EBE Chapter 114 The last one is Lao 8
Chapter 114 The last one is Lao 8
Chapter 114 The Last One is Lao Ba
Kangxi was truly furious at this point. He hadn't expected the news to be leaked, despite having issued an imperial decree to suppress it. He also hadn't expected his sons to get involved: the eldest, third, fourth, seventh, and eighth sons, all the adults above them except the crown prince and the fifth son were present.
However, compared with his other sons, the suspicion of the fourth prince only flashed through Kangxi's mind for a moment, but it did leave a trace in Kangxi's heart. If the fourth prince made any mistake in the future and Kangxi caught him, then today's incident would definitely be brought to light.
After Yinzhen returned to the Prince's Mansion that night, he thought about it and decided to find the Fourth Lady to tell her what happened today. He was not afraid that the Fourth Lady would misunderstand him, but he wanted to explain the matter to the Yuqing Palace through the Lady, and also to express his attitude. He was wholeheartedly on the side of the prince, and he did not care about the so-called phoenix fate.
In his opinion, no matter what you do, you should rely on your own efforts rather than the so-called inner house and fate. It is okay for a husband and wife to be of one mind, but there is no need for a man to take advantage of an innocent woman for his own career.
Even the second brother, who had been crowned the Crown Prince since childhood, had proven himself a qualified heir through his own efforts over the years. Even though the eldest brother was enjoying himself now, those who followed him were either those who wanted to be his heirs or those who were considered useless by the Emperor. Their current merriment was useless; if the Emperor got angry one day, he could just issue an imperial decree and have them all executed.
Therefore, the fact that all the brothers went to Hantuo Temple today really confused Yinzhen and made him look down upon it. If you want to compete, then you should work hard and make achievements to show the emperor, proving that you are more capable than the crown prince and more suitable for this position than the crown prince, instead of resorting to these crooked ways.
Moreover, he didn't believe that the Emperor was unaware of what had happened today. He estimated that the Emperor's desk was already filled with the plans and past events of his brothers. Everything that happened in the capital was under the control of the Emperor. As long as he wanted to know, there was nothing he could hide.
The Fourth Lady was very welcoming to Yinzhen's arrival. If he hadn't come, she would have wanted to ask a servant to invite him. They were going to the palace together tomorrow, and would have joined the Crown Princess and her entourage to decide on the eldest prince's name as soon as possible.
The couple was sincere to the eldest prince. Although Yinzhen had been with women for quite some time, he only had one child, the eldest prince. Even after the three women in the backyard got pregnant and gave birth to their children, Yinzhen still felt a little uncomfortable.
In Yuqing Palace, Yinreng was in a good mood today, so he asked Buerhe to take a stroll in the yard after dinner. He originally wanted to get some snacks and have a drink, but when he saw Buerhe's bulging belly, he thought better of it. In order not to make Buerhe feel nauseous at night, he decided not to drink the wine.
Buerhe could see the Crown Prince's excitement today. Although she wasn't sure why, as long as he was happy, it was fine. She had also come to realize over the past two years that the Crown Prince's position was a burden to anyone who held it. Consider the couple; they had been married for several years, but it was only that year that he went on a mission to naturalize his family, and since then, he had remained in the capital.
Those who left the palace to establish their own residences, like the First and Third Concubines, were not only in charge of their own homes but also able to go out for a stroll from time to time. Meanwhile, she had the final say in Yuqing Palace and didn't have any backyard worries to worry about. But whenever she wanted to go out for a walk, even if it was just to look at flowers or relax, she would not only be followed by a large group of people, but she would also often run into the masters of the palace.
Although with her status and position, she didn't have to greet the ladies in the palace even if she met them, but every time she went out, she had to greet at least several of them. Every time she went out, she had to stay in Yuqing Palace for several days.
She envied her other sisters-in-law. Apart from anything else, she was really free outside the palace. It was also very convenient to hold a flower banquet and invite her family members.
Yinreng didn't want to hide it from Buerhe. Besides, the couple were both feeling aggrieved. Although the emperor had never treated them badly, sometimes a rich material life did not mean a happy life.
The two of them walked slowly along the corridor. The cool moonlight outside poured down, illuminating the entire courtyard so brightly that there was no need for lanterns.
Yinreng dismissed the servants who followed him and took Buerhe's hand for a walk: "Some time ago, I arranged for someone to act out a scene imitating the words of Master Pu Du. This happened years ago at the Jietai Temple in the suburbs of Beijing.
The Emperor soon received the news, and I also learned that the Emperor's intention for this year's selection was to give him control over the Phoenix Fate. I didn't want to be controlled by the Emperor for the rest of my life, stuck in this square Yuqing Palace, and I also wanted to get rid of some of the watchdogs who followed me around, so I secretly told the princes about this matter.
Bu Erhe understood Yinreng's heart knot. Since the second year after she got married, she discovered that someone was monitoring Yuqing Palace and had been paying attention to this matter. To be honest, no one wants to live under the eyes of others without any freedom and privacy.
If Yinreng had not noticed Buerhe's abnormality and dissuaded him in time, Buerhe would have definitely eliminated these emperor's spies. Even though the couple later tried to move them farther away to prevent them from infiltrating the main courtyard, the thought of being watched by countless eyes all the time once they left this courtyard made the couple feel breathless.
Buerhe changed their hand from holding each other to linking theirs, approached Yinreng and asked softly, "What's next? You're so happy today, you must have heard a lot of good news, right? Also, your fourth brother is so honest, isn't it a bit too much for you to tell him too?"
In fact, Bullhe had noticed his partner's idea a long time ago, and he still remembered the advice left by Master Pudu before he faked his death and escaped.
She had already figured out why she married into the family at such a young age, and what the Grand Empress Dowager had done in those years. But what was the use of knowing? She still had no choice.
So when Yinreng talked about fighting, Bu Erhe was happy in her heart. As a person who has lived her whole life standing, she didn't want to kneel all the time. She also didn't want her children's marriage and life in the future to be as uncertain as hers, like a tool in the hands of those in power, placed wherever it was needed.
"I heard that they all rushed over today, and the third brother even played the hero who saved the damsel in distress. Unfortunately, I heard that after Princess Niuhulu returned to the capital, her father came to visit with her brother and a thank-you gift. At this rate, there's probably no hope.
Next up was the seventh brother. I heard he didn't get much of a hitch, and then he ran into the eldest brother when he was invited out. I tell you, the funniest thing was the eldest brother, who immediately invited the princess to dinner. He didn't even consider his own age or build. Princess Nianhulu was only a few years older than the eldest princess of the old family, and he was still thinking of acting out some love-at-first-sight drama.
If it weren't for the fact that Princess Nianhulu saw the situation was not good and withdrew immediately, who knows what the situation of the eldest and the seventh brother would be like now.
The fourth kid is quite cunning. Although he knows the inside story, he just refuses to fall for it. He just does what he has to do and even has the leisure to play chess with Yuan Zhen.
I'm thinking that tomorrow, the Fourth Prince should have his wife come over to talk to you and express his loyalty to me. If that's the case, I won't test him anymore. If he succeeds, I'll definitely not treat him unfairly.
There's another one you'd never guess. Do you want to guess who's the last one to come?"
Buerhe thought about it and boldly guessed, "Fifth brother?"
Yinreng laughed again, "You really guessed wrong. Fifth brother is obsessed with Fenghua Qiuyue right now. I heard that things have been going on in his house lately, and there are already rumors outside. If his legitimate son hadn't been born, rumors of him favoring his concubine over his wife would have spread by now."
Bu Erhe hasn't seen the Fifth Lady for a long time. Ever since the full-month banquet for the Fifth Prince's legitimate son, the Fifth Lady has rarely gone out. It is said that this is because she is a little weak after giving birth and needs to recuperate for a while. It has only been more than three months since she gave birth, and she should not have recovered yet.
"Is the rumor true?"
Hearing Buerhe's question, Yinreng hummed, "More or less. I heard that two months ago, when he was away, he helped a woman who sold herself to bury her father. After settling her father, he brought her back to the palace. As a result, within a few days, she became a princess in the backyard."
Bull was surprised at this: "He is in mourning!"
Yinreng sneered: "Who said it wasn't? I don't know what the fifth brother is thinking. He brings all kinds of dirty and smelly things around him. Would a girl from a good family climb into bed with her father just a few days after his father died? Recently, he wanted to ask for the title of concubine for that girl. The memorial was already written. I saw it at the time and sent it back directly without giving it to the emperor.
Giving a woman of unknown origin the title of "Princess" is fine, but even asking her to be given the title of "Concubine" is a madman.
Buerhe: "If you send this memorial back directly, will it be a problem if the emperor finds out?"
Yinreng looked at the concerned eyes of his own Crown Princess and felt warm in his heart: "It's okay. It's better to say that the Emperor tacitly agreed to this matter rather than saying that I filed a petition. I had already discussed it with Liang Jiugong before reading it. I also told Liang Jiugong the contents of the petition, and it was I who did it after he asked for instructions.
The Emperor still felt sorry for the Fifth Prince and couldn't bear to see him make a mistake. This legitimate son was still young, and it would be terrible if he ended up alienating his wife because of a woman like this."
Buerhe understood what was going on. "Do you know the identity of this woman? Otherwise, if her origins were unknown, they wouldn't have kept her there for so long."
Yinreng chuckled, "Qingqing is really quick-witted. The Emperor has already found out who that woman is. She's actually the Saint of the White Lotus Sect. She originally wanted to enter Big Brother's house, but Big Brother didn't take that path, so Old Five caught up with her. Now the Emperor is holding back, thinking of playing the long game."
Buerhe was at a loss for words. The fifth brother's luck was too bad. He had become the fish caught by the emperor's fishing and law enforcement. However, thinking of his fifth brother's wife, Buerhe hurriedly asked, "What about the safety of his fifth brother's wife and nephew?"
Yinreng: "Don't worry, the Emperor has already sent people to protect her. It seems that she wants to quickly climb to a high position so that she can scheme. Besides, there is no such thing as a concubine being promoted to the main wife in the Qing Dynasty. Even if she attacks the Fifth Lady, she can only be a concubine. The Emperor has also said that if the time is right, the Fifth Lady and my nephew will be taken to the Yikun Palace in advance and cared for by Concubine Yi."
Buerhe nodded in agreement, but the Qing Dynasty had been established for so many years, and the lives of the people had been getting better and better. What was the point of the White Lotus Sect still thinking about overthrowing the court and rebuilding the Ming Dynasty?
Yinreng continued to mutter in a bad mood: "We have already gone off topic just now. Do you still want to listen? I am afraid that if I don't tell you, you will remember it and ask again tonight."
Bu Erhe was also embarrassed when she heard this. This had actually happened before. One day, Yinreng went out for something before he finished speaking. That night, they both fell asleep, but she woke Yinreng up to ask for the next step.
From then on, Yinreng remembered that no matter what the topic was, he had to finish speaking. Even if he was delayed due to something else, he would make up for it immediately after finishing the work.
Thinking of this, Buerhe stopped guessing and asked directly: "Who else went there?"
Yinreng sneered again: "Eighth brother, the last one to go is Eighth brother."
Buerhe: "Eighth brother? That can't be. Isn't the eighth brother following behind the eldest brother? How could it be?"
Yinreng thought of the evil things that the Eighth Prince had done in his previous life, as well as the domineering things that the Eighth Prince's wife had done, and his brows knitted together for no reason: "Don't underestimate the Eighth Prince. Just because he is now working under the eldest prince, it doesn't mean he doesn't have his own ideas.
How the Eighth Prince was born was no longer a secret in the palace. A woman who had followed the emperor for many years was only promoted to the position of concubine by the emperor when the Eighth Prince grew up. She even lived in the back hall of Concubine Hui's Yanx Palace. Such a start was considered the lowest in the palace.
Even the seventh prince's mother was granted the title of concubine very early on, not to mention the Defei, who was granted the title of concubine and later directly promoted to one of the four concubines and had the power to manage the harem.
They were both from a bondservant family. Although Wei was born in the Xinzheku, her father and brother were both junior stewards of the Imperial Household Department. In fact, her status was not lower than that of Uya and Daijia.
Not to mention Wei's beauty, the most beautiful in the palace. I heard that when she was young, she looked like the reincarnation of Dong E. But the emperor has ignored such a woman for more than ten years. Don't you think there is something wrong?"
Bull nodded in agreement.