After Liang Jiugong entered, he greeted His Highness the Crown Prince, Prince Zhi, all the princes and their wives, and Princess Hexue!
"Eunuch Liang, please rise! Does Father have any instructions?" the Crown Prince asked.
"His Majesty heard about the Eleventh Prince's illness and, knowing that you and the other princes are here, wanted to inquire about the Eleventh Prince's condition. Therefore, he requests that you accompany this servant to the Qianqing Palace!" Liang Jiugong said.
"Very well, I will go right away!" the Crown Prince replied.
After Liang Jiugong finished speaking, he went outside to wait for the Crown Prince.
"Second brother, we'll go with you!" the eldest prince said.
"No need, elder brother! Father Emperor also said he only wants to see me alone, I can go by myself!" The Crown Prince did not want the eldest prince and the others to go with him.
"Brother Crown Prince, I'll go with you!" He Xue said to the Crown Prince.
"Eleventh Brother is alright now. I'll have someone escort you out of the palace!" the Crown Prince said.
"I don't want to! I want to go with you!" He Xue said firmly.
"Listen to me, you go out of the palace first!" the Crown Prince said, stroking He Xue's hair.
“I’m not a child anymore. I was the one who brought this up, so it’s my duty to explain to my uncle, the Emperor!” He Xue said firmly.
"Second Prince, stop arguing. Let's go together. I'll make the decision on this!" the eldest prince said.
"Alright then!" The crown prince had no choice but to agree.
Seeing so many people following the Crown Prince, Liang Jiugong was overwhelmed and said in a fawning manner, "Prince Zhi, brothers, His Majesty only said he wanted to see His Highness the Crown Prince!"
“Eunuch Liang, we should also pay our respects to Father Emperor for the New Year. Let’s go together! Does Father Emperor not allow us to go?” the eldest prince said, his eyes wide.
"Your Highness is joking!" Liang Jiugong said with a forced smile.
“Eunuch Liang, I will explain this to Father Emperor myself!” The Crown Prince said, knowing that Liang Jiugong was in a difficult position.
Seeing this, Liang Jiugong stopped talking.
Emperor Kangxi paced back and forth in the Qianqing Palace, never expecting that the Crown Prince would give him such a grand gift on the first day of the new year.
He heard early in the morning that the Crown Prince had invited a Western doctor to the palace, saying it was to treat the Eleventh Prince's illness. The Crown Prince was really bold, daring to bring a foreigner into the palace without permission.
Although he was angry, he still had to handle the matter properly for the Crown Prince, otherwise those idle censors would make a fuss about it again.
"Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived!" Liang Jiugong reported to Emperor Kangxi.
"Let him in!" Kangxi said.
“Your Majesty, Prince Zhi and the other princes have also come!” Liang Jiugong said cautiously.
"What are they doing here?" Kangxi asked, puzzled.
"They said they came to wish you a Happy New Year!" Liang Jiugong said, bowing his head.
Emperor Kangxi roughly guessed what was going on. They must have come with the Crown Prince. This was to prevent him from blaming the Crown Prince. Kangxi was unsure whether to be pleased with the brotherhood between the Crown Prince and the First Prince or angry that the First Prince and his group had come to annoy him.
"Let them get in here!" Kangxi said irritably.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Liang Jiugong bowed his head and went out to invite the Crown Prince and the others inside.
After the Crown Prince and others paid their respects to Emperor Kangxi, Kangxi did not allow them to rise.
Kangxi looked at the Crown Prince and the others kneeling below, "This is truly excellent. Except for a few minor ones, everyone is here!"
Kangxi suddenly noticed that He Xue was also there. "He Xue, what are you doing here?"
"Uncle Emperor, I've come to beg for forgiveness. It was all my idea. If you have any questions or punishments, come at me!" He Xue looked like she was going to her death.
"Father, I agreed to this matter, and I brought the person into the palace. I am willing to take full responsibility!" the Crown Prince said.
"Father, your subjects are also willing to take on this responsibility!" the eldest prince and the others said in unison.
"Heh! I've seen people fawning, but I've never seen anyone begging for punishment!" Kangxi looked at the kneeling man, both amused and exasperated. "Crown Prince, what's going on here?"
"Yes!" The Crown Prince then told Kangxi the whole story in detail, taking all the responsibility upon himself.
"Your Highness, do you know what crime it is to bring someone into the palace without permission? And you even let a foreigner into the palace!" Kangxi questioned.
"Your subject knows his crime! Your subject is willing to accept punishment!" The Crown Prince kowtowed heavily.
Kangxi noticed that Hexue looked indignant. "Hexue, what do you want to say?"
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