I, Kangxi, am here to overthrow the Qing and restore the Ming!

After the New Year, it will be the eighteenth year of the Shunzhi reign.

The second day of the Lunar New Year should have been a day for visiting relatives and friends and for joyous celebrations.

A group of weary knights, trudging through the remaining snow, secretly escorted a small black lacquered wooden box to the capital.

The box was delivered directly to the Council of Ministers.

Sony, Ao Bai, Yue Le, and others stood around the box, their expressions solemn.

The box was opened, and inside, there was only one lonely, bright yellow dragon boot, swollen from being soaked in seawater.

And several pieces of meat, unrecognizable and emitting a foul stench.

This...this is the remains of the Qing Dynasty emperor?

Dasu and his gang were truly ingenious! To complete their mission, they probably just fished out a few pieces of rotten flesh that had been gnawed by fish from the sea and sent them back as the emperor's "royal body"!

Ao Bai was so angry when he saw those pieces of rotten flesh that he almost drew his sword on the spot.

But the dead cannot be brought back to life, and the most important thing right now is to give the emperor a dignified funeral.

How can we bury someone if there's no body?

We can't just bury a boot, can we? That would be a cenotaph! If word got out, what would become of the Qing Dynasty's reputation?

"In my opinion," Sony pondered for a long time before finally coming up with a brilliant (and cunning) idea, "to the outside world, we should announce that the Emperor, because of Consort Dong'e, has long seen through the vanities of the world and secretly went to Mount Wutai a month ago to become a monk."

"Then," Sony glanced at everyone and continued, "a few days later, it was said that the Emperor was practicing in the temple when he caught a cold. Coupled with missing his deceased loved ones, he was exhausted and passed away peacefully. In accordance with Buddhist rites, his body was cremated on the spot."

Holy crap! Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!

That "dead men tell no tales" tactic is used to perfection!

He announced his decision to become a monk, explaining why the emperor had been "out of contact" for so long.

He announced his death, explaining why the emperor had died.

The most brilliant part is the "cremation"! It perfectly solves the biggest bug: the lack of corpses!

You said that in the future, there might be people who don't believe in superstition and want to open the coffin to examine the corpse?

Open it! And what do you find inside? A handful of ashes! It's all burned to ashes, what can you possibly find out?

These old foxes, their hearts are filthy when they play politics!

Prince An, Yue Le, clapped his hands in praise: "Lord Suo's plan is brilliant! In this way, we not only preserve the face of the royal family, but also eliminate any suspicion from future generations—a win-win situation!"

Now that the emperor's "death" and "afterlife" have been arranged, the next step is to proceed with the process of the new emperor's ascension to the throne.

Everything was proceeding smoothly according to the script agreed upon at the previous council meeting.

On the second day of the Lunar New Year, the imperial court announced to the public: "The Emperor is unwell."

On the sixth day of the first lunar month, the illness worsened: "the condition is getting worse".

To make the performance more convincing, they even summoned Wang Xi, the Vice Minister of Rites, to the Qianqing Palace. In front of a room full of "heartbroken" ministers, Sony "on their behalf" dictated the prepared imperial edict.

Wang Xi knelt on the ground, weeping uncontrollably. As he cried, he kept writing, thinking to himself: "The Emperor is truly wise; even on his deathbed, he was still thinking about the foundation of the nation..."

He would never know until his death that he was just an unlucky guy who was pulled in as a "notary" in this shocking scam.

The seventh day of the first lunar month, early morning.

The death knell tolled long and mournfully over the Forbidden City.

The imperial court officially announced to the world the national mourning announcement of the passing of Emperor Shunzhi.

When the news reached the side hall where Hong Xiguan was, although he already knew the truth, he still pretended to be shocked and saddened.

Soon, the entire harem was plunged into a sea of ​​weeping.

The cries of the truly crying, the fake crying, the crying for their fathers, the crying for their husbands, the crying for their meal tickets... all sorts of cries could be clearly heard even through several layers of palace walls.

Hong Xiguan stood under the corridor, listening to the deafening cries, but his heart was filled with coldness.

An old era has come to an end amidst lies.

......

On this day, Hong Xiguan went to Cining Palace to pay his respects as usual.

The atmosphere inside the hall was completely different from usual.

The warmth of everyday life is gone, as are the kind smiles.

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang sat silently on her throne, her dignified and noble face shrouded in an unyielding solemnity.

What's going on? What's happening today? The atmosphere is so serious. Did they discover I'm an imposter and are about to confront me?

No way, my acting has been on point these past few days!

Hong Xiguan immediately became alert, his face becoming even more respectful, standing with his hands at his sides, without uttering a word.

The two remained silent for a long time, so long that Hong Xiguan could almost hear his own heart pounding.

Finally, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang slowly raised her head, and for the first time, her deep phoenix eyes gazed at him with such seriousness and complexity.

"Xuan Ye," her voice held a barely perceptible hoarseness, "have you always been curious about who you really are?"

It's here! It's here! Is the mystery finally about to be revealed?! I've been waiting for this day forever!

Hong Xiguan's heart was in his throat, but he only nodded slowly and heavily.

"Today, I will tell you."

Hong Xiguan immediately held his breath and pricked up his ears, ready to listen to this earth-shattering secret that could overturn history.

He had made all the necessary mental preparations, even rehearsing in his mind countless times how he would handle the situation.

"Actually, you are my biological son."

When Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang openly admitted that he was her biological son hidden outside the palace, Hong Xiguan's heart, which had been hanging in suspense for so long, finally settled down with a "thud".

I knew it! I was fucking right! I am the legendary "illegitimate son of Empress Xiaozhuang"!

But this plot is really wild! So exciting! I love it!

Hong Xiguan was overjoyed and shocked, but his body reacted faster than he could think!

"ah?!"

Hong Xiguan suddenly stood up from the brocade stool, his face filled with extreme shock and disbelief, as if he had heard some unbelievable story. His mouth was slightly open and his eyes were wide open, looking exactly like an innocent boy whose worldview had been shattered.

Act! You have to act it out perfectly! If you act too calm at this moment, you'll definitely be seen as a monster!

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang looked at him quietly, a hint of tension flashing in her eyes.

She was taking a huge gamble by exposing her biggest secret to this ten-year-old child.

She needed to confirm whether the child could bear the secret, and whether... he was worth entrusting everything to.

After a brief moment of "petrification," Hong Xiguan seemed to finally digest the information.

He suppressed his elation, quickly composed himself, and shifted his expression from shock to a complex mix of uncertainty and sudden realization.

He raised his head and said softly, with a tone that was both tentative and suddenly enlightened, "Grandson... I understand now. So, grandson is Emperor Chengzongyi (posthumously honored as such by Dorgon)..."

However, Hong Xiguan was ultimately too young.

Before he could finish speaking, a sharp shout suddenly rose in pitch, like a thunderclap, and resounded throughout the hall!

"Nonsense!"

Empress Xiaozhuang's face, which had been relatively calm, instantly turned ashen, and her eyes flashed with terrifying fury!

"You are not his son!"

???

Holy crap?! What's going on?! This isn't the script!

This time, it was Hong Xiguan's turn to be completely dumbfounded.

If not Dorgon's? Then whose could it be? Does this old lady have other lovers in the palace? Is she really that promiscuous?

He stared blankly at Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, his mind completely blank.

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang seemed to realize her loss of composure. She took a deep breath, calmed herself down, and then squeezed out a name that Hong Xiguan would never have expected.

"Your biological father is... Hong Chengchou."

boom!!!

Hong Xiguan felt as if his brain had been bombarded by ten thousand cannons at once, turning it into scorched earth.

Hong... Hong Chengchou?!

That Ming Dynasty official who surrendered? That traitor who has been cursed by later generations for over two hundred years?

How could it be him?!

In unofficial historical accounts, it's said that the two of you were a bit unclear when you tried to persuade him to surrender, but that was in the fifteenth year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, eighteen years ago! My body is only ten years old! The timeline doesn't match up!

Could it be... that you two... continued your relationship later?!