Nian Gengyao returned to the capital this time to report on his duties, hoping to advance his career, but unexpectedly he has now lost even his official position.
The imperial decree was vague, only stating that Consort Nian had committed a grave error, not only sending herself to the Cold Palace but also implicating three generations of the Nian family.
Now, Nian Gengyao's wife is making a scene at home every day: "You only care about your sister, but don't you care about your son at all? Now the Emperor's decree is absolute, our son cannot enter officialdom, and he stays at home drinking every day. What are we going to do?!"
Feeling impatient and restless at home, Nian Gengyao prepared gifts and began visiting each household, hoping for a new turning point.
Without exception, they were turned away for several days.
Nian Gengyao ate his meal at the restaurant looking disheveled. Those who had previously greeted him with respect kept their distance. Nian Gengyao felt like a plague carrier, being shunned and disliked.
Suddenly, Nian Gengyao smelled a fragrance, and a veiled woman sat opposite him.
At first glance, Nian Gengyao felt she looked familiar, and upon closer inspection, he exclaimed, "Eighth Prince's wife?"
"I thought Lord Nian was quite forgetful, not even knowing which way the Eighth Prince's gate faces." Guo Luoluo said sarcastically, after all, before Yinzhen ascended the throne, Nian Gengyao and the Eighth Prince were closer.
"I wonder how Eighth Master is doing these days?" Nian Gengyao asked in a low voice, a thought stirring in his heart.
"The Eighth Prince has been sent by the Emperor to guard the Imperial Mausoleum. He cannot eat meat or wine, and he has to do everything himself. Lord Nian, do you think this kind of life is good?" The Eighth Prince's wife said through gritted teeth.
“Of course, Lord Nian can live such a life back in his hometown,” Guo Luoluo said with a smile. “I just don’t know if Lord Nian would be content with that.”
"If the Princess Consort has any good ideas to save the Nian family from this predicament, the Nian family will be eternally grateful," Nian Gengyao said tentatively.
“I am just a woman, what can I do?” Guo Luoluo said meaningfully, “But Eighth Prince is different. He still has many old subordinates. As long as Eighth Prince can return to the capital, you will have a place to stand.”
“As you said, Eighth Prince has many former subordinates, some of whom still hold high positions. These people cannot help Eighth Prince return to the capital. What good solutions can someone like me, who is about to be expelled from the capital, possibly have?” Nian Gengyao said self-deprecatingly.
“You are different from them. They are worried about their future and reputation. What do you have to worry about now?” After saying this, Guo Luoluo got up and left. “I have said all I have to say. Whether you do it or not is up to you.”
Nian Gengyao took a big bite of a slice of beef and made up his mind.
He ordered his men to buy a lot of kerosene from separate shops, and under the pretext of delivering vegetables to the imperial tombs, he sneaked in and handed the kerosene to the Eighth Prince.
“Eighth Master, nothing can be established without destruction. You are now imprisoned, and if you want to get out, we will have to resort to extraordinary measures,” Nian Gengyao said fiercely.
The eighth brother, smelling the strong kerosene fumes in the air, had a shifty look in his eyes. Nian Gengyao wanted him to burn down his ancestors' graves. Such a shocking thing was something he couldn't even imagine without making a mistake.
"Liang Gong, you look much more haggard. I've been in the Imperial Mausoleum for so long, and this is the first time I've seen you. Let's not talk about my leaving the Imperial Mausoleum. Is there anything troubling you, Liang Gong? I'm free now, so maybe I can give you some advice." Lao Ba coaxed patiently. He seemed to be putting himself in a lowly position, but in reality, he was still looking down on people.
Nian Gengyao hesitated for a moment before revealing the whole story: "The Empress Dowager is useless, and the Emperor is using our Nian family as a scapegoat. Now I am also desperate and beg Eighth Prince for help."
"I've been at the imperial mausoleum for a while now and have figured out a lot of things. To strike a snake at its vital point, what do you think is most important to the emperor?"
"Of course, it's imperial power!"
"Yes, besides that, he is now the emperor with absolute power, what else could he care about?"
“In the past, I always thought that besides the throne, what the fourth brother cared about most was Honghui. That kid is truly blessed. Not only me, but even the second brother is envious and jealous.”
"That's why I've taken action against Honghui multiple times."
"Now that I look at it again, I feel that something is wrong. Honghui is certainly very important, but in Lao Si's heart, there is someone more important than him."
"It's the Empress!" Nian Gengyao exclaimed in realization.
“Yes, we used to think it was a mother's status that depended on her son, but now we think it might be a son's status that depended on his mother.” Old Eight made the final decision.
"The fourth prince's inner circle has always been very stable because there are only a few people in total. The people bestowed by the Empress Dowager have either died or gone into seclusion one after another. Even so, no one has been able to find fault with the Empress."
"Empress Dowager had a natural advantage in status, yet she was still dealt with by the Empress. How could all this have happened without the Fourth Prince's backing?!"
"Therefore, if you want to change the Emperor's mind, you can only start with this Empress!"
Eighth Master said a long string of words, then took a sip of water: "I also want to thank Liang Gong for coming to talk to me."
Nian Gengyao cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for clearing up my doubts, Eighth Master."
That night, a fire broke out in a side hall of the imperial mausoleum, burning most of the ancestral tablets. Only a few were salvaged by the Eighth Prince.
The Eighth Prince's face was half burned, and burn marks were visible all over his body. The doctor could only give him basic treatment. He was carried back to the capital unconscious and is now being treated by the imperial physicians.
With a dark expression, Yinzhen stared at the thick smoke billowing outside the capital. He then looked away, lost in thought.
Yi Hua draped a coat over him: "Your Majesty, is this all a staged performance?"
"Even you noticed, Eighth Prince used a self-inflicted injury ruse." Yinzhen rarely suffered a setback, and he was somewhat dejected. "He really is a persistent ghost."
"I just glanced at it, and the burns are very severe." Yi Hua had to admire Lao Ba. This wasn't the medically advanced Qing Dynasty. In this era where even a cold or fever could be fatal, daring to treat himself like this was truly gambling with his life.
"Since that's the case, then I'll grant his wish." I originally intended to keep him out of sight and out of mind by placing him in the imperial mausoleum, but who would have thought he would pull such a stunt.
Su Peisheng stepped forward and reported: "Your Majesty, this servant has discovered that before the fire tonight, Lord Nian Gengyao had visited the imperial mausoleum."
"Ah, I see." Yinzhen was puzzled. The Eighth Prince hadn't been this crazy before. It turned out that someone had given him some guidance.
"Tell the Nian family to get out of here right now. Keep an eye on them, and if they make any unusual moves, kill them without mercy." Yinzhen's eyes were filled with murderous intent. He was not a bloodthirsty person, but some people were just asking for death.
"Eighth Prince's wife also submitted a memorial requesting an audience, wanting to come to the palace to take care of Eighth Prince."
"Tell her to get out too."
"By the way, bring Hongwang in; it's his duty to take care of Father when he's ill."
Su Peisheng hurriedly made the arrangements.
"Your Majesty, you don't seem very angry," Yi Hua asked.
“Before, the enemy was in the dark while we were in the light, and Lao Ba didn’t make any moves, so I couldn’t give him a false charge.”
"Now that he's showing his face, things are much easier. I'll crush him sooner or later!"
Yinzhen clenched his fist. He could not only tolerate the well-behaved brothers, but also gradually give them power. As for the unruly brothers, it would be better for them to die!
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