Chapter 68

Chapter 68

Upon hearing this, the Eighth Prince, who had just relaxed, stiffened his back again.

In the past, if anyone dared to say he would rebel, he would definitely slap them, kick them, and curse them with "your grandfather's fart."

He, Shen Fei, was the most loyal and filial, and anyone who dared to slander him was simply seeking death.

But now, after learning about the Fourteenth Prince's situation, he was no longer so sure.

If the Fourteenth Prince truly followed the original plot's trajectory—family destroyed, seeking refuge in a monastery—he would undoubtedly kill. That bastard, the Thirteenth Brother, he would definitely kill him, and perhaps even his entire family.

But as long as the Eldest Brother remained in his position, he would never rebel.

Among his brothers, he only respected the Eldest Brother. As for the others, they could forget about making him kneel and kowtow to them.

If it really was as A Tong said—that the Emperor was obsessed with elixirs, unable to distinguish right from wrong, and tyrannical and incompetent, leading to the Crown Prince's family being exiled and dying on the road, while others took the throne—then he would indeed rebel.

Shen Fei was loyal, but he was not foolishly loyal.

Thinking about the possibility of rebellion and the impending exposure before the Emperor, the Eighth Prince couldn't help but feel nervous.

But then again, if even a son as good as Shen Fei could be driven to rebel, then the Emperor was truly a failure as a father.

Whatever, it is what it is.

With this thought, the Eighth Prince knelt straight, even boldly meeting Emperor Chengwu's gaze.

Seeing the Eighth Prince's reckless attitude, the Virtuous Consort's heart was in turmoil. Ever since the palace banquet, she had been uneasy.

Thanks to Nuo Er and A Tong, the Fourteenth Prince's wife and their unborn grandchild had avoided calamity. For this, she was endlessly grateful and relieved.

But thinking of her Eighth Prince's fiery temper, she couldn't help but worry deeply.

She had considered sending him a warning, but she didn't know how to deliver it. The Emperor had warned everyone at the banquet to behave, and she dared not act rashly, fearing to provoke his wrath.

The day after the banquet, she had come early to the Empress's palace to pay her respects to the Empress and voiced her worries. The Empress had also advised her not to act impulsively, saying that even if the Eighth Prince had rebelled in the original plot, he wasn't alone. The law couldn't punish everyone, so she shouldn't worry too much.

Later, she reflected on it and realized she knew her son's temperament. Even if he did usurp the throne, it would be out of necessity.

Moreover, the Eighth Prince was such a filial child. Even if he succeeded in usurping the throne, he would surely treat the Emperor well and would never be a paragon of filial piety.

After much deliberation, she ultimately decided against acting.

But these past few days, she had been unable to eat or sleep, her mind in turmoil.

At the Empress's palace, she had been careful to avoid the children when paying her respects to the Empress, fearing to run into Bao Ning. If Bao Ning interrogated her, she might learn something unfavorable about the Eighth Prince.

Though this was like the ostrich burying its head, she thought it better to delay as long as possible, at least until the Eighth Prince returned, so they could face it together rather than her suffering alone.

When she suddenly heard that the Eighth Prince had entered the palace, she hurried to Fengyi Palace, eager to see her son immediately.

But to her surprise, the Eighth Prince entered with the children, and her heart immediately sank, her hands tightening around her handkerchief.

Only when A Tong said her son was not the "paragon of filial piety" did her heart start to calm.

But just as it was halfway down, she heard the plump young girl ask about rebellion, and her heart was once again in her throat.

The Fourteenth Prince felt equally unsettled, his mood mirroring his mother's.

The Empress and the Virtuous Consort are distant cousins, and they have always been close, with their children also having good relationships. So when A Tong asked, not only was the Virtuous Consort uneasy, but the Empress and the Crown Prince were also somewhat nervous.

After reviewing the records, the system declared conclusively: "The Eighth Prince did not rebel."

What a relief. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and smiles unconsciously appeared in their eyes.

Shen Zhinuo approached the Empress and climbed into her lap: "I told you my Eighth Imperial Uncle couldn't possibly rebel."

Emperor Chengwu also smiled. This was indeed his good son.

The Eighth Prince had a streak of recklessness, which Emperor Chengwu felt was similar to his own youth, so he held a special fondness for this son.

Earlier, when A Tong mentioned that the Second and Fourth Princes had both seized power and rebelled, he had feared that his capable sons stationed outside the capital might also be implicated, especially the Eighth Prince, who had military achievements and was unruly, and would most likely rebel as well.

In recent days, his emotions had settled into a state of near numbness.

But when he heard that the Eighth Prince had not rebelled, he was still very happy. He promptly stood up and personally assisted the Eighth Prince to his feet, and patted his shoulder: "Eighth Prince, you've done well."

Shen Zhinuo had just settled into the Empress's lap when she heard this and looked at Emperor Chengwu, puzzled: "My Eighth Imperial Uncle was just paying his respects, why did the Old Emperor suddenly praise him?"

The little black dog wagged its tail, saying, "I don't know."

Emperor Chengwu realized he had misspoken and quickly patted the Eighth Prince's shoulder again: "You must be exhausted from your journey. Come, sit down, rest, and have some tea with your father while we chat. Fourteenth Brother, you come too."

The Eighth Prince had just returned, and by convention, he should have been asked about the situation in his fiefdom, but at this moment they couldn't interrupt Nuo Er and A Tong talking. The adults standing silently looked rather odd, and the little girl was becoming increasingly astute, so they had to be careful.

After speaking, Emperor Chengwu guided his two sons around the screen to chairs nearby. Noticing the Crown Prince hurrying in, he gestured for him to join them.

The Crown Prince had planned to update Emperor Chengwu on the Thirteenth Prince's situation, but observing the silence, he surmised that Nuo Er and A Tong were engaged in conversation again, so he remained silent.

Shen Zhinuo noticed the men moving behind the screen and assumed they were discussing important matters, so she didn't pay attention and continued to ask in her heart: "Doggy, why didn't my Eighth Imperial Uncle join the rebellion?"

The Empress was amused; the little girl, who once only inquired about reasons for rebellion, was now questioning why some chose not to rebel.

Emperor Chengwu whispered to his sons: "Nuo Er asks good questions."

If the Crown Prince were no more and the other princes took up arms, given the Eighth Prince's defiant nature and reckless tendencies, why wouldn't he rebel?

The Crown Prince and the Eighth Prince both understood Emperor Chengwu's meaning and nodded, equally curious.

The Fourteenth Prince looked at his Eighth Brother. Right, if it came to that situation, with Eighth Brother's temper, there was no reason not to rebel.

The system promptly furnished an answer for all: "To be precise, the Eighth Prince probably just didn't have time to rebel."

Emperor Chengwu, the Crown Prince, and the Fourteenth Prince all looked at the Eighth Prince. That's what they thought.

Shen Zhinuo: "How so?"

The system: "This leads us back to the Fourteenth Prince. After the Fourteenth Prince's Consort and child had their accident, the Fourteenth Prince, after burying his wife and child, went mad trying to track down the culprit, and your father also helped in the investigation."

"Quickly, they traced Wei Yun to Wei Cang, and finally to the Thirteenth Prince. When the Fourteenth Prince found out it was the Thirteenth Prince who had done it, without a word, he took his sword and went straight to the Thirteenth Prince's residence."

"Their martial skills were about equal, and the number of guards at their residences was also evenly matched. The Fourteenth Prince couldn't kill the Thirteenth Prince, but the incident caused a huge uproar and reached the Old Emperor, who then gave the Thirteenth Prince a cup of poisoned wine to end his life."

Shen Zhinuo: "No favoritism, the Old Emperor did alright."

The Fourteenth Prince looked at Emperor Chengwu with gratitude in his eyes. A life for a life, the Emperor was still very fair.

The system: "From the fact that the Old Emperor had so many children, it's clear that he values his offspring. He allows his sons to compete fiercely in private, but using such despicable means to harm innocent women and children, he could not tolerate."

"Of course, a large part of the reason was also for himself. At that time, the Old Emperor was mentally unstable due to the elixirs, constantly paranoid, suspecting everyone of trying to poison or assassinate him, much like the psychological condition humans call 'persecutory delusion.'"

"The Old Emperor believed that if the 13th Prince dared to scheme for the Crown Prince's position, he must be after the throne, which was unacceptable. So in a fit of rage, he directly ordered the execution of the 13th Prince."

"With the murderer of his wife and child dead, the 14th Prince had no more desires in his heart. But before her death, the 14th Prince's Consort tightly grasped his hand, tearfully urging him to live well, so he couldn't bring himself to die and instead sought out an obscure temple to become a monk."

Shen Zhinuo: "Then what happened after my Eighth Imperial Uncle found out?"

System: "Upon hearing the news, the Eighth Prince and his entourage traveled light, rushing back to the capital day and night. After returning to the capital, he first went to the palace to see the Virtuous Consort, learned the details, and then rushed to the mountain to bring the 14th Prince back. But the 14th Prince had already shaved his head, dead set on becoming a monk."

"The 14th Prince had always been cheerful and carefree since childhood, but that day, the Eighth Prince saw his brother with a shaved head, emaciated and utterly despondent, his grief indescribable."

Shen Zhinuo thought of how the 14th Prince always smiled, called her Nuo Er, and wanted to hug her, and she couldn't help but sigh inwardly: "My 14th Imperial Uncle is also pitiful."

System: "Yes, it's quite pitiful. No matter how the Eighth Prince tried to persuade or coax him, even losing his temper, the 14th Prince stayed lifeless, like a zombie, only saying 'Please leave, benefactor,' and nothing more."

Imagining the scene, the Eighth Prince felt deeply distressed, his eyes welling up, and he slapped the 14th Prince's shoulder hard, muttering a curse.

The 14th Prince, nearly spitting blood from the slap, leaned on the Eighth Prince's arm and smiled: "Eighth Brother, you'll kill me sooner or later."

The Eighth Prince lifted his arm, pushing him away, looking disgusted: "What a pain."

The Crown Prince pointed behind the screen, signaling them to listen quietly, and they quickly sat properly.

System: "The Eighth Prince then stayed at the temple, declaring that if the 14th Prince didn't come back, he'd become a monk too."

"Later, the Virtuous Consort arrived, crying with her two sons, and begged the Eighth Prince, saying that if the 14th Prince could find peace by becoming a monk, they should let him be."

"At that time, the Virtuous Consort had also fallen ill due to the 14th Prince's situation. The Eighth Prince, wanting to keep her company and seeing that his brother couldn't be persuaded for the time being, had no choice but to accompany the Virtuous Consort down the mountain."

"The Eighth Prince had originally planned to stay in the capital longer, to keep the Virtuous Consort company and find another chance to talk the 14th Prince out of it."

"But a Feudal Prince returning to the capital without an imperial decree broke Daxuan's laws and crossed the Old Emperor's taboos."

"The Old Emperor was furious and wanted to have him flogged in court. Only after the Empress, the Crown Prince, and the Virtuous Consort knelt before the Old Emperor, begging for mercy and saying the Eighth Prince had acted on impulse upon hearing of the 14th Prince's misfortune and wasn't disloyal, did the Old Emperor let him off. However, he ordered the Eighth Prince to head back to his fief right away."

Shen Zhinuo, torn between heartache and anger, said, "Right away? Not even letting my Eighth Imperial Uncle stay for a day? How could the Old Emperor be so cruel?"

Behind the screen, the Eighth Prince shot Emperor Chengwu a dissatisfied look.

Emperor Chengwu raised his eyelids, glaring back.

The Crown Prince, noticing this, shifted his chair to block their view.

System: "Yes, the Eighth Prince was furious."

Shen Zhinuo: "Then did my Eighth Imperial Uncle go back?"

System: "He did. At that time, the Old Emperor was like a madman, devoid of human feelings. The Eighth Prince had no choice but to accompany the Empress, the Virtuous Consort, and the Crown Prince for dinner at the Phoenix Palace and left the city overnight before the gates closed."

Shen Zhinuo: "What happened next? Did he just return to his fief like that?"

System: "Of course not. He encountered an assassination attempt about a hundred miles from the capital."

The Virtuous Consort's heart raced with the conversation between the child and the bucket. Upon hearing about the assassination attempt on the Eighth Prince, her face changed, and she instinctively grabbed the Empress's hand.

The Empress glanced at her, then at the chubby girl in her arms. The Virtuous Consort quickly let go, moving aside, but her heart was in turmoil.

She wished she could snatch the heavy little girl from the Empress's arms, but everyone was listening to the child and the bucket, so she dared not move. Finally, she pulled Princess Wen'an, who was sitting nearby, into her arms.

Princess Wen'an had long noticed Consort Xian's unease and now nestled obediently in her arms, reaching out to comfort her silently.

At the word "assassination," Shen Zhinuo instantly recalled the tragic state of her family during their exile, her heart clenching sharply: "How is my Eighth Imperial Uncle?"

Hearing the concern in the little girl's voice, the Eighth Prince was deeply moved, his eyes instantly welling up. He leaned closer to the Crown Prince and whispered, "Big brother, Nuo Er is such a good child."

The Crown Prince nodded with a smile.

System: "The Eighth Prince is a fiercely brave general himself, and his personal guards are all valiant warriors, each capable of taking on a hundred enemies. The assassins were numerous, but they stood no chance against the Eighth Prince and were all killed."

Upon hearing that the Eighth Prince was unharmed, Shen Zhinuo breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good."

Hearing this, Shen Weiqing stood up quietly and walked over, sitting beside the Eighth Prince. He looked at him with admiration, whispering, "Uncle Eighth, teach me a few moves sometime."

The Eighth Prince patted his nephew's shoulder and replied enthusiastically, "Of course."

Shen Zhinuo rested in the Empress's arms for a while, feeling a bit tired, and then looked up to notice Di Guihong sitting quietly and obediently on a chair, looking somewhat lonely and pitiful.

The little girl slapped her forehead: "Oh, Doggie, I got so caught up talking to you that I forgot about the Little General."

The little boy's long eyelashes fluttered slightly, though he didn't move, a faint smile played at the corner of his mouth.

Outside the screen, the Eighth Prince asked in a low voice, "Who's the Little General?"

The Crown Prince explained softly, "General Di Sui's youngest son."

The 14th Prince added, "That little boy who was with Wei Qing earlier."

The Eighth Prince nodded in realization: "No wonder he seemed familiar, he's Di Sui's son."

Shen Zhinuo got down from the Empress's lap, walked over to Di Guihong, took his hand, and pulled him onto the couch. She slid her box of little trinkets over to Di Guihong, patted the lid, and gestured for him to open it.

Di Guihong did as told, opened the box, dug through it, and finally took out a Chinese puzzle lock to play with.

Seeing the little boy playing by himself, Shen Zhinuo continued to ask, "Doggie, who were those assassins anyway? Who wanted to harm my Eighth Imperial Uncle?"

The system carefully reviewed the plot: "Can't tell for now."

Shen Zhinuo wondered, "Didn't my Eighth Imperial Uncle capture a couple of assassins to question?"

The last time the Eighth Prince left the capital, his little niece was still in swaddling clothes, and he knew nothing of her cleverness. Hearing this, he was shocked and whispered, "Nuo Er is so young, yet she knows to take captives?"

Shen Weiqing proudly lifted his chin: "Of course, our Nuo Er is amazing."

The system continued: "With his brother becoming a monk, his mother falling ill, and being driven out of the capital overnight by the Old Emperor, the Eighth Prince was full of anger with nowhere to vent. When the assassins came, he immediately led his guards to charge and kill them all. Everyone was in a frenzy, and in the heat of the moment, no captives were taken. By the time the Eighth Prince's anger had slightly subsided, he realized that all the assassins were dead, with no captives left."

Emperor Chengwu sneered, looking disdainfully at the Eighth Prince: "A brute, not even as thoughtful as a three-year-old child."

The Eighth Prince slapped his own forehead, regretting: "I was foolish."

Shen Zhinuo was also somewhat speechless: "Ah, why is my Eighth Imperial Uncle so impulsive?"

System: "That's just his nature, acting entirely on his emotions."

Shen Zhinuo thought for a moment and analyzed: "But it couldn't have been the 13th Prince, right? Wasn't he already executed by then?"

The system had previously scanned the 13th Prince's face and checked his plot: "It wasn't him."

Shen Zhinuo rested her chin on her hands, her eyes full of confusion: "That's strange. Then who could it be?"

Emperor Chengwu and the Crown Prince simultaneously thought of the secret correspondence between the Fourth Prince's Consort and the sister-in-law, Wei, of Secondary Consort Li from the Thirteenth Prince's residence. They exchanged a glance, dipped their fingers into their tea cups, and wrote the character "four" on the table.

The Eighth Prince, the Fourteenth Prince, and Shen Weiqing all leaned in to look. Shen Weiqing, who spent his days by the side of the Empress, Emperor Chengwu, and the Crown Prince, and was always with Nuo Er, was always in the know. He instantly understood most of it and nodded along.

The Fourteenth Prince had been staying at his residence with his wife recently and hadn't been to the palace often, so he was behind the times.

The Eighth Prince had just returned to the capital and was out of the loop.

The two brothers exchanged a glance, confusion evident in their eyes. They turned to Emperor Chengwu and the Crown Prince: "Why do you think it's the Fourth Prince?"

Hearing A Tong and Nuo Er still chatting, the Crown Prince wiped the table clean and whispered, "We'll explain later." The two naturally nodded.

The system: "It must be one of those Feudal Lords."

"Probably," Shen Zhinuo nodded her little head, then frowned again: "But they aren't returning to the capital. When will we get a look at them?"

At this, Shen Zhinuo suddenly remembered to ask, "Oh, right, Doggy, why did my Eighth Imperial Uncle suddenly return to the capital? It's not a festival or holiday."

Only then did everyone remember that no one had told Nuo Er about the Feudal Princes returning to the capital together.

The Empress, not wanting the little girl to fret, casually chatted with the Virtuous Consort: "In the upcoming spring hunt, let the Eighth Prince prove his mettle. In recent years, it's been the sons of ministers who have been in the spotlight. His Majesty has been frustrated."

The Virtuous Consort smiled and replied, "Sister, you jest. This year, His Majesty has ordered all the princes back to the capital for the spring hunt."

Hearing this, Shen Zhinuo's eyes lit up, her voice brimming with excitement: "Doggy, all my Imperial Uncles are coming back. Then we can get a look at everyone at once."

The system agreed: "That would be great."

Shen Zhinuo asked again: "Then what happened to my Eighth Imperial Uncle later?"

The system continued: "After killing the assassins, the Eighth Prince regretted not capturing any alive. His first thought was that the Thirteenth Prince was behind it, but then he remembered he was already dead, making it unlikely."

"After careful thought, he concluded it was tied to the capital's situation. He sent a few trusted soldiers in disguise to investigate, while he returned to his territory."

"Not long after he returned to his territory, his soldiers sent back news from the capital, saying all the clues they found pointed to the Fourth Prince."

Shen Zhinuo was puzzled: "But Doggy, didn't you just say you couldn't find evidence?"

The system: "That's right, Young Master. Because I was investigating who sent the assassins to kill the Eighth Prince, and there's no existing evidence about that. Here, it's about the clues the Eighth Prince's soldiers found pointing to the Fourth Prince, but it hasn't been verified yet."

Shen Zhinuo: "Alright, then what did my Eighth Imperial Uncle do after he found out?"

The system: "The Eighth Prince, who believed he had no quarrel with the Fourth Prince, was livid when he got the news. He immediately penned a scathing letter, lambasting the Fourth Prince."

Shen Zhinuo: "I thought my Eighth Imperial Uncle would lead troops to attack my Fourth Imperial Uncle."

The system: "The Eighth Prince wanted to do that, but he had just returned to the capital without permission, angering Emperor Chengwu. So he didn't dare act rashly to avoid drawing the Emperor's ire."

Shen Zhinuo: "That makes sense. In such a situation, protecting oneself is the most important."

The system: "But later, after your family was exiled, chaos erupted across the land. At that point, the Eighth Prince threw caution to the wind. He led his army, marching tirelessly, straight to the Fourth Prince's territory to uncover the truth."

Shen Zhinuo: "Did they fight? Oh, no, they probably didn't. You said my Fourth Imperial Uncle remained inactive. So what did my Eighth Imperial Uncle do?"

The system: "On his way, the Eighth Prince encountered several waves of rebels. He fought them, retaking lost lands for Daxuan."

Emperor Chengwu patted the Eighth Prince's shoulder, thinking, 'He really is a good son.'

Shen Zhinuo: "What happened next?"

The system explained, "The Eighth Prince was delayed by engaging with rebel forces, allowing the Fourth Prince to stealthily maneuver his troops toward the capital."

Just as they were speaking, Kang Yuande's urgent voice suddenly came from outside the door, sounding very anxious: "Your Majesty, a military report from the northern border has arrived—an urgent dispatch."

Hearing the words "urgent dispatch," everyone in the room changed their expressions. Shen Zhinuo also stopped talking, looking toward the screen and straining her ears to listen quietly to the commotion outside.

Emperor Chengwu's face darkened. "Bring it in."

"Yes," Kang Yuande responded loudly, taking the military report from the messenger's hands and offering it respectfully with both hands.

The Crown Prince stood up, took the report, broke the seal, unfolded it, and quickly scanned it. After reading, his expression shifted, and he said, "Father, there’s trouble on the northern border."