook his head, and told him to leave.
Ever since the Emperor deposed him from his position as Crown Prince a few days ago, he has been listless and depressed, drowning his sorrows in alcohol every day. He is extremely decadent and has completely lost the spirited demeanor of a former Crown Prince.
The palace maids and eunuchs serving below him would be scolded and punished if they made the slightest mistake. Zhang De, the chief eunuch of Yuqing Palace, was extremely worried lately and did not know what to do.
When Guarjia arrived at the study in the front courtyard, this was the scene of utter chaos.
Zhang De, with his sharp eyes, spotted the Crown Princess—no, the Second Prince's wife, Lady Guarjia—at the corner.
He hurriedly stepped forward to Guarjia and whispered about the Second Prince's condition over the past few days. With his head bowed, he said somewhat presumptuously, "Your Highness... Madam, please go and persuade the Prince. His current state is not a solution."
With a barely audible sigh, Lady Guarjia understood that Yinreng's current dejected state was understandable after being deposed.
While it's understandable, as his wife and concubine, she was bound to share his fate, so of course she hoped that Yinreng could pull himself together. Otherwise, none of the masters, concubines, maids, or eunuchs in Yuqing Palace would survive.
At this time, she was the mistress of Yuqing Palace and Yinreng's wife; she could not back down.
He waved for everyone to leave, and Guarjia went into his study alone.
The other palace maids and eunuchs outside the door all withdrew, leaving only Guarjia's personal maid and Zhang De waiting at the door.
At this moment, their expressions were complicated, filled with worry and anticipation as they waited for the princess to come out.
They didn't know the specifics of the conversation, but after a long while, they heard Yinreng shout, followed by another violent collision.
After a moment of silence, Guarjia pushed open the door, covered her bleeding forehead, and walked out.
"My lord, you... how did you get injured? Is it serious? I'll go and summon the imperial physician. You can't have a scar on your forehead!"
The palace maid rushed forward to support Guarjia, her face full of worry.
Zhang De was startled at first, then worriedly came over and asked, "Madam, are you alright?"
Lady Guarjia waved her hand calmly, a stark contrast to the anxious maid, as if she were not the one who was injured.
He first told the maid, "It's nothing." Then he turned to Zhang De and said, "Eunuch Zhang, the master is asleep now. Please send someone in to attend to him."
After giving her instructions, Guarjia, supported by her maid, returned to her residence.
Zhang De suppressed his surprise, turned around and sent two eunuchs to the study to give Yinreng a quick wash. He then had several eunuchs carry Yinreng back to his bedchamber to rest.
With the help of alcohol to numb his senses, Yinreng finally forgot his troubles and fell asleep, but even in his sleep he was not at peace.
It was as if he had a very real dream. He dreamed that he had just been born, his mother died in childbirth, and he was named the crown prince by his father.
Amar loved and doted on him, valuing him highly and placing great hopes on him from a young age. He sent renowned teachers to instruct him in knowledge, and even in his busy schedule, he personally taught him the art of being an emperor and the way of being a ruler.
As he grew older, his father also aged, and the way he looked at him changed. The loving gaze of the past was gone, replaced by a more inquisitive look.
He was no longer his father's most beloved son. He began to support his eldest brother in fighting against him and began to favor his younger brothers.
As the crown prince, he was surrounded by wolves in front and tigers behind, making his position extremely precarious.
When his eighteenth brother died young, his father felt that he had no brotherly affection and was indifferent to his brother's death, so he deposed himself from his position as crown prince.
The following year, in order to stabilize the court, Ama reinstated himself.
It's ridiculous that a dynasty had two crown princes!
His younger brothers had long harbored ambitions to seize the throne, but he, as the crown prince who had already been deposed once, could suppress them.
The court was in chaos, with ministers vying for allegiance and princes fighting amongst themselves.
A few years later, he was undoubtedly crippled again, but this time he never recovered and remained imprisoned until the end of his life.
...
Startled awake from his dream, Yinreng was in a daze, unable to distinguish between reality and a dream.
Everything felt so real, so real that he couldn't believe it, and didn't want to believe it.
The dream never ended; Yinreng would have this dream every night after falling asleep.
The strange phenomenon forced him to pay attention, and he began to actively recall the details of his dreams during the day.
Until March of the 48th year of Kangxi's reign, when Kangxi expressed his intention to reinstate the crown prince, the news sparked another round of heated discussion.
Supporters, opponents, neutrals, those who were indifferent, and those stirring up trouble—the court was in an uproar, resembling a bustling marketplace.
At that time, Yinreng, unusually, did not abstain from drinking to drown his sorrows. He was practicing swordsmanship in the courtyard when he heard Zhang De's joyful voice deliver the news.
Yinreng paused, unable to describe his feelings, but then felt a deep sense of irony.
"Ha! Ha! Ha! How ridiculous, how ridiculous!" He couldn't help but roar to the sky, and the movements of his hands that had stopped resumed as he continued to wield his sword.
As his movements became faster and faster, Yinreng's anger grew stronger and stronger.
He kept replaying the contents of his dreams in his mind: his parents, brothers, wives, children, and everyone's face was filled with resentment towards him.
He disappointed his parents, disgusted his brothers, left his wives and concubines helpless, and left his children with no future.
Such a failure should just disappear!
The thought flashed by, but it took deep root in my mind and wouldn't go away.
The light in his eyes faded, and Yinreng felt utterly hopeless. He stared intently at the sword in his hand...
As if he had finally made a decision, he suddenly raised his sword and plunged it into his heart, his eyes filled with relief and relaxation.
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