Hearing Dong E's disrespectful and uncouth behavior in front of her son, and her great complaints, it's no wonder that Hongqing was raised to be this way.
Third Master was so angry with the mother and son that he spoke without thinking.
"Why do you all care so much about who I favor? Dong'e, ask yourself honestly, since you entered the household, have I spent less time and effort on you than on anyone else? Why are we in this situation now, and you want me to say it in front of the child?"
Seeing that Dong Eshi was still indignant, holding Hongqing in her arms like a mother wolf protecting her cub.
Third Master didn't want to save face for her anymore.
"How did my second prince, fourth prince, and fifth prince all die? It was all because of you, you venomous woman! Why does Madam Tian hate you so much? Isn't it because you killed her sons?"
Upon hearing this, Hongqing was stunned, and Dong'e was slightly flustered.
“Ever since Hongqing and Hongsheng were born, you have taken exceptional care of them, doing everything yourself and protecting them like a tightrope. Isn’t it because you’re afraid they’ll unite to retaliate against you? It doesn’t matter if you fight amongst yourselves, it doesn’t matter if you harm others.”
A deep sadness welled up in Third Master's eyes.
Why would you target a child?
Hongqing remained silent. He had no idea that his father's lack of affection for his mother and his dislike of her was due to this reason.
In his heart, he still thought his father was a philanderer who didn't care about his mother's dignity at all, so he harbored some resentment.
But when he heard his father say that it was his mother who had harmed his three brothers, he suddenly didn't know how to react.
Dong Eshi remained composed, but her words sent chills down one's spine.
"What, if I don't lay a hand on them, they won't harm my child? Can Third Master vouch for that?"
The Third Master shook his head, seeing that she was still somewhat stubborn: "I'm not that naive. The power struggles between women in the palace and the inner quarters are bloodless. I grew up in the palace and know this best. My mother lost several sons back then, and I also lost several brothers. Are you really not afraid of damaging your own good fortune? It doesn't matter if the retribution is on you, but won't it affect the children, on Hongqing and Hongsheng?"
Dong Eshi revealed a mocking smile: "If they have any ability, then let them come! Wasn't it them who caused Hongqing's serious illness back then? I almost lost this son. No one is as clean as the other."
The Third Master sneered: "Yes, you really think no one knows what you've done? Why did the Empress target you and torment you so much back then? It was because your deeds were exposed. So why is it that no one in the entire palace is willing to say a word for you?"
Lady Dong'e suddenly looked up and stared directly at the Third Master, a strange light shining in her eyes: "It doesn't matter, I don't care about my reputation, as long as I can protect the child."
"You've ruined your reputation, making enemies everywhere. How can you protect your child? Why has Hongqing's reputation spread so widely? It's as if the whole capital knows he's an incompetent fool and a troublemaker. How many people are pulling the strings behind the scenes? It's all your doing, Dong E Shi, Hongqing's biological mother!"
Dong Eshi's legs went weak, and she collapsed to the ground, her hand holding Hongqing trembling slightly.
Hongqing moved her mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.
He didn't know what to say.
Whose fault is it?
If he were to ask himself honestly, if his wife had harmed so many of his sons, would he still be able to greet her with a smile and genuinely love her?
Hongqing felt he couldn't do it; he wasn't stupid, and of course, his father wasn't stupid either.
But does that mean he can blame his mother?
His mother took action against his brothers, who were about the same age as him, all for her own sake. She wanted to ensure her unique position as the heir apparent and to help her eliminate her rivals in advance.
Perhaps Mother had long seen that Father was not reliable at all, or perhaps Father's mind was not on the inner courtyard at all. His mind was on the court, on politics, on compiling books, and on reading. The inner courtyard was just a pastime for him. Why would he waste his energy maintaining the balance?
The mother only wanted to use her own methods to ensure the status of her son and herself.
Is there anything wrong with this?
Hongqing couldn't explain where her mother had gone wrong.
So what exactly led to this irreversible situation?
The three masters present remained silent for a long time.
The affair at the Third Prince's residence couldn't be kept secret any longer; within a few days, the news spread throughout the entire capital, causing a great deal of gossip and rumors.
Dong Eshi was so forced by the Third Master that she could no longer stay in the mansion, and directly took Hongqing and Hongsheng back to her parents' home.
This gave the entire capital city a huge piece of gossip.
Even the emperor in the palace heard the rumors.
Emperor Kangxi had long been annoyed by his third son's temperament.
In his opinion, the third son was pretty good in every way. He was good at both civil and military affairs and had ambition. He was just too unreliable. Everyone says that one should cultivate oneself, regulate one's family, govern the country, and bring peace to the world. He was okay in the latter two, but he did a terrible job in the former two.
The inner courtyard was in turmoil. Back then, Dong Eshi's family held absolute power and harmed so many princes, but he didn't realize it and foolishly kept praising her. If it weren't for Consort Rong's reminder, this boy would have remained in the dark and who knows when he would have woken up.
Later, he didn't seem to use any special methods, but he promoted Tian to the rank of concubine. He thought that his third son might have come to his senses, but he didn't expect that his son-teaching would go wrong again.
He looks quite intelligent and handsome, but he has a pig's brain.
Now, everyone in the capital is watching the Aisin Gioro family make a fool of themselves, and Kangxi feels quite ashamed.
Originally, after the Confucius Temple in Qufu was completed, Emperor Kangxi, considering that his third son had always had a good reputation among scholars, originally planned to send him and his fourth son together.
For the time being, the Crown Prince and Prince Zhi will not be allowed to participate in these cultural sacrificial activities.
Who would have thought that the third brother would actually present him with a difficult problem!
The Emperor was so hopeless that he didn't even bother to criticize him anymore. He simply summoned him to the palace and gave him a severe dressing-down, telling him to reflect on his actions. He would only come back to see him when he had properly managed his household affairs and son's affairs. All his duties were now taken away from him.
The Third Prince was on the verge of tears and slunk away from the palace.
He understood his father's meaning; the most urgent task now was to get Lady Dong'e back with her son.
Emperor Kangxi summoned Yinzhen again and gave him some instructions, telling him to pack his things and set off for Qufu next month.
After such a long time, Yinzhen was somewhat excited to receive another task assigned by his father, the Emperor. He was determined to do it well this time.
But I have to go out again.
Changning's current health condition is not suitable for traveling far with him, so the two will be separated for a while again.
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