165 in captivity (2)

  "Sister, are you alright?" Fu Heng rushed over from the Emperor's side, relieved to see that his sister and nephew had not been stung by the swarm of bees. He immediately assigned a team of people to Yunzhu, telling her to take charge.

  "This won't do, I have eunuchs and palace maids here, there's no lack of people to serve." Yunzhu gave him a glance, seeing that apart from sweat stains, he didn't seem to be injured anywhere else. In her heart, she was resolute: "You are all useful, at times like these, you should be protecting the Emperor even more closely." The incident in the Imperial Garden last year wasn't far off, and now she was taking charge of commanding the inner guards - wasn't that just handing a handle to others?

  Fu Heng smiled and said: "Sister, don't worry, it's the Emperor's order. He said that Little A Ge and Little Ge Ge shouldn't stay here for long, so let them escort you back first."

  Yunzhu saw Hongli approaching from afar and glanced at him, nodding, "Alright. You can go back now."

  Fu Heng returned to the Emperor's place, and Yunzhu was about to turn around and instruct a few nannies when she saw the Fifth Princess holding a handkerchief to her face and walking over, with Fuhui following behind.

  "Wooo..."

  "What's wrong?" Several young princes and princesses still needed to be taken care of, and it was clear that the injured Xi Guifei and Yu Fei were not up to the task. Yunzhu looked around and saw that all the other princesses were pale-faced and clinging to their mothers, apparently not needing her attention.

  Fu Hui Dao said: "Fourth sister, Zhi Xiang's hand is injured!"

  Yunzhu was shocked to see that Zhiying's right hand had become a bloody palm! As for Yunzhu, who had lost her mother at birth and been raised by herself for almost a year, her feelings towards the fifth princess were naturally deeper than those of the other princesses. Later, although Zhiying was handed over to Empress Qi to raise, Empress Qi's attitude towards her gradually cooled down after seeing how clingy Zhiying was whenever she saw Yunzhu. Moreover, when she later found out that her son Hongshi had not died, her maternal love and emotions were even more focused on missing her son.

  People's emotions are all about being treated with care, and Yunzhu taking better care of Fuhui and Qinniang is also normal. Moreover, they are all children without a mother to take care of them, otherwise at this time there would not be several servants guarding them with their lives, whether it is out of sincerity or for the sake of showing off to Yongzheng, Yunzhu is happy to take care of them more.

  "What about the wet nurses and palace maids around you?" Yúnzhū took out a handkerchief, ordered someone to bring over some clean water, and gently lifted her injured right hand to wipe away the wound. It turned out that only the palm of her hand had been scraped by sand and stones, and although the blood had flowed profusely at first, making it look quite frightening, the wound was actually not deep.

  Zhi Xiang blinked her bright red eyes and said, "Autumn fell unconscious, the others all ran away, and I was knocked to the ground."

  Fu Hui pursed her lips and said, "I don't know which servant dared to knock down the fifth sister." This kind of thing was not uncommon in his childhood. The servants in the palace were used to currying favor with those in power, and for imperial princes and princesses who were out of favor and had no empress dowager to rely on, it was already good if they didn't take advantage of them or bully them. It was impossible to get their support without spending effort to plot and scheme.

  The slaves in the Forbidden City are different from those elsewhere. If they think you're easy to bully, they'll soon be arrogant and fearless. So, the first thing for a master to do is to intimidate the slaves below, otherwise, there will be no peaceful days later. Almost every prince and grandson will experience this, it's just a matter of time. Only the princesses of the Qing Dynasty who are favored and dare to stand out to punish the slaves are few, while those who are gentle and weak are too many.

  Yunzhu had anticipated this in her heart, but seeing her walnut-like swollen eyes still made her feel uncomfortable. Today was still Ruo Xian's birthday, and Yong Huang at least had his mother to protect him, while Ruo Xian, who shared the same "inauspicious" birthdate, had nothing.

  At this time, Ling Xuan had brought the medicine from Xing Hua Chun Guan and said in a low voice: "There was no movement along the way. Ye Lao Lao of Xing Hua Chun Guan also led people to check inside and outside."

  She nodded slightly, Yunzhu took out a small box of homemade ointment and gently applied it to Zhiying, then bandaged her with clean gauze. "It's okay, just a scratch, nothing serious. Today is your birthday, later we'll go to the Four Sisters' Spring Garden, Fourth Sister will cook you a bowl of longevity noodles."

  "May I?" Her eyes sparkled.

  "Uh-huh." Yunzhu patted her head and said to Fuhui, "Let's wait for Sixth Brother to arrive too."

  "Alright." Fu Hui smiled and put down He Jing's chubby paws, "Fourth sister, there's nothing else to do here, I'll go take a look at the Emperor." Even though he knew the Emperor was fine, he still had to pay his respects.

  "Go... wait a minute." Yunzhu picked up an unused box of ointment and handed it to Fuhui, "This has some unusual effect on insect bites. Give it to the Emperor. Remember, don't use too much, just apply a thin layer to the affected area."

  "Yes." Fu Hui knew that with this thing, he would have something to say; otherwise, it would be too late to care about the emperor's comfort after dragging on for so long, and people with ulterior motives would inevitably stir up trouble.

  At this time, Suwen also let people deal with the injury of Qiu Aya, who was stung by a red-tailed bee several times in the same place. The venom was stronger and more troublesome to treat, but there was no danger to her life.

  Yunzhu said to Zhiyan, "Why don't you go back to Xinghua Spring Building with Hejing first? Fourth Sister still needs to stay and deal with things. If you're hungry, have the nanny prepare some food for you..."

  Zi Xiang looked at Qiu Mama and the other injured palace maids, who were still unconscious, and asked: "Are we going to wait for the imperial physicians to treat them?"

  "Zhi Xiang is really clever." The limited number of imperial physicians had all gone to treat the nobles, and if these palace maids didn't take care of the wounds first, many people might have died. In any case, Xi Gui Fei and Yu Fei were injured, so the responsibility for comforting them fell on her shoulders.

  "Go back with your aunt first, be good." Give each of the triplets a kiss. Yunzhu was delighted by their well-behaved performance. "You also go back, it's not a good time...it's better if there are more people at Xinghua Spring Pavilion..." She didn't say much, but Lingzhou understood very clearly that while there wasn't any danger here, they couldn't guarantee that no thieves had snuck into the Yuanmingyuan and into Xinghua Spring Pavilion. If something happened to the young masters, it would be terrible.

  Yunzhu let Suwen supervise and direct the uninjured palace maids and eunuchs, dividing them into several teams to take charge of washing wounds for the injured, gathering medicinal herbs, pounding medicinal herbs, applying medicine, and so on. They systematically arranged the injured slaves and waited for the imperial hospital to prepare detoxification medicines. She herself found a few uninjured and agile relatives, Fu Jin, to help her send the injured women to the female doctor in charge of treating women's wounds. She also sent the frightened old Fu Jin and some young children and women back to the mansion first. The personnel and the injured were all registered... After this round of division and treatment, the scene was no longer chaotic within half an hour.

  As the situation subsided, Yongzheng inspected the casualties of all parties and affirmed the performance of the officers and soldiers of the Imperial Guard. He inquired about various situations, including who was seriously injured, which officers performed outstandingly, rescued him, and who were greedy for life and afraid of death... He verified them with what he saw himself and kept them in mind.

  It's not suitable for women of noble birth to stay here for long, so Xi Guifei and other high-ranking consorts have already moved into the nearest garden.

  Hongli Hongdai left to deal with the aftermath, even if he was a high-ranking emperor or prince, at critical moments he abandoned his relatives and soldiers and hid back in the palace to rest, which would lead to people's disdain. Moreover, they also had to wait for further investigation reports from the Imperial Guards and the Secret Police. In any case, there were too many people who came into the Yuanmingyuan today, and it was not easy to investigate clearly.

  He returned to Wanjing Anhe, even if it was these years that the body of Yongzheng, who had been in good health, could not bear, and he dismissed the dinner prepared by the imperial kitchen. He just wanted to wash away his sweat and fatigue.

  Out of the bathtub, Su Peisheng was seen wandering outside. He said lazily: "Go down and rest, you've been following me for a whole day today."

  "His Majesty is considerate, I'll go rest for a while." Su Peisheng said with a moved expression, bowing his head, "Fourth Madame has made cat ear soup, would Your Majesty like to try some?"

  "Hmm, what's Cloud Pearl doing?" "Bring it up." The soup noodles are still okay.

  ……

  "Your Highness, we found these three corpses in a place not far from the garden."

  Hongli looked at the three corpses with miserable deaths, and from their skin and beards, he could only judge that one was a man in his forties, and the other two were between twenty and thirty years old. Their muscles were dark bronze, as if they had been working hard for many years. Unfortunately, their faces were all scarred by knives and could not be recognized. He asked: "Can the time of death be determined?"

  It would be a lot of trouble to investigate such a corpse.

  "It is speculated that shortly after the bees were released, these three people, one was stabbed directly in the chest and died instantly, another two from their wounds, one appeared to have been killed while fleeing, and the other was killed while resisting head-on. From their hands and feet, it can be seen that they are not long-term martial artists. From their wounds, the killer was neat and efficient, and seemed to be accustomed to tasting blood on his blade..."

  "Go and investigate, see if there are any beekeepers missing in the city or suburbs." He didn't believe that it couldn't be investigated, raising bees isn't a quiet matter, there will always be some traces left behind.

  "Yes."

  After the man retreated, Hongli turned around and asked Fu Heng: "What is the current layout of Yuanmingyuan?"

  "Loose outside, tight inside." Fu Heng's words were concise and to the point. The one who truly held power over the Imperial Guard was the Emperor himself, but given his background and current status, he naturally had a good grasp of these arrangements. After a moment, he added: "I think this matter is actually quite easy to handle, just keep a close eye on Zhengjia Village."

  Hong Li raised an eyebrow, "But King Li just lost a son."

  Fu Heng disagreed, "Li Qianwang has nearly twenty sons and over a dozen daughters. The one who died was just a concubine's child." Not all parents cherish their children's lives, especially the illegitimate ones. Being able to use an insignificant child's life to divert the emperor's suspicion and gain sympathy from relatives is not something Li Qianwang couldn't do. Only he had the motive to assassinate the emperor and his son.

  And the so-called "Anti-Qing Restore Ming Hong Hua Society" and "White Lotus Sect" only dared to make a few waves in remote areas, they didn't dare to come and cause trouble in the capital. Especially in recent years, with the country at peace and the people living happy and prosperous lives, the flags of these rebellious parties have become increasingly useless.

  It must be said that after Yongzheng came to power, the thorough investigation of population and household registration had a great impact on the criminal activities.

  The corners of his mouth were curved in a seemingly smiling yet not quite smiling arc, and Hong Li stroked the pale blue jade ring on his hand, saying: "I think so too, but as long as the Emperor Father is still alive, he probably won't take action against him." In the early years when he ascended to the throne, he had dealt with many brothers and relatives, and in his later years, he would again clean up, inevitably leaving behind a reputation that could not be tolerated.

  "Just pull out his fangs."

  Hongli smiled, "It can only be so." Wait until he ascends to the throne, if Hongxi still doesn't know his place, it's not too late to take action then. This person is just a stubborn fool, when the world has already been stabilized by his imperial father, he still wants to restore his former glory, what's this nonsense about legitimate descent? His second uncle may be the eldest son, but what does Hongxi count as legitimate descent? Bah!

  "...even his own children can be sacrificed, I'm afraid he will have a follow-up move." Cutting off his wings, in these years they father and son cooperated seamlessly without doing less, just fearing that Hong Hui cannot bear to make a big fuss with a solitary gamble, which would not look good on the imperial family's face either, and would leave a bad example for future generations.

  "Is his trick still not enough?" Fu Heng sneered.

  Hongli was helpless, indeed not a few, his stumbling blocks in the palace when he was young were mostly given by this elder cousin, and after becoming the crown prince, the assassinations and framing he received year after year were also mostly orchestrated by this Duke (now Prince)... really endless varieties. "You say how he managed to cultivate these dead soldiers." If not successful, then become benevolent, harming him is not easy even if you want to catch his handle.

  Fu Heng sighed, "The geographical location of Zhengjia Village is too convenient." Besides, even if he didn't want to spend his energy on this, where else could he? The emperor wouldn't let him participate in court politics, and the only role of Prince Li was to come out as a decoration during festivals or major national events.

  The author has something to say: The following is the main text:

  "Sister, are you alright?" Fu Heng rushed over from the Emperor's side, relieved to see that his sister and nephew had not been stung by the swarm of bees. He immediately assigned a team of people to Yunzhu, letting her take charge.

  "This won't do, I have eunuchs and palace maids here, I don't lack people to serve." Yunzhu gave him a glance, seeing that apart from sweat stains, he didn't have any other injuries, and her heart was also at ease. "You are all useful, at this time you should be protecting the Emperor's side." The incident in the Imperial Garden last year wasn't far off, if she were to take action now and command the inner guards, wouldn't that just be handing over control to someone else?

  Fu Heng smiled and said: "Sister, don't worry, it's the Emperor's order. He said that Little A Ge and Little Ge Ge shouldn't stay here for long, so let them escort you back first."

  Yunzhu saw Hongli approaching from afar and glanced at him, nodding, "Alright. You can go back now."

  Fu Heng returned to the Emperor's place, and Yunzhu was about to turn around and instruct a few nurses when she saw the Fifth Princess holding a handkerchief to her face and walking over, with Fu Hui following behind.

  "Wooo..."

  "What's wrong?" Several young princes and princesses still needed to be taken care of, and it was clear that the injured Xi Guifei and Yu Fei were not up to the task. Yunzhu looked around and saw that all the other princesses were pale-faced and clinging to their mothers, apparently not needing her attention.

  Fu Hui Dao said: "Fourth sister, Zhi Xiang's hand is injured!"

  Yunzhu was shocked to see that Zhiying's right hand had become a bloody palm! As for Yunzhu, who had lost her mother at birth and been raised by herself for almost a year, her feelings towards the fifth princess were naturally deeper than those of the other princesses. Later, although Zhiying was handed over to Empress Qi to raise, Empress Qi's attitude towards her gradually cooled down after seeing how clingy Zhiying was whenever she saw Yunzhu. Moreover, when it was later discovered that her son Hongshi had not died, her maternal love and emotions were even more focused on missing her son.

  People's feelings are all about being treated with care, and Yunzhu taking better care of Fuhui and Qinniang is also normal. Moreover, they are all children without a mother to take care of them, otherwise there would be no lack of servants guarding them with their lives at times like these. Whether it's out of sincerity or for the sake of showing off to Yongzheng, Yunzhu is happy to take extra care of them.

  "What about the ayahs and palace maids around you?" Yúnzhū took out a handkerchief, ordered someone to bring clear water, lifted her injured right hand gently and wiped the wound for her. It turned out that only the palm of her hand was scratched by sand and stones, at first the blood flowed profusely making it look quite frightening, but the wound wasn't deep.

  Zi Xiang blinked her bright red eyes and said, "Autumn fell unconscious, the others all ran away, and I was knocked to the ground."

  Fu Hui pursed her lips and said, "I don't know which servant dared to knock down the fifth sister." This kind of thing was not uncommon in his childhood. The servants in the palace were used to currying favor with those in power, and for imperial princes and princesses who were out of favor and had no empress dowager to rely on, it was already good if they didn't take advantage of them or bully them. It was impossible to get their support without spending effort to plot and scheme.

  The slaves in the Forbidden City are different from those elsewhere. If they think you're easy to bully, they'll soon be arrogant and fearless. So, the first thing for a master to do is to intimidate the slaves below, otherwise, there will be no peaceful days later. Almost every prince and grandson will experience this, it's just a matter of time. Only the princesses of the Qing Dynasty who are favored and dare to stand out to punish the slaves are few, while those who are gentle and weak are too many.

  Yunzhu had anticipated this in her heart, but seeing her walnut-like swollen eyes still made her feel uncomfortable. Today was still Ruo Xuan's birthday, and Yong Huang at least had his mother to protect him, while Ruo Xuan, who shared the same "inauspicious" birthdate, had nothing.

  At this time, Ling Xuan had brought the medicine from Xinghua Spring Building and said in a low voice: "There was no movement along the way. Ye Lao Lao of Xinghua Spring Building also led people to check inside and outside."

  She nodded slightly, Yunzhu took out a small box of homemade ointment and gently applied it to Zhiying, then bandaged her with clean gauze. "It's okay, just a scratch, nothing serious. Today is your birthday, later we'll go to the Four Elder Sister's Four Apricot Blossom Spring Pavilion, where Fourth Elder Sister will give you a bowl of longevity noodles to eat."

  "May I?" Her eyes sparkled.

  "Uh-huh." Yunzhu patted her head and said to Fuhui, "Let's wait for Sixth Brother to arrive too."

  "Alright." Fu Hui smiled and put down He Jing's small chubby paw, "Fourth Sister, there's nothing else to do here, I'll go take a look at Imperial Father." Even though he knew the Emperor was fine, he still had to pay his respects.

  "Go... wait a minute." Yunzhu picked up an unused box of ointment and handed it to Fuhui, "This has some unusual effects on insect bites. Give it to the Emperor. Remember, don't use too much, just apply a thin layer to the affected area."

  "Yes." Fu Hui knew that with this thing, he would have something to say; otherwise, it would be too late to care about the emperor's comfort after dragging on for so long, and people with ulterior motives would inevitably stir up trouble.

  At this time, Suwen also let people deal with the injury of Qiu Aya, who was stung by a red-tailed bee several times in the same place. The venom was stronger and more troublesome to treat, but there was no danger to her life.

  Yunzhu said to Zhiyan, "Why don't you go back to Xinghua Spring Building with Hejing first? Fourth Sister still needs to stay and deal with some things. If you're hungry, have the maids prepare a meal for you..."

  Zi Xun looked at Qiu Mama and the other injured palace maids, who were still unconscious, and asked: "Are we going to wait for the imperial physicians to treat them?"

  "Zhi Xiang is really clever." The limited number of imperial physicians had all gone to treat the nobles, and if these palace maids didn't take care of the wounds first, many people would probably die. In any case, Xi Gui Fei and Yu Fei were injured, so the responsibility for comforting them fell on her shoulders.

  "Go back with your aunt first, be good." Give each of the triplets a kiss. Yunzhu was delighted by their well-behaved performance. "You also go back, it's not a good time...it's better if there are more people at Xinghua Spring Pavilion..." She didn't say much, but Lingzhou understood very clearly that while there wasn't any danger here, they couldn't guarantee that no thieves had snuck into the Yuanmingyuan and into Xinghua Spring Pavilion. If something happened to the young masters, it would be terrible.

  Yunzhu let Suwen supervise and direct the uninjured palace maids and eunuchs, dividing them into several teams to take charge of washing wounds for the injured, gathering medicinal herbs, pounding medicinal herbs, applying medicine, and so on. They systematically arranged the injured slaves and waited for the imperial hospital to prepare detoxification medicines. She herself found a few uninjured and agile relatives, Fu Jin, to help her send the injured women to the female doctor in charge of treating women's wounds. She also sent the frightened old Fu Jin and some young children and women back to the mansion first. The personnel entering and leaving, as well as the injured, were all registered... After this round of division and treatment, within less than half an hour, the scene was no longer chaotic.

  As the situation subsided, Yongzheng inspected the casualties of all parties and affirmed the performance of the officers and men of the Imperial Guard. He inquired about various situations, including who was seriously injured, which officers performed well and made meritorious achievements, and who were timid... He verified these with what he had seen himself and took note of them in his mind.

  It's not suitable for women of noble birth to stay here for long, so Xi Guifei and other high-ranking consorts have already moved into the nearest garden.

  Hong Li left after handling the aftermath, even if he was a high-ranking emperor or prince, at critical moments he would abandon his relatives and soldiers and retreat to the palace to rest, which would lead to people's disdain. Moreover, they also had to wait for further investigation reports from the Imperial Guard and the Dark Guard. In any case, there were too many people who entered the Yuanmingyuan today, and it was not easy to investigate clearly.

  He returned to Wanjing Anhe, even if it was a good year for Yongzheng's body, he couldn't bear it. He waved his hand and dismissed the dinner prepared by the imperial kitchen, he just wanted to wash away the sweat and fatigue on his body.

  Out of the bathtub, Su Peisheng was seen wandering outside. He said lazily: "Go down and rest, you've been following me for a whole day today."

  "His Majesty is considerate, I'll go rest for a while." Su Peisheng said with a moved expression, "Fourth Madame has made cat ear soup, would Your Majesty like to try some?"

  "Hmm, what's Cloud Pearl doing?" "Bring it up." The soup noodles are still okay.

  ……

  "Your Highness, we found these three corpses in a place not far from the garden."

  Hong Li looked at the three corpses with miserable deaths, and from their skin and beards, he could only judge that one was a man in his forties, and the other two were between twenty and thirty years old. Their muscles were dark bronze, as if they had been working hard for many years. Unfortunately, their faces were all scarred by knives and could not be recognized. He asked: "Can the time of death be determined?"

  It would be a lot of trouble to investigate such a corpse.

  "It is speculated that shortly after the bees were released, these three people, one was stabbed directly in the chest and died instantly, another two from their wounds, one appeared to have been killed while trying to escape, and the other was killed while resisting head-on. From their hands and feet, it can be seen that they are not long-term martial artists. From their wounds, the killer was neat and efficient, and seemed to be accustomed to tasting blood on his blade..."

  "Go investigate, see if there are any beekeepers missing in the city or suburbs." He didn't believe it couldn't be investigated, raising bees isn't a quiet matter, there will always be some traces left behind.

  "Yes."

  After the man retreated, Hongli turned around and asked Fu Heng: "What is the current layout of Yuanmingyuan?"

  "Loose outside, tight inside." Fu Heng's words were concise and to the point. The one who truly held power over the Imperial Guard was the Emperor himself, but given his background and current status, he naturally had a good grasp of these arrangements. After a moment, he added: "I think this matter is actually quite easy to handle, just keep a close eye on Zhengjia Village."

  Hong Li raised an eyebrow, "But King Li just lost a son."

  Fu Heng disagreed, "Li Qianwang has nearly twenty sons and over a dozen daughters. The one who died was just a concubine's child." Not all parents cherish their children's lives, especially the illegitimate ones. Being able to use an insignificant child's life to divert the emperor's suspicion and gain sympathy from relatives is not something Li Qianwang cannot do. Only he has the motive to assassinate the emperor and his son.

  And the so-called "Anti-Qing Restore Ming Hong Hua Hui" and "White Lotus Sect" only dared to make a few waves in remote areas, they did not dare to come and make trouble in the capital. Especially in recent years, with the country at peace and the people living in happiness and prosperity, the flags of these rebellious parties have become increasingly useless.

  It must be said that after Yongzheng came to power, the thorough investigation of population and household registration had a great impact on the criminal elements' activities.

  The corners of his mouth were curved in a seemingly smiling yet not quite smiling arc, and Hong Li stroked the pale blue jade ring on his hand, saying: "I think so too, but as long as the Emperor is alive, he probably won't take action against him." In the early years when he ascended to the throne, he had dealt with many brothers and relatives, and in his later years, he would again clean up, inevitably leaving behind a reputation that was unbearable.

  "Just pull out his fangs."

  Hongli smiled, "It can only be so." Wait until he ascends to the throne, if Hongxi still doesn't know his place, it's not too late to take action then. This person is just a stubborn fool, when the world has already been stabilized by his imperial father, he still wants to restore his former glory, what nonsense about legitimate descent? His second uncle may be the eldest son, but what does Hongxi count as legitimate descent? Bah!

  "...even his own children can be sacrificed, I'm afraid he will have a follow-up move." Cutting off his wings, in these years they father and son cooperated seamlessly without doing less, just fearing that Hong Hui cannot bear to make a big fuss with a solitary gamble, which would not look good on the imperial family's face either, and would also leave a bad example for future generations.

  "Is his trick still not enough?" Fu Heng sneered.

  Hongli was helpless, indeed not a few, his stumbling blocks in the palace when he was young were mostly given by this elder cousin, and after becoming the crown prince, the assassinations and framing he received year after year were also mostly orchestrated by this Duke (now Prince)... really endless varieties. "You say how he managed to cultivate these dead soldiers." If not successful, then become benevolent, harming him is not easy even if you want to catch his handle.

  Fu Heng sighed, "The geographical location of Zhengjia Village is too convenient." Besides, even if he didn't want to spend his energy on this, where else could he? The emperor wouldn't let him participate in court politics, and the only role of Prince Li was to make appearances during festivals or major national events.