Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The Crown Princess glanced at her husband, equally shocked.

Crown Prince Shen Xu, the eldest son of the Emperor and Empress, was both scholarly and martial, generous and benevolent. He handled affairs with skill, yet was more gentle than the suspicious and ruthless Emperor.

The Emperor had repeatedly praised the Crown Prince, saying he would surely become a wise ruler in the future, and thus crowned him Crown Prince when Shen Xu was twenty years old.

Now Shen Xu was thirty-eight, having been the Crown Prince for a full eighteen years.

During these eighteen years, he had diligently served in various government offices, never making a mistake. He was utterly loyal to the Emperor, never harboring any disloyal thoughts. Moreover, he cared for the people and was lenient towards his subordinates, earning the support of the ministers.

Such a nearly perfect Crown Prince, how could he be stripped of his title and his family exiled?

Though the Crown Prince and Crown Princess were shocked, being in their thirties, they had experienced many storms and thus remained calm, waiting to hear more.

But Princess Wen'an, only nine years old, turned pale upon hearing this sudden change, thinking of the tragic fates of the deposed Crown Princes she had read about in history books.

The Crown Princess, heartbroken for her daughter, wanted to hold her in her arms to comfort her, but Hui Er was holding Nuo Er, and she feared disturbing Nuo Er, so she didn't move. Instead, she quietly reached out to stroke Hui Er's back, silently comforting her.

When Shen Zhinuo asked, the system searched the plot and replied, "It happens this winter. The Crown Prince is deposed on the fifth day of the twelfth lunar month, and your family sets off on the road to exile in the northwest on the sixth day. On New Year's Eve, you encounter a snowstorm and an assassination attempt, and the entire family dies."

Though the system had roughly explained this before, when a talking black puppy appeared floating in the air before her, she was too shocked to fully grasp the system's concise, mechanical narration of the plot, or perhaps she hadn't yet processed it.

But now, sitting on her sister's lap, looking at her parents beside her, and at the home she had lived in for three years, she suddenly felt sad.

"My father, my mother, my sister, my eldest brother, my second brother, none of them survived?"

The system replied, "Yes, all dead."

Shen Zhinuo pouted, on the verge of tears.

Such a good father and mother, such good brothers and sisters, she didn't want them to die.

She didn't want to die either; she hadn't had enough of this loving and harmonious life.

This scene made the Crown Prince and Crown Princess heartbroken, wishing they could immediately hold their little daughter to comfort her. But Princess Wen'an, seeing her parents about to rise, quickly waved her hand to signal them not to move. She hugged her sister tighter and kissed her on the head.

Afraid that her parents and sister would notice something was wrong, Shen Zhinuo turned her head and buried herself in Princess Wen'an's arms, her little voice muffled, "What can I do to change this outcome?"

The system: "Well, ATong isn't very clear about that."

Shen Zhinuo: "Can I tell them? I'll tell my father so he can prepare early."

The system: "Young Master, didn't I say before? Hosts are forbidden from revealing the plot in any way, or they will be punished by the main system."

The Crown Princess and Crown Prince exchanged glances. They didn't know what a host was, nor who the main system was, but they could understand the gist.

It was probably similar to those enlightened monks or powerful Taoists who couldn't casually reveal heavenly secrets, or they would face divine retribution.

Shen Zhinuo, however, was not ready to give up: "I want to try."

Not knowing was one thing, but now that she knew, how could she do nothing and watch her family die?

The system: "Then try once, otherwise you won't give up."

The Crown Prince and Crown Princess remembered the needle-like pain in their mouths earlier and tensed up, wanting to stop her.

Such pain, how could little Nuo Er bear it?

But they couldn't bring up the matter in front of the child, and they also clung to a sliver of hope, wishing they could communicate directly with Nuo Er about this matter.

Princess Wen'an gazed at her sister with worry, her arms instinctively tightening around her.

Shen Zhinuo didn't dawdle either, turning her head to look at the Crown Prince: "Father, you must be..."

Before she could utter the word "careful," the next moment, the little girl's mouth tingled, her face turned pale, and she instinctively covered her mouth with her hand.

Well, that was definitely out of the question.

Seeing the little girl's face blanch with pain, the Crown Prince immediately changed his expression, his heart tightening.

The Crown Princess was so distraught that tears sprang to her eyes, and she immediately wanted to get up and comfort the little girl, but the Crown Prince swiftly reached out to restrain her, signaling with his eyes for her to remain composed.

However, this time, the family of four had all resigned themselves.

After a moment, Shen Zhinuo noticed her parents gazing at the peach blossoms in full bloom in the courtyard, not heeding her half-finished sentence.

She continued to talk to the system, her tiny voice brimming with anger: "If I can't do anything, then why did you, this dog, come to me? If you hadn't come to drop this bombshell, I could have at least lived happily until my end."

The system explained: "Young Master, here's the deal: your arrival in this world was a mistake. I was dispatched by the Transmigration Bureau to bring you back. Upon your death, I will escort you away."

Shen Zhinuo: "Where will you take me?"

The system: "To the world you truly belong to. In the new world, you can live out your full lifespan."

Shen Zhinuo's thoughts shifted, her tone full of hope: "Then can you take my dad, mom, and siblings along with me?"

The system: "Unfortunately, that's not an option. My mission is solely focused on you, Young Master. They are native to this world, destined to live and die here."

Shen Zhinuo was so furious she wanted to lash out, but she was powerless, sighing inwardly: "So what can I do?"

The system: "There are no clear rules about that, but Young Master, you're only three years old. What can you do?"

Shen Zhinuo clenched her fists in secret: "I don't know what I can do, but I can't just sit and wait for death."

The little black dog system flew around Shen Zhinuo twice: "Young Master, keep it up."

The Crown Prince and Crown Princess were deeply moved, looking at each other and holding each other's hands.

Their Nuo Er, still such a small child, already knew she wanted to save her family. They couldn't just wait for death either.

But to save themselves, they had to know why they were being deposed in the first place.

Shen Zhinuo thought the same and asked again: "Dog, then what exactly did my father do to offend my grandfather?"

Hearing her little daughter's question, the Crown Prince felt both comforted and heartbroken.

Comforted because his Nuo Er, at such a young age, was so intelligent, asking the key question right away.

Heartbroken because such a small child should be carefree, only concerned with eating, drinking, and playing, yet she had to worry about matters of life and death.

It was all because he, as a father, was too useless.

The system checked and replied: "The Old Emperor has been fond of elixirs in recent years, but the Crown Prince believes elixirs harm longevity and occasionally advises against them. The Old Emperor, being inherently suspicious and his health declining with age, has become increasingly paranoid. Moreover, the Crown Prince's influence in the court has been growing, making the Old Emperor suspect that the Crown Prince doesn't wish him well."

The Crown Prince's face turned pale. What A Tong said was indeed true. Today, while having lunch with the Emperor, he had mentioned it once, and the Emperor's expression had indeed not been good.

But could it be that just because he advised against it a few times, the Emperor would treat their family like this?

As for him and his wife, being adults, there's not much to say. But the children are the Old Emperor's own grandchildren, whom he once adored so much, especially Hui Er and Nuo Er, the two little girls. How could the Old Emperor be so cruel?

The Crown Princess could tell from the Crown Prince's expression that A Tong had struck a nerve, and her heart instantly sank.

They say there's no such thing as father-son love in the royal family. She once thought the Old Emperor and the Crown Prince were different, but now it seems she was too naive.

Shen Zhinuo was so angry that she kicked her little legs: "This Old Emperor just doesn't appreciate kindness. My father only wants what's best for him, yet he resents my father and exiled my entire family."

The system, however, said: "According to the story, it's not just about this. Your other Imperial Uncles are also capable, all of royal lineage. Few are content to stay in the background, and those with ambitions have their eyes on the throne. It's just that the Crown Prince was too flawless before, and the father-son relationship with the Old Emperor was so good that they had no chance to act. Now that there's finally a rift between them, they naturally seize the opportunity."

Shen Zhinuo was a bit confused and pressed on: "Then who exactly harmed my father?"

The system: "It's hard to pinpoint exactly who or what, but your father is a victim of the chaotic fight for the throne."

Shen Zhinuo was anxious: "Then how can we prevent it?"

The system: "Sorry, Young Master, I can't help with that."

Shen Zhinuo was worried, "Then we'll just have to take it as it comes. Doggy, do you know anything else? Tell me everything."

The system: "This version of the system is brand new, and some features are still a work in progress. The overall plot is clear."

"But to get details on a specific character, I need to scan their face when they're in front of me."

Shen Zhinuo was disappointed: "Really? What am I supposed to do? Go up to each Imperial Uncle? But there are so many, how can I meet them all?"

The Crown Prince glanced at the Crown Princess, equally worried.

Back when the world was in turmoil, warlords battled for twenty-five long years. In those twenty-five years, countless civilians died, and the population was halved.

After the Old Emperor brought peace, he eased up on punishments and lowered taxes to encourage people to have more children.

To lead by example, the Old Emperor took on more concubines, and he himself fathered twenty-two sons and eighteen daughters. To this day, sixteen sons and fourteen princesses are still alive.

When it comes to the fight for the throne, the princesses are naturally out of the picture. So besides him, and excluding his eleventh brother who shares the same mother, which of his fourteen brothers are out to get him?

Or is everyone involved?

The Crown Prince frowned, his heart heavy as if a stone was pressing on it, making it hard to breathe.

As he pondered, he saw two spirited young men chatting and laughing as they entered the courtyard. These were his two sons, the fourteen-year-old eldest son Shen Weiyan and the twelve-year-old second son Shen Weiqing.

The two young men had just returned from studying at Zhanghua Hall and came to pay their respects to their mother. Upon entering the courtyard, they saw their father was also there. They quickly stepped forward, smiling and bowing: "Greetings, Father. Greetings, Mother."

The Crown Prince nodded: "Rise."

The two brothers stood up and reached out to hug the little sister nestled in their elder sister's arms.

Shen Weiqing, being lively, bumped his elder brother with his shoulder, pushing him aside, and then grabbed the sister, laughing heartily.

Shen Weiyan, being more composed, smiled and shook his head, his tone somewhat helpless: "You."

The two brothers surrounded their little sister, chatting, "Nuo Er, did you miss your second brother?"

Shen Zhinuo, full of worries, nodded her little head listlessly: "I did."

As she spoke, she stretched out her two little arms, hugging her two brothers' heads.

Such good brothers, and they might be gone in less than a year. She couldn't stand the thought.

Shen Weiqing was flattered and tilted his head to look at his elder brother, "Big brother, today Nuo Er didn’t even mind that we’re stinky brothers and even hugged us."

Shen Weiyan, being more observant, noticed something was off with the little girl and turned to look at the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, "What’s up with Nuo Er? She seems out of it."

The Crown Princess reached out to take the little girl into her arms, letting her lean on her shoulder, and gently patted her, "Maybe it’s the heat; she might have a touch of heatstroke. Your father’s going to quiz you on your studies, so I’ll take Hui Er and Nuo Er inside to nap for a while."

With that, she shot the Crown Prince a meaningful glance and took her two daughters into the room.

The Crown Prince then took his two sons to the study, sent all the maids and eunuchs away, and the three of them tightly closed the door.

Shen Zhinuo wanted to chat more with the system, but her three-year-old body was easily tired. After being gently rocked in the Crown Princess’s arms for a while, she fell into a deep sleep.

Once she was sound asleep, the Crown Princess gently placed her on the bed, covering her round little belly with a small blanket, and softly instructed Princess Wen'an, "Hui Er, stay here and watch over your sister. I’m going to the study."

"Don’t worry, Mom, I’ve got her," Princess Wen'an obediently agreed, lying down next to her sister and gently patting her.

The Crown Princess bent down to kiss both her daughters’ cheeks before leaving the room.

In the study, the Crown Prince detailed the day’s events to his two sons.

After the shock wore off, Shen Weiyan frowned deeply, "Dad, what should we do now?"

Shen Weiqing was both shocked and frightened, but more than anything, he was furious, almost boiling over with anger. Without waiting for the Crown Prince to respond, he slammed the table, "Father, we should strike first! I’ll go kill them!"

The Crown Prince looked at his younger son and said in a low voice, "Don’t act rashly."

Shen Weiyan pressed his brother’s shoulder, pushing him back into the chair, "Sit down. We need to think this through."

The Crown Princess pushed the door open and walked in, hearing the conversation between the father and sons. She stepped forward to pat her younger son’s head, soothing him, "A Qing, calm down and don’t rush. We’ve got over half a year until the fifth of December. We have time to strategize."

The four of them sat together and discussed for a long time, but still couldn’t come up with a solution. Finally, the Crown Prince decided, "We can’t just jump into action. We need to hear what A Tong has to say."

The others agreed, and the Crown Princess added, "There’s one more thing we need to worry about. We’re not sure if it’s just us who can hear Nuo Er and A Tong. But no matter what, we must not let anyone else get close to Nuo Er, in case people think she’s a demon."

Shen Weiyan nodded, "We especially can’t let Nuo Er near the Emperor. If the Emperor can also hear her, and she says something she shouldn’t, it could be a death sentence for disrespect."

Shen Weiqing also said, "We’ve got to watch out for the Imperial Uncles."

The Crown Prince deeply agreed and solemnly nodded, "Exactly."

Shen Zhinuo slept until evening and woke up just in time for dinner. She dutifully held her bowl and ate some shrimp wontons, two beef meatballs, and some vegetables before saying she was full.

Then, she played ball with her siblings in the yard until dark.

After being bathed by her mother and changed into clean clothes, she was about to go to the east wing with her sister when her mother said, "We’re not going to the east wing tonight. Everyone will sleep here."

The family usually had three meals together, but her brother and sister now had their own separate courtyards. However, her sister couldn’t bear to leave her, so she stayed in the east wing every night to sleep with her.

But it was also common for her mother to have her sleep in the main hall. Hearing this, she climbed down from her sister and sat on the bed, waving her little hand to say goodbye to her sister.

But before she could say anything, she saw her second brother telling the servants to bring in two beds, instructing, "Place these two side by side by the window."

With the original bed by the window, there were now three beds in the room.

Shen Zhinuo held her sister’s hand and stood up, curiously looking around, "Big brother, second brother, what are you doing?"

The Crown Princess smiled and said first, "Tonight, we’re all sleeping together and having a chat."