Return of the Pearl

The secret guards were ordered to keep Yongsheng and Yongyan under close surveillance, but they never expected that Yongqi would be implicated in this matter. They were shocked, knowing that this matter was serious, as it involved three princes! Without delay, they quickly reported to Emperor Qianlong the details of Yongsheng, Yongyan, and Yongqi's secret plot, as well as the secret contents of their discussions.

After hearing this, Qianlong was immediately furious, and the flames of anger seemed to burst out of his eyes. He gritted his teeth and roared: "These rebellious sons, how dare they be so bold! Do they want to force the emperor to abdicate?" His voice was full of anger and disappointment.

Upon hearing this news, Qianlong's mood instantly sank to the bottom, becoming extremely heavy. He couldn't understand why they had such a ridiculous idea when he had always loved and treated all his sons equally. He frowned, his heart filled with doubts and confusion.

Qianlong walked into the Hall of Mental Cultivation with heavy steps, sat alone at the table, picked up a pot of wine, slowly filled the glass, and then drank it all. He drank one glass after another, as if trying to use alcohol to numb his pain. While drinking, the figures of Yongsheng, Yongyan and Yongqi, as well as their unforgivable behavior, kept appearing in his mind. His heart was filled with melancholy and sadness, and he felt extremely confused and bewildered about all this.

After drinking the wine, Qianlong sat there quietly, looking ahead with empty eyes. The pain in his heart surged like a tide and could not calm down for a long time. He didn't know how to face this sudden change, nor did he know how to deal with the relationship with these sons. He just felt as if his heart was torn apart and he was in great pain.

It was not until late at night that Qianlong finished washing up in the Yangxin Palace, changed into clean clothes, and then slowly returned to the Jianjia Palace. Xiao Yun had not fallen asleep yet. She sat there quietly, waiting for Qianlong's return.

The moment Qianlong entered the Jianjia Palace, Xiao Yun took the initiative to step forward and took Qianlong's hand. She asked gently, "Hongli, is the government very busy today?"

When Qianlong heard Xiao Yun's warm and caring words, the haze in his heart instantly dissipated a lot. He secretly sighed in his heart that it was fortunate that Xiao Yun was by his side.

A complex emotion welled up in Qianlong's heart. "That's it! Since they don't want me as their father, then I'll just pretend I never gave birth to them!" I want to see if the three of them really have the courage to do so.

Qianlong, with a look of guilt on his face, said softly to Xiao Yun, "Today's affairs are indeed extremely numerous, leaving me unable to handle them all. As a result, Yun'er has been waiting here for so long. This is indeed my fault, but don't worry, this will never happen again. I will never let Yun'er wait like this again. Well, it's getting late, let's get some rest."

Xiao Yun was so smart, how could she not notice that Qianlong was acting strangely today? However, being considerate, she didn't ask the reason, but just nodded slightly.

Afterwards, the two slowly walked towards the bed, hugged each other and fell asleep, snuggling together with mutual care. The harem seemed as calm as water, but in fact it was hiding turbulent waves, because the fetus in Xiao Yun's belly was about to be born, and the day of delivery was approaching. Qianlong was naturally extremely anxious.

To this end, he had already secretly issued strict orders, ordering people to closely monitor the three rebellious sons, to ensure the safety of Yun'er and the children, to make sure that nothing was leaked, and not to allow any slackness.

During these days, Qianlong stayed by Xiao Yun's side almost every step of the way. Except for attending court, he was by his side like a guardian angel. However, the behavior of the three rebellious sons became more and more unscrupulous, and they moved around as frequently as a group of hungry wolves, as if they had made up their minds to commit the evil act of forcing the emperor to abdicate and rebel.

Qianlong's heart was filled with complicated emotions. He held on to the last glimmer of hope, hoping to give them another chance, hoping that they could turn back and get back on the right track. His heart was like a turbulent sea, churning with endless pain and worry. That glimmer of hope, like the twinkling stars in the night sky, shone faintly but stubbornly in his heart, refusing to extinguish.

On the night of September 8th, the moonlight was like water, sprinkling on every corner of the palace. Qianlong and Xiao Yun slept in each other's arms, immersed in a peaceful dream.

Suddenly, a sharp pain grabbed Qianlong's abdomen like a claw, pulling him out of his sweet dream. Qianlong gasped in pain, his brows were tightly furrowed, and his forehead was instantly covered with fine beads of sweat. He realized instantly that Yun'er was about to give birth!

Qianlong, despite the discomfort in his body, used all his strength to gently shake Xiao Yun, his voice filled with anxiety and worry: "Yun'er, wake up, Yun'er..."

Xiao Yun opened her eyes gently like a slowly blooming flower. Through her sleepy eyes, she saw Qianlong's face full of pain. Her heart trembled suddenly and she woke up completely from her sleep in an instant.

There was a flash of panic and concern in her eyes, and the lazy look was instantly replaced by tension and worry. She stretched out her hand and wanted to touch Qianlong's face, as if she wanted to soothe his inner pain and anxiety.

In fact, the imperial doctors had been waiting quietly in the side hall a few days ago. Qianlong gritted his teeth and shouted with difficulty: "Someone come!" The voice seemed to burst out from the depths of his soul, full of power.

Soon, a group of palace maids, midwives and imperial physicians came hurriedly. Their footsteps were particularly clear in the silent palace. The imperial physicians escorted Xiao Yun to the delivery room in an orderly manner. At this time, Xiao Yun seemed particularly calm and did not feel any pain at all.

In contrast, Qianlong's face was as pale as a piece of white paper, and beads of sweat kept rolling down his face like beads with broken strings. He held his stomach tightly, and his body trembled slightly, as if every bit of pain was tormenting him mercilessly. He gritted his teeth, enduring the severe pain, his eyes always fixed on Xiao Yun, his heart full of concern and heartache.

Qianlong had never experienced such a pain that felt like thousands of ants gnawing at his heart. The pain was several times more intense than any injury he had ever suffered. The pain was like a ferocious beast, rampaging through his body, biting him wantonly, and almost devouring him whole.

However, a sense of relief rose in his heart, relieved that he was the one to bear the unbearable pain, not Yun'er. The nanny in the delivery room was shocked. She had never seen a woman so quiet during childbirth, without even a cry. Xiao Yun did not cry out because she really did not know what pain felt like. She had never experienced it, so how could she know how to cry out?