Chapter 108

Chapter 108

Seeing the chubby little child come in and immediately start tattling, the 6th Prince wanted to speak up and say how could this little child lie, but before he could open his mouth, the little child spoke again, and he immediately fell silent, closing his half-opened mouth.

Although his meeting with Noble Consort Wan was brief, he had already learned everything he needed to know, including the incident where the "so-called 'filial son'" strangled the Emperor. He was also terrified that he might be that filial son.

If it were about rebellion, the Second, Third, Fourth, Tenth, and Thirteenth Brothers were all involved, and he wouldn't be the only one. The law doesn't punish everyone, and the Emperor wouldn't likely kill all his sons, at most, they'd lose their titles and be exiled.

But if he were the "filial son," whether he lived or died would be up in the air.

Emperor Chengwu coldly glanced at the 6th Prince, reached out to hold Nuo Er in his arms, and gently patted her little head: "Nuo Er, don't be afraid. Grandpa will take care of him later."

Shen Zhinuo nodded, patiently waiting for the little black dog to reply. The system pulled up the 6th Prince's storyline: "Young Master, the 6th Prince Shen Ze is not the so-called 'filial son.'"

The 6th Prince let out a long sigh of relief, his heart finally at ease. He knew he wasn't capable of such a monstrous act.

"Not him, again," Shen Zhinuo sighed inwardly, then asked, "So, how did he plan the rebellion?"

The system replied: "Noble Consort Wan used Consort Kang to deal with the Empress in the palace, while the 6th Prince secretly recruited soldiers, stockpiled provisions, and won over the people in his fief. He also tried to sway court officials in the capital."

Cold sweat beaded on the 6th Prince's forehead. This A Tong really knew his stuff, accurately describing everything he had done.

Emperor Chengwu glanced at the Crown Prince, who nodded, signaling that he'd look into the court officials later.

Shen Zhinuo continued to ask: "Which officials did he manage to sway?"

The system replied: "The 6th Prince has four elder brothers ahead of him, including the Crown Prince, all of whom are talented in both civil and military affairs. Compared to his brothers, the 6th Prince's abilities are not outstanding, making his chances of vying for the throne slim."

"Moreover, most court officials support the Crown Prince, and some, due to various interests, support the other three elder princes. There are few who remain unaligned, and they are not fools. Anyone with half a brain wouldn't bother with the 6th Prince, who has little chance of winning. Those who couldn't directly refuse him only gave half-hearted responses. Therefore, the 6th Prince actually didn't gain much support in the court and has been fighting alone from the beginning to the end."

Emperor Chengwu and the Crown Prince both looked at the 6th Prince, who turned his head away, feeling utterly humiliated, like a total failure.

Shen Zhinuo said: "But my Twelfth Imperial Uncle sided with him."

The 6th Prince felt a pang in his heart. See, only a brother from the same mother could be trusted.

Without waiting for the system to respond, Shen Zhinuo sighed: "But siding with him didn't do any good. My Twelfth Imperial Uncle was captured by the enemy and hung in front of the two armies for three full days, and my 6th Imperial Uncle didn't care about him, causing my Twelfth Imperial Uncle to die hanging there. He's a cold-hearted brother."

The 6th Prince was stunned. Wait, why hadn't his mother told him about this? No wonder his brother, who had finally returned, didn't come out of the city to greet him.

The system agreed: "Cold-hearted, indeed."

Shen Zhinuo glared at the 6th Prince, who was still on his knees, and asked curiously: "Why's he still on his knees?"

The system replied: "Probably because he messed up and got punished by the Old Emperor."

Shen Zhinuo didn't care whether he was kneeling or not and continued to ask: "So, the guy who strung up my Twelfth Imperial Uncle in front of the army to force my 6th Imperial Uncle to back off—do we finally know who that was?"

The system replied: "Yes, it was the Fifth Princess's husband, Bao Xun."

Emperor Chengwu, the Crown Prince, and the 6th Prince were all stunned. They had originally thought that only the princes were involved in the rebellion, but they didn't expect that a son-in-law was also involved. And it was the Fifth Princess's husband?

Shen Zhinuo was also surprised: "It was my Fifth Uncle? So, why'd he rebel? Was he after the throne too?"

The system searched: "Can't see that for now."

Shen Zhinuo asked curiously: "Didn't they say that my 6th Imperial Uncle won a fierce battle against my Fifth Uncle? Did my Fifth Uncle die?"

The system replied: "According to the 6th Prince's storyline, he did die—shot by an arrow from the 6th Prince."

Shen Zhinuo: "What about my fifth aunt? Is she also dead?"

System: "Cannot see."

Shen Zhinuo: "Who was my fifth aunt's birth mother?"

System: "Consort Liang, who died many years ago."

Shen Zhinuo: "I wonder if my fifth aunt will return to the capital anytime soon. Hey? Doggy, did you say my fifth uncle's surname is Bao or Bao?"

System: "Bao, as in the character for 'meat bun.'"

Shen Zhinuo: "Oh, I thought it was that Bao who killed several of my aunts."

System: "Based on the current plot, it's not the same person; the surnames are different."

Emperor Chengwu glanced at the Crown Prince, who nodded, thinking that he would indeed need to investigate these two surnames thoroughly later.

Shen Zhinuo then set aside the matter of the fifth uncle and continued to ask: "Later, didn't my eighth uncle defeat my sixth uncle, tie him up, and escort him all the way to the capital? Then my second and third uncles teamed up to ambush my eighth uncle and killed him. So what happened to my sixth uncle?"

The Sixth Prince's face darkened. Had the Eighth Prince really defeated him?

System: "He also died. It is said that after the Eighth Prince was hit by a stray arrow and fell, another wave of arrows rained down on the prisoner cart holding the Sixth Prince, turning him into a pincushion."

The Sixth Prince clenched his teeth and fists. Damn the second and third princes, truly lacking in virtue.

Shen Zhinuo asked again: "Is there anything else about my sixth uncle? Did he harm my father or us?"

System: "Not directly, but he was aware of the things Noble Consort Wan did later, including plotting against the Empress, and he was somewhat involved in the planning."

Shen Zhinuo clenched her little fists: "That damn sixth uncle, just wait for me to kick him."

Emperor Chengwu glanced at the little girl's tiny feet, which were smaller than his palm, his mouth twitched, and then he coldly looked at the Sixth Prince with a warning gaze.

The Sixth Prince, having his secrets exposed, dared not move. Not to mention being kicked by this little girl, if it could appease the Emperor, being kicked a hundred times would be nothing.

Shen Zhinuo got down from Emperor Chengwu's arms, pretending to run around the hall playing, ran back and forth twice, and when passing by the Sixth Prince, she kicked him on the leg.

But she didn't expect the Sixth Prince's leg to be so hard that it hurt her foot. The little girl took the opportunity to sit on the ground, holding her foot and crying out: "Grandpa Emperor, Nuo Er's foot hurts."

Seeing her young master crying, the little black dog flew to the little girl, anxiously jumping up and down: "This damn sixth uncle, just wait for me to level up."

Di Guihong quickly came to Shen Zhinuo's side, knelt down, and gently massaged her foot through her shoe, his gaze cold and fierce as he looked at the Sixth Prince.

The Sixth Prince saw a hint of murderous intent in the little boy's eyes; he was startled, thinking he was mistaken. He blinked and looked again, only to see the beautiful little boy lowering his head, focusing on massaging Bao Ning's foot, thinking he must have been mistaken.

Emperor Chengwu and the Crown Prince both saw that Nuo Er was acting, but the delicate little girl sitting there crying so pitifully made them both heartbroken. They stood up together and walked to the little girl. The Crown Prince was the first to reach out and pick up his daughter, gently patting her: "Nuo Er, don't cry, Daddy is here."

Shen Zhinuo hugged her father's neck, continuing to cry loudly, but her eyes kept glancing at Emperor Chengwu, thinking in her heart: "Why hasn't the old emperor scolded this sixth uncle yet?"

She couldn't speak of the Sixth Prince's rebellion, but having the old emperor scold him first would be good.

Emperor Chengwu, having been a step too slow to hold his chubby granddaughter, was in a bad mood. Hearing this, he immediately found a scapegoat and shouted: "Someone come!"

Kang Yuande entered in response, flicking his horsetail whisk: "Your Majesty."

Emperor Chengwu waved his hand: "The Sixth Prince has committed treason; punish him with forty lashes, imprison him in the dungeon, and deal with him later."

This outcome was expected by the Sixth Prince, as his secret plotting of rebellion had indeed happened. He kowtowed to Emperor Chengwu, and without waiting for the guards to come and escort him, he stood up and left on his own.

Shen Zhinuo was taken aback and stopped her feigned tears. Her large eyes darted back and forth, looking at the retreating figure of the 6th Prince and then at Emperor Chengwu. She wondered in her heart, "Why did Grandfather both beat and imprison him? Did he find out about his rebellion?"

The system replied, "It was said that he had committed an act of defiance. Perhaps before we arrived, he had offended the Old Emperor."

Shen Zhinuo felt vindicated and said, "Then he got what he deserved."

With the 6th Prince locked up, Shen Zhinuo was delighted. She smiled at the Crown Prince and pointed outside, saying, "Daddy, Nuo Er wants to go out and play."

The Crown Prince smiled and agreed, placing the little girl on the ground.

Shen Zhinuo grabbed Di Guihong's hand and ran off with him.

Outside Chong'an Palace, they ran into Princess Wen'an. Shen Zhinuo rushed to her and asked, "Sister, how is 18th Aunt?"

Princess Wen'an picked up her sister and sighed, "When I got there, Noble Lady Jing was in the middle of an episode. She was holding 18th Aunt, saying someone wanted to harm them. She wouldn't let anyone get close and would hurl objects if anyone tried. I heard it's been like this for the past few days."

Shen Zhinuo's heart ached upon hearing this, "18th Aunt must be suffering so much."

Princess Wen'an nodded, "Indeed, who could argue with that?"

After a moment of silence, Princess Wen'an changed the subject, "Nuo Er, where should we go?"

Shen Zhinuo thought for a moment and said, "I want to go to the rear palace and play with the ladies."

Princess Wen'an knew what her sister was planning. She glanced back at Coral and the others, then nodded, "Alright, sister will accompany you."

Shen Zhinuo giggled, hopped down, and walked ahead, holding her sister's hand with one hand and the Little General's with the other.

---

Back in Chong'an Palace, as soon as the children left, Kang Yuande came in and announced, "Your Majesty, the Empress is here."

Emperor Chengwu waved his hand, "Show her in." Kang Yuande acknowledged and turned to leave.

Soon, the Empress came in with Princess Lanzhen, followed by Xue Zhiyong, the 11th Prince, Shen Weiqing, and behind them, Guo Shi, who was escorting Shen Cang.

The 11th Prince bowed before Emperor Chengwu, "Father, Shen Cang wants to see you."

Emperor Chengwu waved his hand, dismissing the formalities. Guo Shi, following the 11th Prince's instructions, pushed Shen Cang to kneel before Emperor Chengwu and then retreated.

Shen Cang knelt on the floor and looked up at Emperor Chengwu, "Uncle Emperor, it's been a while."

Emperor Chengwu sighed lightly, "Tell me, why did you do it?"

Shen Cang sneered, "Since it's come to this, there's no point in pretending. Just kill me or cut me down, make it quick."

Emperor Chengwu asked, "Did you do this to avenge your father?"

Shen Cang looked disdainful, "You, a traitor, have the nerve to mention him."

The Crown Prince scolded, "How dare you! Shen Cang, the death of Second Uncle was an accident, why must you—"

Emperor Chengwu interrupted the Crown Prince, "It was no accident. I killed him."

The Empress, the Crown Prince, and the others all looked at Emperor Chengwu, realizing that it was indeed the Emperor who had killed him.

Shen Cang was taken aback that Emperor Chengwu admitted it so easily. After a moment of shock, he laughed loudly towards the ceiling, "Father, did you hear that? Your good brother admitted it himself."

Emperor Chengwu waited for him to finish laughing and then continued, "You were old enough back then. You knew exactly what your father did. If you were in my position, you would have made the same decision."

Shen Cang sneered, "My father was just venting his frustrations while drunk. He never actually did anything against the imperial authority, nor did he ever harm you. When you were conquering the land, my father was always by your side, fighting with you through thick and thin. Yet, just because he said a few careless words, you heartlessly killed him. He was your own brother."

Emperor Chengwu said coldly, "His conduct was disorderly, disrupting the court's order. He deserves death."

Shen Cang sneered, "If my father's disorderly conduct warranted death, what about your precious sons? They show you respect outwardly, but what about the schemes they hatch behind your back? Shouldn't they also be killed?"

Emperor Chengwu replied, "Tell me about it. If they truly violated the law and committed capital crimes, then naturally, they should be killed."

Shen Cang suddenly laughed, "The law? Isn't the law whatever you decree? Besides, why should I tell you? You've destroyed my family. You should also taste the bitterness of betrayal from your own kin."

Emperor Chengwu remained unmoved, "Aren't you serving my sons? What, didn't they provide you with enough manpower? You had to come out personally?"

Thinking of those who had promised to join him but then suddenly disappeared without a word, Shen Cang's face darkened, and he sneered, "Like father, like son. A treacherous man like you naturally begets treacherous offspring."

The Crown Prince, observing the Emperor's calm and unperturbed demeanor, felt reassured and sat quietly listening.

Emperor Chengwu nodded, "I see. You've been deceived by my sons. But you don't strike me as someone who would be used as a mere pawn. If I'm not mistaken, while avenging your father might be part of your motive, your true goal is to sit on this throne, isn't it?"

Shen Cang didn't deny it, "So what if it is? The Shen family's empire was built through the efforts of my father and me. Why should you sit on the throne while we cannot?"

Emperor Chengwu said, "Governing an empire is not akin to dividing spoils among bandits. It's not as easy as you think. Being an emperor may seem glorious, but the hardships are known only to those who occupy the throne."

Shen Cang scoffed, unimpressed.

Emperor Chengwu continued calmly, "Not to mention that I was the one who spearheaded the uprising back then, and your father merely followed me. His lack of self-control, particularly his drinking, rendered him unfit to be an emperor."

This was a fact, and Shen Cang had no retort.

"As for you, you're skilled in both civil and military affairs, but unfortunately, fate is not on your side. If you were my legitimate firstborn, the throne would be yours. But as you can see, there's only one throne, and my sons are already vying for it. How could it ever be your turn?"

This left Shen Cang momentarily speechless. Emperor Chengwu then asked, "That young monk named Jing Yun, is he your son?"

Shen Cang's hands, tied behind his back, tightened slightly, but his face showed no expression, "What young monk?"

Seeing his reluctance to answer, Emperor Chengwu didn't press further and simply instructed the 11th Prince, "Find Jing Yun, dead or alive."

Shen Cang's fingers tightened again, but he said nothing.

Emperor Chengwu then asked, "Which of my sons are you conspiring with?"

Shen Cang sneered and refused to speak.

After waiting for a moment, Emperor Chengwu turned to the 11th Prince, "I want Princess Baoning brought here. Devise a way to keep him from speaking."

The 11th Prince complied, taking out a prepared potion from his robe. He walked over, pinched Shen Cang's jaw, and forced the liquid down his throat. Within moments, Shen Cang's gaze became vacant, and he stopped moving.

The 11th Prince lifted him and placed him on a chair next to Shen Weiqing, "This potion will render him immobile and mute for half an hour, but keep a close watch on him just in case."

Shen Weiqing nodded solemnly, "Understood." Everyone in the room was family, and he had already witnessed his uncle's martial prowess, so he dared not let his guard down.

Anticipating Nuo Er's arrival, Princess Lanzhen fetched a thin cloak and draped it over Shen Cang's shoulders, concealing his bound hands.

Seeing everything in order, Emperor Chengwu dispatched Kang Yuande to fetch Princess Baoning.

Shortly thereafter, Shen Zhinuo arrived, hand in hand with Princess Wen'an and Di Guihong.

Upon entering, Shen Zhinuo noticed the crowded room and a new face. Curious, she scrutinized the stranger sitting motionless on the chair.

The Empress, noticing the little girl sweating profusely, reached out, "My dear, come here quickly."

Shen Zhinuo ran over and flung herself onto the Empress's lap. The Empress lifted Little Dumpling and dabbed her sweat with a handkerchief.

Shen Zhinuo leaned close to the Empress's ear and whispered, "Grandmother, who is that person?"

The Empress replied, "Your cousin, Shen Cang."

Shen Zhinuo asked again, "Why is he not moving at all?"

The Empress said, "He’s ill."

Shen Zhinuo couldn't immediately recall which cousin Shen Cang was, so she thought to herself, "Puppy, go check him out and see who he is."

The little black dog pawed at her in response and quickly circled around Shen Cang. "Young Master, remember when I told you about your second grandfather, the one who drowned in the lake? This Shen Cang is the youngest son of that second grandfather, who has been traveling the mountains and rivers."

Shen Cang still sat motionless, but his pupils suddenly dilated, and his hands, bound behind his back, twitched slightly.

Shen Zhinuo: "It's really him? Then why did he suddenly come back? What’s wrong with him?"

System: [I don’t know what’s wrong with him. In the original plot, he wasn’t sick, and he never came to the palace at this time.]

Shen Zhinuo: "Did he do something bad?"

The system checked: "Young Master, the incident where Monk Liaoxin pretended to be a high monk was arranged by him. Also, the plot where Xue Laosan and his wife tried to harm Princess Huayue by pushing her into the water in winter was also orchestrated by him."

Shen Zhinuo was shocked and somewhat excited: "Finally, we've found the one who hurt my sister Ning Er. Why did he do that?"

System: "Shen Cang believes that his father was killed by the Old Emperor, so he wants to avenge his father and take revenge on your Shen family. He’s hell-bent on ruining everything the Old Emperor has built."

"Of course, it's mainly because, like his father, he harbors resentment towards the throne. His father’s words left a deep impression on him, and he has always believed that if it weren’t for the Old Emperor being a few years older and the elder brother, the throne should have been his father’s. If his father had become the Emperor, and his elder brother was incompetent, then the next Emperor would definitely have been him. So, for years, just like his father, he’s been fixated on the throne."

Shen Zhinuo: "Then, was my second grandfather killed by my grandfather?"

System: "Yes."

Shen Zhinuo: "Why didn’t you tell me earlier?"

The little black dog pawed at her: "Young Master, you never asked."

Shen Zhinuo: "Oh, right. What else has this Shen Cang done?"

System: "During all these years away, he also had a son."

Knowing this lazy system only answers one question at a time, Shen Zhinuo asked in one go: "What’s his son’s name, and where is he?"

"On the day my sister Ning Er died of illness, something also happened to our family. Was it all Shen Cang’s fault? How did he manage to pull that off? Was he working with someone?"

"And how did Shen Cang end up dying?"