Secrets of Yuqing Palace

The next day, Yinreng secretly passed the message to Ma Qi.

Ask him to meet secretly outside the palace.

Ma Qi felt suspicious about the prince's sudden invitation.

But I still arrived at the meeting place on time.

When Yinreng arrived, Ma Qi was already waiting in the room.

Seeing the prince coming in, Ma Qi was about to bow and pay his respects, but Yinreng grabbed Ma Qi's arm and stopped him.

"Master Ma Qi, I have something to discuss with you today, so there is no need for formalities."

Then he raised his hand and said, "Sit down."

Ma Qi: “Yes.”

After both of them sat down, Ma Qi asked suspiciously, "I wonder what the Crown Prince wants to discuss with me?"

Yinreng did not answer but asked, "Master Ma Qi, do you know why the Emperor suddenly confiscated the Imperial Household Department's bondsers a while ago?"

Ma Qi frowned.

"The matter of the Baoyi corruption."

Isn't this something that everyone in the world knows?

Even the Fucha family was not completely unaware of the corruption among the bannermen.

When my eldest brother Maska was the Minister in Chief of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, he knew a lot of the tricks involved.

[But judging from the prince's tone, it seems there's more to it than that?]

Hearing Ma Qi's thoughts, a hint of satisfaction flashed across Yinreng's eyes.

【As expected of an old fox. 】

So he said directly: "There is corruption, but it is more than that."

Ma Qi's expression remained unchanged, and he simply said respectfully, "Your Majesty is wise."

Yinreng did not beat around the bush and directly told Ma Qi his purpose.

"Lord Ma Qi is the Crown Princess's uncle. Since the Crown Princess and I are one, I can also call Lord Ma Qi uncle."

Ma Qi immediately declined with deep fear, saying, "Your Highness, this is too much for me."

"I am a lowly servant, how can I be the elder of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?"

Yinreng waved his hand.

"Master Ma Qi, there is no need to do this."

"I have a good relationship with the Crown Princess. Her uncle is my uncle."

"Today I have an appointment with my uncle to meet outside. I want to discuss a business matter with him."

Ma Qi was even more confused as to why the prince had gone through so much trouble just to discuss business with him.

"Your Highness, please speak."

Yinreng: "I believe that as the emperor's confidant, my uncle has served before the emperor for many years and his ability to understand the emperor's intentions is not bad."

"My uncle should have some guesses about my current situation in the former dynasty."

Ma Qi was silent for a moment, then nodded.

"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is too outstanding and has the qualities of a wise ruler. Although his brilliance is dazzling, it can also burn people's eyes."

Yinreng chuckled.

"Uncle, you are too kind. I do not deserve it."

"But what my uncle said about burning people's eyes is exactly what I am facing now."

He changed the subject and said to Ma Qi, "I'd better talk to my uncle about why the emperor took action against the bannermen."

He then told Ma Qi about how he used the bondservants to spy on the emperor's preferences, secretly trained bondservant girls and sent them to the emperor through small selections, and even intended to control the royal heirs and covet the throne.

Horror flashed in Ma Qi's eyes.

Yinreng looked at the shocked Ma Qi and asked with a smile, "Uncle, I think the Emperor has noticed these things and has confiscated the bondsers. Which princes are now in a favorable position?"

After listening to the prince's words, Ma Qi thought about it carefully.

With surprise in his eyes, he blurted out, "Of course it's you, Your Highness the Crown Prince."

Yinreng laughed sarcastically.

"Then uncle, take a look at the emperor's attitude towards me now."

Ma Qi's expression changed.

The emperor's suppression of the power behind the prince has hardly stopped since the 47th year of Kangxi's reign.

He even kept increasing the power of other princes to make them compete against the crown prince.

Even after the Baoyi, he began to increase the power of Prince Yong and the Eighth Prince, wanting them to confront the Crown Prince.

A horrifying thought suddenly flashed through Ma Qi's mind.

[The Emperor is so afraid of the Crown Prince! ]

Yinreng smiled and said, "I'm sure my uncle has thought of it too."

"If I want to protect myself, my wife, and my children, the only way is to jump off the chessboard."

Ma Qi was shocked.

"Is Your Highness willing?"

Yinreng: "So what if I'm unwilling?"

"For that almost impossible position, are you going to sacrifice me and the Crown Princess, and the lives of several children?"

Ma Qi disagreed in his heart, but his eyes were full of admiration.

"Your Highness is clear-headed and insightful. I admire you."

Yinreng shook his head.

"This is just my helpless move."

"So I invited you today to discuss a business deal. I wonder if you are willing?"

Ma Qi bowed and said, "I am all ears!"

Yinreng said calmly and forcefully, "If nothing unexpected happens, the one who will ascend to that position in the future will be Prince Yong Yinzhen."

Ma Qi's brows twitched violently, and his eyelids, which had been a little loose, seemed to tighten slightly.

He paused briefly while holding the eighteen-bead bracelet, and then continued to rotate it as if nothing had happened, but the speed was slower than before.

He took a deep breath, so light and slow that it was almost imperceptible, and then slowly exhaled.

"How did Your Highness know?"

Yinreng said mysteriously, "Uncle, there is no need to doubt the truth of this news."

"Although I have decided to step down, I will not allow others to take that position."

"You can turn around and deal with me later."

Ma Qi's heart skipped a beat.

【Could it be that the prince arranged this? 】

[Prince Yong is fine, so is the Thirteenth Master also fine?]

He asked tentatively, "Your Highness, what do you think of the Thirteenth Master?"

Yinreng shook his head and looked straight at Ma Qi.

"Uncle, Thirteen is not suitable!"

"I have my own arrangements for everything. The glory of the Fucha family does not lie at this time."

Ma Qi felt guilty under the prince's oppressive gaze, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

"Your Highness is right."

Yinreng casually reminded him, "After I step down, if the Fucha family wants to prosper in the future, it's best not to interfere in the affairs between the princes."

"Otherwise, the first family the Emperor will purge will be the Fucha family!"

"Uncle, you need to understand clearly that even if the Fucha family is favored by the emperor, they are still not as good as me, the crown prince!"

"You should also think about what happened to Alinga, Orondai, Kuixu and others a few years ago!"

Ma Qi's breathing hitched.

I understood the prince's hint.

The crown prince is the emperor's son who has been doted on since childhood. He can be feared or suppressed at will.

If the Fucha family gets involved in the fight for the throne among the princes, they will probably be suppressed by the emperor even more.

Ma Qi could hardly hold the eighteen-bead bracelet in his hand, so he put it back on his wrist.

Guilty and breathless, he bowed and said, "Thank you, Your Highness, for your guidance."

Yinreng just glanced at him indifferently.

Then he stood up and walked to the window, looking at the scenery outside, and said in a calm voice.

"The Fucha family can't catch up with the struggle of this dynasty, but there is still the next dynasty."

"Uncle, what are you so anxious about?"

Looking at the prince's back and hearing him mention the next dynasty, Ma Qi's heart skipped a beat.

Yinreng turned around and looked at Ma Qi who was staring at him in a daze.

"I told my uncle the answer in advance. He started planning so early. Is he still afraid that he won't succeed?"

"And the business I'm discussing today is related to this matter."

"For Uncle Yu and the Fucha family, this is a big deal that is sure to make money. Uncle will love it!"

Ma Qi looked at the prince under the sunlight. The light behind him was so dazzling that it seemed to really burn his eyes.

But every time his mouth opened and closed, the words that came out were like a devil tempting him, urging him to agree to the deal quickly!

Finally, he pursed his dry lips and asked with difficulty: "What is the business that the prince is talking about?"

Yinreng smiled lightly, walked up to Ma Qi and whispered something to him.

The more Ma Qi listened, the more obvious the shock on his face became.