Chapter 42: Escorting Yongzheng to the Changchun Garden
Page (1/3)
When Yongzheng saw the bloodstained handkerchief, he naturally understood everything.
Hongli saw his eyes widen first, brilliant light flickering within them. Then he took several stumbling steps backward before Shushen and Hongli, choking out in a low voice, “Imperial Father!”
Hongli also rose, his face filled with sorrow.
“Imperial Sister, how is Imperial Grandfather now?” he asked Shushen at once.
Shushen shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. “Very badly. He can barely draw breath, and his complexion grows more frightening by the hour. If this continues much longer, he may soon fail to recognize anyone.”
“I told Imperial Grandfather that I wanted to come see you because I missed you. That was why he allowed me to come.”
Yongzheng heard this and gratefully inclined his head toward his niece. “Take Hongli to see your aunt first. I’ll have her prepare some food for you.”
Shushen answered with a quiet assent, then bowed. “Thank you, Fourth Uncle.”
Yongzheng, his face clouded with worry, smiled faintly and left.
Hongli and Shushen watched him depart with clasped hands.
Once Yongzheng was gone, Shushen asked Hongli, “Why did Fourth Uncle suddenly appear?”
“He may have already learned that you were coming,” Hongli replied.
Princess Shushen nodded solemnly and touched a hand to her chest before saying to Hongli, “I remembered what you told me before, and I decided you were right. If Fourth Uncle could ascend the throne, it would suit me far better than either my father or my brother becoming emperor.”
“So when Imperial Grandfather asked why I was crying, I told him that I was crying because I missed you, my younger brother. That gave me the chance to tell Fourth Uncle about Imperial Grandfather’s condition.”
“Who could have imagined that Imperial Grandfather would be so understanding? He immediately ordered someone to bring me here to Prince Yong’s residence to see you.”
“That shows he must have favored Fourth Uncle for a long time,” Princess Shushen continued.
Hongli smiled faintly. “I’m fortunate today. Thanks to Imperial Sister, I’ll be able to enjoy a good meal at Aunt’s residence.”
“Your good fortune is hardly limited to that,” Princess Shushen replied with a smile.
Before long, the Fourth Princess Consort indeed sent people to escort Hongli and Princess Shushen away.
Meanwhile, when Hongshi saw Princess Shushen suddenly arrive at Prince Yong’s residence, he hurried toward the door, intending to inform the Eighth Prince.
But the moment Hongshi stepped outside, Su Peisheng suddenly stopped him.
“His Highness commands you to go to the study.”
Hongshi had no choice but to follow Su Peisheng to Yongzheng’s study.
Yongzheng, however, was not there.
“Where is my father?” Hongshi asked Su Peisheng.
“His Highness ordered you to remain here and finish copying the Buddhist scriptures he gave you. Without his permission, you are not to leave the study. The servants will bring you your meals, and you are to sleep here as well.”
Hongshi’s expression changed dramatically.
“Why would Father do this?”
“This servant has no idea,” Su Peisheng replied, pretending ignorance without the slightest hesitation.
Page (1/3)
Page (2/3)
Hongshi clenched one hand into a fist and struck it against his open palm as he paced the room, muttering, “What is Father trying to do?”
“Young Master, copy the scriptures,” Su Peisheng urged.
Hongshi looked thoroughly irritated. “How am I supposed to have the heart to copy that nonsense right now?”
…
…
“Haitang, I’m going to copy the Buddhist scriptures. Grind the ink.”
After Princess Shushen departed, Hongli returned to Niohuru’s small courtyard. He sat behind the desk and prepared to continue copying the scriptures.
“Ah!” Haitang answered, then came to Hongli’s side, rolled up her red sleeves, and picked up the inkstick.
When Niohuru saw that Hongli had truly settled down and resumed copying the scriptures with complete seriousness, she could not help smiling.
She discovered that her child possessed remarkable composure.
The entire Prince Yong’s residence was just as quiet.
By contrast, the neighboring residence of the Eighth Prince was even more tumultuous than usual. Even at midnight, the hurried sound of footsteps could still be heard.
“Your Highness, Princess Shushen has left the Garden of Serene Spring. They say His Majesty permitted her to visit Hongli!”
“Your Highness, we have just received word that Fourth Young Master was summoned back, yet he has still not appeared!”
“Your Highness, an edict has reached the Metropolitan Commandant’s Office. All nine gates and both the inner and outer city have been sealed and placed under strict curfew. No one is permitted to enter or leave the residences of princes and high ministers at will, even during the day. This servant can only ask Your Highness to let him spend the night in the guest quarters.”
The Eighth Prince’s residence was ablaze with lamplight. Indeed, despite the approaching curfew and martial lockdown, princes, nobles, and high officials continued arriving there to report the latest news to the Eighth and Ninth Princes.
Hongchun, who was also present, was already frantic with worry. He could not help turning to the Eighth Prince.
“Eighth Uncle, could it be that Imperial Grandfather won’t have time to see my father before…”
Hongchun choked off the rest of the sentence.
The Ninth Prince merely laughed inwardly at the sight. Then he asked the Eighth Prince, “Eighth Brother, what do you think Fourth Brother is doing now?”
“That is precisely what worries me. Go and see why Hongshi still hasn’t come.”
“Shushen suddenly went to Fourth Brother’s residence. Surely she didn’t truly go there only to see Hongli?”
The Eighth Prince knitted his brows and assumed a contemplative expression, completely ignoring Hongchun’s anxiety.
Hongchun’s eyes widened. He clenched both fists in anger.
“I’ll go at once,” the Ninth Prince replied.
“Even if you can’t find Hongshi, it doesn’t matter. Be sure to find out whether Fourth Brother left with Shushen.”
…
As it happened, Shushen and Yongzheng had departed in the same carriage, so outsiders had no way of knowing that Yongzheng had already left his residence.
Inside the carriage, Shushen sat facing Yongzheng. The interior was so quiet that the faint rustling of the wind outside could be heard clearly.
“Fourth Uncle, I forgot to tell you: before I left, Imperial Grandfather appointed Twelfth Uncle to jointly command the Bordered Yellow Banner.”
Princess Shushen was the first to break the silence.
Yongzheng nodded without speaking.
The Bordered Yellow Banner, Plain Yellow Banner, and Plain White Banner were the emperor’s three directly controlled upper banners and imperial guard forces.
Page (2/3)
Page (3/3)
The Upper Three Banners Guard Corps, formed by troops drawn from those three banners, was the force responsible for guarding the imperial palace—not Longkodo’s Metropolitan Commandant’s Office.
Command of the Upper Three Banners Guard Corps had always belonged to the Guard Commanders appointed by the respective Banner Commanders of the Eight Banners.
Within the palace, besides the Guard Corps, there was also the Imperial Guard Corps, composed of palace guards responsible for security inside the palace and at the emperor’s side.
The Imperial Guard Corps was led by the Chief Commandant of the Imperial Guards, with two such officials taking turns on duty.
Therefore, if Yongzheng truly intended to seize the throne, bribing Longkodo alone would not be enough. He would also need to win over the Guard Commanders appointed by the commanders of the Upper Three Banners, as well as the two Chief Commandants of the Imperial Guards on duty that night.
That would be extremely difficult.
Yongzheng also understood what it meant for Yinsi, the Twelfth Prince, to have assumed joint command of the Bordered Yellow Banner.
Yinsi was already the commander of the Plain White Banner.
That meant two of the Upper Three Banners were now in the hands of Twelfth Brother.
Yet because Yongzheng said nothing, Princess Shushen could not help pouting and folding her arms. When the wind lifted the carriage curtain, she glanced outside.
Outside, soldiers bearing lanterns marked with the seal of the Metropolitan Commandant’s Office hurried in every direction, carrying heavy bows and wall guns. They had erected barricades at the entrances to numerous alleyways, sealing them so tightly that not even a drop of water could pass. Even the carriages and sedan chairs of government officials had been detained.
No one stopped her carriage.
Princess Shushen’s imperial carriage passed smoothly to the northern gate of the Garden of Serene Spring.
She alighted first.
Yongzheng followed.
But at that moment, Yinsi, the Thirteenth Prince, and Longkodo suddenly appeared.
Princess Shushen was startled.
“Fourth Brother!”
“Your Highness!”
Yongzheng showed no surprise. He merely ordered, “Go see Twelfth Brother. He has taken joint command of the Bordered Yellow Banner.”
Yinsi and Longkodo exchanged a glance, then mounted their horses.
Princess Shushen entered the Garden of Serene Spring.
As an adult imperial prince, however, Yongzheng could not enter freely. He could only remain outside, present his identifying tablet, and kneel to request permission to enter and pay his respects.
“Your son Yinzhen requests an audience and permission to pay his respects!”
Not long after Princess Shushen arrived at the Qingxi Study, the residence of the Kangxi Emperor, Wei Zhu entered and announced, “Your Majesty, Fourth Prince has arrived at the Garden of Serene Spring and awaits permission to pay his respects.”
Liang Jiugong, who was present, stared at the scene in astonishment, then glanced toward Princess Shushen.
Princess Shushen said nothing. She merely looked toward Kangxi.
Kangxi seemed to have anticipated this. He smiled and said, “Very well. Tell him that My health has improved somewhat.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
When Yongzheng learned of this, he did not leave.
Page (3/3)