Chapter 113

Chapter 113

In Fengyi Palace, the Fifth Princess looked pale. After sitting for a while, she stood up and knelt before the Empress: "Mother, I am at fault."

The Empress: "Ignorance is no excuse. You were unaware, so it's not your fault."

The Fifth Princess felt heartbroken, her eyes red as she stood up and asked, "Mother, will A Xun die?"

The Empress: "I don't know. It depends on how your father decides."

The Crown Princess and Princess Lanzhen both sighed inwardly. If it were a prince, they could offer some words of comfort, as rebellion wasn't limited to just one person, and one more wouldn't make much difference.

But Bao Xun, as a consort, had rebelled, committing a grave offense against the Emperor. Moreover, he was a remnant of the former dynasty and the nephew of Bao Chong, so no one knew how the Emperor would handle it.

The Fifth Princess was also aware of this. She wiped the corner of her eye and asked, "Mother, may I go see my husband?"

The Empress: "He has likely been taken to the imperial prison. If you wish to go, then go."

The Fifth Princess expressed her gratitude and left.

The Tenth Prince's consort also bowed to the Empress: "Mother, I would also like to go see the Tenth."

The Empress waved her hand: "Go ahead."

The Fifth Princess and the Tenth Prince's consort went to the dungeon together. When they arrived, they saw that the guards had been driven outside. Entering the cells, they found several people talking.

After exchanging greetings, the Fifth Princess whispered to Bao Xun through the bars: "Did you tell Father where your uncle is?"

Bao Xun held his wife's hand and shook his head: "Father didn't ask, so I didn't tell."

The Fifth Princess: "You didn't want to say it, did you?"

Bao Xun's eyes were filled with pain. After a moment of silence, he nodded: "My uncle threatened your life to force me to rebel, and then he killed you. I hate him. But he is still the uncle who raised me since I was a child. He treated me like a father would. I don't want to betray him."

The Fifth Princess tightened her grip on his hand, pulling him closer, and earnestly advised: "A Xun, this is not betrayal; it's redemption."

"If Daxuan were in chaos as in the original plot, I wouldn't say anything. But now, with A Tong, nothing escapes his eyes. Moreover, Father and the Crown Prince are both well, the Sixth Prince and others are already imprisoned, and Shen Cang is dead. Even if my uncle raises an army, he won't achieve anything. Keeping it hidden is useless."

Bao Xun was moved: "I know that given my uncle's identity and what he has done, if he is caught, he will surely be sentenced to death. But I really can't say it."

The Fifth Princess patted his arm: "You're being foolish. Do you think just because you don't tell, my uncle won't be caught? Do you believe that Father is already mobilizing troops to hunt him down? It's only a matter of time before he is caught. Father isn't asking you because he doesn't want to make things difficult for you."

Bao Xun: "I know, I know all of this. But I don't want to be the one who betrays him."

The Fifth Princess: "If you speak up, Father can find your uncle sooner, before he causes any trouble. Considering your relationship, Father might be lenient with him. Will you listen to me?"

The Fifth Princess waited for a moment, but seeing Bao Xun still hesitating, she angrily let go of his hand and said coldly: "I always wondered why your uncle was so secretive all these years. Turns out he was plotting rebellion in secret. Was even our meeting and marriage arranged by him?"

Bao Xun had never thought of it that way. The idea horrified him, and his face changed. He instinctively denied it: "No, Wei Er, my love for you is genuine. I have never deceived you in any way. If I have, may I be struck by lightning and die a terrible death."

The Fifth Princess carefully recalled that Bao Xun had indeed been very loving to her over the years. Their family of three had been happy. Moreover, A Tong had said that Bao Xun only learned of his true identity this summer. Thinking of this, her expression softened slightly.

She didn't want their family to be torn apart. What had happened in the past was already over. She didn't want to delve into the truth anymore. Let it be, as long as the family could live happily together.

But she still kept a cold expression: "I believe you haven't deceived me. But Bao Xun, your uncle threatened my life. If you insist on protecting him, we will separate, and I will take our child and return to the capital." With that, she turned and left.

Their voices were not loud, but the Sixth Prince and others, being martial artists with sharp senses, had overheard the entire conversation. Seeing the Fifth Princess storm off, they quickly tried to persuade Bao Xun.

The Sixth Prince: "A Xun, A Wei is right. Whether you tell or not, your uncle will most likely die. If he makes a grave mistake, it might even implicate you. It's better for you to come forward now."

13th Prince: "Brother-in-law, your uncle killed Fifth Princess. If you still want to live peacefully with her, you must do something to calm her anger."

10th Prince also said: "Yes, you have to choose one side or the other."

Bao Xun, already feeling guilty towards Fifth Princess, seeing her almost at the prison door, hesitated no longer and shouted through the bars: "Wei Er, I'll tell you."

Fifth Princess turned back, and soon, with the information provided by Bao Xun, she went to see Emperor Chengwu and the Crown Prince, truthfully relayed the information.

Emperor Chengwu looked approvingly: "I was just considering sending troops to find Bao Qi. Now that we have his location, it will be easier."

Fifth Princess knelt before Emperor Chengwu: "Father, if Bao Qi is captured, could you spare Bao Xun's life?"

Emperor Chengwu stared at Fifth Princess for a while, seeing her full of pleading, sighed, and nodded slightly: "Yes."

Fifth Princess, grateful and tearful, she kowtowed in thanks.

Thinking of what she had said in front of Bao Xun, she wanted to ask if Bao Qi's life could also be spared, but considering her own death at Bao Qi's hands in the original storyline, she felt it was unfair and thought asking for leniency for him would make her a fool, so she chose to remain silent.

Emperor Chengwu asked the Crown Prince: "Is there any news about Eighth Prince? When will he return?"

Crown Prince: "Still unknown, Father. Are you planning to have Eighth Prince lead troops to capture Bao Qi?"

Emperor Chengwu: "That is the plan."

Crown Prince advised: "Father, we don't know when Eighth Prince will be back. If we wait for him, we might miss the opportunity. Moreover, Eighth Prince's temper is such that he would surely want to spend time with his wife before heading out. I think it might be better to send someone else."

Emperor Chengwu: "Who do you think is suitable?"

Crown Prince: "How about letting Sixth Prince redeem himself by leading the mission?"

Emperor Chengwu thought for a moment and nodded: "Let him do it."

---

After a long search, Shen Zhinuo was thrilled to finally find Wang the Eunuch: "There are three eunuchs named Wang: the one who imprisoned my uncle, the one who bribed Yu Ying, and the one who framed Noble Lady Lan and the guard. Doggy, please tell me, which one is he? Who is his master?"

"Okay, Young Master, wait a moment." The system responded, quickly searching.

Shen Weiqing, recalling what A Tong had said about this Wang the Eunuch being skilled in martial arts, became alert and picked up his chubby sister and General Di, who were holding hands.

He also thought that this Wang the Eunuch, having done so much without being discovered, must be more cunning than ordinary people. If they kept standing around him without speaking, he might notice something.

Thinking this, Shen Weiqing spoke: "What is your name, and where do you serve?"

Wang Shun hurriedly bowed and answered: "Your servant Wang Shun, serving in the Fuel Department."

Shen Weiqing nodded, "Today, you don't need to go anywhere else. We're going to the Imperial Garden for a stroll, you will serve by my side." With that, he carried the two children forward.

Wang Shun was momentarily stunned, but then thought that the Second Prince of the East Palace was known for his unpredictable nature, so he didn't think much of it and respectfully agreed, following behind them.

Shen Zhinuo, accustomed to her brother's whims, wasn't surprised, just a bit startled: "Doggy, he's actually from the Fuel Department. Then, in the original plot, after our family's incident, my grandmother became seriously ill, Cai E went to get charcoal but was refused and severely beaten by the Fuel Department's managing eunuch, suffering serious injuries. See if it was him."

Shen Weiqing and Princess Wen'an were both shocked by Nuo Er's good memory. If Nuo Er hadn't mentioned it, they wouldn't have remembered this incident.

The system searched: "Young Master, it was him."

Shen Zhinuo snorted coldly in her heart: "Good, I'll report this to my grandmother later. Were the other three incidents also his doing?"

System: "Yes, bribing Yu Ying, tampering with the snacks of the two maids on night duty at Fengyi Palace, causing them to sleep all night, was him. His goal was to make the Empress ill and then die, so of course he wouldn't give Cai E the charcoal."

Shen Zhinuo asked again: "Then who was it that secretly opened the window that time?"

The system replied, "It's this Wang the Eunuch. His martial arts are quite impressive. He calculated the time and secretly climbed over the wall of Phoenix Palace, opening the window of the bedchamber."

Shen Zhinuo was furious; she clenched her small fists tightly. If her second brother hadn't been holding her back, she would have immediately gone up to kick him a few times.

Seeing the little girl fuming, Di Guihong reached out and held one of her small hands in his, gently squeezing it.

Shen Weiqing turned his head and cast a cold glance at Wang the Eunuch following behind, a murderous glint flashing in his eyes.

Princess Huayue also glared fiercely at Wang the Eunuch. If it weren't for Nuo'er still being there, she really wanted to grab a stick and beat him to death.

Princess Wen'an, afraid her siblings might act rashly, firmly held Princess Huayue's arm with one hand and tightly gripped Shen Weiqing's sleeve with the other.

Shen Zhinuo asked again, "Didn't you say he takes orders from a high-ranking imperial consort? Who is that person?"

The system replied, "The Imperial Noble Consort."

Shen Zhinuo snorted coldly in her heart, "It's indeed her. I hate that we can't get close to her right now, otherwise the truth would be out."

The system continued, "Following the Imperial Noble Consort's instructions, Wang the Eunuch made the Empress fall ill. Then, again under the Imperial Noble Consort's orders, he framed Noble Lady Lan for an affair with a guard, intending to use this as leverage to force Noble Lady Lan to falsely accuse the Crown Prince. However, Noble Lady Lan choked herself to death, so he went on to find the next person."

As the villain was about to appear, Shen Zhinuo grew excited. Climbing onto her second brother's shoulder, she peeked out her little head eagerly to look at Wang the Eunuch, "Who is the person who framed my father?"

The system answered, "Noble Lady Rou."

Shen Zhinuo said, "I remember now. Last time when there was a cold outbreak in the palace, Imperial Physician Zheng came to the Eastern Palace to check our pulses and mentioned her. He said she visited Noble Lady Lan and Noble Lady Li, which is how she caught the cold. We'll deal with her later. System, continue talking about this Wang the Eunuch."

The system then continued, "This Wang the Eunuch found Noble Lady Rou and used the same trick to frame her, threatening her. Noble Lady Rou, being less resolute than Noble Lady Lan, agreed."

Shen Zhinuo was furious, "This damn eunuch, how can he be so shameless? Is that the only trick he knows?"

The system replied, "For villains with no morals, as long as it works, they don't care about shame."

Shen Zhinuo asked again, "Were the guards used to frame the two noble ladies willing, or were they coerced?"

The system answered, "The one who framed Noble Lady Lan was complicit. Like Wang the Eunuch, he took orders from the Imperial Noble Consort."

Shen Zhinuo said, "Then he deserved to be killed by Noble Lady Lan with a candlestick. Who is he? What's his name?"

The system replied, "His name is Li Chengjin. He was in the Imperial Guards, but to hide his identity, he had no official rank."

Shen Weiqing silently repeated the name twice, committing it to memory, thinking he would deal with him later.

Shen Zhinuo said, "We'll deal with him later. What about the one who harmed Noble Lady Rou?"

The system answered, "That guard was also complicit."

Shen Zhinuo asked, "Did Noble Lady Rou retaliate?"

The system replied, "No."

Shen Zhinuo asked, "Then how did she frame my father?"

The system explained, "From Wang the Eunuch's perspective, all we know is that Noble Lady Rou compromised after being threatened. The Imperial Noble Consort and her discussed the next steps. Wang the Eunuch was unaware of the details."

Shen Zhinuo said, "Then we'll take care of Noble Lady Rou first. Tell me, what's that guard's name?"

The system replied, "Chen Liren. He's just an ordinary guard, aligned with the Imperial Noble Consort's faction, or rather, the Second Prince's side."

Shen Weiqing memorized this name too.

Shen Zhinuo: "Was it also him who harmed my granduncle?"

System: "That wasn't him. When the consort Xue Zhiyong met with misfortune, it was earlier. At that time, he was still busy in the palace framing the Crown Prince."

Shen Zhinuo thought for a moment: "Oh, the timing doesn't add up. Then who was it?"

System: "Don't worry, Young Master. The eunuch who harmed the consort Xue Zhiyong is the brother of this Wang Shun, named Wang He. However, when the Second Prince left the palace to establish his household, he was assigned to the Second Prince's household, so he should not be in the palace now."

Shen Zhinuo: "So he must have returned to the palace later. Then the letter my granduncle wrote to my father about the gold mine must have been intercepted by the Second Prince."

System: "It should be so."

Shen Zhinuo: "Alright, I get it."

She then leaned close to Shen Weiqing's ear, pointed back with her little hand, and whispered, "Second brother, Nuo Er hates him and gets scared whenever she sees him."

Shen Weiqing had been waiting for this. He seized the opportunity to change his expression, stopped walking, stared at the eunuch, and shouted loudly, "Come over here."

The East Palace guards, who had been secretly following the children, appeared and quickly walked over, cupping their hands, "Young Prince."

"Take this treacherous servant away for interrogation," Shen Weiqing ordered, while suddenly lifting his foot and kicking the eunuch Wang, intending to knock him down to vent his anger.

Despite his strength and the element of surprise, he failed to knock the eunuch down. The eunuch took two steps back and stood firmly, looking at him with a mix of shock and vigilance.

"Oh, you think you can stand up to me?" Shen Weiqing said coldly, quickly retreating with the two younger ones, not forgetting to call his sisters, "Hui Er, Ning Er, come here."

The two little girls quickly followed Shen Weiqing, and the children hid to the side.

Seeing this, Wang Shun immediately cursed himself for his mistake.

There had been frequent changes in the palace recently, and for some reason, all eunuchs surnamed Wang were being investigated. Some of those taken from the training grounds had not yet been released.

Although he had narrowly escaped this time, who knew if there would be another time.

He didn't know what was going on, but his gut told him it was aimed at him. He wanted to ask his superiors what to do next, but recently, it seemed they had all forgotten about him.

He dared not rashly contact the Second Prince. The Imperial Noble Consort was confined to Jingkun Palace due to illness, strictly guarded. Except for Imperial Physician Zheng, who treated the Imperial Noble Consort, no one was allowed in or out, not even meals were delivered directly.

For days, he had been in torment, feeling like he was being roasted over a fire. Today, unable to stand it any longer, he found an excuse to slip out, deliberately detouring to the gate of Jingkun Palace to see if there was a chance to send a message inside.

Who knew, before he could get there, he ran into the young masters. He thought the Second Junior Prince summoning him was just a spur-of-the-moment decision. Who knew, without warning, they would arrest him and even kick him unexpectedly.

At that moment, his mind was preoccupied, and he was caught off guard. Instinctively, he used his skills to stand firm and even made a counterattack posture. Thinking about it, it was really stupid. Everyone knows the Second Junior Prince of the East Palace is unruly. Being kicked by him and not falling, now even if nothing was wrong, it would be a problem.

In just a few moments, Wang Shun's mind quickly flashed through many thoughts. After reacting, he quickly knelt down, kowtowing and begging for mercy, "This slave deserves death, this slave didn't see and bumped into the Young Prince's foot."

But it was too late. The two East Palace guards approached, each grabbing one of his arms, and lifted him up.

Wang Shun thought Shen Weiqing was going to beat him to vent his anger and dared not resist, only begging for mercy and lowering his posture extremely.

Shen Weiqing sneered, "This slave named Wang Shun has offended his superiors. Take him to the Nine Abyss Guard and hand him over to my 11th Imperial Uncle, saying I sent him."

Thinking it was just a lesson, but unexpectedly, he was to be sent to the Nine Abyss Guard. Wang Shun was stunned and begged for mercy again, "Young Prince, spare my life, this slave won't dare do it again."

The two guards naturally obeyed their Young Prince. Ignoring Wang Shun's struggles, they gagged him and dragged him away.

Shen Zhinuo was very satisfied with how her second brother handled the situation. She patted his head and, quite unusually, praised him: "Second brother, you're so capable."

Shen Weiqing proudly raised his head: "When dealing with those who upset our Nuo Er, we must punish them harshly."

Shen Zhinuo was deeply moved and patted his shoulder: "Second brother is the best."

After saying that, she kicked her little feet a couple of times: "Second brother, Nuo Er can walk by herself."

Shen Weiqing, who had been carrying two children, felt his arms getting a bit tired. Hearing this, he agreed and set the two children down on the ground.

Shen Zhinuo held the Little General's hand and quickly walked forward with her short legs: "Doggy, let's go, we're going to see Noble Lady Rou."

Shen Weiqing, thinking about the uncertain situation in Noble Lady Rou's palace, didn't dare to take Nuo Er there casually. He quickly stopped the little girl, squatted in front of her, and advised: "Nuo Er, it's almost lunchtime. How about we go back to Grandmother's palace to eat first, and then come out to play later?"

Shen Zhinuo was eager to know about Noble Lady Rou and didn't want to go back, but she realized it was indeed time to eat. She could skip a meal since she was chubby, but the Little General was so thin and shouldn't be starved. So she nodded her little head and waved her small hand: "Let's go eat."

The children headed back to Fengyi Palace. Once inside the hall, Shen Weiqing gave the two little princesses a meaningful look. Princess Wen'an and Princess Huayue ran off to play with their little sister, while Shen Weiqing quietly approached the Empress and whispered: "Grandmother, we found that eunuch Wang..."

The Empress's expression darkened as she listened. After hearing everything, she nodded: "Good, I understand. Let's eat first, and then I'll summon Noble Lady Rou."

Shen Weiqing: "Then I'll go tell my father and mother about this matter and return shortly."

Shen Zhinuo and the Little General helped each other wash up. As soon as they sat down at the table with their sisters, the food was served. Shen Zhinuo, not seeing her second brother, curiously asked: "Grandmother, where is my second brother?"

The Empress smiled and said: "Your second brother didn't like today's meal, so he went back to the East Palace to eat. He'll come back after eating."

Shen Zhinuo shook her little head and sighed: "My second brother is such a big kid."

The chubby little girl tried to act all grown-up, which made the Empress laugh heartily. She urged the children to start eating, and the meal was warm and lively with one adult and four children.

After the meal, Shen Zhinuo's little brain just shut down. She sat on the couch, staring blankly for a while, and soon her eyelids began to droop, her little head nodding uncontrollably.

Di Guihong, afraid she might fall, reached out his small hands to support her chin.

The Empress found it amusing and quickly scooped up the little girl: "My dear is sleepy, let's go to the inner room to nap."

Shen Zhinuo, with her little bottom sticking out, snuggled into the Empress's embrace and waved her small hand at Di Guihong: "Little General, come along."

The Empress smiled: "Hong, come along."

Di Guihong then took the little girl's hand and obediently followed the Empress into the inner room.

The Empress coaxed the two children to sleep and called Nanny Fang to keep an eye on them. She then returned to the outer room, where she saw Princess Wen'an and Princess Huayue whispering together. The Empress walked over with a smile: "Why aren't you sleeping?"

The two little girls hugged the Empress's waist: "Grandmother, we're not sleepy."

"Alright, then let's talk." The Empress held the two little girls and sat down with them on the couch. She asked about the eunuch Wang and then called Yin Die in to give instructions: "Go and summon the Emperor."

Yin Die acknowledged and went out to call for him. Shortly after, Emperor Chengwu, the Crown Prince, the Crown Princess, and Shen Weiqing arrived. Everyone took their seats.

The Empress looked at Emperor Chengwu with a serious expression: "Your Majesty, that eunuch Wang has committed so many evil deeds, harming me and the Crown Prince, all under the orders of the Imperial Noble Consort. How do you think we should deal with this?"

Emperor Chengwu's face was dark, his eyes filled with rage: "He must be executed, but I want to ask her face to face why she is so malicious."

"With Your Majesty's words, I am reassured." The Empress smiled and didn't press for immediate execution. Given the uncertain situation in the northern border, it wasn't the right time for such actions.

Seeing that the Empress wasn't forcing him to execute the Imperial Noble Consort immediately, Emperor Chengwu gave her a grateful look and then asked: "Where is Nuo Er?"

The Empress pointed to the inner room and whispered: "The two children are taking their afternoon nap."

Emperor Chengwu nodded, understanding that they would have to wait for Nuo Er to wake up before summoning Noble Lady Rou.

Thinking that the little girl might sleep for more than two hours, no one was in a hurry. They spoke in low voices, patiently waiting for her to wake up.

Shen Zhinuo, having slept soundly, was carried to the outer hall by the Little General. She saw that the hall was once again packed with people. After looking around, she noticed an unfamiliar concubine and immediately became alert, thinking to herself, "Puppy, go scan her face and see who she is."

The little black dog appeared in response, flew over to quickly scan the concubine's face, and then flew back, saying, "Young Master, she is Noble Lady Rou."

This was truly a case of getting what she wished for. Shen Zhinuo was somewhat pleased, "Now we don’t have to go through so much trouble. Puppy, quickly tell me about her."

The system replied, "Previously, we mentioned that Wang the Eunuch had a guard named Chen Liren frame Noble Lady Rou for adultery. However, in reality, Chen Liren did nothing of the sort to Noble Lady Rou."

Upon hearing about such a scandalous matter as adultery, Noble Lady Rou's face turned pale, her breath caught, and she instinctively looked toward Emperor Chengwu.

Shen Zhinuo asked curiously, "If he did nothing, why was Noble Lady Rou still coerced by Wang the Eunuch?"

Before the system could answer, Kang Yuande's voice was heard outside the hall, loudly reporting, "Your Majesty, Imperial Physician Zheng from the Imperial Hospital has sent the Assistant Chief Physician, saying there is an urgent matter to report."

Everyone exchanged glances, silently speculating that it might concern the Imperial Noble Consort. Emperor Chengwu's expression darkened, "Let him in."

Soon, the Assistant Chief Physician entered, greeted everyone respectfully, and then reported, "Imperial Physician Zheng has sent me to inform Your Majesty that the Imperial Noble Consort's condition has been confirmed—it is indeed tuberculosis."