Chapter 180: Karma and Retribution. Inside the Imperial Clan Court's prison, Eighth Master's expression was calm...
Inside the Imperial Clan Court's prison, the Eighth Prince sat calmly and upright, his every action suggesting he was still residing in his own residence. However, his composed face showed a slight change upon hearing the indistinct greetings from outside. A moment later, his gaze swept over a corner of his bright yellow dragon robe, and he smiled as he knelt in homage.
Yinreng stopped, his gaze sharp as a dagger as he looked at him. "Did you think I came here to hear your accusations against your accomplices?" Since entering prison, the Eighth Prince had remained silent about the treason, only saying he wanted to see the Emperor. But Yinreng no longer cared whether there were others involved besides the Eighth Prince, because he was determined not to let anyone connected to the Eighth Prince escape.
The Eighth Prince chuckled softly, raised his eyes, and asked slowly, "How is Prince Hongxi? I think His Majesty is benevolent and would not kill his own son."
Yinreng's chest heaved heavily twice, and he gritted his teeth as he spoke, "Hongxi reported you to me long ago. This time, it's just that my son and I joined forces to expose you, this traitor."
Unexpectedly, the Eighth Prince burst into laughter upon hearing this, his mocking laughter filling the entire prison cell: "The Emperor is indeed a benevolent father, even covering for his own son who is forcing him to abdicate." His eyes suddenly turned crazed and vicious. "But no matter how the Emperor tries to cover it up, the First Prince's patricide and regicide are facts. I can't help but wonder what the Emperor is feeling right now. Just thinking about it makes me feel incredibly satisfied."
Yinreng was not swayed by his words, and said emphatically, "I have far more than just Hongxi as a son. Even if one falls, there's another." He smiled coldly, "But you are different; your lineage is dwindling. Hongwang even submitted a memorial this morning. Do you want to know what he wrote?"
"What else could it be?" Eighth Prince said nonchalantly. "Is he trying to sever ties with me or, like Yue Xing'a of the Tong family, denounce his own father?" He raised an eyebrow and sneered, "Wasn't that exactly what the Emperor wanted when he allowed Hongwang to establish his own residence? He wanted to see how estranged we father and son would become, how we would turn against each other?"
Yinreng interrupted him: "You're wrong. Hongwang submitted a memorial to plead for you." Seeing the Eighth Prince's eyes widen, he continued: "I think you've gone mad. You disregard both human ethics and your descendants. Aren't you afraid of implicating your descendants?"
Eighth Prince's heart churned, and a hint of disbelief flashed in his eyes. But in the end, he felt it was all fake and gritted his teeth, saying, "I am crazy, but I was driven crazy by the Emperor!"
With no hope of ascending to the throne and his children disloyal, what else did he have to worry about? He wasn't going to let others have it easy either. If the Emperor wanted to see him make a fool of himself, then he'd see the Emperor make a fool of himself first. His expression was frenzied: "Just as the Emperor manipulated me, I'll manipulate the First Prince in the same way. Isn't this karma?"
"Then go to hell with your retribution." Yinreng wished he could rush in and kill him himself. He clapped his hands heavily, and soon someone brought in poisoned wine and entered the cell. "I've come to send you on your final journey. Will you do it with dignity, or will I have someone do it for you?"
The Eighth Prince stood up shakily, reached out and overturned the poisoned wine to the ground, and said triumphantly, "The Emperor cannot kill me."
Yinreng no longer wanted to talk to him about those pointless things, so he glanced to the side and said, "Pour wine for the Eighth Prince."
Eighth Prince took two steps forward, gripping the fence and grinning smugly. "The Emperor can't kill me. Does Your Majesty still remember the promise you made in public before your death? The Emperor's word is law. Besides, Your Majesty is benevolent and filial; would you be willing to break your vow?"
The late emperor...
The night of Kangxi's death flashed through Yinreng's mind, and he closed his eyes for a long, long time. After a while, he said, "I am not as heartless as you, utterly ashamed of the late emperor's benevolent fatherly heart before his death." He slowly let out a sigh, his eyes devoid of emotion. "I will not kill you, that would be too easy on you. I will issue an edict to have Hongwang and your eldest princess adopted out." He continued, enunciating each word clearly, "I want you to truly be childless and alone, waiting to die in the Imperial Clan Court."
As soon as he finished speaking, no matter how wildly Lao Ba laughed, he lifted his leg and walked out.
Since the Eighth Prince is so confident that he can live without fear no matter what he does, then let him have his way and live his whole life in the Imperial Clan Court prison, carrying his desires and loneliness with him!
By this time, the Eighth Prince's residence was completely surrounded. Jing Shun and Lin Quan'an led their men to the main courtyard to deliver the imperial edict. The Eighth Prince's wife was now almost skin and bones. But when she heard the imperial edict discussing the Eighth Prince's heinous crimes, she straightened her back. Jing Shun had just read out the edict stripping her of her title and reducing her to a commoner when Lin Quan'an stepped forward to read out the Imperial Concubine's edict, ordering her to commit suicide. Servants immediately brought out a white silk ribbon, poisoned wine, and a dagger.
The Eighth Prince's wife forced herself to her feet, her withered fingers gliding across the tray before decisively picking up a dagger. The blade was cold and sharp, reflecting her resolute nature. The next second, she charged out with the dagger, leaving everyone bewildered.
The Eighth Prince's wife ran into the courtyard in a few strides, heading straight for the gate, shouting as she ran: "It's the First Prince who's forcing the emperor to abdicate and rebel! It's the First Prince who's forcing the emperor to abdicate and rebel!"
Oh my god.
The eunuch below then realized what was happening, and with lightning speed, he snatched the Eighth Prince's wife's knife, covered her mouth, and pinned her to the ground.
Jing Shun and Lin Quan'an were truly startled. If the Eighth Prince's wife went outside and made a scene, it would be disastrous. The two exchanged a glance, both covered in cold sweat.
"Eunuch Lin, hurry up and get things done so as not to delay anything." Jing Shun looked at the Eighth Prince's wife, who was being dragged back like a little chick, and said in a low voice, "The Emperor is still waiting for me to report back."
Lin Quan'an sighed, glancing past the poison at the white silk, and said softly, "Eighth Princess Consort, this servant is truly sorry."
Lin Quan'an returned to the Forbidden City in the afternoon. Without even changing his clothes, he rushed into the palace to report to Cheng Qianyue.
Cheng Qianyue asked, "Is everything done?"
Lin Quan'an replied, "Your Majesty, it's all done. The Eighth Prince's wife, Lady Guo Luoluo, could not bear to be associated with the Eighth Prince and hanged herself."
Cheng Qianyue sighed deeply upon hearing this. Yesterday, Yinreng summoned her to the Hall of Mental Cultivation and instructed her to write an imperial edict rebuking the Eighth Prince's wife and ordering her to commit suicide. Cheng Qianyue could understand; after all, treason was a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family. The Eighth Prince's wife and husband were husband and wife, so she naturally couldn't escape responsibility. However, while Yinreng was in charge of the outer court, it was more appropriate for her to handle matters concerning the wives of officials outside the court. That's why Yinreng had asked her to do this.
Cheng Qianyue had no reason to refuse and agreed to everything, but after returning to Yongshou Palace, she couldn't help but sigh.
Before committing such a heinous crime, did the Eighth Prince ever think about the people in his household? This is truly a terrible sin.
Afterwards, Cheng Qianyue personally wrote the imperial edict and affixed the Noble Consort's seal, then had Lin Quan'an take it out of the palace to announce the decree. However, before Lin Quan'an left, she still gave him a few instructions: the Eighth Prince's wife should choose her own way of dying, but if she was unwilling to die, then he would help her choose one, but one thing was certain: it shouldn't be a torturous death, and the sooner the better. She said, "Although there is a bottle of poison among the items for the death sentence, just use it as a decoration."
Ancient poisons were nothing like the incredibly fast-acting, lethal poisons depicted in novels and TV dramas. If ingested, death wouldn't occur for several hours. Furthermore, the person who took poison would experience immense pain, and the death would be extremely gruesome. This process was truly torturous and undignified—not good at all.
Cheng Qianyue rubbed her forehead and said softly, "Alright, you've had a hard time running errands outside the palace. Go back and rest." Unexpectedly, Lin Quan'an hesitated and didn't move. Cheng Qianyue looked up in surprise and asked, "What's wrong? Is there something else?"
Lin Quan'an hesitated for a moment: "When this servant asked the Eighth Prince's wife to commit suicide, something went wrong... This servant doesn't know how to report this..." He then lowered his voice and said: "The Eighth Prince's wife was initially unwilling to commit suicide and shouted outside that the First Prince was forcing the palace and rebelling."
Cheng Qianyue's eyes instantly sharpened: "Did anyone hear that?"
"No, no," Lin Quan'an hurriedly replied, "She was seized by the servants before she could even step out of the courtyard."
Cheng Qianyue breathed a sigh of relief, and after pondering for a long time, she said, "I understand, but we can't be sure she's just talking nonsense. Anyone who hears this must keep it to themselves and never let it spread."
Lin Quan'an bowed his head and said, "Yes, this servant understands." After saying this, he quickly bowed and took his leave.
Cheng Qianyue had actually suspected this long ago. Think about it, could the Eighth Prince really command people to rebel with him? Even if, hypothetically, the Eighth Prince succeeded and killed Yinreng, he still wouldn't become emperor. Yinreng wasn't without sons; any of the princes had a more legitimate claim than him. Therefore, Cheng Qianyue thought that the Eighth Prince's plan was to wait for Yinreng to fall into trouble, then promote Hongxi to the throne, at which point he could turn the tables.
Did Hongxi participate in the affair? He probably did. Although Hongxi wasn't imprisoned, his residence was guarded by soldiers after he returned to the First Prince's mansion, which means he must have done something.
Cheng Qianyue couldn't help but recall the time in Nanyuan. That day, when the imperial guards escorted her back to the palace, Yinreng was hunting with Hongxi...
Cheng Qianyue took a deep breath, unwilling and afraid to think any further. Her thoughts inevitably drifted to Yinreng. Yinreng… he must be filled with immense grief right now. However, this wasn't something she could comfort him about; it concerned Hongxi, and any words she uttered would be like rubbing salt into his wounds. So she couldn't say anything. All she could do was wait; time is the best healer, and one day his wounds would heal and scab over.
This year's Dragon Boat Festival was exceptionally grand, almost excessively so. On the fourth day, Yinreng went to Changchun Garden, and the next day, he took his court officials on a boat trip on the lake to watch the dragon boats, followed by a lavish banquet amidst the red glow of the autumn trees. He seemed to be using this method to bring an end to the month of bloodshed. However, even the most festive occasions eventually come to an end. When Cheng Qianyue arrived at Danning Residence in the evening, she found it utterly desolate.
Yinreng seemed drunk, muttering to himself. Cheng Qianyue leaned closer to listen and vaguely heard him mention Hongxi. Cheng Qianyue sighed. Yinreng hadn't been a heavy drinker all these years, so for him to be this drunk meant he really wanted to get intoxicated. She decisively ordered water to be brought, helped him wash up, and then helped him to bed to rest.
The next day, when Yinreng woke up, he seemed to be perfectly fine as if nothing had happened. He was even a little surprised that she was there.
Cheng Qianyue said, "You were drunk last night, and I was worried that they wouldn't be able to take good care of you, so I came to check on you."
Yinreng smiled slowly, but his smile quickly faded, and the surroundings became much quieter. Seeing his dejected expression, Cheng Qianyue couldn't help but suggest, "How about we give the First Prince's residence a few plates of zongzi?"
“Hongxi…” Yinreng let out a long sigh, then shook his head. He didn’t know why he and Hongxi had ended up like this. But this messy affair was buried in the mass grave along with the endless piles of heads falling from the outer court.
Yinreng had made his decision; he never intended to see Hongxi again in this lifetime. Firstly, their father-son relationship was severed, and he didn't know how to face this son filled with resentment. Secondly, for the sake of the throne, he had to keep him at arm's length; the longer he ignored Hongxi, the better it would be for Hongxi. As for the future, he would bestow favors upon Hongxi when the new emperor ascended the throne.
Yinreng sighed: He is the emperor, but he is also his father.
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