Chapter 119: Tidings (Part 3)

Kangxi rubbed his weary eyes, peering at the secret memorial before him with a sense of disbelief. What could possibly be written on this paper? Was this some sort of absurd fantasy? He immediately summoned Wudan, and only after a thorough verification did he finally accept the accuracy of the report.

It was truly unthinkable that the Ninth Prince had actually severed ties with the Eighth Prince. To anyone hearing this, it would sound like a lie. The two had been close since their youth; for years, the Eighth Prince had cleaned up countless messes for the Ninth, even going so far as to coordinate the intricate procedures for the Ninth Prince’s wedding ceremony alongside the Ministry of Rites.

Even Kangxi had often muttered to himself, complaining that the Eighth Prince, despite his lower birth, acted like a doting nursemaid to the Ninth and Tenth Princes. Yet, for all these years, the trio had been inseparable, never once having a falling out. Years ago, when people whispered that the Ninth Prince was destined to be childless, even Kangxi had found it hard to listen, yet the Ninth had been willing to reconcile with others for the sake of the Eighth. And now, they had severed their bond.

Feeling his appetite for gossip ignited, Kangxi commanded Wudan, "Go and investigate. Find out everything that has happened since the Ninth Prince returned to the capital. I want to see what these unfilial sons are up to."

Wudan accepted the order with a heavy heart, silently grumbling about the Ninth Prince. What was wrong with him? He had not even settled the affairs of his own household, and now he was causing such a spectacle. Was he not afraid of being impeached by the censors?

Wudan’s concern was well-founded. Even as the impeachment memorials from the censors flooded the postal stations between the capital and the imperial villa, the Ninth Prince remained entirely unfazed, carrying himself with the arrogant air of a man who alone remains sober in a world of drunkards.

At that very moment, the Ninth Prince stood forlornly in the nursery of the Qimeng Garden, gazing blankly at a wall mural. When he and Yan Yan had entered their cold war, the painting was incomplete, so he had never known what she intended to depict. Now, he finally saw it.

It was a breathtakingly beautiful scene. Beneath a towering tree, three children were frolicking—two boys and a girl—their features bearing a striking resemblance to what Sweetie and the others might look like when grown. Not far from the children, on the grass, stood a beautiful couple, their faces illuminated by expressions of peace and happiness as they watched the little ones.

The Ninth Prince felt his eyes grow warm and a sharp ache sting his nose. He gently caressed the woman’s face on the wall and murmured, "Yan Yan, wait for me. I am coming to bring you home."

The Tenth Prince believed the Ninth had gone mad. In fact, all the remaining princes and nobles in the capital shared this conviction. The Ninth Prince had completely disregarded the palace’s decorum, openly launching a massive search for Yan Yan, broadcasting her description and the number of people she was with, and even offering a reward of a thousand taels of gold.

Though the Tenth Prince did not know why the Ninth had stormed into the Eighth Prince’s estate in such a rage, he knew the matter must be grave. He regretted spending his time at the horse races; had he been in the city, he might have witnessed the truth firsthand. Now, he was reduced to guessing like everyone else. The Ninth Prince was tight-lipped, and the Eighth Prince feigned total ignorance, leaving the Tenth deeply frustrated.

When the Ninth Prince posted the reward, the Tenth was even more baffled, trailing behind him day and night. Fortune favors the diligent; though the Tenth never learned the truth of the argument between the Ninth and Eighth, he happened to witness the arrival of a key informant. Someone claimed to have seen the group.

The Ninth Prince quickly concluded that Yan Yan had indeed left the capital. The informant was a restaurant owner from Jixian who had come to the capital to buy vegetables. He recalled seeing the group heading toward the Shanhai Pass several months prior. Because the three little ones were so adorable, he had taken notice and kept the memory.

The Ninth Prince was ecstatic—not only that Yan Yan had been tracked, but that the children were safe, at least as of a few months ago. Heaven knew how he had feared that by the time he found them, the children would be gone. The pain of losing the Third Princess still gnawed at his heart; if anything happened to his own three children with Yan Yan, he dared not imagine what he might do.

Meanwhile, Kangxi received the Ninth Prince’s request to leave the capital. By then, the Emperor had already investigated the conflict with the Eighth Prince. Though he did not know exactly what had been shouted in the study, he knew about the two small garments the Ninth had sent to Mu Jingyuan—one stained with smallpox, one with chickenpox—and he knew the Ninth had consulted several imperial physicians and claimed his wife was too ill to receive visitors.

Kangxi was an astute man. Putting the clues together, he immediately guessed the truth. His eyes narrowed, lost in thought. After a long hesitation, he took up his brush and approved the request for the Ninth to leave the capital. As for the Tenth Prince’s simultaneous request, he rejected it without a word of explanation.

It was late June in the forty-sixth year of Kangxi’s reign. The Emperor ended his southern tour and ordered the entourage to proceed to the Chengde Imperial Villa. Though unfinished, it was habitable.

Kangxi sent the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Princes to return to the capital with haste, ordering the Fourth and Eighth Princes to attend the Mulan Autumn Hunt. This decree made the Crown Prince’s eyes darken; he could not fathom what game Kangxi was playing.

The Ninth Prince, waiting in the capital, paid no heed to the affairs of the Mulan hunting grounds. Once granted permission, he set off for Jixian with a troop of personal guards, his servant Wang Quan, and two imperial physicians, traveling through dust and weariness. He now understood that Yan Yan had left when the Lady Donggo brought the physicians to the Qimeng Garden. Two days later, they were seen leaving the inner city, and a month later, they were spotted in Jixian. This meant Yan Yan had stayed in the capital for nearly a month, and only after realizing no rescue was coming had she been forced to flee with the children.

The Ninth Prince clenched his fists, feeling the weight of his own negligence. He had known the entire household was hostile toward Yan Yan. He had known that while she seemed clever, she lacked the ruthlessness to handle the internal affairs of the estate. Why had he been so stubborn, choosing to pick a fight with her instead of ensuring her safety before he left?