Return of the Pearl

When Qianlong heard this, his expression became even more stern. A cold light flashed in his eyes, and that icy gaze made people shudder. His tone was as cold as ice, "How dare you!" The voice echoed in the tent, as if carrying an invisible pressure, which made people shudder. His heart was filled with anger and disappointment.

The guards and the imperial doctors shouted in unison, "Your Majesty, please calm down!"

But Yongqi seemed to be possessed by some invisible force, and he fell into a state of madness, completely losing his mind. His originally handsome face became twisted and hideous due to the turmoil of emotions, and expressions of madness and despair flashed in his eyes. He kept shouting, and his excitement was almost on the verge of getting out of control.

He was shouting and losing his temper, looking like a man who was almost crazy due to the pain. His already weak body was trembling slightly with excitement, which made people feel pity for him. Tears flowed freely on his pale face like a flood that broke through the dam and could not be stopped.

"Your Majesty, every word I say is true! In the past, you always took me with you wherever you went and whatever you did. But recently, you first punished my mother, then treated me so coldly. Now, even when I fell off my horse and broke my leg, you didn't even come to see me. Isn't this cold-blooded and heartless? I don't understand what I did wrong to deserve your treatment like this, Your Majesty."

Qianlong suppressed his anger, which was like surging waves. A trace of anger flashed across his handsome face. That look was like the haze before a storm. His eyes were full of severity and coldness. He said in a low and powerful voice: "All of you get out!"

Seeing this, Xiao Yun also wanted to turn around and leave. However, Qianlong's eyes followed her closely, his heart filled with worry. A trace of concern flashed in his eyes as deep as a deep pool, and he said with a hint of tenderness in his voice: "Yun'er, you stay."

Then, he gently helped Xiao Yun to the chair and let her sit down safely. At this moment, there were only three of them in the tent, and a quiet atmosphere enveloped the entire space.

Qianlong stared at Yongqi, who had fallen into paranoia, and his heart felt like a pot of mixed feelings. All kinds of feelings intertwined together, surging in his heart like a surging tide.

He sighed deeply, his tone heavy and filled with complex emotions as he spoke, "Yongqi, I once placed great hopes on you, hoping that you would become my capable arm, inherit the throne, and carry forward our ancestral legacy. However, your actions today have truly caused me great pain and disappointment! Your actions are no longer worthy of the earnest expectations I once placed on you."

When Yongqi heard this, his eyes widened, and there seemed to be a raging fire about to burst out from his angry eyes. He clenched his fists tightly, and because he was using too much force, the joints were faintly white, and even his body was shaking slightly with anger.

He tried his best to get up from the sickbed, and faced Qianlong and argued loudly: "Your Majesty, just because the virtuous concubine is pregnant, does that mean I am unworthy? I don't accept it!" His voice was hoarse and full of unwillingness and resentment.

How could Qianlong allow anyone to have even the slightest misunderstanding about his beloved Yun'er? A flash of obvious anger flashed across his face, and he retorted without hesitation: "This matter has nothing to do with Yun'er!"

But Yongqi clearly didn't believe these words. His eyes were still filled with a mixture of doubt and grief. His gaze was like a sharp sword, piercing straight at Qianlong. He demanded sharply, "Father Emperor, is it true that all of this has nothing to do with her? Is that really the case?"

Xiao Yun sat there quietly, like a blooming yet slightly sad flower. Her beautiful face was now shrouded in a layer of strange emotions, making her originally lively eyes look a little dull. She just stared quietly at everything happening in front of her, her heart seemed to be entangled with thousands of thoughts, and worries and helplessness kept surging into her heart like a tide.

She pursed her lips tightly, said nothing, and endured it all silently. It seemed that the whole world had stopped, and only her uneasy heart was still beating.

At this moment, Qianlong walked over slowly with steady steps. He came to Xiao Yun's side and stretched out his broad and powerful hands without hesitation, tightly holding Xiao Yun's slightly cold little hands. The warmth of his palms instantly spread throughout Xiao Yun's body, as if a warm current was injected into her heart, giving her endless comfort and strength.

Then, Qianlong turned to look at Yongqi beside him, his eyes stern. He took a deep breath and said in a calm but unquestionable tone: "Yongqi, whether you believe it or not, this matter really has nothing to do with Yun'er. From today on, you must abide by your duties. In consideration of our father-son relationship, I will grant you a title and marry you a wife.

As for those things that don't belong to you, don't even dream of getting them. Even if your leg wasn't injured, I would never choose you to inherit the throne. So, you should just stay here and recuperate, and stop causing trouble!

When Qianlong blurted out these words, the sadness in Yongqi's heart surged like a tide, constantly magnifying infinitely. He became more and more paranoid, stubbornly believing that the emperor was biased.

He blurted out, "Father, I used to disbelieve those rumors, but now I wonder if you've really forced my twelfth brother away. Also, my horse has always been gentle, so why did I suddenly fall off? Did you do it on purpose? Was it to pave the way for the child in Concubine Xian's belly?"

As soon as these words were spoken, it was like a sharp blade piercing Qianlong's heart, instantly igniting his anger. Qianlong angrily let go of Xiao Yun's hand, his chest heaving violently, and the anger that had been suppressed for a long time churned in his body like a volcano about to erupt. He suddenly raised his hand and used all his strength to hit Yongqi in the face.

There was a crisp and loud "bang", as if a thunder exploded in the entire tent. The sound was so shocking that everything around seemed to stand still. Blood instantly flowed from the corner of Yongqi's mouth, and the bright red blood looked particularly glaring on his pale face.