Return of the Pearl

Yongqi stayed alone in the tent, feeling lonely, with the laughter and chatter outside echoing in his ears. But to him, these sounds were like sharp knives, piercing his eardrums. He just felt that those sounds were so harsh and so upsetting.

His temper became more and more violent, and he seemed to be enveloped by an unknown anger. He could no longer bear it all, and excitedly shouted that he wanted to see the emperor. His voice was full of eagerness and desire, as well as a hint of imperceptible grievance.

Seeing this, the guards did not dare to delay and hurried to report. At this time, Qianlong was immersed in the lively atmosphere of the banquet, laughing and chatting with everyone and enjoying the happiness.

When he heard the guard come to report that Yongqi wanted to see him, Qianlong frowned slightly, and the expression on his face turned cold in an instant. A trace of imperceptible boredom flashed in his eyes, and then he uttered two words in a stiff tone: "No." Those two words were like a thousand-pound stone, hitting the guard's heart heavily.

The guard turned around helplessly, walked back to the tent with heavy steps, and reported Qianlong's words truthfully to Yongqi. After hearing this, Yongqi was struck by lightning, and the sadness in his heart continued to expand and spread like a surging tide. He stood there blankly, his eyes empty and confused, and his face full of pain and despair.

He didn't understand what he had done to anger God and man that made the emperor dislike him so much. He felt as if he was in a dark abyss. No matter how hard he tried, he could not escape the endless darkness. His heart was filled with doubts, confusion and grievances. These complex emotions intertwined together, making him feel extremely painful and helpless.

Yongqi was so determined that he protested in such an extreme way. He started a hunger strike and refused to eat even a grain of rice or a bite of vegetables. He had only one obsession in his heart, which was to see Qianlong. His stubborn look made people feel distressed.

When the guards saw Yongqi like this, worries surged in their hearts. They were extremely anxious and hurried to Qianlong to report Yongqi's situation truthfully. However, disappointingly, Qianlong remained unmoved, like a cold stone, not touched at all. His attitude was extremely indifferent, as if everything about Yongqi had nothing to do with him.

He just stood there quietly, with an expressionless face and cold eyes, giving no sense of warmth or concern. His heart was as hard as a rock, and no matter how anxious the guards were, he remained indifferent, as if Yongqi's hunger strike was just an insignificant farce to him.

Qianlong and Xiao Yun were inseparable every day, like conjoined twins. They strolled leisurely on the hunting ground, with such a leisurely posture, as if all the troubles in the world had nothing to do with them.

Qianlong was almost always with Xiao Yun and never left her more than three steps away. His eyes followed Xiao Yun closely like a shadow, and his focused expression was as if he was afraid that Xiao Yun would disappear from his sight in the blink of an eye.

He would always keep Xiao Yun within his sight. His focused and gentle look was as if he was carefully guarding the most precious treasure in the world, not allowing any mistakes. Every time he looked at Xiao Yun, his eyes were filled with endless love and doting, which made people couldn't help but be moved.

In this way, time passed quickly like flowing water. During these three days, Yongqi stubbornly refused to eat a single grain of rice and stubbornly refused to eat anything. Not only that, he also resolutely refused to let the imperial physician change the dressing on his wound which had not yet healed, making the situation worse.

In the end, Yongqi developed a high fever and fell into a coma. His face was as pale as paper and his body was as hot as fire, which made people feel distressed. The imperial doctors were anxious in the face of such a critical situation, but felt helpless. They could only change the dressings on his wounds carefully after Yongqi fell into a coma, for fear of disturbing his rest. Afterwards, the imperial doctors quickly sent someone to report this worrying news to Qianlong.

At this moment, Qianlong was accompanying Xiao Yun, and the two of them were slowly walking in the hunting ground. When he heard that Yongqi was torturing himself so desperately that he even fainted, his brows frowned involuntarily, and a trace of imperceptible irritation revealed between his brows.

Then, he turned his gaze to Xiao Yun, his eyes full of tenderness, and said softly, "Yun'er, come with me. I'm a little worried about leaving you here alone. What do you think?"

Xiao Yun nodded slightly and gently, his gentle posture like a quietly blooming flower.

So, the two of them walked hand in hand towards Yongqi's tent. Their steps were slow and firm, and every step was filled with concern for Yongqi, leaving two shallow traces on the grass in the hunting ground.

When Qianlong and Xiao Yun walked slowly into Yongqi's tent, they saw that Yongqi had woken up. His originally pale face still showed lingering anger, his eyes were full of eagerness and desire, and his mouth was still yelling. He was so excited that he was almost out of control, as if he wanted to vent all the grievances and dissatisfaction in his heart.

He was shouting and throwing a tantrum, looking like a child who had suffered great injustice. His already weak body was trembling slightly with excitement, which made people feel pity for him.

Qianlong walked slowly towards them, a trace of barely perceptible anger on his handsome face and a hint of reproach in his eyes. He looked at Yongqi and said sternly, "What are you doing?"

As soon as Yongqi saw Qianlong, tears began to flow uncontrollably like a flood. The crystal tears rolled down his cheeks like broken pearls. His face was full of grievances, and that aggrieved look made people feel distressed.

"Your Majesty, why don't you come to see me? Is it because my right leg is disabled and I have become a cripple that I have no value? Is the royal family really so heartless? Your Majesty, you were not like this before!" Yongqi's voice was filled with endless resentment and loss. His questions were like sharp knives, piercing Qianlong's heart.

Yongqi's words frightened the guards and imperial doctors in the room so much that they immediately knelt on the ground. They lowered their heads, not daring to look at Qianlong's face, their hearts filled with fear and anxiety. They knew very well that Yongqi's words had offended Qianlong's majesty, and they were worried that Qianlong would be furious.