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

He learned that the biological father of his body was actually Hong Chengchou.

Hong Xiguan's expression had gone from bewildered to petrified.

Looking at his stunned expression, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang's eyes flashed with bitterness and reminiscence.

She slowly began to recount the past that she had kept buried for half her life.

"Back then, I was the most dazzling pearl on the Khorchin grassland. A lama divined for me and said that I was destined to be the mother of the world."

"When the Later Jin Khan Huang Taiji heard this, he forcibly married me. I was only thirteen years old that year."

Good heavens, a victim of political marriage, an arranged marriage!

In fact, Hong Xiguan had heard their story. When he was a child, he quite liked watching "The Secret History of Xiaozhuang" and was even moved to tears by the love between Xiaozhuang and Dorgon.

"I...do not like Huang Taiji. He is fat and ugly, and his temperament is extremely rude. His weight of 300 jin is so heavy that it makes it hard to breathe...At that time, Huang Taiji also disliked me. In his eyes, I was just a tool to win over the various Mongol tribes, an...object."

Holy crap! 300 pounds? And he's obsessed with looks? That's a lot to know!

"In Huang Taiji's heart, from beginning to end, there was only my sister, Hailanzhu. Even though Hailanzhu was a second wife, he loved her like a treasure."

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang continued, "Later, Hailanzhu gave birth to his eighth son. He was overjoyed, granted a general amnesty, and even considered making the child the crown prince. Unfortunately, the child was unlucky and died young. Huang Taiji was heartbroken and actually... actually wanted my newborn son, Fulin, to be buried with him!"

Holy crap! Is this even possible? Making his own son be buried alive with his nephew? Is this something a human being would do? Huang Taiji's mentality is incredibly twisted!

While eating melon seeds, Hong Xiguan internally complained.

"Not long after, Hailanzhu died in despair, and Huang Taiji went mad. He even demanded that I... be buried alive with Hailanzhu! At that moment, I completely lost all hope in him, in this so-called husband!"

In Empress Xiaozhuang's eyes, a deep-seated hatred gleamed.

Funeral sacrifice?! Holy crap! This is seriously infuriating! No wonder... you cuckolded Huang Taiji!

"Later, in the seventh year of Chongde's reign, the Ming army suffered a great defeat in the Battle of Songjin. Hong Chengchou, the governor of Jiliao, was captured and refused to surrender even in the face of death."

"Huang Taiji knew that Hong Chengchou was a great talent for governing the country and tried every means to win him over. In the end, he came up with a vicious plan to have me... persuade him to surrender. In the name of persuading him to surrender, in reality, he wanted to send me to Hong Chengchou's prison cell as a gift to humiliate him, ruin his reputation, and force him to submit."

What the hell!What the hell!What the hell!

Although he had heard the plot before, its explosive nature still made Hong Xiguan exclaim "Awesome!"

Huang Taiji personally offered his wife to the enemy to sleep with?! What kind of brilliant strategist could come up with such a bizarre move!

"To save my life, and for Fulin's sake, I... had no choice. That night, I had no choice but to give myself to him, and Hong Chengchou did indeed surrender."

"But I hate him! I hate Huang Taiji! He not only doesn't treat me like a wife, he doesn't even see me as a human being!"

Anyone would be furious in this situation! It's an absolute disgrace!

"At that time, Prince Rui, Dorgon, had always secretly admired me, so I joined forces with him... to make Huang Taiji die 'unexpectedly'."

! ! ! ! ! !

You two conspired to kill Huang Taiji?!

Hong Xiguan was completely stunned!

My goodness! This melon is huge! I feel like my little head is going to explode!

This isn't a historical novel; it's clearly a palace intrigue, suspense, and power struggle drama!

Hong Xiguan was terrified and didn't dare to breathe, so he could only continue to play the role of a qualified listener.

"After Huang Taiji died, Dorgon, as agreed, helped Fulin ascend the throne and became regent himself. However, he was too ambitious. He gradually rose from uncle regent to imperial father regent, and even wanted to replace him."

"In order to keep him in check and for Fulin's throne, I have no choice but to submit to him..."

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang's tone was filled with humiliation and helplessness.

"At the same time, I am also secretly accumulating my own strength, but the officials in the court are either Dorgon's men or Hauge's old subordinates. Who can I trust? I can only turn my attention to the Han officials."

"Hong Chengchou is the best candidate. He is not only a representative of the Jiangnan literati, but also the former superior of Wu Sangui and other Liaodong generals. Dorgon's successful entry into the pass and pacification of the south was largely due to his planning."

"In the fifth year of the Shunzhi reign, Hong Chengchou was summoned back to the capital to assist in state affairs in the inner court. I secretly summoned him."

A complex, almost girlish shyness appeared on Empress Xiaozhuang's face.

"He... is different from those rough men like Huang Taiji and Dorgon. Although Hong Chengchou is a bit older, he is handsome, learned, and has an extraordinary way of speaking. I have admired Han culture since I was a child... After several secret meetings with him, I... couldn't help myself."

Good heavens! I get it! I understand everything!

Is this the legendary "true love"?

Huang Taiji's mission was a political one, Dorgon's was one of enduring humiliation and bearing heavy burdens, but it was Hong Chengchou who achieved a perfect harmony of mind and body.

This old lady is really wild!

"In the sixth year of the Shunzhi reign, I became pregnant by accident, and the following year, I gave birth to you. I secretly raised you outside the palace."

"Dorgon later discovered this matter and was furious. He wanted to depose the emperor, so I... had no choice but to strike first."

Wait! You mean...

Hong Xiguan couldn't help but ask, "Could it be...?"

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang nodded: "In November of the seventh year of the Shunzhi reign, Dorgon went hunting at Gubeikou and fell from his horse and died. Haha, he spent his life on the battlefield and was an excellent horseman. How could he fall from his horse so easily? That was just a trap I set for him."

You orchestrated Dorgon's death too?!

Holy crap! Huang Taiji and Dorgon, the two most powerful men in the Qing Dynasty, have both fallen into your hands!

You're the real big boss!

Looking at the composed Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang before him, Hong Xiguan couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.

"Later, when Fulin assumed power, he heard from somewhere that I had given birth to you. He thought... he thought you were Dorgon's illegitimate child. Enraged, he issued an edict to strip Dorgon of his titles and honors, and to desecrate his tomb and exhume his body..."

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang sighed deeply, her eyes filled with exhaustion.

She looked at Hong Xiguan, who was already stunned by this series of earth-shattering secrets, and slowly said, "Xuan Ye, now, do you understand?"

I...I understand.

I not only understand now, I fucking want to kneel down before you!

This is not Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang at all; this is clearly a supercharged version of a combination of Wu Zetian and Cixi!

My goodness, your life in the first half of your life could be made into a TV series that would have 300 episodes, and not a single episode would need to be padded out!

It seems that "The Secret History of Xiaozhuang" was filmed too conservatively!

Hong Xiguan took a deep breath. He knew that from this moment on, he had truly glimpsed the darkest and most insane truth beneath this cold palace!