I, Kangxi, am here to overthrow the Qing and restore the Ming!

Cao Yin?!

Hong Xiguan almost lost control of his expression.

Isn't this Sun Mama's son, the future Imperial Textile Commissioner of Jiangning, Emperor Kangxi's secret agent, and... the grandfather of Cao Xueqin, the author of "Dream of the Red Chamber"?!

Good heavens! Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang played this move brilliantly! By placing someone else's own son as a "hostage" by my side, she not only compensated Granny Sun but also served as a silent warning and rebuke.

The ways of emperors are indeed very dirty!

Hong Xiguan was overjoyed, but on the surface he merely nodded indifferently, told the children to stand up, and then casually asked the names of the others:

These are Li Xu, Zhao Sheng, Zhao Chang... all of whom will rise to prominence during the Kangxi era.

This starting bonus is fantastic, I give it full marks!

……

In the afternoon, Hung Hei-kwun was in his study, getting to know his new "underlings" and arranging their future "study plans".

Just then, Granny Sun rushed in from outside, her face filled with panic and her voice trembling.

"Third...Third Prince! Consort Tong...Consort Tong has arrived!"

Granny Sun was truly panicked.

Others might not know, but how could she not? Consort Tong was the real Emperor Xuan Ye's mother!

The Third Prince before us is an imposter arranged by the Empress Dowager! Not only does he look completely different, but he's also several years older! Wouldn't the truth be revealed the moment this mother and son meet?!

Hong Xiguan's heart also skipped a beat.

Holy crap! My own mother has come knocking on my door! This is even more exciting than meeting Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang!

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang was the mastermind; she knew I was an imposter. Consort Tong was a victim's family member!

What to do? What to do?

There's no way to avoid it now.

Although Hong Xiguan was inwardly panicked, he still tried to remain calm.

According to palace rules, if a concubine wanted to see her son, she had to go through layers of approval.

The fact that Consort Tong could come means that Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang has already given her approval.

What on earth is this old lady up to?

Aren't you afraid I'll be exposed on the spot?

When soldiers come, we'll block them; when water comes, we'll dam it! I believe that old fox Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang must have a backup plan! I just need to play my part well!

Hong Xiguan took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Understood, please invite Your Highness in."

Soon, two figures, led by a eunuch, slowly entered the hall.

Walking in front was a young woman of about twenty years old, with delicate features and a gentle temperament, but there was a lingering melancholy between her brows.

This must be Consort Tong.

However, to Hong Xiguan's surprise, Consort Tong did not come alone. She was accompanied by a younger woman dressed in an empress's crown and robes.

The woman was only about nineteen years old, with an extremely beautiful appearance and the bright and dignified air unique to Mongolian women. However, her expression revealed an indifference and aloofness that was inconsistent with her age.

This is... Empress Borjigit? The grandniece of Empress Xiaozhuang, the empress whom Emperor Shunzhi disliked the most?

Hong Xiguan understood in a flash.

What a clever "two-person trip" tactic! It's like having the Empress come over as a "witness" and "supervisor"!

With the Empress present, even if Consort Tong discovered something, she wouldn't dare to make a scene on the spot!

Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!

Hong Xiguan dared not be negligent and immediately stepped forward to bow to the two men.

"Your son (your subject) Xuan Ye greets the Empress and Consort Tong."

The moment Consort Tong saw Hong Xiguan, she was completely stunned, as if struck by lightning.

A hint of joy at seeing her son flashed in her gentle eyes, but that joy was quickly replaced by immense shock and disbelief!

This is... my Ye'er?

No! Absolutely not!

My Ye'er, she's only seven years old, and her body is still very weak!

The boy in front of her was more than a head taller than Ye'er, and his physique was much more robust. He looked like he was about ten years old!

And this face... these eyebrows and eyes... this is not my Ye'er at all!

Tong Fei's heart sank to the bottom instantly, and a chill ran from the soles of her feet straight to the top of her head.

But she didn't call out or ask anything. She just bit her lip tightly, her gaze sweeping over the expressionless Empress beside her, and then she thought of the Empress Dowager who held absolute power in the Cining Palace.

She got it.

His own son... might already be...

Overwhelmed with grief and fear, Consort Tong nearly fainted.

But she knew she couldn't.

If a scene breaks out here, not only will she fail to save her son, but she herself, and even the entire Tong family behind her, will be doomed!

So, Consort Tong forcibly suppressed all the turmoil in her heart and forced out a smile that was even uglier than crying.

"My son... get up quickly. It's been over a year since I left the palace to avoid smallpox, and I didn't expect you to have grown so tall."

You call this "growing taller"?!

Girl, your acting is way too over-the-top!

I haven't seen you in a year, and you've grown so much taller, your face is completely different, and you're telling me this is just puberty? Do you think I'm stupid, or do you think you're the stupid one?

Hong Xiguan was internally ranting, but he still went along with her and continued acting.

"Thank you for your concern, Mother."

Empress Borjigit, who was standing to the side, was also slightly taken aback.

She had met Xuan Ye a few times before, and in her memory he was a thin and sickly child, quite different from the energetic young man in front of her.

But since Consort Tong, her own mother, had spoken up, saying that the baby had "grown taller," the empress, who had a strained relationship with the emperor, naturally didn't bother to ask any further questions.

Anyway, the child has already met the Empress Dowager, and she didn't say anything. Why should I, an unfavored empress, worry about this?

The Empress, simply fulfilling her duties as the head of the six palaces, casually asked, "How was your year outside the palace?"

Hong Xiguan immediately adopted an innocent and carefree expression, and replied with a smile:

"Your Majesty, I am doing very well outside the palace! I eat well and sleep soundly every day. The world is vast outside, and I have many playmates to run around with, so... so I have grown up faster."

The naive and simple-minded empress believed this explanation.

But Consort Tong didn't believe a single word of it.

Xuan Ye was her precious son. He was frail from childhood and had to be careful about what he ate. How could she believe that her pampered son could be transformed into a completely different person after "running wild" outside the palace for a year?

Consort Tong knew that there must be a huge conspiracy behind this.

But the mastermind behind the conspiracy is someone I can't afford to offend.

The Tongjia clan was still counting on her, the birth mother of the prince, to gain a foothold in the palace.

Therefore, I absolutely must not act impulsively!

According to palace rules, when a mother and son met, eunuchs and palace maids would be present to monitor them throughout the meeting. They could not be alone together for a long time, and they could not speak intimately with each other.

Soon, Granny Sun stepped forward and reminded him at the opportune moment, "Your Majesty the Empress, Your Highness Consort Tong, the Third Prince should review his lessons."

The Empress nodded and left with the distraught Consort Tong.

From beginning to end, Consort Tong did not glance at Hong Xiguan again.

Hong Xiguan watched their departing figures and let out a long sigh of relief.

so close!

The first wave of the "family verification" crisis has finally been glossed over.

However, judging from Consort Tong's expression, she must already consider me the enemy who killed her son.

Sigh, sitting in the palace, trouble falls from the sky; this life is truly fucking exciting.

In the days that followed, Consort Tong never came again.

Perhaps it was due to the strict palace rules that they couldn't meet frequently.

Or perhaps, the one in the Cining Palace did not grant permission again.