After returning home, Su Peisheng went to Tong Cheng'er's courtyard to give a reply.
"Madam, the things have all been sent over, but we haven't seen the person."
Tong Cheng'er wasn't surprised: "You've put in the effort. It's good that the things have been delivered. I'll need your help these next few days. I can't attend to everything in the manor, so we can't afford any mishaps."
"That's natural."
Of the princes involved, only Prince Yong's residence was the most serious and disciplined. In the other residences, not to mention how chaotic things were, everyone was filled with anxiety.
Emperor Kangxi had been keeping an eye on his sons' residences. He was satisfied with Tong Cheng'er, who remained calm in the face of danger and had the demeanor of an empress. He had initially only noticed her laziness, but he never expected her to achieve this.
This is actually related to the simple relationships within the Yong Prince's Mansion. There is only one mistress in the backyard, which reduces the amount of infighting. When major events occur, there are fewer people trying to take advantage of the situation, making it easier to control the situation.
However, Emperor Kangxi would not have thought of this; he would only think that Tong Cheng'er was a good daughter-in-law.
Emperor Kangxi thought Tong Cheng'er was good, and everything she did was good.
So Tong Cheng'er unknowingly gained a lot of favor with Kangxi, and in Kangxi's mind, she already had the demeanor of an empress.
The Prince Yong's residence was very quiet, and no rumors or whispers came out.
Emperor Kangxi was aware of Su Peisheng's trip to the Imperial Clan Court to deliver the gifts, but he did not object. He simply wanted to use the opportunity to discipline his son, not to mistreat him.
Emperor Kangxi simply kept the man locked up without giving any explanation. It wasn't that some court officials wanted to find out what Emperor Kangxi was up to, but no one dared to be the first to speak up, so the entire court was trembling with fear.
Inside the Imperial Clan Court, Yinzhen and the Fifth Prince were in the same cell. Unlike ordinary cells, their cell was not dirty or messy. There were two beds in the cell, with new cotton quilts on them. There was also a table in the middle of the cell, with snacks and tea provided. Apart from the lack of freedom, their lives were better than those of ordinary farmers.
The Fifth Prince sighed, "I wonder what the situation is like outside."
You can't get any information here, but Yinzhen wasn't worried: "We're doing the right thing, Father Emperor won't keep us locked up all the time, there's no use worrying about these things now."
The Fifth Prince thought for a moment and said, "That's true."
Yinzhen and the Fifth Prince shared a cell, while the other princes were also in pairs, with the First Prince sharing a cell with the Third Prince.
The eldest prince looked down on the third prince, while the third prince resented the eldest prince's scheming. The two disliked each other, and living together naturally led to frequent bickering, almost to the point of physical fight.
Although the court officials dared not act arrogantly in front of Emperor Kangxi, they were quite active behind the scenes, especially the people of the First Prince and the Third Prince, who were never quiet for a moment.
The Eighth Prince's men were also making a fuss, but they were all hidden among the First Prince's men, so he couldn't be seen.
Yinzhen had a considerable amount of influence behind the scenes, but most of it was not in the capital. Those who were in the capital were well hidden and made no move.
Emperor Kangxi kept a close eye on the situation in the court. When he felt that the time was right, he ordered his sons to return to their respective residences from the Imperial Clan Court. However, there were requirements for their return; they could not leave without orders.
Tong Cheng'er believed in Yinzhen, but she still felt uneasy about him being in the Imperial Clan Court. Now that he was back, even if he was confined to his residence, just seeing him made her feel much more at ease.
"You're finally back. It's been almost half a month. Father Emperor, you really spared me time."
Imprisoning all adult sons except the crown prince and those who were not present was something no ordinary emperor would do.
"Father Emperor is probably just angry and wants to see what my brothers are capable of, so he did this. In a few days, there will probably be a major change in the court. Also, this time the Crown Prince is probably really going to be deposed."
It's hard to say what the crime is, but it's certain that the Crown Prince is in a bad situation; the only difference is the degree of his predicament.
Furthermore, Yinzhen also knew through other channels that the medicine given to the Crown Prince was damaging his health. His body, which could have been saved with careful recuperation, was now beyond saving and he might be sickly for the rest of his life.
"Who knows? Just don't involve us."
It wasn't that Tong Cheng'er was cold-hearted; among Yinzhen's brothers, apart from a few who were close to him, which one of them didn't wish for his misfortune?
Furthermore, she hadn't yet forgotten about the Crown Prince's scheme against Yinzhen!
Why should the crown prince be able to do whatever he wants? Everyone else is just a "baby" too.
Therefore, Tong Cheng'er was actually quite happy about the Crown Prince's impending doom.
Yinzhen smiled and said, "It definitely won't involve us, don't worry about that."
Yinzhen was relieved. There were guards outside the mansion, so he couldn't go out. His beautiful wife was with him inside. Yinzhen treated it as a vacation and didn't feel stifled by being confined at all.
When Kangxi learned from his secret guards that he was living such a leisurely life, he felt a moment of jealousy.
Thinking this way, Kangxi felt it was better to send him to work as soon as possible, so he wouldn't be an eyesore.
With this idea in mind, Kangxi quickly took action.
He sent the imperial physician to examine the crown prince's pulse, and then announced to the public that the crown prince was weak and should not be overworked... He went on and on about this, and then deposed the crown prince.
The moment the news broke, everyone had mixed feelings.
The crown prince has been deposed?
Logically speaking, the crown prince had committed a serious mistake and was likely to be deposed, but the fact that it happened gives people a sense of absurdity.
That was the crown prince who had been favored by Emperor Kangxi for nearly thirty years! He was deposed so easily because of his poor health.
When a play comes to an end, whether the outcome is good or bad, there are always feelings to reflect upon.
The fall of the crown prince also gives people this feeling.
Just as everyone was beginning to "comment" on the matter of deposing the crown prince, Kangxi made another move.
He summoned the eldest prince, then dismissed him from all his posts on the grounds of disrespect, and ordered him to be imprisoned in the Prince Zhi's residence, with soldiers assigned to guard him. Except for routine purchases by the Imperial Household Department, no one was allowed to enter or leave the Prince Zhi's residence.
This was very sudden. At least for the eldest prince's faction, who were feeling smug, it was like a bolt from the blue. They had schemed for so long and finally managed to defeat the crown prince, only to lose themselves in the end.
What kind of nonsense is this?!
However, once this incident occurred, everyone realized that there must be more to the story than meets the eye regarding the Crown Prince's estate, and it was highly likely that the First Prince was involved.
Inside Yuqing Palace, the deposed crown prince received the news, and with his unshaven beard, he immediately burst into laughter.
"He's so cunning; he got himself into a trap. He deserves it! Hahahaha..."
The crown prince was somewhat eccentric, but it was clear that he was very happy.
After the Crown Prince was deposed, the First Prince was imprisoned, and it seemed that his "return date was uncertain." The court fell silent, and no one dared to cause trouble at this critical juncture.
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