Chapter 116: Whispers in the Wind

Kangxi questioned the Ninth Prince with a stern expression, causing the latter’s heart to skip a beat. He knew his omniscient Imperial Father must have already heard the news; after all, no matter how much he cautioned the Tenth Prince to be discreet, it was impossible to keep such a matter entirely under wraps. Furthermore, he had several bitter rivals in the capital who would be all too happy to see him stumble.

Indeed, once the questioning concluded, Kangxi tossed a memorial toward him. It was a formal complaint from a censor, accusing the Tenth Prince of turning the capital upside down in his frantic search for someone, causing widespread chaos. Prince Jian had also submitted a report, suggesting that since someone had gone missing from the Ninth Prince’s household, he should be ordered to better manage his family affairs to avoid bringing shame upon the House of Aisin-Gioro. Looking over these reports, the Ninth Prince felt a surge of guilty anxiety. With his heart pounding in his chest, he finally looked up at Kangxi with a somewhat aggrieved expression.

Watching the Ninth Prince, Kangxi felt a sudden flare of annoyance at the lack of competence among his sons. Yet, there was also a sliver of relief; at least the Ninth was an anomaly among his brothers. Look at the others—they were all utterly preoccupied with their primary wives. Prince Eight was completely under the thumb of his wife, the Gorolo woman, to the point that he had no children to his name. Then there was the Tenth, who usually acted like a hot-headed brute, yet was inexplicably doted upon his Mongolian wife. As for the Thirteenth...

Thinking this far, Kangxi decided not to waste his breath on the eccentric Ninth Prince. He asked directly, "What do you intend to do? The person has been missing for months, and you still haven't found them. How exactly have you been handling this?"

The Ninth Prince sighed and replied in a low voice, "Returning to Imperial Father, Tenth Brother has little experience in such matters." Kangxi paused; had he not been so irritated by the censors, he would have burst out laughing.

His mood improved slightly, and he glared at the Ninth. "Oh? So, you’re implying that you have experience in finding people?" The Ninth Prince broke into a cold sweat and quickly kowtowed. "That is not what your son meant, Imperial Father."

Kangxi slammed his hand on the table, roaring, "I don't care about your experience! If the person is not found by the time we return to the capital from the hunting grounds, consider that side-consort gone forever." The Ninth Prince trembled as he acknowledged the command, then whispered a request: "I beg Imperial Father to allow me to return to the capital early."

After another sharp glare, Kangxi replied testily, "Hand over your plans for the military tournament to Yinxiang, and then you may leave." The Ninth Prince had never expected Kangxi to let him off so easily; he had braced himself to kneel in the courtyard for a day or two. After kowtowing in gratitude, he dashed off to find the Thirteenth Prince, finishing the handover of the tournament responsibilities in a mere hour.

Thirteenth watched in astonishment as the Ninth gave his hurried, perfunctory instructions. He chuckled, "Ninth Brother, why the rush? Are you going to help Tenth Brother find his missing person?"

The Ninth Prince narrowed his eyes at the Thirteenth’s knowing, mysterious expression. He realized then that his dear Tenth Brother’s search methods had been anything but subtle. If the Thirteenth, situated so far away, had heard the news, then surely the brothers remaining in the capital knew exactly where the Tenth had been searching.

Realizing this, the Ninth Prince didn't bother to hide his annoyance. "Just ensure the Eight Banners tournament is handled properly and stop with the idle chatter."

The Thirteenth remained unfazed by the Ninth's dark mood, teasing, "Ninth Brother, if someone runs away taking a child of only a few months, perhaps there are unspeakable grievances involved. Don't let your anger cloud your judgment!" With those words, he respectfully saw the Ninth out and wished him a safe journey.

The Ninth Prince departed that afternoon with only Wang Quan and a few personal guards, traveling as light as possible. Watching him go, Kangxi couldn't help but sneer, wishing the Ninth would show such initiative in his official duties.

The Ninth rode at breakneck speed and reached the capital in just a few days. Upon entering the city, he understood why Kangxi and the Thirteenth, hundreds of miles away, were so well-informed. The Tenth Prince had conducted such an extensive search that it was essentially a house-to-house sweep.

Seeing this, the Ninth Prince was too exhausted even to sigh. He bypassed his own estate and went straight to the Tenth Prince. The Tenth was stunned to see his brother covered in the dust of the road, and his first reaction was to pull him into the study. "Ninth Brother, you didn't run off, did you? Why couldn't you wait? I’ve already been searching for her!"

The Ninth exploded, "I told you to search quietly! Do you call this quiet? You’ve turned half the capital upside down!"

The Tenth Prince stiffened, looking utterly miserable. "I couldn't help it! The Empress Dowager and Consort Yi both found out and ordered me to produce her within half a month." He suddenly realized something and stared at the Ninth with wide eyes. "Ninth Brother, did you really sneak away? That’s a capital offense!"

The Ninth Prince stared back, equally shocked. "How did the Empress Dowager and my mother find out?" The Tenth urged, "Answer me first! You’ve scared me to death!" The Ninth glared at him. "Do I look like such a fool?"

The Tenth Prince relaxed, though he secretly thought that if his brother had been sharp for the past twenty years, he had certainly been acting like a fool for the last year. He couldn't understand why the Ninth Prince’s estate couldn't afford a proper accountant, forcing a woman of the inner chambers to manage the books. Once he looked into it, he discovered his sister-in-law Yan was quite wealthy; she had over ten thousand taels of silver in business accounts alone, not to mention her private funds. It was clear she had simply taken the money and fled.

After hearing the Tenth’s explanation, the Ninth realized that Princess Eight had let it slip during a visit to the palace. That was how the Empress Dowager and Consort Yi learned of it, leading to a severe scolding for the primary wife, Lady Donggo. Lady Donggo had certainly not spoken well of Yan, painting a vivid picture of their recent cold war. If not for the Empress Dowager’s lingering fondness for Yan, Consort Yi might have already decreed that only the child mattered, leaving the mother's fate irrelevant.

The Ninth Prince let out a long, weary sigh, knowing he was in for a great deal of trouble.