Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Kangxi first inquired about Honghui's injuries, then asked about Yihua's pregnancy, before suddenly changing the subject: "Fourth Prince, do you think Honghui's fall from his horse was an accident or a man-made disaster?"
Yinzhen's heart skipped a beat. He immediately knelt on the ground, his expression tearful and plaintive: "Father, ever since I had Honghui, I have raised him like a precious jewel. His mother had a difficult birth, and she was always afraid that something might happen to this child, so she watched him like the apple of her eye."
“Honghui is well-behaved, sensible, clever and quick-witted. Your son is very satisfied, and Father Emperor, you are also very satisfied.”
"But it was this very satisfaction that became the catalyst for Honghui's murder." Yinzhen raised his head, his tone filled with anger and lingering fear. "If I were to say it was a natural disaster, would you truly believe me?"
Emperor Kangxi sighed. He wondered where the fourth prince got his straightforward temper from, daring to speak such hurtful words so bluntly in front of the emperor.
"After Honghui was brought into the palace yesterday, I sent people to investigate. Here is the conclusion. Take a look." Kangxi handed over a memorial.
Yinzhen took it with both hands above his head, quickly glanced at it, and found that it told a story.
The Imperial Stables acquired a fine horse, and the person in charge, wanting to curry favor with his superiors, secretly gifted it to the Crown Prince's son, Hongxi.
Prince Zhi's son, Hongyu, had reached the age to learn riding and archery, and Consort Hui in the palace had privately instructed him to keep an eye out for news about top-quality horses.
Both masters had their eyes on this little mare, but then the Fourteenth Prince intervened and took the right of first choice from Emperor Kangxi.
The Minister of the Imperial Stables, who had secretly promised to send the horse away, was now in a predicament. In order not to offend the Crown Prince, he devised a plan to shift the blame, hoping to make Honghui suffer a little and dislike the horse.
The ladies in the palace knew that the horse could injure people, and Prince Hongyu was weak, so naturally they wouldn't fight over it.
The little red horse was naturally given to Hongxi.
Unexpectedly, it wasn't the little mare that got caught, but rather the Fourteenth Prince's mount, Crazy Girl, which caused things to escalate.
Upon further investigation, it was discovered that the servants of the Imperial Stables had mistakenly identified the feeding trough and accidentally swapped the rations of the two horses.
Therefore, this incident was half accidental and half man-made.
The Chief of the Imperial Stables has been imprisoned.
After reading the memorial, Yinzhen lowered his eyes and remained silent.
The person who wrote the memorial was very skilled, as he dragged in several families with imperial grandsons. If it weren't for Prince Cheng's inability to lift heavy objects and his refusal to ride a horse, there would probably have been a story about the Third Prince involved as well.
At the same time, it downplays the seriousness of the matter, recounting an absurd story in a detailed and convincing manner that it almost seems true.
However, Yinzhen still remembered Cai Zuosi's words, saying that this was a horse that the Emperor had specifically ordered to be reserved for Honghui.
The truth is revealed in the details. Everyone here wants the pony to be real, but how did the crazy girl go mad? There's more to it than meets the eye.
"I know it sounds absurd," Kangxi said, "but after several investigations, it is indeed the truth. In the end, it was my words that caused this disaster."
Yinzhen immediately knelt down and kowtowed: "It is Honghui who is unlucky. Father Emperor is too kind. Your son thanks Father Emperor for his great kindness on behalf of Honghui. However, there are many people in the palace, and the imperial physician also said that both the mother and child need to rest. Your son has come to bid farewell to Father Emperor and will take the Fujin and Honghui back now."
"Let's go, you should rest for a few more days. The Ministry of Revenue's affairs are not important." Kangxi generously granted Yinzhen a leave of absence.
"Your son thanks Your Majesty for your consideration. Once Honghui is able to walk, your son will bring him to pay his respects to Your Majesty."
"Okay, okay."
After Yinzhen left, Kangxi stared at the memorial for a long time, then suddenly picked it up and tore it to shreds.
Liang Jiugong stood motionless in the shadows, even slowing his breathing.
"How dare he?! Honghui is just a five-year-old child!" Kangxi said angrily. "I only dote on one of my grandsons, and that makes him uneasy?"
"None of them are easy to deal with."
Thinking of Yinzhen's slightly hunched back before he left, Emperor Kangxi couldn't bear it and bestowed upon him a generous reward.
******
After bidding farewell to Consort De, Yinzhen quickly transported the two sick people back to the mansion. The mansion had already made preparations. Honghui did not return to his own room, but was placed next to Yihua's bed.
The mother and son could see each other as soon as they looked up, chatting and laughing, creating an atmosphere far superior to that in the palace.
After getting up very early and playing with his fourteenth uncle for a long time, Honghui fell asleep after taking his medicine.
The servants filed out, and Yi Hua, back home, was finally able to ask, "Master, have you found any clues?"
Yinzhen pursed his lips, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Father's investigation revealed it to be a coincidence, but I don't believe it!"
"They are just a few of my brothers and a few concubines in the palace." Yinzhen's voice was almost inaudible. "But there is only one person who can make Father Emperor clean up the mess so flawlessly."
The answer was obvious, and Yi Hua gritted her teeth, feeling hatred for the first time.
"However, there were people who fanned the flames, some who went with the flow, and some who watched from the sidelines. Only those three fools were brought into the open." Yinzhen continued, "Yihua, believe me, this matter will never be left so muddled by me."
After enduring the pain all day, Yi Hua finally revealed her vulnerability, leaning on Yin Zhen's shoulder. In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Yin Zhen felt that half of his shoulder was soaked with sweat.
"Stop crying like that. You're pregnant. You shouldn't experience extreme joy or sorrow."
Yinzhen suddenly thought of something: "We also need to keep a tight rein on our household, otherwise how could the news that the master might be pregnant have spread so quickly?"
"What does Master mean?" Yi Hua suddenly felt a little alarmed. She had never been harsh on her servants since she transmigrated. She had always been kind and strict, and her monthly allowance and rewards were always generous. Could it be that under this seemingly harmonious facade, someone was actually watching Hong Hui with malicious eyes?
Thinking this, Yi Hua became restless, feeling as if she were surrounded by eyes everywhere.
Yinzhen comforted Yihua: "Think about it, what a coincidence! Honghui's accident just happened when your pregnancy was unstable. The person behind it all wanted to kill two birds with one stone."
Yi Hua touched her belly, trying to bolster her courage: "How ridiculous! Hong Hui has won the Emperor's favor. Is the person behind this afraid that the one in my belly will surpass him?"
"Don't be afraid. Focus on getting better first. It's better to stay calm and not do anything right now. Once your pregnancy is more stable and this matter has passed for a while, we can catch you off guard," Yinzhen suggested.
He can't take any other action now, after all, he just made a statement to his father.
But a gentleman takes his revenge even after ten years; let's wait and see.
Two days later, news came from the palace that the Crown Princess had been reprimanded for being jealous of her pregnant concubine after years of childlessness and for using despicable means to cause her to miscarry.
It was Emperor Kangxi himself who reprimanded her; these were golden words, and the Crown Princess was in grave danger.
When Yinzhen received the news, he chuckled to himself. The old man, after all, loved his son dearly and blamed the Crown Princess for not being good at raising her son.
However, who says that the crown prince will get through this smoothly?
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