The words "this is rebellion" came out of nowhere, and Kangxi and the crown prince were stunned.
Didn't you say you had a headache
The Empress Dowager was very old, and even though she was supported by Yun Xiu, she still took a breath after scolding. She glanced at the emperor with a cold look, snorted coldly, and turned to look at the prince with heartache, looking him up and down, and keenly noticed the unnatural expression on her good grandson's face.
The eye sockets and nose tip were a little red, and there were undried tear marks on the cheeks. The eyes seemed to be avoiding something.
Then she looked down and noticed the red and swollen palms of the prince's hands hanging by his side. She became even angrier and said, "Okay. I am still alive, and you are willing to be so cruel to him. After I am gone for a hundred years, will Baocheng still be alive? My poor Baocheng—"
“…” Kangxi’s words of defense were instantly destroyed.
His face was green and red, and he squeezed out a dry sentence: "Grandmother, please calm down. How could your grandson bear to be so cruel? What happened today also happened for a reason..."
Yun Xiu couldn't help but curl up the corners of her lips, and the smile in her eyes was about to overflow. In the eyes of the rather anxious Jing Chu, she felt a sense of admiration. For some reason, she felt a little sympathy for the Emperor.
Turning her head and meeting the prince's gaze, Jingchu saw her master blinking at her with a smile in his eyes, and he mouthed: Don't worry.
Jingchu: “…”
"There must be a reason for this. I see that you would rather trust those two traitors, Longkodo and Soetu, than your own son whom you have raised since childhood!" Now it was the turn of the Empress Dowager to be disappointed with you. "Why is it that the older you get, the less intelligent you become?"
Old? Not smart
It was a heart-wrenching blow!
When did he stop trusting the prince and start trusting the traitor
The Empress Dowager was also very angry and her words were no longer polite. She put a big hat on him, but the person in front of him was his respected grandmother, so Kangxi had to smile and accept it, fearing that she would get angry and cause a real headache.
"Grandfather, I have never thought of this. Baocheng has suffered a great injustice, and I know it clearly in my heart..." An elder who is furious must not be contradicted. The emperor explained in a gentle voice for a long time, deliberately concealing the shocking words of "please depose the prince", and finally admitted his fault, "As for the slap on the palm, it was indeed my impulse."
Seeing that he had a positive attitude towards self-reflection, the Empress Dowager felt relieved and her expression finally softened a little: "That's good."
Half of her anger was fake, and her words were half truth and half probing. As the saying goes, it is easier to attack someone when he is least prepared. She had to gradually test the emperor's true thoughts. Now it seemed that the crisis had been nipped in the bud.
Baocheng's position as crown prince was still secure and had not been shaken at all.
Yun Xiu watched the show with great satisfaction, and came out to smooth things over with a smile: "Grandfather, the emperor has always been wise, you know that, what else is there to worry about?"
After saying that, he glanced at He Zhuer and whispered, "Your hands are so red, why don't you get some medicine for your master?"
For a moment, the palace servants were freed from their state of not daring to breathe. Some were making tea, some were running, and harmony soon returned to the Cining Palace, as if the scene of the emperor being scolded and covered in dust had never existed.
On the other side, the Empress Dowager was caring for the Crown Prince with all her heart, and here, after receiving the hot tea, Kangxi's face finally became less stiff.
Kangxi saw Yunxiu smiling beautifully out of the corner of his eye, and his eyes became profound. He still remembered her evasive action after entering the hall, and he immediately raised his eyebrows and took a deep note of it in his heart.
Liang Jiugong, who was waiting on the side, was in a state of ups and downs, trembling with fear for the words the prince had just said in the imperial study, and trembling with fear for the scolding of His Majesty. But no matter what, the prince had gotten through this unforeseen disaster, and had gotten through it beautifully.
Liang Jiugong glanced quietly at the Crown Prince's wife, who was smiling gently, and the radiant Concubine Yi, and wondered which one had asked the ancestor for help, and then sighed.
The prince is covered with thorns and cannot be hit.
******
Half an hour later, Yuqing Palace.
Jingchu dismissed the servants, gently straightened the prince's collar, and said gently: "Stretch out your hand and let me see it."
The prince hummed softly, smiled, and put his hands behind his back. Seeing that this action caused Jingchu to stare at him, he felt sweet in his heart and quickly comforted her: "I'm fine. I know you are worried, but fortunately I won the bet."
As he spoke, he said vaguely, "The Emperor is in a rage, I had expected this, this injury is nothing compared to what Yinzhen suffered a few days ago. It's very unseemly to hit your hand, and there's a lingering smell of medicine, I'll take a closer look at you after the redness and swelling subsides."
Jingchu smiled and nodded slightly.
"I'll listen to you, Master." After a while, she moved her lips, lowered her eyes and whispered, "… This time, I took the initiative. After receiving Father's letter, I went to Yikun Palace to look for Yi'er Niang. I hope Master won't blame me."
"How could I blame you? You saved me from the fire and water." The prince hid the pig's trotter more tightly, and felt his heart soften as if it was soaked in warm water. He stretched out his other intact hand and held hers, smiling and saying, "Mother Yi has always been wise and taught me a lot. What did she say to you?"
Jingchu raised her calm eyes, slightly dazed.
At that time, she was unusually at a loss, with only one thought in her mind: if she could never see this face again, she would never be able to eat or sleep well for the rest of her life.
She said softly, "Mother Yi said that I should believe you. If you can't get past this, you are no longer yourself. It's possible that you have been replaced by someone else."
The calm words were still ringing in her ears, giving her peace of mind.
The prince was stunned for a long time, and he didn't come back to his senses. Then he heard Jingchu lower her voice and continue: "After that, Yi'er Niang took me to the Cining Palace in a sedan chair. She said that although she was relieved, it was necessary to add some trouble, otherwise the emperor would be suspicious. There is no such a good thing in the world."
It is still incredible to say, "The ancestor actually scolded the emperor like this..."
There was actually a refreshing feeling of fortune turning around. The prince coughed and laughed, "They are on my side."
…
Yikun Palace.
Kangxi had a sullen face and said nothing. Yunxiu washed her hands and ate her snacks by herself, looking up at him from time to time.
Unable to hold back her laughter, she wiped her hands with a handkerchief and tentatively called out, "Your Majesty?"
"The Imperial Concubine seems to enjoy seeing me being humiliated." Kangxi said with a smile.
"When did I enjoy it?" Yun Xiu smiled, her eyes sincere, and lied with open eyes, "I feel sorry for the emperor, but I have received the order from the ancestors, and I am in a dilemma again and again. I don't want to look you in the eye. The emperor actually misses me like this."
Without waiting for Kangxi to respond, she put away her smile, put down the half-bitten peach blossom cake, and snorted, "Your Majesty is blaming me without any reason. It will be bad for the little princess to be hungry."
Kangxi was really afraid of her "threat"!
Pregnant women are the most unreasonable. He muttered in his heart that it was outrageous. His expression finally softened a little, but it was still a little stiff: "… I can starve anyone, but not my concubine."
What he said was totally different from what he showed on his face. Liang Jiugong secretly hissed and thought to himself, it's almost late spring, why is our family still getting angry
The emperor had lost face today. Recalling his complex expression as if his rouge and powder had been spilled, she couldn't do the opposite. After making a good first move, she just stroked the hair. When Concubine Yi heard this, she was already satisfied and her smile deepened.
She said softly, "Is Your Majesty still worried about those two traitors? This is about His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, not the government. I have some humble opinions."
One sentence diverted his attention. Kangxi glanced at her, hummed through his nose, and was actually a little surprised.
Thinking of the prince, a trace of pity spread in his heart. He couldn't help but say: "If I deal with the Suo Etu lineage, Bao Cheng's reputation..."
There was a rustling sound, and a slightly cold hand touched his forehead and began to massage slowly.
"The Hesheli clan is the prince's maternal family, and the Tonggiya clan is your maternal family. What has the Tonggiya clan's corrupted children got to do with you?"
As she spoke, Yun Xiu shook her head slightly and said slowly, "The same reason applies. Your Majesty has worked hard for the future, but Hesheli is not worthy of your expectations, and Suo Etu is even less worthy. Disregarding the wishes of the Crown Prince and trying to drag others into the water, how can such a good thing happen in the world? If you are not careful, the relationship between father and son will not be as good as before. Just saying this makes me feel distressed."
Kangxi listened and nodded, his eyes gradually became cold. Longkodo and Soetu are worthy of death!
"But I think these are just groundless worries, because the Crown Prince and the Emperor are in very similar situations."
Kangxi sat up straight, revealing a focused look, and heard Yunxiu sigh: "Your Majesty always thinks about the prince, I know. From the beginning to the end, it is the Tong family that cannot do without you, not you who cannot do without the Tong family. The Tonggiya clan had a traitor, and the Hesheli clan also had a traitor. It is said that a son resembles his father. The emperor ascended the throne at a young age, is wise and powerful, and the prince must be good. What is there to worry about?"
When talking about the traitor, Yun Xiu was quite emotional, and almost said it was fate.
There is only one central idea. The emperor can still control the court officials without the Tong family. Isn't it obvious what will happen to the prince in the future without the Hesheli family? You have to have some confidence in the prince.
Kangxi: “…”
What do you mean the Tonggiya clan produced traitors, and the Hesheli clan also produced traitors? The emperor looked dumbfounded. So, he had to ask his future grandchildren to beware of the Guarjia clan
He was choked up after listening to the great truth. But the strange thing was that Yun Xiu's twisted reasoning seemed like the truth after hearing it many times, and his worries were strangely soothed.
***
That night, the prince received a secret letter.
The emperor sent people to investigate Jingchu's younger brother's qualifications and whether he had done anything bad. He even investigated Shi Wenbing thoroughly... I was confused as I read on. What was the emperor doing