Chapter 96 Chapter 96 "Before the Emperor left for the war...

" "Before the Emperor left for the war, he instructed me to consult Lord Mingzhu if I was undecided." Yinzhen said, "Although I am now the regent, I do not have the power to make decisions regarding matters involving the princes."

Mingzhu was silent for a moment, thinking that the Fourth Prince was preparing to let him take the blame.

Yinsi and Yinxiang were discussing in low voices in the back.

"Eighth brother, do you think Mingzhu would agree?"

Yinsi said: "If he could agree, he would not be Mingzhu."

Sure enough, Mingzhu was silent for a while and then said: "This old minister understands what the Fourth Prince means, but the Emperor has not given this old minister such authority. Now that the situation is urgent, it is better to take action and secretly keep the Fourteenth Prince under custody."

"The Fourteenth Prince is now in the palace. Just dispatch a few guards."

Yinzhen's expression was subtle: "I am afraid that the Nine Gates Commander Tohaqi will not obey my orders. "

Mingzhu also knew that she couldn't get away with it cleanly, so she said directly: "I, the old minister, have been colleagues for many years, so I will convey the Fourth Prince's intention to him."

Yinzhen nodded, and the two left without saying any more polite words to Mingzhu.

Yinsi and Yinxiang came out from the back, and Yinxiang said with his hands in his pockets: "I didn't expect Mingzhu to be so straightforward today."

"The arrow is on the string, and it has to be shot." Yinsi said with a smile, "Look at the weather outside, it's really appropriate, gloomy, and it's about to rain."

Mingzhu moved quickly, and within an hour, the Baohua Hall was heavily surrounded, and the Fourteenth Prince was trapped inside.

The concubines in the palace knew about such a big commotion, and they were all a little panicked, not knowing what was going on.

Concubine Tong rushed to Xianfu Palace to inquire, and Wenshan asked her not to worry.

"Please sit down first, Yinzhen has talked to me about this. "Wen Shan comforted her: "You saw how the Fourteenth Prince looked today. He looked like he was crazy. Now that the emperor is not in the palace, Yinzhen is worried that he will do something impulsive again. He just hurt the guards, what if he hurts the concubines and the princes?"

This makes sense, but Concubine Tong is still a little worried.

"Your Highness, the Fourteenth Prince is a prince after all. It's not a good idea to surround him like this and let the news get out."

Concubine Tong was not here to plead for the Fourteenth Prince, but the scene looked like a storm was brewing, and she was a little scared.

"There is no better way." Wen Shan raised her hand and asked Zhenzhu to serve tea to Concubine Tong. "Wu Ya promised that his condition is not stable yet. If he gets worse again, who can control the Fourteenth Prince?" "

And it's just temporary custody. Nothing serious will happen. He will be released naturally when the emperor's order comes back. "

Concubine Tong pursed her lips and could only nod.

"As for what you said just now, there is some truth to it. The concubines in the palace will inevitably be scared when they see this. I feel a little unwell today, so I would like to trouble Sister Tong to tell the other palaces not to scare the sisters."

Wen Shan rubbed her head at the right time: "I got a headache after being exposed to the wind today, so I need to take a break. I will not keep Sister Tong."

Concubine Tong was still dizzy when she walked out of Xianfu Palace.

"Rumo, why do I feel that something is wrong?"

After all, Concubine Tong was born into the Tonggiya clan. Although she was raised in seclusion, she still had some sense of these political signals.

Rumo supported her hand and said: "What the imperial concubine said makes sense. The fourteenth prince is indeed crazy today. It will be troublesome if he hurts others if he is not taken care of first."

Concubine Tong frowned and always felt that something was wrong.

"Send someone out of the palace and inform Father. "

Wen Shan was also relieved in Xianfu Palace.

"Fortunately, Yinzhen sent the notes in advance, otherwise I really don't know what to say."

Zhenzhu rubbed Wen Shan's shoulders: "Your Majesty, you have worked hard. From now on, we will just pretend to be sick and not see anyone."

"Not now, we have to go to Ningshou Palace." When

Kangxi is not in the palace, the Queen Mother's words still carry the most weight.

After returning to Chengqian Palace, Concubine Tong did not immediately follow Wen Shan's words to inform the six palaces. First, she thought this matter was a bit strange, and second, it was too strange for her to inform the six palaces about detaining the prince.

"Master, the Queen Mother has just issued an imperial decree." Rumo came in from outside and said: "The Queen Mother said that the fourteenth prince broke into Yonghe Palace and injured the guards, and the imperial physician diagnosed that he was a little unconscious, so he is temporarily under custody in Baohua Palace."

Concubine Tong took a breath and asked: "Is it the Queen Mother's imperial decree?"

Rumo nodded: "Yes, Concubine Xuan just went to Ningshou Palace. " The Empress Dowager

hasn't asked about the affairs of the palace for so many years..."

Rumo said: "The Empress Dowager loves Concubine Xuan the most. Now that such a big thing has happened in the palace, it is normal for Concubine Xuan to ask the Empress Dowager for advice."

"I heard that when the Grand Empress Dowager was alive, she loved Concubine Xuan even more."

Concubine Tong smiled when she heard this: "The Grand Empress Dowager is a powerful figure. How can she be compared

with the Empress Dowager who is a vegetarian and chants Buddhist scriptures now." Aunt Heyu sent Wen Shan out of Ningshou Palace.

"Aunt, there is no need to send her off. Go back and serve the Empress Dowager."

Wen Shan held Aunt Heyu's hand and said: "It is inevitable that the palace will be uneasy when the Emperor is away. Aunt, take good care of the Empress Dowager. I will come to accompany the Empress Dowager for meals and talks every day."

Aunt Heyu smiled and said: "The Empress Dowager also asked Concubine to take good care of yourself. Just bring more dishes that the Empress Dowager likes tomorrow. "

Aunt Heyu watched Wenshan's carriage leave before returning to Ningshou Palace. The Queen Mother was already chanting in the small Buddhist hall.

"Has it been sent out?"

Aunt Heyu stepped forward and took three incense sticks and handed them to the Queen Mother, saying softly: "It has been sent out. The Royal Concubine said she will come to have dinner with you tomorrow." The

Queen Mother opened her eyes, bowed, and placed the incense sticks straight on the ground.

"Wenshan is a simple child. She has always done whatever Yinzhen and his brothers asked her to do. Fortunately, these children are filial."

Aunt Heyu said: "The Royal Concubine is blessed. In the past, she had the Empress Dowager and you to look after her. Now she has several filial princes to take care of her. Naturally, she will have no worries in her life. Wen

Shan had been in the palace for decades, spending almost every day with the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager. Whether in the Cining Palace, where the Grand Empress Dowager was still in office, or in the Ningshou Palace, where only the

Empress Dowager remained, Wen Shan often came to eat and talk with them. After so many years of daily companionship, the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager had long since treated her like their own daughter.

The Empress Dowager chanted a few words of "Amitabha": "Tell Wen Shan not to come here every day. Since she's not feeling well, she should rest in Xianfu Palace. "

Aunt Heyu replied and went to pass on

the message. Wen Shan, who had just returned to Xianfu Palace, was stunned by the news.

"What does the Empress Dowager mean?"

Wen Shan asked, as Yinxiang happened to be beside her.

"Grandmother, this is for your own good, Mother," Yinxiang said with a smile. "The city has been abuzz these days. The number of people looking for you will only increase. You should just go and have some quiet time."

"Mother doesn't know what you brothers are up to," Wen Shan said. "But one thing you must do is be prudent and don't make any mistakes. I don't care about wealth or glory, as long as you three are safe."

Yinxiang smiled and hugged Wen Shan's arm, coquettishly saying, "Don't worry, mother. Fourth and Eighth Brothers have said this will be over in three days at most."

Although the Fourteenth Prince's detention appeared to be an order from the Empress Dowager, anyone with a keen eye and ears knew that it was the Fourth Prince who first surrounded Baohua Palace and Concubine Xuan before heading to Ningshou Palace, and only then did the Empress Dowager's order come down .

So this matter was definitely not that simple.

The concubines knew that this was a battle between the princes and it was best to avoid interfering. Concubine Yi also restrained the Ninth Prince, preventing him from leaving the house.

"Mother, I need to talk to Eighth and Tenth Brothers. Why did you lock me up in Yikun Palace?" The Ninth Prince sighed helplessly.

Concubine Yi even ignored the rule that princes over the age of seven could not stay overnight in the inner palace and forced him to stay overnight in the Yikun Palace.

"Don't go out and mess around. These are turbulent times. You'd better behave yourself."

Concubine Yi didn't even look up, concentrating on sewing clothes for the Eleventh Prince.

"That's a fight between Fourth Brother and Fourteenth Brother. What does it have to do with me and Eighth Brother?"

Concubine Yi said: "...Anyway, you stay put. Eighth Prince and Fourth Prince have grown up together and have a bond. What's your problem?"

Concubine Yi naturally knew that her son, obsessed with making money, had long been a member of the Eighth Prince's faction. It was normal for her to go to the Eighth Prince to discuss things now. However, Concubine Yi looked at it coldly. This time, it was a fight between Fourth Brother and the Crown Prince or the Eldest Prince. The Eighth Prince was obviously watching from the sidelines. He was quiet at the moment. If Yinzhen ran away, who knew what kind of trouble he would stir up.

The Eighth and Fourth Princes shared a brotherly bond, and with Concubine Xuan around, nothing would have happened. The Ninth Prince, if he had been the first to act rashly, wouldn't have been so lucky. The

Ninth Prince pouted, and just then, his personal eunuch chimed in.

"Master, the Eighth Prince sent a message to you. Since Concubine Yi misses you, you should stay with her in the Yikun Palace. Don't worry about what's happening outside."

The Ninth Prince asked, "Did the Eighth Prince say that?"

"Yes,"

the Ninth Prince waved. "I understand. Go down."

Concubine Yi glanced over and said, "Go and see your Eleventh Brother. He's had such a long time in the Yikun Palace."

The Eleventh Prince's condition had improved, but he still couldn't get out of bed. He loved reading, so Concubine Yi had a number of books brought to his room.

The Ninth Prince stood up, dusted off his clothes, and readily agreed.

"My Lady, the Ninth Prince is still young. You will teach him well." Xuelu offered Concubine Yi a cup of tea.

Concubine Yi took a sip and said, "He's still young? The Emperor is about to grant him a marriage."

"I remember the Emperor once said he had picked out a girl from the Dong E clan for our Ninth Prince?"

Concubine Yi felt a little uncomfortable when she mentioned this.

"How could the Emperor, after so much deliberation, choose someone from the same family as the Third Prince's wife? Luckily, the Emperor only mentioned it casually and hasn't made a decision yet."

Concubine Yi and Concubine Rong's relationship was only superficially acceptable; the four older concubines had never gotten along when they were young.

"It's just that they all have the surname Dong'e. Miss Dong'e and the Third Lady's great-grandfathers were brothers, so they're not that close," Xuelu said with a smile. "Besides, Miss Dong'e's father, Lord Qishi, was a first-rank governor of the capital, highly regarded by the Emperor."

Concubine Yi waved her hand. "Never mind. After all, it's just these girls from these families. A good appearance and a good temperament will do."

Concubine Yi then asked, "Is the Imperial Concubine still recuperating?"

Xuelu said, "Yes, the Thirteenth Prince is with her in Xianfu Palace every day."

Concubine Yi sighed and ordered more gifts to be sent over.

The entire Forbidden City seemed to be shrouded in a dark cloud. The usually bustling Concubines Hui and Rong had become more subdued.

Concubine Ping had been feeling uneasy lately. Soetu had sent her a letter a while ago, asking her to keep an eye on Concubine Xuan and the Fourth Prince in Xianfu Palace.

The Fourth Prince lived in Chonghua Palace. Soetu ordered Concubine Ping to be extremely vigilant and keep an eye out for any movement, so that she could pass on any news to him immediately.

"Chonghua Palace is like an iron bucket. How could there be any news?" Concubine Ping sighed.

Although Soetu didn't tell her much, she also understood that this might be a critical moment.

Chunjiang, a maid born to the Hesheli family, was also worried at this time.

"Master, word came from Yuqing Palace that the Crown Prince and Prime Minister Suo wanted to meet in private, and asked you to help mediate."

"Father, you want to enter the palace at this time?" Concubine Ping was shocked.

"Perhaps Prime Minister Suo wanted to discuss with the Crown Prince at this critical moment," Chunjiang said.

"Alas," Concubine Ping sighed. "Everything in the palace is on high alert right now... Well, you can have someone make arrangements and do your best to cover it up."

"Chunjiang, I've been feeling incredibly anxious lately. Do you think..."

Chunjiang quickly consoled him. "Don't worry, my lord. With Prime Minister Suo and the Crown Prince here, nothing will go wrong."

"I hope so."

Soetu entered the palace that night, and the Crown Prince, also in Yuqing Palace, was extremely anxious.

"Uncle, my fourteenth brother has been taken into custody. What should we do?"

Soetu tried to calm the Crown Prince. "Your Highness, the Fourth Prince must have noticed something, and the Emperor seems to have instructed Mingzhu to assist the Fourth Prince. That old thing..."

"Mingzhu?" The Crown Prince was startled. "Mingzhu and you, Uncle, are sworn enemies."

The Crown Prince had experienced the period when Mingzhu and Soetu competed against each other, and knew that Mingzhu's abilities were no less than Soetu's. He panicked upon hearing that Kangxi had specifically left Mingzhu for Crown Prince Yinzhen.

"So we must act quickly," Soetu whispered. "Your Highness, the latest military report from the front says the army is having trouble, having retreated thirty miles."

"Could it be..."

"It's the rations." Soetu's face darkened. "Your Highness, now that we've tampered with the rations, there's no turning back. The Dzungars are attacking from both sides, and the Emperor's situation is dire. If we take control of the capital, everything will be easier."

Although the Prince had previously agreed to Soetu's plan, he still felt uneasy at this point, as if someone was choking him and choking him.

"Then... Your Highness..."

"Your Highness, don't worry, the Emperor is safe, but it's hard to say in a few days." Soetu interrupted the Prince. "Your Highness, we must not be soft-hearted and make a decision too soon. Togaqi and the people at Fengtai Camp are waiting for your order!"

The Prince closed his eyes, sat in his chair, and exhaled deeply.

"Then, let's get started."

That night, Wen Shan couldn't sleep because her brows were throbbing. At the hour of Xu, Yinxiang received a piece of news, his face darkened, and he hurried away. Before leaving, he told Wen Shan to turn off the lights and go to bed early, and not to see anyone.

"What's going on?" Wen Shan said to Zhenzhu and Amber. "I just feel so anxious."

Yinzhen and the others hadn't told her anything. Although Wenshan understood they were keeping her in the dark out of fear, she couldn't help but feel a surge of fear.

"Don't worry, my lord. The princes all have their own plans. Look, the Fourth and Eighth Princes came to pay their respects today, just like they did the other time," Zhenzhu reassured her.

Wenshan chatted with Zhenzhu for a while before slowly starting to feel sleepy. Amber, noticing that Wenshan was beginning to have trouble keeping her eyes open, hurried to help her wash up and then helped her to bed.

"It's a good thing the Eighth Prince made me a bowl of calming soup, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to sleep all night." Zhenzhu tucked the quilt into Wenshan's bed and told Feicui and the others to leave.

Outside, the sounds of fighting could be heard, though they seemed some distance from the capital, but even that was enough to make people shudder.

"I wonder what the situation is like outside?" Feicui tiptoed out, peering out but seeing nothing.

Pearl sighed and said, "At least it doesn't look like the incident has reached the palace."

Amber came around from behind and whispered, "The Crown Prince and Lord Soetu rebelled, and the rebellion has just been suppressed."

"What?!"

Pearl and Feicui hadn't expected it to be the Crown Prince who started the rebellion.

"The Fourth Prince sent someone to say they were wrapping up the situation, telling us not to be afraid and just to protect our master."

Feicui was so frightened that she chanted "Amitabha" and prayed to heaven and earth for protection several times.

"The Fourteenth Prince seems to be involved as well. The Fourth Prince and Lord Mingzhu just discussed taking the Fourteenth Prince to the clan residence first." Pearl continued to update them on the latest news.

"Sister Zhenzhu!" Baoquan hurried over just as she was speaking. "Sister Zhenzhu, Concubine Min is here and wants to see the master."

"The master just went to bed. I'm afraid it's not a good idea to wake her up now." Feicui asked, "Why is Concubine Min here when she's already deep in the dew? Did she say what she wants?"

"No, I saw Concubine Min was very anxious, so I had someone take her to the main hall."

Zhenzhu and Feicui went to the main hall. Concubine Min was waiting. When she saw them coming, she hurriedly asked, "Zhenzhu, has Concubine Gui gone to bed?"

"Concubine Min, the master just went to bed after taking medicine. The imperial physician told her to get plenty of rest, so we didn't dare to call her," Zhenzhu said awkwardly.

"Did Yinxiang come to see the master today?" Concubine Min asked again.

Zhenzhu said, "The Thirteenth Prince was here just now, but then, for some reason, he left the palace overnight."

Minpin suddenly felt a little disappointed. "Then... then I'll go to Chonghua Palace to see the Fourth Prince and his

wife." "Minpin, your Highness," Zhenzhu stopped her. "Minpin, you're a kind person, but the situation right now... the Fourth Lady is over seven months pregnant and isn't feeling well. It's probably not a good idea for you to go there now."

Minpin had known Wenshan for years, and she knew she wouldn't deliberately avoid them. If she couldn't see her today, it meant Wenshan had truly gone to bed. With Yinxiang away from the palace, Chonghua Palace was the only place she could go.

But after Zhenzhu said this, Minpin began to hesitate. Yes, the Fourth Lady was still pregnant, and it was a critical time for her to rush over...

Zhenzhu saw that Minpin wasn't foolish enough, so she gave her some more advice before sending them away, at least allowing her to return to her own palace.

"Go and tell the Fourth and Eighth Princes that Concubine Min has arrived and hasn't seen our mother."

Feicui instructed a young maid to deliver the message. Turning to Zhenzhu, she said, "Luckily, the master is asleep, otherwise I would have definitely helped Concubine Min with this favor today."

Zhenzhu remarked, "You princes are incredibly resourceful."

Yinzhen and Yinsi received the news just as Yinsi was about to leave the palace.

"I knew Fifth Sister would ask Concubine Min to go find Mother." The flickering candlelight reflected between Yinzhen's brows. "Given Mother's personality, it would be a dilemma. It's better not to meet her."

"Alright, things are almost done here. I need to go see Tong Guowei," Yinsi said, rising. "It would be inappropriate if I didn't show up."

Yinzhen nodded. "Things are still going on out there. Be careful."

As Yinsi left, Fucha entered with a midnight snack.

"Fourth Master, please have some supper first." She put her food down and looked around, not seeing Yinsi. She asked, "Where's Eighth Brother? Why isn't he here? He's been busy all night, so he can come and have some with us."

"Eighth Brother has something to do and left first." Yinzhen took Fucha's hand and asked her to sit down first. "Didn't I tell you to rest? Why are you up again?"

"How can I sleep tonight given the situation? It's better for me to stay with Fourth Master and feel more at ease," Fucha said softly. Yinzhen

sipped his soup and said, "It's all fine now. It's all over."

Wen Shan slept peacefully all night. When she woke the next day, she was informed that the situation in the Forbidden City had changed.

The Crown Prince and Soetu had joined forces with the Nine Gates Commander Togaqi and the generals of the Fengtai Camp to launch a rebellion. Fortunately, Kangxi had prepared for this, leaving 30,000 troops not far from the capital and ordering Mingzhu to take care of it. The Crown Prince was captured almost as soon as he launched his troops. This also implicated the Fourteenth Prince and the Crown Prince in a conspiracy to poison Concubine Xuan, causing chaos in the palace.

In the end, Yinzhen acted decisively and imprisoned the Fourteenth Prince in the Imperial Clan Court. Soetu, Togaci, and other officials implicated in the scandal were also imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice. As for the Crown Prince, Kangxi hadn't deposed him, and he remained the heir apparent, so he was temporarily placed under house arrest in Yuqing Palace.

"Such a serious matter, and those kids had the audacity to hide it from me," Wen Shan said, clutching her chest. "We've seen weapons, are Yinzhen and

the others alright?" "Don't worry, my lord, the princes are fine," Zhenzhu said hurriedly. "Just now, the Fourth Prince sent someone to say he'd be with you for breakfast."

Feicui angrily said, "Fourteenth Prince is truly audacious, even trying to poison you. Fortunately, the Fifth Princess still has some conscience."

Wen Shan felt a pang of fear at the thought; human nature was truly unpredictable.

"By the way, my lord, Concubine Min came last night, but you were asleep, so she left," Zhenzhu said as she instructed the palace maids to clear away breakfast.

Wen Shan quickly realized that the Fifth Princess had most likely come to her on behalf of the Fourteenth Prince, having begged Concubine Min to help.

"Looking back now, I'm not sure I should have let her raise the Fifth Princess."

Concubine Min was such a kind person, and raising the Fifth Princess inevitably led her to be dragged into these disputes. Perhaps Yinxiang was right and shouldn't have allowed the Fifth Princess to be raised in the Yanxi Palace.

Wen Shan was lamenting when Baoquan suddenly entered and said, "My Lord, something bad has happened. The Eleventh Prince has passed away!"