Chapter 47

Chapter 47

The little black dog darted around the little girl, wagging its tail, enthusiastically cheering, "Finish him off, finish him off!"

Emperor Chengwu watched helplessly as the chubby little girl trampled the nourishing pills he had just snatched from the Empress that morning. The corner of his mouth twitched uncontrollably in frustration.

The little girl, after stomping on the pills, tilted her head innocently and said, "Oops, the medicine’s ruined."

What could Emperor Chengwu say, or dare to say? He could only wave his hand and smile, "No harm done, it’s fine."

Shen Zhinuo gasped in shock. Even after being trampled like that, he still said it was fine? That must mean he still wants to eat them. This is just... he’ll do anything for immortality, won’t he?

Shen Zhinuo was even more furious, her little belly puffing out. But despite her anger, her little brain quickly came up with an idea.

The little girl squatted down, extended her chubby little hand full of dimples, picked up a piece of the crushed medicine, and ran back to the Old Emperor on her tiptoes. She held it up to his mouth in a serious voice, "Grandpa, Nuo Er will feed you the medicine."

Her chubby little hand, like a small bun, was about to poke into his mouth. Emperor Chengwu was both amused and exasperated, feeling a pang in his heart.

He meant that the medicine was a nourishing pill prepared by the Imperial Medical Bureau, not some rare and precious item. He could always have the Imperial Medical Bureau make more later.

But he couldn't explain all this in front of the little girl, nor did he want to eat the crushed medicine. He could only hold the little girl's chubby hand and lean his head back, saying, "Alright, alright, Nuo Er, give the medicine to Grandpa, and Grandpa will eat it later."

Seeing the Emperor outsmarted by the little girl, the Empress couldn't help but turn her head away, laughing. Princess Wen'an couldn’t help but laugh too, burying her face in the Empress's arms.

Shen Weiqing pursed his lips tightly to stifle his laughter, his handsome face turning red.

Shen Weiyan's lips curled up, and he patted his younger brother on the back, urging him to calm down before he collapsed with laughter.

Shen Zhinuo didn't want the Old Emperor to eat those stupid pills anyway. Since he refused, she naturally wouldn't force-feed him. She was just messing with him.

Seeing that he asked for it, she placed the medicine crumbs in his hand and surreptitiously wiped her sticky little hand on his dragon robe. Then, ignoring him, she ran over to the Empress.

Emperor Chengwu glanced at his sleeve, unable to hold back a chuckle, his beard trembling. This little girl sure knows how to hold a grudge.

Shen Zhinuo walked over to her grandmother and saw her sister burying her face in her grandmother's arm. She rested against her sister's arm, tilting her head to look at her curiously, "Sister, what are you doing?"

Princess Wen'an was still giggling, not daring to show her face, so she turned her head to the other side. Shen Zhinuo then moved to the other side to look, and Princess Wen'an had to turn her face again, continuing to hide.

Shen Zhinuo thought her sister was playing hide-and-seek to cheer her up.

She never liked to spoil the fun, so she giggled and extended her little hands to tickle her sister.

Princess Wen'an had been holding back for a while, and when her sister's little hands tickled her under the armpits, she burst out laughing, collapsing into the Empress's arms, "Grandma, save me, Nuo Er is tickling me."

The Empress hugged the little girl, also laughing, "Nuo Er, you little rascal!"

The little rascal, seeing her sister laughing so happily, clapped her hands and giggled.

With that, the others who had been holding back their laughter also burst out laughing. Shen Weiqing was particularly exaggerated, doubled over with laughter, clutching his stomach.

Shen Zhinuo had no idea what had come over her second brother, who suddenly laughed like that. She glanced at the Old Emperor, who was glaring at her second brother with a stern look.

Shen Zhinuo, fearing her second brother might lose his composure in front of the Emperor and get punished later, walked over and gave him a couple of light kicks with her little feet, kindly reminding him, "Second brother, get it together."

Shen Weiyan stepped forward, picked up his younger brother, and placed him back on the chair, holding back his laughter, "Yes, Nuo Er is right. In front of Grandpa, behave yourself."

Her eldest brother was always so reliable. Shen Zhinuo held her eldest brother's hand and gave him an appreciative smile.

Emperor Chengwu looked at the children laughing and playing before him, then imagined the miserable scene of being exiled in the freezing snow. His heart was heavy with conflicting emotions.

At that moment, he really wanted to give himself a few hard cuts.

He was truly out of his mind with foolishness. How could he have been so cruel to such lovely children?

Looking at his smiling old wife, and thinking of her dying alone in bed, Emperor Chengwu felt even more choked up.

This was his wife, who had accompanied him from a country bumpkin to the throne. He was so misguided that he had ignored her and treated their children so harshly.

He was truly power-crazed.

After laughing for a while, the children quieted down. Princess Wen'an lifted her plump sister and took her to the couch, removed her tiny shoes, then she also took off her shoes and got onto the couch.

Shen Zhinuo walked to the inside of the couch, fetched her toy box, took out a pile of small toys, selected a nine-linked ring, and handed it to Princess Wen'an: "Sister, play."

Then she also took a nine-linked ring: "Let's have a contest."

Princess Wen'an smiled and agreed, and the two sisters started playing with the nine-linked rings. Shen Weiyan sat next to his little sister to support her, while Shen Weiqing sat next to his older sister to offer her advice.

Shen Zhinuo's mind was not on the nine-linked rings. While randomly dismantling them, she sneaked a look at the Old Emperor, wondering: "Doggy, why has the Old Emperor been hanging around my grandmother's place all day? Doesn't he have court to attend?"

The little black dog wagged its tail: "Young Master, A Tong doesn't know."

The Empress looked at the Emperor, then at the door. She didn't say anything, but the meaning was clear: Nuo Er is already fed up with you, aren't you going to leave?

Emperor Chengwu had suffered a major blow last night. When he woke up, he felt a cold emptiness in his heart, realizing that in the face of filial piety and family happiness, the throne didn't matter that much.

Now he felt he was lacking in family affection. Having finally felt it at the Empress's place, how could he leave so easily?

So he ignored the Empress's urging gaze, casually sipping his tea.

Shen Zhinuo noticed the eye contact between her grandmother and the Old Emperor and noticed the contempt in her grandmother's eyes. She couldn't help but complain in her heart: "Doggy, how can someone be like that? My grandmother doesn't even want him here, yet he still won't leave. I really want to drive him away."

The little black dog said: "Drive him away."

Shen Zhinuo secretly glanced at the usually stern Old Emperor, still somewhat afraid of him. Spilling the medicine bottle could be excused as an accident, but driving the Emperor away, she didn't dare to be so bold.

Although the Old Emperor seemed to dote on her now, according to the original plot, she would be exiled this winter. So, she didn't think she was anything special in the Old Emperor's heart.

Even though the doggy would agree with whatever she said, it would be awkward to change her tune right after making a bold statement.

Shen Zhinuo thought for a moment and found a way to save face, "Forget it, he's such an old man, I won't drive him away. Let him stay if he likes."

The little black dog repeated: "Let him stay, stay."

Emperor Chengwu twitched his lips, stroked his beard, and looked at the Empress, asking with his eyes, "Am I that old?"

The Empress couldn't be bothered to respond, simply turned her body to watch the children play with the nine-linked rings.

Shen Zhinuo, watching their interaction, curiously asked: "Doggy, how did my grandmother fall for the Old Emperor back then when she seems to dislike him so much now?"

Hearing her sister ask this question, the siblings immediately became interested, pricking up their ears, eagerly waiting to hear.

The system: "Young Master, I need to re-scan the Old Emperor and the Empress."

Shen Zhinuo: "Doggy, go scan."

The little black dog first flew around the Empress, then around Emperor Chengwu, and then said: "Young Master, the story of the Old Emperor and the Empress is quite long."

Shen Zhinuo: "It's fine, we don't have anything important today, take your time."

The system said, "Back in the day, Emperor Chengwu, Shen Jingshan, was just a country bumpkin who made a living by escorting caravans. Apart from his brute strength, a decent set of martial arts skills, and a decent-looking face, he really had nothing to his name."

"He lived in a village with just a couple of acres of land and three rundown thatched cottages."

"His father, your great-grandfather, died early; his mother, your great-grandmother, was often in poor health; his only sister, your great-aunt, married off early to help pay for her mother's medicine."

Shen Zhinuo was getting a headache from the system's convoluted explanation and interrupted, "Doggy, just explain the relationship from my grandfather's side or from my side. Don't mix both, it's confusing me."

The system replied, "Alright, Little Master. Besides the old emperor, there were two other brothers in the family, making three unmarried brothers in total. To put it bluntly, the family was so poor they couldn't even afford wives for their sons."

Shen Zhinuo glanced at the old emperor, "I never realized the old emperor was so poor back then."

Having his past exposed by his granddaughter and Doggy in front of his other grandchildren, Emperor Chengwu's face turned red with embarrassment.

Princess Wen'an pretended to be engrossed in solving the nine-linked puzzle, while Shen Weiyan and Shen Weiqing casually picked up a trinket from the pile and pretended to play with it. All three children were dying to see Emperor Chengwu's expression but didn't dare to look up.

Unaware of her siblings' thoughts, Shen Zhinuo pressed on, "If the old emperor was so poor, what about my grandmother?"

The system explained, "The Empress's family name was Shi. The Shi family was a well-off family in the village, owning houses, shops, and a lot of land, with servants and able-bodied men."

"The Empress was not only the eldest daughter of the Shi family but also a local beauty. She was not only good-looking but also very capable, managing several rouge shops that were thriving."

"Back then, the Empress and the old emperor were like heaven and earth, completely mismatched in social standing."

Hearing this, the Empress shot Emperor Chengwu a smug look. See, Doggy is telling the truth.

Shen Zhinuo was puzzled, "Then why did my grandmother marry the old emperor?"

The system continued, "Originally, they had no connection. But later, the old emperor and his two brothers helped the Shi family transport goods to another region, which happened to be the rouge shop's merchandise. That's how they met. However, at that time, your grandmother wasn't interested in the old emperor. It was the old emperor who fell in love with her at first sight and was determined to marry her."

Shen Zhinuo tilted her head and sneakily glanced at Emperor Chengwu, noticing his face was slightly red. She didn't pay much attention, thinking he was just overheated from wearing too much.

The system went on, "After that escort job, the young old emperor left your third grandfather at home to take care of your great-grandmother and only took your second grandfather with him. The two brothers took on some dangerous jobs to earn a large sum of money and bought a big house in the countryside."

Shen Zhinuo was curious, "What kind of jobs were so profitable?"

Now, not only the children but even the Empress looked at Emperor Chengwu. Back then, she had asked Shen Jingshan why he suddenly had so much money, and he only said he had done some business. But what kind of business, he never revealed.

Emperor Chengwu, seeing his wife's inquisitive gaze, wanted to cover Doggy's mouth to stop him from speaking, afraid of scaring the two young girls and upsetting his wife. But he couldn't, as he didn't even know where the dog was.

The system said, "During that time, the old emperor worked as an assassin, taking money to kill people."

Everyone was stunned, and Shen Zhinuo's hands stopped playing with the nine-linked puzzle, "Who did he kill?"

The system replied, "Who he killed is unknown."

Shen Zhinuo asked, "Were they good people or bad people?"

The system explained, "The old emperor had his principles. Before taking any job, he would investigate the target. He wouldn't kill anyone who wasn't utterly wicked and deserving of death. So, the jobs were difficult, but the pay was high."

Hearing this, Shen Weiyan and Shen Weiqing looked at the old emperor with admiration, especially Shen Weiqing, whose gaze was almost worshipful.

Shen Zhinuo nodded her little head and continued playing with the nine-linked puzzle, "As long as he killed bad people, it's fine. Doggy, go on."

The system continued, "After buying the house, the old emperor immediately took a matchmaker to propose marriage."

"Unfortunately, a wealthy family from the neighboring village, the Wang family, also came to propose marriage. The Wang and Shi families had long-standing business relations, and the elders had already privately agreed on the marriage. So, the Wang family came with the array of betrothal gifts."

"The Wang family's young master was quite handsome, and with his family's wealth, he sneered at the plainly dressed old emperor, pointing at the array of betrothal gifts and challenging the old emperor to match them."

Even though Shen Zhinuo doesn’t care for the Old Emperor anymore, when she heard someone had the nerve to challenge the Old Emperor for her grandmother’s hand, and that person was also a snob, the little girl instinctively sided with her grandfather: “What gives him the right to look down on others?”

The system: “It’s also because the Old Emperor had been poor for so long. Once he came into money, his first thought was to buy a house and propose. He completely forgot to dress himself properly.”

Shen Zhinuo nodded, feeling that A Tong made a good point. While it’s not right to judge by looks, clothes make the man, and appearances always matter.

“What happened next?”

The system: “The Old Emperor didn’t give a second thought to the young master of the Wang family. He simply told the Shi family patriarch he wanted to meet their eldest daughter and hear her thoughts directly.”

“The Old Emperor’s actions were downright brash and rude. Naturally, the Shi family patriarch and his two sons refused. At first, they tried to politely show him the door, but the Old Emperor dug in his heels and refused to budge, insisting on seeing your grandmother.”

“When the Shi family couldn’t get rid of him, they called in the servants to throw him out. In the chaos, someone threw the first punch, and it ended with the Old Emperor taking on over a dozen of the Shi family’s toughest men and laying them all out.”

Shen Weiqing gave the Old Emperor a thumbs-up, silently mouthing, “Grandfather’s a beast.”

Emperor Chengwu’s mouth twitched, and he shot his grandson a fierce glare. “Brat, you’ve got some nerve mocking your grandfather.”

The system: “After the fight, seeing the men groaning on the ground, Emperor Chengwu finally cooled off. With all the commotion and your grandmother not showing her face, he knew the marriage was a lost cause. He first bowed deeply to the Shi family patriarch, left all the money he had for medical bills, and then took off.”

Shen Zhinuo: “After all that, he just walked away?”

The Empress glared at Emperor Chengwu. “See, even Nuo Er knows you messed up.”

The system: “Yeah, Emperor Chengwu had his two younger brothers handle the move to the new house while he went off to clear his head. Actually, he went back to being a hitman, but this time not for the money—just to blow off some steam.”

“He returned a few months later, and the moment he stepped into the village, your grandmother cornered him in the street. The second she saw him, your grandmother let him have it with her whip, no questions asked.”

Remembering how her grandmother died alone, Shen Zhinuo felt a grim satisfaction. “Serves him right.”

Seeing the little chubby girl clenching her fists, as if cheering her on, the Empress couldn’t help but smile and gently rubbed the little girl’s furry head.

Shen Zhinuo looked up at the Empress, her eyes curving as she gave her a sweet smile.

Then she continued to ask: “After my grandmother whipped the Old Emperor, did he fight back?”

The system: “No, the Old Emperor never laid a hand on your grandmother in his life. That day, after your grandmother finished whipping him, she pointed at him and scolded him, saying he ruined her marriage and then just left without a word, completely irresponsible.”

Shen Zhinuo listened with great interest: “What happened next?”

The system: “Then they got together. Back then, the Old Emperor single-handedly defeated all the strong men of the Shi family, left medical expenses, and left decisively. Your grandmother saw all this in secret.”

“And that young master of the Wang family, when the fight broke out, hid behind his father in fear. One was brave and strong, the other was a coward. The contrast was obvious. Plus, the Old Emperor was indeed very handsome when he was young. It was only natural for your grandmother to choose him over the young master Wang.”

Shen Zhinuo thought of her father’s handsome face and remembered her grandmother saying that her father looked very much like the Old Emperor when he was young, and she said seriously: “Beauty loves the hero, I understand.”

Hearing the little girl’s voice pretending to be mature, Emperor Chengwu and the Empress looked at each other, both feeling embarrassed.

The system added: “Actually, your grandmother didn’t just fall for the Old Emperor’s looks. Mainly, the world was already in turmoil back then. Your grandmother felt that marrying a timid and weak man, no matter how rich, wouldn’t last. Choosing the Old Emperor, who could fight and would risk his life in trouble, at least could protect herself and her children. Sure enough, not long after they got married, the world fell into chaos.”

Shen Zhinuo looked at the Empress with admiration: “My grandmother really had a good eye, choosing the founding emperor at first sight.”

The system: “Of course, the Young Master’s grandmother is no ordinary person.”

Everyone couldn’t help but laugh silently seeing A Tong acting like a sycophant in front of Nuo Er.

Shen Zhinuo: “What happened later, after the Old Emperor became emperor, what about his family?”

The system: “Your great-grandmother had already died of illness and didn’t live to see the Old Emperor ascend the throne. Your second grandfather drowned in a lake while drunk. Your third grandfather died in battle while following the Old Emperor to conquer the world. Your eldest aunt had a tragic fate—her whole family died in the chaos of war.”

Shen Zhinuo: "So they didn't have any descendants?"

The Narrator: "Your third grandfather wasn’t married when he was fighting to establish the empire. Your second grandfather had two sons. The eldest son was honest but lacked talent and couldn't become an official. The Old Emperor, in recognition of your second grandfather's contributions, bestowed upon him the title of a prince and sent him back to his hometown to live a good life."

"Your second grandfather also had a younger son, who was talented in both literature and martial arts. However, a few years after your second grandfather's death, he left the capital heartbroken and wandered the mountains and rivers."

Shen Zhinuo: "No wonder I've never seen him. Where is my second grandfather's younger son now?"

The Narrator: "That remains unknown. In the storyline related to the Old Emperor, only this much is revealed."

Since they were all distant relatives, A Tong didn't know, and Shen Zhinuo didn't pursue the matter further.

She glanced at the Empress and then at the Old Emperor, and couldn't help but ask: "My grandmother and the Old Emperor fell in love of their own accord, so why did the Old Emperor still take so many concubines? If he hadn't taken so many concubines, he wouldn't have had so many sons, and no one would have rebelled against him. The family could have lived happily together. That would have been much better."

Hearing the little girl's words, the Empress glanced at Emperor Chengwu.

Even with his thick skin, Emperor Chengwu couldn't stay any longer and stood up: "Well, Empress, I still have memorials to review. I'll go to the Imperial Study first and join you and the children for dinner later."

This had touched a nerve, and he was too embarrassed to stay. The Empress sneered inwardly but still smiled and stood up, "Your Majesty, let me see you off."

Emperor Chengwu quickly pressed the Empress's shoulder, making her sit back down: "No need, I'll go by myself. You stay seated."

With that, he ignored the children who had already stood up to bow to him and strode away hurriedly, his back giving off a sense of fleeing in panic.

Although the Old Emperor had many flaws, he was a very diligent emperor, busy with state affairs all year round. Shen Zhinuo knew this and didn't think much of it.

But with this interruption, the little girl forgot what they had been discussing earlier. After a moment of thought and failing to recall, she decided not to bother.

She got up and threw herself into her eldest brother Shen Weiyan's arms, hugging his neck and pointing outside: "Brother, Nuo Er wants to go out and play."

Most of the people in her grandmother's palace had been taken care of, so she needed to go out and see if she could encounter any new people to handle.

At the palace banquet yesterday, she had only focused on having the dogs deal with the Imperial Uncles and had forgotten about the concubines.

Shen Weiyan held his chubby sister and looked at the Empress. The Empress smiled and nodded: "Go ahead, the weather is pleasant. Take a stroll in the garden."

Shen Zhinuo clapped her little hands: "To the garden, Nuo Er wants to go to the garden." When the weather was good, the concubines enjoyed strolling in the garden.

Shen Weiyan nodded, smiling as he gently pinched his sister's round little face: "Alright, big brother will take you."

After saying that, he picked up one of the little girl's feet and gave his brother a look.

Shen Weiqing immediately picked up the little shoes and knelt down to put them on the little girl.

Princess Wen'an also got down, and the four children paid their respects to the Empress before heading out of Fengyi Palace, strolling towards the Imperial Garden.

---

Emperor Chengwu left Fengyi Palace and headed to the Imperial Study, giving orders as he walked: "Summon the Crown Prince and the 11th Prince to see me."

Kang Yuande acknowledged the order and whispered a few words to the eunuch following him. The eunuch quickly went to summon them.

Arriving at the Imperial Study, Emperor Chengwu drank a cup of tea and waved his hand, signaling Kang Yuande to leave. Then he called out: "Liang Quan."

Liang Quan emerged from the shadows, kneeling on one knee: "Your Majesty."

Emperor Chengwu: "How is Consort Jing's palace?"

Liang Quan: "Your Majesty, Consort Jing's palace was in uproar all night last night."

Emperor Chengwu: "What was the cause of the uproar?"

Liang Quan: "Consort Jing accused Secondary Consort Li of being a poisonous woman, saying she manipulated the 13th Prince and made him harbor thoughts of seizing the throne. She also claimed that the 13th Prince's current situation is entirely Secondary Consort Li's doing."

Emperor Chengwu sneered, "Isn't Secondary Consort Li Consort Jing's niece? Back then, she was highly praised. How come she's now called a poisonous woman?"

This was a complaint, and Liang Quan did not respond, standing silently instead.

Emperor Chengwu glanced at him, "What did Secondary Consort Li say?"

Liang Quan continued, "Secondary Consort Li was upset and cried non-stop. However, from her sobbing, it seems that her brother's wife mocked her upon learning that she would be following the 13th Prince to his fief in Baiyue. Secondary Consort Li was humiliated and went to complain to the 13th Prince."

Emperor Chengwu: "Investigate Secondary Consort Li's brother's wife. Find out if it's just petty arguments among women or if someone intentionally provoked Secondary Consort Li."

Liang Quan bowed, "Yes."

Emperor Chengwu: "Also, in the next couple of days, you and your men monitor closely the harem. If anyone dares to secretly send messages out, intercept them all."

Liang Quan acknowledged once more.

Emperor Chengwu couldn't think of anything else for the moment and waved him off.

Liang Quan bowed and left. He had just walked a few steps and was about to jump onto the high back window of the hall when Emperor Chengwu spoke again, "Did you hear everything in Yonghe Hall yesterday?"

Liang Quan, halfway through his jump, felt a pang of fear, lost his strength, and fell to the ground with a thud, spraining his ankle.

He grimaced in pain, clenched his teeth, and bore it without touching his foot. Moments later, when he looked up, there was no sign of discomfort. He turned and respectfully said, "Your Majesty, I did hear."

Emperor Chengwu: "These are family matters, and I didn't want outsiders to hear. But these matters truly require your investigation, so I didn't have you leave at the time, to avoid having to explain everything to you later."

Liang Quan was momentarily taken aback, then knelt on one knee and bowed, "Thank you for Your Majesty's trust."

Liang Quan's momentary daze was fleeting, but Emperor Chengwu still noticed and slightly frowned, "What is it?"

Liang Quan: "What does Your Majesty mean?"

Emperor Chengwu asked cautiously, "You didn't hear anything strange, did you?"

Liang Quan looked confused, his eyes filled with confusion, "I don't know what Your Majesty is referring to."

Emperor Chengwu studied him for a moment, then waved his hand, "Never mind, carry on."

Liang Quan acknowledged, bowed, and took his leave. This time, he successfully jumped onto the high window and disappeared.

Outside, Kang Yuande reported at the door, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince and the 11th Prince have arrived."

Emperor Chengwu: "Let them in."

The two brothers paid their respects to Emperor Chengwu.

Emperor Chengwu smiled warmly and spoke kindly, "Please, take a seat."

The two brothers expressed their gratitude and sat down in order.

With so many rebellious sons in the past, Emperor Chengwu now looked at these two sons with great favor. He couldn't help but examine them for a while longer, and only after satisfying his gaze did he speak, "Eldest son, regarding what A Tong mentioned, do you have any plans?"

The Crown Prince hurriedly rose and knelt, kowtowing with a thud, and spoke earnestly and loudly, "Your Majesty, I believe my younger brothers are all talented and capable, whether in leading troops or governing the country. They are no less than I am."

"I was thinking of relinquishing my position as Crown Prince to one of my younger brothers. I could take my wife and children to a serene place and live a leisurely life as a carefree prince."

The 11th Prince's icy expression showed a slight crack. On the way here, his elder brother had not mentioned this. He hadn't expected such a turn of events upon arrival.