Inside the naval port, everyone was kept outside. The two princes' courtyards were still not within reach. The people below kept trying to find out what was going on, but the three main courtyards were completely surrounded, and not a single word was leaked out.
Yin held Hafeng in his arms and stood in the room. Qingyan made juice with the fruit from her space and was about to give it to him with Xiao Naoping.
"Hafeng's smallpox has subsided considerably," said Imperial Physician Yuan. "Fortunately, he was vaccinated with cowpox in advance; otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable." Yin was relieved that he had allowed Imperial Physician Yuan to participate in the cowpox experiment.
"Fourth Sister, have you found out who's behind this?" Qingyan had been keeping a close eye on the matter and discovered that the old women had been beaten beyond recognition, and even their entire families had been implicated, yet they hadn't said a word.
At this moment, she was unsure whether the old women were truly wronged or if they had overlooked something.
“Little darling, don’t you think it’s too much of a coincidence? The twins went to the study and Hafeng’a was drugged.” Yin smiled. “Every day, the twins come back from the study and go straight to see Hafeng’a. Everyone in the naval port knows this.”
Qingyan also anticipated that the other party probably wanted to kill three birds with one stone, getting the twins and Hafeng'a to contract smallpox. However, this trick did not work. The twins were of utmost importance. Just after they turned one year old, Yin vaccinated them with cowpox, and this news was kept secret.
So those people figured out how to use these scabs to accomplish something.
"Therefore, we must be even more careful in our courtyard!" Yin watched as Hafeng fell asleep before gently placing him in the cradle. He then sat down at the round table and spoke with Qingyan.
"He dismissed all the servants and personally took care of Hafenga. Outsiders couldn't get any news from him. Two maids tried to sow discord between the twins and Hafenga, but Yiken'e beat them to death on the spot." Yin admitted that after the smallpox incident, Yiken'e had matured a lot and was able to take on some responsibilities in his absence, taking good care of Hutulifengsheng Zhalafen.
Qingyan smiled. The twins and Songkelierhain, who had smallpox, all lived in the courtyard of the study. The people who came with them were all carefully selected.
Despite layers of checks, some still managed to slip through the cracks; the people in the Imperial Household Department were incredibly well-hidden.
"Who are those two people?" Qingyan laughed coldly. Since they couldn't protect the children, someone wanted to sow discord between them and the twins.
"They were sent by a prominent family within the Imperial Household Department, and one of them is connected to the Cao family!" From the moment he began his mission, Yin had developed a strong dislike for Cao Yin.
Although Cao Yin would send silver and goods to the princes every year, Yin still hated them, believing that they were all greedy.
Upon hearing the name "Cao Family," Qingyan was reminded of the Dream of the Red Chamber, specifically the Jia family of Jinling, which was likely an extension of the Cao family.
"If they fall into the hands of the Emperor, he will make sure they suffer a terrible fate." Yinxiang was disgusted with the Cao family and remembered the events of that year. These people had helped the Eighth Prince frame the Thirteenth Prince, leaving a thorn in the Thirteenth Prince's heart. Otherwise, Yinxiang would not have been implicated in the second deposition of the Crown Prince.
Qingyan didn't say anything. Even Fei Yanggu said that if Cao Yin didn't restrain himself, he would definitely cause trouble.
"Fourth Brother, we need to think this through carefully. Just because the people in the Imperial Household Department are bad doesn't mean they're all bad!" Qingyan glanced at Yindao. "The Salt Commissioner of Lianghuai is an honest official. In Linglong Pavilion, officials from the south don't shy away from ordering custom-made jewelry. The women in the Salt Commissioner of Lianghuai's harem are not as well-equipped as the women in the harem of a seventh-rank official from the south."
Qingyan had a deep impression of this person. Even the managers of Linglong Pavilion had told her several times that he was an honest and upright official who served the people. Moreover, he was a very principled person who did not like to associate with those people from the south.
"Really?!" Yin rarely heard Qingyan talk about the officials in the south. "Now, Hafeng'a's smallpox is cured. Should we tell Father Emperor? This time, I'll listen to you. If you want to tell me, I'll submit a memorial. If you don't want to tell me, I won't force you."
Feeling guilty, Yin handed the decision over to Qingyan.
Ugh!
Qingyan was stunned. Yin had always made his decisions before telling her.
"What if I say I don't want His Majesty to know?" Qingyan asked.
“Then let’s not talk about it. We’ll tell you about it after Hafeng’a has fully recovered,” Yin said nonchalantly.
A flicker of trepidation rose in Qingyan's heart; Yin had come to inquire of her.
"I'm curious why I want you to make the decision?" Yin understood Qingyan and saw the doubt in her eyes, so he knew what was going on.
As long as Hafenga is not fully recovered, the three courtyards will remain closed. Yin and she will be confined to the courtyards. He also wants to take this opportunity to test the loyalty of the generals in the military port.
"Fourth Prince, you don't seem unprepared!" Qingyan nodded. No one would believe that Yinruo had neglected his duties to spend time with the children.
Hahaha!
Yin laughed heartily. When preparing to close the courtyard, Yin had already made arrangements to ensure that the military camp would not fall into complete chaos.
"We definitely need to have a backup plan; we can't let the naval port descend into chaos." Yin felt that this naval port represented the hard work of many people, and Qingyan had also contributed a great deal to it.
Qingyan was held on Yin's lap, his chin resting on her shoulder, and he whispered in her ear.
"Moreover, it's to test the soldiers' loyalty, and also to better protect you four in the future." Yin was going to stay in Guangdong and Guangxi for more than a year, and if things kept going wrong, he and his wife would definitely be exhausted.
Qingyan had a smile on his face. The military port was a mixed bag of people, and the series of incidents had left Qingyan exhausted.
Every time something happened, the two of them would purge a group of people, often killing them with sticks, which was against the natural order.
"So, we're not going to talk about it?" Qingyan reached out and wrapped her arms around Yin's neck, her pink lips slightly parted.
"Yes, the Dragon Guards will definitely inform Father Emperor, it's just that the news might be a little slow!" Yin's every move was under Kangxi's watchful eyes, and since he acted openly and honestly, Kangxi wouldn't suspect anything.
Yin patted Qingyan's back, helping her slowly drift off to sleep. These past few days, because of Hafeng'a's matter, Qingyan hadn't had a good night's sleep.
"Sisi, I'm going to sleep for a while!" She was truly exhausted; otherwise, she wouldn't have said that.
"Sleep peacefully!" Yin turned his head and kissed her forehead, then looked at his son in the cradle. The best thing was for the little guy to grow up healthy and safe.
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