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

After the enthronement ceremony, the civil and military officials dispersed.

However, Ao Bai, the newly appointed regent and the banner lord of the Bordered Yellow Banner, did not even change his official robes before returning to his residence with a gloomy face.

Inside the mansion, in a tightly sealed, warm pavilion, several trusted confidants were already waiting.

The charcoal fire was burning brightly, casting flickering light and shadow on the faces of the group.

Gong Adai, the Minister of Personnel and Nurhaci's grand-nephew, was in charge of the appointment and removal of officials, yet he willingly served as Aobai's tool, acting as Aobai's most important "white glove" for placing his cronies in the court and eliminating dissidents.

Duke of the State, Banburshan, was a member of the imperial clan and a descendant of Tabai, the sixth son of Nurhaci. In his early years, he served as the Grand Minister of the Imperial Guard in the palace because of his status as a member of the imperial clan. He was very knowledgeable about the affairs of the inner palace and was a typical "old hand in the palace". He was deep in thought and best at taking advantage of troubled situations.

Marsay, the Manchu commander of the Plain White Banner, was originally a subordinate of Dorgon. After Dorgon's downfall, he assessed the situation and decisively aligned himself with Oboi. His military power in the Plain White Banner echoed that of Oboi's Bordered Yellow Banner, making him an important military ally of Oboi.

Asiha, the Manchu commander of the Bordered Red Banner, was Aobai's true loyal follower. He had been fighting alongside Aobai since the dynasty entered the pass and was extremely loyal to him. He was a trusted confidant who directly controlled military power.

These four people constituted the core pillars of Ao Bai's influence in the imperial court.

Upon seeing Ao Bai enter, the four men quickly rose and bowed.

"Please sit down."

Ao Bai waved his hand irritably, plopped down in the main seat, picked up his teacup but didn't drink it. Instead, he used the lid to skim off the foam, making a harsh "scratching" sound.

The atmosphere inside the warm pavilion was terribly oppressive.

Finally, it was Bambursan, the seasoned veteran who was best at reading people's expressions, who broke the silence first.

He asked tentatively, "Lord Ao...the ceremony went smoothly today, but...for some reason, you seemed to be preoccupied?"

Ao Bai slammed the teacup down on the table, the spilled tea scalding the back of his hand, but he seemed oblivious.

"Smoothly?" He sneered, a chilling glint in his piercing eyes. "Didn't you all notice something amiss?!"

Gong Adai and Asiha and the others looked at each other, puzzled.

Marcel cautiously asked, "Does Your Excellency mean... the new emperor?"

"Hmph!" Ao Bai let out a heavy snort. "What new emperor! That brat is clearly not the Third Prince, Xuan Ye!"

These words shocked everyone in the room!

"What?!"

"This...how is this possible?!"

"Your Excellency, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want! This is a serious crime of deceiving the emperor!" Gong Adai was so frightened that his face turned pale.

Ao Bai angrily retorted, "Although I, Ao Bai, am a rough man, I am not blind! As the Grand Minister of the Imperial Guard, I frequently enter and leave the palace. Haven't I seen enough of the Third Prince's sickly appearance? The one on the imperial throne today, not only does his appearance not match, but his height and bearing alone are absolutely not the same person!"

He grew angrier and angrier as he spoke, and suddenly slammed his hand on the table.

"In less than two years, a seven-year-old child could have undergone a complete transformation and grown into someone who looks ten? You're kidding me!"

That's right! I just felt something was off!

These people, from the Empress Dowager to Sony, are all putting on an act for me! Do they think I'm a fool?

Ao Bai was truly enraged!

A barely perceptible glint flashed in Bambursan's eyes. Unlike the others, he wasn't shocked; instead, it seemed as if he had expected something.

He lowered his voice and dropped a bombshell: "Your Excellency, do you think... this child... could he be... that illegitimate child of Prince Rui (Dorgon) and the Empress Dowager?"

What the hell!

When Ao Bai heard this guess, he was first stunned, and then, as if enlightened, he instantly understood all the key points!

Yes! The rumors of the Empress Dowager's remarriage have been an open secret for a long time!

When Emperor Shunzhi heard about this, he thought his newborn brother was Dorgon's son, which made him so angry that he wanted to dig up Dorgon's grave!

So, the Empress Dowager went to great lengths to replace this illegitimate son with the emperor, just to exonerate Dorgon? Or to take revenge on those of us who brought down Dorgon back then?

Aobai hated Dorgon to the core!

When Dorgon was in power, Aobai, as a staunch supporter of Huang Taiji, was subjected to cruel suppression. He was framed for crimes several times and almost killed. If it weren't for Emperor Shunzhi secretly protecting him, he would have lost his head long ago.

Therefore, Ao Bai's loyalty to Emperor Shunzhi was genuine!

Now, the late emperor's body is barely cold, and the son of Dorgon, Aobai's most hated nemesis, is about to sit on the dragon throne?

How the hell can we tolerate this?!

"Good! Good for Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang! Good for Empress Borjigit!" Ao Bai gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead. "She's trying to turn the world upside down!"

Seeing this, Bambursun immediately added fuel to the fire.

"Your Excellency, think about it. If the new emperor is truly Dorgon's son, who will be the first to be purged when he assumes power? It will be those of us who followed the late emperor in purging Prince Rui! We... are in imminent danger!"

He sidled up to Ao Bai and incited him, "The best course of action now is to strike first! Your Excellency is now one of the four regents, holding military power over the Bordered Yellow Banner and commanding the palace guards. If you were to raise your voice and depose this dubious emperor, restoring order, we would follow you to the death!"

That's right! This throne belongs to the late Emperor! It belongs to Huang Taiji! It must not fall into the hands of Dorgon's bastard!

That old fox Sony is now claiming to be sick at home, playing dead!

Ebilun is spineless and nothing to fear!

Suksahar... Hmph, he's just a dog that wants to bite, perfect for using him!

I, Ao Bai, have spent my life fighting, shedding blood and sweat for the Qing Dynasty, capturing Hong Chengchou, and destroying Li Zicheng. Why should I bow down and submit to a bastard?!

Ao Bai was born into the Bordered Yellow Banner. In his early years, he followed Huang Taiji in his campaigns in the south and north, making great contributions and being awarded the title of "Baturu". His admiration and loyalty to Huang Taiji were ingrained in his bones.

He would never allow Emperor Taizong's empire to be stolen by the son of his mortal enemy!

"Pass on my order!" Ao Bai's eyes flashed with murderous intent: "From this day forward, closely monitor the Cining Palace and the new emperor's every move! Also, in the Ministry of Personnel, replace all the key positions with our own people! I want to see what Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang is really up to!"

Nevertheless, given Ao Bai's current strength, he is far from being able to depose the emperor; he can only proceed gradually and expand his power.

……

Meanwhile, two other forces were also watching the storm unfold with detached indifference.

Sony's residence.

This chief minister, immediately after his coronation ceremony, submitted a memorial claiming illness and closed his doors to visitors.

He certainly noticed something was wrong with the new emperor, but being worldly-wise, he knew the saying, "Don't wade into deep waters."

With the Empress Dowager personally involved, the situation here is even more complex than the muddy ponds outside the Great Wall!

Whether that little emperor is real or not is not important; what is important is that he was chosen by the Empress Dowager!

Others may not know Empress Xiaozhuang, but Sony knows her very well. That woman was restless since the time of Emperor Taizong (Huang Taiji), and later she manipulated Dorgon, and even Prince Li, Daishan, and others were convinced by her.

Now that the older generation of imperial princes have passed away one after another, the most influential one is Prince An, Yue Le. But in the eyes of the Empress Dowager, he is no different from a servant. How could she, a mere subject, dare to interfere in this matter?

That fool Ao Bai will definitely go head-to-head with him.

I'd better focus on recovering first. I'll wait until they're both exhausted before I come out and clean up the mess. Wouldn't that be better?

Sony has made up its mind to become a true "tumbler."

Prince An's Mansion.

This prince, who was only one step away from the throne at the Council of Princes, was now leisurely pruning a precious orchid in the back garden.

Yue Le also harbored doubts about the new emperor's true identity, but he didn't say a word.

When Dorgon was in power, Yue Le, who was then the Prince of An, adhered to the principle of "enduring and observing, avoiding disaster and protecting himself" because he came from a collateral branch of the family. He neither flattered nor resisted, and focused on accumulating military merits and strength in the local area.

This kind of "righteousness" was already ingrained in his very bones.

"My father taught me before he died that our branch of the family, being of humble origin, must never get involved in the core power struggles. Whether it was Dorgon or Hauge, how many of them ended up with a good ending after all the fighting?"

Yue chuckled: "This young emperor is very likely Dorgon's son. The Empress Dowager and Oboi are bound to fight sooner or later, so why should I be in a hurry?"

Watching a play is great!

Yue Le cut off a dead branch, a meaningful smile appearing on his lips.