Secrets of Yuqing Palace

After the ceremony of grasping the newborn baby, Yinreng and Yinzhen went to the front court to handle government affairs, while Wanlin and Hongli stayed in Yuqing Palace.

When the afternoon came and they had some free time, Yinreng took Yinzhen back to Yuqing Palace. After they had dinner together, Yinzhen took his concubine and Hongli out of the palace and returned to Prince Yong's Mansion.

I thought everything would go on as usual.

Unexpectedly, not long after the one-year-old celebration, Kangxi ordered Liang Jiugong to summon Yinreng to the Qianqing Palace.

Yinreng followed Liang Jiugong to the Qianqing Palace.

At this time, the Qianqing Palace was solemn and quiet.

Kangxi sat upright on the dragon throne, his face solemn and majestic, his eyes as sharp as torches, staring directly at the Crown Prince Yinreng who was bowing below.

His voice was deep and powerful, as if carrying a tremendous amount of pressure.

"Prince, there have been rumors in the palace recently that the three late queens died of different causes. Are you aware of this? What are your thoughts?"

Yinreng's heart tightened, but he remained calm.

He bowed respectfully and said, "Your Majesty, I have heard something."

"However, the matter was quickly suppressed, probably because the rumor was false."

Kangxi stared at the thirty-year-old prince below him, and felt the youth, strength and vigor of his body.

But he is now in his middle age and will soon be sixty. Both his body and spirit remind him that he is far inferior to before!

A flash of jealousy flashed across my heart.

He asked back, "Oh?"

"Does the prince think that's a false rumor?"

Yinreng lowered his head and did not directly answer the emperor's question.

"Since the Emperor mentioned this matter but no decree has been issued, I think it must be a false rumor."

Kangxi understood that the prince was pretending to be ignorant, so he stopped beating around the bush and questioned him directly in a loud voice.

"When the Crown Prince saw that there was no imperial decree from the Qianqing Palace, he felt that the rumor was false. Why did Empress Renxiao spread the story of Empress Xiaozhao and Empress Xiaoyi in the palace afterwards?!"

"Prince, do you know that what you have done is a grave crime?"

Yinreng knelt on the ground and looked up at the emperor who was high above him. He knew that he had already known that he was pushing this matter behind the scenes.

He lowered his head and looked at the ground of the Qianqing Palace.

He laughed softly.

Then he looked up again and gave a mocking smile.

"Then Your Majesty, do you think the rumors are true?"

Kangxi looked at the mockery on the prince's face and scolded him angrily.

"Prince, you should understand that no matter if it's true or not, if it gets out, it will bring disgrace to the royal family!"

"Now that you know the truth, you understand even more clearly that this matter involves a wide range of people and cannot be punished lightly!"

"And you act so recklessly. Where does the royal dignity stand? And where does my dignity stand?"

Yinreng stood up from the ground. Although his figure was a little thin, he was exceptionally tall and straight.

At this moment, he looked calmly at the somewhat angry emperor above.

"Your Majesty is right. I know I was wrong."

"But Your Majesty, what about my mother? Should I just let her be murdered in vain?"

"She is the Empress, the mother of a country!"

"Now that I know the truth, if the murderers are still at large, I will be extremely uneasy and unfilial."

"There are also Empress Xiaozhao and Empress Xiaoyi."

"If it were the Empress Dowager and Empress Xiaozhao, you wouldn't mind, but Empress Xiaoyi is not only your empress, she's also your cousin."

"You have always favored the Tonggiya clan. Why did you let the person behind you go so easily when it comes to the cause of Empress Xiaoyi's death?"

"Are the three queens so despicable that they are not even as good as a few slaves?"

"If I, as the Crown Prince, cannot seek justice for my own mother, then what is the point of my actions as the Crown Prince?"

Seeing that Yinreng was not giving up at this time and kept mentioning the matter, Kangxi wanted to expose and make a big deal about it and punish those behind it, which made him even angrier.

There was both a sense of anger at having his imperial dignity offended, and a feeling of annoyance at the other party's lack of tact.

He stood up from the dragon throne and looked at the stubborn prince standing below, confronting him with an arrogant look on his face, and felt even more displeased.

"Prince!"

"Are you questioning me, or threatening me with your position as Crown Prince?!"

"As the Emperor, I am not only the Empress's bedfellow, but also the master of this Qing Dynasty!"

"I understand your grief over Mother's passing. Empress Renxiao's passing is also a source of pain in my heart."

"And Xiao Zhao and Xiao Yi, both of them are my confidants."

"If I hadn't been so cautious, how could I not want to confiscate the property and exterminate the clans of those who committed the crime?!"

"But as the emperor, I can't just vent my anger for a moment. I also need to weigh the pros and cons!"

"Once this matter is fully exposed, the entire Qing Dynasty will be shaken!"

"Not only will the front court be in turmoil, but the harem will also be in turmoil."

"As the Crown Prince, you should prioritize the overall interests of the country. You can't just ignore it for your own selfish reasons. How can you have the breadth of mind and magnanimity that a Crown Prince should have?!"

"This position of Crown Prince is given to you by me, not a weapon for you to use to threaten me into compromise!"

"I can give the position of Crown Prince away, and I can also take it back!"

Yinreng found the emperor's arrogance and righteous words ironic.

What is the political turmoil?

【It’s all because your interests are not involved! 】

[I'm afraid my parents, wife, and children are insignificant in the face of your imperial power, which is why you can abandon them so easily!]

[Otherwise, as an emperor holding great power, how could you not be able to deal with a few servants? ]

[It's all because of your unwillingness. They are not that important! ]

[The position of Crown Prince can be given to me or taken back, haha~]

【Are you already impatiently waiting for the opportunity? 】

There was no need for Yinreng to ask anything at this time, as he already understood what the emperor meant.

I also know that the emperor's decision cannot be changed.

He summoned me to the Qianqing Palace to mention this matter just to warn me not to hold on to it anymore. If I caused any more trouble, it would not only bring shame to the royal family but also cause unrest in the harem.

Yinreng realized more deeply that his understanding of the emperor was deepening and becoming clearer time and time again.

After repeated tests, he realized that the person sitting on the dragon throne was only the emperor!

It is definitely not the Khan Ama who loves him!

How could an emperor have so many emotions and desires?

All I have is the desire to be the only one in control and the joy of holding all the power.

Anyone who wants to take away his power will be his mortal enemy!

He lowered his eyes, hiding the hostility in them, and tightened his hands on both sides.

"Could it be that the Empress Dowager, Xiao Zhao's Mother, and Xiao Yi's Mother were murdered in vain?"

Kangxi said with a somewhat uneasy look: "I have my own opinion on this matter!"

"They are the mothers of a country and my wives. They would never do that."

"When the time is right, I will personally seek justice for the three queens."

"But the Queen Mother has been murdered repeatedly, which is a royal scandal."

"In order to save the royal family's reputation, I will issue an order to punish those involved and their families for other reasons."

"You should withdraw first. You have caused such a great disaster. Now you should reflect on your mistakes in Yuqing Palace. You don't need to attend court for the time being."

Finally, Kangxi warned him, "You must remember that as the crown prince, your every move affects the political situation. You must not act so rashly in the future."

"The position of Crown Prince is not something you can use to do whatever you want!"

Yinreng bowed politely and said, "Yes. Your son obeys your order."

Seeing that Yinreng was obedient, Kangxi waved his hand with a look of satisfaction on his face.

"Go back."

After Yinreng left the Qianqing Palace, he looked at the towering palace behind him, and a cold light flashed in his eyes.

[Empress Mother, since he has abandoned you and is unwilling to seek justice for you, then I, your son, will personally avenge you and make sure those murderers receive the punishment they deserve!]

(Alas, I'm a bit stuck in the writing process as I've reached an important turning point. If the update progress is slow, please understand.)