Fang He didn’t give Yinreng a chance to react.
While he was still lost in thought, all the attendants in Yanxi Palace sprang into action.
Cui Wei led Xinhua and the others to swiftly open the storerooms and gather the daily necessities and medicinal supplies their mistress would need for the journey.
Chunlai stood motionless under the eaves of the main hall, silently watching the Crown Prince with vigilance.
Jiujiu’s main nanny, Xinke, and Er Bao’s main nanny, Xinnan, each took four wet nurses and quickly packed up the things needed by the little masters.
Gu Wenxing had already arranged for the sedan chairs and directed the eunuchs to perform their duties, sending the little masters to Shoukang Palace.
To guard against any trouble the Crown Prince might cause, Gu Wenxing even instructed Wei Zhu to secretly wait outside Yanxi Palace with skilled members from the Imperial Household Department.
No one knew when Concubine Jing had left Yanxi Palace.
By the time Yinreng came back to his senses, Fang He had already changed into her riding palace attire and was heading out, holding a fiery red horsewhip.
Beside her stood a palace maid who looked especially unfamiliar; one glance at her nimble aura and the way she walked made it clear she was a trained fighter.
Fang He stopped in front of Yinreng and asked coldly, “What is the Crown Prince still hesitating for?”
Although Yinreng was still wavering inside, his face remained composed, only displaying a look of sorrow and urgency as he replied, “I am worried for the Imperial Father’s health as well. But since he left me in charge of the country, I can’t just leave without making proper arrangements. If anything goes wrong, it will only trouble the Imperial Father further. I must also allow time for the Luan Yi Guard to prepare to escort us. It’s already noon—why not depart early tomorrow instead?”
Fang He didn’t interrupt him, but when Yinreng finished speaking, she calmly walked past him towards the exit and said, “If the Crown Prince wants to leave tomorrow, then this consort can’t wait. I’m leaving today.”
Yinreng’s face darkened, “Nonsense!”
He restrained his urge to have Fang He seized, speaking in a cold, threatening tone.
“If we rush ahead and something happens to Imperial Noble Consort Zhen on the road, how am I to answer to the Imperial Father?”
As soon as he spoke, a thought struck him, and he suddenly resolved that sticking to the original plan would be best.
Given Imperial Father’s favoritism for this woman, no one could say for certain that, in his final moments, he wouldn’t name her Empress before the entire court.
Just thinking about how this woman, who had shamed his Imperial Mother, might soon have to be honored by him as Empress Dowager, and even treated with respect along with her children, made Yinreng feel disgusted.
If he imprisoned Fang He in Shoukang Palace as planned, he could simply make a show of slowly heading to Gubeikou, and no matter whether Imperial Father recovered or passed, he would be in an invincible position.
Thinking this, his tone grew even harder.
“Imperial Father is not in the capital. To ensure the security of the Imperial City, I’ve ordered the guards to only let people out with a written command. Without my hand-seal, I’m afraid you won’t get out. Best to wait until I’ve arranged everything and then we depart together.”
Fang He paused and turned to look at Yinreng, her gaze particularly complex.
She still remembered when she first crossed into this world and met the Crown Prince, who, out of spite towards the eldest prince, forced himself to learn horse-riding and ended up breaking his leg.
When Kangxi took him hunting at Nanyuan, Yinreng would strut about Qianqing Palace with his chin raised for days after being praised, as proud as a little peacock.
The first year at Changchun Garden, when Fang He walked from Yunya Guan to Chunhui Hall, she’d sometimes run into the Crown Prince passing by Jiayin Hall, who would greet her with a friendly smile.
When had that gentle, upright, and proud youth turned into an ambitious, rebellious heir who no longer bothered to hide his violence?
Although Kangxi favored her, in dealing with the Crown Prince, he had always been rather even-handed.
She never thought herself capable of turning someone into what Yinreng had become.
Unable to make sense of it for now, Fang He simply let the thought pass.
She curled her lips into a mocking smile and pointed at Liang Jiugong.
“I advise the Crown Prince to think carefully—guess whether Chief Liang prepared for me to leave the palace according to His Majesty’s orders before entering the palace?”
Seeing Yinreng’s face darken and his suspicious gaze turn to Liang Jiugong, Fang He continued: “If you wish to murder your father and stepmother, usurp the throne, and earn a reputation for illegitimate succession and lack of filial piety, then you’ll never wash away that infamy, not even in your next life. But you’ve hesitated so long and done nothing—because the Imperial Father’s favor towards me is too obvious, and no one dares to act foolishly with you. If you can’t ascend the throne smoothly, you’re even more doomed to bear the scorn of history.”
Yinreng shouted in anger, “Stop spouting nonsense and sowing discord! My filial devotion to Imperial Father is as clear as the sun and moon!”
But despite his words, Yinreng’s heart sank.
What she said made sense.
Everything had gone too smoothly.
If Imperial Father had made secret preparations, he could end up completely crippled—this path was far too dangerous…
Fang He nodded at him, “Fine, then as a dutiful son, don’t stop me from attending to His Majesty. I’m going to leave—whoever tries to block me, I’ll strike down, even you. My horsewhip won’t show mercy. Try me if you don’t believe!”
After saying this, she moved calmly closer to the shadow guard, Jinghao, who suddenly appeared at her side.
This second-rank palace maid of Qianqing Palace had always been so unobtrusive that Fang He had never realized her main duty was to stay with her.
Honestly, Fang He didn’t want a head-on conflict with the Crown Prince, who already controlled most of the capital.
But Jinghao had said that this was Master Kang’s order: upon receiving Liang Jiugong’s message, she was to leave the palace with all speed—the sooner she left, the safer the children would be.
Fang He’s mind struggled to work out all the subtleties at play in such a short time.
But with Jiujiu and Er Bao’s safety at stake, she could only stick stubbornly to Kangxi’s instructions.
Taking a deep breath, she spun around and dashed out.
With her riding boots, she moved much faster than with flowerpot shoes.
Before Yinreng could react, Fang He had skirted the shadow wall and rushed toward the palace gate.
Yinreng stood behind, watching Fang He’s departing figure with cold, turbulent eyes.
He couldn’t be sure how many hidden moves the Imperial Father had set up.
Maybe these forces weren’t enough to counter the Imperial Guards Headquarters and the suburban troops, but before he had complete control of the capital, they might do anything in the name of Imperial edict…
He looked at Liang Jiugong, who still stood bowing in place, and let out a bitter, desolate sigh.
“Chief Liang, is the Imperial Father truly ill? Or… has the Imperial Father simply run out of patience with me?”
Liang Jiugong bowed his head and replied, “Crown Prince, be careful with your words! Master Lord would never use something as serious as the dragon body is ailing to deceive Your Highness.”
Though the Crown Prince was raised by His Majesty since infancy, it was during the crucial years of the suppression of the Three Feudatories, when Kangxi was too busy to care for him directly, that Liang Jiugong personally tended to him.
Watching Yinreng grow from a swaddled infant into a youth taller than himself, Liang Jiugong couldn’t say he felt nothing for him.
But amid imperial power struggles, he could never betray his master.
All that remained was a complicated look at Yinreng.
“Your Highness, Master Lord is your father!”
Yinreng dropped his gaze, silent.
Of course he knew that was the father who had doted on him since childhood.
Yet a sense of foreboding lingered—if he left the capital this time, he might never have a chance to return.
Suo’etu was right: those who achieve great things cannot be bound by petty sentiment.
Lacking ruthlessness means only failure.
Imperial Father was not his alone, and yet the palace held only one Imperial Noble Consort and Fifteenth Prince, showered with boundless favor.
His eyes reddened as he swayed, tears slipping down his face.
“Chief Liang, don’t blame me. I just can’t believe the Imperial Father… is gravely ill. I’d rather he was just testing me. I… it’s my own cowardice, I simply cannot accept the possibility that…”
He wiped his face and strode out by saying, “I will catch up with Her Highness and go see the Imperial Father together!”
No matter what, he couldn’t allow the Imperial Noble Consort to face Imperial Father alone and obtain any edict that might bind his hands.
Even if he didn’t seize the throne by force, he might not lose!
When Yinreng reached the Meridian Gate, sure enough, just as Fang He had said, she truly had the means to leave the palace even under tight security.
The maid beside her held a secret edict, allowing the Imperial Noble Consort to pass through the palace gates.
A guard reported in a low voice to Yinreng, “The Qianqing Palace maid says His Majesty long ago granted permission for the Imperial Noble Consort to leave the palace to inspect the girls’ academy. Even now… we dare not disobey the edict.”
His Majesty wasn’t dead yet, the Crown Prince hadn’t fully seized control of the guards, Yanbu had been arrested, and not everyone in the Imperial Guards Headquarters listened to Suo’etu.
No one dared risk everything.
Yinreng’s expression unchanged, he caught up to Fang He’s carriage and said with a guilty face, “Earlier, I couldn’t accept the news of Imperial Father’s illness, and then was scolded by you, Your Highness… Please forgive my behavior.”
Fang He answered blandly, “Let’s go.”
Jinghao immediately cracked the whip, and the carriage sped out of the inner city.
Xu Bao also came hurrying over with hastily packed luggage, ready to follow and serve the Crown Prince on the road to Gubeikou.
Yinreng didn’t tell him to come along, only gave a quiet order, “Tell Uncle to find a chance to lure them out of the palace—I have my own plans.”
Xu Bao replied with a pale face and, seeing his master ride off in haste, hurried along the walls toward the Ban Fang where the ministers were on duty.
Gubeikou was only about seven hundred li from the capital—Liang Jiugong had returned to the capital in just over a day of hard riding.
But on the way there, because they carried so much medicine, luggage for both Fang He and Yinreng, supplies for Kangxi’s use, and doctors from the Imperial Medical Institute, their pace was much slower.
They set off on the afternoon of the thirteenth of the eighth month and didn’t arrive at the Gubeikou base until the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Feiyan Gu and Sun Sike had already led forty thousand troops north toward the Wengjin River in Monan, to rendezvous with the eastern and western armies and do battle with Jungar.
Ten thousand government soldiers were left behind to guard the Imperial Tent and the surrounding area, as well as to control the Rehe Pass two hundred li to the west, guarding against surprise attacks from Monan.
Fang He got out of the carriage and, regardless of her disheveled appearance, staggered straight toward the Imperial Tent.
Yinreng, wishing to wash up and tidy himself after the long ride before seeing the Imperial Father, was forced by Fang He’s urgency to follow along, as dusty and battered as the rest.
Entering the Imperial Tent, the thick stench of bitter medicinal decoction made Fang He wrinkle her brow.
Rounding the screen, she saw Kangxi lying in bed, emaciated to skin and bone.
Her face darkened instantly, and a murderous rage flashed through her.
Kangxi had made so many secret preparations that Fang He had thought this illness was just a smokescreen, a ruse for others’ eyes, and the rush along the road more for show.
Of course, there was also a bit of wanting to show off her concern to Kangxi—even the closest couples need overt displays of affection for sweetness to last.
All the more so when one’s husband was the emperor.
But he was actually truly ill!
And seriously ill at that!
Even Yinreng, with all his dark and complicated thoughts, was left blank, as if his soul had been drained from his body—his legs nearly buckling.