Chapter 86

Chapter 86

System: "From the storyline involving Chun Xing, we only know that Fuyao Jushi is an advisor to the Fourth Prince. As for his true identity, that remains unknown and would require further investigation."

Shen Zhinuo: "How did Chun Xing and Fuyao Jushi meet?"

The system organized the plot and began narrating in order: "Imperial Noble Consort Rong was known for her bad temper, often scolding and beating her palace servants. Chun Xing, being her personal maid, served her the most and thus endured the most beatings and scoldings."

"A few years ago, when the Fourth Prince was summoned back to the capital, it coincided with the spring hunt, so everyone followed to the hunting grounds. Imperial Noble Consort Rong was among the entourage, and naturally, Chun Xing followed her there."

"On that day, due to some minor issue, Imperial Noble Consort Rong slapped Chun Xing again. Coincidentally, the Fourth Prince arrived with an attendant to visit Imperial Noble Consort Rong. Outside the tent, he encountered Chun Xing, who was covering her face as she walked out."

"In the eyes of the Fourth Prince, his mother disciplining a servant was a trivial matter, hardly worth mentioning. He paid no attention and went straight into the tent, leaving his attendant waiting outside."

Shen Zhinuo: "I guess, that attendant was Fuyao Jushi, right?"

System: "You're really smart, Young Master. At that time, Fuyao Jushi lingered his gaze on the obvious slap mark on Chun Xing's face but said nothing, then looked away."

"That night, when Chun Xing finished her shift and returned to her tent to rest, she found a pouch beneath her pillow, which contained a bottle of ointment and a small note with the words 'reduce swelling and heal bruises' written on it."

Shen Zhinuo: "Was that ointment placed by Fuyao Jushi?"

System: "Yes. But at that time, Chun Xing didn't know who had placed it. She and Fuyao Jushi had only met briefly that day, without any further interaction, so she didn't even think of him."

"Having spent years in the palace, Chun Xing had seen all sorts of schemes and tricks. She hesitated to use the ointment of unknown origin, which looked quite valuable, but she kept it instead."

"With no medicine to treat it, the slap mark on her face hadn't completely faded by the next day. The next day, when she went to Imperial Noble Consort Rong's tent for duty, she ran into Fuyao Jushi again, who glanced at her face several times."

"Because Chun Xing disliked Imperial Noble Consort Rong, she also disliked anyone associated with her, including the Fourth Prince and his entourage. So when she saw Fuyao Jushi rudely staring at her, she shot him a displeased glare."

"Fuyao Jushi just smiled and said, 'Miss, didn't you use the ointment?'"

"It was only then that Chun Xing realized that the ointment had been sent by him, and she was very shocked. She didn't understand why, being strangers, he would send her ointment. But constrained by being outside Imperial Noble Consort Rong's tent, she could only thank him briefly."

Shen Zhinuo curiously asked: "Did Fuyao Jushi explain why he sent the ointment?"

System: "Chun Xing didn't ask, so he didn't say."

Shen Zhinuo: "What happened next?"

System: "The spring hunt typically lasts about a month, and that time was no exception. During that period, the Fourth Prince would visit Imperial Noble Consort Rong frequently, and Fuyao Jushi always accompanied him. Chun Xing saw him almost every day, and over time, they became somewhat acquainted, exchanging a few words now and then."

"Finally, one day, Chun Xing found an opportunity to ask him why he had sent her the ointment."

Shen Zhinuo curiously asked: "What did he say?"

System: "Fuyao Jushi said that he had a younger brother who had gone missing as a child. When he was found, he was working as a servant in a wealthy household, where he was often harshly punished by his cruel masters."

"When he saw Chun Xing being beaten, he thought of his brother and couldn't bear it, so he sent her a bottle of ointment."

"Chun Xing didn't expect that Fuyao Jushi, who seemed so detached from worldly affairs, had such a sad past. She asked a few more questions about his brother, but Fuyao Jushi just smiled bitterly and said, 'Let's not talk about it.'"

"Although Chun Xing was curious, seeing that he didn't want to talk about it, she didn't press further. She just felt that the distance between them had inexplicably narrowed, and she thanked him again."

"Fuyao Jushi then said, 'The ointment is quite effective. If you get hurt again in the future, you can try it. Of course, I hope you stay happy and healthy and never need to use it.'"

Shen Zhinuo: "He's quite good at saying nice things."

System: "Yes, with just that one sentence, he moved Chun Xing. From then on, she began to pay more attention to Fuyao Jushi without realizing it."

"As her attention grew, unknowingly, feelings of admiration slowly developed, but due to their social positions, nothing was done."

"One day, the Fourth Prince's Consort came to Imperial Noble Consort Rong's tent, and Chun Xing and the maid from the Fourth Prince's Consort's side were waiting outside. Bored, they started chatting, and gradually, Chun Xing shifted the topic to the Recluse Scholar, inquiring about his family background."

"Before the maid could answer, the Recluse Scholar, who had appeared behind them without them noticing, overheard. Chun Xing was extremely embarrassed, her face turned red, and she quickly made up an excuse and ran away."

"For the next few days, she avoided the Recluse Scholar, but he went out of his way to find her, saying, 'I am not married, nor have I been engaged. If you wish to know anything in the future, you can ask me directly.'"

Shen Zhinuo was confused: "What does he mean? It sounds like he might be interested in Chun Xing too."

System: "You're right, Miss Shen, that's exactly what he means."

Shen Zhinuo was surprised: "They developed feelings for each other, but was it genuine or for some other purpose?"

After asking, she realized she was becoming paranoid, always wondering if there was an ulterior motive behind anyone's actions.

System: "Chun Xing truly fell in love, but whether the Recluse Scholar's feelings were genuine, it's unclear from Chun Xing's side of the story."

Shen Weiqing and the Eighteenth Princess exchanged glances, both feeling that the Recluse Scholar probably had ulterior motives.

One was an advisor to a prince stationed far away, the other a palace maid in the capital; even if they had feelings, it was almost impossible for them to be together.

If the Recluse Scholar truly had feelings for Chun Xing, he should have asked the Fourth Prince to request Chun Xing from Imperial Noble Consort Rong, but since Chun Xing was still in the palace, it appeared he hadn't taken any action.

Shen Zhinuo: "So what happened next?"

System: "After the Recluse Scholar's flirtation, Chun Xing's heart was even more stirred, but as a palace maid, technically the Emperor's property, she could do nothing. Moreover, apart from dropping subtle hints and secretly sending medicine once, the Recluse Scholar had not made any overt gestures."

"After the spring hunt ended, the Recluse Scholar followed the Fourth Prince back to his fief. Before leaving, he whispered two words to her, 'Wait for me.'"

Shen Zhinuo: "So Chun Xing waited?"

System: "Yes, because of the 'Wait for me' the Recluse Scholar told her, Chun Xing was convinced."

"But as a palace maid, she could not leave the palace or marry until she was of age, so waiting or not made no difference; she had to stay in the palace as required."

Shen Weiqing and the others exchanged glances, silently agreeing that the Recluse Scholar was up to no good. Initially, they only suspected he had ulterior motives towards Chun Xing, but now it seemed almost certain he wanted to manipulate her to use her for something.

Shen Zhinuo: "That makes sense. Did they have any private interactions?"

System: "Yes, during festivals, the Recluse Scholar would send Chun Xing gifts, pretending they were from her family."

Shen Zhinuo: "Did Chun Xing send anything back?"

System: "No."

Shen Zhinuo: "Why? Afraid of being discovered?"

System: "No, Chun Xing wanted to send gifts too, but since the Recluse Scholar's gifts always came through several intermediaries, Chun Xing didn't know how to send anything back and didn't dare to send directly to the Fourth Prince's residence, so she could only accept his gestures without reciprocating."

Shen Zhinuo: "When did the Recluse Scholar tell Chun Xing about Imperial Noble Consort Rong intentionally causing Consort Chen to lose her baby? Does Chun Xing know now?"

System: "She doesn't know yet, but according to the storyline clues, it will happen soon."

"The Fourth Prince's Consort sent someone to deliver something to Imperial Noble Consort Rong. After completing the task, the matron sought out Chun Xing in private and handed her a letter. After Chun Xing read it, the matron burned the letter right before her eyes."

Everyone was confused, from what A Tong said, it seemed like the Fourth Prince's Consort was involved in this matter.

Shen Zhinuo was also puzzled: "The matron from the Fourth Prince's Consort's side delivered a letter to Chun Xing, did she do it for the Fourth Prince's Consort?"

The system said, "The letter was from Fuyao Jushi to Chun Xing."

Shen Zhinuo was puzzled, "Why would the nanny from the Fourth Prince's Consort deliver a letter for Fuyao Jushi?"

The system replied, "That's not something we can see."

Shen Zhinuo asked, "What did the letter say?"

The system said, "There was only one sentence in the letter, telling Chun Xing to listen to the nanny."

Shen Zhinuo wondered, "How did Chun Xing believe that the nanny was sent by Fuyao Jushi? What if she was being deceived?"

The system explained, "Chun Xing certainly wouldn't believe it easily. The nanny took out a jar of ointment, exactly the same as the one Fuyao Jushi had given to Chun Xing before, even the pouch containing the jar was identical. The nanny also repeated two sentences that Fuyao Jushi had privately said to Chun Xing, which only the two of them knew about, so it had to be Fuyao Jushi who told the nanny. That's why Chun Xing believed her."

Shen Zhinuo nodded, curious, "What did the nanny tell Chun Xing?"

The system said, "She told Chun Xing how Consort Rong caused Consort Chen to miscarry, and then asked Chun Xing to find a way to leak this information to Consort Chen."

Shen Zhinuo asked, "The purpose of leaking it to Consort Chen is to have her kill Consort Rong?"

The system replied, "The nanny didn't say, and the original plot didn't mention it, but presumably that's the case."

Upon hearing this, Shen Zhinuo asked, "What did Chun Xing say? Did she just agree?"

The system said, "Upon hearing this, Chun Xing hesitated. She felt deep sympathy for Consort Chen, who had lost a child and was in a pitiful state. She didn't want her to confront Consort Rong, who was still a noble consort at the time, to avoid suffering more."

Shen Zhinuo questioned, "Chun Xing was Consort Rong's maid, why would she side with Consort Chen? Is it because Consort Rong beat and scolded her?"

The system answered, "That was part of the reason. Also, Chun Xing often heard Cui Zhu say that Consort Chen was a very good mistress, who treated Cui Zhu very well. Consort Chen had often gifted Cui Zhu with various items, both food and other necessities, and Cui Zhu would secretly share some with Chun Xing. So indirectly, Chun Xing also received favors from Consort Chen."

Shen Zhinuo remarked, "My ninth aunt is so good, Consort Chen must be good too."

The system added, "Another point is that at that time, Consort Rong hadn't had any incidents yet. If Consort Chen found out, she would definitely seek revenge on Consort Rong. Chun Xing believed that a consort would stand no chance against a noble consort. For several reasons, she didn't want anything to happen to Consort Chen."

Although Chun Xing agreed to assist Fuyao Jushi, she never actually acted on it.

Not long after, at the spring hunting event, Consort Rong angered the Old Emperor and was demoted to Consort Rong by the Old Emperor.

Chun Xing thought the time was right and planned to inform Consort Chen, but before she could find a suitable opportunity to approach Cui Zhu, Consort Rong was accused of 'attempting to poison the Emperor' and was sent to the cold palace by the Old Emperor.

Shen Zhinuo asked, "Was it because of the death of the favorite consort's cat?"

The system confirmed, "Exactly. After Consort Rong was sent to the cold palace, Chun Xing was also transferred elsewhere. Without hesitation, she penned a letter detailing the past events and instructed Cui Zhu to discreetly place it in Consort Chen's chamber, which led to Consort Chen burning Consort Rong to death."

Shen Zhinuo grasped the sequence of events, but her questions multiplied: "Doggy, I don't get it. Why would the nanny from the Fourth Prince's Consort deliver a letter for Fuyao Jushi?"

"Okay, even if the nanny was bribed by Fuyao Jushi and is loyal to him," Shen Zhinuo continued, "why would Fuyao Jushi want to use Consort Chen's hand to kill Consort Rong? Isn't he my Fourth Imperial Uncle's advisor? Why would he want to harm his master's mother?"

The system replied, "Sorry, Young Master, these details are currently unknown."

Shen Zhinuo pondered for a while but couldn't figure it out, sighing inwardly, "Ah, my head hurts."

Di Guihong had been silently walking beside the little girl. Hearing this, he frowned slightly, led the little girl to a bench under the corridor ahead, lifted the little chubby girl to sit on it, then sat down next to her, put his arm around her shoulders, letting her lie on his lap, and gently lifted her two chubby legs onto the bench, then softly stroked her little head.

Shen Zhinuo was full of thoughts, and when she came to, she was already lying on the little boy's lap. She asked in confusion, "What's wrong, Little General?"

Di Guihong brushed the bangs off her forehead and said, "I saw that you seemed unable to walk anymore, so let's rest for a while."

Shen Zhinuo kicked her legs to feel them, and indeed they were a bit sore, so she smiled with her eyes curved: "Thank you, Little General."

Di Guihong remained silent, smiling with pursed lips, and continued to gently stroke the little girl's head.

Seeing this, Shen Weiqing, the Eighteenth Princess, Princess Wen'an, and Princess Huayue couldn't help but laugh.

Despite his young age, Di Guihong took excellent care of Nuo Er, even more attentive than they were. Just now, they were all listening to the conversation between the child and the bucket, momentarily neglecting that Nuo Er had wandered off and must be tired.

Shen Zhinuo was lying on the long bench, her head resting on the Little General's lap, one short leg crossed over the other, gently swinging a little foot.

Seeing the little chubby girl so relaxed and carefree, it seemed she wouldn't be moving anytime soon, so everyone sat down on the long bench.

After enjoying a head massage from the Little General, Shen Zhinuo felt her muddled head clear up a bit and then asked, "Doggy, do you think my Fourth Imperial Uncle knows what that Fuyao Jushi has been up to?"

System: "He likely doesn't know."

Shen Zhinuo: "I figured as much. That Fuyao Jushi actually plotted to assassinate Imperial Noble Consort Rong, so he must have had some ulterior motive."

System: "Most likely."

Seeing that the system knew nothing more, Shen Zhinuo changed the topic: "What's Fuyao Jushi's real name?"

System: "From Chun Xing's part of the story, it's not traceable."

Shen Zhinuo didn't understand: "Didn't Chun Xing practically commit her life to him? How come she doesn't know his real name?"

System: "Chun Xing asked, but Fuyao Jushi said he had his reasons and it wasn't the right time to reveal it, promising to tell her in the future."

Shen Zhinuo got angry hearing this: "What a jerk."

Shen Weiqing and the others were more and more convinced that Fuyao Jushi was no good, making Chun Xing wait without even revealing his real name, clearly tricking her into helping him.

Shen Zhinuo curiously asked: "What's so appealing about Fuyao Jushi that Chun Xing fell for him so easily?"

System: "From Chun Xing's perspective, Fuyao Jushi was tall, handsome, and had a noble demeanor. Though just a strategist, his presence was no less imposing than that of the Fourth Prince."

Everyone nodded. If Fuyao Jushi was indeed so outstanding in every way, it was no wonder Chun Xing fell for him.

Shen Zhinuo agreed: "Everyone likes good-looking people, I also enjoy looking at the Little General." Saying this, she smiled towards the Little General who was still smoothing her hair.

Di Guihong smiled back, revealing his small white teeth.

Smiles are contagious. Seeing the little boy smile so brightly, Shen Zhinuo couldn't help but laugh happily.

The two little kids laughing at each other made the older kids chuckle too.

After laughing for a while, Shen Zhinuo remembered to ask the system again: "Doggy, is there anything else about Chun Xing?"

The system searched: "There's one more thing, quite interesting."

Shen Zhinuo asked: "What is it?"

System: "The Old Emperor had Liang Quan plant spies everywhere, and Chun Xing was the one placed in Consort Rong's palace."

Shen Zhinuo was somewhat surprised: "I just saw Chun Xing, she didn't seem like a spy at all."

System: "She was just a spy chosen by the secret guards, not exactly a secret guard herself."

Shen Zhinuo: "How was Chun Xing chosen then?"

System: "Before selecting spies, the secret guards would understand the situations of the palace staff. Chun Xing was chosen because she was often beaten and scolded by Imperial Noble Consort Rong."

Shen Zhinuo understood the reasoning: "So they found someone who held a grudge against Imperial Noble Consort Rong, making her easier to recruit."

System: "That's the reasoning."

Shen Zhinuo: "What grievances did the spies in the Eastern Palace and Fengyi Palace have that made them suitable for selection?"

The system reviewed the relevant plotlines for those two individuals: "Actually, no. They were chosen because the spies analyzed them and deemed them suitable for recruitment."

Shen Zhinuo felt reassured and asked further: "What kind of information did Chun Xing pass on to the spies?"

System: "Although Chun Xing suffered a lot under Imperial Noble Consort Rong, she was still reluctant to engage in such sneaky, betraying behavior."

"But since the spies were backed by the Old Emperor, who was a higher authority than Imperial Noble Consort Rong, Chun Xing couldn't refuse when they approached her. She had no choice but to comply."

"When the spies periodically came to collect information, she provided some. However, she wasn't very diligent and didn't make much effort to uncover Imperial Noble Consort Rong's secrets, so she didn't pass on any valuable information."

Just hearing this, Shen Zhinuo felt sorry for Chun Xing: "Does Imperial Noble Consort Rong know about this?"

System: "From the existing plot, it's unclear whether Imperial Noble Consort Rong is aware or not, but her mistreatment of Chun Xing has worsened. This is why, later, when Fuyao Jushi asked Chun Xing to deliver a letter to Consort Chen, her only concern was whether Consort Chen could outmaneuver Imperial Noble Consort Rong, and she never considered whether Imperial Noble Consort Rong might die as a result."

Shen Zhinuo: "If someone beat and scolded me every day, I'd want revenge too."

The little black dog circled around the little girl: "Young Master is so adorable, no one would ever beat or scold you."

Di Guihong nodded unconsciously in agreement.

Shen Zhinuo gazed at the white clouds in the sky, oblivious to the Little General's reaction, and continued to ask: "What became of Chun Xing later? Did she ever meet that Fuyao Jushi?"

---

Eastern Palace.

The Ninth Princess had just finished telling the Crown Prince and Crown Princess how the little monk Jing Yun resembled Shen Cang when a palace servant announced from outside: "Your Highness, the Eleventh Prince and Cheng Yuan have arrived."

The Ninth Princess's eyes lit up: "A Yuan has come too."

The Crown Prince smiled and instructed: "Invite them in."

Soon, the Eleventh Prince and Cheng Yuan entered. They exchanged greetings before taking their seats.

The Ninth Princess had been sitting on the couch beside the Crown Princess, but now she rose and moved to a chair next to Cheng Yuan. The two exchanged smiles and even secretly held hands across the armrests of their chairs.

The Crown Prince and Crown Princess observed this scene and couldn't help but smile, thinking how sweet the young couple was.

After sharing a laugh, they turned their attention to the Eleventh Prince, only to find him also watching the couple, his expression as impassive as ever, with a hint of confusion and disdain.

The Crown Prince and Crown Princess exchanged another glance, both sighing inwardly. Truly, he was a block of wood, and a rotten one at that.

The Ninth Princess and Cheng Yuan, having finished their little interaction, looked up to see everyone watching them and immediately felt embarrassed, smiling sheepishly.

The Crown Princess teased: "A Dai just arrived, and A Yuan followed right after. Can't you two stand to be apart for even a moment?"

Cheng Yuan glanced at the Ninth Princess, his face slightly flushed, and his ears turning red. "Sister-in-law, you jest. The Eleventh Prince and I came because of the matter concerning the monk Jing Yun. Did A Dai mention it?"

The Ninth Princess nodded: "I just told Big Brother and Sister-in-law about it, but I haven't finished the story yet."

The Crown Prince looked at them and asked: "Do you all believe Jing Yun is related to Shen Cang?"

The Eleventh Prince then recounted what he had inquired about in the Empress's palace, concluding: "If Second Uncle's death is indeed related to His Majesty, then this is very likely."

The Crown Prince's expression darkened slightly. "Earlier, A Dai mentioned seeing Shen Cang in Yuezhou. What exactly happened? Tell us more."

The Ninth Princess continued, "A Yuan had a friend in Yuezhou. Last year, when A Yuan and I had some free time, we spontaneously decided to visit Yuezhou to see his friend. However, his friend was away on business and wouldn't return for a few days. So, A Yuan and I decided to take the opportunity to explore Yuezhou. We politely declined the invitation from his friend's family to stay with them and found an inn to stay."

"On the first day, we went downstairs to the dining hall for lunch. There, I saw our cousin carrying a bag and talking to the waiter at the counter. I recognized him right away and ran over, calling him 'cousin.' But he glanced at me twice and couldn't recall who I was, saying I must have mistaken him for someone else, and then he turned to leave."

"Only when I grabbed his arm and called him by name did he believe I hadn't mistaken him, but he still couldn't recall which of our sisters I was."

The Crown Prince said, "Shen Cang left the capital when you were not even ten years old. Now that you've grown into a young lady, your appearance has changed. It's normal that he didn't recognize you."

The Ninth Princess replied, "I thought the same, so I didn't take it to heart. I pulled my cousin aside, introduced myself, and then introduced A Yuan to him. My cousin asked why we were in Yuezhou, and we said we were visiting a friend. I asked him why he was in Yuezhou, and he said he was also visiting a friend, but his friend wasn't in Yuezhou. He was just passing through and wanted to find a place to eat."

"Since it was a rare chance to meet, A Yuan and I invited my cousin to join us for lunch. We chatted pleasantly over the meal, and after eating, my cousin left. We haven't seen him since."

The Crown Prince asked, "What did you talk about?"

The Ninth Princess said, "We just talked about each other's recent situations. I specifically asked my cousin if he was married, and he said he hadn't married yet. However, A Yuan mentioned that my cousin only said he hadn't married, but he didn't say he didn't have any children, right, A Yuan?" At this point, the Ninth Princess looked at Cheng Yuan.

Cheng Yuan smiled and nodded in agreement.

The Crown Prince asked again, "Was there anything else suspicious?"

The Ninth Princess thought for a moment and shook her head, "Our meeting was brief—just long enough for lunch, about an hour or so. There was nothing suspicious."

After the Ninth Princess finished speaking, Cheng Yuan gently touched her shoulder and added, "A Dai, do you remember when we went to the counter to settle the bill, the waiter came over and mentioned something?"

The Ninth Princess thought for a moment but had no recollection and shook her head, "I can't remember. What did he say?"

Cheng Yuan said, "The waiter said, 'Is that guest not staying at the inn anymore?'"