After a four-year absence, Heyue and Shisan were filled with emotion upon returning to the capital.
I never imagined I would be back in the capital so soon.
Seeing this familiar place again filled both of them with excitement.
It feels like coming home.
The Heyue family of three sat inside the carriage, while the Twelfth Prince, Yin Tao, rode outside on horseback.
Since it is not advisable for the thirteenth child to be on the road, he can only stay in the carriage.
The twelfth prince turned back and asked Heyue, who was in the carriage, "How is your wife?"
Meeting the Twelfth Prince's concerned gaze, Heyue waved her hand and said, "Thank you for your concern, Twelfth Prince. Hongtun and I are doing well."
The journey was rushed, not because Heyue and the Thirteenth Prince were in a hurry to return to the capital, but because the Twelfth Prince was in a hurry.
It was said that Emperor Kangxi was ill, and the Twelfth Prince was ordered to summon them back to the capital urgently.
When they heard that Emperor Kangxi was ill, Heyue and the Thirteenth Prince were really shocked.
He Yue thought history had changed and that Kangxi was going to die earlier than expected.
Thirteen was worried about her father, the Emperor, but she never expected him to be so seriously ill.
Later, when they heard from the Twelfth Prince that it was just a minor illness, not as serious as when he was ill in the forty-seventh year of Kangxi's reign, the two of them breathed a sigh of relief.
"Because of the Emperor's decree, Thirteenth Brother and Sister-in-law cannot return to the manor yet. I will take you to the inn to wash up first, and then take you to see the Emperor tonight. By the way, the Emperor has not yet met Hongtun. Ever since he learned of Hongtun's birth, the Emperor has been thinking of him. Now that you have finally returned, I think the Emperor's mood will improve." Twelfth Prince rode his horse closer to the carriage, lowered his head slightly, and whispered the reminder.
Thirteen nodded: "Thank you for your care along the way, Twelfth Brother. Heyue and I are extremely grateful."
The Twelfth Prince smiled warmly: "We're all brothers, no need to be so polite. However, I was quite envious of the Thirteenth Brother and his wife who had been living a carefree life for many years, like a couple of immortals. Now that they've finally returned, I can finally rest assured."
This sounds off no matter how you look at it; it has a gloating feel to it.
Thirteen's smile froze, and he glanced at Heyue with a sullen expression.
He Yue smiled faintly, turning her face away from him.
Let's go back to two weeks ago.
When Heyue and Thirteenth Prince met the Twelfth Prince in the flower hall, they were still a little incredulous.
Seeing the Twelfth Prince looking over with a smile, his familiar and warm face, the two of them finally came to their senses and stepped forward to greet him.
"Are your thirteenth brother and sister-in-law well?" The twelfth prince rose to return the greeting and asked with a smile.
"We are all well. I wonder why Twelfth Brother is here?" Thirteen was happy to see his brother, but he was also puzzled.
“I have come to see you on the orders of Father Emperor. Father Emperor said that you have been away for long enough and it is time for you to go back.”
Upon hearing this, Thirteen fell silent and did not immediately agree.
He Yue knew that Thirteen longed to return to the capital, but now he was hesitant, which He Yue truly didn't understand.
Thirteen suddenly asked, "How is Father Emperor?"
The Twelfth Prince knew he would ask this question, and sighed: "Ever since the Second Brother was deposed again, Father has been ill."
Heyue and the thirteenth prince were startled. The twelfth prince smiled at their expressions and said, "You don't need to worry. Father Emperor's illness is a mental one. He looks fine from the outside, at least much better than in the forty-seventh year of Kangxi's reign. With the third and fourth princes attending to him, there's nothing to worry about."
"But he imprisoned two sons within a few years, and Eighth Brother displeased Father Emperor. Father Emperor was heartbroken and missed you all very much, which is why he sent me to bring you back to the capital."
Although it was only said that he had displeased Emperor Kangxi, it was easy to guess that now that the Crown Prince had been deposed again, Prince Lian was still unwilling to give up.
Heyue still remembers that when Thirteen hesitated, he let Twelfth Prince stay. That night, Thirteen hugged Heyue but said he didn't want to go back.
“If it weren’t for my promise to Fourth Brother, I would really want to stay here with you all for the rest of my life. At first, I was indeed a little resentful and wanted to go back, but later I realized that nothing is more important than the safety of our family.”
He Yue knew that although the Crown Prince had been deposed, the situation in the capital was still unclear, and if she suddenly returned, there would definitely be a lot of trouble.
However, Emperor Kangxi summoned the thirteenth prince back to the capital, and the prince could not refuse, otherwise it would be considered disobeying the imperial decree and being unfilial.
"Go back," He Yue said, not trying to persuade him to stay.
Thirteen couldn't hide his surprise and looked down at her.
He Yue laughed: "Why are you looking at me like that? Do you think I don't want you to go back?"
Thirteen looked at her with an expression that seemed to say, "Isn't that right?"
Heyue snorted unhappily: "In the past, of course I wouldn't want you to go back. You would have been imprisoned anyway. I didn't want to see you being confined by your own father and looking so depressed. But now it's different. Your father summoned you back because he misses you. So it's clear that your father won't imprison you anymore."
You were born to live in the Forbidden City and do what you want, instead of wandering in the mountains as an ordinary schoolteacher, which would bury your talents.
Furthermore, we promised Fourth Brother we would go back to help him. If we don't go back, wouldn't we be seen as treacherous? We ourselves wouldn't be at peace with ourselves, let alone with Father Emperor's decree.
Thirteen watched her quietly.
He Yue met his gaze with an open and honest expression.
Thirteen suddenly laughed, a mischievous glint in his eyes: "I think you miss Hongchang and the others, that's why you said you wanted to go back without hesitation."
Having her thoughts exposed, Heyue wasn't guilty at all and nodded matter-of-factly: "Yes, I just miss them. If you don't let them come, we'll just go back. Let's see how you stop us then, humph! Anyway, even if you don't go back, I'm going back anyway."
Thirteen's face fell instantly, and he glared at her hatefully: "You heartless bastard, how dare you leave me all alone?"
"Then it's up to you." He Yue said with a smile.
Although Thirteen said so, he also knew that with the Emperor's decree, it was unrealistic not to go back. The next day, he bid farewell to Steward Cui and his family, packed his things briefly, and returned to the capital.
After settling in at the inn, Heyue and Thirteen entered the palace that evening in the Twelfth Prince's carriage. Upon reaching the palace gate, they changed into sedan chairs, and with the Twelfth Prince holding a token to clear the way, they easily arrived outside the Qianqing Gate.
After getting off the sedan chair here, the Twelfth Prince and the Thirteenth Prince were in front, while Heyue carried Hongtun behind. When they arrived outside the Qianqing Palace, the Twelfth Prince stopped.
There were eunuchs guarding outside the Qianqing Palace, so they hurriedly went in to report.
A moment later, Wei Zhu came out and bowed to the two princes: "Greetings, Twelfth Prince, Thirteenth Prince, and Thirteenth Princess Consort. His Majesty summons the Thirteenth Prince and Thirteenth Princess Consort to come in."
The twelfth prince nodded to the thirteenth prince and left.
Thirteen and Heyue then followed Wei Zhu into the East Warm Pavilion of the Qianqing Palace.
Emperor Kangxi was sitting on a soft couch, coughing as he read a memorial by candlelight.
Thirteen's eyes stung with tears, and he knelt down, saying, "Your unfilial son, Yinxiang, pays his respects to Father Emperor."
Heyue took a step back, took Hongtun's small hand, and knelt down: "Daughter-in-law greets Father Emperor."
Kangxi looked up at them. Although his face was slightly pale, his eyes were still sharp. His gaze lingered on the thirteenth prince for a moment, then swept over Heyue, and then looked at Hongtun, who was kneeling blankly beside Heyue.
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