My father is Yongzheng, and I am Qianlong?

Chapter 126 Imprisoning the Imperial Nephew
The next day, Prince Yi's eldest son, Hongchang, suddenly received an imperial edict from Emperor Yongzheng summoning him to the palace.

Hongchang then entered the palace.

Therefore, when Hongli went to Maoqin Hall for class, he encountered Hongchang at Qianqing Gate.

"Is my cousin going to see the Khan?"

Hongli also asked Hongchang a question.

Hongchang was still polite to Hongli on the surface, nodding with a smile: "My fourth uncle sent someone to convey an imperial decree that he intends to discuss with me about giving me some kind of job."

"My father has always doted on my cousin, so this must be a good job. I congratulate my cousin in advance."

Hongli replied with a smile.

"That is!"

Historical records state that Emperor Qianlong once issued an edict stating that Hongchang was "foolish by nature and had never known how to lead an army."

Hongchang was indeed quite rash and careless at this moment, and actually tilted his head back triumphantly and replied with a smile.

"After I get my job, I'll invite you back so we brothers can have a proper get-together."

Hongchang even patted Hongli on the shoulder for this.

Hongli smiled and nodded.

As Hongchang parted ways with Hongli and had just entered the inner right gate, the Grand Minister of the Imperial Guard, Marseille, suddenly approached him.

But Marseille did not bow to Hongchang; instead, he bumped into Hongchang's arm.

"Marseille!"

Hongchang called out to him and slapped him across the face: "Are you blind?"

Marse quickly knelt down and apologized: "Your Highness, please calm down! This servant had to go out in a hurry and forgot to pay my respects to you, and I even bumped into you by accident."

"Hongchang!"

At this moment, Yongzheng stepped out and called out to Hongchang in a deep voice.

Upon seeing this, Hongchang hurriedly complained to Yongzheng: "Fourth Uncle, Marsai is rude!"

"He was rude; you could have impeached him to me, instead of directly assaulting a minister. Your father says you have behaved improperly and acted ostentatiously, and requests that you be confined to your residence."

"But I thought I'd give you another chance, so I summoned you here for a talk, and then I'll give you a job to prove yourself to your father!"

"But who would have thought that your performance would disappoint me so much!"

After saying this, Yongzheng turned around and returned to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Subsequently, Su Peisheng delivered an imperial edict with vermilion annotations: "By imperial decree, Hongchang's behavior is arrogant and may bring disaster to the family. His father's request is granted, and he shall be confined to the mansion!"

Marseille then received the order and looked at Hongchang: "Your Highness, please."

Hongchang stood there, his tongue sticking out for a long time without retracting.

Hongli, who was hiding behind the inner right gate, saw this scene clearly and couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

From the moment Marseille bumped into Hongchang, he knew it was a trap set by Yongzheng for Hongchang.

Given Marseille's usual obsequiousness and caution in front of him, it's unlikely that he would neglect even basic etiquette when he sees Hongchang due to some urgent matter.

"Fourth Uncle! Your nephew was wrong!"

"Fourth Uncle! Don't listen to Father, don't confine me!"

"Fourth Uncle! Haven't you always doted on your nephew?"

When Hongli heard Hongchang's voice getting closer and closer to the Inner Right Gate, he immediately entered through the Qianqing Gate.

Hongchang didn't see Hongli's back, nor did he know that it was Hongli who caused him to be imprisoned.

News of Hongchang's confinement spread quickly.

The entire court was naturally horrified, even more so than when they learned that the Ninth Prince had been imprisoned.

After all, Hongchang was the son of the thirteenth prince, and he had indeed been favored by Emperor Yongzheng.

Because, as soon as Yongzheng ascended the throne, he bestowed the title of Beizi upon Hongchang, which can be said to be no less than that of his own son.

Moreover, this confinement was actually requested by the thirteenth prince himself.

"I thought the fourth brother was ruthless enough, but I didn't expect the thirteenth brother to be even more ruthless, daring to imprison his own son."

After learning about this, Lao Ba couldn't help but sigh.

Hongshi, who had also come to see Lao Ba for the same reason, nodded in agreement after Lao Ba spoke: "Uncle Thirteen's initiative to request the imperial decree to confine his own son is truly something I didn't expect."

"However, Eighth Uncle, do you think that my cousin Hongchang's confinement might be because my contact with him and my cousin Hongxi, and my instigation of Leling to impeach Li Weijun, has been discovered by Thirteenth Uncle and Father?"

Hongshi then asked Lao Ba with considerable concern.

Lao Ba nodded slightly: "Maybe!"

"If that's the case, why didn't the Khan punish me?"

Hongshi asked.

The eighth brother analyzed, "There are two possibilities: First, he doesn't know you were involved; second, your father is not your thirteenth uncle after all, and he can't bring himself to do it, so he just imprisons you. No matter how dissatisfied he is with you, at most he will just treat you coldly and keep delaying the matter of bestowing a title upon you."

“I think that if it’s because of the impeachment of Li Weijun, then it’s more likely that Father already knows about it, because I have indeed been in close contact with them recently.”

"And you, Uncle Ba, once said that Uncle Thirteen's nickname was 'Desperate Thirteen.' Back then, when he worked for Uncle Er, he was ruthless enough to dare to stage a military coup."

"Now it seems that no matter how ruthless Khan is, he is not as ruthless as Thirteenth Uncle, and he will not imprison his nephew. So even if he may already know that his nephew is involved, he cannot take immediate action."

After Hongshi made this analysis, he looked at Lao Ba and asked, "Uncle Ba, don't you think so?"

Lao Ba smiled and said, "Very good! Now you know how to analyze things, and what you said is correct; this possibility is greater."

"What should the nephew do?"

Hongshi asked.

The eighth prince replied bluntly, "I confess to your Khan!"

"Since Fourth Brother likely already knows but hasn't punished you, it means he's waiting for you to confess."

"Besides, if he actually didn't know, and you confessed, he wouldn't know how to deal with you for being so honest!"

"A father always hopes that his son will be filial to him."

Lao Ba put his hands behind his back and carefully analyzed the situation for Hong Shi.

Hongshi nodded after hearing this, and then on the same day, he requested an audience with Yongzheng and took the initiative to admit to Yongzheng that he had been in contact with Hongchang, Hongxi, and Leling.

However, Hongshi did not say that he wanted to contact Hongchang under the guise of sympathizing with Hongxi in order to win him over. He only said that he was dissatisfied with Li Weijun, the governor of Zhili, because he heard that Hongxi was being harassed in Zhengjiazhuang. Therefore, he helped Hongchang contact Leling.

Although Yongzheng saw through it, he didn't expose him and still chose to believe Hongshi, earnestly saying to him:

"I am very pleased that you have come forward to admit this. It is clear that you are more sensible than Hongchang. As for why you colluded with court officials to attack Li Weijun to defend Hongxi, that is understandable and shows your loyalty."

"But Hongshi! In the future, even if you feel indignant for someone, remember to come and talk to your father first!"

"It's incredibly foolish of you to be so presumptuous as to secretly collude with your uncles and cousins, thinking that this way you can better seize power! That's the most stupid thing you can do!"

"You must understand that even if you are honest with me, and I reject you or even criticize you, it is all for your own good!"

Emperor Yongzheng then spoke earnestly.

Hongshi nodded: "Your subject will remember." Yongzheng also smiled and stood up, patting Hongshi on the shoulder: "Remember, it's okay if you do something wrong, the most important thing is that you cannot hide your mistakes from me!"

Hongshi was deeply moved and delighted upon hearing this. Seeing the change in Yongzheng's attitude, he had a sudden inspiration and saw this as an opportunity to sow discord among Hongli's children. So he said:

“In that case, Father, I have something to tell you without hesitation.”

"what's up?"

Yongzheng looked at him.

Hongshi said, "I have heard that my fourth brother and Zhang Tingyu are forming a faction! Before Orondai and Arsona were beheaded, they saw my fourth brother and Zhang Tingyu at Yucheng Garden. It was Orondai's servant who told me this, and that servant has now been secretly imprisoned by me."

Yongzheng's expression changed.

Hongshi, believing that Yongzheng was dissatisfied with Hongli, took the initiative to ask:
"Father, should we summon Fourth Brother to ask him?"

"You're ignoring my words, aren't you?"

"Do you still think I'm a fool, unable to tell that you're slandering your fourth brother?"

"I know about your fourth brother meeting Zhang Tingyu and Orondai at Yucheng Garden. Moreover, your fourth brother has never hidden from me who he has met or what he has said to anyone!"

"On the contrary, it was you who was always so self-righteous, contacting Orondai without telling me. When I asked you about it, you still lied to me!"

"Now, you're even twisting the truth, thinking that because I don't tolerate Orondai, you want to implicate Orondai as one of your fourth brother's henchmen, so that I can transfer my hatred for Orondai onto your fourth brother!"

As Yongzheng spoke coldly, he pointed at Hongshi, who was already dumbfounded, and shouted sternly, "Hongshi!"

As if he had a thousand words to say to his eldest son, Yongzheng had just shouted this when all his words seemed to get stuck in his throat and he couldn't say them.

Then, Yongzheng simply waved his hand and said, "You may leave!"

"Khan Ama!"

Hongshi then shouted loudly, then kowtowed to the ground, saying, "Your subject was wrong! Your subject should not have harbored the evil intention of sowing discord between your fourth brother and you, and your subject should not have kept your contact with Orondai a secret from you."

"Your son had no choice!"

“Your son is different from your fifth brother. Your son has offended your fourth brother, so your son is afraid!”

At this point, Hongshi burst into tears, appearing as if he were the most wronged, and cried to Yongzheng, "Your subject is afraid that if your fourth brother succeeds to the throne in the future, he will kill your subject because of this!"

Hongshi began to imagine things that hadn't happened yet, and he cried more and more sadly, his expression becoming increasingly fearful and uneasy, as if Hongli was the perpetrator, the culprit who caused his unease, and he, the original perpetrator, had become the wronged victim.

"Hehe, what kind of people haven't I seen, and you're still pretending to be wronged in front of your father."

"You see your brother that way because you yourself are that kind of person!"

Yongzheng's words hit the nail on the head.

Then, Yongzheng looked at him and said, "So, what I should worry about is not how Hongli will treat you in the future, but how you will treat Hongli in the future!"

After Yongzheng said that, Hongshi stopped crying and just looked at Yongzheng in surprise, his lips trembling.

"Nothing to say?"

"What other excuses could I possibly use to make me blame Hongli?"

At this point, Yongzheng asked Hongshi about it.

Hongshi lowered his head in silence.

"Go ask your eighth uncle how you should deal with this situation. Let him teach you! Let him teach you how to deal with your worries."

Yongzheng then offered Hongshi some advice.

Upon hearing this, Hongshi's face turned ashen, and he pouted, saying, "Father, please forgive me. I did often go to see Uncle Ba. I was wrong to not tell you. I promise I will never go to see Uncle Ba again. I won't go anymore, sob sob!"

"I'm sending you!"

"You must go to me!"

Yongzheng suddenly roared.

Hongshi looked up in fright and saw that Yongzheng's face was purple and his eyes were bloodshot. He could only kowtow and say, "Your subject will go, your subject will go right away!"

Then, Hongshi got up and quickly left the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Just as Hongshi came out, Hongli also returned from school.

"Third Brother!"

Hongli bowed.

Hongshi stopped, clenched his fist, but still managed a smile: "Class is over?"

"Ok!"

Hongli nodded.

"I have other things to do. Let's have a proper talk later, brothers."

Hongshi said this and then quickly left.

Hongli didn't say much and started to leave, only wondering why Hongshi's face was covered in tears and his eyes were swollen like peach pits when he came out of Yangxin Gate.

Upon returning to the backyard of Yongshou Palace, Hongli discovered that all four of his maids from the day were present, with Fucha Yuyan even peeking out.

Hongli nodded slightly to Fucha Yuyan, then turned and went to the west side hall, entering Nara Minxuan's room.

For the sake of the Empress, he still needs to pay more attention to Nara Minxuan.

"Is my cousin writing lyrics?"

When Hongli saw Nara Minxuan, he asked her a question.

Nara Minxuan lowered her head and replied, "I haven't written many lines, and they're not very good. I hope Fourth Master will forgive me."

"It's quite nice, it has a bit of Nalan style."

Hongli said something, and then Nara Minxuan hesitated and brought over a cup of tea: "Fourth Master, have some tea."

"Thank you so much, cousin!"

"In the future, my cousin can simply address me as her cousin in private, without any formalities."

Hongli accepted the tea.

"Whoo!"

After responding, Nara Minxuan stood to one side in silence.

But she couldn't help but recall her aunt, the Empress, telling her to please Hongli.

In particular, the Empress's words today, lecturing Nala Minxuan about Prince Yi's role in imprisoning her son Hongli, seemed to echo endlessly in her ears at this moment.

At that moment, Haitang also appeared outside the door.

This made Nara Minxuan's heart pound, and beads of sweat appeared on her slender, dark eyebrows.

"My aunt is right. I may be of noble birth, but noble birth cannot protect me for a lifetime!"

"How can I win over the Fourth Prince?"

"It's so hard, what nice things should I say! I can't remember a single one of the things Sister Haitang taught me?"

(End of this chapter)