Chapter 95

Chapter 95

The system searched and replied, "Sorry, Young Mistress, from Nanny Yang's storyline, we can't find out the exact relationship between the Fourth Prince's Consort and the Fuyao Scholar. But it can be seen that the Fourth Prince's Consort first instructed Nanny Yang, and then the Fuyao Scholar assigned her the task of coming to the capital this time."

Shen Zhinuo grasped the key information: "So, when the Fuyao Scholar assigned the task to Nanny Yang, was my Fourth Prince's Consort present?"

The system replied, "That's correct."

Nanny Yang thought that the young mistresses were just passing by, but to her surprise, they stopped a few steps ahead of her. She didn't know what was happening but didn't dare to get up, only waiting quietly.

Not far away, two members of the Nine Abyss Guard were secretly following Nanny Yang. Seeing her being stopped by the young mistresses, they were puzzled and looked at each other. One whispered, "You follow, I'll go back and report to the Eleventh Prince." With that, he turned and hurried back.

Even though the system said it didn't know, Shen Zhinuo, by intuition, felt that there must be some unknown relationship between the Fourth Prince's Consort and the Fuyao Scholar. She continued, "So, when they were together, what were their expressions? Were they very intimate?"

Xue Song, Shen Weiyan, and the other older children were also eager to know more, fearing that A Tong would say he didn't know and Nuo Er would stop asking. Hearing the little girl's persistence, they looked at each other and nodded in unison, praising Nuo Er for her sharpness.

The system said, "It wasn't that detailed."

Shen Zhinuo was not satisfied: "Then explain in detail the situation when they assigned the task to Nanny Yang."

The system then explained in detail: "Nanny Yang is the personal nanny brought by the Fourth Prince's Consort from her maiden home. She is also the nanny of the Fourth Prince's Consort and her confidante."

"The Fourth Prince's Consort trusts Nanny Yang very much. Since childhood, whenever there was something she didn't want outsiders to know, she would have Nanny Yang take care of it."

"Not long ago, Nanny Yang followed the Fourth Prince's Consort out to a tea house. After entering a private room, the Fourth Prince's Consort sent everyone else away and kept Nanny Yang alone to talk. She told Nanny Yang to go back to the capital to visit Imperial Noble Consort Rong on her behalf."

"Since the Fourth Prince's Consort followed the Fourth Prince to his fiefdom, Nanny Yang has often gone to the capital to take care of her business, delivering gifts and messages to friends and relatives, and visiting her mother-in-law, Imperial Noble Consort Rong. So Nanny Yang thought it was the same as before and agreed."

Hearing that Nanny Yang had often come to the capital before, Shen Zhinuo curiously asked, "Who did she deliver messages to before? Besides Imperial Noble Consort Rong, is there anyone I know?"

The system checked: "Mostly some insignificant people, but there is one person here that you might know, Young Mistress."

Shen Zhinuo was curious: "Who is it?"

The system: "The sister-in-law of the Li family, the family of Secondary Consort Li from the 13th Prince's residence, Wei."

Hearing the system point out this person, Shen Zhinuo guessed, "Wei, is she part of the story? But I don't seem to have heard of her, no impression."

The system: "This Nanny Yang has gone to the Li family, the family of Secondary Consort Li from the 13th Prince's residence, which is also the family of Consort Jing, the mother of the 13th Prince, several times recently. Each time, Nanny Yang would carry letters between the Fourth Prince's Consort and this Wei."

Hearing this from the system, the older children looked at each other, frowning.

Is it possible that the Fourth Prince's Consort is also involved in the 13th Prince's scheme against the 14th Prince's Consort? That would be really cruel.

Shen Zhinuo: "What did the letters between the two say?"

The system: "That is unknown, Nanny Yang did not open the letters to read them."

Shen Zhinuo made a mental note of this: "Alright, then continue with the story of the Fourth Prince's Consort and the Fuyao Scholar."

The system: "The Fourth Prince's Consort first told Nanny Yang to go back to the capital, then said there was a major task for her to handle, but this task was told to her by the Fuyao Scholar. Then the Fuyao Scholar came out from a hidden door in the tea house's private room."

Shen Zhinuo: "Doggy, when Nanny Yang saw the Fuyao Scholar, was she shocked, or did she show any other reaction?"

The system: "According to the storyline, Nanny Yang didn't react unusually upon seeing the Fuyao Scholar, only listened quietly to his instructions, then agreed, indicating she would take care of it properly."

Shen Zhinuo analyzed: "Since the Fuyao Scholar is my Fourth Imperial Uncle's advisor, and Nanny Yang is my Fourth Prince's Consort's personal nanny, the two must know each other."

The system: "That makes sense."

Shen Zhinuo thought to herself. As the Fourth Prince's Consort, meeting the Fourth Prince's advisor in private, and doing so secretly, was against Daxuan's etiquette.

Nanny Yang not being surprised upon seeing the Recluse of Fuyao suggested two possibilities: either she was already aware of the secret relationship between the Fourth Prince's Consort and the Recluse, or she blindly obeyed her mistress without knowing why.

But which one was it? The little girl was lost in thought.

Seeing that the Young Master had stopped asking questions, the little black dog sat quietly in front of her, waiting. The others, not knowing what the little girl was thinking, did not disturb her.

Nanny Yang's heart raced with anxiety. She stole a glance at the little masters, completely baffled by their silent stares.

If other palace masters acted this way, she would suspect that the purpose of her trip to the capital had been exposed. But these were just children—what could they possibly know, being just children?

After some thought without an answer, Shen Zhinuo continued to ask, "Doggy, what task did the Recluse give Nanny Yang?"

The system answered, "The Recluse gave Nanny Yang a secret letter."

Shen Zhinuo asked curiously, "How did the letter get in? Another golden bracelet?"

The system replied, "Not quite, but close. It was placed inside a hollow incense ball. According to the plot, Nanny Yang met Chun Xing during her palace visit, so the incense ball should be on her person now."

Shen Zhinuo was itching to find out, "Doggy, where's the ball hidden? Could it be in her sleeve? Or maybe in the bundle she's carrying?"

The system replied, "ATong has no idea."

Shen Zhinuo was tempted to search for it herself, but she hadn't finished her questions yet. "Forget the ball for now. Is the letter's content the same as Chun Xing's info?"

The system confirmed, "Yes, it's just one sentence: 'Chun Xing, listen to Nanny Yang.'"

"Chun Xing was head over heels for the Recluse. She had already given her heart to him, so she was naturally willing to help him, especially against the abusive Imperial Noble Consort Rong. When Nanny Yang showed her the ointment the Recluse had once given her, Chun Xing believed her and let the nanny speak."

"Nanny Yang spilled how Imperial Noble Consort Rong caused Consort Chen's miscarriage and instructed Chun Xing to secretly inform Consort Chen about it. After Chun Xing agreed, Nanny Yang left the palace, saying goodbye to Imperial Noble Consort Rong."

Shen Zhinuo asked, "Any other plots involving this nanny?"

The system searched carefully again. "Young Master, you just asked about the relationship between the Recluse of Fuyao and the Fourth Prince's Consort. While the plot doesn't clearly explain, there's one incident that could shed some light."

Shen Zhinuo's little ears perked up. "Doggy, tell me quickly."

The system explained, "When the Fourth Prince's Consort was still unmarried, Nanny Yang accompanied her on a trip to Jianchang to visit relatives. During that time, Nanny Yang saw the Recluse of Fuyao with the Fourth Prince's Consort, and not just once."

The children were all shocked. Not only did they sense gossip, but also the scent of conspiracy.

Shen Zhinuo's big eyes widened in surprise. "My goodness, my Fourth Aunt and the Recluse of Fuyao met that long ago?"

The system confirmed, "Yes."

Shen Zhinuo grew excited. "There must be something big behind this. Doggy, what else do you know? What did they talk about? What did they do?"

The system replied, "That's unknown. Every time they met, Nanny Yang waited at a distance and didn't know the details."

Suddenly, Shen Zhinuo remembered something. "By the way, Doggy, why does Jianchang sound so familiar to me?"

The system pulled up Noble Lady Jing's plot. "The Eighteenth Princess's uncle, Yao Lian, who is Noble Lady Jing's brother, once served as the prefect of Jianchang. That year, the Li River under Jianchang's jurisdiction flooded. Yao Lian, in an attempt to frame the Grand Canal Commissioner, breached multiple levees along the Li River, causing massive flooding that submerged three counties and resulted in countless casualties."

Shen Zhinuo recalled, "I remember now. After my grandfather sent an imperial envoy to investigate, Yao Lian's entire family was executed, and Noble Lady Jing was demoted from consort to noble lady. That's why my Eighteenth Aunt has been busy earning money to atone for her sins ever since."

"Exactly," the system agreed, then checked the plot related to Nanny Yang again. "Young Master, there's another interesting thing here."

Whenever the system mentioned something interesting, it was always significant. Shen Zhinuo asked curiously, "What is it?"

The system: "The last time the Fourth Prince's Consort went to Jianchang to visit relatives was the year the Lijiang River flooded."

The children frowned, their minds buzzing with questions. Was the Lijiang flood somehow connected to the Fourth Prince's Consort? That seems unlikely, doesn't it?

Shen Zhinuo was even more surprised: "What a coincidence!"

The system: "Yes, it was indeed a coincidence. At that time, the Fourth Prince's Consort's maternal grandparents' family happened to be in one of the three affected counties. Her maternal grandparents' family also suffered from the flood, and many household staff died. The Fourth Prince's Consort barely escaped with her life."

Shen Zhinuo: "Wasn't Fuyao Jushi also in Jianchang? Where was he during the flood?"

The system: "The specific details are unknown, but when the Fourth Prince's Consort was in danger, it was Fuyao Jushi who risked his life to save her. Nanny Yang was also rescued by Fuyao Jushi."

Shen Zhinuo, with some excitement in her voice: "I get it! A hero saving a damsel in distress—that must be how my Fourth Imperial Aunt and Fuyao Jushi fell for each other."

Xue Song, Shen Weiyan, Shen Weiqing, Princess Wen'an, and Princess Huayue couldn't help but secretly laugh. Such a little chubby kid, yet she knows about falling in love.

Everyone was secretly laughing above the little girl's head, except for Di Guihong, who held the little girl's soft hand a bit tighter.

The system: "Sorry, Little Master, the system doesn't have that information."

Shen Zhinuo was puzzled again: "But wait, that doesn't make sense. If they were in love, how did my Fourth Imperial Aunt end up marrying my Fourth Imperial Uncle?"

The little girl didn't know about this, and the younger children weren't aware of the past relationship between the Fourth Prince and his Consort. However, Xue Song had heard about the events of that year. He frowned, following Nuo Er's train of thought, and considered a possibility.

Shen Zhinuo: "Hey, doggy, can you check where my Fourth Imperial Uncle was during the Lijiang flood?"

The system complied and searched: "That year, when the Lijiang dam was destroyed and the flood submerged three counties, the Old Emperor sent a royal inspector to Jianchang to investigate. Guess who that envoy was, Little Master?"

Shen Zhinuo had no idea, but thinking about how she had just asked about the Fourth Prince, she boldly guessed: "Could it have been my Fourth Imperial Uncle?"

The little black dog gestured frantically: "Little Master, you're amazing! You guessed it right on the first try."

Shen Zhinuo was incredulous, her eyes wide: "It was really him?"

The system: "Yes, and according to Nanny Yang's account, the Fourth Prince's Consort returned to the capital alongside the Fourth Prince."

Shen Zhinuo: "Did my Fourth Imperial Uncle and my Fourth Imperial Aunt know each other back then? Were they engaged?"

The system: "They were both from the capital, one a prince and the other the daughter of a high-ranking official. They likely knew each other for ages. According to Nanny Yang's account, it's clear they were acquainted."

Shen Zhinuo pressed further: "Were they engaged?"

The system: "They weren't engaged at that time, but not long after returning to the capital, the Old Emperor betrothed them. Later, they got married and then went to their estate together."

Shen Zhinuo was very curious: "Is there more to the story about Fuyao Jushi, my Fourth Imperial Aunt, and my Fourth Imperial Uncle? What was their relationship like?"

"And how did Fuyao Jushi end up by my Fourth Imperial Uncle's side?"

"Does my Fourth Imperial Uncle know about the past relationship between Fuyao Jushi and my Fourth Imperial Aunt?"

The system: "Sorry, Little Master, the system doesn't have that information. Regarding the relationship and plot between the three of them, this is all that can be seen from Nanny Yang's perspective."

Nanny Yang (Yang Muma) had been kneeling for a while, and her legs were getting numb. She shifted slightly, unable to stay still.

Shen Zhinuo noticed Nanny Yang's movement and remembered her again: "What do I do, doggy? I really want to take this nanny aside and grill her."

With so many unanswered questions, she was practically bouncing with curiosity.

The little black dog quickly raised its two front paws and gestured frantically: "Little Master, you can't ask, or you'll be punished by the main system again."

Shen Zhinuo sighed, "Yes." Even after so long, the pain from that sharp sting was still fresh in her memory, and she never wanted to experience it again.

But what should she do?

After pondering for a while without any good ideas, she steered the conversation back to Nanny Yang: "What happened to Nanny Yang later? Did she die?"

The system replied, "After Nanny Yang came to the capital this time to deliver a message from Fuyao the Recluse to Chun Xing, she stayed in the capital, keeping a vigilant watch on the palace's movements."

"Chun Xing hesitated at first, causing a long delay, so Nanny Yang stayed, occasionally nudging her."

"Until Chun Xing successfully completed the task entrusted to her by Fuyao the Recluse, and after Imperial Noble Consort Rong was burned to death in the cold palace, Nanny Yang entered the palace again. She brought Chun Xing a package of local delicacies from Qianzhou, saying it was specially sent by Fuyao the Recluse to thank Chun Xing for her help."

"Chun Xing accepted it and was quite happy, but who would have thought that after eating it, she succumbed to food poisoning the very next day."