Chapter 79

Chapter 79

To avoid drawing attention, Geng Shuning stayed in a very small tent.

While the two of them were making a ruckus inside, Su Peisheng and Qiao He were outside, watching the tent bounce, their eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.

Su Peisheng wondered if the emperor, just recovering from a serious illness, was being too impatient, which might harm the imperial body.

Qiao He, on the other hand, was worried. Her mistress had been traveling through wind and rain, and the skin on the inside of her thighs was rubbed raw. If they were to… ahem… do that, she probably wouldn’t be able to handle it, right?

However, their worries didn’t last long, as the low tent was suddenly flipped over by Yinzhen.

Carrying Geng Shuning, whose face was ashen, he stumbled and climbed into the carriage that had come for them.

Geng Shuning swore that if it weren’t for his awful appearance and her fear that he might drop her, she’d have given him a good thrashing.

But she had let him off, daring to be violent towards her. This round of slaps was definitely not over!

Even inside the carriage, Yinzhen didn’t release the stubborn Geng Shuning, keeping her close until they reached the imperial bed in the palace.

Approaching the imperial bed, he stumbled and dropped her onto it.

Geng Shuning, having been slapped several times and falling hard on her buttocks, felt a fire of anger rise from her behind to her heart.

With no one else around, her temper flared, and she angrily shoved Yinzhen, ready to continue her tantrum.

This kind of domestic violence absolutely could not be tolerated.

Surprisingly, with just a slight push, Yinzhen couldn’t stay upright and fell backward with a loud thud.

Hearing Yinzhen’s grunt, Geng Shuning’s anger vanished in fright. Startled, she quickly and painfully climbed down from the bed.

She cautiously approached Yinzhen. “Y… Your Highness, are you okay?”

Pale-faced and sweating from the pain, Yinzhen gave a bitter smile and reached out.

“Help me up first.”

Geng Shuning responded quietly with a small “Oh,” gritting her teeth to lift her heavy boyfriend to his feet. Both were exhausted and fell onto the bright yellow imperial bed in a very awkward position.

Geng Shuning thought Yinzhen’s complexion looked off and was about to call for someone when Yinzhen’s thin lips pressed against hers, silencing her.

This time, it was much gentler, tender to the point of making her heart tremble.

She couldn’t stay mad, feeling a bit frustrated, but also understanding that Yinzhen must really be seriously ill. She gently patted him.

“When you’re sick, you should rest. You should have let someone bring me in. Why did you push yourself? Don’t you know others will worry?”

Yinzhen hummed softly, his voice hoarse. “If you were in my position, with your heart tormented day and night, and finally seeing a glimmer of hope, you wouldn’t be able to stay lying down either.”

Geng Shuning’s actions paused as she looked up at him. “What exactly happened?”

Historically, Emperor Shizong, though short-tempered, wasn’t prone to violence.

In this world, her boyfriend had always been quite composed. It was odd that he had stormed into the tent and struck her earlier.

As her anger faded, her curiosity grew.

Her words softened unconsciously, becoming much sweeter. “I heard you were sick. I couldn’t wait for the message from Chengde and rushed over, neglecting everything along the way…”

She hesitantly wrapped her arms around Yinzhen’s waist, her eyes reddening as she confessed—

"You have no idea how scared I've been these past few days."

Yinzhen saw the tears welling up in the usually stubborn little fox’s apricot eyes, ready to spill over, and his anxious heart softened.

He gently kissed Geng Shuning’s eyelids. "It's my fault. I should have had someone explain it to you earlier."

He held the delicate softness tightly in his arms, filling the empty space in his heart.

His imperial composure returned, and he began explaining the recent events in a low, steady voice.

*

In fact, Yinzhen hadn’t intended to keep his plans hidden from Geng Shuning.

If he had taken the little fox on the trip as planned, he would have told her along the way.

But the retired emperor, empress dowager, and empress all interfered, forcing Geng Shuning to stay behind.

The situation in the Dzungars was also quite serious, giving Yinzhen no time to prepare backup plans.

After he left, those he had tasked with watching over her were too afraid to say anything, fearing the Changchunyuan and Jingyiyuan might notice.

"Second Brother’s wife and Hong Xi conspired with Gali and Eighth Brother’s wife to align with the Dzungars, aiming to take control of Sichuan and Shaanxi and split the rule with the Qing Dynasty. I’ve known about this for a while, and this northern inspection was to deal with the Dzungars."

Yinzhen stroked Geng Shuning’s head, feeling the dust and grease. His hand paused, and he discreetly put it down.

"Father Emperor used Second Brother’s wife and Hong Xi to test me. That’s just how he operates. I decided to go along with it but didn’t expect him to involve you as well."

"In a hurry, I had someone secretly protect you and sent a message to Lady Ulanara."

"I had hoped the empress would protect you, but instead, she tried to drag the Geng family, Lady Sotoro, and the Ulanara clan into this mess, losing her mind in the process..."

Geng Shuning narrowed her eyes. Though Yinzhen’s actions were discreet, his subtle backward movement didn’t escape her notice.

She buried her head in Yinzhen’s chest and hit him several times, a cold smile appearing amid his increasingly pale face.

"I'll give Your Majesty another chance. Figure out how to explain this."

If you could send a message to the empress, why not to me or the Nine Guards?

"Your Majesty knows exactly what you've done. If your heart hadn’t been clouded by selfishness, you wouldn’t have had the empress protect me."

Geng Shuning glared at him. "Or maybe you should just say you were testing whether I could be an empress!"

Yinzhen, taking a deep breath, smiled wryly as he looked at the stains on his chest. Since he was going to wash up anyway, he didn’t care about the bit of grease and angrily pulled Geng Shuning into his arms.

"Do you think it's easy to pass messages in the Round Bright Garden? The Imperial Guard isn’t just Qing Shu; I sent a message to the Uguo Mansion."

Geng Shuning then realized that if it wasn’t easy to operate in the Round Bright Garden, how did the Nine Guards manage to monitor the messages in Shan-gao-shui-chang and Rugu Hanjin?

Yinzhen answered knowingly. "I’m not in the Round Bright Garden. Father Emperor can’t be deceived about your whereabouts. It’s the old man who wants to see if you’re worthy of being an empress, not me."

However, there was something he also couldn’t figure out. "Do you know why the empress went mad?"

Geng Shuning was puzzled. "If I were the first wife, ignored by my husband, with a concubine running around, and had lost my child without any recognition, I’d go crazy too!"

Yinzhen: "..."

He was even more puzzled and argued, "When Ulanara married me, Li Shi and Song Shi were already in the prince's residence. It was she who pushed me to others and even asked for people from my mother..."

As for Honghui, Yinzhen sighed helplessly, "Honghui was my legitimate son. He passed away before the age of ten. If I were to posthumously honor him, it would definitely be as Crown Prince."

"When the next heir ascends the throne, if he is not posthumously honored as emperor, it would be considered unfilial by historical records."

Posthumously honoring his second brother, Yinzhen felt a repugnance every time he kneeled and worshiped during the anniversary of Emperor Duane's death.

Not to mention there were individuals like Hong Xi, a descendant of an emperor, who could openly compete with his descendants for imperial power.

Once Honghui was posthumously honored, the Ulanara clan would not let it rest.

The status of the Ulanara family would change, and there would definitely be attempts to adopt an heir for Honghui, which would be extremely detrimental to imperial power.

"When I pass away, Honghui's brothers will posthumously honor him; he will not be wronged."

Geng Shuning listened in astonishment, her heart filled with marveling. The considerations and struggles for imperial power were indeed intricate.

No wonder it was the fourth prince of Qianlong who posthumously honored Honghui in official history; perhaps it was due to such concerns?

But women and men consider things differently.

She pouted, "I don't understand these grand principles. I only know that a legitimate son not being posthumously honored, and even waiting for an illegitimate son or a stepson to be honored, should be considered a humiliation to the first wife."

"Moreover, as a queen, she is a daughter-in-law of the Aisin Gioro family. Historical records won't note her as the daughter of the Ulanara family, and compared to the glory of the Ulanara family, the glory brought by her husband and children is more important."

Yinzhen suddenly realized that if the queen truly thought from a woman's perspective, her madness made sense.

Before Yinzhen could speak, Geng Shuning grabbed his collar, her expression hostile.

"Are you telling me the truth? Was it entirely the Emperor Emeritus testing me, or did you also have thoughts of going along with it?"

Yinzhen: "...On the day you left the capital, Lin Fu went to meet you, but upon entering the capital, he found that you had already left and could not find your whereabouts again."

*

Geng Shuning had been rushing anxiously on her journey, too busy to pay attention to other matters, unaware that several major events had occurred within just ten days since she left the capital.

The emperor suddenly contracted an epidemic and fell into a coma, close to death, which to the Crown Prince's party seemed like a great merit was within reach.

Longkodo of the Tong family, along with Li Guangdi, immediately led people to the Crown Prince's residence, earnestly requesting the Crown Prince to enter the palace to oversee state affairs.

Tong Guowei approached Tuoheqi and Yunyou, who temporarily managed the Beijing suburbs camp, asking them to oversee the inner city.

Tong Guowei personally led people to Changchun Garden, earnestly requesting the Emperor Emeritus to issue an edict for the Crown Prince to ascend the throne and for the Emperor Emeritus to rule as regent, to prevent political instability.

Tong Guowei was sure that the Emperor Emeritus would not easily relinquish imperial power and used authority to tempt him into taking back control of the government.

Meanwhile, the Empress Dowager and the empress returned to the palace. Before the empress's confinement edict was issued, the empress, in alliance with the Tong family and Empress Duanhe, strongly enforced a curfew within the palace.

At this time, the third prince and the fourth prince both showed symptoms of poisoning but were saved by the Emperor Emeritus's remaining staff.

The empress took the opportunity to order the Imperial Household Department to investigate thoroughly, uncovering that Geng Xue, a palace maid from Cining Palace, along with her father and Tangning County Lady, had plotted to harm the imperial heir.

The Ministry of Punishments sent people to the General Feng'en's mansion to arrest them, but it was discovered that the General Feng'en had colluded with the Dzungars, leaked the emperor's whereabouts, and fled with his wife, intending to use the General Feng'en's wife as bait for an assassination.

This matter was also reported to the Emperor Emeritus at Changchun Garden.

"The Emperor Emeritus, under the pretext of a summons, detained his second sister-in-law and Hong Xi at Changchun Garden, and to prevent alerting them, ordered Tuoheqi to bring the General Feng'en couple back to the capital."

Aisin Gioro Yinzhen looked at Geng Shuning with a somber expression. "Who would have thought that when they were chased to the Zhangjiakou area, they'd find 'Liang Chen' dead. The Feng'en General's wife fell off a cliff and disappeared; bloodstains and animal-gnawed bones were found at the bottom."

Yinzhen had indeed caught the epidemic.

However, thanks to the prevention and treatment manual Geng Shuning had provided earlier, Imperial Physician Chang and the other physicians had some experience and quickly controlled the spread of the infection.

Consort Qi was truly bedridden and seriously ill, but the others had milder symptoms.

Consort Qi hated the smell of disinfectant lime and alcohol and often threw tantrums, telling people to get out. It was her own doing.

Yinzhen's illness wasn't severe either, but he was exhausted from dealing with court affairs and the political matters of northern Mongolia and Tibet. His weakened immune system kept him sick longer.

When he learned about the Feng'en General's wife falling off a cliff, Yinzhen, who was nearly recovered, immediately spiked a fever and sent people to search for her.

Unfortunately, there had been no news of Geng Shuning, and no signs of survival were found at the bottom of the cliff. Yinzhen's illness remained persistent and never fully recovered.

Geng Shuning listened, utterly captivated, wishing she could grab a handful of melon seeds. It was as if ten days had passed, but to those unaware, it might have felt like a year.

She missed Yinzhen's intense gaze and kept peppering him with questions.

"What's the situation in the capital now? Have the Feng'en General and his wife been punished?"

Yinzhen stared intently at Geng Shuning, with a half-smile. "A couple? Why don't you ask about Liang Chen's true identity and who really fell off the cliff?"

Geng Shuning belatedly shrank back, covering her neck and retreating.

"I forgot to mention... that I switched identities with Qiao Jing. She discovered that 'Liang Chen' wasn't real and went into hiding with her adoptive mother and Dun'er."

Qiao Jing and Qingfang belonged to the Nine Guards. They could contact Qiao He, using a communication method known only to the Nine Guards.

The elder Madam Liang should have been able to recognize her own son. At a glance, she knew it was a fake.

Qingfang, being straightforward, immediately told Qiao Jing to take people and hide in a beauty salon. They escaped the city through a secret passage, hiding in a 'safe house' known only to the Nine Guards.

Qingfang pretended to be Geng Shuning, following Liang Chen's plan to leave the capital, and ambushed him and his guards, creating a fake scene of falling off a cliff. She sent a message to Qiao He via pigeon.

However, the message was hastily sent, and everything happened quickly. Qingfang didn't have time to explain in detail. On her way to come... Geng Shuning was spanked.

She puffed out her cheeks and glared at Yinzhen. "You pretended to be seriously ill and scared me. I didn't have a chance to tell you in advance. We're even now. If you hit me again, I'll really get mad!"

Yinzhen: "... Who told you that I was pretending to be sick? Thanks to you, my illness has not fully recovered!"

Geng Shuning, startled, instinctively flipped over and stuck her butt up, wanting to get out of bed.

"You kissed me while you weren't fully recovered!!!"

"Aisin Gioro Yinzhen! Do you think I'm too healthy?!"

Sure enough, this guy was even more of a dog; there’s no end to his mischief... Ouch!

*

A moment later, Geng Shuning lay on the bed, covering her butt and turning her face away from Yinzhen.

Yinzhen, with three bloody marks on his chin, looked at Geng Shuning's back with a satisfied smile.

"Don't you want to know the current situation in the capital?"

Geng Shuning snorted. "No!"

"Then wash up first." Yinzhen chuckled lightly and patted Geng Shuning's head.

"You've been traveling hard; it's best to clean up and get some rest."

Geng Shuning continued to hum, "No way I'm washing!"

Yinzhen held back his laughter and teased her, "I was talking about washing myself. You've been all over me—there's not a clean spot left on me..."

Before he could finish, Geng Shuning flipped over, gasping sharply as if she was about to pounce on him and scratch him.

Yinzhen hugged the squirming little fox, his chuckles growing louder.

Outside, Su Peisheng couldn't help but smile silently.

He had thought they were fighting again from the banging noises inside, but hearing the emperor's laughter… tsk tsk, the emperor must be much better.

He waved his hand and told Zhao Song, "Go fetch some water to serve."

Zhao Song muttered in a low voice, "Not that fast though..."

Even if His Majesty is... ahem, it would still take a while.

Su Peisheng slapped him on the head, "Don't spout nonsense or I'll skin you alive!"

Those two filthy creatures outside... could they even manage anything?

Sure enough, after a short while, Yinzhen's amused voice calling for water came from inside.

Geng Shuning and Yinzhen were soaking in the hot water together.

In reality, Su Peisheng and Zhao Song were overthinking the situation.

Lazily leaning against the tub, Geng Shuning nudged Yinzhen with her foot. "What's going on in the capital?"

Yinzhen's eyes darkened, "Behave yourself, or you won't be getting out of bed for days!"

Geng Shuning secretly rolled her eyes, a newly recovered sickly man, listening to you boast.

If Qingfang were here, she wouldn't spare this dog a second look.

Knowing this man was the master, she was sensible and spoke in a lazy, soft voice, coquettishly. "Are you going to tell me or what? If not, I'll bring up all those old scores!"

Yinzhen's lips twitched, if they were to settle old grudges, it might not be clear who was the one losing out.

"When the Emperor detained the Second Brother’s wife and Hong Xi, Tuoheqi and Yunyou should have already surrounded the Crown Prince’s residence and Jingyi Garden."

As for the palace, Yinzhen only mentioned it casually, "Ulanara is gravely ill. The phoenix seal and treasures have been sent to Mother's place, who will temporarily handle the palace affairs."

The Suochenluo and Ulanara clans have many officials in court, including some military officers outside the capital. It's not the right time to deal with them.

Once things settle down with the Dzungars, Yinzhen will take care of it when he returns to the capital.

Geng Shuning thoughtfully said, "You and the elder statesman have agreed to suppress the Crown Prince and Empress Duanhe?"

Yinzhen's expression turned even more indifferent, "No."

There are people by his side who are the emperor’s men, and naturally, there are also his men by the emperor’s side. Some messages are simply understood without being spoken.

Father and son may have their differences, but they share the same goal of unifying the Qing Dynasty’s empire.

Once the emperor knows what Gua Jia and Hong Xi have done, father and son will instinctively know how to act without needing to discuss it.

After Yinzhen returns to the capital, his scheming second sister-in-law will soon join his second brother.

Hong Xi will also end up bedridden like Ulanara, suffering from an illness that won’t heal, eventually leading to his death.

Although Geng Shuning wasn’t privy to all the intricate details, she understood the cruelty of royal power struggles and could roughly guess what was happening.

She felt a little conflicted and gently wiped her body, seemingly asking in a casual tone, “After returning, will you make the third prince the heir apparent?”

Yinzhen looked at Geng Shuning… at the dirt rubbed off, his temple veins twitching.

Considering how clean he is, the fact that he tolerates this dirty little creature shows he has accepted his fate.

“I will not name another heir apparent.” He smiled and pulled Geng Shuning in front of him, using the gourd pulp to clean her.

“We’ll have to see if the third prince is fit to be emperor. The emperor mentioned there might be even wiser lads who could help me safeguard the Qing Dynasty’s empire, so he’s not in a hurry.”

Geng Shuning: “...”

After switching to warmer water and settling back into the tub, she tilted her head and looked at Yinzhen suspiciously.

“If the emperor thinks so highly of me, why is he working me to death?”

Yinzhen chuckled softly, the sound vibrating through Geng Shuning, causing her to shiver slightly.

In the rippling water, a hot kiss landed by her ear, almost scorching her heart.

“It’s because I only have eyes for you.”

Geng Shuning lightly hissed, the cold-blooded guy suddenly saying something sweet was still quite unbearable.

*

In mid-August, Yinzhen, along with Yunqi and Yunxiang, and the court officials, began the Mulan autumn hunt.

The Mongol tribes waited for over ten days, and upon learning that the Qing emperor had just recovered from an epidemic, no one dared to provoke him, fearing that the Heavenly Khan might accidentally die in the Mulan hunting grounds.

However, because Yinzhen looked particularly haggard, the Mongol tribes were far less in awe of the Qing Dynasty than they had been during Emperor Kangxi’s reign, with quite a few private provocations and secret instigations occurring.

Yinzhen pretended not to know, maintaining his cold and stern demeanor meticulously, receiving many tribal leaders and rather gently agreeing to many of their requests.

By late August, news from the capital reached Chengde.

This caused even more unrest among the Mongol tribes.

With the instability in the capital and the power struggles among the Heavenly Khan Duane Emperor’s sons, some Mongol tribes saw it as an opportunity to seize more grazing lands and Qing territories!

Geng Shuning had been staying in the royal tent as a female official in the emperor’s presence.

Even when Yinzhen received Mongol leaders, she remained in the bedroom behind the screen and didn’t have to leave, overhearing much of the tug-of-war and probing between the two sides.

She didn’t understand, “Since you’ve already planned to deal with the Dzungars, why are you letting the Mongol tribes become restless?”

When it came to politics, she was completely lost.

Yinzhen sensed this too but didn’t guard against her like he did with the women in the harem; instead, he gave her a rough explanation.

"It's better if they choose the Dzungars or make a move against other tribes now, rather than when a real war breaks out, leaving the Qing Dynasty fighting on two fronts."

"The soldiers of the Dzungars are all brave and skilled in battle. A small mistake, and Chengde might become the place where I meet my end..."

Yinzhen glanced at Geng Shuning, who was lounging lazily on the soft daybed, bored to the point of catching peanuts with her mouth, and teased her in a slightly cool tone—

"I can't stand the thought of making County Princess Sui Ning a widow again."

Geng Shuning almost choked on the peanut, her cheeks flushing slightly as she stubbornly pouted at Yinzhen.

"I haven't married you yet, Your Highness, aren't you jumping to conclusions?"

Yinzhen lifted his eyelids and gave her a sideways glance, "Are you asking for trouble?"

Geng Shuning paused, then deliberately pretended to throw a peanut, "I have a plan to handle those three thousand men, do you want to hear it or not?"

Yinzhen, amused, helplessly stood up, walked over, and pulled her into his arms, gently nipping her on the tip of her nose.

"I want to hear it. How could I not?"

"Our County Princess Sui Ning is the chosen one picked by the immortals for the Aisin Gioro family. I've known for a long time that you're clever."

Geng Shuning thought to herself, do you know the chosen one by the immortals has cursed your Aisin Gioro ancestors for eighteen generations?

She flashed two adorable dimples politely.

"Want to hear my plan...?" she winked at Yinzhen, drawing out her words with a smile, "First, do you remember that slap from last summer?"

Yinzhen: "..." He was sure; this brat was definitely asking for it!