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At this time, Xia Yi, the commander-in-chief of the Sticking Rod Department, was standing in the corridor of the Qianqing Palace, looking at the copper bells hanging from the eaves swaying gently in the wind.

This was already his sixth year as the commander-in-chief of the Sticking Rod Office, and he had also been with the emperor for another 10 to 20 years. From his initial fear and anxiety to being able to calmly deal with the open and secret attacks in the palace, Xia Yi believed that he had become a master.

But what happened today made him uneasy again, or rather, he felt fear deep in his soul.

Xia Yi looked down at the dragon robe on his body, which represented nobility. It was bestowed upon him by the emperor of the time, representing supreme honor and trust.

As the emperor's most capable confidant and spy chief, he knew how hard-earned and precious this trust was.

"Sir Xia, the emperor summoned you." At this time, a young eunuch hurried over and whispered to the melancholy Xia Yi.

"Thank you, eunuch." Xia Yi straightened his clothes and walked quickly towards the imperial study.

When passing by the Imperial Garden, he saw from afar that Concubine Xian was appreciating flowers with several palace maids, and there was a little baby learning to walk beside them.

I saw that Concubine Xian was wearing a simple palace dress in light and elegant colors. Her eyebrows and eyes were picturesque. She was extremely beautiful without any makeup. Her every move was full of charm. Perhaps she was the one who lived the most clearly in the entire harem.

In the past, Xiayi would have been fascinated by such a beauty.

But now, he just felt a chill down his spine.

Because he knew that at this time there was a concubine who was secretly having an affair with Prince Guo, and he was worried about how to report this to the emperor.

In the imperial study, the emperor was reviewing memorials, and he felt that memorials were his only favorite.

Xia Yi walked in quietly and knelt down to pay his respects: "Your Majesty, your servant is here to see you."

"Get up." However, the busy emperor did not even raise his head. Now nothing could make him waver. "Have you made any progress on the matter I asked you to investigate?"

“…” Xia Yi’s heart trembled.

Three months ago, he discovered the abnormality between Zhen Huan and Prince Guo, and actually started living in seclusion in Ganlu Temple.

Before Zhen Huan went to Ganlu Temple to become a nun, the two had some secret dealings. Every time Prince Guo entered the palace, he would meet with Zhen Huan behind the rockery in the imperial garden.

He secretly sent people to follow them and found that the two of them had even become husband and wife in Ganlu Temple, which was really a bullying to the person in the palace.

"Your Majesty," Xia Yi carefully chose his words before reporting to the busy emperor, "I have indeed discovered some clues, but..."

"Speak." The emperor frowned and put down the red pen. His eyes were like torches, and he was trying hard to suppress his anger.

"I've noticed that every time Prince Guo comes to the palace, he stays in the Imperial Garden for a long time. Furthermore," Xia Yi paused, then explained carefully, "On the fifteenth of last month, the Imperial Concubine went to Ganlu Temple under the pretext of praying for blessings. Soon after, Prince Guo also went to Ganlu Temple under the pretext of visiting the Imperial Concubine Dowager."

“…”The emperor’s face instantly turned gloomy.

“…” Xia Yi knew that what the emperor hated most was betrayal.

Xia Yi then continued, "I have already arranged for someone to secretly monitor Ganlu Temple. If there is any unusual movement, I will report it to the emperor immediately."

"Very good." The emperor said coldly, "Keep watching, don't alert the enemy, and find all those who know about it."

"Yes! Your Majesty."

When Xia Yi came out of the imperial study, his back was soaked with cold sweat.

He knew that he was treading on the edge of death.

If he succeeds, the emperor will find a way to wipe him out, after all, this is the emperor's shame; if he fails, he will be doomed, which means that he is an incompetent waste.

So if possible, he would pretend to turn a blind eye. After all, such things are too sensitive, and no matter what he does, he would be courting death.

Three days later, Ganlu Temple.

Xia Yi himself disguised himself as a woodcutter in the mountains and hid in a corner of the temple.

He also wanted to get closer to Ganlu Temple, but unfortunately Ganlu Temple was a nunnery, and the sudden appearance of a man would be too abrupt.

However, Xia Yi saw with his own eyes that Prince Guo came to the back mountain of Ganlu Temple alone, and then carefully pushed open the door of a small courtyard. The pretty woman Zhen Huan dressed as a nun had been waiting for a long time.

Prince Guo and Zhen Huan smiled at each other and walked into the meditation room hand in hand.

In another room, the old and frail concubine sighed, and then continued to helplessly keep watch for the two of them.

Xia Yi then took out the secret letter he had prepared long ago and handed it to his most trusted confidant who was hiding and on guard in the distance. "Send it to the palace as soon as possible and make sure to deliver it to the emperor personally."

That night, the emperor personally led the imperial guards to surround Ganlu Temple.

Inside the Zen room, Zhen Huan and Prince Guo were disheveled and panic-stricken.

Yongzheng kicked the door open and looked at the couple with a smile on his face. "What a virtuous concubine! What a loyal brother!"

At this time, Xia Yi was standing in the dark, watching this farce.

However, there was no surprise in my heart.

He knew that from tonight on, the world in the harem would change, and his life would soon end.

……

Of course, all these sudden changes were secretly manipulated by Suning. His only purpose was to support the woman in the palace, and he really didn't want Zhen Huan to ascend to the throne smoothly.

The main reason is that Zhen Huan is too smart. When she returns to the harem, she will definitely become the mother of the next emperor, and there may not be many opportunities left for her by then.

Of course, it is not suitable for me to be involved in such a sensitive matter, so I have been guiding Xia Yi to realize it on his own. Unfortunately, Xia Yi is also a smart man who is rarely confused.

Although he had long noticed the affair between Zhen Huan and Prince Guo, he had always pretended to be deaf and dumb. After all, such a thing was too sensitive.

So Suning could only wait patiently and continue to guide them, until Zhen Huan and Prince Guo became more and more excessive, and finally Xia Yi dared not hide it from the emperor anymore.

The emperor was also confused at this time. After all, both of them were very important to him. "Suning, how do you think I should handle this matter?"

"Huh? Your Majesty, this matter is too sensitive. I dare not comment on it." Su Ning really didn't expect that the emperor would consult him about such a sensitive matter. He couldn't help but feel a chill on his back.

"It's okay! I need your help now. I will pardon you no matter what." However, the emperor, who was completely at a loss of his composure, did not agree.

Although he knew that the emperor's promise was as good as bullshit, Su Ning still spoke out his suggestion, "Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, Zhen Huan's becoming a nun and serving Buddha is actually a common divorce. Since Your Majesty has already divorced Zhen Huan, some things naturally become irrelevant."

"Hmph! Do you want me to forgive this bitch?" The emperor frowned and asked after understanding what Su Ning meant.

However, Su Ning tried to persuade the emperor from a different angle. After all, the emperor was a pragmatist. "Your Majesty, you have fewer and fewer trusted ministers around you, and the Thirteenth Master's health is deteriorating. Prince Guo is indeed a good successor." Sure enough, the emperor's expression softened. "Oh? Suning, are you trying to seize this opportunity to take down Prince Guo?"

"Exactly! She's just a woman who changed her mind. It's better to help her and Prince Guo get together. Simply arrange for Zhen Huan to change her identity and the problem will be solved. By then, Prince Guo will definitely be completely devoted to you, Your Majesty."

"..." After hearing Suning's bad idea, the emperor couldn't help but fall into deep thought, tapping the dragon throne rhythmically with his fingers.

To be honest, the emperor was indeed tempted at this time. After all, he really needed Prince Guo's loyalty. You must know that the world of Red Mansions is infinitely close to the Qing Dynasty, and the system also attaches great importance to the deterrent power of imperial power, so he hopes that royal children will come out to check and balance the bureaucracy.

However, the main problem was that Zhen Huan was a substitute for Queen Chun Yuan, and the emperor really liked Zhen Huan, so in the end the emperor decided to execute Zhen Huan and Prince Guo.

In the end, the emperor did not give Suning a satisfactory answer, but he looked at Suning in front of him and warned him, "Suning, you are a smart person. I don't want any leaks."

"I understand." Suning was already thinking about how to protect himself. Sometimes trust can make people feel at a loss.

"I wonder if you are willing to accept the position of director of the Sticking Rod Office?" Then the emperor looked at Su Ning in front of him meaningfully, and it was obvious that he had already decided to get rid of Xia Yi.

At this moment, Su Ning's heart tightened and he reminded the emperor. After all, he was a sharp weapon of the emperor in the previous dynasty. "Your Majesty, as long as you need me, I will naturally do my best, but you need to remove me from my position in the previous dynasty."

"Well, let me think about it carefully! You can go down first." Sure enough, the emperor once again showed a conflicted expression. After all, Suning was indeed completely different from Xiayi.

"Yes! Your Majesty, I will take my leave."

……

In Kunning Palace, the queen reclined on the phoenix couch, playing with a string of jade beads in her hands.

She looked through the carved window lattice towards the distant Yuanmingyuan where Hongli lived.

Now that she is no longer burdened by her enemy Zhen Huan, the Queen can finally focus on the issue of succession. The Fourth Prince Hongli who is in the Old Summer Palace is the rival of the Third Prince Hongshi.

Because the Nine Dragons' struggle for the throne in the old emperor's later years was so terrible, the emperor secretly issued a secret decree after he ascended the throne and placed it behind the plaque of "Zhengda Guangming" in the Qianqing Palace.

This matter is naturally little known to many people, but the queen is one of the people who knows about it. The main reason is that the emperor does not know that the queen knows about it, so the queen has been paying attention to the "little transparent" person in the Old Summer Palace.

Just when everyone thought that Hongli in the Old Summer Palace was disliked by the emperor, they didn't know that he had already been appointed as the heir. The emperor did this simply to protect his heir.

"Your Majesty," Cui Lu, a trusted palace maid, said softly, "The Fourth Prince has been quite popular with the Emperor lately. The Emperor has summoned him for three consecutive days."

The Queen's fingers suddenly tightened, and the rosary beads made a crisp clinking sound.

The Queen's eyes suddenly turned cold and ruthless. "My son Hongshi is the eldest son. What does Hongli count for?"

Cuilu lowered her voice and asked, "My Lady, do you want it?"

The Queen raised her hand to stop her, a sneer on her lips, "Hmph! What's the rush? I know my limits."

"Yes! Your Majesty the Queen."

It was late at night, inside the Yuqing Palace in the Old Summer Palace.

Xiao Shunzi, the personal eunuch of the Fourth Prince Hongli, quietly slipped into the kitchen and poured a packet of white powder into the bird's nest to be used tomorrow.

His fingers trembled slightly and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

"Hurry up!" A low, urging voice came from outside the window.

Xiao Shunzi hurriedly stuffed the paper bag in his hand into his sleeve and was about to leave when he heard a slight sound behind him.

He turned around suddenly and saw a black cat jumping off the stove.

"It turned out to be a cat." Xiao Shunzi's highly tense nerves couldn't help but relax. After breathing a sigh of relief, he quickly left.

The next morning, Su Peisheng was in his duty room sorting out the emperor's memorials when he suddenly heard hurried footsteps outside.

"Eunuch Su! Something terrible has happened!" A young eunuch rushed in in a panic. "The Fourth Prince is vomiting blood and has passed out!"

"What?" The memorial in Su Peisheng's hand fell to the ground with a "bang".

Su Peisheng immediately realized that something was wrong and hurried to Yuqing Palace. After all, he knew clearly how much the Fourth Prince meant to the Emperor.

Inside the palace, the imperial doctors were already busy.

At this time, the fourth prince Hongli's face was pale and there was blood at the corner of his mouth.

Su Peisheng's eyes swept across the room and suddenly noticed the unfinished bowl of bird's nest on the table.

"Wait!" Su Peisheng hurriedly stopped the palace maid who was about to clear the dishes, "Who sent this bowl of bird's nest?"

"Replying to Eunuch Su, it's Xiao Shunzi."

"..." Then Su Peisheng secretly investigated and found that Xiao Shunzi had frequent contact with the palace maids in Kunning Palace recently.

So Su Peisheng sent someone to secretly follow Xiao Shunzi, and finally caught him on the spot when Xiao Shunzi was meeting Cuilu.

In the Yangxin Palace, the emperor was furious.

"Empress!" The emperor suddenly slammed the table and stood up, staring at the vicious woman in front of him and demanding, "How dare you murder my prince!"

The queen knelt on the ground, her face pale, "Your Majesty, I am innocent."

"Humph! Unjust?" The emperor sneered. "With all the evidence and witnesses, you still dare to quibble?"

Su Peisheng stood aside and watched the farce.

He knew that from tonight on, the world in this harem would change again.

Soon the queen was deposed and sent to the cold palace, and the third prince Hongshi was also deposed and sent to the cold palace.

However, the fourth prince Hongli was unable to recover and passed away.

Xia Yi, the commander-in-chief of the Sticking Rod Department, was not a good guard and was beheaded by the emperor in public. All those who knew about the Ganlu Temple incident were also beheaded.

However, Su Peisheng knew that the storm was far from over, and he felt as if there were hands secretly controlling everything.

Sure enough, when Su Peisheng was tidying up the Queen's bedroom, Kunning Palace, he found a secret letter that read: "After the matter is accomplished, support the fifth prince."

...(End of chapter)