Did The Young Prince’s Kingdom Get Destroyed Today? Chapter 75

After crying their hearts out, the little ones wiped their tears and returned to Shen Hui and Shen Tang’s courtyard.

When they went back, there were few people in the courtyard as everyone had gone out to help extinguish the fire.

“Little Seven, when are you going back?”

Shen Hui returned to his room, and in the familiar surroundings, his emotions stabilized a bit.

He even knew to pour water for Ling Rui and the others.

Ling Rui held the water cup and took a couple of sips. They had cried so much just now that they were all a bit dehydrated.

“I, I’ll wait a bit longer.”

After drinking the water, their throats felt much better. Their eyes were still swollen, and their little faces were red and wet.

The little ones waited in the room, having agreed that if Shen Da was not found out as the one who set the fire in the bamboo forest, Shen Hui would then point him out.

“My dad treats my oldest brother very well, and he’s also kind to my Eldest Yiniang.”

Shen Hui sniffled, uncertain whether his dad would be angry at his eldest brother this time.

The little ones could only wait.

While waiting, they rehearsed their stories, which was essentially lying. Good kids don’t lie.

But thinking about the cats, the little ones, holding their cups, hoarsely said, “We don’t want to be good kids; we want to be avenging kids.”

They wanted to avenge the cats!

“That’s right! We won’t be good kids!”

The little avengers wore fierce expressions on their faces. They couldn’t eat the food on the table, so they kept drinking water to ease their nerves.

After an unknown amount of time, Shen Hui and Shen Tang were called out by their father.

Before they went out, Ling Rui held their little hands and encouraged them, “Don’t be afraid! We’re here with you!”

“Mm!”

Shen Hui nodded, holding his brother’s hand as they walked out.

The little ones had discussed many countermeasures earlier, which Shen Hui and Shen Tang could now use.

The four little ones waited in the room while Shen Hui and Shen Tang faced their father’s questioning outside.

Their father investigated the fire source and indeed found it in the bamboo forest, where they also saw the corpses of cats.

The abused cats found not far away had burn marks on their bodies.

Thus, the fire’s origin was clear—someone had been abusing cats in the bamboo forest, not just once or twice, and not just one or two cats.

One of the abuse methods involved burning, so this fire likely started during cat abuse when the fire was not properly extinguished.

Since people were usually not allowed in the bamboo forest, except for Shen Da, who kept small animals there, the culprit was obvious.

But when Shen Da was called over, he flatly denied everything about the bamboo forest.

He not only denied it but also said he saw Shen Hui and Shen Tang with their friends going to the bamboo forest today.

Shen Da insinuated that the children started the fire.

When Shen Hui arrived and heard that Shen Da even knew about his friends, his heart went cold.

His eldest brother must have investigated him and found out about Little Seven and the others.

“Little Hui, your eyes are swollen? Have you been crying? Did you start the fire at home?”

Shen Hui rubbed his swollen eyes and shook his head.

He pointed to his face and cried, “No, Little Seven drew little turtles on my face.”

“He only has one on his face, but I have two. I don’t want to go to school, I’ll be laughed at.”

The brothers covered their faces, crying because of the little turtles and not wanting to go to school.

As for the fire at the ancestral hall, they shook their heads and clung to their mother’s arms in fear, “We only played with mud, not with fire.”

“Mother said no playing with fire; playing with fire makes you wet the bed.”

Given their young age, Shen’s father didn’t really suspect them much.

Madam Shen had been displeased since her children were questioned.

She suppressed her emotions, hugged her two children, and gently patted their backs.

Shen Hui, nestled in her arms, suddenly cried out, “Mother, can you let me die instead of my little brother?”

“Second brother is sick; in the future, let my little brother take care of mother and older brother. Let me die.”

His sudden words shocked Madam Shen.

“What nonsense are you talking about?! What dying! Who told you these things?”

Shen Hui, buried in her arms, cried, “I was playing with mud and saw elder brother’s cat.”

“Elder brother took the cat to the forest. I wanted to play with the cat and asked him for it.”

“The cat’s paw was bleeding, and eldest brother wouldn’t let me have it or tell anyone about it.”

“Eldest brother said if I told, I would die like the cat.”

Shen Hui’s words weren’t entirely untrue. As he spoke, his small body trembled in fear, which couldn’t be faked.

Madam Shen’s hand trembled with anger.

She usually didn’t like to fight. When her maid gave birth before her, she softened and gave her family some dignity.

But now, her children were being threatened.

Madam Shen could no longer tolerate it. Without looking at her husband, she sternly said, “Burning the ancestral hall is a serious crime. I can take him to the authorities for this.”

“Husband, should we take him to the authorities or deal with him according to family law?”

As soon as Madam Shen finished speaking, the eldest concubine collapsed to the ground, pleading, “The cause of the fire isn’t clear yet. Madam, eldest young master is always kind and compassionate…”

“Enough, since you believe your son is compassionate, let me show you what his compassion looks like! Steward, bring those cats from the bamboo forest and show them to Liu Yiniang.”

“I recognized one of them earlier. Although it’s hard to identify due to the torture, one has distinctive features that match the cat the eldest young master was raising last month.”

The cat’s bodies were brought before Liu Yiniang.

Liu Yiniang tightly clenched her handkerchief, still refusing to admit it: “Perhaps a servant harmed the eldest master’s cats. Our eldest young master is innocent.”

“Hui Er saw the eldest young master take the cats to the bamboo forest and was threatened by him. Is that also a lie?!”

Madam Shen spoke, pushing the two continuously crying children towards Old Master Shen.

“Master, look at them. Hui Er and Tangtang are so young. Can children this small lie?!”

Shen Hui and Shen Tang were pushed in front of Old Master Shen and clung to his legs, crying loudly, asking, “Daddy, will we die like the cats?”

“Will big brother pull out our nails and burn us to death?”

Old Master Shen had always favored Liu Yiniang and the eldest young master, but he also adored the two little ones.

He knew he owed Madam Shen, and with the second son’s poor health, these were the only healthy children she had left.

Seeing the two little ones hugging his legs and asking such questions, Old Master Shen couldn’t help but think of the tortured cats in the bamboo forest.

To him, cats were just small animals.

If the eldest son had only tortured cats, he would have been uncomfortable but wouldn’t have taken it too seriously.

But now, the eldest son was no longer satisfied with just torturing cats.

He burned the ancestral hall, threatened his younger brothers, and even hinted at torturing them!

If he dared to do this to cats and his younger brothers today, what might he do to him in the future?

As his younger sons cried, Old Master Shen broke out in a cold sweat.

He hesitated no longer and coldly called for the steward: “Take the eldest young master away and give him twenty lashes! Show no mercy, do not hold back!”

Twenty lashes, at the very least, would result in severe wounds.

In severe cases, it could be fatal.

Hearing this punishment, Liu Yiniang crawled to Old Master Shen, crying and begging him to spare the eldest son’s life.

Liu Yiniang was adept at showing weakness.

She cried and begged for Old Master Shen to spare the eldest son, claiming the eldest son had suffered because of her, being born a concubine’s child and facing a difficult life…

But before Old Master Shen could soften, the two little ones clung to him, looking more pitiful than she did.

“Daddy, will big brother still try to kill us?”

“Daddy, Mother only has second brother, me, and Tangtang. If second brother’s health is bad and we die, could you be a little kinder to Mother?”

“Daddy, if you don’t want to punish big brother, that’s okay.”

Shen Hui, wiping his tears, told his father, “Just let Huier and Tangtang die. Daddy loves big brother the most. If you don’t want to punish big brother, then don’t.”

The “considerate” Shen Hui cried with his little face red, begging along with Liu Yiniang to spare his big brother.

But the more he begged, the heavier Liu Yiniang’s heart felt.

As expected, the brothers’ pleas only made Old Master Shen angrier: “What are you standing there for! Hold this beast down and beat him! If he doesn’t get all twenty lashes, even if he dies, don’t stop!”

Each of the twenty lashes landed heavily.

Before reaching halfway, Shen Da’s buttocks and back were already torn open, and his clothes were stained with blood. His mouth was stuffed with cloth, placed by Madam Shen’s trusted servant.

Liu Yiniang pleaded several times, but every time she did, the two little ones knelt on the ground, pleading even harder.

The two little ones kept saying they’d rather die if it meant their big brother could live.

These words made Old Master Shen only care more for the little ones.

“You two are my own sons, the legitimate young masters of this household. How could I let you die!”

Old Master Shen hugged them both, speaking gently.

In the courtyard, as the last ten lashes were being delivered, Madam Shen glanced at the servants.

Thus, the last ten lashes were all inflicted with a little something extra on the rods.

After the full twenty lashes, Liu Yiniang had fainted from grief, and Shen Da had passed out multiple times, only to wake up again in pain.

His life was tough; after twenty lashes, he still had a breath left.

Madam Shen watched as he was carried away, covered in blood, without a trace of pity on her face.

Old Master Shen had to deal with restoring the ancestral hall. With it burned, his brothers would come to him.

Their ancestors were all housed there, and now it was all gone. He had to give the others an explanation.

Old Master Shen hurriedly left, while Shen Hui and Shen Tang told their mother everything without hiding anything.

This time, they clearly explained—

Shen Da genuinely wanted second brother dead and wanted them to die like the cats.

Madam Shen hugged them, softly comforting, “Good children, don’t be afraid. With Mother here, no one can harm you.”

“It was Mother’s mercy that caused you such a great grievance.”

“The one who gave you advice, Little Seven, is he still here? Mother wants to thank him.”

“Little Seven is in my courtyard.”

After comforting them for a while, Shen Hui and Shen Tang led Madam Shen back to the courtyard.

The little ones had been anxiously waiting for Shen Hui and Shen Tang to return.

Seeing them come back with Madam Shen, the little ones were a bit stunned.

Madam Shen gently greeted them and thanked them.

She held Ling Rui’s small hand and gratefully said, “You must be good friends with Hui and Tangtang. Knowing they have friends like you to play with, I am relieved.”

Ling Rui: “……”

Ling Rui’s little face looked a bit guilty.

Madam Shen continued to praise them, making Ling Rui too embarrassed to admit that he originally came to the Shen residence intending to hit Shen Hui and Shen Tang.

Madam Shen stayed with them for a while before seeing them off.

“I apologize for the inadequate hospitality this time.”

Before leaving, Madam Shen patted each of their little heads and solemnly promised, “Once things in the residence are settled, come back and play with Hui and Tangtang. I’ll make sure to treat you well then.”

Ling Rui nodded his small head. He, Ling Fu, and Jiang Yan all boarded the carriage to return to the palace.

Madam Shen had packed some snacks for them.

However, on the way, when Ling Fu opened the snacks, he found he couldn’t eat.

The snacks were exquisite and smelled delicious, but Ling Fu had lost his appetite.

It wasn’t just him; Ling Rui and the other two little ones didn’t eat the snacks either.

“Sixth brother, are there many bad people like Shen Da?”

“I don’t know.”

Like him, Ling Fu had spent most of his time in the deep palace and hadn’t yet encountered the darker aspects of the world.

Ling Rui still felt a heavy heart. “Shen Da isn’t dead yet.”

This was the first time he wanted someone to die.

Ling Fu held his little hand and said, “Let them die slowly. Whatever he did to the cats, do the same to him.”

Ling Rui nodded.

The little ones discussed this with serious expressions.

When they returned to the palace, Ling Rui forgot that there was a small turtle drawn on his face.

With the little turtle on his face, he walked silently over to Emperor Ling and buried his face in the emperor’s embrace.

Emperor Ling, seeing the silent child, frowned and asked, “What happened?”

The little one clung to him with all his might, seeking protection.

Noble Consort Yi, also puzzled, walked over and asked, “Little Seven, did something bad happen while you were out playing?”

“No.”

Ling Rui shook his head. “Shen Hui and Shen Tang can’t beat me and Sixth Brother.”

There were four of them, and Shen Hui and Shen Tang were just two people.

“If they can’t beat you, then what’s wrong?”

“We met a very bad person.”

Talking about the bad person made his small body shiver reflexively.

Seeing this, Emperor Ling asked, “How bad is this very bad person?”

“The worst in the world.”

After saying this, Ling Rui closed his mouth and didn’t want to say more.

Back in his father and mother’s arms, he felt a bit safer and didn’t want to recall the bad things anymore.

Seeing him unwilling to speak, Noble Consort Yi didn’t force him. “Alright, you must be hungry after being out. Let’s have some food, okay?”

Noble Consort Yi ordered food to be brought, and Emperor Ling gently pulled the little one from his embrace.

After pulling him out, both Emperor Ling and Noble Consort Yi noticed the little turtle on his face.

Previously, seeing the little turtle would make Emperor Ling think he had been naughty again.

But this time, seeing the little turtle, Emperor Ling hesitated and tentatively asked, “Little Seven, who drew the little turtle on your face?”

The little one, sitting on his father’s lap, visibly wilted: “Shen Hui drew it.”

Emperor Ling: “……”

Just as Emperor Ling was about to ask if Shen Hui had bullied him, Ling Rui, counting on his little fingers, said, “I drew two on him.”

Emperor Ling fell silent.

Noble Consort Yi smoothed things over: “Let’s discuss everything later. Let him eat first. I felt his tummy earlier; it’s completely empty.”

Ling Rui and the little ones had played for a long time, done many things, and cried a lot. Naturally, it was exhausting.

He knew his tummy was empty too.

But when the food was placed on the table, and he saw his favorite meat, his face suddenly changed, and the next moment, he vomited without any warning.

Seeing him vomit, Emperor Ling didn’t mind that it got on him. He patted his back gently, letting him vomit while loudly calling for someone: “Lu Guang, fetch the imperial physician!”

The little one had nothing in his stomach, vomiting only bile.

Feeling sick, he held his father’s hand and cried.

Noble Consort Yi was also very worried.

The imperial physician arrived quickly but couldn’t determine why the little prince was vomiting.

The little prince’s body was healthy, with no signs of illness.

Seeing his father about to lose his temper at the physician, the little one tearfully spoke up: “I’m not sick.”

“I feel nauseous seeing meat.”

Whether it was plain porridge or his favorite meat, it made him feel nauseous.

“Why does the young prince feel nauseous seeing these things?” the imperial physician inquired.

Sitting on Emperor Ling’s lap, leaning against him, the little one slowly answered, “I saw the cats, and the cats were dead.”

Talking about the dead cats made him vomit again.

The adults present realized that the sight of the dead cats must have been horrific, causing the little one to lose his appetite.

Unable to eat food, Noble Consort Yi had nourishing soup prepared.

After both he and Emperor Ling changed clothes, the little one saw the soup and drank it down.

At night, the little one finally fell asleep, and Emperor Ling summoned the guards who had accompanied him to get a detailed account of what had happened.

The guard had not followed too closely, so he had a general idea of what happened but was not privy to the exact conversation between the little ones and Shen Hui.

He only reported, “The eldest young master of the Shen residence was torturing a cat and was caught by the sixth and seventh princes, as well as the two young masters of the Shen residence.”

“The tortured cat was in a horrifying state, and the two princes were so scared that they cried for a long time.”

Without hesitation, the guard revealed the culprit who frightened the young prince. He had orders to follow the little prince but not to take action on his own.

So, at the time, he did nothing to Shen Da.

But now, he exaggerated Shen Da’s terror.

Shortly after the guard’s report, the little prince, who had fallen asleep, developed a fever in the middle of the night.

Not only did he develop a fever, but Shen Hui and Shen Tang at the Shen residence also developed high fevers that night.

Originally, Liu Yiniang was heartbroken over her critically ill son. She tearfully complained to Old Master Shen about her son’s severe injuries, making Old Master Shen frown and consider checking on Shen Da’s condition.

But before he could, he noticed that Madam Shen’s courtyard was brightly lit.

The steward hurriedly reported that the two young masters, who had been too frightened to eat all day, developed high fevers during the night. The fevers were severe, and the young masters’ conditions were critical.

On one side was his beaten eldest son, and on the other were his two precious young sons, now dangerously ill because of his eldest son.

Even the usually soft-hearted Old Master Shen harshly kicked Liu Yiniang.

“Your good son!”

Old Master Shen roared, “If anything happens to Little Hui and Tang Tang, you and your son will pay with your lives!”

A favored concubine and her illegitimate son versus his two cherished legitimate young sons—the choice was clear to Old Master Shen.

He hurried away to check on his two young sons.

Meanwhile, in the palace.

Emperor Ling, wearing an outer robe, held his feverish little son’s warm hand, his eyes dark as he watched the imperial physician try to reduce the fever.

The imperial physician first used warm water to wipe down the little prince’s body to reduce the fever, but after several attempts, the prince was still feverish.

The physician then prepared medicine.

The medicine was very bitter. As soon as it was brought over, Emperor Ling and Noble Consort Yi smelled the pungent bitterness.

The little prince tightly closed his mouth, refusing to drink the bitter medicine.

Noble Consort Yi was at a loss on how to get him to drink it.

Emperor Ling placed the little prince on his lap, steeled himself, and pinched his chubby cheeks, forcing him to open his mouth.

After a bowl of medicine, both Emperor Ling and Noble Consort Yi were exhausted.

The little prince, after all the fuss, finally fell asleep, his face still wet with tears.

Emperor Ling and Noble Consort Yi sat by the bed, resting a bit.

“Your Majesty, we can’t let this go.”

Shen Da had frightened their child, causing them so much trouble. They were not the forgiving type.

Especially Emperor Ling, who, pressing his temples, said expressionlessly, “The imperial prince cannot be offended.”

Shen Da must be punished.

Noble Consort Yi, meticulous as always, tugged on Emperor Ling’s sleeve, which was stained with medicine.

She said, “Your Majesty, we should also establish a rule. For small animals like cats and dogs, if someone tortures them not for food but for the sake of killing, that person is inhuman.”

“Today, he dares to torture small animals. Tomorrow, his desire to kill may grow, and he will target something more significant.”

Noble Consort Yi’s words made Emperor Ling nod in agreement.

Previously, he might have thought it unnecessary to create rules for such matters.

But seeing his little son, who cried even in his sleep, Emperor Ling drafted a new law that night.

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