When Lao Ba woke up, he felt terrible all over. The pain and itching were like being gnawed by a thousand ants, and even the strong Lao Ba let out a muffled groan.
The sound startled Hongwang, who was dozing off beside him. His eyes were bloodshot and he looked sleep-deprived: "Father, you're awake."
For a long while, Lao Ba's eyes were unfocused. His gaze shifted downwards, and he saw his only child. He subconsciously tried to smile, but as soon as he moved his facial muscles, another sharp pain shot through him.
"Father, don't move yet, I'll go and call the imperial physician." Hongwang ran out quickly, then ran back.
"Father, I miss you so much, but Mother wouldn't let me visit you before," Hongwang whispered, expressing his longing.
The eighth brother wanted to reach out and touch the child's head, but in the end he gave up. His burns were just too severe: "Your mother did the right thing. Has anyone been making things difficult for you these days?"
Hongwang first nodded and then shook his head.
He looked at his father and said hesitantly, "The Emperor treats his son very well. He lets his son study in the Imperial Study and often asks about his studies."
“It’s just that Mother is so busy. I have to wait a long time to talk to her.” Hongwang said with some frustration, “Mother said that as long as Father comes back, she won’t be so busy.”
"Father, will the three of us no longer have to be separated?" Hongwang looked at Lao Ba with hopeful eyes.
The eighth prince was speechless for a long time. Just then, the imperial physician arrived.
He carefully changed the dressing on the Eighth Prince's burns and readjusted the prescription, instructing the palace maids to prepare the medicine for him on time: "Eighth Prince, although you have woken up now, the burns and infection are still very serious. You will have recurring high fevers recently, which is normal. As long as you continue to take the medicine, you will pull through."
"I am here on His Majesty's orders to stay in the palace for the time being. Please call me anytime if you feel unwell." The imperial physician was very humble and did not say much before turning and leaving.
The eighth prince looked around but didn't see Guo Luoluo: "Where is your mother?"
“I’m at home. Her Majesty the Empress said that it’s not convenient for noblewomen from outside the palace to live here, so I can live with Hongyan. That’s why I came here,” Hongwang said honestly.
Old Eight looked up at the sky, seemingly lost in thought: "Go and rest for a while. I don't need you to guard this place like this."
“Son isn’t sleepy.” After saying that, Hongwang couldn’t help but yawn.
"Go on, when you wake up, your father will ask you about your studies."
Seeing this, Hongwang left the ward, looking back every few steps, and went to the side hall. Before going to sleep, he was still wondering if there was still that article he hadn't memorized.
Not long after Hongwang left, Yinzhen arrived. He looked down at the Eighth Prince and sat down to one side: "I don't understand. You've gone to great lengths to return to the capital, even resorting to self-harm and disrespect for your ancestors. What are you planning to do next?"
The eighth prince opened his eyes with difficulty: "Please forgive me for not being able to perform the grand ceremony."
“Your Majesty has banished me to guard the imperial tombs. At first, I was filled with resentment, but later I came to understand. The victor is king, the loser is villain. I am grateful that my fourth brother spared my life.”
“Especially Hongwang, that child is being taken very well, and I am grateful to Your Majesty.”
Yinzhen was impatient to listen to him say this. He twirled his prayer beads and said, "The imperial physician just told me about your injuries. Even if you can fully recover, it will take at least several years, and there will be many aftereffects. Your right leg may even be left with a disability."
“If you live a peaceful life, I will not hesitate to grant Hongwang the title of Prince.”
This younger brother is now crippled, and if I were to kill them all, it wouldn't look good in the historical records. I didn't see Kangxi being particularly angry or upset, nor did he kill any of his sons; confinement was the best possible outcome for them.
“Brother, whether a person is an emperor or a commoner, as long as they have a weakness, they have a vulnerability. I consider myself to be fully armored and without any weaknesses. Is that true for you, Brother?” The Eighth Prince suddenly brought up a completely unrelated topic.
Yinzhen's face darkened: "You don't even care about Hongwang's life or death? He's your only son. I know your health condition; you can't have any more children."
The eighth brother chuckled: "Fourth brother, look at me, is it really that important whether I have descendants or not?"
“You’re different. The more you have, the more afraid you are of losing it.”
"The current Empress Ulanara changed her personality drastically after Honghui was born. It took me a long time to find her handwritten letters before and after giving birth."
“Your Majesty, don’t tell me you never noticed anything unusual about your spouse. I consulted many art appraisers, and they all said that the handwriting looks similar, but it was actually written by two different people.”
"Everyone's life experiences from childhood to adulthood result in unique writing habits; it is a person's signature."
"Your Majesty, I am very curious about where she comes from and how she replaced the original Ulanara clan. Does Lord Feiyanggu know? Does Honghui know?"
"Brother, don't you think the claim that the 'femme fatale' caused chaos in the country is quite misleading?"
At this point, Lao Ba coughed violently for a long time, even coughing up blood.
“My whole life has been nailed to the pillar of shame by my father’s words. He is my father, so I cannot blame him. But you, my brother, you stole my two brothers, and I ruined your empress. We’re even.”
"Hahaha." The Eighth Prince laughed maniacally, while Yinzhen sat calmly beside him, saying nothing.
"Su Peisheng, give him medicine every day, don't let him die. Hongwang is not allowed to visit, he should stay in the palace for now." Yinzhen walked out of the palace, wanting to go to Yikun Palace, but after thinking about it, he returned to Yangxin Hall.
"Any hints of discussion about the Empress outside the palace must be reported to me immediately." Yinzhen had already established an organization with many capable people working specifically for him.
The leader of the secret guards accepted the order and left.
Is Yi Hua acting strangely? Actually, it's quite obvious.
This woman always tried to hide her true colors, but unfortunately, they were a couple who lived together day and night, and after so many years, she had some suspicions.
However, Yinzhen dared not verify it. What if, just what if her identity was revealed, and the Yihua before him disappeared?
He finally had a warm home and several lovely children. He originally planned to live like this for the rest of his life, without exposing the truth or investigating further.
But unexpectedly, Lao Ba saw through his scheme.
The Eighth Prince is indeed meticulous and decisive. Yinzhen sighed, "If Father Emperor hadn't publicly denied his right to succession, it's hard to say who the people in the court would be more inclined to support now."
All Lao Ba could do was spread rumors. With so many people talking about it, Yi Hua became a demon.
Evil spirits cannot be tolerated in the imperial palace.
Yinzhen looked out the window for a long time before making up his mind.
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