Chapter 14

Chapter 14

The two brothers got up, left the Ministry of Revenue, and headed back to the Eastern Palace.

When the 14th Prince explained his intentions, although the Crown Princess was somewhat uneasy, seeing that the Crown Prince had already agreed and knowing the matter was of great importance, she also consented after a brief consideration.

She first summoned Shen Weiqing and Princess Wen'an, instructing them to keep an eye on their sister, and then went to speak to Shen Zhinuo: "Nuo Er, your Auntie (the 14th Prince's Consort) misses you. Would you like to go with your brother and sister to your Imperial Uncle's house for half a day?"

Shen Zhinuo was naturally thrilled at the chance to meet more people and nodded obediently.

The 14th Prince then scooped up the little girl, took Shen Weiqing and Princess Wen'an, and left the palace, heading straight to the 14th Prince's residence.

Seeing the children arrive unexpectedly, the 14th Prince's Consort was surprised but delighted, quickly having servants bring out fruits and snacks. The siblings thanked her and sat around the table eating.

The 14th Prince took his wife aside and whispered a few words. The 14th Prince's Consort nodded, called over a maid, and gave some instructions. The maid looked surprised but then quietly left.

Soon after, a matron rushed in to report: "Your Highness, we’ve received word from the Wei residence that Lady Wei has had a fall."

The 14th Prince's Consort stood up, concerned: "Is it serious?"

The matron shook her head: "The messenger said she twisted her foot and has already called for a doctor. The current situation is still unknown."

The 14th Prince's Consort, clutching her handkerchief, looked worried: "Your Highness, I need to go check on her."

The 14th Prince quickly said: "I'll accompany you."

The 14th Prince's Consort glanced at the children, somewhat conflicted, "Perhaps, Your Highness, you should stay and keep Weiqing and the others company."

Shen Zhinuo, eager to hear more about Wei Yun’s situation, immediately slipped off her chair, ran to the 14th Prince's Consort, took her hand, and looked up with her little head: "Auntie, Nuo Er wants to go with you to visit Lady Wei."

Seeing her sister speak first, Shen Weiqing swallowed the words on his lips and chimed in: "Yes, if we didn’t know, it’d be one thing, but since we’re here, we should go visit Lady Wei."

Since this was the plan all along, the 14th Prince's Consort smiled and agreed. The group went out, boarded the carriage, and set off for the Wei residence.

Dong Lai hurried ahead to the Wei residence to relay the 14th Prince’s instructions to Lady Wei.

Though Lady Wei was confused, she followed the instructions, having her maid wrap one of her feet in cotton and lying on the bed to wait.

Soon after, the 14th Prince and his consort arrived at the Wei residence with Shen Zhinuo and her siblings, going to the main courtyard to visit Lady Wei.

Lady Wei, seeing a royal grandson and two princesses visit, was so startled she nearly forgot she was supposed to be ill and sat up abruptly.

The 14th Prince's Consort quickly pushed her back down, giving her a pointed look: "Mother, you’ve hurt your foot—lie down quickly."

Shen Zhinuo and her siblings also stepped forward, each offering a few words of concern.

Lady Wei, flustered by the attention, apologized to the children: "Thank you, Your Highness, and thank you, young princesses. This old woman is alright."

Taking advantage of the conversation between the 14th Prince's Consort and Lady Wei, Shen Zhinuo didn't waste time, thinking in her heart: "Puppy, are you here?"

The little black dog jumped in front of Shen Zhinuo: "Young Mistress, A Tong is here."

Hearing the little girl call out to the dog, whether it was called A Tong or the dog A Tong, the 14th Prince's eyes lit up, and he instinctively looked at his wife to see if she could also hear.

The 14th Prince's Consort had only heard the 14th Prince mention the miraculous A Tong before and was extremely curious. Now, hearing the slightly strange male voice for the first time, her first reaction was also to look at the 14th Prince.

Seeing his wife's slightly excited expression, the 14th Prince knew she could also hear.

The couple exchanged a look and then turned their attention to Lady Wei on the bed.

Princess Wen'an, upon hearing Nuo Er call out to the dog again, nervously tugged at her second brother's sleeve. Shen Weiqing reached out and took his elder sister's hand. The siblings first glanced at the 14th Prince's Consort to ensure she could hear, then turned their gaze to Lady Wei.

Lady Wei kept holding the 14th Prince's Consort's hand and talking, her expression remaining unchanged.

The 14th Prince and his consort, along with Shen Weiqing and his siblings, breathed a sigh of relief for no apparent reason. They thought to themselves, it seems not everyone can hear Nuo Er and A Tong's conversation.

Shen Zhinuo, young and short, couldn't see everyone's expressions from where she stood. With her big eyes fixed on Lady Wei's face, she said, "Dog, scan Lady Wei's face to see if anything has happened to her."

The little black dog wagged its tail while circling Lady Wei, then flew back to Shen Zhinuo's side: "Young Master, Lady Wei is a minor character in this world, so there's only a brief mention of her."

Shen Zhinuo asked curiously, "Tell me about it."

The system said, "It's said that Lady Wei once had a happy family, but then unexpected changes happened. First, her eldest daughter, who married into the royal family, died in childbirth, and it was later discovered that it was the doing of a concubine's daughter in the family. The emperor was furious and accused Lord Wei of allowing his children to harm the royal lineage, stripping him of his official position and confiscating his family's property. The men were conscripted into the army, and the women were demoted to a lowly status. Beyond that, there is no further information about Lady Wei."

Even though she knew this wouldn't happen again, the 14th Prince's Consort's face still paled, and she felt a wave of fear. She thought to herself, fortunately, Nuo Er's timely reminder had saved their family from a tragic end.

Lady Wei noticed her daughter's odd expression and quickly sat up, holding her and anxiously checking her belly: "Wei Er, what's the matter? Are you feeling unwell?"

Hearing this, Shen Zhinuo also tilted her little head to look at the 14th Prince's Consort.

The 14th Prince's Consort smiled and said, "Mother, I'm fine, don't worry."

The 14th Prince then stepped forward, picked up Shen Zhinuo, and said to his wife, "Wei Er, you stay and chat with your mother; I'll take the children out to sit."

After they left, Lady Wei took her daughter's hand and whispered, "Tell me the truth, what are you and His Highness planning? Why did you suddenly have me feign illness and bring these distinguished guests to our home?"

The 14th Prince's Consort remembered her husband's instructions and didn't mention A Tong, casually changing the subject.

Shen Zhinuo was carried to the guest hall outside, where Wei Cang, who had already been summoned, quickly bowed and greeted everyone upon seeing them.

The 14th Prince told him to rise, and everyone sat down to drink tea and eat fruits.

Shen Zhinuo called out to the system again, "Dog, scan Wei Cang's face."

The system responded by circling Wei Cang, "Young Master, Wei Cang left the Imperial College that day and headed to the market..."

The system briefly summarized Wei Cang's experience that day for Shen Zhinuo.

After listening, the 14th Prince found that it matched both Wei Cang's account and his own investigation.

Shen Zhinuo and her siblings were hearing this for the first time and were completely stunned.

Shen Weiqing glanced at Wei Cang sitting across from him, seeing him with his head down and shoulders slumped, looking haggard and as if he had suffered a great blow, and couldn't help but feel sympathy.

He thought to himself, such a meticulous trap—even someone as clever as him might not have escaped it.

Princess Wen'an's young heart was shaken, and she stared in horror.

She had been sitting alone on a chair, but now she couldn't sit still any longer. She got up and walked over to Shen Zhinuo, tightly embracing her plump sister in her arms.

The world outside the palace was so frightening; she had to keep a close watch on her sister.

Shen Zhinuo hugged her sister's neck, pressing her face against hers, and asked angrily, "Who is so evil?"

The system said, "This can't be found out for now."

Shen Zhinuo asked, "Who is the masked man?"

The system replied, "I don't know."

Shen Zhinuo: "Who was the one that died?"

System: "I don't know either."

Shen Zhinuo: "Then in the original plot, what happened to Wei Cang in the end?"

System: "After learning that Wei Yun had harmed the 14th Prince's Consort and the child in order to save him, he left a confession and took his own life."

Shen Zhinuo sighed in her heart: "He was pitiful too."

Shen Weiqing also felt a pang of sorrow, his gaze towards Wei Cang growing more compassionate.

The 14th Prince thought to himself that although this brother-in-law had committed suicide out of fear of guilt, he was just a teenager, still a kid. It was somewhat responsible of him to clarify the matter before his death. However, Wei Cang didn't know that his death was in vain, as his family still suffered greatly.

Seeing him sitting there, looking utterly defeated, the 14th Prince couldn't bear it and patted him on the shoulder.

Wei Cang, lost in thought, was startled by the pat and suddenly sat up straight: "Your Highness?"

The 14th Prince's Consort, who had been hiding behind the door and heard everything, walked out and approached Wei Cang. She reached out and touched her brother's head, asking, "Is your third sister feeling any better?"

Wei Cang, too ashamed to look at his elder sister, lowered his eyes and shook his head: "She's still drowsy and sleeping."

The 14th Prince wondered if A Tong could scan her face while she was unconscious but decided to try anyway. He turned to Shen Zhinuo and said, "Nuo Er, your Imperial Aunt's younger sister is sick. Your Imperial Uncle is going with your Imperial Aunt to check on her. Would you like to come?"

"I'll go," Shen Zhinuo said without hesitation, stretching out her little arms for the 14th Prince to carry her.

Princess Wen'an couldn't bear to let go and quickly stood up with her sister in her arms: "Your elder sister will carry you."

The group then set off for Wei Yun's courtyard.