Translator: Jalyss
Editor: Odyssey
Chapter 62
The fifth prince wondered what this had to do with his mother.
His second older brother skipped school this morning and went to Cining Palace. Why did he admire mother to the point of tears?
Yinqi’s white and tender face was wrinkled. His little brain couldn’t figure it out.
When the crown prince saw Yinqi’s confused expression, his mood suddenly became clear. He forgot all the anger, grievances, and happiness he felt just now.
He waved to Yinqi, pinched his fifth younger brother’s cheek, and then asked with a smile, “Why are you at Yuqing Palace today?”
Yinqi came back to his senses, smiled, and replied honestly, “Second older brother disappeared halfway through classes. Third and fourth older brother were very curious, but they didn’t dare to ask. Eldest brother was sure that you skipped school. After a while, everyone in the palace knew about it…I also heard about it from others.”
Because he was very curious, Yinqi hurried over to find out.
After that, he hesitated for a moment, obviously not believing the crown prince’s ‘excuse’ for crying. He stood on tiptoes and said quietly to the crown prince, “Second older brother, I understand you. There are times when everyone doesn’t want to study, so there is no shame in hiding and crying secretly! Are you going to complain to Revered Elder that the master has given you too much homework?”
Crown Prince: “…”
The crown prince’s face was a little dark, and his hands were itchy, not only towards his eldest brother, but also for the troubled younger brother in front of him.
It was okay for the boss to make such a loud noise that everyone in the palace knew about it. What is Little Five thinking about all day long?
As if he would complain if he had too much homework!
If he did that, his shameful reputation would spread, and he would become the first prince in history to cry bitterly because of too much homework. This would be passed down through the ages… The crown prince hissed and his expression instantly became indescribable.
Why didn’t Little Five inherit Consort Mother Yi’s intelligence?
“No.” He squeezed out the word through his teeth and showed a loving smile. “Fifth younger brother, We think you are still too idle. Why doesn’t second older brother teach you how to write?”
Yinqi was not an inquisitive child. When he saw the crown prince’s quick denial, he nodded in realisation and stopped worrying about the matter. Then, he said happily, “Thank you, second older brother. Second older brother is the best.”
Previously, Yi’erha’s serious words to persuade him to make progress finally left an indelible mark on the fifth prince’s young mind.
After the New Year, he would go to the study. In order not to embarrass his mother and imperial father, he must study hard, write well, and strive to come out on top just like his fourth older sister said.
Wait.
When he thought of this, he scratched his head. What did it mean to come out on top?
If he didn’t know, then he just wouldn’t think about it. Yinqi felt happy. He didn’t expect that his second older brother would have time to teach him when he was crying like this. This was a good older brother who was unparalled!
Yinqi was so moved that he held the brush with his little hand and solemnly wrote the first stroke.
“The first stroke is crooked. Do it again!”
“Oh, okay.”
“The sharp edge of the brush is not there. Start again.”
“Yeah! Second older brother is right. Your younger brother will change it now.”
…
“The word ‘big’ has become small. It has become a timid character in your writing, which is no good. It has no momentum at all. The character ‘big’ that covers the entire paper should be ‘big’. Do you understand?”
Yinqi’s mind was a mess, as if the wheels were spinning pointlessly. He muttered something. “The ‘big’ that covers the entire paper is big… It makes sense… Your younger brother knows!”
This morning was really different from usual.
The gate of Yonghe Palace, which had been closed for a long time, opened wide. Imperial Concubine Wu, who was still in confinement, was taken to Cining Palace in a sedan. This was not over yet. After the emperor went to morning court, he went to Cining Palace where the great empress dowager lived!
Combined with the rumours in the palace in recent days, the concubines in the harem suddenly couldn’t sit still.
They each sent people out of the palace to inquire about the news. They saw it as the calm before the storm. Some people secretly wondered if Imperial Concubine Wu was really going to return to favour?
Yanxi Palace.
Consort Hui was half leaning on the couch as she rubbed her temples with one hand. Her expression was extremely serious. “What did you find out?”
“Consort, the great empress dowager ordered the servants of Cining Palace to keep silent. Not a single bit of news was leaked,” Ying’er whispered. The arrogant look on her face was no longer visible. “Our people… can’t do anything in this situation.”
Today was no better than in the past. Since Consort Hui suffered a serious loss and lost her eighth prince, Yanxi Palace was no longer high-profile. It gradually fell into silence, and had lost the vague and aloof status it had before.
As soon as the emperor handed down the punishment, Ying’er and the others tucked their tails between their legs. This time, when they were sent out to investigate, they were also cautious in their actions. They did not dare to make any big commotion in fear of attracting the attention of others.
Because they were careful, their efficiency in snooping had naturally decreased. How could they still be as well-informed as they were in the past?
Consort Hui knew all this. When she heard this, a stern look appeared on her face, which then quickly disappeared.
The emperor hated the one from Yonghe Palace. She didn’t believe that Mrs. Wuya could return to favour! But Cining Palace’s stance was too unusual. Something big must have happened that she didn’t know about.
…
Consort Hui had lost so much face not long ago, and her spring breeze was suddenly shattered. Her heart was as frozen as if she were in the middle of a harsh winter.
The noble consort and Noble Lady Liang… Consort Hui closed her eyes. Her chest kept rising and falling as she felt angry and full of hate. It was also her fault that she lost because she was less cautious after she became the assistant in charge of the harem. She was not as vigilant as she was before. She underestimated Mrs. Niugulu, who was in confinement, and actually allowed her to succeed without being able to defend.
Consort Hui was met with an unexpected failure and she took great damage.
Naturally, without help, Yinti’s prestige was reduced greatly. All the hard work she had put in over the past few months had been plucked by the noble consort. The most important thing was the emperor! How far had her status in the emperor’s heart fallen?
This also involved Yinti. When she learned that her eldest prince was punished by the emperor by kneeling down for interceding for his mother, Consort Hui’s face could no longer be described as pale.
No matter how much she hated, those damn servants were gone, and complaining would not help. She could only swallow this down so that she could return the favour one day and repay the servants of Mrs. Niugulu and Mrs. Wei a hundred times over.
Before she could recover, bad news came one after another. Ming Zhu finally sent a message to the palace, but it said that their plan failed. Suo Etu instigated Hang Ai to do the same trick. The emperor used this matter to decide that Tuyue should be placed in the Ministry of War.
How could this be? The plan to remove the firewood under the cauldron failed?
Consort Hui thought of how she had pretended to be close to Consort Yi, just like a clown. She covered her chest, her face was on fire, and she almost couldn’t breathe!
Since she gave birth to the emperor’s eldest son, Consort Hui had never suffered such a big loss, but she would have to lay low no matter how unwilling she was.
Those days were the most difficult for her. After she finally calmed down, her rationality gradually returned. Consort Hui did not dare to plan for Yinti in a big way anymore, so she had to tell her son to come to Yanxi Palace. “It won’t be too late to talk to your mother again after your imperial father has calmed down.”
At the same time, she strictly ordered everyone in Yanxi Palace to keep a low profile and not to make any public moves. This was all that could be done. As time passed and the matter of Yinsi’s disappearance slowly left the emperor’s mind, she would still able to gain momentum…
After a few days, the disadvantages of being low-key appeared. She was just like a person whose hearing and vision had suddenly been covered with a black cloth. Consort Hui had no idea why Imperial Concubine Wu was released from her confinement, and she was extremely anxious.
There was nothing else she could do, but it was important to know if Mrs. Wuya would be a hidden danger.
Could it be that the emperor discovered that she and Imperial Concubine Wu were teaming up to plot against Mrs. Guoluoluo? If questioned, would Imperial Concubine Wu implicate her?
Agitated and uneasy, Consort Hui experienced firsthand what it meant for a day to feel like it was stretched out to a year. At this moment, Yan’er quickly came to report: “Consort, this servant is not sure where the eldest prince heard this news about the crown prince skipping lessons… This matter became known to everyone, and it was not long before the noble consort suppressed it.”
Consort Hui suddenly grabbed the edge of the bed. Her vision went dark and she suddenly felt dizzy.
She gritted her teeth. “What kind of trouble is Yinti making at this time?! Does he not think that he has knelt long enough?”
In Chengqian Palace, the imperial noble consort also felt as if the time in a day had been stretched out to a year.
But her mood was completely different from that of Consort Hui. There was even a smile on her face. She held the handkerchief and admired the bare flowers and trees in the yard by the window.
Anle, are you happy? Mother has avenged you.
The imperial noble consort remained motionless in this posture. She coughed lowly from time to time. An indetermined amount of time passed before the sound of chaotic footsteps was heard. She stood up suddenly, ignoring her body that was shaken by exhaustion, and asked with burning eyes, “What’s wrong?”
Wet Nurse Zhen opened her mouth. There was a complicated look on her face, but she still said, “The great empress dowager personally ordered that Imperial Concubine Wu is not allowed to come out unless she is cured of her madness… She also said that people with madness are no longer suitable to be mothers…”
The imperial noble consort’s eyes became brighter. When she heard the last words, she clenched the handkerchief tightly, and a trace of joy appeared on her face.
She was not suitable to be a mother!
Her plan for Yinzhen, the jade records… Her plan was about to become a reality.
Unable to suppress her joy, the imperial noble consort took a deep breath and asked in a hoarse voice the thing that mattered the most to her. “What about Suo Etu, and… the crown prince?”
“As Suo Etu’s crime has been proven, the revered elder and the emperor are furious. As for his fate, we will just have to wait and see!” As she spoke, Wet Nurse Zhen paused and lowered her voice. “As for Yuqing Palace, the crown prince was unscathed. We are not sure how, but the crown prince was not implicated in the slightest. Instead, the crown prince received pity…”
The imperial noble consort raised her lips slightly, but soon her smile disappeared.
Overwhelmed with joy and sorrow, her face turned ferocious. She couldn’t believe it at all. “They reported that this matter was foolproof. How could they be negligent? How dare those lowly servants deceive Us?!”
Wet Nurse Zhen lowered her head, whispered for the imperial noble consort to calm down. She then told the imperial noble consort everything about the stable and the poison sachet.
“Because there is no news from Yuqing Palace, our people don’t know when Ming Yun and Ming Xin were demoted to the stables. And then… then…” Wet Nurse Zhen shook her head, her voice becoming almost inaudible.
The imperial noble consort slowly sat down and didn’t speak for a long time.
Perhaps she had figured it out, and her ferocious expression gradually faded into a look of disappointment that could not be concealed.
“Is it God’s will, or is Yinreng’s destiny greater?” the imperial noble consort murmured. “How could he avoid such a seamless situation?”
Yes, the crown prince didn’t know about it, so how could he avoid it?
Why were Ming Yun and Ming Xin demoted to the stables?!
This was also a question that Wet Nurse Zhen couldn’t figure out.
“If this opportunity did not come to fruition, there will be such a good chance again.” The imperial noble consort smiled bitterly and closed her eyes.
In order to take revenge, she reached out to all her connections and even used the trump card left to her by Empress Xiaokangzhang.
How could it be so easy to plot against the crown prince in the future? It was almost impossible…
Even if the traces of Suo Etu were exposed, and even if the bitch Mrs. Wuya never recovered, the imperial noble consort still didn’t feel happy.
If he didn’t fail, how could Yinzhen have a chance to get ahead?
How could she become the powerful Mrs. Tongjia again, to be crowned the empress by the new emperor a hundred years later?
She coughed heavily, and after a long while, she muttered, “The Crown Prince, Yinreng…”
Yun Xiu also knew that there was a lot going on in Yonghe Palace and Cining Palace. They were making so much noise.
Compared with the other concubines who were rushing to send people to inquire, there was no movement at all in Yikun Palace.
There was no need for Consort Yi to use her best efforts. The news would naturally reach her ears, because…the emperor arrived at dinner time without any hesitation.
Kangxi rarely showed expressions such as anger or happiness as the emperor. Most of his expressions were indifferent, but today was very different. Yun Xiu was dressed in fine clothes and had been waiting at the palace gate early. She finally saw the sedan chair in the distance, and then looked at the emperor’s face. After studying it for a long time, she had a rough idea of his mood.
She pondered… How could she make the emperor willingly act as her mouthpiece when he was angry?
She saw the mouthpiece get off the sedan and stride towards her. His expression softened a lot, and he said with slight surprise, “Why did you come out to greet Us today? Go in quickly. It’s cold outside. Don’t freeze outside.”
No wonder Kangxi was surprised. Consort Yi was becoming more and more arrogant because she had his favour. This was the first time since the beginning of winter that she had come out of the palace to greet him…
After hearing this, Yun Xiu smiled, half angry and half complaining. “Recently, the emperor’s heart has been set on the Imperial Concubine Wu. If this concubine doesn’t welcome the emperor, then this concubine will become yesterday’s flower!”
If these words were normal, Kangxi would definitely be overjoyed. He would think that Xiuxiu was jealous again, and then quietly grin.
It was the first time that he could eat food so straightforwardly!
Now.
The emperor’s heart was complicated. He was happy, angry, and resentful at the same time. He was angry about what happened this morning and resentful about Imperial Concubine Wu… and the first half of Yun Xiu’s sentence!
What did she mean that his heart was set on Imperial Concubine Wu?
When he thought of such a scene…
Kangxi couldn’t help but raise the corners of his mouth at first. Then, his face turned faintly blue, changing very quickly, before finally sighing quietly.
He took Yun Xiu’s hand and said with a straight face, “Even if We are blind, We will not pamper Mrs. Wu! She actually went crazy and framed the crown prince, saying that the crown prince was the mastermind behind Yinzuo’s poisoning…”
Yun Xiu’s heart skipped a beat, and then she regained her composure. The word ‘mastermind’ already explained everything.
In that room, Kangxi was finally able to express the anger that he had been holding back for a long time. He had already regarded Yun Xiu as the person he could confide in, and when he opened up, he spilled everything.
He included the part when he said ‘Mrs. Wuya is not worthy of being a mother’, ‘We feel sorry for the crown prince who had been wronged’, “Yinti is preaching that Yinreng had played truant, so he needs a lesson since he is still so impetuous’, and so on.
After listening to the long speech in silence, Yun Xiu stroked the emperor’s back while he was taking a breather, and said softly, “Your Majesty, calm down! It’s still early. Don’t get so angry. Tell this concubine slowly and this concubine will listen.”
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