Return of the Pearl

An indescribable bitterness suddenly surged in Yongqi's heart. The bitterness surged through him like a tide, nearly suffocating him. He tried his best to hold back the tears that were about to burst out, his voice filled with pain and helplessness, "I don't know. The emperor hasn't even investigated. I only know that my leg is broken, and from now on I have no hope of becoming emperor. Mother, I want to ask the old Buddha to let you leave this cold palace, okay?"

Hai slowly shook her head, her eyes filled with helplessness and despair, and seemed to contain endless sadness and sorrow.

She smiled sadly, her voice filled with bitterness and determination. "Yongqi, don't waste your time. The moment the Emperor ordered me to be banished to the cold palace, everyone in the palace knew about it. How could the Empress Dowager not know about it? Moreover, I did order someone to attack Concubine Xian, but unfortunately, I failed to kill her child. Yongqi, you must live well. No matter what, even if you have to linger like an ant, you must live strong."

Yongqi's heart was filled with grief, anger, and resentment. He clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging deep into his palms, as if to bury the endless pain and resentment. In his heart, a voice screamed hysterically: Why is fate so unfair? He looked at Hai with a firm gaze and said in a resolute tone: "Mother, I will. I will definitely live well. I only hope that one day I can take you away from this cold palace."

The mother and son comforted each other for a long time before Yongqi left the medicine and turned to leave.

At the gate of the cold palace, Yongqi stopped deliberately and solemnly warned the young eunuchs not to embarrass his mother. The young eunuchs were frightened by the fierce aura emanating from Yongqi, and they were silent and nodded in agreement.

Yongqi limped slowly back to Yonghe Palace. His lonely and desolate back was particularly eye-catching in this deserted palace road.

Jianjia Palace

Qianlong stared at the news that could no longer be concealed, a trace of determination flashed across his brows. He breathed a sigh of relief, and simply stood up and admitted it. He then spread the news that Xiao Yun was pregnant like a gust of wind.

This should have been something that made people happy, but in the harem, it was like a bolt from the blue, and it set off new waves. Those rumors came to Xiao Yun like a tide, all centered around the situation of the baby in her belly.

What was even more shocking was that someone, unknown to where, spread the news that Xiao Yun had been abducted by Shandong Governor Altai. Everyone knew about it, and this news was like a sharp knife, piercing Xiao Yun's heart. It also cast a shadow on the life experience of the child in her belly and was questioned by many people.

Xiao Yun leaned against Qianlong's chest, tears streaming uncontrollably like a flood. Her shoulders trembled, and her sobs were unspeakable, as if all the grievances and pain in her heart had burst out at this moment. Her pale face was covered with crystal tears, rolling down like pearls from a broken string. "Hongli, who is it this time? Not only does she want to harm me, but she wants to harm our child too! How insidious! What have I done wrong?"

Qianlong hugged her tightly in his arms, and wiped the tears from her face with his warm hands. His eyes were full of pity and love, and he comforted her softly: "Yun'er, don't cry, don't be sad, you are right, I will always be by your side, protecting you."

Qianlong's voice was gentle and low, like a spring breeze blowing through Xiao Yun's heart. His words were like a warm current, slowly flowing into the depths of Xiao Yun's heart, giving her strength and comfort. Xiao Yun raised her head and looked at Qianlong with tears in her eyes. Her eyes were full of helplessness and confusion. She didn't understand why she had to suffer hardship again and again.

Qianlong gently stroked Xiao Yun's hair. His movements were gentle and delicate, as if he was protecting a precious treasure. His eyes gleamed with determination as he said, "Yun'er, don't be afraid. I will definitely find out the truth and make those who hurt you pay the price. Believe me, everything will be fine."

Xiao Yun nodded slightly, snuggled in Qianlong's arms, feeling his warmth and strength, and his heart gradually calmed down. After Qianlong coaxed Xiao Yun to sleep, he stood alone outside the hall.

The moment Qianlong heard these rumors, his face turned ashen in an instant, anger burned in his eyes, as if he wanted to burn everything to ashes. His hair stood on end, his fists clenched, his nails dug deeply into his palms, and he almost lost his mind.

His heart was in turmoil, and countless thoughts were intertwined in his mind. He knew clearly that the matter of Altai was not completely resolved. Although he had not been able to find out how he colluded with foreign enemies, he understood that there must be someone who was secretly colluding with him and hiding it very deeply.

In addition to Hong Zhou, there may be other unknown people. He never gave up tracking them down, but he never thought that he would be exposed at this critical moment.

Qianlong gritted his teeth, veins popped out on his forehead, and shouted sternly: "An Yi! Go and find out who is the mastermind behind this immediately!" His voice exploded in the air like thunder, full of majesty and determination. After receiving the order, An Yi disappeared from sight as fast as lightning, and began their journey of pursuit.

Qianlong's chest was burning with anger, but he had to suppress it and not show it in front of Yun'er. The person behind the scenes was too insidious and cunning. He actually pointed out the identity of the child. A prince who was highly questioned, no matter how much he doted on him, once his identity was suspected, it would definitely have a great impact on his future life. This time, if he could find out who was behind the scenes, he would cut him into pieces and tear his body into pieces to relieve the hatred in his heart.

When the concubines in the harem heard that Concubine Xian was pregnant, they were all burning with jealousy. Speculation was one thing, but certainty was another. They were so angry that their teeth were itching, and the jealousy was almost devouring them. However, they had not expected that within a few days, they would receive news that the child might not be the Emperor's biological child. This made them a little at a loss for a moment, not knowing whether to be happy or sad.

However, they were filled with a sense of gloating, each of them waiting to see what would happen next. Meanwhile, in Yonghe Palace, Yongqi had also heard the rumors. His lips curled up slightly, revealing a sinister smile that seemed to conceal endless conspiracy and calculation. He pondered, "Since my mother and I have lived such a miserable life, shouldn't we also let the Emperor experience the pain of being criticized by so many people?"