Chapter 2
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A live rabbit couldn’t be killed by Ling Rui’s few small teeth.
Unable to kill or eat it, he could only wet the rabbit’s fur with his saliva.
While Ling Rui gnawed on the rabbit, Noble Consort Yi held his cheek and scrutinized him.
This pitiful little figure trying hard to bite the rabbit would surely break Consort Xi’s heart if she were alive to see her child struggling for food.
“Qingdai.”
With her slender fingers sliding down Ling Rui’s soft, chubby cheeks, Noble Consort Yi effortlessly took the rabbit from his mouth.
“Take it to the small kitchen and have it cooked,” she ordered calmly.
Qingdai: “….”
Qingdai hesitated briefly but didn’t hesitate in action.
She picked up the rabbit and headed to the small kitchen.
Ever since the emperor’s decree banning rabbit meat, not even the small kitchens in their palace had cooked it.
Noble Consort Yi had loved rabbit meat the most at her natal home.
The rabbit was taken away, and the little prince, now without his rabbit, had eyes reddened like a small bunny.
“No crying.”
Seeing his red eyes, Noble Consort Yi raised an eyebrow and commanded.
Startled by her command, Ling Rui instinctively covered his eyes with his small hands. Unable to hold back his tears, he could only cover his eyes, pretending he wasn’t crying.
Noble Consort Yi watched the little child covering his eyes for a few seconds before picking him up, much like Qingdai had picked up the rabbit.
“Since you’re idle, you might as well come to my palace and keep me entertained,” Noble Consort Yi said casually, as if she had picked up a stray kitten or puppy.
The palace attendants, watching the little prince flailing his legs after being picked up, couldn’t help but feel a tinge of sympathy for him.
Poor little prince.
Not only was he underfed and poorly clothed, but now he also ended up in the hands of his late mother’s arch-nemesis.
It didn’t look good for him.
Ling Rui, who was kicking his legs wildly, couldn’t cover his eyes anymore. His small hands clutched at Noble Consort Yi’s larger hand.
“Let, let go of me.”
Noble Consort Yi carried him effortlessly with one hand, walking forward with an indifferent tone, “No.”
Ling Rui: “…”
Ling Rui kicked his legs futilely and, with a voice that sounded like he hadn’t eaten in three days, spoke good-naturedly, “I’m begging you.”
Once, when Ah Wu wasn’t around, he was caught and held in the mouth of a fierce beast.
He had pleaded for a long time before being spat out, his fur matted and tangled, and was thrown into a muddy pond.
Later, Ah Wu told him the beast let him go because it sensed Ah Wu’s scent on him, not because his pleading worked.
Ah Wu also said the beast feared him.
But Ling Rui only rubbed against him, not believing it at all. He and Ah Wu were both young beasts; a fierce beast wouldn’t be afraid of them!
Thinking of past memories, Ling Rui kicked his short legs and pleaded even more earnestly.
He pleaded all the way, but Noble Consort Yi never let go.
They soon reached Fenghua Palace, where attendants quickly approached to assist Noble Consort Yi in changing clothes and freshening up before breakfast.
Before Noble Consort Yi left the palace just now, she hadn’t eaten yet.
“Take him and clean him up,” Noble Consort Yi commanded, handing the little prince, whom she had carried all the way, to a palace attendant.
As she did, she sneered lightly at the little one with a drooping face: “If your mother knew you were pleading with me like that, she’d be furious in her grave.”
Ling Rui had no memory of his mother. Hearing the mention of her, his face showed confusion.
Seeing his bewildered face, Noble Consort Yi fell silent, realizing that this dirty little child might not even know who his mother was!
“Cuixi, take him away and clean him up! Look at how dirty he is. He even dirtied my clothes,” Noble Consort Yi said, her voice laced with annoyance.
Ling Rui: “!”
Ling Rui’s eyes widened in shock as he looked at Noble Consort Yi’s clothes. He had made sure not to kick her.
Cuixi, who took Ling Rui, didn’t wait for the little one to speak before swiftly taking him out of Noble Consort Yi’s sight.
The little prince was then handled by several palace servants.
Hot water sprinkled with flower petals, soap, and clean towels were all used on the dirty little prince, and in the midst of the rising steam, he was soon clean and fresh.
During the bath, his stomach kept growling, which made Cuixi secretly feed him two small rice cakes when no one was looking.
Two small rice cakes were not enough to satisfy his hunger.
But Ling Rui patted his stomach and didn’t ask for more because once he was full, he could awaken his foresight ability.
However, at that moment, he didn’t need to use this ability.
Meanwhile…
Li Momo, after a morning of inquiries, found out that the little prince had been taken away by Noble Consort Yi, who did not treat him well.
Overjoyed, Li Momo hurried to Zaochun Palace.
Inside Zaochun Palace, the Fifth Princess and the Sixth Prince were chatting with Consort Li, who was smiling warmly.
When they finished, Consort Li gave them some pastries.
The Fifth Princess declined, but the chubby Sixth Prince accepted.
After receiving the pastries, the Fifth Princess pulled the Sixth Prince along and they both bowed to Consort Li before leaving together.
As soon as they left, Consort Li’s smile faded. Her eyes, which were usually gentle, were now filled with a cold, ominous look.
Li Momo, aware of Consort Li’s thoughts, stepped out from the corner and said, “Your Highness, I noticed that the Sixth Prince is quite close to you.”
Neither the Fifth Princess nor the Sixth Prince were Consort Li’s children.
Like Noble Consort Yi, Consort Li was favored but had not given birth to any princes or princesses.
Consort Li had heard somewhere that adopting a child could lead to the birth of her own. She believed this and set her sights on the chubby Sixth Prince.
The Sixth Prince has no birth mother and is currently being fostered by the sickly Consort Ru.
She plans to take the Sixth Prince for herself after dealing with Noble Consort Yi, as the Sixth Prince’s clean background makes him more favorable to her than the similarly motherless Seventh Prince.
“Niang Niang, the Seventh Prince offended Noble Consort Yi this morning and was taken back to her palace,” Li Momo reported, switching to serious matters after seeing that her earlier flattery did not interest Consort Li.
She had spent a significant amount of time in Chaoxi Palace in her early years, and although she wasn’t a close attendant, she had observed a lot.
With animated expressions, she recounted old stories to Consort Li: “I saw firsthand how hostile Noble Consort Yi and Consort Xi were to each other! Noble Consort Yi often came to our palace fuming, and left with an angry face.”
“Once, after Noble Consort Yi left, I found the floor covered with shattered porcelain…”
“Consort Xi even cursed at Noble Consort Yi in the palace!”
Li Momo spoke enthusiastically about the enmity between the two masters, ending with a note of glee: “Now that Noble Consort Yi has taken the Seventh Prince, she’s bound to torment him. Niang Niang, we might not even need to lift a finger; the Seventh Prince may not live to see the Autumn Festival—”
Before she could finish, Consort Li’s cold gaze made her pause.
Remembering Consort Li’s temperament, she quickly slapped her own face: “I was careless. Niang Niang, rest assured, at the Autumn Festival, I will ensure the Seventh Prince’s body is found in Fenghua Palace in front of everyone.”
In front of the numerous noblewomen and young ladies, they would confirm Noble Consort Yi’s crime of poisoning the prince.
Even if Emperor Ling favored Noble Consort Yi and didn’t care much for the young prince, he would still have to give an explanation to everyone, punishing Noble Consort Yi and temporarily distancing himself from her family.
Moreover, Consort Li’s family, competing for an important position with Noble Consort Yi’s brother in the court, could benefit from this scandal.
Li Momo was dismissed shortly after, but before leaving, she received a sachet filled with medicinal herbs: “These are precious herbs. Wear this to nourish your body, and later, you will be rewarded.”
“Thank you, Niang Niang.”
Li Momo, clutching the sachet, bowed deeply and left with profuse thanks.
After she left, Meng Er, Consort Li’s close maid, lightly massaging her legs, softly asked, “Niang Niang, do you think Noble Consort Yi might torment the Seventh Prince to death before the Autumn Festival?”
“It doesn’t matter if he dies early. We can still reveal his body then. By the way, what does the Seventh Prince look like? Does he resemble Consort Xi?”
“Li Momo said he doesn’t resemble Consort Xi much.”
As Meng Er answered the question, her eyes flickered. She knew that Consort Li was most jealous of Consort Xi’s face and would not want to hear that the Seventh Prince resembled his mother.
Indeed, after Meng Er responded, Consort Li’s expression relaxed slightly, though her words were still laced with sarcasm: “What a pity that Consort Xi, the most beautiful woman, didn’t pass on any of her looks to her son.”
Meanwhile, the little prince in question was having his soft, chubby cheeks pinched.
“Your mother did have good genes.”
Noble Consort Yi, looking at the now clean and pretty little prince, pinched his soft cheeks without letting go: “This little face is even more striking than your elder siblings’.”
Understanding this as a compliment, Ling Rui, while prying Noble Consort Yi’s hand away, seriously nodded his little head.
He liked compliments!
After finally escaping Noble Consort Yi’s grip and sitting on a chair, Ling Rui hugged Noble Consort Yi’s hand, exhaling like a little adult.
“Niang, Niang Niang,” he said, holding her hand and explaining, “I’m small, pinching my cheeks will make me ugly.”
Ah Wu had told him that constantly pinching a young cub’s cheeks could make them grow up ugly, and Ling Rui didn’t want that.
To Noble Consort Yi’s surprise, she could understand every word of his baby talk.
With a chilly tone, she replied, “I’m not on good terms with your mother. Pinching your face is meant to make you ugly, no, to ruin your little soft face.”
Ling Rui: “…”
He shook his head in disbelief.
After all, despite Noble Consort Yi pinching his face for a while, it didn’t hurt at all.
Noble Consort Yi wasn’t trying to ruin his face!
One big and one small, one earnest and one cold, they managed to continue their conversation.
Soon, breakfast was served.
Noble Consort Yi looked at the little prince, obviously tempted but trying to keep a straight face and not ask for food. She snorted lightly.
“I was too gentle earlier and didn’t ruin your face. This time, I’ll be harsher. Here, eat as much as you want—”
“This time, I’ll stuff you to death.”
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