Chapter Fifty

  Suddenly, a man appeared in the grand hall, claiming to be the one who killed Wang Rang: "I didn't want to come, but... I knew Wang Rang from the casino, he owed me money and never paid back. That day, we happened to run into each other and I wanted to get my money back. We had a few unpleasant words and things escalated into a fight. At the time, I only saw that I had beaten him until his head was bleeding, and I was scared so I ran away. I didn't know it would lead to someone's death, nor did I expect it to implicate others..."

  No matter how he was questioned or investigated, Fang Meng insisted that he had killed Wang Rong himself, and as for why it involved Fuer Gun, he didn't know the reason.

  In this way, Wang Rui's family members are victims, but they are also shameful liars who frame others.

  Fú ěr Jùn still wore the big red embroidered robe, gentle and elegant like a young lady, even outsiders wouldn't think he was a killer. Fú ěr Jùn magnanimously said: "....my family is poor, although they've caused me a lot of trouble, I don't want to make things difficult for them, give them 50 taels of silver, and let them live a peaceful life from now on..."

  Everyone who heard it praised his kindness and generosity.

  Fu'er Gun smiled faintly, and his eyes were fixed on Yongzheng, the corners of his mouth curled up with a hint of a smile. Yongzheng's eyes were as black as ink, and it was impossible to discern any emotions from them.

  The case cannot be considered fully tried, but the Emperor summoned Yin Zhen.

  In the study of the Qianqing Palace, Kangxi saw Yongzheng come and handed him a piece of paper: "This is the name I have chosen for Bao Ge'er, take a look and see which one you like?"

  There are four characters on the paper: "Hui, Li, Wan and Qian". Bao Ge is about to turn one year old, it's also time to name him. Quan Pei's words echoed in Yin Zhen's ears again. Yin Zhen looked back and forth twice: "Each character is good, but I think the character 'Qian' is better, 'a modest gentleman', a gentleman values modesty."

  Kangxi smiled and said: "I think Hui is a bit better, but you are Baoge's mother, whichever one you like will be the one."

  He only said a few words of family talk, and Kangxi soon asked about the case of Fuerdeng. Yongzheng was prepared and presented all the notes he had taken in the public hall today. Li Dequan handed them to Kangxi, who carefully read them.

  The quiet Qianqing Palace was so still that even the birds' chirping could hardly be heard, and the palace maid who served tea stepped forward quietly to replace Kangxi's cup with a new one of hot tea before slowly retreating.

  Kangxi finished reading and took a sip of clear tea, asking Yin Zhen's opinion: "What do you think about this matter?"

  "I, your child, dare not speak out of turn; everything is based on facts."

  Whether to investigate further or not is just a word from Kangxi, whether it's true or false depends on Kangxi.

  Kangxi looked at his son standing below, seeing that although he was hanging his head, his waist was straight and had a few more points of elegance. If it weren't for Yin Zhen being investigated, things might not have come to a conclusion so quickly. Unbeknownst to him, this son had already grown into someone who other officials didn't dare look down on.

  It seemed as if he heard a faint sigh, and yet it seemed as if he hadn't. He heard Kangxi say: "Looking at the evidence, the case can be closed."

  Kangxi really didn't want to make things too difficult for Chunqinwang, or maybe Chunqinwang had one or two things that made Kangxi unhappy, but in the end, Kangxi still remembered the old merits and couldn't find any flaws in the case. It was unreasonable for Yin Zhen to still be biting and not letting go, as if he was specifically making things difficult for Chunqinwang.

  Yin Zhen came out of the study, just as he met Chun Qin Wang walking in. Both of them paused for a moment, and Chun Qin Wang slightly nodded towards Yin Zhen, couldn't help but take a few more glances at his expression, not knowing what kind of outcome this was going to be. But Yin Zhen's rigid face didn't show any extra emotions, nothing out of the ordinary could be seen, so they just brushed past each other like that.

  In the dark and dirty prison cell, a slender eunuch stood in front of Fen Die, with a smile that still had a hint of bookish elegance. However, his words were like those from a demon from hell: "......Do you think if you don't say anything, someone will come to rescue you, and after being rescued, you'll still have a good future? You're too naive. If you lose your chastity and your looks, can you even be considered alive?"

  The butterfly hastily lifted its head, and those good-looking eyes were full of terror.

  In the basin, a half-person-high large red rose was planted, blooming in layers, very beautiful. Quan Pei held scissors to trim it on one side, while Li Shen stood behind Quan Pei and slowly narrated: "...it is said that after entering the palace, she knew that ten maids were called together for special training, and promised that if they completed a task assigned by their superiors, they could leave their suffering behind and eventually marry the princes or become concubines. The message passed to her was placed under the large flower pot at the entrance of Ruiyuan, she only knew that she had to get rid of Wu Gege's child and frame Nalan Gege, as for who the superior was, she was not clear, nor did she know who the messenger was, she only knew to follow the rules..."

  I thought it was just a simple handwriting of the pure and noble prince's wife, but now I see that there is more to it.

  Quan Pei put down the scissors and let the maid bring over a basin of clear water to rinse her hands. "You're from the palace, what do you think about this?"

  Listening to Quan Pei's question, Li Shen thought for a moment and said: "The palace is deep in water, but being able to train new Baoyi Xiunu quietly like this, must be the master of the palace."

  Who holds the main position in the palace? Is it Empress Dowager, Imperial Noble Consort, Consort Hui, Consort Yi, or Consort Rong, or someone else? And why do they want to do such a thing, are they really helping Prince Chun's mansion, or is there another motive?

  Taking advantage of Wu Ruoxue's matter, a large number of unscrupulous maids outside were replaced, and the new ones became much more sensible. The courtyard seemed to have become more orderly, Quan Pei pointed at two small eunuchs to put the flower pot behind the screen wall, standing under the corridor to watch, and the servants held their breath and waited on both sides.

  Yongzheng, who had walked in hastily, was taken aback to see Quan Pei standing in the courtyard. He paused for a moment before continuing forward and stopping beside Quan Pei: "It's too sunny outside, let's go inside."

  Although he looked expressionless, Quan Pei knew that Yongzheng was in a bad mood. He grasped Yongzheng's hand and said, "If you're not tired, let's take a walk in the Houyuan Garden. The weather is nice."

  The delicate palm's warm touch made Yīn Zhēn feel that his body was no longer as tense as it had been at the beginning. He raised his head, saw the bright sun and the clear blue sky, hesitated for a moment, then nodded slightly in response to Tàiquán Píng's bright and shallow eyes: "Okay."

  In the Canglang Pavilion, it's as if I'm in a Peach Garden that has escaped from the world, far away from the noise of the mundane world, stealing a moment of tranquility. A low table is spread with a grass mat, holding a jug of turbid wine, and my heart seems to have calmed down.

  Quan Pei's slender fingers danced on the strings, and the melodious sound of the guqin flowed from her hands like a gentle stream. The valley was quiet and still, as if the music had traversed thousands of years, accumulating the essence of time, causing people to become intoxicated unknowingly.

  The woman's hair was styled in a high bun with wide sleeves and a narrow waist, her eyebrows lowered and smiling slightly, like an orchid. Her steps were elegant, as if lotus flowers were blooming beneath her feet, leaving a lasting impression that seemed to be etched in his heart, connected to his very being. Yongzheng was taken aback, unsure whether this was a scene he had witnessed before or just a figment of his imagination. In the blink of an eye, it was Quan Pei standing before him, her pale and delicate face as lovely as a lotus flower, elegant and refined like a peony. Her slender fingers moved deftly over the strings, creating a melody that seemed to transport him to another world, one where worries were forgotten, and even his own identity faded away.

  Until the end of the song, Yongzheng seemed to have vented his emotions and felt exceptionally refreshed. He smiled and asked: "What is this tune called?"

  "Carefree."

  At that time, Jie Ze liked Wang You most. She had played it thousands of times, but he never gave her a glance or a smile.

  The man beside him smiled and grasped his hand: "I like it."

  She didn't know how many years she had been waiting, but unexpectedly heard another man say it a thousand years later, so she also smiled slightly: "As long as you like."

  Behind him, the flowers were blooming like brocade, and the woman in front of him was also smiling with a gentle smile, as if standing on the banks of the Zishui River thousands of years ago, shallow but exceptionally clear, touching the most vulnerable and sensitive chord in Yin Chen's heart.

  A gentle breeze arose, causing the flowing tassels on Quan Pei's hairpin to sway slightly. Yongzheng pulled Quan Pei to sit beside him, as if he had just remembered worldly matters.

  "Somebody has come forward and confessed to killing Wang Rang, the Emperor ordered me to close the case."

  "Is Grandfather unhappy about this?"

  "There are some."

  "There's no absolute black and white in the world, if one really holds a high position of power, yet has no special privileges or rights, it wouldn't be so tempting, this is how it has always been, why must you not be happy?"

  Yongzheng took another sip of wine: "I just don't want to let Fu Heng off so easily."

  "There will be many more opportunities for people like him in the future, but I have something to tell you here."

  "What?"

  After hearing Quan Pei finish reading the confession of Fen Die, Yongzheng couldn't help but furrow his brow deeply: "Out of ten girls, one has been caught by us, and there are still several others whose whereabouts are unknown. Are there also moles in the mansion?" What a vast net this is.

  Compared to the infuriating Fuer, this matter seems to make people feel a kind of invisible crisis, not knowing what kind of person is behind it and what their motives are.

  Outside the pavilion, a pink hibiscus stretched in, Quan Pei plucked it and pinched it in her hand: "The imperial palace is deeper than we imagined, although the emperor is still alive and the crown prince's position seems stable, but there are too many people with ideas, we don't ask for anything else, at least we want to protect ourselves."

  Yin Zan paused for a moment: "What do you mean?"

  His words were light and casual, with a hint of laziness, as if he was talking about everyday things, but what he said made Yongzheng feel shocked and inexplicably excited.

  "We need an underground force, which can also be called a dark guard."

  The strong blood that wants to control its own destiny seems to be boiling again, and a dark guard will definitely not just be self-defense, but will play an unexpected role when necessary.

  His eyes deepened, with a wolf-like cold light, as if he had spotted his prey, and his tone was filled with excitement: "You're right!"

  With a flick of her wrist, the jade beads on her bracelet moved, and she knew that her husband would not be a mediocre person, and one day he would stand at the pinnacle of power. Her eyes shone with dazzling light, like the radiant sunshine.

  The author has something to say: Why don't you girls give me flowers lately? Is it because the weather is too hot, or is my writing not good enough to quench your thirst~~~~~~