Yinreng still discovered that Tong Guining was not in the East Palace. He went to Hongzhao's room, stood there looking at his sleeping son for a long time, and then turned back to his study.
He sat at the table for a long time, asking, "Has the Crown Princess returned?"
"Your Highness, not yet."
This was the third time he had asked: "Send the message out, take action immediately!"
After saying this, Yinreng put on his crown prince's court robes and strode confidently toward the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
Liang Jiugong was taking a midday rest. He usually had a special room to rest in, and at night only his disciples and grand-disciples would need to keep watch. However, the emperor was currently capricious and could not bear to see his disciples and grand-disciples die one by one, so he dragged his old arms and legs around the clock to keep watch.
Fortunately, the Emperor has been very calm at night these past few days. Liang Jiugong is a light sleeper, and he immediately gets up when he hears footsteps.
Upon seeing the visitor, he was somewhat surprised and lowered his voice to say, "This servant greets Your Highness the Crown Prince. The Emperor has not yet summoned you, and it is already late at night. You may return now."
"I dreamt of my mother, and she asked me to convey a few words to my father. I really can't sleep and want to share them with my father as soon as possible. Please convey my message," Yinreng said sincerely.
Liang Jiugong hesitated for a moment, then looked behind Yinreng: "General Cheng wasn't guarding the door, so how did he manage to barge in?"
Yinreng laughed heartily, without lowering his voice at all, and looked up into the room: "General Cheng, please invite Eunuch Liang to have some tea. I want to have a chat with my father."
Liang Jiugong looked at General Cheng, who was fully armored and had his hand on his sword sheath. He then turned his gaze to the dark night, where countless guards protected the imperial city. What should have been the safest place had become fraught with danger under the cover of night.
“Your Highness, the Emperor has not summoned you. Please return first and come again tomorrow morning. The late Empress and the Emperor were deeply in love; a little extra time won’t make a difference,” Liang Jiugong earnestly advised.
"Let him in." Kangxi's voice came from inside the room; he had been awakened by the noise outside.
"Yes." Liang Jiugong lowered his head and let the Crown Prince in, then stopped General Cheng. The Crown Prince nodded and told him to stand guard outside the door, as the deployment of the Imperial City Army would take time, and it would be good for General Cheng to provide support from outside.
"Is there anything the Empress wishes to say to me?" Kangxi asked, sitting on the footstool of the bed in his pajamas, without pursuing the Crown Prince's crime of startling the emperor in the middle of the night.
"Mother said she... died a terrible death! Mother questioned Father why he didn't avenge her! She questioned me why I let the villains go unpunished!" the Crown Prince said ominously. "She was covered in blood and looked completely different from the portrait. I didn't even recognize her."
"The eldest son is already deposed. What else do you want? Do you want Consort Hui to be buried with him?" Kangxi asked.
"Hahaha, Consort Hui? What is she? Without your tacit approval, would she dare to lay a hand on the Empress Dowager, the mother of the nation, with the Tong family standing behind her! You are the real culprit who killed the Empress Dowager." The Crown Prince spoke his mind in a somewhat manic manner. "You were afraid that your son would find out the truth sooner or later and avenge the Empress Dowager, so you kept a close watch on your son. To put it bluntly, you could hear every fart your son made in Yuqing Palace."
"You hate me?" Kangxi was clearly puzzled. "You were born the rightful crown prince, and the throne will be yours after I pass away. What do you have to complain about?"
"Since Father Emperor believes that the throne will belong to me in the future, why did you depose me! Without me to keep them in check, my brothers' wolves in sheep's clothing have started to show their ambitions, and you're using me as a shield again. I'm such a pathetic Crown Prince. Is Father Emperor now thinking about how to rightfully depose the Crown Prince for the second time?"
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Father Emperor doesn't really think you can live to be a hundred years old, does he?"
"You've been sleeping quite well these past few days, haven't you?" The Crown Prince looked at the empty teacup on the table. "I think it's better to live a few days of carefree life than to suffer continuously. Hahaha, the medicine powder that Eighth Prince gave me is working like a charm!"
"You unfilial son, you have taken my medicine!" Only then did Kangxi truly lose his temper.
"It's all because of your previous ruthless crackdown on the Imperial Medical Academy, Father. They're so afraid that they'd switch sides with just a little temptation from their son. After all, how much longer can your health hold out?"
"Three months? Maybe only one month, hahaha."
Emperor Kangxi extended a trembling finger, grabbed a pillow, and threw it at the Crown Prince: "Killing one's father and emperor is an outrage against Heaven!"
"No, Father Emperor, once I become the emperor, I will be the law, and what I say will be the truth. Just watch how I govern this land!" The Crown Prince calculated the time and felt it was about time, so he shouted loudly, "General Cheng, why don't you lend me a hand!"
The door opened with a bang.
Liang Jiugong entered the room carrying General Cheng's head: "Your Majesty, all the rebels have been executed. The Tenth Prince and the Fourteenth Prince have taken over the defense of the capital. The Imperial Palace is being guarded by Prince Yu himself. Yuqing Palace has been surrounded. Please give your instructions."
Yinreng's face paled slightly, and he turned his gaze to the screen: "Father, the Crown Princess is with you, am I right?"
Tong Guining hid behind the screen, covering her mouth, not daring to utter a single word.
After obtaining strong evidence of the Crown Prince's rebellion, she originally intended to return to Yuqing Palace unnoticed, but she suddenly felt something was wrong halfway there.
Did the Crown Prince really not discover her whereabouts tonight? He might be searching for her all over the palace right now.
Tong Guining had a bold idea. She went directly to the Hall of Mental Cultivation and revealed her suspicions about the Crown Prince's plans. She wanted to use the credit for her report to give her son a peaceful future.
“My son had roughly foreseen today’s outcome before she returned to Yuqing Palace. It’s just a pity for all the loyal soldiers who followed him.” Yinreng smiled. “I lost, and you didn’t win either.”
"Father, your son will go ahead first, and wait with Mother for you to come and reunite as a family!" After saying this, the Crown Prince was about to bang his head against the pillar, but Liang Jiugong stopped him in time.
"I have had more than twenty sons in my life, but you are the one I love and rely on the most. In the end, you are the one who hurt me the most." Kangxi rubbed his temples. "Imprison the Crown Prince and never let him out. Those who participated in the rebellion today will have their entire families executed. Let... Prince Yu handle this case, with Prince Yong assisting."
"Tong Guining, execute him."
"Hongzhao, send him to the Dowager Consort for proper care, and do not harm him. The rest of the children stay with the Crown Prince... Depose the Crown Prince and strengthen his guard."
When Tong Guining heard the ending, her body finally stopped trembling. She knew that she had uncovered so many secrets today, and she was definitely not going to survive.
Fortunately, she gave Hongzhao a bright future with her own life.
As the legitimate son of the crown prince, what does it matter if he loses his freedom and lives?
It was a pity that she could not go back to see it one last time. Tong Guining took the poisoned wine and drank it all in one gulp without hesitation.
Hongzhao, you must strive to live on.
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