Chapter 131: The Fifth Princess Consort

Chapter 131: The Fifth Princess Consort

With the Crown Prince's dethronement, various factions vying for succession in the capital began to stir.

The first to act was Elder Brother Prince, the eldest son, who had been competing with the Crown Prince for years. Now that the Crown Prince had fallen, he stood out the most, followed by the Third Prince and Eighth Prince.

The Third Prince had gathered a group of well-learned scholars over the years, dedicated to compiling books. Currently, he enjoyed high praise among the literati.

As for the Eighth Prince, on the third day after Kangxi deposed the Crown Prince, he was appointed as the Chief Administrator of the Imperial Household Department. Due to his good reputation over the years, the Eighth Beile's residence saw a flurry of visitors.

In this tumultuous situation, some sought to align themselves for a better future, while others tried their best to stay out of it, focusing on self-preservation.

Yinqi belonged to the latter. To avoid suspicion, he had not found a suitable opportunity to visit Fourth Prince's residence to inquire about Thirteenth Brother's situation since returning.

That afternoon, just as he was leaving the palace, he happened to encounter Fourth Prince. It was rare for the brothers to meet, and from each other's expressions, it was clear they both had something to say. Thus, Fourth Prince found an excuse and followed Yinqi to the Fifth Beile's residence.

In the front courtyard, in the study room.

After Ma Xiang brought in tea and snacks, he promptly withdrew, making sure to close the door behind him and guarding it so no one could approach.

Inside the room, Yinqi did not beat around the bush and directly asked, "Fourth Brother, how is Thirteenth Brother now?"

Fourth Prince seemed to have anticipated this question and was not surprised, "Thirteenth Brother is currently detained in a courtyard next to Xianfu Palace with Second Brother. Apart from not being able to move freely, everything else is fine."

Hearing this, Yinqi felt relieved.

Everything being fine was good. He and Fourth Prince were jointly responsible for overseeing the deposed Crown Prince, so Thirteenth Brother would not be mistreated there.

"Fourth Brother, do you know why Ama also detained Thirteenth Brother? Did he...?"

Though Yinqi did not finish his sentence, Fourth Prince understood his meaning.

Fourth Prince sighed silently, "I asked Thirteenth Brother earlier. He said that when we were in the frontier, Second Brother asked him to eavesdrop outside Ama's tent, but he refused and did not report it to Ama."

Yinqi immediately understood. Though Thirteenth Brother did not agree to spy on Ama for the Crown Prince, he also did not report the Crown Prince's intentions to Ama, which led Ama to view him as disloyal.

This was indeed a difficult situation. Thirteenth Brother was the Crown Prince's man. If he had reported it to Ama, and the Crown Prince denied it, what could he have done?

Even if Ama believed him, he was personally placed under the Crown Prince's command by Ama. Would Ama then think he betrayed his master?

In short, this was a no-win situation for Thirteenth Brother, seemingly impossible to resolve.

Fourth Prince understood these complexities and was not too worried about Thirteenth Brother's safety, as he had truly done nothing. He believed Thirteenth Brother would be released soon.

However, after this incident, he might be less favored by Ama.

"I've asked your Fourth Sister-in-Law to take care of Thirteenth Brother's residence and Ten Sister. Tell Fifth Sister-in-Law not to worry," Fourth Prince said.

An Qing was currently pregnant, with a large belly and reportedly expecting twins, so she should not exert herself too much.

Yinqi nodded lightly, appreciating his Fourth Brother's concern.

Thirteenth Brother's predicament affected those around him the most. Eight Sister married a prince of the Borjigit clan in Mongolia in the forty-fifth year of Kangxi's reign, leaving only Ten Sister in the palace.

"Thank you, Fourth Brother. An Qing mentioned yesterday that she wanted to visit Ten Sister in the palace, fearing she might be neglected."

Fourth Prince waved his hand, "Between brothers, no need for thanks. Besides, before you returned to the capital, Concubine Yi also sent food to Ten Sister at Zhaoxiang Palace several times."

Concubine Min had no prior relationship with Concubine Yi, so her actions were clearly for An Qing's sake, knowing she was close to the Eighth Princess and thus looking after Ten Princess.

Sometimes, Fourth Prince envied his Fifth Brother. Concubine Yi treated them genuinely well, unlike his own mother, who knew of his friendship with Thirteenth Brother but never supported him. Recently, she even summoned him to Yonghe Palace, urging him to distance himself from Thirteenth Brother and speak more favorably of Fourteenth Brother to Ama.

Thinking about this, Fourth Prince felt a tinge of disappointment. He knew all too well what his mother was planning.

In the main courtyard, at Qiyun Pavilion.

An Qing had just returned from a stroll in the farmyard with her nanny. Hearing that Fourth Prince was in the front courtyard, she thought for a moment and called for Hong Zhi.

"Son, I need you to do something."

An Qing nodded slightly, gesturing for him to come closer and whispered something.

Hong Zhi looked puzzled, "Mother, what are you doing?"

An Qing waved her hand, "Don't ask so many questions, just do it."

Hong Zhi responded with an "Oh." Seeing his mother's demeanor, he knew further questioning was futile and obediently carried a potted orchid from the corridor near the western warm pavilion towards the front courtyard.

Su Peisheng and Ma Xiang were chatting on the empty ground in front of the study when they saw Hong Zhi struggling with the heavy pot. Su Peisheng hurried over.

"Oh, Little Prince Hong Zhi, why are you carrying such a heavy thing yourself? Let me help you."

How could no one assist him? What kind of servants were in the Fifth Beile's residence?

"It's okay, I can manage," Hong Zhi replied, gently sidestepping him.

Su Peisheng was momentarily stunned, then turned to Ma Xiang, "What...?"

Ma Xiang seemed unfazed, "It's fine; our Princess Consort has always trained the young prince like this."

Besides, they had not been home for years, so formalities were not as strict.

"Manager Ma, where is my father? Mother told me to find him," Hong Zhi asked.

Just as he spoke, the study door opened, and Yinqi and Fourth Prince walked out.

"Hong Zhi, come here and greet your Fourth Uncle."

Hong Zhi hurriedly handed the flower pot to Ma Xiang beside him and then respectfully bowed to the Fourth Prince. "Nephew greets Uncle Fourth Prince."

The Fourth Prince quickly helped him up, a rare smile appearing on his usually icy face. "Honghui mentioned a couple of days ago that Hong Zhi has grown taller. Indeed, he looks stronger now too."

Yinqi laughed. "This child runs wild outside without anyone restraining him."

Hong Zhi chuckled and scratched his head.

"What did you say your mother asked you to do?" Yinqi asked.

Hong Zhi responded with an "Oh" and remembered the task at hand. He pointed to the orchid in Ma Xiang's hands. "Father, Mother asked me to place this pot of flowers in your study for a few days."

Yinqi was taken aback. "Didn't your mother say she wanted to throw it away?"

Why would she suddenly want it in his study?

The Fourth Prince also glanced at the orchid. It was a Jianlan, and he didn't pay much attention to it. An Qing was skilled at farming, so growing flowers wasn't unusual for her.

Still, the plant looked healthy. Why did she want to throw it away?

"What's wrong with this orchid?" the Fourth Prince asked casually.

It didn't look sick.

Yinqi replied, "Nothing really, but it just won't bloom no matter how long we keep it."

He then explained the history of the orchid. It was discovered by An Qing on the roadside in Shengjing. She said such wild orchids were rare in the northern outdoors, so she had it transplanted into a pot. However, after months of care, it still showed no signs of blooming.

An Qing had studied it extensively but found no issues and tried various remedies to no avail. Eventually, frustrated, she threatened to throw it away a few days ago. Of course, she didn't actually discard it; she just moved it out of the house.

"Did your mother say anything else?" Yinqi asked.

Hong Zhi finally got a chance to speak. "Mother said that since she has nurtured this flower for so long, it can't be discarded easily. People have feelings, unlike plants. So, she said to put it in your study for a few days. Once she calms down, she'll bring it back and continue nurturing it. Who knows, it might bloom."

The Fourth Prince hadn't paid much attention until he heard this, and a thoughtful expression crossed his face.

Back at the residence,

the Fourth Prince went straight to his study, locking himself inside for a while before calling for a servant.

"Go fetch Mr. Dai."

Dai Duo arrived promptly and entered the study. "Beile, you summoned me?"

The Fourth Prince nodded slightly.

Dai Duo was his advisor and someone he trusted deeply. Without hiding anything, he recounted the story about An Qing's orchid.

After listening, Dai Duo immediately understood the Fourth Prince's intention. "Beile, you mean the deposed Crown Prince is like that orchid?"

The Fourth Prince didn't refute it. For days, he had been struggling with a dilemma. After the Crown Prince was deposed, the court remained unstable. His father had assigned him and his elder brother to watch over the deposed Crown Prince, but he noticed something amiss.

His elder brother was mistreating and dismissing the servants around the deposed Crown Prince and repeatedly blocking his attempts to appeal. A few days ago, his elder brother even asked him to join in sealing off the channels of appeal, preventing him from reporting to their father.

This had troubled the Fourth Prince for several days. He faced two choices: support his elder brother and seal off the information, or report the matter to his father and convey the deposed Crown Prince's grievances.

Either choice meant taking sides, so he had to be cautious. But today, his sister-in-law's words reminded him of a crucial point: his father's attitude was key.

Indeed, people are not like plants; they have feelings. How could one discard them so easily? If his father still cared for the deposed Crown Prince, there was a possibility of reinstatement.

The Crown Prince was raised by his father, and his significance couldn't be compared to other brothers. On the way back, the Fourth Prince recalled recent scenes with his father.

Many details indicated that his father still cared deeply about the deposed Crown Prince.

Dai Duo nodded and replied, "It's not impossible. Since returning to the capital, the Emperor entrusted you and the Prince of Zheng to oversee the deposed Crown Prince, showing distrust in the Prince of Zheng. I believe, given the Emperor's health, your current duty is to serve diligently."

The master and servant exchanged a glance, reaching a decision.

Since the Emperor had assigned the Fourth Prince to oversee the deposed Crown Prince, reporting any incidents would be appropriate. However, the manner of reporting needed careful consideration.

"Beile, do you think Fifth Princess Consort's actions were intentional or unintentional?" Dai Duo asked.

The Fourth Prince hesitated for a moment. "From what I know, my sister-in-law is always insightful."

Regardless of other matters, she and her husband had accomplished many things yet managed to stay out of court affairs without arousing suspicion from their father. This demonstrated her wisdom.

"Whether intentional or not, I will remember the favor shown by my fifth brother and his wife."