The Virtuous Concubine

The prince accepted the invitation from the fourth prince and left the palace without stopping. Before leaving, Wen Xian showed reluctance and said softly: "Why don't you go see her, so that she can feel at ease."

The prince lowered his head and said, "It will only make her sadder. Don't tell her what happened after she fainted, otherwise she will be too emotional and it will be difficult for her to take care of the baby."

Wen Xian held his forehead and thought to himself, if you guys always do things like this, it's no wonder there are so many infatuated men and resentful women in this world, and so many unresolved misunderstandings and missed opportunities.

She pursed her lips, without mentioning that she had already told Malu everything. She just nodded slightly and said, "Since you don't want to see him, then go quickly. I'm sure my good fourth brother can't wait any longer."

She watched quietly as the prince climbed onto his horse, and only when his figure disappeared from her sight did she turn around and go back to comfort the anxious Malu.

Malu stayed awake all night, full of worry. Seeing this, Wen Xian stayed by her side all the time, until Malu was exhausted and fell into a deep sleep, and then she dragged her exhausted body and got up to find a place to rest.

Before she had rested for long, it was daybreak and Aunt Hongyu came running over and woke her up in a panic: "Princess, Prince Yong... Prince Yong has already entered the palace with his men!"

When the Fourth Prince saw Wen Xian, he noticed that his sister looked haggard but her eyes were bright and energetic.

He nodded approvingly: "It was me, as your brother, who underestimated you."

When Wen Xian heard this, he pounded the table in annoyance and said bitterly, "I knew that the prince was not trustworthy at all."

After saying that, she smiled slightly, but held the whip at her waist: "Even if I have a hundred tricks, I can't beat Fourth Brother."

The Fourth Prince shook his head: "You didn't lose to me, you lost to yourself. If you were a boy, the Emperor might not hesitate between me and the Crown Prince."

Wen Xian heard this and smiled coldly: "Why, you can grab the throne, but I can't? Didn't you also grab the throne from the emperor and the prince? Who is more noble than who?"

The Fourth Prince did not answer. He just felt that Wen Xian was a girl, and it was wishful thinking for her to say such things. He sighed, "I want to see my mother."

Wen Xian took a step closer: "Where is the prince?"

The Fourth Prince looked calm and said slowly:

"I intend to honor my mother as the Empress Dowager. Since you are already a Princess of the First Rank, I will give you the title of Protector of the Country and grant you the right to choose your own husband. You can choose any of the Eight Banners men. I will also make Yinzuo a prince. As for whether he wants to be a rich and idle person or a powerful prince, it all depends on what he likes. If you and my fourteenth brother are really capable of solving the border crisis, I also promise you that from now on, no princess of the Qing Dynasty will marry a foreign prince."

As he spoke, the Fourth Prince swung the Eighteen Pieces in his hand and said, "Wen Xian, I have already conceded so much, don't push your luck further."

Wen Xian frowned, considered the conditions, and finally relented: "Don't irritate your mother when you go in."

The Fourth Prince nodded slightly and said, "Isn't she just your mother, not mine? I know my limits."

After saying that, he walked straight towards Malu's residence.

Malu was sitting there bored. When he saw that the person coming was the Fourth Prince, he instinctively responded, "Why is it you? Where is the Crown Prince?"

The Fourth Prince remained silent.

"Where is the prince?" Seeing that the Fourth Prince did not answer, Malu became more and more uneasy, and his voice unconsciously rose a few degrees.

The Fourth Prince picked up the teacup and poured himself a cup of tea: "Madam, do you still miss him today? Don't you see the situation clearly?"

Malu burst into tears immediately, not caring about his weak body, and rushed over to hit him: "Where's the prince? Where's the prince? You killed him, didn't you? You killed him, didn't you!"

The Fourth Prince did not hide, but grabbed Malu's hand and said, "I have locked Yinzuo up in Nalan's house, Empress Dowager, you have no way out."

Malu simply refused to listen to him and struggled desperately, his eyes filled with despair and anger: "You are talking nonsense! You usurper, traitor, how dare you treat the prince like this? He is the crown prince appointed by the emperor, you are committing treason!"

The Fourth Prince snorted coldly, released Malu's hand, and let her collapse to the ground. "Empress Dowager, you said I usurped the throne? Have you ever thought about how he would end up like this if he wasn't so incompetent? How could the Qing Dynasty be handed over to him? Everything I did was just to follow the will of heaven and for the long-term stability of the Qing Dynasty."

The Fourth Prince went on to say, "The fact that Wenxian allowed me to come in means that she agreed to my conditions. Wenxian can have power, Yinzuo can have freedom, and I will treat Fourteen, Duanxian, and Gongxian as my own brothers and sisters, and ensure that they live a life of glory and happiness."

He looked up without looking at Malu, but tears welled up in his eyes: "As long as you give up this evil child in your belly."

Upon hearing this, Malu was so angry that she slapped the Fourth Prince in the face!

"Bastard? You are the bastard. I really regret giving birth to you!"

The Fourth Prince said coldly, "Do you regret giving birth to the Fourteenth Prince, or Duanxian and Gongxian? If you only hate the Emperor, then what does it mean that you defended Wenxian and Yinzuo? It is you who do not observe the virtues of a woman!"

As he spoke, the Fourth Prince took out a packet of medicine from his sleeve, poured it into the tea, and walked towards Malu step by step with the cup of tea.

Malu shook her head desperately and quickly took off the only hairpin on her head. Her beautiful hair immediately fell on her shoulders.

"No! I will never agree to it! Don't even think about hurting the baby in my belly! If you dare to touch him, I will not let you go even if I become a ghost!"

Wen Xian, who heard the noise outside, rushed in hurriedly, but it was too late. Malu had already been forced to drink a lot.

Seeing Wen Xian coming, the Fourth Prince got up and left. He stayed with Kangxi until Kangxi passed away.

Many ministers were waiting for the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince to have a big fight, but the development of the situation was far beyond everyone's expectations. The Crown Prince's sudden suicide and the Fourth Prince's natural succession to the throne according to the Emperor's will made them stunned.

Many people think that the prince was forced to "commit suicide". When the new emperor ascended the throne and the situation was unstable, who would dare to easily offend the current emperor?

Everyone chose to protect themselves and kept silent.

Even the Hesheli and Nalan families, who were most likely to come to the fore, didn't make any noise!

After the Fourth Prince ascended the throne, the first decree he issued was to confer the title of prince on all the princes and let them take charge of the affairs of the Eight Banners in order to appease the royal family and stabilize the court. Then, he began a series of drastic reform measures aimed at rectifying the administration of officials, filling the treasury, and strengthening border defense. His vigorous and resolute measures and courage shocked the entire court.

Among these eye-catching imperial edicts, the news that Wen Xian was honored as the Princess Gulun of the Protectorate seemed less eye-catching in comparison.

The Fourteenth Prince also rushed back from the northwest to receive the title. He had originally clamored to see the Empress Dowager who was seriously ill in bed due to the death of the Emperor. However, after a secret conversation with the Fourth Prince, he unexpectedly became silent, and resolutely joined forces with Longkodo to support the Fourth Prince.

Less than half a year had passed since the national mourning for Kangxi, when the Empress Dowager, exhausted both physically and mentally from the heavy blow, eventually passed away, leaving the capital city in a gloomy mood.

At the same time, a carriage was parked outside a garden in Jiangnan.

The style of this carriage was different from the local carriages, which were delicate and light, so it must have come from the north. After a while, two women came out of the carriage, one holding a child, and the other carefully supporting the master behind.

The last woman to come down had her face covered by a veil, but judging from her figure and clothes, it was clear that she must be either rich or noble.

But such a pampered and wealthy woman walked up to the door and knocked on it.

After a long time, the green lacquered door slowly opened.

The person who opened the door was a young man, handsome and not like an ordinary person.

His eyes inadvertently fell on the familiar outline of the woman in front of him, and in an instant, an expression of disbelief appeared on his originally cold and distant face.

He asked cautiously, "Who are you?"

She lifted her veil, revealing her face, and smiled: "I have been looking for you for a long time."