“I’m really mad!”
The little one, holding his cheek, furiously told Murong Xu, “That darn monk made my teeth hurt!”
Murong Xu: “???”
Murong Xu: “Come here.”
Hearing his uncle’s stern tone, the little one hesitated and took a step back, still clutching his cheek.
It was the first time Murong Xu had heard him complain about a toothache. Seeing him retreat, Murong Xu took two steps forward and scooped the little one up.
He found a bench, sat down, and placed the little one on his lap.
“Open your mouth.”
“No—ah!”
Before the little one could finish refusing, Murong Xu had already pinched his cheeks and forced his mouth open.
The little one opened his mouth, and his teeth were carefully inspected by his uncle. The molar on the far right had already turned black, looking like it had developed a cavity.
Murong Xu scrutinized it thoroughly, and the little one, whose mouth had been pried open, drooled a bit. Without minding it, Murong Xu wiped it off for him.
“Little Seven, you can’t eat candy anymore.”
Murong Xu had long known that the little one loved sweets, but since they didn’t meet that often, he had no idea how much candy he was consuming.
The little one usually ate candy while running around outside, and Noble Consort Yi hadn’t noticed this small habit either. Even if she had paid attention lately, it was already too late. When the little one stayed at Guan Shan Residence, his teeth would occasionally feel sore.
Murong Xu had been discussing the matter of Shikong earlier, but now the topic had shifted to the little one himself.
The little one protested, “I can eat candy! I can eat lots and lots of candy!”
He still had candies left to eat, so he could definitely eat them!
Murong Xu, seeing that after he let go the little one was still holding his cheek, firmly emphasized, “No, you can’t!”
He had personally witnessed the suffering caused by tooth pain. He had seen an adult in great distress because of it.
“Not only can you not eat candy,” Murong Xu said while looking down at the little one, delivering an even more terrifying verdict: “You won’t be able to eat anything sweet that has sugar in it either.”
“Sugar-glazed fish, sweet and sour pork ribs, sweet cakes… all of those are off-limits.”
Everything Murong Xu listed happened to be the little one’s favorites.
Upon hearing this, the little one’s eyes widened in disbelief. He stared at Murong Xu, unable to believe that his uncle could be so heartless!
“No!”
The little one cried out, “I want to eat candy, I want to eat sweet things.”
Murong Xu remained unmoved. “It doesn’t matter if you protest, I’ll be telling your mother. You won’t get to eat anything sweet anymore.”
“No!”
The little one, overwhelmed by this sudden sugar ban, panicked. “Uncle, you can’t tattle! You can’t tell mom!”
Murong Xu: “I’m going to tell her.”
The little one grew so agitated by his uncle’s insistence that he squirmed in his arms, his face scrunching up as he began to cry.
In the past, whenever he cried, his uncle would comfort him. Even if he had wanted the stars in the sky, his uncle would have climbed a ladder to fetch them for him.
But this time, no matter how fiercely the little one cried with his face upturned, Murong Xu did not react.
After crying for a while, the little one peeked at his uncle with teary eyes.
Murong Xu had noticed his sneaky glances long ago, but he refused to give in and comfort him.
The two stayed locked in this standoff for a while until the little one finally realized his uncle had no intention of budging. Furious, he climbed off his uncle’s lap.
“I’m not playing with uncle anymore.”
The little one rarely threw a tantrum at his uncle, but now he was declaring a cold war between them.
Even when Murong Xu reached out to wipe his tears, the little one pushed his hand away with his small hands.
The little one, who usually adored his uncle, didn’t even say goodbye this time. He turned around with a puffed-up face and stormed off.
Murong Xu, watching the sulky child, raised his hand and pressed his temple.
After the little one left, Ling Chen entered the room.
He looked puzzled. “What did you say to Little Seven? Why was he crying?”
Ling Chen had planned to ask the child directly, but the tearful little one, still angry, ignored even his eldest brother.
With no explanation from the child, Ling Chen frowned and approached Murong Xu for an answer.
Murong Xu, still pressing his temple, replied with a sigh, “Little Seven’s teeth are damaged from eating too much candy. I told him he can’t eat sweets anymore, and that’s why he’s like this.”
Ling Chen: “…”
Murong Xu added, “Your Highness, Little Seven is your little brother. This is a matter—”
“I think you’re better suited to handle this.”
Ling Chen immediately passed the ungrateful task of disciplining Little Seven to Murong Xu. “You’re the one who discovered his tooth problem. You should be the one to take responsibility.”
Murong Xu was speechless.
He shot Ling Chen a sideways glance and then flopped back onto the bed.
But just a few seconds later, he sat back up.
“Is someone following Little Seven? Where did he run off to?”
“Yes, someone’s keeping an eye on him. I think he headed towards Royal Father.”
Murong Xu had threatened to report Little Seven’s tooth issue to Noble Consort Yi, which is why the little one was so upset. He knew that if Noble Consort Yi found out about his bad tooth, all his candies would definitely be taken away.
Afraid of being caught by Noble Consort Yi, the little one certainly didn’t dare return to Fenghua Palace now.
On the way, he wiped his tears and hadn’t even reached Chengming Hall when he bumped into Consort De.
She seemed to be coming from the Fourth Prince’s place.
Caught off guard by their encounter, the little one looked at Consort De, sniffled, and politely greeted her.
Consort De’s eyes flickered with a hint of complexity.
“Why are you still outside so late?”
After asking, she glanced in the direction he had come from, narrowing her eyes slightly. “You came from the Eldest Prince’s place? Did he upset you?”
She knew that the little one got along quite well with the Eldest Prince. Now, seeing him run out with tear-filled eyes, could it be that they had quarreled?
Though Consort De didn’t particularly like this child, she still bent down and used her handkerchief to wipe away his tears. “You look so pitiful. Did your big brother make you cry?”
“I’m not good at comforting others, but if you’re really upset, why not go find your fourth brother?”
Consort De’s usually slow-thinking mind seemed to turn a bit quicker in that moment.
She thought to herself—
If Little Seven had a falling out with the Eldest Prince and word of it reached Emperor Ling, the Eldest Prince might end up receiving a cold shoulder from his father.
Before Consort De could fully develop her plan, the little one spoke up and ruined it.
“Big brother didn’t bully me,” the little one clarified for his older brother. “Big brother is very nice.”
Consort De: “…”
Consort De carefully observed his expression and saw that indeed, there was no resentment when he mentioned the Eldest prince.
She straightened up, losing interest. “Looks like I misunderstood. If your big brother didn’t bully you, then why are you leaving in such a hurry?”
“I’m going to find Daddy.”
“Oh, go ahead then.”
Consort De responded indifferently and didn’t mention having the little one visit her own son, the fourth prince, anymore.
The little one nodded at her and left.
As he walked away, Consort De looked at his small back, confused.
Her fourth prince had the looks, talent, and stature, so why didn’t he receive as much favor from the emperor as this little brat?
After thinking it over for a while, Consort De coldly concluded to herself, “Just like his mother, Consort Xi, they’re both naturally good at bewitching people.”
With that, she stopped paying attention to the little one who always made her feel irritated.
Elsewhere…
After parting ways with Consort De, the little one hurried on his short legs to the Chengming Hall.
By the time he arrived, there were two young beauties inside the hall. They were new to the palace.
When the two beauties saw him enter, they lowered their eyes and didn’t dare look at him directly.
“Daddy.”
By now, the little one’s toothache had subsided. He climbed onto his father’s lap as if he was used to it and looked over at the beauties.
Emperor Ling noticed his gaze and cleared his throat lightly.
Lu Guang, who was serving nearby, didn’t wait for the emperor to say anything and immediately escorted the two beauties out.
The little one withdrew his gaze and looked up at Emperor Ling, “They’re not as pretty as Mother.”
To the little one, no one in the world was more beautiful than Noble Consort Yi.
Emperor Ling gave a slight nod in agreement, then awkwardly explained, “They are just ordinary palace attendants, not my consorts.”
The little one let out a small hum and hugged his father’s neck without saying anything.
But the little one knew that since he had caught his father with these beauties and his father had said they wouldn’t become his consorts, it was unlikely they ever would. In the little one’s eyes, his father usually kept his promises.
“It’s so late, why did you come here all of a sudden?”
Emperor Ling was a bit caught off guard by the little one’s return. The little one had already visited earlier in the evening, so he didn’t expect him to come back so late at night.
“I missed you, Daddy.”
The little one felt his father’s head hurting, and his own toothache had only just passed, so he felt they shared a certain understanding.
Feeling this, the little one nestled closer to his father.
Emperor Ling sighed inwardly, then resigned himself to holding the little one, preparing to rest.
Lu Guang, observing the emperor getting ready for bed with the little one, was no longer surprised.
As he thought about the two beauties he had just sent away, he mused that they were from the family of Consort Shu, and although they seemed very promising in appearance and character, it was a shame they wouldn’t get a chance.
In the bedroom…
The little one’s toothache had passed, but despite that, he still snatched his father’s calming tea and drank it.
The calming tea had a slightly sweet herb added to it, meant to soothe the mind, which the little one liked for its sweet and fragrant taste.
After finishing the tea, his plump little bottom received a few light pats from Emperor Ling.
The little one, after being lightly scolded, burrowed his head under the covers.
After playing around with the little one for a while, Emperor Ling finally calmed him down and coaxed him to sleep.
Halfway through the night, the little one, still half-asleep, began dreaming of Shikong.
In his dream, Shikong discovered that he knew the secret about Goudan, and then came to kill him. In the dream, Shikong’s face was no longer kind but terrifyingly fierce, scaring the little one terribly.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t escape in the dream, and in the end, he was forced to tears.
While crying, he flailed his short arms and legs.
Emperor Ling was woken by the commotion. He tried to soothe him by patting his back, but it didn’t work. In the end, he sat up and pulled the little one into his arms.
“Little Seven, wake up, stop crying.”
Suppressing his exhaustion, Emperor Ling coaxed him like he had in the past, “Wake up, Daddy’s here.”
This wasn’t the first time the little one had woken up crying from a nightmare. In the past, Emperor Ling would comfort him in the same way, speaking softly, as loud noises would only frighten the little one more.
Patiently soothing him, Emperor Ling also listened closely to what the little one was crying about. It took him a while to understand the unclear words.
“I’m scared,” the little one cried.
“Ah Wu, save me!”
“Bad Shikong, don’t kill me.”
The little one’s crying was slurred, and Emperor Ling had to listen for a long time before he made sense of it.
He didn’t know who Ah Wu was, but he did know Shikong.
So, the little one was dreaming that Shikong wanted to kill him?
Emperor Ling frowned deeply.
As time passed, Emperor Ling stayed up most of the night, finally calming the little one.
Neither of them got more than half a night’s peaceful sleep.
The next morning, when the little one woke up, his eyes were slightly swollen, and his toothache, which had only just subsided, started hurting again.
Unaware of the toothache, Emperor Ling had the usual sweet buns served for breakfast.
The sweet buns had a filling of sweet, soft red bean paste and toasted sesame seeds mixed with sugar, all of which the little one usually loved.
There were two sweet buns, one meat bun, an egg custard, and some side dishes for the congee.
In the past, the little one could easily finish all of it.
This time, however, he barely ate half.
Emperor Ling found it odd. “Little Seven, is today’s breakfast not to your liking?”
The little one shook his head, “No, that’s not it.”
He had looked in the mirror that morning and noticed his gums were a bit swollen. He wasn’t sure if it was because he had been restless the night before, leading to irritation.
The little one pressed his lips together, holding his small bowl, and stopped using his spoon to eat, saying, “I want to lose weight, I don’t want to eat too much.”
He hung his head and didn’t tell the truth.
After he managed to get through breakfast, the little one went to find Shui Shui.
Sitting in Shui Shui’s little courtyard, he asked, “Shui Shui, if a tooth is bad, how do you treat it? I’m just asking casually.”
Shui Shui looked up at him, “It depends on how bad your tooth is.”
After examining him, Shui Shui stood up and said, “If the tooth is really bad, it has to be pulled out. If it’s not that bad, you can use herbs to stop the pain.”
The little one: “…”
He backed away and protested, “Don’t come any closer!”
Shui Shui kept moving toward him, “Let me take a look at your tooth.”
the little one thought about how bad his tooth seemed, and in his mind, it was pretty scary. “No, don’t look at it.”
Not wanting to have his tooth pulled, he ran off before Shui Shui could get close to him.
Shui Shui chased after him without hesitation, but just as he reached the door, the Third Prince happened to walk by and stopped him, “Why are you running so fast? Aren’t you afraid of falling?”
Blocked by the prince, Shui Shui turned back, but the little one had already disappeared.
Watching the little one vanish from sight, Shui Shui’s face darkened. He ignored the Third Prince and returned to the courtyard.
The little one, wandering outside, felt like he had nowhere to go.
While he was wandering around, Noble Consort Yi had already captured the person pretending to be a ghost.
She didn’t like to lie to Emperor Ling, but the matter of the ghost involved the little one, so she made up an excuse, saying her palace attendants had seen the ghost being chased by a cat when passing by the Cold Palace.
Emperor Ling investigated the person playing the ghost and found the ghost costume hidden in their room.
Upon this discovery, Consort De was stunned.
Her fair face turned pale, and she vehemently denied any connection to the ghost incident, arguing, “Why would I, for no reason, pretend to be a ghost?!”
“Your Majesty, I don’t even know this person!”
Though Consort De defended herself repeatedly, the evidence was undeniable, and her protests were in vain.
Emperor Ling became furious.
The ghost affair had caused turmoil in the palace for a long time, giving him constant headaches.
Now that the truth had come to light, Emperor Ling didn’t want to be lenient with Consort De.
Kneeling on the ground, Consort De was truly panicked. She looked to Consort Shu for help, but Consort Shu, with her head bowed, avoided eye contact and said nothing in her defense.
It was Noble Consort Yi, whom she disliked the most, who spoke calmly, “It’s true that this person belongs to Consort De’s palace, but it’s also possible someone planted this person there to frame her.”
Emperor Ling coldly ordered, “Investigate further, leave no stone unturned.”
While Emperor Ling personally oversaw the investigation, Consort De was placed under house arrest and demoted, with orders that no one, not even the Fourth Prince, could visit her.
Consort De could accept others not coming to see her, but not being able to see her son, the Fourth Prince, was unbearable.
She wanted to speak up but quickly held her tongue, realizing that if she said anything now, Emperor Ling might, in his fury, implicate the Fourth Prince as well.
Tears in her eyes, she was confined to her palace.
After everyone dispersed, Noble Consort Yi called out to Consort Shu as she was leaving with the others.
“Consort Shu, you’re closest to Consort De. Did you know about this incident beforehand?”
“I had no idea.”
Consort Shu, clutching her handkerchief, looked ashamed and flustered. “I get along well with Consort De because she is kind, but when we chat, it’s always about trivial everyday matters.”
Her explanation distanced herself from the situation.
Noble Consort Yi responded with a simple “Hmm,” leaving her belief unclear.
Once Consort Shu left, Noble Consort Yi turned to Emperor Ling and asked, “Your Majesty, between Consort De and Consort Shu, who do you find more suspicious?”
There was no doubt that Consort Shu wasn’t entirely innocent in this matter.
With everything connecting piece by piece, Noble Consort Yi was determined to track down everyone involved and handle them thoroughly.
After two days of investigation, there was still no evidence to prove Consort De’s innocence.
The little one had heard about this and went to comfort his Fourth Brother.
Though he stayed with him, the Fourth Prince remained in low spirits.
Already feeling unwell himself, the little one sat with Ling Fu and Ling Ning behind a rock garden, sighing.
Ling Ning, apart from playing with the little one when asked, was always accompanied by someone, leaving her with little freedom to do what she wanted or go where she pleased.
She wasn’t very aware of the commotion in the palace regarding Consort De’s situation.
Seeing everyone so down, she tried to cheer them up.
“Little Six, Little Seven, do you want to come to my secret base?”
Despite her shy and reserved appearance, the Fifth Princess had secretly created a hideout of her own.
When the little one and Ling Fu heard the words “secret base,” their interest was piqued.
“Fifth Sister, we want to go!”
“Yes, we want to go!”
Both the little one and Sixth Brother responded eagerly, and Ling Ning smiled, eyes curved, as she led them to her secret place.
The secret base was in Consort Shu’s palace, where Ling Ning spent most of her time.
Consort Shu’s palace wasn’t large, but not small either, and though Ling Ning wasn’t allowed to leave, she had explored enough to create a secret hideout.
Her base was right next to her room.
Inside her room, there was a small hidden door. Behind it was a narrow passageway that led to a tiny hidden room.
No one knew about this secret little room, not even Consort Shu.
After all, when Consort Shu moved into this palace, it had already been built.
Ling Ning discovered the room behind the small passage and slowly started decorating the dusty little space.
When the little one and Ling Fu saw it, they were amazed.
“Fifth Sister, you’re amazing!”
“This place is beautiful.”
Perhaps every child dreams of having their own secret hideout. Now that the two had found their sister’s secret base, they were both filled with excitement.
Ling Ning had put a lot of thought into decorating her hideaway.
As they sat in the secret room, exchanging glances, smiles lit up their faces.
While they were huddled together, the little one noticed the exposed arm peeking out from under his sister’s sleeve.
There were marks on her arm.
He gently grabbed his sister’s arm, not letting her move.
“Did Consort Shu hit you?” the little one asked, furrowing his brows as he examined her arm.
After he asked, Ling Fu also leaned over to look.
“Fifth Sister, why didn’t you tell Royal Father? Or the Empress?”
The Empress was responsible for managing all palace affairs. Although she spent most of her time devoted to religious practices and avoided palace matters, she still held the power.
Ling Fu had seen these marks before. He didn’t ask directly but had hinted several times, hoping his sister would find a way to help herself.
But Fifth Sister had never responded to his hints.
Now, Ling Ning quietly covered the bruises on her arm with her sleeve and shook her head, saying, “It’s okay, it doesn’t hurt much.”
The little one frowned, “You’re lying.”
How could getting hit not hurt?
He had been hurt before by bad people, leaving marks on his body. He knew how painful it was.
“Fifth Sister.”
Consort Shu was her biological mother, and both the little one and Ling Fu didn’t know how to handle the situation. The little one tried his best to come up with a solution for his sister, “How about letting Shui Shui check on Consort Shu? Consort De used to hit Fourth Brother, but she doesn’t anymore.”
“Little Seven, it’s different.”
Ling Ning didn’t know if she had grown used to it or if she had just lost hope for her situation.
She said, “Consort De was sick before, that’s why she hit Fourth Brother. My mother isn’t sick. She just doesn’t like girls, and I’m a girl.”
“It’s my fault for not being useful and not bringing her any pride.”
Ling Ning explained the reasons why her mother didn’t like her. After she finished, Ling Fu immediately argued back, “The fact that she doesn’t like girls isn’t your fault! Don’t let her make you believe that!”
Just hearing Fifth Sister repeat what Consort Shu said made Ling Fu angry.
He firmly held her hand and declared, “Fifth Sister, having a daughter is wonderful! When I get married, I will definitely have a daughter!”
Daughters seemed soft and gentle, so much better than boys.
Little Seven was soft, but there weren’t many like him. Ling Fu didn’t think he could have a child as beautiful as his brother.
He didn’t care how cute or pretty his future children would be, as long as they were his.
After Ling Fu’s determined declaration, the little one also grasped Fifth Sister’s hand and, with equal conviction, said:
“This world cannot be without girls! Girls are the most wonderful!”
“Fifth Sister, you and Second Sister are the very best girls!”
“Don’t lose your confidence. Both Sixth Brother and I think you’re amazing.”
The little one’s praise was so sincere, like warm sunshine, melting a frozen part of Ling Ning’s heart.
“Fifth Sister, not all mothers love their children.”
The little one remembered his lessons and what the teacher had taught them.
He began explaining it to Ling Ning.
He said that some mothers love their children very much, while others don’t.
As children, they couldn’t choose their mothers at birth, but that was okay. Even if they didn’t get a loving mother, there were still others in the world who would love them.
As he said this, the little one leaned over and hugged Fifth Sister, whispering in her ear, “Sixth Brother and I both love you.”
After expressing his love for her, the little one continued his lesson.
“The teacher said that no matter what happens, you have to keep trying to save yourself.”
The little one took his lessons very seriously.
Ling Ning listened just as seriously. She heard him relay the teacher’s lessons, including the importance of respecting girls and how valuable girls were.
Suddenly, things she thought she didn’t care about started to overwhelm her.
“Little Seven, is being a daughter really not disgraceful?”
“Of course not! My mother is incredibly important in the Murong family, and so is my aunt! I’ve told you about her.”
“My aunt is a great general!”
The little one counted on his fingers as he listed people to Ling Ning.
Tears streamed down Ling Ning’s face.
Her mother had always called her worthless, saying she was useless. After hearing it for so long, Ling Ning sometimes believed it herself.
Now, hearing what Little Seven had to say, learning ideas she had never encountered before, it brought her to tears.
The more she cried, the more her tears flowed. The little one frantically tried to wipe them away, but they just kept coming.
“Fifth Sister, please stop crying.”
The little one was extremely distressed. Unable to comfort her, he hugged her again and promised, “Don’t cry, Sixth Brother and I will figure something out. We’ll find a way to stop Consort Shu from hitting you.”
While they were crying in their secret little hideaway, Ling Ning had barely finished when they heard a noise from outside.
This place wasn’t soundproof.
Whenever Ling Ning heard any noise before, she would quickly crawl out, and she had never been discovered.
But now, with Little Six and Little Seven holding onto her, crawling out quickly would be difficult.
She stopped crying, placed her small hands over their mouths, and whispered, “Don’t say anything, someone’s coming.”
The little one nodded, his face turning red as his mouth and nose were both covered.
The three of them stayed quiet, not daring to make a sound.
Outside, they could hear voices clearly.
It was Consort Shu asking, “Where is the Fifth Princess?”
“Your Highness, the three of them are together, running around again. No one knows where they’ve gone.”
If Ling Ning were alone, her attendants would never lose track of her.
But when she was with the Sixth and Seventh Princes, it was common for them to lose the children.
Consort Shu was already used to this. She glanced around the room, noting how clean and spacious it was—certainly not a place where children could hide.
“Forget it, leave them be.”
Consort Shu said this indifferently, turning to leave. But just as she took a step, another palace maid entered.
The maid’s expression was grim. “Your Highness, Consort De is accusing you. She’s brought up things you said to her, but without solid proof yet. His Majesty may not believe her.”
“I think His Majesty doesn’t believe it, but the Noble Consort seems convinced.”
“Since Consort De was punished, she’s been trying to implicate you.”
“She doesn’t believe the ghostly rumors in the palace were Consort De’s doing, and she’s not wrong.”
Consort Shu let out a cold laugh. “Even if she’s right, what does it matter? She still won’t find any evidence linking it to me.”
After that cold laugh, Consort Shu considered both Consort De, who was clinging onto her accusations, and the Noble Consort, who was also trying to expose her. She stopped laughing and asked, “What about Xiao Yinzi?”
“Everything’s arranged. The person watching him will send him on his way tonight.”
Consort Shu spoke with this unknown palace maid for a while longer.
Even though they didn’t say much, the three children in the secret hideaway were stunned by what they heard.
It was clear now that the person behind the ghost rumors was indeed from Consort De’s palace.
But this person had a weakness—a eunuch named Xiao Yinzi.
No one else knew about this weakness, only Consort Shu.
Through Xiao Yinzi, she controlled this person and had them pretend to be the ghostly figure.
Even if the ghost was discovered one day, the blame would fall on Consort De, with no connection to Consort Shu.
The person pretending to be the ghost was already dead, and with Xiao Yinzi being dealt with tonight, they would be reunited.
Consort Shu would be free of any incrimination.
After exchanging a few more words, Consort Shu left the room where Ling Ning lived.
Although she had left, the three children remained hidden, too scared to crawl out.
Ling Ning’s face turned pale. She tightly grasped the little one’s hand, her voice trembling, “Little Seven, my mother has harmed people. She… she’s killed someone.”
Not only had she killed one person, but she was about to kill another.
Whenever Consort Shu had cursed in anger, saying she wished she could trade Ling Ning’s life for a son, she had meant it.
“Little Seven, I’m scared.”
When Ling Ning was younger, she had longed for her mother’s love and worked hard to please her. No matter how her mother hurt her, she had never given up.
But as she grew older, that longing faded.
Now, all she wanted was to live a decent life—not to be hit, not to be scolded, and not to be despised.
“Little Seven, do you think Mother will try to kill me one day?”
“She won’t!”
Although both the little one and his Sixth Brother were frightened by what they had witnessed, they felt their sister’s fear even more. They immediately hugged her, saying, “Fifth Sister, we’re men. We’ll protect you.”
Though they spoke of protection, in reality, all three of them were trembling, huddled together in fear.
It took them a long time to calm down before they finally crawled out of their hiding spot.
Before crawling out, they had already made a decision.
They were going to save Xiao Yinzi.
Saving Xiao Yinzi meant that Consort Shu’s crimes could very well be exposed.
If her crimes were exposed, the Fifth Princess could also be implicated. But even knowing this, Ling Ning still chose to save Xiao Yinzi.
“Little Seven, you said that as children, we can’t choose to be born to a mother who loves us.”
“But—”
Ling Ning’s face showed a calm yet determined expression as she quietly said, “Now, I can choose to no longer want my mother.”
The little one looked at his Fifth Sister, then exchanged firm nods with Ling Fu.
When the three of them emerged, none of the palace servants had realized they had disappeared for so long.
“Fifth Sister, wait for our good news.”
Although the three of them had decided together to save Xiao Yinzi, the little one thumped his chest, promising that it would be easier for him to do it.
After all, he had the support of the Noble Consort.
As for Ling Fu, Consort Ru who supported him no longer concerned herself with such matters.
After leaving Consort Shu’s palace, one of her personal maids noticed something was off.
She personally went to question the Fifth Princess.
Meanwhile, the little one, who had been dawdling outside for a long time after leaving Consort Shu’s palace, stopped stalling.
He ran as fast as his little legs could carry him towards Fenghua Palace.
When he arrived, the Noble Consort gave him a sideways glance.
“Oh, and who’s this little guest? Ji Yan, help me out here. Does this little guest look familiar to you?”
Ji Yan couldn’t help but laugh, “I recognize him, but for some reason, I just can’t remember who he is!”
The little one: “…”
He whimpered and shuffled over, hugging the Noble Consort’s leg.
Even with him clinging to her leg, the Noble Consort didn’t reach down to hug him back.
After a brief standoff, the little one crawled into the Noble Consort’s arms himself, kissed her on the cheek, and tried to sweet-talk her.
Seizing the moment while he was being affectionate, the Noble Consort pried open his mouth and checked his teeth.
Once she was done, Ji Yan brought over a box of pills.
“These were sent over by Shui Shui. Let him suck on one of these,” the Noble Consort said, instructing the little one to take the pill. But before he could make up his mind, she shoved it into his mouth herself.
The pill, pressed against his decayed tooth, had cooling and anti-inflammatory properties that also relieved pain.
It was a herbal medicine specifically meant for treating tooth problems.
The bitterness of the pill was intense, and the little one’s face scrunched up in response.
He wanted to spit it out, but the Noble Consort, anticipating this, sternly warned, “Don’t spit it out. If you do, I’ll make you take two next time.”
The little one: “…”
The bitterness almost drove him to tears.
But, fortunately, he still remembered something more important. Grimacing, he told the Noble Consort everything he had overheard in Consort Shu’s palace.
As soon as he finished telling her, without a moment’s hesitation, he spat out the pill.
The Noble Consort: “…”
With a sigh, she gave Ji Yan a glance and then resumed stuffing another pill into the little one’s mouth.
This time, he didn’t dare spit it out. Tears welled up in his eyes, and in a bold move, he also popped a candy into his mouth.
“The pill’s so bitter, I need something sweet to balance it,” he mumbled.
The Noble Consort: “?”
