Chapter 60

Chapter 60

The Crown Prince couldn't help but frown at the thought of the Imperial Noble Consort.

Princess Lanzhen pressed further, "Why did the Imperial Noble Consort return empty-handed? What happened to the woman and her child?"

The Empress patted Princess Lanzhen's hand, urging her to calm down, "According to the Imperial Noble Consort, when she and her people arrived at the small village at the foot of the mountain, the woman was about to give birth, so she had to wait."

"After waiting a few days, the woman went into labor, but unfortunately, she encountered a difficult birth. Despite summoning a doctor, she couldn't be saved, resulting in the death of both the woman and the child."

Princess Lanzhen was skeptical, "Was it truly a difficult birth?"

The Empress replied, "According to the Imperial Noble Consort and her companions, yes."

The Crown Prince asked, "Was the child a boy or a girl?"

The Empress said, "It's unknown. The child hadn't been born before the woman died."

Princess Lanzhen asked, "Did the Imperial Noble Consort witness the woman's death herself?"

The Empress answered, "She claimed to have witnessed it herself and even considered staying for the woman's burial before leaving."

"The woman's family believed that if not for your father, she wouldn't have become pregnant and wouldn't have died in childbirth. They also resented your father for abandoning her and leaving. As a result, they turned away the Imperial Noble Consort and her entourage."

"The Imperial Noble Consort had no choice but to leave and report back to your father."

Thinking of the Imperial Noble Consort, Princess Lanzhen asked, "Did my father simply believe it? Didn't he send anyone to confirm?"

The Empress said, "That woman saved your father's life and was carrying his child. Her death naturally filled your father with deep guilt. Later, he seized the opportunity to visit and pay his respects, intending to support her family. However, he found that her family had all moved away."

The Crown Prince asked, "Did they say why they moved?"

The Empress replied, "We asked the villagers, who said they had gone to live with relatives."

The Crown Prince asked, "Did they say where they moved to?"

The Empress said, "That wasn't discovered. At that time, it was chaotic, and they weren't close kin, so your father didn't send anyone to search for them. That family has since vanished without a trace, and their whereabouts remain unknown."

Princess Lanzhen asked, "What about her original husband's family?"

The Empress said, "It's said that her original husband's family had few relatives. After her husband's death, the woman lived alone until she met your father."

After listening, the Crown Prince remained silent, lowering his eyes in thought.

Previously, Wei Yan had abruptly asked if Di Sui could be the Emperor's illegitimate son, which he found utterly absurd.

He had seen Di Sui's father several times, and Di Sui bore a striking resemblance to Old Man Di and his uncle. When they stood together, anyone could see they were blood relatives.

Moreover, Di Sui was not only the same age as him, but they were also born in the same month. Di Sui's hometown was nearly a thousand miles away from the Shen family's hometown.

No matter how capable the Emperor was, he couldn't have just married his mother and then fathered another child a thousand miles away. Moreover, Di Sui's mother was already married to his father at the time.

Therefore, he was absolutely certain that Di Sui had no connection to the Emperor; he was definitely not royalty.

For days, he had been pondering the intricate conspiracy, trying to uncover who was behind it and who sought to destroy his family.

Based on the current clues, this turmoil seemed to be initiated by his ambitious brothers vying for power, possibly with the remnants of the previous dynasty, the Huilin Society, stirring up trouble behind the scenes, and the northern grassland tribes were likely involved as well.

However, according to A Tong, nearly all of his siblings and their children met untimely ends. He had a vague feeling that there was some personal vendetta involved, that the mastermind or one of the masterminds seemed to harbor deep hatred for the Shen family, which made him think deeply, but he still hadn't found any leads.

Wei Yan's earlier remark had sparked his curiosity.

He started to suspect that the Emperor might have fathered a child outside the palace, and that child, for some reason, had not been treated well, leading the child to seek revenge.

With this thought in mind, he made a detour to Fengyi Palace to ask about it.

But now, hearing that the woman had died back then and the child was never born, he put his doubts to rest.

Whether the woman truly died from a difficult childbirth or for other reasons, since the Imperial Noble Consort claimed to have seen the woman's death firsthand, it must have been a tragic case of both mother and child dying.

He simply trusted the Imperial Noble Consort's ruthlessness.

However, the Imperial Noble Consort at that time should have had no reason to harm the woman; it must have been the woman's ill fate.

After some consideration, the Crown Prince brushed off the sudden thought that had crossed his mind.

As for why Di Sui and his father could hear Nuo Er and A Tong talking, that would have to be figured out later.

To be safe, the Crown Prince double-checked with the Empress: "Mother, apart from that incident, does my father have any other children outside?"

The Empress nodded: "None."

Princess Lanzhen, recalling the many concubines in the harem and her numerous siblings, couldn't help but remind: "Mother, could Father have others that you don’t know about?"

After all, her father, though skilled in conquering and governing the realm, was hardly a model of loyalty and kindness in matters of the heart.

Understanding her daughter's implication, the Empress said: "Rest assured, your father, though not the best in his treatment of women, has always been upfront with me. No matter what happened over the years, he never hid anything from me."

Princess Lanzhen rolled her eyes, thinking it wasn’t straightforwardness but sheer shamelessness.

But she wouldn’t say that to her mother, not wanting to upset her.

After all, as the Empress, she had to be magnanimous and not jealous.

With his doubts cleared, the Crown Prince briefly brought up the matter of Di Sui and his two sons, summarizing A Tong’s account for the Empress and Princess Lanzhen, then left to tend to court matters.

---

Not long after the Crown Prince left, a group of children came running in, instantly filling Fengyi Palace with energy.

Shen Zhinuo, clutching flowers in one hand and holding Di Guihong’s hand with the other, ran up to the Empress and handed her a peach blossom: "Grandmother, flower."

The Empress smiled and took it: "Oh, what a beautiful flower, my dear is so clever."

Seeing her grandmother's happy smile, Shen Zhinuo clapped her little hands and giggled.

Princess Wen'an and Princess Huayue also approached and gave their flowers to the Empress, who laughed even more, praising the little girls.

Princess Lanzhen scooped up the chubby little girl and feigned anger: "Nuo Er, you little ungrateful one, why only give flowers to your grandmother and not to your aunt?"

Seeing her second brother holding a peach blossom and twirling it, Shen Zhinuo struggled to get down, ran over, tiptoed, reached out her little hand to snatch it, and then ran away.

Shen Weiqing stomped his foot, pretending to be mad: "Nuo Er, you little rascal."

Shen Zhinuo ignored him and gave the peach blossom to Princess Lanzhen: "Auntie, you have one too."

Princess Lanzhen laughed, hugged the little girl, and kissed her: "Our Nuo Er is so filial."

Shen Zhinuo smiled, her eyes curving, then ran over to the quietly standing Di Guihong, took his hand, and led him to the Empress and Princess Lanzhen: "Grandmother, Auntie, this is Hong."

The Empress and Princess Lanzhen both knew about the Emperor's plan to send Di Sui and his sons to the northern border and that the Emperor had Di Sui bring his youngest son to the palace, ostensibly to take care of him but actually as a hostage. They already felt sympathy for the little boy.

Having just heard the Crown Prince speak of such matters, they admired the Di Sui father and son trio even more. Now, looking at this little "Prince of the North," both mother and daughter felt a fondness for him.

Having been inside for quite a while, Di Guihong had not yet found a suitable opportunity to greet the Empress and Princess Lanzhen. Now, introduced by Princess Baoning, he lifted the hem of his robe, knelt down, and kowtowed: "Commoner Di Guihong respectfully greets Her Majesty the Empress and Her Highness the Princess."

The Empress and Princess Lanzhen exchanged glances, both surprised that such a young child could be so well-mannered.

The Empress's fondness grew even more, and she reached out to lift the little boy: "Good child, come here and let me see you."

Di Guihong stood obediently yet confidently, allowing the Empress and Princess Lanzhen to look him over.

Seeing how well-mannered the child was, the Empress liked him even more, holding his hand and praising him until the little boy's face turned slightly red.

Shen Zhinuo had been watching him all along, and seeing him embarrassed, she squeezed over, threw herself onto the Empress, and cooed: "Grandmother, won’t you praise Nuo Er too?"

The Empress laughed heartily, pulling the chubby little girl into her arms, "Our Nuo Er is the most beautiful and lovable little girl in the world."

Shen Zhinuo snuggled in the Empress's arms, giggling, and blinked at Di Guihong. The little boy understood and took the opportunity to step back and stand aside.

After cheering up the Empress, Shen Zhinuo kicked off her little shoes, climbed onto the couch, and pushed her box of trinkets to the edge of the couch with effort, then beckoned to the little boy: "Little General, come over here."

Di Guihong walked over as instructed.

Shen Zhinuo extended her little round hand, patting the couch first: "Sit here."

The little boy sat lightly on the edge of the couch.

Shen Zhinuo extended her little round hand again, patting the box: "Open it."

Di Guihong complied, easily lifting the lid.

Shen Zhinuo then pointed to the box full of toys, her little voice quite bold: "Take whatever you want."

Di Guihong stared at the small objects in the box, looked carefully for a while, then shook his head: "Princess, you should play with them yourself."

Shen Zhinuo thought he was shy, reached in and handed him a NineLink Rings: "Here, let me show you."

Di Guihong looked at the NineLink Rings that had been thrust into his hand and said nothing.

Shen Zhinuo took another one herself and demonstrated: "Here’s how you open it."

Watching the chubby little girl struggle with it, Di Guihong held the frame in one hand and the iron rings in the other, his fingers flying. In no time, the nine iron rings were moving up and down, and in a moment, they were untangled.

Shen Zhinuo struggled for a long time to untangle two, then couldn't go further. She looked up, slightly embarrassed, and smiled: "I’m showing you the wrong way—oh, how did you open it?"

Di Guihong, seeing the chubby little girl's surprised expression, suddenly thought he might have solved it too quickly. He lowered his eyes and thought for a moment, then said: "I just shook it, and it came apart."

Shen Zhinuo didn't doubt him: "Oh, maybe my brothers or sisters untangled it last time and left it like that. It's okay, I'll get you another one."

The little girl dug through the box, found another untangled NineLink Rings, and handed it to Di Guihong.

She took back the one he had split into two, beckoned to Shen Weiqing, and when he approached, she handed him the untangled NineLink Rings: "Second brother, fix it back together."

Shen Weiqing, who had just seen Di Guihong solve the NineLink Rings in seconds: "..."

Shen Zhinuo didn't look up and didn't notice her second brother's dumbfounded and surprised expression. She pointed to the NineLink Rings in Di Guihong's hand: "Little General, keep playing with it, and you’ll figure it out."

She couldn’t remember how to solve it herself and didn’t want to keep giving instructions.

Di Guihong nodded and said, "Alright."

Shen Zhinuo lowered her head and began fiddling with the Nine-Linked Rings in her hands again. While playing, she asked in her heart, "Puppy, I wonder what my imperial grandmother did about Consort Kang?"

The system replied, "No idea, Young Master."

Seeing the little girl still worried, the Empress gave Princess Lanzhen a look. Princess Lanzhen understood and casually asked, "Mother, how are Consort Kang and Noble Consort Wan now?"

Hearing Princess Lanzhen mention Consort Kang and Noble Consort Wan, Shen Zhinuo didn’t stand up but instead sat there, wiggling closer to them, pricking up her ears to eavesdrop.

The Empress glanced at the little chubby girl out of the corner of her eye, amused, and picked up where she left off with yesterday’s lie: "Consort Kang accused Noble Consort Wan of having an affair, but Noble Consort Wan said I was setting her up. So, I locked them together to confront each other. Then, they ended up fighting. Consort Kang stabbed Noble Consort Wan with a hairpin, and Noble Consort Wan fought back and killed her."

Princess Lanzhen gasped, "Did Noble Consort Wan die?"

The Empress replied, "Noble Consort Wan was badly stabbed, and the hairpin was poisoned. She’s not dead yet, but it’s unclear how long she’ll last."

Princess Lanzhen said, "They got what they deserved."

Shen Zhinuo’s eyes widened in shock: "Puppy, Consort Kang got killed by Noble Consort Wan, and Noble Consort Wan is pretty much done for too."

The little black dog popped out: "Young Master, you don’t have to worry about them hurting the Empress anymore."

With two less people out to get her imperial grandmother, Shen Zhinuo felt relieved: "Then, Puppy, let’s go somewhere else."

She put down the Nine-Linked Rings and took Di Guihong’s hand: "Wanna go outside and play?"

Di Guihong nodded, put down the rings, got down from the bed, and picked up the little girl’s shoes, waiting for her to scoot to the edge. He bent down to put them on.

Shen Zhinuo, used to her siblings taking care of her, stretched out her little feet for him. Once her shoes were on, she hopped off the bed, grabbed Di Guihong’s hand, and bowed to the Empress and Princess Lanzhen before walking out together.

The children, including the Eighteenth Princess, bowed to the elders and tagged along.

---

Shen Zhinuo had planned to wander around to see if she could spot someone and check their face, hoping to find out who was plotting against her imperial grandmother and who had framed her father at the palace banquet.

But the children were like a gust of wind in the rear palace, blowing from east to west and north to south, and they didn’t encounter a single concubine.

Well, not exactly. They did meet one concubine, but from a distance. Before they could see who she was, she turned onto another path with her maids, as if she had something urgent to attend to.

The concubines had to pay their respects daily, visit friendly concubines’ palaces, and stroll in the imperial garden to admire flowers, so they were quite busy. Seeing the concubine turn midway, Shen Zhinuo didn’t think much of it.

However, after walking for so long, the little girl’s short legs were sore.

If it were any other day, she would have asked her siblings to carry her, but today Di Guihong was there. The little boy was stubborn and insisted on walking by himself, so she felt too embarrassed to be carried and kept walking with him.

Eventually, she couldn’t walk anymore and plopped down on a large decorative stone by the roadside, clenching her little fists and pounding them on her chubby legs.

Just as Princess Wen’an was about to squat down to help her sister massage her legs, she saw that Young Master Di had already squatted beside Nuo’er, gently massaging her legs.

Princess Wen’an was surprised by the little boy’s thoughtfulness and didn’t compete with him. She stood up, hugged Princess Huayue’s arm, and smiled as she watched her sister.

Seeing the little boy so considerate, Shen Zhinuo smiled and said, "Thank you, Little General."

Hearing the soft and sweet "Little General," Di Guihong didn’t speak, but his eyes slowly curved into crescents.

Without having to massage her legs herself, Shen Zhinuo raised her head and looked around, but after scanning the area, she saw no one except for her own group.

She looked at the little black dog floating in front of her, full of confusion: "Puppy, isn’t it strange that we haven’t met anyone today?"

The little black dog floated around: "Maybe everyone is busy."

The little girl and A’Tong didn’t know the situation, but Shen Weiqing, the Eighteenth Princess, Princess Wen’an, and Princess Huayue had guessed the general idea.

At the palace banquet the night before last, all the harem concubines attended, and the incident with A Tong spread throughout the harem.

Initially, everyone was full of curiosity and eager for gossip, wanting to approach Nuo Er to see if they could hear anything new.

But just yesterday, the Eleventh, Twelfth, and Thirteenth Princesses were sent by the Emperor to kneel in the small Buddhist hall as punishment, followed by the deaths of Consort Kang and Nanny Dou from her palace, and then Noble Consort Wan was severely injured and bedridden.

With a little inquiry, it became clear that these incidents all happened after these people had met Princess Baoning from the East Palace.

Although the exact details were unknown, it was easy to guess that A Tong must have revealed something again.

The princes who had been beaten were still lying in bed unable to get up, and now these major incidents occurred in the palace. Currently, the entire harem is in a state of fear, whether they have something to hide or not; everyone now wants to keep their distance.

Shen Zhinuo couldn't find anyone and didn't want to disturb others by taking so many people into their palaces. Feeling a little hungry, she rested for a while and then stood up, took Di Guihong's hand, and said, "Little General, let's go back for lunch."

Di Guihong naturally agreed, and the children made their way to the East Palace. The Eighteenth Princess, however, decided not to follow and told the children she needed to return to Luomei Pavilion to check on Noble Lady Jing, then bid farewell to the children.

Shen Zhinuo waved goodbye to the Eighteenth Princess, "Auntie, come play with Nuo Er later, okay?"

The Eighteenth Princess smiled and agreed, hugged the chubby little girl, and then left with her embroidery basket.

Shen Zhinuo sighed with an air of maturity and said to Di Guihong in a baby voice, "Hong, my auntie has it tough; I'll tell you more later."

Di Guihong nodded.

The children returned to the East Palace, where the Crown Princess had the servants fetch water for the children to wash their hands and faces after running around all morning. Then she had the meal served, and the children sat together, enjoying a lively lunch.

Shen Zhinuo, who never missed her nap, was so sleepy she could barely keep her eyes open. Remembering that Di Guihong had just left his family and was new to this unfamiliar place, she worried he might not adjust. So she took his little hand and warmly invited, "Hong, do you want to take a nap with me? I can comfort you."

The little girl spoke in a baby voice, yet she was earnest about comforting others, which made the Crown Princess and the older children laugh.

Shen Weiqing called her out on the spot, "Nuo Er, you always fall asleep as soon as you lie down; how can you comfort others?"

Shen Zhinuo clenched her little fist and threatened, "Second Brother, I'll hit you."

She was trying to comfort the child; why couldn't he see that?

"Second Brother, get out of here." Princess Wen'an and Princess Huayue both reached out and pushed Shen Weiqing away.

Shen Zhinuo gave Di Guihong's hand a little shake, "Hong, do you want to stay here?"

Di Guihong shook his head, "Thank you, Princess Baoning, I'll go back to rest."

Shen Zhinuo didn't insist and nodded her little head, "Then I'll come find you to play once I wake up."

The Crown Princess turned to her second son, "Wei Qing, you take Hong back to his courtyard."

Shen Weiqing agreed, and after the little boy bowed to each of them, he took him out and left.

After the boys left, Princess Wen'an and Princess Huayue slipped away to the east side hall to whisper, and the Crown Princess carried the sleepy little chubby girl into the inner room to nap.

---

Shen Weiqing escorted Di Guihong back to his courtyard and even went in to look around before leaving.

Di Guihong insisted on seeing him to the courtyard gate and bowed, "Thank you, Prince, for seeing me off."

Shen Weiqing found the old-fashioned little boy somewhat amusing and returned the bow before turning to leave.

Di Guihong turned back into the house, and as soon as he entered, a woman in her thirties, who had accompanied him into the palace to serve, approached and asked with concern, "Young master, are you tired?"

Di Guihong shook his head and walked in, "Auntie Zi Xuan, do you know where my books are?"

Zi Xuan pointed to the west room: "Your bedroom is on the east side, young master. The west room has been set up as your study, and all your books are there. Ying Chun is still organizing things."

Di Guihong nodded and turned to walk towards the west room. As he entered, he saw book boxes scattered across the floor. A young maid, about fourteen or fifteen, was standing on a chair, holding a stack of books in her arms, placing them on the bookshelf.

Di Guihong walked over: "Where are the medical books?"

Ying Chun turned around at the sound, delighted, "You're back, young master."

She then stepped down from the chair, placed the books in her hands on the table, and came to a book box, pointing: "Those medical books are all in this box. Since you never read these, young master, I thought I’d place them on the top shelf of the bookshelf and plan to put the military books below so they're easier to reach."

Di Guihong glanced at the few books already placed on the top shelf of the bookshelf: "Are those also medical books?"

Ying Chun nodded: "Yes, they are."

Di Guihong: "Bring them down for me to look at."

"Alright," Ying Chun responded, first bringing the stack on the table to place on the book box, then stepping on the chair again to take down those books from the shelf, presenting them to Di Guihong: "Which book would you like to see, young master? I can help you find it."

Di Guihong took them, "Go ahead with your work; I can manage on my own."

Ying Chun acknowledged and opened another book box, starting to organize.

Di Guihong placed the books in his hands down, picked up one, and began flipping through it.

Zi Xuan brought a low stool over: "Young master, please sit."

Di Guihong nodded and sat down, continuing to flip through the book. He was flipping through the pages extremely quickly, and in just a short while, he had finished one book, casually placing it aside.

He then went to pick up the next one, scanning through each at a rapid pace, and soon a small half of the books in the box beside him had been flipped through.

Seemingly tireless, he bent down to grab another book from the box, continuing to flip through. He suddenly stopped at one page, looking at it intently.

It was getting hotter, especially around noon. Zi Xuan took a round fan and sat behind the young boy, gently fanning him.

Seeing him flipping through the books so quickly and finally stopping to read, she leaned over curiously to peek, and saw two large words written at the beginning of the right side of the page—"Plague."