WK Chapter 43.1

Changxin Palace.

 

Noble Lady Chu’s quarters were turned upside down.

 

The Wangye fruit powder that had been hidden away, intended for second and third uses, naturally didn’t escape the grasp of Head Eunuch Yu and other search experts.

 

He handed the evidence to the two imperial physicians for verification, and only after getting a definitive conclusion did he report to Emperor Chongzhao.

 

A small bottle of Wangye fruit powder was thus placed on the table.

 

To use such a poisonous method on a child, merely to satisfy one’s own selfish desires, even normal people couldn’t bear it, let alone considering that the Seventh Prince was friendly to all the palace servants in Zichen Palace.

 

Head Eunuch Yu said indignantly: “Your Majesty, someone wants to ruin the prince! If the little prince became addicted to this thing, wouldn’t it be, wouldn’t it be…”

 

Zichen Palace fell into a cold silence.

 

No one had imagined that Noble Lady Chu would have such audacity, daring to use such a prohibited item to make the prince addicted, and thereby keep the prince with her.

 

Just as Noble Lady Chu couldn’t have imagined why the Seventh Prince would suddenly have the whim to bring the egg custard for the Emperor to eat, and even more, why the Seventh Prince was so sensitive to the smell of the Wangye fruit powder in the egg custard… so sensitive that even with just a little added, it could make the child show abnormal behavior.

 

He didn’t even eat a single bite!

 

It was as if the Seventh Prince knew from the start what was in the egg custard.

 

But no matter how absurd, no one would suspect that this was a two-year-old child’s counter-scheme. They could only attribute everything to her own bad luck.

 

Emperor Chongzhao’s gaze at Noble Lady Chu was already like looking at a dead person.

 

Poisoning a prince was a crime punishable by the execution of nine generations of the family. If it hadn’t been exposed, it would have led to great fortune, but once exposed, there was no way out. Noble Lady Chu bit her lip hard and wouldn’t let go: “This is all someone framing this concubine, Your Majesty! Someone who couldn’t stand this concubine adopting the Seventh Prince, so they used such a vicious method. Your Majesty, Your Majesty, please believe this concubine!”

 

Emperor Chongzhao: “In the North Gate Office’s Inspection and Transport Department, there are people from your maternal family. Your brother was imprisoned for the crime of transporting prohibited items back to Da Zhou, including Wangye fruit powder. Now you’re telling me you didn’t know, that it has nothing to do with you?”

 

He crouched down, lifting Noble Lady Chu’s chin. Her face was covered in fearful tears.

 

Emperor Chongzhao said calmly: “I originally thought that your face, which somewhat resembles hers, would also have her character, and could take good care of Xiao Qi. But you’ve truly disappointed me, truly defiled that face.”

 

“No, no, Your Majesty, listen to this concubine’s explanation, this concubine can explain—”

 

Emperor Chongzhao seemed not to hear, “However, beloved consort’s actions were ultimately for her family, otherwise she wouldn’t have taken such a risk, right? Your courage is commendable, I should reward you with something.”

 

He examined Noble Lady Chu’s features, smiling slightly.

 

“I’ll reward you, beloved consort, with the execution of three generations of your family. How’s that?”

 

Noble Lady Chu was stunned, then cried out shrilly: “Your Majesty!!!”

 

Head Eunuch Yu waved his hand, and guards from outside came in to drag Noble Lady Chu away.

 

Soon after, an inspection official from the North Gate Office came in, presenting the discovered entry and exit records, “Your Majesty, before Noble Lady Chu’s brother was imprisoned, he did indeed have someone send things into the palace, saying at the time it was just a birthday gift for his sister. The Inspection Department checked and found no problems, so they let it pass.”

 

“Below are the confessions of the palace servants on duty that day. Noble Lady Chu’s brother bribed them with favors. They admitted that they did see a bottle of something like spices in a box that day, which matches the bottle found in Noble Lady Chu’s quarters. They just didn’t know it was a prohibited item.”

 

Emperor Chongzhao: “She hasn’t been wronged.”

 

“Issue an edict: Noble Lady Chu is guilty of conspiring against the imperial heir and smuggling prohibited goods. She will be punished for both crimes. Execute three generations of her family, and her nine clans are barred from official positions for three generations.”

 

Head Eunuch Yu: “Yes, Your Majesty.”

 

Emperor Chongzhao: “The Inspection Department needs to be cleaned up again, Inspector General.”

 

The North Gate Office inspector felt a chill run through his body at being addressed as ‘sir’, and hurriedly begged for forgiveness: “This official guarantees that such a thing will never happen again!”

 

The Inspection Department is cleaned up by every emperor, yet problems still occur.

 

There are always those who can’t hold the bottom line.

 

Clear water has no fish; usually turning a blind eye is fine, but this time Noble Lady Chu’s incident was enough for the entire Inspection Department to lose their heads.

 

The inspector cursed his subordinates in his heart.

 

Emperor Chongzhao: “I’m giving you one last chance. If there are any mistakes, bring your head to see me. Fifty strokes of the court rod, count them yourself, now get out.”

 

“Thank you, Your Majesty!”

 

After dealing with Noble Lady Chu and the Inspection Department, Emperor Chongzhao reflected on the past two days and sighed deeply, “My original intention was to choose a mother consort for Xiao Qi, I didn’t expect it to end up like this. Instead, I almost harmed him.”

 

Head Eunuch Yu: “How could this be your fault? It’s clearly Noble Lady Chu who didn’t know what was good for her.”

 

“Bring him here. It seems he’ll have to sleep here with me today.”

 

Head Eunuch Yu complied, and Qu Dubian was brought over from the West Warm Chamber. There was no trace of Noble Lady Chu in the hall, so it seemed the matter had been resolved.

 

He was nestled limply in Ye Xiaoyuan’s arms.

 

Emperor Chongzhao: “Still not feeling better?”

 

Ye Xiaoyuan knelt with Qu Dubian in his arms, “Your Majesty, the imperial physician said the little prince might have been frightened and is running a slight fever.”

 

Emperor Chongzhao frowned: “Come, let me hold him.”

 

He took his little son, reaching out to feel his forehead, his heart easing slightly.

 

Fortunately, the temperature wasn’t too hot.

 

“Was he really frightened? Usually he’s so brave.”

 

The simulator’s level 3 fever hadn’t started yet, Qu Dubian’s body temperature was only slightly warm, but he was still affected. The energy he had while charging on his little dog cart had deflated like a leaking balloon.

 

Qu Dubian wrapped his arms around Emperor Chongzhao’s neck, his voice muffled: “Did Noble Lady Chu want to harm me? I didn’t like her as a mother consort, but I didn’t scold her, I just ignored her.”

 

It was because you ignored her that she came up with such a vicious scheme.

 

Fortunately it was exposed, fortunately Xiao Qi wasn’t affected. Otherwise, letting someone of such character raise Xiao Qi, it would be questionable whether he could grow up safely.

 

Emperor Chongzhao: “I will definitely find a better one for you.”

 

Qu Dubian choked.

 

He had seen through his dog father’s judgment in choosing people and couldn’t trust it at all.

 

He was genuinely confused, “Isn’t Consort Xuan good? I like her very much.”

 

“No,” Emperor Chongzhao said quickly, “I’m afraid she’ll beat you.”

 

Qu Dubian was silent for a moment: “Did Consort Xuan beat you before?”

 

Emperor Chongzhao said angrily: “Nonsense, who told you that?”

 

As the set countdown was about to begin, this time he wasn’t in a hurry and could take it slow. When the time came, Qu Dubian felt a heat burning up from inside his body.

 

He sighed, feeling so warm.

 

If someone held him in winter, they’d get an automatic heat-storing little heater.

 

His body became softer and softer, his head resting on Emperor Chongzhao’s shoulder. He yawned drowsily, then suddenly felt an itch in his nose. Qu Dubian reached up to touch it, and a bright red appeared on his fingertip.

 

Qu Dubian: “…”

 

His tolerance for his own blood was slightly higher, but he still disgustedly wiped his finger on the emperor’s clothes. Thankfully he hadn’t eaten much for dinner, otherwise he might have vomited.

 

Level 3 was indeed different. Would his nasal mucosa bleed every time in the future? He’d rather not try to score points on this unless there was an option to block his sense of smell in the future.

 

Emperor Chongzhao felt something itchy on his neck, as if something was sliding down.

 

This little brat hadn’t fallen asleep on his shoulder and drooled, had he? Thinking of this, Emperor Chongzhao turned his little son who was lying on his shoulder around, “If you’re tired—”

 

His pupils suddenly contracted.

 

Qu Dubian’s head was dizzy, still lowering his head and wiping the blood flowing from his nose, some of it almost reaching his mouth. He couldn’t stand this.

 

While wiping, he belatedly raised his head, seeming to find the terrified expression on the old man’s face too funny. He couldn’t help it and grinned as well.

 

Emperor Chongzhao couldn’t smile at all. He stood up abruptly and shouted sternly: “Imperial Physician!”

 

–

 

Changxin Palace.

 

A scene of chaos.

 

All of Noble Lady Chu’s people in the palace had been arrested. Noble Lady Rong hadn’t expected things to develop this way either, and was hiding in her own hall without coming out.

 

The Fifth Prince was by her side, “Mother Consort, will Seventh Brother come back?”

 

Noble Lady Rong looked at his face, patting her chest in fear.

 

“He won’t come back. Noble Lady Chu seemed unremarkable, but she turned out to be mad, daring to do such a thing. No, it’s that she actually had that kind of thing.”

 

“What thing?”

 

“Something that can turn people into fools,” Noble Lady Rong said, “Fortunately, you have your mother to protect you. Otherwise, who knows when you might have been harmed by others.”

 

“Mother Consort, in a few days when there’s no class, I want to go to Zichen Palace to see Seventh Brother.”

 

Noble Lady Rong’s words of refusal circled in her mouth, “Alright, show more care for your brother.”

 

With Noble Lady Chu gone from Changxin Palace, only she remained. If her prince could please His Majesty, wouldn’t a higher consort position be within reach?

 

–

 

To gain more longevity points, without Qu Dubian activating any shields, the level 3 fever was terrifyingly powerful.

 

Qu Dubian’s brain was as slow as if he were mentally challenged.

 

The nosebleed had stopped, but he was dazed in everything he did. However, his body gave instinctive reactions, remembering the master’s habit of tormenting Emperor Chongzhao, taking one sip of medicine and spitting out another.

 

He wouldn’t speak to anyone who asked, just sat cross-legged on the bed, head drooping, blinking tears.

 

No one could console him, and finally even Da Hei from outside was called in.

 

The big dog’s low whimpers caught Qu Dubian’s attention. He finally raised his head, then slowly crawled down from the bed. Under Emperor Chongzhao’s anxious gaze, he staggered and plopped down in front of Da Hei.

 

Da Hei lowered its head to sniff the young one before it.

 

The two-legged pup was sick.

 

It whined anxiously a couple of times, then suddenly darted out, grabbed a piece of meat Qu Dubian had prepared for it from the little dog cart, ran back quickly, and dropped it beside the child.

 

Then it nudged Qu Dubian’s shoulder with some urgency.

 

It had shared its own food.

 

Qu Dubian looked at it for a while, then raised his hands to hug the big dog’s head. The emotions pent up in his heart found an outlet through this fever.

 

He said to Da Hei through tears: “I want to go home…”

 

I want to go home.

 

Head Eunuch Yu: “Your Highness, this is your home!”

 

Qu Dubian tightly closed his eyes. In a normal state, he wouldn’t have such intense emotions. With his body weakened, his control over emotions had also been reduced to almost zero.

 

He wasn’t talking about this home.

 

His home was thousands of years in the future.

 

But he couldn’t tell anyone, and no one could help him share this loneliness.

 

Qu Dubian could only hug Da Hei’s head, using his current child identity to express this incomprehensible loneliness.

 

–

 

In the time it took to eat dinner.

 

The news of Noble Lady Chu secretly harming the Seventh Prince had spread. Although Consort Xuan and Noble Lady Guo living in Shunning Palace were far from the back palace turmoil, Noble Lady Guo had several consort friends who told her about this incident.

 

After returning, she told Consort Xuan.

 

Noble Lady Guo genuinely liked the Seventh Prince, after all, every time the Seventh Prince came, her daughter would be very happy.

 

Plus, the Seventh Prince praised her food endlessly. No one could feel ill towards such a child.

 

Upon returning to Shunning Palace and finishing telling about this incident, Noble Lady Guo was still indignant: “What a vicious heart! Isn’t this clearly taking advantage of the Seventh Prince not having a mother to care for him in the back palace? If Consort Yun… if Empress Dejing were still alive, how could the Seventh Prince be bullied by such filthy things!”

 

“Mother, did something happen to little brother?”

 

Noble Lady Guo stroked Zhiyi’s cheek, “Good daughter, your Seventh Brother is fine. The bad person has been caught.”

 

The little princess angrily waved her fists, “If they bully little brother again, Zhiyi will throw stones at them. How hateful.”

 

Noble Lady Guo: “Sister, why aren’t you saying anything?”

 

Consort Xuan raised her hand to summon her head palace maid: “Go outside and inquire if there’s any new news about Xiao Qi.”

 

The head palace maid was called Xin Qing, who had been with Consort Xuan for many years and was very steady in her actions.

 

She went out for about a quarter of an hour and came back with news, “Your Grace, news from Zichen Palace says that the Seventh Prince was frightened by Noble Lady Chu’s incident and now has a high fever that won’t break. The Imperial Physician’s Office is treating him.”

 

Consort Xuan immediately stood up.

 

“High fever?”

 

Xin Qing said worriedly: “Yes, the Empress has also gone over. It’s said to be more serious than when Old Madam Hou entered the palace. His Majesty only allowed the imperial physicians to go in and look, so the specifics are still unknown.”

 

Consort Xuan couldn’t help but tighten her handkerchief.

 

“If sister is worried, it would be good to go take a look. After all, the Empress is there too.”

 

But Consort Xuan shook her head, frowning, “I feel the matter isn’t so simple. According to what you said, Noble Lady Chu didn’t seem to have gone to the Imperial Garden to confront Xiao Qi at first. It couldn’t be that as soon as His Majesty appointed her as the first person to look after the prince, she developed evil intentions.”

 

Noble Lady Guo was shocked: “Sister means there’s someone behind this?”

 

“You and I have coldly observed the methods of the back palace for so many years, how could we not know the tactic of killing with a borrowed knife?” Consort Xuan pondered for a moment, “You take Zhiyi back first, I need to think about this alone.”

 

Noble Lady Guo left with Zhiyi. Consort Xuan came to her writing desk, visibly hesitating.

 

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