Chapter 132 – Qing Transmigration Tale (41)
Just as they were going to speak, Fu Chi carried Hong Yun in on his back. Hong Yun was still very sleepy. Su Pei Sheng hurriedly took him over and put Hong Yun on Si Ye’s bed.
Hong Hui sent away Fu Chi. “Go back to the tent and wait for orders.”
Fu Chi responded and quickly left.
Si Ye asked with interest, “So late in the night, how do you know that there is something wrong going outside?”
“This son heard the sound of hoofbeats, many horses.” Hong Hui’s eyes were panicked. “Who dares to command the troops of Rehe without permission?”
Si Ye smiled and thought, this was what he wanted to know.
Seeing the terror in Hong Hui’s eyes, he shook his head and pointed at the couch on the side. “Go there and sleep, do you not hear it is very quiet inside? It is fine!”
Hong Hui could only take off his cloak and laid down on the cloak. He had Su Pei Sheng take his bow and arrows, but he still had to hug his blade to sleep well.
Si Ye helplessly shook his head. If he truly needed his son to fight, the world would have changed masters long ago. Hong Hui appeared calm, but he needed more experience.
After an hour, a ruckus occurred outside.
Soon, one of the emperor’s eunuchs came to summon Si Ye.
Si Ye sent off the eunuch before getting up to dress. Hong Hui hurriedly got up and called Su Pei Sheng to bring the knee guards. It was such a cold day. If he truly had to kneel, it would be hard.
With this delay, when he reached the imperial tent, he was a bit late. The snow outside reached above the tops of their feet, but all the brothers were kneeling there upright.
Si Ye went over and without any words, knelt on his position.
Tonight, someone had called five thousand troops of Rehe. This was planning to siege the palace. But who had done this? Si Ye was at his wits end.
The brothers were all smart. Each person just looked down, and no one exchanged looks.
No matter how cold it was right now, they did not feel the cold.
“Call the bastard in for Zhen.” The emperor’s tired but angry voice came from inside.
Bastard? Who was he cursing?
Si Ye did not understand when Zhang Ting Yu walked out from inside. “Princes, the emperor has an edict for the crown prince to enter to speak.”
Everyone was shocked and looked at the crown prince.
They saw a scornful smile on the crown prince’s lips. He casually stood up, looked at everyone, and suddenly broke out in a loud laugh.
Was he mad?
But would it truly be the crown prince? Si Ye did not know. He needed time to sort out these sudden events.
He did not know anything, but on the other side came Commandery Prince Zhi’s furious voice. “Yin Reng! You bastard!” He suddenly got up and punched the crown prince in the face.
Third Prince was stunned. Nothing had been asked, but Commandery Prince Zhi announced the crown prince’s crimes first? It was too much of a joke.
He immediately pulled Commandery Prince Zhi. “Big Brother, Second Brother has not spoken yet?”
The crown prince wiped away the blood from Commandery Prince Zhi’s punch and laughed coldly. “Gu has been the crown prince for thirty years, but end up like this today.”
Commandery Prince Zhi immediately swung his fist again.
“Commandery Prince Zhi, you dare to offend your superiors!” Si Ye could not just watch, and immediately stood up.
Then the brothers behind him also got up. They could not have Commandery Prince Zhi and the crown prince start fighting.
“Zhang Ting Yu, call Eldest A-ge, and Second A-ge in for Zhen.” The emperor’s voice came from inside.
Zhang Ting Yu hurriedly responded and turned around, “Princes, let us enter first, the emperor is waiting.”
Si Ye watched the two of them enter. At this time, he did not know. Which of the two were acting or not?
Kangxi looked at his two sons with a black expression. He said to Zhang Ting Yu, “You ask for Zhen.”
Zhang Ting Yu responded and asked, “Crown Prince, the emperor asks if the matter tonight has anything to do with Your Highness?”
The crown prince smiled. “Regardless of the truth, whatever Khan A-ma thinks is the truth.”
He did not even argue for himself.
Commandery Prince Zhi glared at the crown prince. “You dare to act but not confess! You do not qualify to be a son of Aisin-Gioro.”
The crown prince smiled scornfully at Commandery Prince Zhi. Then he laughed out loud. “Whether or not I have done it, does Khan A-ma not know better than anyone? Now you come to ask me.”
Kangxi’s expression changed. “Bastard, you are dissatisfied with Zhen?”
Commandery Prince Zhi said, “Of course he is dissatisfied. Just now, he even said that he had been the crown prince for thirty years. So what if he was the crown prince for thirty years? He got bored with it? He wanted to take power? He wants to kill the father and the emperor? From childhood, how did Khan A-ma treat you? Now you repay Khan A-ma like this! Where is your conscience?” Then he shouted at the emperor, “Khan A-ma, this son and subject is willing to execute this bastard for you!”
Kangxi paled. He lifted his leg and kicked at Commandery Prince Zhi. “You bastard, he is your brother.”
Commandery Prince Zhi’s heart was cold now. He did not know about the other brothers, but he knew a few hours ago, his tent had been completely surrounded by the people sent by the emperor. It was the emperor not trusting him, his son.
But, he truly had not done anything. The only one with the motive to do this was the crown prince.
This was a bastard. Regardless of how many shortcomings Khan A-ma had, he was still the father. How could he do such an unfilial thing?
The crown prince smiled coldly, “Gu has not done it. Let Gu repeat, Gu did not do it.” But Khan A-ma‘s first suspect was him. It was what chilled his heart the most.
Commandery Prince Zhi stood up and grabbed the crown prince’s neck. “If not you, then who?”
The crown prince was in a chokehold and unable to say a word. His tears came down his face. It was unspeakably sad.
Commandery Prince Zhi was a martial general. Zhang Ting Yu and Li De Quan was not able to pull him away.
Zhang Ting Yu shouted, “Commandery Prince Zhi, you are in front of the emperor, release the crown prince.”
But when someone was furious to a certain degree, they would not listen to other people’s urgings. Li De Quan saw that the emperor was growing paler and said, “Third Prince, Third Prince, come in.”
The people outside had been listening to the noise inside all this time. Third Prince heard him and hurriedly stood up. Thirteen followed. Third Brother was not a match for Commandery Prince Zhi at all. If he went in, it was useless.
Si Ye frowned at Thirteen and softly shook his head.
Thirteen sniffled, his attitude determined. In these years, he had been tied together with the crown prince. He could not watch something happen to the other.
Third Prince lifted the tent flap and went in. He saw that Commandery Prince Zhi was on the verge of strangling the crown prince. He hurriedly said, “Commandery Prince Zhi, you plan to kill to conceal the crime? You are in such a hurry to kill the crown prince because you want someone to take the blame.”
This was the only reason he could think of. Everyone knew the crown prince did not have freedom. But the emperor had not yet asked. Commandery Prince Zhi reacted so fiercely. Could he have done this and blamed the crown prince?
Commandery Prince Zhi was stunned. Thirteen immediately went over and pulled Commandery Prince Zhi away. He supported the crown prince and tried to help him breathe, but did not say a word.
Third Prince saw the crown prince was fine and wanted to check. But Commandery Prince Zhi pulled Third Prince. “Three, what do you intend?”
Third Prince was angry too. “Big Brother, you do not know my intentions? I think that Second Brother being like this tonight is because of Big Brother.”
“Ye did this?” Commandery Prince Zhi clenched his hands. “Your good second brother is dissatisfied with Khan A-ma. You heard it as well just now. Was this my fault as well?”
Third Prince followed and said, “Who knows? Maybe you usually curse him, so Second Brother’s conduct become abnormal.”
Who would not curse the people they dislike behind their backs? Third Prince’s words were without any intentions.
In reality, even Commandery Prince Zhi did not think about it. If curses would be of effect, all of them would be cursed.
Thirteen saw the two would not stop and said, “All right! No wonder people all say the imperial family are the most ruthless.”
Si Ye heard this outside and immediately scolded, “Thirteen, you stop talking!”
What was meant by “the imperial family was the most ruthless?” Did he mean to say that Khan A-ma was ruthless and not a benevolent father? Or saying that there was no fraternal love between the brothers, and they only knew to fight among themselves?
Saying such destabilizing things at such a time, did he know how to act properly?
Thirteen heard from inside and decisively closed his mouth.
But the words still hurt the emperor’s sore spot.
“Three, stay behind. Eldest A-ge, Second A-ge, Thirteenth A-ge, take them and imprison them,” Kangxi pressed on his chest and said to the guard Tukesh.
Tukesh shouted and immediately, guards surged in and took away the three a-ge.
The crown prince had recovered and did not need people to hold him.He laughed coldly and walked away without even looking at the emperor.
Thirteen said to Tukesh, “Ye does not need you to escort me.”
Commandery Prince Zhi was stunned. The emperor was going to imprison him as well? He suspected the crown prince. But the emperor put him and the crown prince on the same position. Who was better off than the other?
To him, such a realization was a great blow. His body swayed, and he fell down.
Before he fell unconscious, he heard the emperor say, “Carry him down and imprison him.”
Seeing his three sons escorted out, Kangxi felt an unbearable pain in his heart, and even his breathing grew difficult.
“Emperor!” Li De Quan shouted.
“Emperor!” Zhang Ting Yu shouted in a trembling voice, “Palace physician, summon the palace physician.”
Third Prince charged over but Li De Quan blocked him. Then he realized. The emperor was ill, and his sons were the greatest taboo to be close to him in fear that someone would take the opportunity.
Even though he understood, he still felt sad.
The people outside looked in shock as Commandery Prince Zhi, the crown prince and Thirteen were escorted away. Then, they heard the sounds inside. For a moment, they were in a hurry to enter to see. It was their father inside.
Si Ye was halfway there when he suddenly realized. He shouted to stop them, “Stop, all of you. Without an imperial edict, no one is allowed to get close.”
Then, he knelt on the snow, looking coldly at his brothers. Everyone silently returned and knelt back in their spots.
Soon, Third Prince came out and knelt down next to Si Ye.
Inside, Kangxi finally caught his breath. Zhang Ting Yu cried and said, “Emperor, you frighten this subject. If anything happens to you, who is able to take control of the situation?”
Kangxi leaned back on the cushions and waved his hand. “Zhen knows Zhen‘s health. What do you think of the matter today?”
Zhang Ting Yu thought for a moment and then said, “Emperor, may this subject look at the handwritten order to command the troops?”
Kangxi had seen Commandery Prince Zhi and the crown prince like that just now, and his fury slowly faded. Now that he thought about it, there were many suspicious places. He showed the handwritten order to Zhang Ting Yu, watched the other carefully examine it for a while and then asked, “How about it?”
Zhang Ting Yu sighed and presented it with both hands. “Emperor, please look closely.”
Kangxi held it in hand, and his hands trembled more as he examined. “Fake! It is fake! Someone made a fake of the crown prince’s handwritten orders!.” He looked at Zhang Ting Yu. “Who did it? Who did it? They should be executed! They should be executed!”
Tell me something