The Crown Prince's behavior was what Emperor Kangxi cared about most.
Emperor Kangxi was displeased to learn that the Crown Prince had smiled after learning that he had contracted malaria. However, despite his displeasure, Kangxi did not condemn the Crown Prince outright, as he was, after all, the successor he had carefully groomed.
Even if a seemingly genuine smile were enough to discredit the crown prince, Kangxi couldn't bring himself to do it.
Therefore, even though his condition had improved, Kangxi's primary concern remained the Crown Prince's actions.
As expected, Kangxi asked the question, but Liang Jiugong was somewhat taken aback. He had been busy taking care of Kangxi recently and hadn't really paid much attention to the Crown Prince.
"This servant noticed that the Crown Prince and all the princes are very concerned about His Majesty's safety. The Crown Prince is practically standing guard outside the door."
What Liang Jiugong said was true; the Crown Prince was eager to make a good impression, so his outward appearances would naturally be impeccable.
Kangxi nodded upon hearing this, feeling somewhat relieved, thinking that perhaps the guards had misread the smile.
Ultimately, Emperor Kangxi still refused to believe that the crown prince he had raised would wish for his death.
Kangxi asked a few more questions, then felt a little tired and closed his eyes to fall asleep.
The crown prince, however, became increasingly agitated. He was only now beginning to realize what he had been doing these past few days, and to be honest, he hadn't done anything completely flawless.
So the anxious crown prince, while feeling uneasy, began to clean up the mess, trying to make himself appear more sincere.
While the Crown Prince was dealing with the aftermath, the First Prince was not idle either. He sent people to follow the Crown Prince's men, and no matter how the Crown Prince dealt with the aftermath, the First Prince would have his men cause trouble, making the Crown Prince suffer greatly.
Then the eldest prince discovered Lianxiang's existence.
Men and women are different, really. With her delicate and unfamiliar face, she suddenly appeared beside the Crown Prince. The First Prince's men thought she was someone extraordinary and began to pay attention to her.
If no one pays attention, that's fine, but once they do, their secret will be exposed. Besides, Lianxiang is just a beautiful woman who has been trained to be a lady-in-waiting. She has many ways to please men, but she doesn't really understand the power struggles between people.
In addition, she was somewhat resentful after being suddenly neglected by the Crown Prince, which led to her being tricked into revealing information by the First Prince's men.
The First Prince's men reported in his study: "Your Majesty, this servant has discovered that the Crown Prince slept with a woman while His Majesty was seriously ill."
Upon hearing this, the eldest prince's eyes lit up: "Tell me in detail."
"The woman favored by the Crown Prince was given to him by one of his officials, and she is still being raised by his side! According to the girl, the Crown Prince has often been fooling around with her in the room."
The eldest prince smiled and said, "You did a good job. Send someone to keep an eye on things, so the crown prince's people don't notice."
The eldest prince thought that the crown prince was really going to suffer now. How could he dare to seek pleasure while his father was seriously ill? Wasn't this just handing over a handle to him?
Now that they've handed us leverage, we can't just not use it!
There's a saying that goes something like, "Heaven is helping me," and that's exactly how the eldest prince feels right now.
Two days later, Kangxi had fully recovered from his illness, and the Crown Prince believed that the aftermath was almost settled.
After Emperor Kangxi recovered from his illness, he summoned all his sons to his presence.
"I am deeply comforted by your thoughtfulness during my illness, and the Crown Prince's contribution in stabilizing the rear in the capital during this campaign is invaluable..."
Emperor Kangxi first praised the Crown Prince, and then praised his other sons, which moved the Crown Prince and the others deeply.
"...Now that my illness has been cured, make preparations and we will depart early tomorrow morning."
The Crown Prince and others replied, "Yes, Father Emperor."
After saying this, Kangxi then told everyone to go back.
After they had all left, Kangxi said to Liang Jiugong, "I have been recuperating in bed these past few days. The sun is shining brightly today, so come with me for a walk."
Liang Jiugong: "Yes, sir."
Emperor Kangxi lived in a villa belonging to a wealthy local family. They had plenty of money and good taste, so the villa was quite well-built.
Emperor Kangxi took Liang Jiugong for a walk.
In the villa, surrounded by guards, Kangxi did not bring many attendants. As the two walked, they eventually reached a secluded place.
Just as Emperor Kangxi was about to remark that the scenery in the garden was quite pleasant, he suddenly heard the voices of two maids talking from another path across the artificial hill.
"Sister Peilan, I heard that the Crown Prince sent you to serve Miss Lianxiang. Even when His Majesty was seriously ill, the Crown Prince still did not forget to favor Miss Lianxiang. It can be seen that Miss Lianxiang must have something special. Your good days with her are yet to come."
"Sister Qingyuan, don't even mention it. Miss Lianxiang is so gentle and considerate in front of the Crown Prince, always putting on a kind face. I heard that the Crown Prince has been in a bad mood these past two days, and Miss Lianxiang has suffered a lot because of it. I only made a slight tremor in my hand while carrying water, and Miss Lianxiang made me kneel for half an hour. I almost ruined my knees."
"It shouldn't be that bad, right?"
"How could it not be like that? Miss Lianxiang was sent to the Crown Prince's room during His Majesty's serious illness. She was originally sent by the officials below to amuse the Crown Prince. She was not a young lady from a wealthy family, so her upbringing was naturally not presentable. She could only pretend to be proper in front of the Crown Prince. In front of the servants who served her, her true nature was revealed without a doubt."
"I heard that Miss Lianxiang was trained in Yangzhou. Logically speaking, that shouldn't be the case!"
One of the most famous things about Yangzhou is the "Yangzhou Slim Horses," who learn how to serve men from a young age. Logically, they shouldn't be this arrogant.
"At first, Miss Lianxiang was indeed gentle and very kind to the servants. It's because she was upset by the Crown Prince and had no choice but to take it out on her servants. I don't know why the Crown Prince took a liking to such a thing."
"What do you know? This Lianxiang girl may not be as good as the ones in the Crown Prince's harem, but she has more tricks up her sleeve! Officials' daughters are taught propriety and morality from a young age, while Yangzhou courtesans are taught how to please men. How can they be the same?"
"No wonder! I knew it!"
As the two spoke, Liang Jiugong held his breath, his face filled with unconcealed terror. He desperately wanted to gag the two maids, but Kangxi listened calmly.
The sound gradually faded into the distance and eventually disappeared.
After everyone left, Kangxi asked, "Liang Jiugong, do you think the Crown Prince really did it?"
During his serious illness, he indulged in unrestrained pleasure with the "slim girls" of Yangzhou in his room.
Liang Jiugong couldn't help but start shivering.
He would rather not have come out today; after serving as a servant for so long, the last thing a servant wants to know is these private matters.
"This servant thinks the timing of these two people's appearance is too coincidental, and there may be some inside story."
The Crown Prince is His Majesty's precious darling. Even if the Crown Prince really did something wrong, Liang Jiugong wouldn't dare to say anything bad about him. The Crown Prince was personally taught by His Majesty. To speak ill of the Crown Prince would be to deny His Majesty's teaching achievements!
Liang Jiugong understood this simple principle very well.
The two maids were quite abrupt, and Kangxi knew it was too much of a coincidence. However, what they said might not be false. Such lies were too easy to expose, so there was no need to lie.
With a sigh, Kangxi said, "Clean it up. The Crown Prince has worked hard during my illness, and I don't want to hear any rumors."
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