Return of the Pearl

Qianlong spoke slowly, "Yun'er, things in the world are not as simple as people see. There are not only two colors, black and white. When I do things, I just want to do it with a clear conscience. I am not afraid of other people's words or misunderstandings. I am both an emperor and a father. I just want to fulfill my son's wishes, even if I have to bear some consequences for this, that is what I should do." His voice was low and firm, as if he was telling Xiao Yun about his inner persistence and perseverance.

Xiao Yun listened quietly to Qianlong's words. She didn't say anything more, but just gently leaned her head on Qianlong's chest. Her movements were gentle and natural, as if she was looking for a support and warmth.

She hugged Qianlong's waist tightly, and the strength seemed to express her deep attachment and reluctance to leave Qianlong. Her eyes were full of understanding and comfort, and her gaze was as gentle as water, as if telling Qianlong that she understood his difficulties and that she would always be by his side and never leave him. At that moment, time seemed to stand still, and the whole world was immersed in the strong emotions between them.

Xiao Luzi walked with heavy steps to Kunning Palace to announce the decree. When he saw the relieved look on the face of the twelfth prince and his grateful thanks, Xiao Luzi's heart was filled with surprise and confusion.

He frowned slightly, thinking to himself: This Twelfth Prince was demoted to guard the imperial mausoleum, living a hard life, so why is he not only not resentful or dissatisfied, but actually so happy? Could it be that Nala's strangulation damaged his brain? This is too unbelievable! Countless question marks seemed to be flying around in Xiao Luzi's head, and he couldn't make sense of it.

He couldn't help scratching his head with his hand, staring at the Twelfth Prince, trying to find some clues from his expression and behavior. However, apart from the relieved smile on the Twelfth Prince's face, there was nothing special. Xiao Luzi felt more and more strange, and the doubts in his heart became stronger.

He shook his head and sighed secretly, thinking to himself: Royal affairs are really complicated. I'd better not meddle in other people's business and just convey the imperial edict. However, the reaction of the twelfth prince was really difficult for him to understand. As he thought about it, he walked out of Kunning Palace slowly with some hesitation.

Just as Xiao Yun expected, when Emperor Qianlong issued the decree to send the twelfth prince to the imperial mausoleum, a huge uproar immediately arose in the harem.

In the Yanxi Palace, Concubine Ling stood quietly, her mind racing. She wondered: This virtuous concubine hasn't even given birth yet, and the emperor has already laid such meticulous preparations for her? The twelfth prince was once a highly competitive heir to the throne, yet now he's been banished directly to the imperial mausoleum. This is truly unexpected.

Concubine Ling's brow furrowed slightly, a trace of worry on her face. She knew that in this deep palace, everything was unpredictable and that the slightest mistake could lead to total failure. Now that the Twelfth Prince had been demoted, how would she cope? She didn't even have a prince by her side. What would she do? Her heart was filled with unease and anxiety.

Concubine Ling paced slowly, thinking to herself, she should make plans sooner rather than later. She couldn't just sit there and wait for death. She needed to plan for her future, to find a way out. But how should she go about this? Concubine Ling's heart was filled with confusion. She felt as if she were in a fog, unable to find a direction to move forward. She sighed softly, a hint of helplessness and melancholy in her eyes.

Zhongcuigong

The scene where Concubine Chun was set on fire by Nara was like a terrible nightmare, deeply imprinted in her mind and could not be erased. At that moment, her face instantly turned as pale as white paper, without a trace of blood. Beads of sweat rolled down her forehead like soybeans, and her body trembled involuntarily, like a fallen leaf swaying in the autumn wind, shivering, as if she would fall down at any time.

Her eyes were filled with terror, extreme fear and despair. Her eyes were wide open, as if about to pop out of their sockets, filled with horror and helplessness. Her lips trembled slightly, but she could not make a sound, as if her throat was strangled, and she could only make faint gasps. She seemed to have her soul sucked out of her, and she collapsed on the bed, lifeless, like a broken rag doll.

When she heard the news that the twelfth prince was exiled to the imperial mausoleum, her heart was overwhelmed with worry and fear. She began to feel deeply uneasy and worried about the fate of herself and the sixth prince. She vaguely felt that the emperor was paving the way for Concubine Xian, and that the butcher's knife would fall on her at any time. After all, even the noble queen could not be spared, let alone she was just a concubine.

She was already very frightened, and after this series of blows, she started to have a high fever, became confused, and started to talk nonsense. She mumbled some incomprehensible words, her voice sometimes high and sometimes low, as if telling of her inner fear and helplessness.

Her brows were tightly furrowed, her face full of pain and struggle, her hands were tightly grasping the bed sheets, her fingers turned pale due to the force, as if she wanted to grab something, but could not grab anything. Her body kept twisting, as if burned by fire, in unbearable pain. In the Zhongcui Palace, the imperial physician was urgently invited to treat Concubine Chun.

In Yonghe Palace, Concubine Yu was sitting alone on the couch, her body trembling slightly, as if a light breeze could blow her down. The tragic scene of Nara lighting the sky lantern was like a terrible nightmare, tightly entangling her and lingering.

The bloody and horrifying scenes kept flashing in Concubine Yu's mind. The flames licked Nara's body, making a crackling sound; thick smoke billowed in the air, making it suffocate; Nara's painful screams and pleas for mercy were like sharp thorns, piercing deep into Concubine Yu's heart.

Concubine Yu's face instantly turned as pale as paper, without a trace of blood. Her lips trembled, and she wanted to say something, but no sound came out. Beads of sweat emerged from her forehead, like beads with broken strings, rolling down her cheeks and soaking her clothes.

At this moment, Concubine Yu's originally beautiful eyes were filled with fear and panic, her pupils were dilated, and her gaze was wandering, as if something more terrible would happen at any time. She tightly grasped the quilt beside her with both hands, and her finger joints turned white due to excessive force, showing her extreme inner anxiety and fear.

Ever since being punished, Concubine Yu had rarely left Yonghe Palace. But only today did she finally wake up, realizing that the Emperor had long harbored feelings for Xiao Yun. Otherwise, how could she have been demoted from a concubine to a concubine? This filled her with immense pain and resentment. She felt that, for now, her only chance of turning the tide was to rely on Yongqi.

So, she placed all her hopes on her son. She was determined to do her best for Yongqi, even if the road ahead was full of difficulties and obstacles.