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

Winter of the seventeenth year of the Shunzhi reign.

A heavy snow fell in the capital.

Snowflakes, as white as goose feathers, fluttered down, and overnight, the entire city of Beijing was covered in a layer of pure white silver.

The eaves and treetops are covered with jade-like branches, and the view is one of tranquility and peace.

As the saying goes, a timely snowfall promises a bumper harvest.

But Hong Xiguan, who was in that nameless mansion, sensed something unusual in the tranquility, a storm brewing.

As usual, he practiced calligraphy in his warm study, and his beautiful official script was already quite accomplished.

For the past month, apart from practicing those tedious and outrageous court etiquettes, Hong Xiguan has devoted all his time to reading and writing.

He wanted to transform himself into a genuine, native-born, well-educated Qing Dynasty youth in the shortest possible time.

However, though the pen tip was steady, the heart could not find peace.

Hong Xiguan knew that he, this "canary in a cage," could not stay here forever.

Sumalagu and the hand behind her went to great lengths to "polish" him into the appearance of "the third prince Xuan Ye," not so that he could retire here.

"Young Master."

Sure enough, the moment the thought crossed my mind, Su Ma La Gu's familiar figure appeared at the door, looking hurried and serious.

"Grandma Su Ma." Hong Xiguan put down his pen, calmly stood up, and bowed.

"Young master, stop writing." Su Mala Gu stepped forward quickly, her tone urgent. "It's time to go."

"Where to?" Hong Xiguan's heart skipped a beat.

"Just follow me." Su Mala Gu didn't answer directly, but instead gave a wink to the maids beside her: "Help the young master change his clothes."

This time, she was no longer wearing her usual plain-colored clothes.

It was a brand new set of auspicious robes for the prince, of extremely high standard.

The sapphire blue satin fabric is embroidered with a dragon pattern in gold thread, and the collar and cuffs are trimmed with precious sable fur, making it luxurious yet dignified.

When he put on the clothes, Hong Xiguan felt a heavy pressure coming from all directions.

He knew that the grand show was about to begin!

An eight-person sedan chair, which had been prepared in advance, was parked in the courtyard.

Surrounded by the maids, Hong Xiguan boarded the sedan chair. The curtains fell, blocking out the wind and snow, as well as all eyes.

The sedan chair started moving smoothly, and in the silent snow, only the soft footsteps and breathing of the sedan chair bearers could be heard.

Hong Xiguan's heart was in his throat. He cautiously lifted a corner of the sedan curtain and peered out.

The streets along the way were deserted, with only their footprints on the thick snow.

Clearly, it was another perfect clearance operation.

The sedan chair was moving slowly, but it was heading south.

Soon, a majestic city gate covered with yellow glazed tiles came into view.

Tiananmen Square.

Upon seeing the familiar gatehouse, Hong Xiguan's heart clenched instantly.

As expected... it's time to go to the palace!

He forced himself to calm down, and his brain began to work at lightning speed.

It is now the twelfth month of the seventeenth year of the Shunzhi reign. Why have I been urgently summoned to the palace?

The only possibility is that Emperor Shunzhi is about to die!

As a history student, Hong Xiguan was quite familiar with this period of history.

The official historical records compiled by the Qing Dynasty provide an extremely vague and hasty account of the death of Emperor Shunzhi.

The Qing Dynasty Veritable Records only states that on the second day of the first month of the eighteenth year of the Shunzhi reign, the emperor was "unwell"; just four days later, on the sixth day of the first month, his condition "greatly worsened"; and on the seventh day of the first month, he passed away.

From feeling unwell to dying, it took less than a week.

On his deathbed, he hastily summoned Wang Xi, the Vice Minister of Rites, and dictated his will, designating his third son, Xuan Ye, as his successor.

The whole process was so fast, it was like a pre-written script, rushing to complete the procedures.

Another, more valuable historical source comes from Johann Adam Schall von Bell, a German missionary who was in Beijing at the time.

In his memoirs, Lao Bi Deng stated unequivocally that Emperor Shunzhi died of smallpox, and it was precisely for this reason that Xuan Ye, who had also survived smallpox, was ultimately chosen as the successor.

As for the common people, the stories were even wilder, such as Emperor Shunzhi becoming disillusioned with the world and going to Mount Wutai to become a monk after the death of his beloved Consort Dong'e.

These various accounts, some true and some false, are so confusing that historians have debated them for centuries without reaching a conclusion.

"Would it kill these historians to record the emperor's death more clearly?!"

Hong Xiguan couldn't help but mentally rant.

That's true, what could the historians of the Qing Dynasty possibly remember clearly?

Putting aside everything else, just look at the ancestors of the Aisin Gioro family. Their deaths were all more outrageous and less respectable than the last!

It is said that Nurhaci, the founding emperor, was blown to his death by a cannon shot fired by Yuan Chonghuan.

Emperor Taizong Huang Taiji was perfectly fine one day, but died suddenly in the inner palace the next day. The cause of his death remains a mystery.

Emperor Yongzheng, known as a model worker, probably died from taking elixirs.

Emperor Jiaqing was even more incredible; he was struck by lightning at the Summer Palace! What a divine retribution!

The late Qing dynasty rulers were even worse.

Empress Dowager Cixi's son, Emperor Tongzhi, contracted venereal diseases from frequenting the Eight Great Hutongs.

Emperor Guangxu was about to seize power when he was poisoned to death...

Good heavens, I'm just speechless!

Throughout the more than two hundred years of the Qing Dynasty, very few of these emperors died a proper "death"! They either died violently, died suddenly, or died under mysterious circumstances.

Compared to them, the mystery of whether Shunzhi died of illness or became a monk can be considered a more dignified death!

The problem is that whether Emperor Shunzhi died of illness or became a monk, it all happened in the first month of the eighteenth year of his reign.

It's only December of the seventeenth year, the time doesn't match up!

Could it be... that my time travel triggered the butterfly effect?

Looking back now, there is probably a huge, unspeakable secret hidden behind this.

Just as Hong Xiguan was lost in thought, the sedan chair had already passed through Duanmen Gate, and the magnificent and imposing Forbidden City was finally presented in its entirety before his eyes.

Red walls and yellow tiles, carved beams and painted rafters, appear even more solemn and majestic against the backdrop of pure white snow, and also exude a sense of oppressive grandeur that makes one's heart tremble.

The sedan chair stopped in front of the Meridian Gate, and Sumalagu personally stepped forward to negotiate with the guards at the gate.

The guards, clad in gleaming armor and exuding a menacing aura, merely checked a waist tag before bowing and letting them pass. They didn't glance once more into the sedan chair.

They only recognize the waist tag, not the person.

This precisely demonstrates that this was a top-level, absolutely confidential operation.

The sedan chair did not stop anywhere, but bypassed the Hall of Supreme Harmony and headed west, heading straight into the depths of the inner palace.

Finally, it came to a slow stop in front of a tranquil and magnificent palace.

Hong Xiguan was helped out of the sedan chair. As soon as he looked up, he saw the three powerful characters on the lintel of the palace.

Cining Palace.

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang's bedroom!

Hong Xiguan's heart was in his throat.

Holy crap! We just left the starting area and we're already fighting the final boss? Is there something wrong with the game's difficulty?!

Hong Xiguan knew that he was about to face the true pinnacle of power in this era, the ultimate director who had personally orchestrated this earth-shattering "Prince Replaced by a Civet Cat" drama.