Besides Kangxi and the stuffed, drowsy Jiujiu, there were exactly twelve people presentājust enough to play a standard round of Werewolf.
This was the game Fang He and Geng Shuning played most often whenever they went on outings with friends.
Although Fang He wasn’t very good at it, she was quite familiar with the rules.
When playing Werewolf offline, the rules were actually quite flexible, often with modifications to the good and evil camp identities.
Fang He didn’t bother explaining to those present what a Seer or Witch was, nor could she explain why the game had a Fool role.
She simply divided the camps bluntly and fittingly according to the situation in the Qing dynasty: the Crown Prince’s Faction and the Werewolf Faction.
There were four werewolves, who could poison the Crown Prince’s supporters at night.
Four Crown Prince supporters, who could rely on deduction to help find the werewolves.
“As for the Crown Prince’s Faction, naturally, it must have a Crown Prince (the Seer), who can hold private talks with Father at night to confirm who is a werewolf,” Fang He explained the special roles in a very fitting manner.
“The Crown Prince, as the legitimate heir, naturally has an Imperial Physician (the Witch) at his side, holding a bottle of miraculous antidote and a vial of deadly poison. If poisoned, the Physician can take down one of the Crown Prince’s Guards (the Hunter) with him.”
“The Fool… I thought for a long time but couldn’t find a fitting identity. After some thought, I decided: the last one is the Crown Prince’s ‘Haha Pearl’ (the Fool). Because Father has done great deeds, this role gets immunity from being poisoned or voted out.”
Yinreng choked on thatāwhy would the Haha Pearl be more prestigious than the Crown Prince?
Others were also thinking the same thing: if the Haha Pearl really had such status, they’d honestly want to be that role instead.
Fang He glanced at Kangxi and smiled teasingly at Yinreng: “If the werewolves win, the ‘Crown Prince’ allows wolves to roam the world and bring about the flourishing Qing era. If the ‘Crown Prince’ wipes out the werewolves, the world is peaceful and the Qing is prosperous and secure. I have absolutely no private grudges here.”
Yinreng’s eyes flickered slightly.
Since Kangxi returned from campaign, finding out that the crown prince tacitly allowed Suo’etu’s men to stay close by and even moved against Noble Consort Zhaoyuan’s unborn heir, his attitude toward Yinreng had grown cold.
This made Yinreng especially anxious.
Even though he was Crown Prince, without Father’s favor and trust, the throne might not be his.
How many Crown Princes throughout history have succeeded smoothly?
So once Kangxi realized Fang He didn’t play by the rules, Yinreng quickly apologized.
During the Lantern Festival Banquet, pretending to be hungry, he lowered his head to the ground, never again showing true hostility toward Fang He.
He wasn’t foolish like Yinqi, stubbornly clashing with the Noble Consort, which would only make Kangxi dislike him even more.
If he wanted revenge, Yinreng would do it like a child secretly adding salt to Kangxi’s teaāeveryone would know how ‘immature’ he was.
He had to let Kangxi know he was still the child who adored him, and that he wasn’t so cruelājust naive about Suo’etu’s methods, which led to his mistakes…
Suppressing his worries, Yinreng raised his head and forced a strong smile at Kangxi, but it was bitter, hoping to evoke his Father’s pity.
Unfortunately, his charm fell on deaf ears; when he looked up, he saw Father smiling even more deeplyāclearly pleased with Noble Consort Zhaoyuan’s words.
Yinreng thought: “…So who really is the true son?!”
Everyone held back some schadenfreude.
Noble Consort Zhaoyuan said the game was called Werewolf Kill…
Everyone present, including Kangxi, who hoped for brotherly harmony, knew exactly who the werewolves represented.
Werewolves meant those with wolfish ambitions.
Any imperial prince saw the Emperor as Fatherāwhy should the Crown Prince sit on that throne but not they?
The hidden ambitions and shadows that couldn’t be openly expressed in reality were unleashed here, letting people freely be themselves.
Kangxi glanced at the Crown Prince’s stiff smile and the other princes eagerly rubbing their hands, smiling to himself.
He never believed brothers should naturally love each other.
Throughout history, royal brothers fought over the dragon throne more viciously than enemies.
He was just luckier to have brothers like Fuquan and Changning whom he trusted.
Let these restless ones settle their unspoken dark emotions in the game, fighting it out thoroughly.
Especially the Crown prince, who had schemes.
Thinking of how the Crown Prince would rather trust Suo’etu’s greedy faction than his own Father, Kangxi wished he could lock Suo’etu away in the Zongrenfu until death!
Some rotten flesh must be cut away to allow new growth.
Kangxi first sent Jiujiu off to bed with coaxing.
Once she left, he tapped the stone table with the handle of Fang He’s round fan.
Cui Wei quietly slipped identity slips into the pouches beside him, hurriedly and respectfully handing them out to everyone upon hearing the noise.
Without Fang He saying a word, everyone knew their identities had to be kept secretāonly then would the game be fun.
They each avoided the others and drew their slips from their pouches.
Fang He didn’t rush to look at hers.
Like Kangxi, she enjoyed observing the Crown Prince and his brothers’ expressions.
‘Tsk tsk, royal children indeed.’
Even the usually clumsy Thirteenth Prince and the silly Tenth Prince showed no signs of what identity they had drawn.
Kangxi knew more than Fang He.
He understood his sons well enough to roughly guess from the flickers of excitement or nervousness in their eyes.
Looking at the calm and composed Crown Prince, the Third and Fourth Princes, Kangxi made his guesses.
As he was thinking, his gaze landed on Fang He, who still hadn’t opened her pouch.
Kangxi raised an eyebrow at her: “Not going to look?”
Fang He responded innocently: “Someone as pure and kind as me must be the Crown Prince’s most loyal supporterāno other identity possible!”
Kangxi: “……”
‘That lie with eyes wide open? You’re no different from Jiujiu.’
Everyone chuckled quietly.
Yinreng was speechlessāmaybe, just maybe… the Crown Prince didn’t want such supporters after all.
Kangxi said nothing more and simply told everyone: “Confirm your identities, then close your eyes.”
Everyone closed their eyes, and Fang He hurriedly looked at her slip.
Kangxi chuckled and said, “Werewolves, open your eyes.”
As Kangxi expected, the Crown Prince, the Fourth Prince, and the especially excited Ninth and Twelfth Princes opened their eyes.
Kangxi leisurely fanned Fang He: “Ten seconds to poison one person.”
Yinreng and Yinzhen exchanged a glance; poisoning didn’t take ten seconds.
Without hesitation, they pointed at the Third Prince, Yin Xi.
To be honest, neither wanted to hear Yin Xi talk much.
The Ninth Prince, Yin Tao, and Twelfth Prince, Yin Tang, didn’t care eitherāpoison one, poison two, they agreed with the two older brothers.
Kangxi smiled slightly and tapped the table again: “Crown Prince, open your eyes and verify.”
The previously anxious Eighth Prince, Yinsi, cautiously opened his eyes and instinctively pointed at Fang He.
Yinsi always felt this Noble Consort wasn’t a good person.
Kangxi nodded slightly, signaling that although the Noble Consort seemed a bit eccentric, she was indeed a good person.
Yinsi closed his eyes in disappointment.
Kangxi: “Imperial Physician, open your eyes and choose to save or poison.”
Thirteenth Prince, Yinxiang, immediately widened his eyes, noticing Father’s fan pointed at the Third Prince; his entire body screamed resistance, even instinctively closing his eyes.
Kangxi: “…Hurry up.”
Yinxiang quickly opened his eyes and hesitantly pointed at the Ninth Prince, who always laughed at him for following the eldest brother’s heels.
Yinxiang closed his eyes.
Kangxi laughed and continued, “Daybreak, open your eyes.”
When everyone opened their eyes, Kangxi lightly tapped the Third Prince’s head with his fan and pointed at the Ninth Prince.
“Say your last words.”
Yin Xi and Yin Tao rubbed their hands eagerly.
The Ninth Prince stiffened his neck in dissatisfaction, “Why am I the first to be killed? Are we even brothers?”
He had just gotten started, barely stirring the pot!
The Third Prince nodded, “Exactly! Shouldn’t have killed Noble Consort Zhaoyuan… cough, that one!”
Everyone instinctively looked at Kangxi and Fang He.
Fang He smiled faintly, not reacting much, but Kangxi gave a sharp look.
“Don’t you two know why you were targeted? If you thought before you spoke, you wouldn’t be the first to die.”
The two shrank their necks.
But they quickly realized that although ‘dead’, they could use their last words to play the role of troublemaker… cough, strategist.
The Third Prince immediately put on a righteous expression.
“Not hiding it from you all, I am the ‘Crown Prince’ you serve. Sadly, I was betrayed by traitorsāpeople’s hearts aren’t what they used to be!”
Yinreng: “…..”
Eighth Prince who got the ‘Crown Prince’ role: “…..”
Others: “……”
‘This bastard is dead but still a pain in the ass!’
The Third Prince’s careless talk didn’t mean he was brainless.
He glanced at Yinreng without showing it.
“When I was attacked, my first instinct was to cry out, but I didn’t accuse you… I mean, me. If I had verified your identity, I wouldn’t act like that!”
Yin Xi retorted, “I just thought I was close to you, Brother, and couldn’t bear to suspect you.”
“Couldn’t bear it?” Yinreng sneered.
The Third Prince blurted without thinking, “Originally couldn’t bear it, but after careful thought, I could only be sure of your identity. I still can’t bear to see you harm our loyal supporters!”
The Ninth Prince immediately chimed in, “Exactly, exactly! The Crown Prince said, even in death, one must never forget Father’s teaching to love the people, and I am one of the people. The Crown Prince loves me so much…”
After speaking, he swallowed hard, disgusted with himself.
Others rubbed their arms awkwardly.
Kangxi interrupted their bickering, “Enough. Third and Ninth Princes, keep quiet now. Fourth Prince, start.”
Yinzhen was silent for a moment, then smiled bitterly, “I’m the most insignificant Crown Prince supporter. I have no clues and dare not speak recklessly. But as a supporter, failing to protect the Crown Prince is my incompetence, and I swear to avenge the Crown Prince to death!”
Fang He clicked her tongueāno wonder he was the favorite cosplay of the Darningzi.
That bitter smile, that heartbroken lament, simply perfect.
Then it was the Fifth Prince’s turn.
He scratched his head and said honestly, “I’m a guard. With the Crown Prince gone, there’s no use for me. Next round, poison me so I can take a brother with me.”
Others: “…”
You only remember brotherly love now?
The Seventh Prince was brief, “No clues, but when the truth is clear, I’ll avenge the Crown Prince!”
Eighth Prince, Yin Tang, bit his lip, hesitated, looked at Fang He with a gentle gaze, and said quietly, “I’m the real ‘Crown Prince’. Last night I confirmed with Father, the Noble Consort is my supporter. But Fifth Brother… when Father called for werewolves to act, I heard him move, but couldn’t confirm his identity.”
If the Fifth Prince really was a guard, if exiled or killed, he could take someone with him.
Let’s see what others say.
Everyone looked at the Fifth Prince, Yinqi.
Yinqi gave a puzzled look, causing the Crown Prince, Yinzhen, and Twelfth Prince to silently doubt… is this guy pretending to be dumb?
The Tenth Prince added, “Like Noble Consort Zhaoyuan, I’m a loyal supporter! Though I didn’t hear the Fifth Brother move, I heard the Ninth Brother move!”
He really did hear Yin Tao.
The Ninth Prince was about to speak but suddenly remembered he was dead; he groaned twice, saying nothing.
The Eleventh Prince, Yinci, was physically weak and usually quiet, but the most thoughtful.
He slowly said, “I think the Eighth Brother’s identity is true. When Father verified, I felt both the Eighth and Tenth Brothers moved, but the Tenth Brother was just looking at the roast meat. Noble Consort Zhaoyuan is undoubtedly loyal. If the Ninth Brother were loyal, he wouldn’t let Third and Second Brothers fightāhe’s a werewolf.”
He meant the Ninth Prince, Yin Tao.
That damned little brother!
Others eyed the nearly cooked meat, swallowing hard.
They were truly hungry.
No matter how fun the game was, it couldn’t compete with the increasingly strong aroma of grilled meat.
Eunuch Chen and Liu quickly fanned the fire, trying to cook the skewers faster.
The scent of cumin and spice stubbornly filled the air, distracting everyone.
Fang He laughed, “Hurry up, we’ll eat once we finish.”
Her words sparked motivation.
Everyone’s gaze sharpened, eager to decide a winner quickly and savor the fruits of victory.
Fang He’s first encounter with Werewolf Kill had revealed its charm.
Those quick-witted, with terrifying logic and acting skills, could backstab, self-sacrifice, deceive, and manipulate, leading others by the nose unconsciously.
Those with less brainsālike herācould rely on natural ‘black’ luck and sheer stubbornness, confusing others and sneakily surviving to the end, often surprisingly winning.
In Qing, the game had been played with flair by the Crown Prince and the princes.
The Crown Prince, relying on his natural heir status and the contradictory statements of the Third and Eighth Princes, avoided suspicion and even coaxed the Fifth Prince into taking out the Seventh.
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