Return of the Pearl

Yangxindian

Qianlong slowly told Xiao Jian about the rehabilitation of Xiao Zhihang. After hearing this, Xiao Jian's eyes flashed with surprise and disbelief. A strong sense of trust surged in his heart, and he believed what Qianlong said without a doubt. His face was full of gratitude, and that gratitude surged like a tide, almost overflowing from his eyes.

The injuries on Xiao Jian's body were too severe. Those scars seemed like merciless whips lashing his body, causing him unbearable pain. He was too weak to move at all, and had no choice but to stay in the Yangxin Palace to recuperate.

It was precisely because Qianlong talked with Xiao Jian for a long time and time passed by quietly without him noticing that he missed the time to meet Xiao Yun.

No one had expected that Xiao Yun would come slowly on a sedan chair and leisurely arrive at the Yangxin Palace, where she unexpectedly ran into Xiao Jian. When Xiao Yun saw Xiao Jian's body covered with scars, her heart felt as if it was pierced by a sharp blade, and tears flowed uncontrollably like a broken dam. Her eyes were full of heartache and sadness, an unspeakable pain.

Upon seeing this, Emperor Qianlong quickly reached out and gently wiped away the tears from Xiao Yun's eyes. His voice was filled with comfort and concern, "Don't cry, Yun'er. I've found your brother! Look!"

Xiao Yun's voice was trembling, with a strong cry in his voice: "Brother, how could you be injured so badly! Hongli, why didn't you send anyone to tell me." Every word seemed to be squeezed out from the bottom of his heart, full of heartache.

Xiao Jian gritted his teeth, enduring the waves of pain in his body. He forced out a smile that was uglier than crying and comforted her, "It's okay, sister. Don't worry too much about me. This little injury is nothing... It was me who told the emperor not to tell you, so don't blame him."

However, although he spoke lightly, his bloodshot eyes and the cold sweat oozing from his forehead all told him that he was in great pain at the moment.

His eyes were filled with love and concern for his sister, just like the warmest sunshine in spring, trying to dispel all the haze in Xiao Yun's heart.

Their conversation flowed gently like a gurgling stream, each sentence was filled with deep emotion, and those words seemed to have magical power, making the air around them become solemn.

And when their eyes meet, it seems as if time has stopped. In that brief moment, endless thoughts and concerns are conveyed to each other's hearts through their eyes. No words are needed, everything is implied.

Then, two crystal clear tears rolled down Xiao Yun's cheeks, like falling stars in the night sky, dazzling and heartbreaking. Those tears were filled with her longing for her brother for many years, and the pain of seeing her brother injured after they met again.

The same was true for Xiao Jian. Tears burst out uncontrollably, slid down his resolute face, dripped onto the ground, and splashed tiny teardrops.

Seeing her brother again, Xiao Yun's heart was filled with waves, and all kinds of emotions surged in her heart.

Seeing this, Qianlong quickly tried to dissuade him, saying, "Yun'er, please don't disturb my brother's rest any longer. He is very weak now. The imperial physician said he needs to rest."

Xiao Yun finally stopped talking. She asked with concern, "Brother, how did you get all these injuries? Were you beaten by those bad guys?"

Qianlong then told her the details of the Tongtian Sect, including that the sect had been arrested and surrendered. After hearing this, Xiao Yun felt a little relieved.

Xiao Yun said guiltily: "Brother, I'm sorry. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have suffered this."

Xiao Jian, however, forced himself to stay together and said with a smile, "Sister, you are my only relative in this world. For you, what's the harm in suffering a little? As long as we can meet each other, all this will be worth it. The baby in your belly is about to be born, right? I came in a hurry and didn't have time to prepare a gift for her."

Xiao Yun smiled and replied, "Brother, you are the best gift."

The three of them had dinner together in the Yangxin Palace, after which Qianlong and Xiao Yun returned to the Changshou Palace, while Xiao Luzi was left in the Yangxin Palace to take care of Xiao Jian.

That night, Xiao Yun and Qianlong had endless things to talk about. Their words were like the twinkling stars in the night sky, brilliant and moving. The warm atmosphere permeated the Changshou Palace, as if time had frozen at that moment.

Xiao Jian stayed in the Yangxin Palace for a full seven days. During these long seven days, his body gradually recovered completely. During this period, he lay quietly on the couch, feeling every change in his body, his heart full of cherishment for life and expectations for the future.

In recent days, Yongsheng and Yongyan seemed to be possessed and were extremely active in the court. They vied with each other to speak and to perform. It seemed as if they wanted to take over the entire court. Their behavior naturally attracted the attention of Emperor Qianlong.

Qianlong frowned, thinking to himself: What's going on with these two children lately? What's the reason for their abnormal behavior?

Therefore, Qianlong decisively ordered the secret guards to closely observe their recent whereabouts. The secret guards followed Yongsheng and Yongyan silently like ghosts, not missing any of their moves.

Before long, the secret guards made a startling discovery: Yongsheng and Yongyan had been secretly contacting ministers! This was a serious taboo! Upon hearing this news, Qianlong was horrified. He couldn't understand how these princes could be so careless.

Qianlong fell into deep thought for a long time. He sat on the dragon throne, tapping the armrests lightly with his fingers, his mind full of thoughts. He was thinking about the motives of Yongsheng and Yongyan, the consequences of their actions, and how he should deal with it. His eyes revealed a hint of worry and a hint of determination. He knew that this matter must be handled with caution and the situation must not be allowed to deteriorate further.

So far, the two sons have not done anything out of the ordinary. However, Qianlong knew in his heart that they might have developed other thoughts in their hearts. So he immediately ordered An Yi to closely monitor their every move and told An Yi to report immediately if he found anything unusual, and to make sure to keep a firm grasp on their whereabouts.

Qianlong thought to himself that if they could wake up in time and turn back from their wrong path, he might forgive them this time for the sake of their father-son relationship. But if they were stubborn and insisted on having their own way, he would have no choice but to take decisive action. A trace of determination and helplessness flashed in his eyes.