Here, the Crown Prince was still reeling from shock, while the Grand Empress Dowager froze momentarily before sighing deeply, her gaze darkening. The Empress Dowager and the Emperor only hesitated briefly, their hearts briefly touched by relief before it swiftly turned into fury—
Fury directed at Noble Consort Wu and Lady Liu, swelling into a towering wave about to engulf the entire Cining Palace.
Liang Jiugong’s words shattered the silence of the hall, with Noble Consort Wu bearing the brunt of it.
Upon hearing his account, her eyes widened in disbelief as she muttered, "The stables? No, that can’t be..."
According to Nanny Wu’s report, Mingyun and Mingxin were clearly residing in the eastern side hall of Yuqing Palace. To ensure absolute certainty, she had coldly dispatched a few of her most trusted confidants to investigate. When they returned, they whispered to her, "Your Highness, it is indeed the eastern side hall."
The eastern side hall... the Crown Prince... Noble Consort Wu’s heart nearly overflowed with hatred.
And that wretched Lady Liu, spineless by nature, had been thrown into prison by the Emperor. After just a few rounds of torture, she had confessed. How could her testimony be false?!
Firmly convinced of her own beliefs, Noble Consort Wu found it impossible to accept that the Crown Prince had no involvement in the poisoning of Yinzuo.
Liang Jiugong, that treacherous dog, was clearly siding with the Crown Prince, deceiving even the Emperor! Claiming that Mingxin and Mingyun lived by the stables, toiling as lowly maids—what a clumsy lie! Who would believe it?
Her thoughts spiraled, her emotions barely restrained. Her eyes burned red with fury as she stared fixedly at the palace doors. She let out a cold laugh and sneered, "Framing me? What an excellent frame-up. The sachet is real, the poison was found in Yuqing Palace—that much is undeniable. The rest is nothing but your words, Liang Jiugong! Twisting the truth so effortlessly, you’ve forgotten your place as a servant. What a mighty Chief Steward you are, capable of covering the sky with one hand!"
At this, Liang Jiugong’s face darkened instantly, as if smeared with soot.
Her implication was that he had colluded with the Crown Prince to fabricate the story about the stables, attempting to deceive His Majesty, the Grand Empress Dowager, and the Empress Dowager.
Heh. Truly, the ever-"virtuous" Consort De—even after being demoted to Noble Consort Wu, she hadn’t lost her touch. How "kind" of her to pin such a massive accusation on him.
Liang Jiugong bent slightly at the waist, suppressing his anger as he forced a stiff smile, about to retort—when suddenly, a choked sob came from behind him.
Startled, he forgot about defending himself and whipped his head around—
There stood the Crown Prince, clad in apricot-yellow robes, emerging swiftly from the shadows of the corridor. His phoenix eyes, so like Kangxi’s, were rimmed red, tears glistening as he called out in a hoarse voice, "Grandmother, Imperial Grandmother, Imperial Father."
The Crown Prince’s youthful voice, still tinged with a childish clarity, was thick with suppressed tears, his words laced with heartbreaking grievance.
Then, wiping his nose, he swallowed back his tears and lowered his gaze to Noble Consort Wu, kneeling on the ground. Softly, he said, "Saving Yinzuo was merely a coincidence. It was nothing as vile as Noble Consort Wu suggests... Liang Jiugong has always been loyal to Imperial Father. How could he collude with me?"
His voice grew louder, anger mingling with his sorrow. "Mingyun and Mingxin have never served by my side! The poisoned sachet was never my doing! I knew nothing of my granduncle’s actions—how could I harm Yinzuo? I care for him more than anyone!"
...
Chaos erupted.
The moment the Crown Prince’s tears threatened to fall, Liang Jiugong’s heart lurched. Stuttering, he called out, "Your Highness," his mind racing with panic. This was supposed to be study hours—why had the Crown Prince suddenly appeared in Cining Palace? Had his tutors even permitted this?
And the palace servants outside—why had none of them announced his arrival? How much had the Crown Prince witnessed?
He stamped his foot inwardly. This was bad.
The Emperor had explicitly ordered that Lady Liu’s accusations against the Crown Prince be kept secret, only mentioning the palace search in passing... but now, the truth was out.
The Crown Prince was still a child—no matter how intelligent or composed, he was just a boy. Now, faced with a stepmother accusing him of murdering his younger brother and bribing the Emperor’s closest attendant, how could he endure such malice?
Even an adult would struggle!
When the Crown Prince praised his loyalty, Liang Jiugong barely had time to feel moved before the sight of tears in the boy’s eyes sent a jolt of terror through him. The Crown Prince—crying?!
This was disastrous!
Snapping back to reality, he forgot to defend himself, instinctively turning to Kangxi at the throne. It was over. His Majesty would surely be furious—today would not end peacefully.
Liang Jiugong’s prediction was correct.
At the sight of the Crown Prince, Kangxi’s rage faltered momentarily, replaced by a sharp pang of concern.
Since recovering from smallpox, Baocheng had grown increasingly independent, carrying himself like a "little adult" with his hands clasped behind his back, disdainful of childish tears. As he grew older, Kangxi couldn’t recall the last time he had cried—at most, he’d been displeased.
Though the Crown Prince quickly blinked back his tears and his voice steadied, the image of his tearful face struck Kangxi like a hammer to the heart.
The Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager were no less shocked or heartbroken.
With a sweeping glance, Kangxi took in the scene before him, his expression darkening further—so much so that Liang Jiugong trembled, his fingers twitching with dread.
The Emperor had seen it all: Noble Consort Wu, after a brief moment of shock, had shown no respect. Not only had she failed to greet the Crown Prince, but she had even sneered, murmuring, "Yinzuo’s worthless life could never compare to the precious Crown Prince. What a pity for Suo Etu’s bright future, ruined in an instant..."
Kangxi shot to his feet, striding forward. In the breathless silence, he lifted his boot and kicked Noble Consort Wu squarely in the chest. "Who gave you the audacity to slander the Crown Prince and disrespect the heir to the throne?!"
For a moment, Noble Consort Wu’s mind went blank. A sharp pain exploded in her chest, the taste of blood rising in her throat. Collapsed on the ground, clutching her chest, she could only stare in disbelief—the word "Your Majesty" stuck in her throat, unspoken.
Cining Palace was deathly silent. The Crown Prince took a step back, his eyes widening slowly.
"Yinzuo’s poisoning will be justly investigated—you have no right to spew such venom! To accuse the Crown Prince is to undermine the foundation of our Great Qing! Noble Consort Wu, even death is too merciful for you!" Kangxi’s voice was ice-cold, his gaze as if looking at a corpse.
With a cold laugh, he raised his foot for another kick—but just then, the Grand Empress Dowager’s aged voice cut through. "Xuanye!"
"Consort Wu has fallen ill with madness, and despite prolonged rest, shows no signs of recovery," the Grand Empress Dowager sighed deeply, her fingers moving over her prayer beads as the Emperor paused his actions. "In her delirium, she’s begun to confuse Yinreng with Suo Etu—such things are not beyond belief. You mustn’t hold it against her."
Her words sent a shock through the assembled court.
Noble Consort Wu sat ashen-faced, her gaze vacant, still unable to process what had happened. In her daze, the distant voice of the Grand Empress Dowager seemed to descend from the heavens: "...Her madness has worsened to the point where she can no longer recognize people, nor is she fit to be a mother to her children. Emperor, you and the Empress Dowager must discuss arrangements for Yinzhen and Moyaqi..."
The Grand Empress Dowager narrowed her eyes, exchanging a few quiet words with the Empress Dowager. After receiving a nod, she turned to the slumped figure of Noble Consort Wu and said coolly, "Conspiracy? Liang Jiugong wouldn’t dare go that far. Set your mind at ease—I personally oversaw the investigation, and there was no trace of favoritism."
Finally, she tapped the table wearily and declared, "Attendants, escort Noble Consort Wu back to Yonghe Palace. She may leave only when her madness has subsided."
As the Grand Empress Dowager issued her orders, Kangxi’s anger gradually settled into silence.
Once Noble Consort Wu had been dragged from the hall, the palace staff, suppressing their own shock, withdrew respectfully. In moments, only the Crown Prince, the elders, and the so-called "irrefutable" confession remained.
Once the tension had passed, shame flooded his heart.
He had cried!
In front of so many people!
Even if—even if he had followed Mother Yi’s advice, even if it was the first time he had openly shown his grievances, even if the effect had been astonishingly effective—Yinreng’s face burned with embarrassment.
The Crown Prince’s cheeks were flushed, his eyes still red from the tears he had shed earlier. He stared awkwardly at the ground, his gaze darting about, too mortified to meet Kangxi’s eyes. Yet to the Emperor and the two Dowagers, his demeanor only deepened their sympathy.
Today’s events had been too much—had Suo Etu’s actions unsettled Baocheng?
"Baocheng, come here, to your great-grandmother," the Grand Empress Dowager said softly, her tone a stark contrast to the authority she had wielded moments before.
She took the Crown Prince’s hand and gently wiped the lingering redness from his eyes. "My dear child, you’ve suffered. Don’t be afraid—your great-grandmother is watching over you. Focus on your studies, and no storm will dare disturb you."
The Empress Dowager was even more direct, her voice brimming with tenderness and a hint of caution: "Your great-grandmother knows everything! No matter what, this matter won’t touch you. Your imperial father is here—don’t cry, all right?"
Yinreng nodded obediently, murmuring, "I won’t cry anymore."
If he cried any more, he’d lose all dignity!
Then it was the Emperor’s turn.
Kangxi reached out and ruffled his son’s hair, his phoenix eyes filled with complex emotions. "Baocheng," he said gently, "your father knows your grievances..."
Did the Crown Prince have grievances?
Of course he did.
No one would feel at ease being falsely accused, let alone saddled with the charge of harming his younger brother. As the heir to the throne, if rumors spread, how could he ever hold his head high again?
If Noble Consort Wu had succeeded, not only would his name have been tarnished, but his father’s favor might have waned. What would have become of him then?
And he resented Suo Etu—his great-uncle’s misdeeds. That his sixth brother had been poisoned by Suo Etu’s hand—had the man no fear of Kangxi discovering the truth? No fear of implicating Yuqing Palace?
...But these thoughts remained unspoken.
"Imperial Father, your son isn’t aggrieved," the Crown Prince muttered, lowering his eyes.
Then, as if remembering something, a flicker of guilt crossed his face. "Ah, today’s lessons..."
He had rushed to Cining Palace after only a hasty apology to his tutors. Would his father be angry if he found out he had skipped class?
Under normal circumstances, he might have faced the cane. Then again, in the Kangxi era, skipping lessons was unheard of...
"What of it? You can make up the missed work tomorrow," Kangxi said, his voice uncharacteristically gentle—so gentle it sent a shiver down the Crown Prince’s spine. "I know you study diligently, but don’t push yourself too hard."
The Crown Prince: "...Oh. Right."
Dazed, the Crown Prince left Cining Palace and wandered back to Yuqing Palace, where he sat in his study for a long time, lost in thought.
Some time later, Yinqi’s bright, lively voice rang out: "Second Brother, you skipped class today?"
The Fifth Prince peeked through the doorway, staring for a moment before suddenly exclaiming, "Second Brother, your eyes are so red! Like a rabbit!"
The Crown Prince’s face flushed again.
He coughed, thought for a moment, then rested his chin on his hand and said earnestly, "I was so moved by Mother Yi’s words that I shed tears... I couldn’t help myself."
Yinqi’s mouth fell open in astonishment.
