Chapter 114: The Fifth Lady

Chapter 114: The Fifth Lady

May of the forty-second year of Kangxi's reign.

In the evening, Yinqi returned from the government office and headed straight for the main courtyard, Qiyun Pavilion.

"Where is your Lady?" Yinqi searched the house but couldn't find An Qing, just as Perilla returned from outside.

Perilla hurriedly replied, "My Lord Beile, the mistress took Little Master and Little Prince Hongsheng to the farm to pick cherries."

Yinqi nodded lightly and turned towards the farm in the rear quarters.

In the orchard area of the farm, it was cherry season. An Qing led Xiao Bao and Hongsheng under the cherry trees, watching Little Xizi climb a ladder to pick cherries.

The cherry trees were tall; all the low-hanging fruit had already been picked. Only those at the top required climbing or standing on a ladder, making cherries notoriously difficult to harvest despite their deliciousness.

"Little Xizi, pick that big red one over there! I want that one!" Xiao Bao stood under the tree, looking up and shouting.

Little Xizi responded from the ladder, "Yes, Little Prince Hong Zhi, this servant will pick it for you."

Seeing the little boy standing too close to the ladder, potentially causing trouble, An Qing called out, "Xiao Bao, come here to Mama."

Hearing his mother's words, the little boy pouted instinctively and unhappily ran over. "Mama, why do you still call me Xiao Bao? Didn't we agree you should call me Hong Zhi now?"

An Qing rolled her eyes slightly, exasperated. This three-year-old boy now cared about his dignity. A few days ago, he came back from the palace disliking the name she gave him, refusing to let her use it anymore.

Later, after inquiring with Concubine Yi, she learned that he had encountered Elder Brother Prince's son, Hong Yu, in the palace, who mocked the name Xiao Bao for not being manly enough.

"Alright, Mama will try to remember and avoid calling you Xiao Bao," An Qing said with a smile. "But you must understand that Mama has been calling you that for so long; it's hard to change immediately. How about this: at home, I'll still call you Xiao Bao, but outside, I'll call you Hong Zhi. What do you think?"

The little boy tilted his head, considering the proposal. He decided it was acceptable since no one would tease him at home.

"Okay, but Mama, please remember to call me Hong Zhi when we go out," Xiao Bao said solemnly. Then he turned to Hongsheng, "Brother, you need to remember too."

Hongsheng's face showed a hint of guilt. "I'm sorry, Xiao Bao. It was my fault before."

A few days ago, Xiao Bao went to the study hall to pick him up, and he called him Xiao Bao, which was overheard by Hong Yu, leading to teasing.

Hongsheng felt increasingly guilty. He should have known that only his mother called him Xiao Bao at home. Outside, everyone—his father, grandmother, and nanny—called him Hong Zhi.

Xiao Bao waved his hand dismissively. "It's okay, Brother. We didn't have an agreement before, so it wasn't your fault."

Just then, Little Xizi finished picking cherries and climbed down the ladder. Xiao Bao immediately grabbed Hongsheng's hand and ran over.

When Yinqi arrived, he saw this scene. Seeing the brothers getting along well brought him great comfort.

He knew there wouldn't be many children in his household, but he hoped they would always share a deep bond, unlike the current situation among his own siblings, filled with rivalry and strife.

An Qing sensed someone behind her and turned to see Yinqi nearby, surprised. "Why did you come home so early today?"

In recent days, he had been returning late every night.

Yinqi walked up to her and smiled. "There wasn't much work at the office today, so I came home early."

An Qing nodded lightly. Just as she was about to say something, Xiao Bao rushed over like a gust of wind and hugged Yinqi's leg.

"Father, you're finally back! Xiao Bao hasn't seen you for days!" the little boy complained pitifully.

Yinqi lifted him into his arms. Manchurian tradition dictated carrying grandchildren rather than sons, but Yinqi had always carried Xiao Bao since he was a baby.

"Father has been busy lately, but it will get better soon," he explained to the little boy.

Hongsheng approached, feeling somewhat awkward upon seeing Yinqi. "Son greets Father."

Yinqi raised his hand, signaling him to rise. "How is your study going at the academy?"

Hongsheng, now seven years old, had started attending the academy at the beginning of the year.

"Thank you for your concern, Father. Everything is fine," Hongsheng replied.

Yinqi nodded. "I haven't checked your studies in a while. Let's go to the study later."

Upon hearing his father wanted to check his homework, Hongsheng became nervous, frantically recalling what he had learned recently.

Watching from the side, An Qing couldn't help but inwardly criticize. Ever since Hongsheng started attending the academy, eight out of ten times they met, Yinqi would check his homework. Even she would feel anxious if she were in Hongsheng's shoes.

However, she didn't want to undermine Yinqi's authority in front of the children, so she changed the subject. "Let's go back and eat some cherries. They're freshly picked and very fresh."

Xiao Bao, the food lover, immediately exclaimed, "Mama, I want to eat lots and lots of cherries today!"

Then he added, "Brother should eat lots and lots too!"

An Qing rolled her eyes at him. "Don't drag your brother into this. It's almost time for dinner, so you'd better eat properly, or else I'll spank you!"

The little boy pouted and turned to his father, hoping he would take his side.

Yinqi cleared his throat. "Your mother is right."

Xiao Bao: "..."

"Hmph! I knew Father wouldn't help me!"

As twilight fell, the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a golden glow over the nearby wheat fields, giving the wheat stalks a gilded edge.

Walking together, Hongsheng caught sight of his younger brother being carried by their father. A hint of envy flashed in his eyes.

But in the next moment, his hand was suddenly taken by his mother.

Hongsheng looked up, and An Qing smiled at him without saying a word.

At that moment, Hongsheng felt a warmth in his heart, and the hand held by his mother gradually relaxed, making his steps lighter.

After dinner, Yinqi led Hongsheng back to the front courtyard to check on his studies, while An Qing bundled Xiao Bao off to the bath. The weather was getting hotter, and this little rascal had been running around all day. If she didn't give him a bath, he would really start to stink.

After she finally got the little one cleaned up and managed to lull him to sleep, Yinqi returned.

"I'll carry him back," Yinqi said.

An Qing nodded. "Alright, this little rascal has gotten so heavy now; I can hardly lift him anymore."

Not just her, even the nannies and palace maids found it difficult to carry him. But this little guy insisted on sleeping in their room, always being carried over to the next room after he fell asleep.

Yinqi carried him out, and An Qing took the opportunity to freshen up. When she came out of the bath, she saw him sitting at the table, lost in thought.

Seeing him like this, she knew something must have happened. Thinking about it, he had been distracted all evening.

She counted the days and had a vague suspicion. "Did something happen at court?"

Yinqi snapped back to reality and, after a moment, nodded slightly. "As you predicted, Father today issued an edict to detain Suoetu."

An Qing sighed silently. Indeed, it was this matter.

According to the timeline, history recorded that Suoetu was detained at this time.

As for Yinqi's statement, "As you predicted," it goes back to more than a month ago, no, precisely to the Southern Tour at the beginning of the year.

This year, Kangxi embarked on his fourth Southern Tour. An Qing knew it wouldn't be smooth sailing, so she never tried to join. As it turned out, it wasn't.

Kangxi left for the south on the sixteenth day of the first lunar month. However, when they reached the Grand Canal in Dezhou, the Crown Prince suddenly fell very ill. Kangxi stayed in the city to wait for his recovery. The Crown Prince was sick for over half a month. When he recovered, Kangxi, worried about his health, decided to cancel the tour and return to the Imperial City in March.

On the surface, everything seemed normal, but Yinqi heard something from the Fourth Prince who accompanied the tour.

When the Crown Prince was critically ill in Dezhou, Suoetu secretly brought a doctor to treat him. After the Crown Prince's condition improved, Suoetu secretly returned to the Imperial City.

When An Qing heard this, she knew it was bad news. On the surface, there was nothing wrong, but if the Fourth Prince knew about it, it meant it wasn't well-hidden. Kangxi must have known too.

Suoetu going without being summoned was already inappropriate, let alone secretly bringing a doctor. Was he implying that Kangxi, the father, didn't care enough about the Crown Prince's illness? Or worse, did he suspect Kangxi wanted to take the Crown Prince's life?

More importantly, whether it was the Crown Prince's intention or Suoetu's concern, the fact that the Crown Prince neither reported it to Kangxi nor immediately sent Suoetu away showed that he trusted his uncle more than his father.

That crossed Kangxi's line. No matter what, the Crown Prince was raised by Kangxi, and his affection for him ran deeper than for his other sons. This outcome was unacceptable.

The reason Kangxi didn't act immediately was to maintain the royal dignity. Any hint of scandal during the Southern Tour could lead to rumors among the people. Kangxi valued his reputation as a benevolent father and didn't want to bear such a stigma.

But Suoetu couldn't escape. Once Kangxi returned to the Imperial City, he wouldn't let him go.

An Qing asked, "What charge?"

Yinqi hesitated, a hint of ambiguity crossing his face. "Treason."

They exchanged a glance, both understanding that Suoetu was doomed. With this charge of treason, Kangxi clearly intended to end Suoetu's life.

Anyone familiar with the current political situation knew that Suoetu wouldn't risk treason unless he was insane. Not only had he retired from politics, but also, given the current dynamics, with the Crown Prince still firmly in place despite the rising influence of the Elder Brother Prince and the Eighth Prince, there was no need for Suoetu to take such a risk.

Although An Qing had known about Suoetu's fate, she had hoped for a different outcome. Suoetu's death would mark a significant turning point in the relationship between the Crown Prince and Kangxi.

Undoubtedly, Kangxi's intention was to use Suoetu's death to discipline the Crown Prince, hoping to bring him back to his side and mend their relationship. But this was a futile hope. Seeing his father execute his uncle, the Crown Prince would naturally fear him, leading to greater tension.

However, for the other princes, Kangxi's change in attitude toward the Crown Prince presented an opportunity. Thus, the struggle for succession intensified.

The Imperial City would become a place of intrigue.

"If there's a chance, would you consider leaving the Imperial City?" An Qing asked tentatively.

The situation would only worsen. It was currently the forty-second year of Kangxi's reign, and the Crown Prince's removal was still five years away.

Aside from the constant vigilance required to avoid being drawn into the succession struggles, Yinqi's temperament made watching his brothers fight each other a torment.

Thus, leaving the Imperial City might be a way to protect themselves.

Hearing this, Yinqi looked bewildered. Leaving the Imperial City?

It was something he had never considered before, so he couldn't give An Qing an answer right away.

An Qing simply asked, not expecting an immediate response. She merely wanted to plant a seed in his mind.

She knew it would be a difficult decision for Yinqi, as all his family was here.

Moreover, how to leave? Where to go? Would Kangxi allow it?

These were questions that needed careful planning.