Chapter 44: Hongchun Rebuked by the Eighth Prince

Time seemed to freeze at this very moment.

Hongli and everyone present stared at one another in blank dismay, and deep within his mind, unbidden scenes of the past two years spent in the company of the Kangxi Emperor began to surface.

"The Primary Consort summons the Fourth Prince!"

It was not until the eunuch in the entourage of the Fourth Prince's Primary Consort arrived that the silence was broken.

Guaniya hurried to fetch a newly crafted pair of padded knee rests and bound them securely around Hongli's legs.

In the days to come, imperial princes and grandsons would inevitably be required to endure long periods of kneeling on hard stone.

Thus, Guaniya had made these preparations well in advance.

Seeing this, Haiyan also dropped to her haunches to assist Guaniya with the binding.

Consort Geng stared in utter astonishment, her mouth agape. "How is it that I never thought to prepare for this?"

Hongzhou curled his lips in a silent sneer.

Consort Geng offered a sheepish, awkward laugh.

"I have already prepared a set for Hongzhou. You can go search that cabinet yourself," Guaniya said, pointing toward it without further elaboration.

Consort Geng did not offer thanks; instead, she rushed over immediately, flung open the cabinet doors, and rummaged through the shelves. Upon finding the knee pads, she hurried back and hastily tied them around Hongzhou's legs.

However, flustered and clumsy in her panic, Consort Geng struggled for a long while without managing to secure them properly.

"I am so clumsy!"

Sweating with anxiety, Consort Geng scolded herself under her breath.

Hongzhou murmured, "Consort Mother, do not fret. I do not even need to go see the Primary Consort."

Hearing this, Consort Geng grew much calmer and finally managed to fasten the knee pads securely.

Just then, Guaniya produced a hand warmer embroidered with auspicious patterns and slipped it into Hongzhou's embrace.

Consort Geng and Hongzhou looked at Guaniya with deep gratitude.

Meanwhile, Hongli, clutching his own hand warmer and accompanied by Haiyan, followed the Primary Consort's attendants to her quarters.

Aware that Hongli was highly regarded by the Kangxi Emperor and held a place of great significance in her own husband's heart, the Primary Consort feared any mishap might befall him. Consequently, she resolved to keep Hongli by her side at all times, treating him virtually as her own legitimate son.

As the Primary Consort of a Prince of the First Rank, she commanded a substantial retinue of vanguard guards to escort her carriage and clear the thoroughfares.

Therefore, remaining close to the Primary Consort naturally offered Hongli a greater measure of safety.

When Hongli was led out by the hand of the Primary Consort, he beheld the vast city of Beijing, illuminated as brightly as day beneath a swirling, relentless blizzard. It was as clamorous as the Huguo Temple on a bustling market day, yet the din was so overwhelming that no single sound could be distinguished.

He could only perceive numerous nobles and aristocratic ladies hastily boarding their carriages.

Every face bore a solemn, grim expression.

Yet there were also princes and nobles shoving one another amidst minor collisions and jostling.

Elsewhere, young imperial princes and grandsons, forcibly carried out from their homes, wailed at the top of their lungs, leaving the women holding them in a state of helpless despair.

Horses of various coats shook their heads, colliding with one another while exhaling clouds of white mist, harassed by impatient bondservants wielding long whips to lash them forward.

Rows of lanterns stretched across the sky like the Milky Way, extending endlessly into the dark night ahead.

Armed and armored soldiers stood guard along the perimeters, and within moments, their cotton helmets and armor were blanketed in thick snow.

Beneath the indigo sky, the massive, chaotic procession seemed to wade through a vast realm of ice and snow.

Before the first trace of cart ruts could be covered by the fresh snowfall, another set of tracks would take its place.

This endless cycle repeated itself incessantly, as though the procession were not moving at all, but rather frozen entirely within the confines of the Inner City.

Only the lanterns flowed onward, all converging toward a single destination.

Seated beside a brazier, Hongli was held close within the embrace of the Primary Consort.

Yet he could feel that the Primary Consort herself was trembling.

He knew this shiver was born of profound anxiety.

He lacked the composure to offer any comforting words.

The journey to the Changchun Garden was exceedingly long—extraordinarily so on this night.

It felt as though an eternity had passed before they finally reached the vicinity of the Huguo Temple.

At that moment, Hongli's gaze lingered upon a noodle shop situated there.

The establishment had already closed its doors for the night.

Yet, amidst the hazy, obscured vision of the storm, he fancied he could still see an old man and a youth emerge from within, talking and laughing as they turned into the Western Cloister Alley and headed toward the residence of the Hanlin scholar Fang Bao.

The Primary Consort gently wiped the corners of Hongli's eyes with a handkerchief, murmuring, "What a good, filial child!"

...

...

Over at the Yong Prince's Residence, Hongshi finally made his exit.

With a flushed, radiant face, as though he had consumed two entire jars of wine, he reined in his horse, yearning to fly straight to the Changchun Garden!

Yet the carriages and throngs of pedestrians were simply too numerous—consisting entirely of high-ranking officials, aristocracy, and kin—preventing him from spurring his mount or shouting commands. He had no choice but to follow the sluggish current of the crowd.

Before long, he crossed paths with Hongchun, who was emerging from the Eighth Prince's Residence.

Choosing to ignore him, Hongshi quietly took a detour around him.

The Kangxi Emperor had fallen gravely ill with alarming suddenness, hastily summoning imperial relatives and high ministers into the palace.

Yet, up to this moment, no imperial decree had been issued to recall the Fourteenth Prince from afar.

This omission led Hongshi to conclude that the Eighth Prince, who wielded far greater influence within the court, might well hold the higher chance of ultimate success.

Consequently, it was no longer wise for him to remain overly close to Hongchun.

Hongchun's face was iron-gray.

The capital had already been placed under strict martial law in advance, and the guards of the Gendarmerie Command were utterly impervious to entreaties, leaving him no means to dispatch messengers to inform his father.

Of course, he knew full well that there was no time left to send word anyway.

The Kangxi Emperor's sudden collapse had occurred far too rapidly.

Moreover, his Eighth Uncle likely harbored no genuine intention of assisting his father in returning to the capital ahead of time.

Thus, Hongchun lacked the exhilaration that currently possessed Hongshi.

The congested sea of carriages, horses, and people only served to distort his face into a snarl of exasperation. Consumed by an uncontrollable fury, he lashed out with his whip at a household servant of some official estate who happened to be blocking his path.

Despite the monumental crowds, Hongli ultimately arrived safely at the Changchun Garden in the company of the Primary Consort.

Only after ensuring that Hongli had joined the gathering place designated for the imperial princes and grandsons did the Primary Consort depart with a sense of relief to take her place among the consorts and primary spouses.

With so many imperial offspring and descendants populating the grounds, Hongli found himself facing a dense, rolling sea of human heads once he stepped into the throng.

Some familiar faces were engaged in quiet, hurried conversations with one another.

"Are you Hongli?"

As Hongli scanned the crowd, wondering when Hongzhou might arrive, someone suddenly tapped him on the shoulder.

Turning around, Hongli found himself gazing at a youth who appeared to be of his own age, yet whom he did not recognize at all.

There was simply no helping it; Kangxi's progeny was so vast that even now, there were uncles and cousins Hongli had never laid eyes upon, let alone befriended.

"He is Yinsi, your Twenty-first Uncle," observed the Eighth Prince, Yinsi, as he walked over and offered the clarification.

Hongli hastily bowed in salutation to the youth before him. "Greetings, Eighth Uncle, Twenty-first Uncle."

"Rise," Yinsi replied with a nod, before leaning in to murmur to Hongli: "The other day when I entered the garden, I overheard you reciting a line to Shushen—'With wealth remaining behind, one forgets to withdraw their hand; with no path ahead, one wishes to turn back.' It possessed profound meaning, and I have long wished to ask: from where did you unearth such a verse?"

"I merely chanced to overhear it somewhere. I shall enlighten Twenty-first Uncle another day," Hongli offered with a self-deprecating smile.

"Very well!"

Yinsi acknowledged with a nod and took his place standing shoulder to shoulder on Hongli's left.

At that moment, the Eighth Prince, Yinsi, also took the initiative to address Hongli: "Hongli, do you happen to know where your father is at this moment?"

Hongli knew that Yinsi was attempting to glean information regarding the Fourth Prince's whereabouts through him, and perhaps also offering him one final opportunity. Should Hongli answer truthfully, and should Yinsi indeed ascend the throne as emperor in the future, he would naturally look upon Hongli with special favor.

Yet Hongli merely shook his head. "Eighth Uncle, I truly do not know where my father is."

Yinsi nodded with a trace of disappointment.

"Eighth Uncle does not realize it, but Hongli has always been unappreciative of kindness. Unless you give him a taste of hardship, he will never be honest," chimed in Hongchun, who had suddenly materialized behind Hongli to address the Eighth Prince.

Hongli laughed coldly to himself. He knew Hongchun was deliberately trying to provoke a conflict between Yinsi and himself at this critical juncture. Clearly, the realization that the Fourteenth Prince had failed to appear in time had thrown Hongchun into a panic, breeding deep dissatisfaction toward Yinsi as well.

In response, Hongli simply cupped his hands toward Yinsi. "Eighth Uncle, your nephew truly does not know where my father is. As for Brother Hongchun's assertion that I am unappreciative of kindness—it is not that I fail to recognize it, but rather that at present, right and wrong have not yet been clearly distinguished."

"You!"

Hongchun gritted his teeth, glaring fiercely.

Yinsi did not fall into the trap. He quickly restrained Hongchun, who looked ready to resort to physical violence. "Hongchun, you ought not to speak to your younger brother Hongli in such a manner! Though Hongli is your junior, he clearly possesses a far greater sense of the overall situation than you do. You should be learning more from him instead!"

"At a time when His Imperial Grandfather lies gravely ill, anyone with a shred of sense should know better than to lack proportion!"

Yinsi's rebuke was stern, leaving Hongchun with no choice but to nod in acquiescence, his complexion turning even more unsightly.

Turning his attention back to Hongli, Yinsi remarked, "Since you do not know, then so be it. However, Eighth Uncle rather fancies this sharp-tongued cleverness of yours!"

With those words, Yinsi turned and walked away.

Standing close by, Yinsi (Yinxi) suddenly locked his arm around Hongli's neck, lowering his voice to whisper, "How could you be so bold? You even dared to talk back to Hongchun—were you not afraid he would start a brawl with you on the spot?"

"Eighth Uncle would not have permitted him to resort to violence," Hongli patted Yinxi's arm, prompting the latter to release him.

At that exact moment, Liang Jiugong stepped forward.

The entire assembly instantly fell into a breathless, solemn hush.

They heard Liang Jiugong call out in a resonant voice: "By imperial decree, command the Beile Hongli to enter the audience!"