Inside the Cining Palace, the Empress Dowager sat on the throne, while Consort Rong and Yinzhi, along with their primary consort Dong'e, knelt in the main hall.
The Empress Dowager sat to the side, coldly watching as the Third Prince's wife was attacked by the crowd. Several princes went to provide disaster relief, but the Third Prince's wife did not go.
Yinzhi was framed, which enraged Emperor Kangxi.
She should be happy, after all, she was a member of a collateral branch of the Borjigit clan. However, the palace has been unusually tense these past few days.
Qingyan followed Consort Tong and Yin cautiously into the room, and the Empress Dowager showed her first smile since the incident.
"Little darling, come here to me!" The Empress Dowager quickly told Consort Tong and the others to dispense with formalities. After the six of them stood still, she directly beckoned Qingyan over.
"Your Majesty, would it be alright if Xiao Guai stayed by my side today?" Consort Tong looked at Consort Rong with a troubled expression.
When the Empress Dowager saw this, she couldn't help but feel annoyed. Dong E was a scourge; she would never be happy as long as the women of her family were around.
"Alright, let Xiao Guai stay by your side." The Empress Dowager readily agreed.
The Crown Prince and Crown Princess entered shortly after, and the Empress Dowager specially invited several princes who were on official business to come over.
Emperor Kangxi would come after the morning court session.
"Consort Rong, I have already warned you. What is the significance of this? What has Yinzhi done?" The Empress Dowager was also furious. Regardless of who that girl was, in the eyes of the people, it showed that the prince of the Aisin Gioro family had no manners and was thinking about romance during disaster relief.
In addition, Yinzhi was bewitched by the woman and transferred a lot of disaster relief supplies to her tribe.
This stirred up a hornet's nest, almost drawing Bai Yin and Qing Yan into danger.
Yin glared at Yin Zhi with resentment. This man didn't even know the basics of shame. If Xiao Guai was ruined, he wouldn't let Yin Zhi get away with it.
"Fourth Prince!" Consort Tong tugged at Yin, knowing it was best for him not to speak in this situation.
Qingyan tugged at Yin's yellow sash with her small hand. He turned his head and saw her pleading eyes, and the murderous aura that had risen in his heart slowly dissipated.
Yin retreated to a distance and fought alongside her, the two of them appearing almost invisible.
Yin and Guarjia were merely respectful to each other, rarely experiencing the warmth and intimacy that Yin and his companions shared.
"Fourth Prince, have Yinzhi's refugees gone to your disaster relief point?" The Empress Dowager noticed Qingyan's little actions and was somewhat dissatisfied. Yinzhi had released the prince, so how could he be controlled by a woman like this?
"Yes!" Yin replied briefly.
Qingyan noticed the Empress Dowager's gaze and secretly thought to herself, "This old lady's health isn't good, yet she still keeps causing trouble."
Rumors circulated within the palace that the Empress Dowager was not favored during Emperor Taizong's reign, and had she not been born into the Borjigit clan, she would likely have perished in the power struggles of the harem long ago.
"Yinzhi, what else do you have to say?" The Empress Dowager was truly embarrassed when she heard the Khorchin prince talking about the rumors on the grasslands. Yinzhi seemed like a well-behaved child, so why did he act so clumsily when something happened?
The Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager both looked displeased. They directed all their anger at Dong E Shi, who was no good either. If it weren't for her controlling of Yin Zhi, the royal family's reputation would probably not have been ruined.
"My grandson deserves to die!" Yin Zhi was also stunned. After the incident, he ordered his guards to deal with a group of people.
After the wedding, Lady Dong'e behaved exceptionally well, which made Yin Zhi feel somewhat guilty.
Looking back now, those people must have been sent by Dong Eshi.
"Empress Dowager, please forgive Yinzhi for this mess. The child really was tricked!" Consort Rong disliked Dong Eshi to begin with, and after the incident, she felt that Dong Eshi was controlling Yinzhi.
It's extremely unpleasant for a prince to be controlled by women.
"If we spare this mess, what will the people on the grasslands say about the royal offspring!" The Empress Dowager liked to help the Khorchin, but she cared more about her own reputation.
Feeling bored, Qingyan's soul escaped into the space. She noticed that Dong'e's condition was not good either. She had been schemed against and was under pressure, begging the emperor above to forgive Yinzhi. The rumors were spread by both the Borjigit clan's collateral branch and the Dong'e clan's connections.
"Yinzhi, speak!" Kangxi's deep voice came from the doorway. Qingyan quickly returned to his body and joined the others in paying their respects.
Yin noticed her dazed state and his angry glare made her lower her head even further.
Emperor Kangxi found it amusing to watch his fourth son interact with Qingyan; the two little ones really got along well.
We'll be together through life and death!
These four characters not only depict his relationship with Lady Tongjia, but also foreshadow the future of Yin and Qingyan.
"Get up and kowtow. Yinzhi, what instructions did I give you before I left? The censor has already taken his leave, how am I supposed to handle this?" Kangxi was also having a headache; this matter was truly difficult to resolve.
Dong Eqishi had a wide network of connections, and when Yin Zhi made a mistake this time, quite a few people rallied to his aid out of respect for Dong Eqishi.
"Father, I know I was wrong." After returning to the capital, Yin Zhi truly regretted it. He really didn't know that woman would have such methods.
Kangxi looked at Consort Dong'e. This matter was also related to her. Among the several primary consorts, she was the only one who had not gone to the capital, and she was not able to stand shoulder to shoulder with her husband at all.
"Father, it's my fault. A few days ago, I caught a cold, and you didn't mention the disaster relief to let me rest." Dong Eshi was indeed ill.
The imperial physicians at the Imperial Hospital only stopped administering medicine after Yinzhi arrived in the disaster area.
Now, even Emperor Kangxi is starting to have some conspiracy theories. The imperial physician was sent to the Imperial Hospital by the Dong E family, and he can't be sure whether Lady Dong E is really sick.
Qingyan couldn't help but find it somewhat ridiculous that instead of trying to salvage his reputation, he was pursuing Yinzhi.
Lady Dong'e was not ill; she simply did not want to go to that remote, secluded place.
As she was mentally criticizing Dong E, the latter seemed to sense it and glared at her angrily.
Qingyan was stunned. She shouldn't have said it, right?
When Yin looked up, he saw Dong E's gaze and, with a petty mind, he made a mental note of it. Little Guai had never been glared at before; Dong E had certainly incurred the wrath of the crowd.
Qingyan glared back at her directly, like two little girls bickering, which made Kangxi laugh.
The Empress Dowager and Qingyan had a very close relationship, and she smiled as she watched the little guy's performance.
"Dong Eshi, I see you have no remorse!" The Empress Dowager slapped the armrest with her left hand.
Qingyan trembled in fright; the Empress Dowager was truly awe-inspiring!
"Your granddaughter-in-law wouldn't dare!" Dong Eshi quickly kowtowed. In the past few days, she had been nagged by her family and Yin Zhi, and Consort Rong disliked her even more.
She was clearly the most innocent one, but why was everyone watching Qingyan?
"Xiao Guai is the youngest of the prince's wives. She's helping the fourth prince. I must say, Yin's disaster relief efforts have not only provided the victims with ample food and clothing, but also enabled them to build winter shelters!" The Empress Dowager had to admit that Yin's abilities were the best. (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
