Chapter 21

Chapter 21

A Tong knew about this? The Crown Prince and Princess exchanged surprised glances.

Shen Zhinuo was surprised too. "Doggy, you didn’t know about the masked person who went after Wei Cang and Wei Yun before, so how do you know now? Is there a pattern here?"

System: "Young Master, you’re the one who said it was a masked person."

Shen Zhinuo: "..."

"Alright, who tried to harm my grandmother using Nanny Fang?"

System: "It was Nanny Dou, the steward from Consort Kang’s palace."

The little girl then asked, "Did Consort Kang order it?"

System: "I don’t know, we’d need to scan Nanny Dou’s face to find out."

The Crown Prince and Princess were shocked it was Consort Kang and turned to the Empress.

The Empress raised her hand, signaling them to wait.

Shen Zhinuo: "Doggy, what did they do to Nanny Fang’s grandsons to threaten her?"

The system searched for a while and answered, "Nanny Dou described Nanny Fang’s grandsons in detail, even what they did and ate today."

The Empress glanced at Nanny Fang leaving with the maids, thinking there was a traitor among them.

Shen Zhinuo didn’t think of that and just asked, "How did Nanny Dou know?"

System: "It’s not mentioned in the plot."

Shen Zhinuo: "Any other info on Nanny Fang?"

System: "Nothing else."

Shen Zhinuo looked up and saw Nanny Fang leaving with the maids who had served the dishes. The little girl grew anxious, "I need to warn Nanny Fang."

Her stomach growled, and she covered it, saying, "Doggy, I’m hungry."

The Empress couldn’t stand her granddaughter being hungry and said, "Nuo Er, Hui Er, come eat."

Nanny Fang called the maids to bring water basins, and everyone washed their hands before sitting down.

The Empress fed Shen Zhinuo while the Crown Prince and others began eating.

Everyone ate quietly, following royal etiquette and hoping to hear the girl’s conversation with A Tong.

But the girl was too busy eating to say anything.

Everyone exchanged glances, thinking the conversation was over since the girl was young and forgetful.

But after eating, she remembered and asked, "Doggy, what about the other maid?"

The system popped up again, "The other maid, Cai E, arrived with Yin Die. Unlike Yin Die, she’s attractive, ambitious, and always trying to climb the ranks."

Shen Zhinuo was curious, "I often come to my grandmother’s place and see Cai E frequently, but she seems quite disciplined, and I haven’t seen her do anything out of line."

System: "Young Master, you’re a three-year-old child, she has no demands on you, so naturally, she is disciplined. But every time your father comes to Fengyi Palace alone, this Cai E always competes to serve in front of the Crown Prince, trying every way to catch his attention."

The Crown Prince was holding a teacup and drinking tea when he paused upon hearing this. "Really?"

Shen Zhinuo: "What about my father? Did he do anything?"

The Crown Princess looked at the Crown Prince, silently asking the same question with her eyes.

The Crown Prince looked utterly bewildered, his entire demeanor screaming "It’s not my problem."

Seeing this, the Crown Princess couldn't help but laugh. She knew her husband too well and was certain he had done nothing in response.

Sure enough, the next moment, the system answered: "Your father never even looked her way."

Shen Zhinuo felt relieved: "I’ve always said my dad’s the best in the world. What happened next?"

The system continued: "Cai E's dream of entering the Eastern Palace was shattered, so she turned her attention to other princes, thinking that as long as she could marry into the royal family, it didn't matter which prince it was."

The Crown Princess and the Empress remained composed, sitting steadily. In the palace, what woman didn’t want to climb the ladder? Such thoughts were perfectly normal.

Wanting to move up was understandable, and Shen Zhinuo wasn't particularly shocked. She just asked curiously: "Which of my uncles did she go after?"

The system: "She was interested in a few, but the one she spent the most effort trying to get close to was your 11th uncle."

Thinking of her stern, cold-faced 11th uncle, Shen Zhinuo was somewhat surprised: "I'm even a little scared of my 11th uncle. She actually went after him?"

The system: "Because the 11th Prince is the Empress's own son, he often comes to Fengyi Palace to pay his respects to the Empress. Cai E had more opportunities to see him than other princes, so her odds were better."

Shen Zhinuo: "That makes sense. So, how did my 11th uncle respond to her?"

The system: "The 11th Prince is naturally aloof. In his eyes, these maids are just like birds, fish, or flowers to him."

Shen Zhinuo speculated: "So, Cai E gave up on my 11th uncle and changed her target again?"

The system: "Young Master, you guessed wrong. She always thought she only wanted a life of luxury, until one time, she accidentally offended a high-ranking concubine who was at odds with the Empress. The eunuch by the concubine's side slapped her more than a dozen times. Coincidentally, the 11th Prince happened to pass by, kicked the eunuch away, and took Cai E back to Fengyi Palace right in front of the concubine. From then on, Cai E fell deeply in love with the 11th Prince and couldn't extricate herself."

"Before, she occasionally dared to show some attentiveness in front of the 11th Prince, but after that, she held back, feeling unworthy."

"Later, when your family had an incident, nearly everyone in the Empress’s palace was gone, but she stayed, just like Yin Die. Yin Die wasn't good with words, while Cai E was clever and handled outside matters."

"Later, when she went to collect charcoal for the Empress and didn't get any, she argued with the Xixin Department staff and ended up in a fight. The eunuch in charge of the Xixin Department ordered her to be severely beaten, and she was badly hurt, but she still insisted on serving until the Empress passed away."

"After the Empress's death, she spent all her savings to get herself in to accompany the imprisoned 11th Prince."

"However, the beating she suffered back then wasn't treated in time, leaving her with a chronic illness. She didn’t survive long by his side before she died, but dying by his side was her final wish."

Shen Zhinuo: "What happened to my 11th uncle in the end?"

The system: "Young Master, all we know is the 11th Prince was imprisoned after breaking his leg. To know the specifics, you'd need to scan his face."

Everyone listened sadly.

Shen Zhinuo also fell silent for a while before saying: "Now that things are different in my 14th uncle’s family, our family might be okay too, my Imperial Grandmother might be fine, my 11th uncle might not have any accidents, and Cai E might have a different ending too."

The system: "Young Master, all the 'mights' you mentioned are possible. I’ve seen other worlds where strange changes happened."

Shen Zhinuo rested her little face in her hands, "I hope our world changes for the better. But I can't just sit and wait. How can I remind my Imperial Grandmother about these things?"

The system didn't know either, so it didn't respond.

Just as she was worrying, she heard the Empress say: "Yin Die, go fetch Nanny Fang and Cai E."

Yin Die obeyed and went out, soon returning with Nanny Fang and Cai E.

The Empress took Nanny Fang's hand: "I’ve been missing your three grandsons. Tomorrow, go home and bring them into the palace to accompany me for a day."

Nanny Fang had previously brought her grandsons into the palace to pay respects to the Empress more than once, so this request was not out of the ordinary. Nanny Fang smiled and promptly thanked her.

Shen Zhinuo's eyes lit up upon hearing this: "Doggy, I’ll come to Grandmother’s place tomorrow too. Perhaps seeing the three children, I can think of a way to remind her."

The system: "The Young Master is right."

Regarding Nanny Fang's matter, the Empress had already made plans in her heart. Hearing this, she thought about putting on a little show for her granddaughter the next day to completely set the child's mind at ease.

At such a young age, overthinking can be harmful.

To prevent the little girl from worrying about the affairs of her palace, the Empress also said to Cai E and Yin Die: "You two have served by my side for many years, and you’ve both done well. I’ll arrange your marriages later. If you have your eyes on someone, come and tell me."

Both Yin Die and Cai E were delighted and quickly knelt to kowtow: "We thank the Empress."

Shen Zhinuo asked again: "Cai E isn’t in love with my 11th Imperial Uncle yet, is she?"

The system: "Not yet, she’s still fixated on the Crown Prince."

Shen Zhinuo was reassured about her father and now knew that Cai E didn't have any bad intentions. Bumping into a wall wasn't a big deal, so she didn't ask further.

After thinking for a while, she said: "What if we check all the palace staff in Fengyi Palace?"

It was getting late, and the little girl was showing signs of sleepiness. The Empress felt concerned and quickly said: "I am a bit tired. Crown Prince, Crown Princess, take the children to rest."

Some things can wait. Besides, now that she had been reminded, Nuo Er didn’t need to help her screen everyone individually. Otherwise, she wouldn't be worthy of being the Empress.

Thinking of the demons and monsters in the harem, the Empress, who had been complacent for years, suddenly felt a surge of determination.

The Crown Princess and the Crown Prince, taking the Empress's hint, stood up, took the children, paid their respects, and left.

On the way back, Shen Zhinuo was still cradled in her father’s arms. Her father's embrace was very steady, and her mother walked beside him, holding her little hand, while her older siblings whispered softly behind them.

The little girl gazed at the stars and the moon shimmering in the night sky, feeling very happy, and she giggled. Laughing, she yawned, rubbed her little head against her father's chest, and soon fell asleep.

After the children left, Fengyi Palace instantly quieted down.

The Empress waved the others away, leaving only Nanny Fang.

The Empress often kept Nanny Fang alone to chat with her, so Nanny Fang didn't think much of it and stood by the couch, gently massaging the Empress's shoulders.

The Empress took her hand, stopped her, and pointed to the chair in front: "Fang Qin, sit down, I have something to tell you."