After saving the Empress, I became the top scholar in the imperial examination.

A series of crisp hoofbeats rang out, and the procession emerged from Chaoyang Gate, long and thin, passing through the street outside Chaoyang Gate in the night. The shadows of varying heights swept across the ground like bamboo shadows.

The inner city was mostly inhabited by Manchu bannermen, while the outer city was mostly inhabited by Han Chinese. The area was larger and the population was greater, so the curfew was also more stringent.

The capital city wall has nine gates inside and seven gates outside.

To the east of Chaoyangmen are Dongbianmen and Guangqumen. After galloping along the main street outside Chaoyangmen for a while, the horse rounded a memorial archway.

Alin turned his horse around, gave a shout, and led the entire group to turn right and head south towards Yongding Gate.

At this moment, a large number of soldiers were patrolling the outer city with torches, but the main purpose was to prevent the thieves from escaping, and a large-scale house search had not yet been carried out.

With three hundred cavalrymen led by Alin on their side, the group looked menacing.

Although the patrolling soldiers would sometimes give a shout and order them to show their tokens, they were often just going through the motions. As soon as Ah Lin raised his sign, they would back away and not dare to seriously order the team to stop for inspection.

At 3:45 AM, the procession arrived at Yongding Gate.

Ah Lin, whose left chest was painted with a golden unicorn, still presented the Yang Talisman of Yongding Gate, as well as the orders from the Shangyu Preparatory Office and the Nine Gates Commander. After the Yongding Gate garrison verified them, they began to open the city gate.

Unlike the inner city, the weighted weight on the Yongding Gate side has already been lowered. Now, twelve soldiers need to work together to push the winch to pull the weighted weight up before the city gate can be officially opened.

The twelve soldiers, panting heavily, pushed the creaking winch together, slowly pulling the heavy weight up.

The bonfire at the city gate scorched the air.

Ning Nan rode on the great white horse, gripping the reins tightly. His heart pounded faster and faster as the weight pulled him up.

Qianjinzhui was pulled up, revealing two tall, black city gates.

The heavy city gate was slowly pushed open by the soldiers.

The giant shadows on the ground surged outwards like a tidal wave.

A gust of wind swept through the city gate, stirring up dust and making a loud noise. Ning Nan's moonlit cloak was blown backward and fluttered in the air.

Everyone squinted and raised their hands to shield themselves from the wind and sand, while their horses snorted and stamped their hooves.

Ning Nan said, "Brother Alin, let's go."

He spurred his horse through the long city gate, flames flickering on either side.

"Lord Ning,"

Ah Lin, with a square face, held the reins in one hand and a long knife about three feet two inches long in the other, and said calmly:

"please."

At 3:45 AM (丑时三刻).

Accompanied by Lord Alin, the first-class bodyguard of the Imperial Guard, the Southern Prince Consort Ning Nan led his entourage, galloping out of Beijing!

…………

The Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Yongzheng looked at his third son, Hongchang, who was kneeling below, and sneered:

"What? Left Protector still hasn't figured out when and where our dynasty's grand plan was leaked to Han Qing?"

Prince Han Chang, whose Han name was Beile, knelt before his father, the Emperor, touched his head to the ground, and said in a calm tone:

"Your Majesty, I have never revealed any of our dynasty's grand plans. I have only exchanged letters with Han Qing over the past few years; we have never met in person. I beg you, Father Emperor, to grant me death."

Three sentences. The first two explain the situation, and the last sentence expresses the determination.

As one of the key figures in this grand plan to destroy the South, this Third Prince once secretly traveled south and met with a count named Rostov from Russia at the embassy of the Northern Kingdom of the Southern Dynasty.

Rostov was invited by him to go south as the Russian ambassador to attend the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet at the Prince Xin's residence in the Southern Dynasty, which he had little contact with, as well as the enthronement ceremony of the female Prince Xin.

Han Chang also accompanied the other party on a tour of Jiangnan, allowing him to see both the richness and weakness of the region.

It expresses the idea that if it weren't for the Rakshasa holding back the Qing Dynasty in the north, such a rich land would have long been in the Qing Dynasty's possession, and indicates that the Qing Dynasty is now willing to share it with the Rakshasa.

As one of Tsar Rostov's confidants, Count Rostov finally relented and signed an initial alliance with him. The subsequent formal alliance and more details were handled by Ortai, the Minister of War, and Mushu, the Minister in charge of the Sticky Rod Office.

Upon hearing the words "Please, Father, grant me death," Yongzheng's brow twitched, and he sneered:

"Are you mocking me?! Are you mocking me for being like Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, who killed three of his own sons in one day? Even tigers don't eat their cubs, are you saying I'm more vicious than a tiger?!"

"Your subject dares not!" Thump, Han Chang quickly kowtowed.

Ortai and Mushu, who had rushed over, also knelt down and kowtowed, begging for mercy by touching their heads to the ground:

"My lord, please calm your anger!"

By referring to them as "Master" instead of "Emperor," they were expressing their closeness to the Emperor.

Ortai, with his thick beard that connected his chin and sideburns, broke out in a sweat as he spoke urgently:

"My lord! The Third Prince is intelligent and wise, and utterly loyal to you. He would never betray such a vital secret to Han Qing!"

Mu Shu also said, "The Vice Minister of War is absolutely right! The Third Prince is benevolent, filial, and skilled in both literature and martial arts. He even risked great danger to enter the dragon's den and tiger's lair to control the Heavenly Principle Sect for the Emperor. How could he do something that hurts his own people and pleases his enemies?!"

Yongzheng leaned back and snorted:

"Intelligent and wise? Virtuous and filial? Incapable of doing such a thing? Why can't you do it? Why can't you do it?"

"He acted like he was going to die in front of me and his mother, insisting on marrying that paralyzed, half-paralyzed orphan of the Heavenly Principle Sect, and even making her his concubine. Who knows if he was dreaming back then, thinking that one day he could command the Heavenly Principle Sect to usurp his father's throne?!"

Although their emperor was known for his unpredictable temper and bluntness, this undisguised and direct critique of his hidden thoughts still sent chills down Ortai and Mushu's spine.

The Third Prince had been living among the common people for many years. Although he looked very much like the Emperor and Consort Yi, they were related by blood. The Emperor and Consort Yi recognized him as their child at first glance.

However, the lineage remains uncertain, so there is naturally no hope of inheriting the throne; otherwise, the world would inevitably be in turmoil.

Ortai and Mushu naturally didn't believe that the Third Prince, who was skilled in both literature and martial arts, had no ulterior motives. They were momentarily speechless and dared not utter a word.

Han Chang rested his head on the carpet of the Hall of Mental Cultivation and said in a deep voice:

"My wife and I are grateful to Father Emperor and Mother Emperor for their kindness every single day."

"Your subject grew up in the wilderness. If you say that your subject has selfish motives and wants to protect his childhood companions, and has a heart to advise them to accept the Emperor's grace and return to Heaven in order to save their lives, your subject will never refute that!"

"But I would never dare to admit to the accusation of usurping the throne! Father, you may grant my wife and me death to preserve my innocence."

Emperor Yongzheng's expression hardened, and he slammed his hand on the imperial desk, shouting:

"Dare not claim it? Han Qing blatantly stated in his letter that he already knew about our dynasty's southward advance. Besides you, who else would leak this information?! Who else could leak this information?!"