Chapter 50

Chapter 50

The palace is rife with intrigue and power struggles, and open conflicts are nothing new. Growing up in such an environment, Shen Weiyan had heard plenty of shocking and sinister tales, but it was the first time he saw the masters directly engage in a physical fight, and in such a barbaric manner.

The young man was stunned, snapping back to reality only when he heard his sister call him. He reached out to pick up his sister, patting her little head and saying, "Nuo Er, don't be scared."

Held in her elder brother's arms, Shen Zhinuo felt safe from her fierce aunts and relaxed a bit.

She hugged her brother's neck, turning her little head to look with big, confused eyes, "Brother, why are the aunts fighting?"

Princess Wen'an tensed up at Nuo Er's question, worried her sister might catch on, and tugged at her elder brother's sleeve.

"Big brother doesn't know either," Shen Weiyan said, unable to explain, and secretly kicked his younger brother, who was wide-eyed at the spectacle.

Shen Weiqing looked at his elder brother, who glanced at Nuo Er, and instantly got the hint. Feigning shock, he said, "Oh my, how did this fight start out of nowhere?"

Shen Zhinuo nudged her second brother's head, "Second brother, go break up the fight."

Shen Weiqing didn't want to step in. Both aunts were elders, and he couldn't use force to pull them apart, but without force, what if they scratched him?

Besides, it was his first time seeing women fight, and he wasn't ready to stop watching.

So Shen Weiqing clung to his elder brother's shoulder, hiding behind him and shaking his head vigorously, "It's too scary, second brother doesn't dare go."

Not stepping in himself, Shen Weiqing also pulled his anxious elder sister to his side, "Hui Er, watch out, don't get hit by the flying hairpins."

Hearing his younger brother's tone, which sounded concerned but was actually a bit gleeful, Shen Weiyan shot him a sidelong glance, signaling him to cool it.

Getting his elder brother's warning look, Shen Weiqing touched his nose and stayed quiet.

The two princesses, pulling and tugging at each other, yanked out hairpins and ornaments, tossing them to the ground with a clatter.

Two maids, standing at a distance and whispering, heard the commotion and looked over to see their mistresses suddenly fighting without a word.

Their faces pale with fright, they hurried over, "Princess!" "Princess!"

Not knowing what had happened, they reached the scene, unsure whether to break up the fight or join in, and could only squeeze between their mistresses, using their bodies to shield their princesses, pleading nonstop.

"Stop fighting, princess." "Please, stop."

But the Eleventh Princess and the Thirteenth Princess were locked in a fierce battle and wouldn't be easily stopped.

Seeing them fight more fiercely, completely out of control, Shen Weiyan tried to intervene, but they ignored him.

Feeling anxious, Shen Zhinuo also called out in her little voice, "Aunts, stop fighting."

But the two kept fighting.

Helpless, Shen Weiyan glanced at his younger brother, who seemed eager to cheer them on, "Weiqing, stop watching and go get help."

Shen Weiqing asked, "Who should I call? Grandmother? Or mother?"

Shen Weiyan thought for a moment and said, "Grandmother just celebrated her birthday yesterday, let's not upset her today. Mother's busy too. Go call grandfather."

Shen Weiqing got his elder brother's meaning—this was grandfather's mess, let him handle it. So he took off to find the emperor.

The pavilion wasn't very spacious to begin with, and with the two princesses pulling and pushing, plus the two maids who joined in, it got even more crowded. Shen Weiyan, holding Nuo Er and leading Hui Er, had to hide in a corner, almost getting bumped.

Seeing that his attempts to intervene were futile, he decided to stop caring. Holding Nuo Er and leading Hui Er, he edged out of the pavilion.

The sun was high and a bit scorching, so he led his sisters to wait under the Chinese parasol tree.

Princess Eleventh and Thirteenth Princess had recovered, but both were afraid of repeating the earlier incident, so neither dared to speak again, just pulling at each other.

Shen Weiqing, quick on his feet, hurried to the imperial study and informed Emperor Chengwu and the Crown Prince about the situation. They immediately rose and made their way to the royal garden.

Kang Yuande naturally followed, but Emperor Chengwu waved his hand: "No need to hurry, just follow at your own pace."

Kang Yuande complied but couldn't help but wonder. The Emperor had been keeping things from him recently. Had he done something to displease the Emperor?

But judging by the Emperor's attitude towards him, it didn't seem so.

After much thought without reaching a conclusion, he decided not to dwell on it. He would simply do as the Emperor commanded, focusing solely on serving His Majesty well.

Shen Weiqing, fearing he might miss something exciting, held Emperor Chengwu's arm and urged, "Grandfather, hurry, lest my aunts get hurt."

As women, how much harm could they really do to each other? Emperor Chengwu wasn't worried about that, but he was very curious about why his two daughters were fighting.

As far as he knew, Princess Eleventh and Thirteenth Princess had always been on good terms, often seen walking arm in arm.

But his curiosity about the commotion wasn't something he could voice, lest he seem undignified. So he agreed, "Weiqing is right, your aunts are both quite hot-tempered. We should hurry."

With their minds in agreement, the grandfather and grandson quickened their pace, soon outpacing the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince, seeing his father, who hadn't walked briskly in years, now striding energetically, couldn't help but feel amused.

He shook his head and hurried to catch up, reminding them, "Father, since you're eager to know what's happening, we can ask Weiqing now. You're unwell today, so it's better not to walk so fast."

Hearing that Emperor Chengwu was unwell, Shen Weiqing quickly slowed him down, "Grandfather, no need to rush. I'll explain everything."

Emperor Chengwu realized this was true and nodded, "I was too hasty. Tell me quickly, what happened?"

Shen Weiqing then gave a concise yet vivid account of what A Tong had said about the two princesses in the royal garden.

Having heard too many tales of his sons' misdeeds, Emperor Chengwu wasn't shocked by his daughters' actions, just found it absurd. They didn't fight when they heard about betraying each other, but fought over a man?

Did they prioritize men over their own lives? Emperor Chengwu found it hard to comprehend.

When the three arrived at the royal garden, Princess Eleventh and Thirteenth Princess were both weeping and worn out, sitting on the ground, still clutching each other's hair, showing no sign of letting go.

Their maids knelt beside them, pleading without success.

From afar, Shen Weiqing saw his aunts disheveled, regretting he missed the excitement.

The Crown Prince couldn't help but twitch his mouth. The palace valued rules, with strict regulations against fighting. Any grievances were usually settled with poison or underhanded methods, but on the surface, everyone maintained a dignified appearance.

In all his years in the palace, whether among the masters or the servants, he had never seen anyone dare to fight so openly.

In normal times, Emperor Chengwu would have severely punished them.

But times had changed. His expectations for his children had greatly lowered. As long as they didn't plot rebellion or try to kill him, they were good children in his eyes.

Thinking of those sons who had fought to the death, seeing his two daughters pulling each other's hair and crying, Emperor Chengwu didn't feel angry at all. He found them somewhat amusing, even a little cute.

Shen Zhinuo, seeing her aunts crying from the fight, was genuinely worried. Held in her elder brother's arms, she looked alternately at her aunts and the direction her second brother had run off to, thus being the first to notice him returning with their grandfather and father.

Their saviors had arrived. The little girl finally breathed a sigh of relief and waved her small hand at Emperor Chengwu, "Grandfather, come quickly, the aunts are fighting."

Emperor Chengwu walked over, stopping Shen Weiyan and Princess Wen'an from paying their respects, and took Nuo Er's small round hand, "Nuo Er, were you frightened?"

"Nuo Er isn't scared," Shen Zhinuo shook her head, pointing her little hand towards the pavilion, "Grandpa, quick, the aunts are in tears."

Emperor Chengwu patted the little girl's head to comfort her, "Alright, Grandpa will go and see."

After soothing his granddaughter, Emperor Chengwu looked at his eldest grandson and gently instructed, "Wei Yan, take your siblings and go play up ahead."

Some things weren't fit for the little girl to hear, and with her presence, certain things couldn't be discussed.

Moreover, elder's private matters should not be witnessed by the younger generation; the aunts deserve some respect.

Shen Weiyan agreed and nodded upon hearing this. He scooped up Nuo Er and took Hui Er by the hand, called for Wei Qing, and turned to walk away.

Once the kids were a good distance away, Emperor Chengwu walked towards the pavilion with his hands behind his back, his expression stern, "What are you two doing?"

The two maids, each with their mistress and earnestly persuading them, looked up upon hearing the voice and were shocked to see the Emperor and the Crown Prince. Their faces turned pale instantly, and they quickly released their mistresses, bowing low to the ground, not daring to offer greetings.

As per palace protocol, when the masters make mistakes, the maids are also punished, often more severely.

With the two princesses fighting so publicly, the maids were terrified for their lives, especially since they didn't even know why their mistresses were fighting. They felt completely unjustly treated.

The two maids were a bundle of nerves, tears streaming down their faces.

Princess Eleventh and Thirteenth Princess, noticing the arrival of the Emperor and the Crown Prince, also changed their expressions, finally let go of each other's hair and hurriedly kneeling to pay their respects.

Emperor Chengwu walked up the steps into the pavilion and nonchalantly took a seat on a stone bench.

The Crown Prince waved his hand and said to the two maids, "You two, step back and wait over there."

Seeing the usually lenient Crown Prince take the lead, the two maids felt their lives were spared. They were ecstatic and deeply grateful, bowed twice before hastily retreating to a distance.

After the maids had gone, Emperor Chengwu pointed to the stone bench beside him, "Crown Prince, sit."

The Crown Prince obliged, sitting beside the Emperor.

Emperor Chengwu quietly observed his two disheveled daughters, his tone severe, "For shame, as princesses, brawling in the imperial garden, and in front of the children. Tell me, is this not disgraceful?"

Princess Eleventh and Thirteenth Princess, brimming with fight-induced resentment, dared not vent it towards the Emperor and only answered meekly, "Disgraceful."

Emperor Chengwu snorted coldly, "I, too, find it utterly disgraceful. Especially you two, if you were fighting for each other's lives, I wouldn't say anything, but you were fighting over a man."

"Think about your status, you are the most noble royal princesses. Fighting like this over a man, where is your dignity?"

As he spoke, Emperor Chengwu pointed at them, "Back in my village, even in rural areas, it was rare to see something like this, wallowing in the dirt, completely shameful."

Princess Eleventh retorted, "The man I liked was taken by Twelfth because Thirteenth blabbed everywhere."

Thirteenth Princess stiffened her neck, "And what about the man I liked? Didn't you go to Twelfth and talk, so she took him?"

Hearing this, Emperor Chengwu became even angrier, slapping the stone table, "If you've got what it takes, either go settle accounts with Twelfth or take him back. Arguing here is utterly meaningless."

Upon hearing this, the two princesses, like eggplants hit by frost in autumn, instantly wilted, their previously straight backs slumping as they knelt on the ground, muttering softly.

"Who can compete with her?"

"Who dares to compete with her?"

"I don't have that ability."

Seeing them so cowardly now, Emperor Chengwu sneered, "Look at your spinelessness; no wonder you got walked all over."

Hearing this, the Thirteenth Princess felt extremely uncomfortable and muttered softly, "Father, do you think this is some kind of world where the strongest can just take whatever they want? He's a living, breathing man with his own will and heart. Do you really think it's that simple to just take him?"

Princess Eleventh nodded in agreement, whispering, "Exactly."

Emperor Chengwu was rendered speechless by his daughters' retorts. Remembering his own struggles in marrying the Empress, he chose not to scold them further.

He then asked, "Then tell me, why did the 12th Princess take the men you were interested in?"

At this, Princess Eleventh and the Thirteenth Princess immediately became angry again, "How should we know?"

Princess Eleventh twisted her handkerchief in frustration, "That 12th Princess, she's just impossible. She not only takes the men we like but also everything else we fancy. It's completely ridiculous."

Emperor Chengwu and the Crown Prince exchanged surprised glances. Their angry and aggrieved expressions suggested they weren't lying.

The Crown Prince gently reminded, "Think about it, maybe you unknowingly upset her."

"The 12th Princess is arrogant and domineering, but she's usually somewhat reasonable. She wouldn't act so unreasonably without a good reason."

The Crown Prince's words were meant to analyze the situation, but to the ears of the two princesses, it sounded like they were being blamed. The Thirteenth Princess was unhappy, "Big brother, are you blaming us?"

Princess Eleventh also said, "Big brother, the 12th Princess just can't stand to see others happy. She does bad things for no reason at all. Big brother, that's really unfair."

The two sisters knelt on the ground, looking pitiful, and the Crown Prince, seeing them so miserable and misunderstanding him, wanted to explain and comfort them.

Before he could speak, Emperor Chengwu sternly said, "Why are you taking your anger out on your big brother? He's trying to help you figure things out."

Scolded, the two princesses dared not show any more emotion and lowered their heads, "We truly don't know how we offended the 12th Princess or why she keeps targeting us."

The Crown Prince looked at Emperor Chengwu, "Father, it seems we'll only know by asking the 12th Princess."

Emperor Chengwu nodded and asked Princess Eleventh, "Is the 12th Princess in the palace today?"

Princess Eleventh nodded, "Yesterday, she left Yonghe Hall with the Imperial Noble Consort for Jingkun Palace. I haven't heard she left the palace, so she's probably still here."

Emperor Chengwu looked towards Kang Yuande, who was waiting in the distance, and beckoned him over.

Kang Yuande hurried over, eyes respectfully downcast, and said, "Your Majesty."

Emperor Chengwu instructed, "Go to Jingkun Palace and bring the 12th Princess here. I need to speak with her."

Kang Yuande acknowledged the order and left, not even glancing at the two princesses on the ground as if they didn't exist.

Princess Eleventh and the Thirteenth Princess breathed a sigh of relief. Although they both knew that Kang Yuande wouldn't gossip about what he saw, it was still not a glorious thing to lose face in front of a servant.

Seeing that the two princesses were still concerned about their dignity, Emperor Chengwu thought to himself that they weren't beyond saving yet. He snorted coldly and asked again, "What are you planning to do with your two husbands?"

In unison, they loudly said, "Divorce them."

"At least you have some royal pride," Emperor Chengwu nodded in satisfaction, "I approve, but don't rush. Wait until this period is over."

The urgent matter at hand was to deal with those wolf cubs.

A major event like plotting to usurp the throne, which could cost one's head, wasn't something that could be done on a whim. Since the eldest son's family was framed this winter month, it meant those wolf cubs had started planning long ago.

In the face of the nation's stability, the matter of the princesses changing husbands was a trivial matter.

Seeing that the Emperor agreed, the two princesses were not in a hurry and nodded in agreement.

Princess Eleventh then asked, "Father, can I stay in the palace during this period? Before the divorce, I don't want to return to the princess's residence for now."

Thirteenth Princess followed closely: "Father, I also want to stay in the palace."

For the princesses, their consorts serve as both husbands and subjects. If they truly do not wish to see their consorts, they can simply drive them out of the princess's manor. They wanted to stay in the palace mainly to not miss out on any excitement.

Daughters wanting to come back home, and the palace being spacious enough, Emperor Chengwu had no objections: "Stay if you want, but you'll have to share space with your mothers."

After the princes and princesses moved out to set up their own homes, their former quarters were reclaimed and reassigned.

As long as they could remain in the palace, Princess Eleventh and Thirteenth Princess naturally wouldn't mind living with their mothers. Besides, they were eager to find someone to talk to, so the more the merrier.

Earlier, when the two were whispering, they had agreed to stay together tonight. But now, after their fight, the agreement was off.

Emperor Chengwu glanced in the direction Kang Yuande had gone and raised his hand: "You two, stop kneeling down. Stand up first, and we'll discuss this when the Twelfth Princess gets here."

Princess Eleventh and Thirteenth Princess looked at each other, seeing how messy they both looked, and realized they must look equally pitiful. Thinking about the bothersome Twelfth Princess arriving, both felt nervous.

Princess Eleventh said, "Father, can we go change our clothes first?"

Thirteenth Princess also nodded: "We look a mess right now. If anyone sees us, not only will we be embarrassed, but you'll be too, Father."

Most importantly, they couldn't be embarrassed in front of that awful Twelfth Princess.

Emperor Chengwu observed his daughters' expressions and said displeasedly, "You still care about how you look in front of your sisters, but why didn't you think about how you looked in front of the kids earlier?"

"Last night in the hall, I kept reminding you not to ask anything in front of Nuo Er, nor to show any abnormality in front of her. Yet, you two went and fought right in front of her."

"You didn't listen to me, and now you want me to fix your mess. Tell me, how am I supposed to explain this to Nuo Er later?"

Princess Eleventh and Thirteenth Princess hurriedly kowtowed: "We messed up, please forgive us, Father."

Emperor Chengwu: "I don't care about your fight, but since you fought in front of Nuo Er, you must be punished."

"Otherwise, everyone will act recklessly, and how will we handle it if Nuo Er finds out?"

If Nuo Er knew that everyone could hear her and A Tong talking, the little girl would surely ask questions, and the child would have to endure the painful punishment. How could such a young child bear it?

Moreover, the Empress and the Crown Prince had said that A Tong's purpose here was to take Nuo Er away. If A Tong knew his secret was out, he might just take Nuo Er away.

The chubby granddaughter was so beloved, and he couldn't bear to lose her. The Empress would surely feel even more reluctant.

And the eldest prince's family, Wei Yan, Wei Qing, and Hui Er, all cherished Nuo Er like a treasure.

If some careless person made a mistake and caused Nuo Er to be taken away by A Tong, the eldest prince's family would surely go mad.

Therefore, the incident where Princess Eleventh and Thirteenth Princess fought in front of Nuo Er today must be severely punished, as a warning to others.

Thinking this, Emperor Chengwu said: "After today's incident, you two will be fined a year's salary and must kneel in the small Buddhist hall for a month, reflecting on your actions."

Heavens, kneeling for a month! How would they watch the excitement?

Princess Eleventh and Thirteenth Princess wanted to plead for a different punishment, but seeing Emperor Chengwu's stern face, they dared not speak and hurriedly kowtowed in agreement. They deeply regretted not holding back earlier.

Emperor Chengwu then looked at the Crown Prince: "Crown Prince, later you and the Crown Princess must remind everyone to be vigilant and not let the secret slip."

The Crown Prince bowed in agreement.

Emperor Chengwu then waved his hand: "Alright, go change your clothes and come back quickly."

After expressing their gratitude, the Eleventh Princess and Thirteenth Princess stood up and made a hasty exit with their respective maids through a secluded path.

The Crown Prince stood up, "Father, we’ll have to wait a bit longer before the 12th Princess arrives. Perhaps we should have Wei Yan and the others come over first. We need to come up with a reason to explain it to Nuo Er face-to-face. That girl is quite perceptive, and we don’t want her to figure something out on her own later."

Emperor Chengwu nodded, "Have you thought of how to explain it to Nuo Er?"

The Crown Prince pondered, "What if we say they fought over clothes and jewelry?"

But then he immediately dismissed the idea, "No, that’s not appropriate. Wei Qing mentioned that Nuo Er saw her two aunts sitting together and talking, and even said they had a good relationship. That explanation would be too sudden. But if not this, then what should we say?"

"This is really tricky to make up," Emperor Chengwu also felt a headache.

The problem is that Nuo Er is too smart. If they made up something, it might only make the little girl more suspicious.

Two men who were used to handling state affairs weren’t familiar with young girls’ matters, and they were genuinely at a loss for a moment.

The Crown Prince suggested, "Father, why don’t we have Wei Qing ask the Empress?" The Empress had run the palace for decades and was well-versed in such matters.

Emperor Chengwu naturally had no objections, "Agreed."

The children were nearby, playing under a corridor. The Crown Prince walked over a short distance and called out, "Wei Qing, come here."

Shen Weiqing responded and quickly ran over. The Crown Prince whispered a few instructions, and Shen Weiqing nodded before running off.

A chubby little girl in a pink dress, with a pink peony in her hair and holding a yellow peony, was trying to place it on Princess Wen’an, who was wearing a light yellow dress.

Before she could finish, she saw her father call her second brother away. The little girl looked up curiously and asked, "Brother, what did Daddy ask Second Brother to do?"

Shen Weiyan touched the little bun on his sister’s head, "Probably something to do."

Shen Zhinuo nodded and continued to put flowers on her sister. After finishing, she tilted her head and looked around, then smiled so widely her eyes disappeared, "Sister, you’re the prettiest in the world."

Princess Wen’an blushed at her sister’s compliment and hugged her little round face, kissing her, "Nuo Er is the cutest in the world."

After praising each other, the two sisters held hands and laughed heartily, and Shen Weiyan also smiled.

Seeing her eldest brother’s handsome smile, Shen Zhinuo pulled her sister to pick a red peony, then waved her little hand at her brother, "Brother, wear it."

Men didn’t usually wear flowers back then, but Shen Weiyan didn’t mind a single flower. If they were in the Eastern Palace, he would’ve crouched down right away to let Nuo Er put it on him, as long as it made his sister happy.

But now they were outside, and the Emperor was not far away, so Shen Weiyan felt it was inappropriate. He crouched down and gently bargained with the chubby girl, "Nuo Er, how about I wear it when we get home?"

Shen Zhinuo, who always appreciated her eldest brother’s serious discussions, obediently nodded, "Okay, then Nuo Er will keep it for Big Brother."

With that, the girl put the flower on a chair under the corridor and ran off to pick more, "I’ll pick one for Mommy, and for Grandmother, Daddy, Second Brother..."

By the time the little girl had picked a bunch of flowers, Shen Weiqing had already run back. The young man hurried to the pavilion, gave a quick bow, and whispered, "Grandmother said, like this..."

Emperor Chengwu and the Crown Prince listened and nodded, then asked Shen Weiqing to call Nuo Er and the others over.

When the pink-clad girl, with a peony nearly as big as her head, walked over, Emperor Chengwu couldn’t help but laugh, "Oh, our Nuo Er is a little flower fairy, isn’t she?"

Although the Emperor was laughing, Shen Zhinuo could hear the "amusing" tone in his laughter, similar to when her second brother laughed at her. The little girl looked up at Shen Weiqing and indeed saw her second brother laughing like he had seen something funny, with a silly expression.

Shen Zhinuo glanced at the flowers her sister was holding, her big eyes rolling around, and immediately had an idea. She took a magenta peony from her sister’s hands and walked over to the Emperor, reaching out her little hands for a hug.

The little girl had been avoiding Emperor Chengwu recently, and this was the first time in days she had actively asked for a hug. Emperor Chengwu was pleasantly surprised and overjoyed, quickly reaching out to pick up Little Dumpling, "Grandpa will hold you, Grandpa will hold you."

Seeing that the children had all gathered, the Crown Prince, fearing that the 12th Princess and the others would arrive soon, quickly explained, "Earlier, you saw your aunts fighting, right?"

The children agreed, and Shen Zhinuo paused her action of placing a flower on the Old Emperor's head, looking at her father with a childish voice, "Daddy, why are the aunties fighting?"

The Crown Prince then relayed the explanation Shen Weiqing had obtained from the Empress to the children: "It's like this. Your Thirteenth Princess recently saw a piece of jade at a jewelry store, designed a style herself, and ordered a bracelet. But when she went back to pick it up, the store said it had accidentally been broken and couldn't be repaired, asking her to choose another piece of jade to make a new one."

"Just now, your Thirteenth Princess saw it on your Princess Eleventh's wrist and realized that your Princess Eleventh had taken the bracelet she had ordered. She was so upset that she shoved her, and that's how they started fighting."

Shen Zhinuo nodded her little head, "So that's what happened."

But she couldn't help but think to herself, "Doggy, my two aunts can fight over a bracelet, so their relationship isn't that good. I really don't understand why they were so close before."

The little black dog popped out, "They betray each other in times of crisis, they're just plastic sisters."

Plastic? What's that? Everyone present exchanged glances, seeing confusion in each other's eyes.

Before they could figure it out, the 12th Princess came into view, with Kang Yuande following behind her. When they were about ten zhang away, he automatically stopped.

The 12th Princess glided forward gracefully, and Shen Zhinuo was stunned, "Doggy, my 12th Princess is so beautiful."

The 12th Princess slightly raised her chin upon hearing the little girl's praise.

But the little girl added, "She looks like a fox spirit." The kind written in books, so beautiful it's almost inhuman, like a fox that has turned into a spirit.

The 12th Princess stumbled, almost falling, but luckily she was close to a pillar and managed to steady herself. She thought to herself, is this little girl insulting or complimenting me?

The system said, "Young Master, you’re correct. In the plot, the 12th Princess’s appearance is described as 'seductive' and 'charming.'"

The 12th Princess listened to the kid's chatter but didn't forget to bow to Emperor Chengwu and the Crown Prince. Both raised their hands to signal her to sit down quickly, and Wei Yan and the others also silently greeted the 12th Princess.

Shen Zhinuo, being held by her grandfather, clutched the flower in her tiny fist and saluted the 12th Princess, as a form of greeting.

The 12th Princess looked at the little girl dressed entirely in pink and found her quite pleasing to the eye. She couldn't resist pinching the little girl’s chubby cheeks and her plump, bun-like hands, then sat down below the Crown Prince.

After the greeting process was over, Shen Zhinuo eagerly asked the little black dog to scan the 12th Princess's face. Once the scan was done, she asked, "Doggy, why did my 12th Princess steal the man my 11th and 13th Princesses liked?"

The 12th Princess had already found out who was in the imperial garden from Kang Yuande on her way here. Knowing that the 11th and 13th Princesses were there, along with the Crown Prince's children, she guessed it was nothing good.

She just didn't expect the little girl to bring it up right away.

In the past, she wouldn't have cared, as her mother was the Imperial Noble Consort, second only to the Empress, and her two older brothers commanded heavy troops, defending the borders of Daxuan, so she had plenty of confidence.

But now, her two brothers not only might rebel but were also likely to be "filial paragons," so she was on edge and hadn’t dared to roam around all morning.

She glanced secretly at the Emperor and the Crown Prince, seeing them looking ahead as if nothing had happened, then lowered her eyes and listened quietly.

The system quickly searched the plot related to the 12th Princess and immediately answered, "Young Master, the 12th Princess stole the man her sisters liked because she originally had a good marriage, which was ruined by the 11th and 13th Princesses working together, so she deliberately sought revenge."