The Emperor's sudden collapse struck the Forbidden City like a thunderclap.
Panic spread through the inner courts like wildfire. Consorts, concubines, and princes swarmed toward the Qianqing Palace, only to find their path blocked by Head Eunuch Liang Jiugong and a wall of Imperial Guards. The heavy vermilion doors remained tightly shut.
Since the passing of Empress Tongjia, Noble Consort Niohuru had managed the inner palace. Yet, even she was barred from entering. Her face darkened with furious indignation. "Eunuch Liang! The Emperor is gravely ill. It is our duty and right to attend to him. What exactly are you scheming by keeping us out?"
Consort Hui, standing a half-step behind, crossed her arms, her silence echoing the same accusation.
Facing the mounting wrath of the royal harem, Liang Jiugong's scalp went numb. He dropped to his knees, pressing his forehead to the cold stone, yet his posture remained an immovable barrier. "Your Ladyships, it is not that this slave dares to forbid you. I am acting on His Majesty's explicit, final command before he lost consciousness. I beg your understanding."
First Prince Yinzhi sneered, his temper flaring. "Imperial Father fainted! What command could he possibly give? I say you're a treacherous dog taking matters into your own hands!"
Blinded by anxiety and rage, Yinzhi raised his boot to kick the kneeling eunuch. Consort Hui sharply grabbed her son's arm, yanking him back just in time.
She fixed her gaze on Liang Jiugong. "You claim this is His Majesty's will. What were his exact words? Is *no one* allowed inside?"
Liang Jiugong gritted his teeth. "Yes!"
"Not even the First Prince?"
"No!"
Consort Hui's eyes flicked sideways. "And the Crown Prince?"
Liang Jiugong hesitated for a fraction of a second, then shook his head. "His Majesty did not make an exception for the Crown Prince."
Consort Hui exhaled a quiet, measured breath. If Liang Jiugong dared to summon the imperial guards to blockade the Emperor's bedchamber, he wasn't acting alone. He was following orders. If Yinreng was also barred, it meant Kangxi hadn't secretly summoned the heir to pass the throne. They were all on equal footing.
But her gaze lingered on the locked doors. The Emperor's health wasn't just a family matter; it was the anchor of the empire. If he died tonight without naming a successor, the dynasty would bleed. None of them were willing to leave without an answer. The standoff froze in place.
Unlike Consort Hui's political calculations, Yinreng's mind was a blank, roaring void of panic.
'Kangxi fainted? My Imperial Father fainted?'
He had just left the imperial study. Kangxi had been perfectly fine, arguing with him, full of life. If this was a standard fainting spell, why lock the doors? Why the absolute secrecy? Did that mean...
Yinreng's breath hitched. 'No. Impossible.' In his memory of history, Kangxi ruled for sixty-one years. It was only the twenty-seventh year of his reign. Kangxi was in his thirties, in the prime of his life. How could his body fail now?
The System's mechanical voice chimed cautiously in his mind.
[Host, I must remind you. This timeline already possesses subtle deviations from your historical memory. Due to the butterfly effect of your actions, many trajectories have shifted. Kangxi's lifespan is no longer a guaranteed constant. It is highly possible that—]
"Shut up!"
Yinreng didn't just think it. The raw, hysterical scream tore from his throat. It was as if by silencing the System out loud, he could physically block the possibility from existing.
The courtyard fell dead silent. Every eye turned to the Crown Prince.
Yinreng ignored them. His eyes were bloodshot, his face devoid of color as he marched toward the kneeling eunuch. "I am not allowed in either?"
Liang Jiugong bowed lower, his voice trembling. "Your Highness, please forgive this slave!"
Yinreng's jaw clenched so hard his teeth ground together. "And if I force my way in?"
He had to see him. He needed to know if his careless words about moving out had triggered a fatal stroke. If his existence as an anomaly in this timeline caused Kangxi to die young, he would never forgive himself.
His body shook violently, entirely drained of warmth. He stepped forward.
Immediately, the front rank of the Imperial Guards shifted, forming a human barricade before the doors.
"Step aside," Yinreng ordered, his voice dangerously low.
The guards dropped to one knee, a unified clatter of armor. "Your Highness, please halt!"
"I said, step aside!"
Instinctively, driven by the absolute mandate to guard the Emperor, the guards' hands dropped to the hilts of their sabers.
Yinreng let out a harsh, broken laugh. "What? You intend to draw steel against me?"
The guards froze. Realizing the sheer treason of their reflex, cold sweat drenched their backs. They immediately released their weapons, bowing their heads. "This subject would never dare!"
"Then move."
The guards remained silent. They didn't speak, but they didn't yield a single inch.
Yinreng's patience snapped. He lashed out, kicking the nearest guard squarely in the chest. As the man tumbled back and Yinreng prepared to break through the line, a thunderous voice shattered the chaos.
"Insolent!"
The word struck Yinreng like a physical blow. The fog of panic in his brain cleared just enough to recognize the supreme authority in that voice.
The crowd hastily dropped to their knees. "Greetings to the Grand Empress Dowager!"
Yinreng's lips trembled. "G-Great-Grandmother."
She stood at the edge of the courtyard, leaning heavily on Su Malagu, her eyes blazing with cold fury. "Do you know where you are? Do you have any idea what you are doing?!"
Yinreng opened his mouth, but no words came.
This was the Qianqing Palace, the heart of the empire. He was brawling with the Emperor's personal guards in full view of the harem. It was an unforgivable breach of protocol. He knew it. But the logic was buried under the singular, desperate need to see his father.
"Kneel!" she commanded.
Yinreng instantly dropped to both knees, bowing his head, unable to meet her piercing gaze.
Liang Jiugong scrambled up from the ground, wiping his sweaty brow as if he had just been granted amnesty. He quickly ordered the guards to open the doors for the Grand Empress Dowager. Kangxi's order barred everyone—but no one in the empire possessed the authority to bar her.
As she walked past, Yinreng's head snapped up. "Great-Grandmother! Let me in!"
She frowned, turning to her attendant. "Su Malagu, escort the Crown Prince back to his palace. The rest of you, disperse."
An order from the matriarch of the dynasty was absolute law. Yet Yinreng planted his knees firmly on the paving stones. "I won't leave! Great-Grandmother, I beg you. I have to go inside."
She ignored him, turning toward the open doors.
"If you don't let me in, I will kneel here until you do!" Yinreng shouted, resorting to shameless persistence.
The Grand Empress Dowager paused. She let out a long, exhausted sigh, massaging her temples. "Let the Crown Prince in."
Yinreng didn't waste a second. He scrambled off the ground and sprinted through the doors before she could change her mind.
Outside, Yinzhi ground his teeth. 'So much for 'no exceptions.' Unbelievable.'
***
Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the air was thick with the bitter scent of medicinal herbs.
Yinreng followed the Grand Empress Dowager into the bedchamber. The Head Physician was currently administering silver acupuncture needles to Kangxi's head and chest, aided by two assistants. Yinreng stood perfectly still in the corner, not daring to breathe loudly.
After what felt like an eternity, the Head Physician slowly withdrew the final needle, carefully placing it into a velvet-lined wooden box.
"How is the Emperor?" the Grand Empress Dowager demanded immediately.
Startled, the physicians realized she was there and scrambled to kneel. She waved her hand impatiently. "Skip the formalities! Tell me his condition."
"His Majesty suffered a sudden, severe spike in emotional distress," the Head Physician reported, keeping his head bowed. "The extreme anger caused his blood and qi to rush to his head, resulting in syncope. The acupuncture has stabilized his vitals. He is out of immediate danger."
"When will he wake?"
"Within the hour, Your Grace."
The tight lines around her mouth finally softened. "Go prescribe the medicine. Wait in the side hall until he wakes. You are not to leave."
Once the doctors withdrew, the Grand Empress Dowager turned her attention to the palace staff. She retained only Liang Jiugong and Kangxi's most trusted personal attendants.
"Why did the Emperor suddenly collapse?"
Liang Jiugong's heart leaped into his throat. "This slave truly does not know!"
She slammed her hand onto the wooden armrest of her chair. "You serve at his side day and night! The Emperor collapses, and you dare tell me you know nothing?!"
"Your Grace, please!" Liang Jiugong was on the verge of tears. "This slave swears on his life! Just moments before, His Majesty was happily conversing with the Crown Prince. Shortly after the Prince left, he... I truly do not know the cause!"
The Grand Empress Dowager's eyes flicked to Yinreng. Yinreng gave a small, confirming nod. He had left Kangxi in good spirits.
"What did the Emperor consume today?" she pressed. "Was there an issue with his food?"
"The imperial doctors have already inspected all food, drink, and incense His Majesty came into contact with. Everything is clean. Furthermore, the doctor explicitly stated this was caused by internal emotional trauma, not an external substance."
She frowned, recalling the doctor's exact words: Extreme anger. If there was no poison, there had to be a trigger. "Did anything unusual happen today?"
Liang Jiugong racked his brain, then shook his head. "Today was entirely ordinary."
She looked at the other attendants. They all mirrored his confusion.
"Think harder!" she snapped. "The physician said it was severe anger. Did a crisis occur in the morning court? Did someone in the harem displease him?"
'Displease him?' A few attendants subtly shifted their eyes toward Yinreng, then quickly looked at the floor. If anyone had displeased the Emperor today, there was only one candidate.
Catching the micro-expressions, she commanded, "Recount everything that happened today. Every detail. Do not omit a single word."
Liang Jiugong had no choice. He began from Kangxi's morning routine and detailed every interaction up to the moment the Emperor fell unconscious.
When he finished, the Grand Empress Dowager's expression was unreadable. "So, you are saying the only person who angered the Emperor today was the Crown Prince?"
Yinreng's head snapped up.
Liang Jiugong avoided the Prince's gaze, speaking carefully. "If... if Your Grace is asking about moments of displeasure, this slave can only recall His Majesty raising his voice at His Highness regarding the estate. But His Majesty did not seem... it shouldn't have been..."
Liang Jiugong wanted to defend Yinreng, but looking at the unconscious Emperor, he couldn't guarantee it.
The Grand Empress Dowager looked at the trembling attendants behind Liang. "Is this the truth?"
"Y-yes, Your Grace," they stammered in unison. "That was the only incident."
Yinreng's eyes widened in horror. 'He fainted... because of me?'
He had never seriously considered it. When he ran out of the study, Kangxi was annoyed, but fine. How could a trivial argument about a garden cause a physiological collapse?
"Baocheng."
Yinreng flinched at the sound of his childhood name. He turned to face the Grand Empress Dowager. "Great-Grandmother."
Her face was a mask of iron. "Is what they say true?"
"Yes."
Smack!
The slap came so fast and hit so hard that Yinreng stumbled backward, his ears ringing. He barely managed to stay upright, falling back onto his knees. A searing, hot pain exploded across his left cheek. He knelt there, entirely stunned, the physical pain completely drowned out by the crushing guilt paralyzing his mind.
"Go kneel in the corner," she ordered coldly. "Do not block the way."
Yinreng silently crawled to the far corner of the room, his head bowed, motionless.
The System couldn't bear it.
[Host, please don't overthink this. It isn't necessarily your fault. He was fine when you left. Yes, asking to build a private estate outside the palace upset him, but that's a minor political spat. It isn't enough to cause a fatal stroke. There has to be an underlying reason. Don't scare yourself.]
Yinreng didn't respond. He simply stared at Kangxi's motionless body, the buzzing in his ears drowning out the System's logic. He caught the Grand Empress Dowager looking at him. Her eyes were hard, but beneath the surface lay a deep, anxious sorrow—and a sharp, calculating warning. Yinreng blinked, his mind too numb to decipher it, and lowered his head again.
***
In the Zhongcui Palace, a maid named Fangrui quietly handed a folded slip of paper to Consort Hui before slipping out the door.
Consort Hui read it quickly, her eyes narrowing, before passing it to Yinzhi.
Yinzhi's eyebrows shot up. The note contained a single piece of intel gathered from a terrified young eunuch near the Qianqing gates: 'The Emperor met with the Crown Prince. Voices were raised. The Emperor threatened to beat him. The Prince begged for mercy and left. Immediately after, the Emperor collapsed.'
"This is too much of a coincidence," Yinzhi whispered. "If we say the Crown Prince didn't cause this, no one in the court will believe it."
Consort Hui shook her head. "A coincidence is just a guess. It holds no weight as evidence."
"I'll go investigate personally," Yinzhi said, turning toward the door.
Consort Hui grabbed his wrist in a vice grip. "Are you a fool? The Emperor is unconscious. The Grand Empress Dowager has seized total control of the Qianqing Palace. You think a few whispers from a gatekeeper mean anything now? If you start prying while she is managing the crisis, she will use you as an example to terrify the court into submission."
Yinzhi clenched his fists, frustrated. "But we need to know his condition! Imperial Father is biased enough, but even Great-Grandmother favors Yinreng! Why is he the only one allowed inside? How long are we supposed to sit here in the dark?"
Consort Hui's expression turned grim. "Sometimes, no news is the news."
Yinzhi stared at her, confused.
"Think about it," she said, her voice dropping to a harsh whisper. "If the Emperor's condition was stable, why lock down the palace? The Grand Empress Dowager has been inside for over an hour. Not a single word, not a single prescription has been sent out. What does that silence tell you?"
Paranoia. Preparation for the worst.
All the blood drained from Yinzhi's face. "Imperial Father... he can't..."
He couldn't bring himself to say the word 'die'.
"We must send word out of the palace immediately," Consort Hui decided, her mind working furiously. "Your uncle needs to prepare."
Yinzhi understood the political reality instantly. If the Emperor died, the factional war for the throne would explode overnight. "Is it truly that severe? He is still young..."
"It is better to be prepared for nothing than caught entirely blind," she interrupted. "Right now, the Crown Prince's greatest backer, Songotu, is away from the capital. The Hesheri clan is momentarily vulnerable. If the worst happens, we must be ready to move."
A profound chill settled over Yinzhi. Half of him thrilled at the political opportunity; the other half was terrified for the father he genuinely loved.
"I'll go," Yinzhi said.
"No," Consort Hui commanded. "I will handle the message to Mingju. You keep your hands clean. In the current climate, your only job is to act like a filial, grieving son. Show nothing but concern for your father's health. Do not involve yourself in the shadows."
***
Back in the Qianqing Palace, the silence was suffocating.
The Grand Empress Dowager sat perfectly still by the bed. Yinreng remained kneeling in the corner, a silent statue. The palace servants moved on their tiptoes, terrified that a single loud footstep would cost them their lives.
Every fifteen minutes, a doctor checked Kangxi's pulse. After forcing a bowl of dark, bitter medicine down his throat, another half hour passed.
Finally, Kangxi groaned, his eyelids fluttering open.
The Grand Empress Dowager immediately summoned the doctor. After a brief pulse check and a few whispered questions, the Head Physician exhaled deeply. "The crisis has passed. With a few days of strict rest and medication, His Majesty will fully recover."
The invisible weight crushing the room finally lifted.
Kangxi looked at the old woman beside his bed, his voice hoarse. "I have caused Grandmother to worry. I am unfilial."
She shook her head, her eyes shining. "As long as you are safe."
Kangxi asked what had happened while he was unconscious. She briefed him efficiently. As she spoke, she intentionally let her gaze drift toward the corner of the room.
Kangxi turned his head.
There, kneeling in the shadows, was Yinreng. He looked entirely wretched—desperate to come closer, yet terrified to move.
Kangxi raised a weak hand. "Come here."
Granted permission, Yinreng practically scrambled across the floor on his knees, stopping at the edge of the bed. "Imperial Father!"
As he drew close, Kangxi saw the angry, swollen red handprint covering the entire left side of Yinreng's face. Fury instantly surged in Kangxi's chest. He opened his mouth to roar at whoever dared strike his heir, but the words died in his throat.
He glanced at his grandmother. She sat calmly. In the entire palace, only she possessed the authority and the sheer audacity to strike the Crown Prince.
Swallowing his anger, Kangxi reached out, gently wiping a stray tear from Yinreng's eye. "Look at you, a grown man crying like a child. Have you no shame?"
Yinreng didn't care about his dignity. "How do you feel?"
"I am fine. Didn't you hear the doctor?"
Kangxi patted Yinreng's hand to comfort him, but frowned when he felt the boy's skin. It was ice-cold. Yinreng was still shivering uncontrollably.
"What's wrong?" Kangxi asked, alarmed.
"I... I thought... I was so scared," Yinreng stammered, his voice breaking. "I didn't know what to do. I..."
The raw, unfiltered terror in the boy's voice shattered Kangxi's imperial facade. He pulled Yinreng forward, weakly patting his back. "Don't be afraid. Imperial Father is here. Look at me, I am perfectly fine."
That gentle reassurance broke the dam. Yinreng buried his face in the blankets and openly wept.
Kangxi let him cry it out, patiently stroking his hair until the sobbing subsided into hiccups. "Why were you kneeling in the corner?"
"I committed a grave offense. I deserve to be punished," Yinreng sniffled, his voice muffled. "Did I cause you to collapse? It was my fault. I shouldn't have angered you. I swear, I'll never bring up moving out or building a private estate ever again."
Kangxi's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Who told you that you caused this?"
His gaze swept over Liang Jiugong like a sharpened blade. The eunuch instantly flattened himself against the floor.
"The doctors said you collapsed from severe anger," Yinreng explained quickly. "Right after I left, you fainted. Eunuch Liang said nothing else happened today. If it wasn't me, what was it? You can beat me or curse me, but please don't damage your own health over it."
Kangxi sighed heavily. "How long have you been kneeling?"
Yinreng bit his lip and stayed silent.
"Nearly two hours, Your Majesty," Liang Jiugong whispered from the floor.
Two hours. On cold stone.
"Get up, immediately," Kangxi ordered.
Yinreng shook his head stubbornly.
Kangxi looked at the Grand Empress Dowager. "Grandmother, my collapse had absolutely nothing to do with Baocheng."
She scoffed coldly. "Even if he didn't cause it, he earned that punishment. Do you have any idea what he did while you were unconscious?"
Kangxi looked down at his son. Yinreng tucked his head, radiating guilt.
"You locked down the palace for good reason," she continued sharply. "Yet this boy had the audacity to violently assault your imperial guards to break through the blockade! Such reckless arrogance! If I didn't discipline him today, he would think himself above all laws. We have spoiled him for too long!"
Yinreng quickly defended himself. "I didn't mean to commit treason! But I heard you collapsed, and they wouldn't let me in. I couldn't see you. I didn't know if you were alive or dead. I panicked. I know I was wrong. I will accept any punishment."
Kangxi offered a weak, apologetic smile to his grandmother. "The fault is mine. I felt the episode coming on, but my mind was failing. I only had time to tell Liang to seal the doors and summon you to stabilize the court. I didn't explicitly exempt Baocheng, so the guards merely followed orders. It was a misunderstanding born of panic. Grandmother, you have hit him and made him kneel. Let us consider the matter settled."
She raised an eyebrow. "So, I spend my afternoon managing your crisis, disciplining your unruly son to protect his reputation, and you reward me by making me the villain?"
If Yinreng hadn't been punished severely and publicly by her, the censors and rival princes would have used his assault on the guards to demand his title be stripped. The slap was her shielding him from political ruin.
"I wouldn't dare," Kangxi smiled gently. "Baocheng deserved it. But I know you dote on him more than anyone. It must have pained you to strike him."
She huffed, standing up. "He is my great-grandson, but you are my grandson. Your life comes first. Since you are awake and coddling him, you can manage his discipline yourself. I am returning to my quarters."
"Respectful send-off, Grandmother," Kangxi said, attempting to sit up.
She waved him down. "Rest."
Before she crossed the threshold, she cast one final, loaded glance at Yinreng. Yinreng, still kneeling, shifted his body to bow to her departing figure, dipping his head just enough to signal that he understood exactly why she had hit him. He was grateful.
Once she was gone, Kangxi nudged his son. "Stand up."
Yinreng hesitated. "Are you truly not angry about my request to move out?"
Kangxi raised his voice, ensuring the entire room heard him. "I collapsed because of exhaustion from state affairs. Specifically, I received a secret report that the Dzungar Khanate intends to launch a military invasion against the Khalkha Mongols. The fury over their insolence triggered my collapse. It had absolutely nothing to do with the Crown Prince. Whoever says otherwise is spreading treason."
Liang Jiugong and the physicians loudly chorused their understanding, burying their heads in the floorboards.
"Now get up," Kangxi said softly.
Yinreng nodded and tried to stand. Two hours on the stone had turned his legs to lead. He swayed violently, nearly pitching face-first into the bed before Liang Jiugong scrambled up to catch him.
"Thank you, Eunuch Liang."
Kangxi's heart tightened. He immediately pointed at the Head Physician. "Examine his legs!"
When Yinreng tried to wave the doctor away, Kangxi snapped, "Do not refuse! What if you permanently damaged your knees?"
Yinreng let the doctor roll up his silken trousers. After a quick examination, the doctor applied a cooling medicinal balm. "His Highness is physically resilient. A few days of topical ointment and light movement will resolve the stiffness."
"Check his face," Kangxi ordered.
The doctor carefully applied the balm to the angry red welt on Yinreng's cheek. It stung furiously, but Yinreng didn't make a sound. Once he was treated, Kangxi dismissed everyone from the room.
Alone at last, Yinreng rested his arms on the edge of the mattress. "Are you still in pain, Imperial Father?"
"I am fine. Does your face hurt?"
Yinreng shook his head.
Kangxi sighed softly. "Grandmother strikes with a heavy hand. It's badly swollen."
"I broke the law. I deserved it," Yinreng said quietly, looking like a kicked puppy.
Seeing him so subdued, Kangxi couldn't bear to lecture him further. "You've been terrified all day. You skipped your afternoon rest. Are you tired?"
Yinreng rubbed his eyes. The adrenaline crash was hitting him hard.
Kangxi patted the empty space beside him on the wide imperial bed. "Come up."
"I shouldn't. I toss and turn. I'll disrupt your rest," Yinreng protested weakly.
"I slept with you in my arms when you were a toddler. You think I don't know how you sleep?"
"It's different now. You're recovering."
Kangxi glared. "When I say get up here, you get up here. Stop talking."
A small, genuine smile finally broke through Yinreng's exhaustion. He kicked off his boots, climbed onto the bed, and curled up close to his father's side. "I'm just so glad you're alright."
Kangxi stiffened slightly, realizing just how profoundly his sudden collapse had traumatized the boy. His tone softened completely. "Go to sleep. Imperial Father is right here. I'm not going anywhere."
He began rhythmically patting Yinreng's shoulder, mimicking the motion from a decade ago.
Yinreng chuckled sleepily. "I remember when I was little, you used to sing to me when you did this."
Kangxi's hand paused. Demanding little brat.
He let out a quiet huff of amusement, cleared his dry throat, and began to softly sing an old Manchu lullaby.
Lulled by the familiar, slightly off-key hum of his father's voice, Yinreng's breathing quickly leveled out, dragging him into a deep sleep.
Kangxi stopped singing, looking down at his son's peaceful face.
He slowly shook his head in the dim light.
How could I have let my mind wander to those tragic histories? he thought bitterly. My Yinreng is not Li Ying. He is not Liu Ju. And I am not a paranoid tyrant like Emperor Wu of Han.
They were different. They had to be.
He would never allow their relationship to decay into that bloody, paranoid nightmare. The mere thought of turning on his own son had caused him such profound psychological agony that his body had literally shut down. If it ever came to pass, it would kill him.
When he had felt the darkness pulling him under in the study, he knew the political fallout would be catastrophic. The sudden death of an Emperor without a solidified power transition was a death sentence for the dynasty. He didn't trust the court. He didn't trust his other consorts.
In that fleeting second of consciousness, his only instinct was to summon the Grand Empress Dowager. He knew her heart leaned toward Yinreng. If he died, she would crush any rebellion, stabilize the court, and force Yinreng onto the throne to ensure his survival. She was the only one he trusted to protect his son.
Yet, that very trust had forced her to slap Yinreng to protect his reputation from the vultures circling the throne.
Looking at the faint red mark still visible on Yinreng's pale cheek, Kangxi let out a long, silent breath.
I chose a terrible time to collapse, he thought, drowning in a sudden wave of guilt. I only ended up making him suffer.