The Fourth Consort’s shriek snapped the out-of-control Eighth and Fourteenth Princes back to their senses.
Upon catching sight of the Fourth Prince’s miserable state, both brothers were seized by a flurry of panic. This matter had blown up entirely out of proportion!
If word reached Imperial Father’s ears, there was no telling what kind of severe disciplinary punishment would follow.
Glaring fiercely at the Fourteenth Prince, the Eighth Prince dashed rapidly over to the Fourth Prince’s side. “Fourth Brother, let me help you up.”
However, the Fourth Prince’s face was chalk-white, tiny beads of sweat materialized upon his forehead, and he was in too much agonizing pain to utter even a sound, managing only a faint shake of his head.
At that moment, the Crown Prince and the others arrived.
Having lived alongside Kangxi in the Qianqing Palace during his youth and been influenced by him, the Crown Prince loved reading medical texts and possessed a fair grasp of traditional medical arts.
After checking the Fourth Prince’s pulse, a look of grave solemnity settled upon his features, and he immediately instructed the small eunuch beside him to prepare a stretcher, while dispatching another group of people to summon the imperial physicians.
“Second Brother, where is Fourth Brother injured?”
“His internal organs have been affected; the specific condition must wait until the imperial physicians arrive.”
Hearing this, a heavier layer of unease settled into the hearts of the Eighth and Fourteenth Princes.
Being older, the Eighth Prince managed to hold himself together, but the Fourteenth Prince, young and still unversed in the ways of the world, wore a look of outright panic on his face. Wasn’t Fourth Brother going to die, or be crippled from this?
He wasn’t doing it on purpose, after all—he had assumed Fourth Brother was coming to help Old Eight, so he had struck first. How was he supposed to know Fourth Brother’s constitution was this fragile, spitting blood from a single kick?
He concluded with an overwhelming sense of irritation: Old Eight is so annoying, and Fourth Brother is so weak.
The Thirteenth Prince walked at the very rear. In his heart, he understood clearly that the Fourteenth Prince was likely in for a rough time today, and he wondered whether he would be able to withstand it.
After deliberating repeatedly, he ultimately still dispatched someone to transmit word to Consort De at the Yonghe Palace.
The Zhaoxiang Quarters were right alongside the Eastern Five-Halls, sitting close by, and in less than the time it took to burn a single incense stick, the Fourth Prince was carried back to the Second-Halls.
Filled with anxiety, the various imperial princes and consorts all entered the Second-Halls together to await the diagnosis results.
Over in the front courtyard reception hall of the Four-Halls, Head Eunuch Liang Jiugong was casually sipping tea with his legs crossed.
Suddenly, the gatekeeper came running in in a panic. “Eunuch Liang, our Lord and Primary Consort have returned.”
Liang Jiugong rose hurriedly, straightened his attire, and pasted a submissive, smiling expression back onto his face.
“Where have they reached?”
The gatekeeper shook his head. “They’ve already entered the Fourth Prince’s courtyard.”
He continued, “I’m afraid something massive has happened. The Fourth Prince was carried back on a stretcher, and the Fourth Consort was weeping the whole way. Even the Crown Prince and the Eldest Prince followed them inside, and their expressions didn’t look good at all.”
Liang Jiugong felt a jolt in his chest.
When he delivered the reward earlier, finding the Ninth Prince and Ninth Primary Consort absent, he had asked the courtyard guards for information and learned that the Eighth and Fourteenth Princes had started a brawl over at the Zhaoxiang Quarters.
He hadn’t rushed over immediately out of fear of getting entangled and drawing a mountain of trouble upon himself—things in the palace were always like that: doing less meant fewer mistakes, while doing more meant more mistakes.
Yet he hadn’t departed either; he stayed specifically to wait for the Ninth Prince’s return, gather information from him, and prepare his report for the Emperor.
Never had he imagined that in such a brief span of time, it would result in the Fourth Prince being carried back with injuries this severe.
Liang Jiugong immediately summoned his accompanying small eunuch. “Hurry back to the Qianqing Palace and tell the Emperor that something has happened to the Fourth Prince.”
As for himself, he set off for the Zhaoxiang Quarters to investigate the ins and outs of the whole affair.
When the panting small eunuch rushed back to the Qianqing Palace, however, he was informed that Kangxi had already gone to the Yikun Palace.
Kangxi had originally intended to visit the quarters of his younger consorts that evening, but upon receiving the filial offering from his ninth daughter-in-law that afternoon, he had changed his mind and decided to head over to chat with Consort Yi instead.
Among all the inner court consorts, only the two of them had received filial offerings from their daughters-in-law; presumably, their moods were rather similar, making them ideal companions to converse with.
Having accompanied the Emperor for over twenty years, the imperial consort was deeply versed in his temperament, and their conversation flowed with great ease.
Just as the atmosphere reached its peak harmony, the message-bearing small eunuch arrived.
“Reporting to Your Majesty, the Fourth Prince has sustained injuries from a fall and is currently lying unconscious in bed.”
What?!
Kangxi’s expression shifted instantly as he rose and strode outward.
“How did the Fourth Prince get injured?”
The small eunuch knew only limited details, but Kangxi grasped the crucial point: Old Four had been injured by Old Eight and the Fourteenth.
His heart boiled with a mixture of anger and resentment: anger that Old Eight and Fourteenth were utterly lacking in sense, and resentment that Old Four was so useless—while the actual belligerents locked in a proper fight remained relatively unscathed, the one who stepped in to mediate had ended up severely injured.
“The Emperor has arrived!”
Hearing the announcement, everyone in the Second-Halls rushed out hurriedly to welcome him.
“We respectfully wish Imperial Father perpetual peace and well-being.”
“With a bunch of brainless troubles like you around, how can I possibly have any peace?”
Consumed by a heavy wave of rage, Kangxi strode hastily into the inner chambers.
Seating himself beside the couch, he saw his fourth son looking deathly pale, brows tightly furrowed, and wearing an expression of intense agony; his lingering resentment instantly dissolved, leaving behind only deep concern.
Lifting his fourth son’s wrist, he personally felt his pulse, whereupon his own expression darkened into grim solemnity.
Familiar with his habits, the Crown Prince handed over the prescription written by the imperial physician.
After reviewing it, Kangxi made several modifications and revisions before ordering someone to go fetch the medicine.
Rising to his feet and seeing that his fourth son remained plunged in unconsciousness, he gestured for the assembled sons to follow him outside.
Once in the main hall, Kangxi sat at the head seat and asked calmly, “Speak. How did Old Four end up in this state?”
The imperial princes all maintained a heavy silence, until the Crown Prince finally stepped forward.
“Reporting to Imperial Father, at You hour [5:00 PM] today, a small eunuch from the Thirteenth Brother’s side came to the Yuqing Palace to inform your son that Eighth Brother and Fourteenth had been brawling for a long time, and requested your son to go over and mediate.”
“Your son figured that since Fourth Brother has a deep relationship with Eighth Brother and Fourteenth, bringing him along would make the mediation even more effective. However, Fourth Brother set out a step ahead, and by the time your son arrived, Fourth Brother had already been accidentally wounded by Eighth and Fourteenth.”
Kangxi swept his gaze toward the other princes. “You all as well?”
The Eldest Prince, Third Prince, Fifth Prince, and others nodded. “Your sons heard the Crown Prince dispatching someone to pass word to Fourth Brother, and thus learned of the incident, rushing over together to help resolve the younger brothers’ conflict.”
Finally, Kangxi’s gaze landed upon the Eighth Prince and the Fourteenth Prince.
Pointing at the Fourteenth, he commanded, “You are the youngest, you speak first—why did you start a fight with Old Eight?”
The Fourteenth Prince’s heart trembled. Blinking rapidly, he squeezed out a few tear droplets.
“Your son didn’t mean to… it was all Eighth Brother, he suddenly broke into the Zhaoxiang Quarters!”
“Eighth Brother said your son has an unruly and untamed personality, and it served me right that Fourth Brother didn’t like me, and even claimed he was going to properly discipline me on Fourth Brother’s behalf.”
“Imperial Father, your son was so scared—Eighth Brother was truly too terrifying at that moment.”
With that, the tears flowing from the corners of his eyes streamed down smoothly, clinging to his still-baby-fat cheeks and making him look utterly pitiful.
Wearing a blank expression, Kangxi questioned the Eighth Prince, “Is that true?”
The Eighth Prince felt as though his lungs were about to explode from sheer fury!
At this moment, he was ten-percent certain that those messy, distorted rumors outside could only have come from the Fourteenth Prince’s mouth.
“Imperial Father, the truth is not as Fourteenth Brother claims.”
He glared angrily toward the Fourteenth. “Fourteenth Brother truly possesses an incredible mouth—a mouth that inverts black and white and distorts the facts.”
The Fourteenth Prince shrank his shoulders, lowering his eyelids and refusing to meet his gaze.
Kangxi gestured for the Eighth Prince to continue.
“During the morning court session today, your son already sensed that the officials in court were casting probing glances at me. Upon returning to the yamen, I noticed people inside and outside the yamen viewing your son with abnormal gazes, pointing fingers and whispering behind my back as if mocking me. Uncomprehending, your son had people investigate. Never could I have imagined…”
The Eighth Prince’s eyes reddened with grievance. “Your son only then discovered that Fourteenth Brother had been spreading rumors among all the study companions yesterday, inciting the officials to mock your son. Your son merely wished to demand an explanation from Fourteenth Brother, but who would have expected Fourteenth Brother not only to refuse to acknowledge it, but to tell your son to scram.”
He paused there.
Behind the partition screen in the adjoining room, though she could not witness the scene outside, Wuyunzhu could clearly hear the Eighth Prince emit a sound resembling a choked sob.
“Your son felt deeply distressed in his heart and intended to leave right then and there; but thinking of how Fourth Brother usually showed your son so much care and consideration, and not wanting Fourteenth Brother’s reckless, unbridled tongue to drag Fourth Brother down into trouble when he grows older, your son offered Fourteenth Brother a few words of advice. Who would have guessed that one word leading to another would cause Fourteenth Brother to swing his fists right at me.”
He really knows how to spin a tale, painting himself as an innocent, spotless white lotus.
Inside, Wuyunzhu silently applauded the Eighth Prince. Who could have ever imagined that two of the future pillars of the Eighth-Prince Faction would now be publicly tearing each other to shreds?
Hahaha, tear away—tear even louder!
Kangxi pursued the questioning: “What rumors did Fourteenth spread about you?”
Wearing a pained expression, the Eighth Prince shook his head, looking as though he refused to even recall them. “Your son does not wish to speak them out and pollute your ears.”
Following the passing of Empress Xiaoyi, the Eighth Prince had been handed over to Consort Hui to be raised, forging a very close relationship with her biological son, the Eldest Prince.
Being a man of strong loyalty, the Eldest Prince stepped forward when he saw the Eighth Prince’s aggrieved, enduring posture, turning his gaze toward the Thirteenth Prince.
“Thirteenth Brother, you and Fourteenth have always been inseparable—do you know what words Fourteenth spoke yesterday?”
Instantly, the gaze of everyone in the room converged upon the Thirteenth Prince.
The Thirteenth Prince felt as though a cluster of small mountains had suddenly been pressed onto his shoulders, and he fell into a fierce internal struggle.
If he spoke the unvarnished truth, he would undoubtedly offend the Fourteenth. If he concealed it, both Imperial Father and Eighth Brother would blame him.
I truly regret it; I shouldn’t have been curious yesterday, shouldn’t have listened to that piece of gossip. Otherwise, none of this would have happened.
Right at that moment, Liang Jiugong, who had gone off to investigate the truth at the Zhaoxiang Quarters, returned, accompanied by two eunuchs.
Having learned of Liang Jiugong’s movements from the small eunuch’s lips on his rush over from the Yikun Palace, Kangxi felt no surprise now.
“How did your investigation turn out?”
Pointing to the two men behind him, Liang Jiugong replied respectfully, “Imperial Father, this is the eunuch who was on duty at the Arrow Pavilion yesterday, and this is the eunuch on duty at the Zhaoxiang Quarters this afternoon.”
He then instructed the two men, “Tell Imperial Father everything you heard and saw yesterday and today, down to the last detail.”
“Understood.”
First to speak was the eunuch who had been on duty at the Arrow Pavilion.
Listening to his account, Yingtang felt an ominous premonition prickle to life inside him.
Damn you, Fourteenth! Your mouth is huge and shattered to pieces; you swore an oath at noon to keep it secret, yet by afternoon you went and blabbed it to several dozen people!
If I ever share another secret with Fourteenth again, I’m a complete pig! A total donkey!
Listening to the Arrow Pavilion eunuch’s testimony, everyone desperately wanted to laugh, but the tense atmosphere of the scene forbade it; they could only lower their heads to stare at the cracks in the floorboards while secretly stealing chuckles.
Hahahahahaha, no wonder Old Eight was angered into such a state—those words were truly atrocious, though they carried a grain of truth.
Behind the folding screen, the peeking imperial princesses and consorts also muffled their mouths with their handkerchiefs, shaking with silent laughter.
That mouth of Fourteenth’s—honestly, his honesty was maddening enough to loathe.
Next came the testimony of the eunuch on duty at the Zhaoxiang Quarters.
Listening in silence, everyone silently concluded that the Fourteenth Prince richly deserved his beating for his foul temper and reckless mouth.
Once the two eunuchs finished recounting the full sequence of events, the Eighth Prince finally failed to hold back his tears, and the Eldest Prince patted his shoulder in comfort. “Eighth Brother, rest assured, Imperial Father will surely seek justice for you.”
“Eldest Brother…”
The Eldest Prince averted his face quietly, terrified that if he watched a moment longer, he would recall the things Fourteenth had said and burst out laughing uncontrollably.
Kangxi turned his gaze to the Fourteenth Prince. “Yinzhen [Note: Yinzhizhen/Yinzhen], who taught you to go around spreading gossip behind people’s backs and taking joy in mocking an older brother?”
Though his tone remained completely level, it was all the more terrifying—resembling the deceptive calm right before a violent tempest.
Being only eleven years old, the Fourteenth Prince finally cracked under the oppressive weight of Kangxi’s sharp, piercing gaze, bursting into a loud, wailing cry.
“It—it was Ninth Brother.”
“Everything was said by Ninth Brother.”
Yingtang: “!!!”
What the actual flying f—?! A disaster falling straight out of the sky!
Fourteenth! You rotten brat, you absolute piece of trash—no wonder Fourth Brother can’t stand you.
Truly, whoever treats you well gets dragged down into misery. It’s driving Your Lordship mad!