After finishing his official duties, Emperor Yongzheng went to Lin Yun's bedchamber that evening. In the candlelight, he looked slightly tired, but his gaze remained sharp.
Lin Yun was coaxing Zhao Hua to sleep when she saw him come in. She gently put the child down and got up to greet him.
"Your Majesty, are you tired?" she asked softly, pouring him a cup of hot tea.
Yongzheng took the teacup, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Yun'er, I will be setting off for Fujian tomorrow to inspect the navy. You and the children will stay in Nanjing and I will bring you back to the capital when I return."
Upon hearing this, Lin Yun's heart tightened.
She grasped his hand, her eyes filled with worry: "Your Majesty, I am truly concerned about your journey alone. Fujian is a long way, and it borders the sea; if anything were to happen to you..."
Yongzheng chuckled and patted the back of her hand: "I am the emperor of a country, with guards by my side. What could possibly happen?"
You just stay here and take good care of Hongyao and Zhaohua.
Seeing his resolute expression, Lin Yun knew she could no longer persuade him, so she could only sigh softly, "Then Your Majesty must be careful. Your concubine will wait for you to return here."
She leaned on his shoulder, her voice trembling slightly, "Promise me you will take good care of yourself."
Yongzheng felt a warmth in his heart and lowered his head to kiss her forehead: "I promise you."
The two embraced for a moment, then reluctantly said goodbye.
Inside the Imperial Clan Court in the capital.
Hongli was locked in a dimly lit room, with the occasional sound of guards' footsteps coming from outside the window.
He sat at the table, tapping his fingertips lightly on the surface, a cold glint in his eyes.
Since being imprisoned, his situation has deteriorated day by day, and during his father's southern tour, he was completely forgotten.
"We can't just sit here and wait to die..." he muttered to himself.
In the dead of night, Hongli quietly summoned his trusted eunuch and handed him a secret letter: "You must personally deliver this to my maternal grandfather, Niohuru Lingzhu, without fail!"
The eunuch obeyed the order and slipped out of the Imperial Clan Court under the cover of night, heading straight for Niohuru's residence.
When Niohuru Lingzhu received the secret letter, he was enjoying tea in his study.
He unfolded the letter, which read: "Grandfather, there may be unforeseen events during Father's southern tour. Please spread rumors that he has been assassinated. This is our only chance to turn things around."
Lingzhu's hand trembled, and the teacup nearly fell.
His face turned deathly pale, and he murmured, "This...this is utterly treasonous!"
He looked around, as if afraid of being overheard, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
However, upon further reflection, the current emperor dotes on Consort Lin Yun and the twins, and Hongli has long since lost power.
If no action is taken soon, the Niohuru family may never rise to prominence.
"Fine, fortune favors the bold!" Ling Zhu gritted his teeth, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes.
He summoned several trusted confidants and whispered, "Go, secretly spread the word that the Emperor was assassinated during his southern tour and his fate is unknown!"
The confidant was shocked upon hearing this, but under Lingzhu's stern gaze, he had no choice but to nod in agreement.
A few days later, a shocking piece of news began to circulate in the streets and alleys of the capital.
"Have you heard? The Emperor was assassinated in the south!"
"Really? What should we do?"
"Shh—keep your voice down! Rumor has it that things are in chaos in the palace, but it hasn't been announced yet..."
The people were filled with anxiety, and discussions abounded in teahouses and taverns.
The rumors spread like wildfire, even reaching the imperial court.
Some officials also began to speculate in secret, and the political situation became turbulent.
The message was quickly intercepted by the secret guards, who sent it to Emperor Yongzheng overnight by carrier pigeon.
Inside the Fujian military camp, after reading the secret report, Yongzheng sneered repeatedly: "What a fine Hongli! What a fine Niohuru Lingzhu!"
Su Peisheng bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the capital is in chaos. Many officials have begun to secretly collude, and the Niohuru family is making frequent moves."
A cold glint flashed in Yongzheng's eyes, and he said indifferently, "In that case, I will play along with their act."
He picked up his brush and wrote a secret edict, handing it to his trusted guard: "Quickly deliver this edict to the Nanjing Imperial Palace and personally give it to the Imperial Concubine. There must be no mistakes." The guard obeyed and left.
Yongzheng then said to Su Peisheng, "Pass on my oral decree, ordering the Fujian naval commander to strengthen vigilance, and make the news of my 'assassination' more convincing."
Su Peisheng bowed and accepted the order, then hurriedly withdrew.
Emperor Yongzheng stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the night sky outside the window, his heart filled with barely suppressed anger.
He thought that after imprisoning Hongli, the man would behave himself, but he never expected him to be so bold!
He thought to himself, "Hongli is indeed a man who has been an emperor; his decisiveness in killing is comparable to that of his father."
Inside the Jinling Imperial Palace, Lin Yun was completely unaware of the changes taking place in the capital.
Half a month has passed since the Emperor left Nanjing, and the Jinling Imperial Palace remains as peaceful as ever.
Summer days at the foot of Zijin Mountain are exceptionally cool, with a gentle breeze rustling through the treetops and bringing the chirping of cicadas.
Lin Yun took Hongyao and Zhaohua to play in the palace every day, and the children's innocent laughter added a touch of life to the solemn palace.
However, Emperor Yongzheng, far away in Fujian, had no time to enjoy such leisure. He was busy inspecting the navy, reorganizing coastal defenses, and also had to attend to matters of state.
Despite his busy schedule, he still made sure to send messengers to Nanjing every day to inquire about Lin Yun and the children's well-being.
She spent her days reading and playing with the children, and occasionally summoned Daiyu to the palace for a chat; her days were peaceful.
On this day, Daiyu came to the imperial palace to pay her respects again.
The two were enjoying tea in the courtyard when Daiyu noticed a worry on Lin Yun's brow and asked softly, "Does Your Highness have something on your mind?"
Lin Yun snapped out of her reverie and forced a smile: "It's nothing, I'm just a little worried about the Emperor."
She paused, then said, "Yu'er, are you settling in well at the Jia family mansion? If you have any worries, feel free to tell me."
Daiyu lowered her head and took a sip of tea, then said softly, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I am doing well. It's just..." She hesitated, then stopped herself.
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