All night, both the palace and the Shen residence were in turmoil.
After Noble Consort Yi fell asleep with the little prince, Emperor Ling stayed awake, holding the little prince’s hand, ready to monitor his fever.
This task should have been done by palace servants.
But the little prince, when unwell, didn’t want anyone else touching him.
Emperor Ling didn’t let Noble Consort Yi stay up, so he watched over the little prince all night.
Near dawn, the little prince’s fever spiked again. This time, they didn’t give him more medicine, only wiping his body with warm water to bring the fever down temporarily.
“Your Majesty, please rest. I’ll watch over him,” Noble Consort Yi said.
Having slept for half the night, Noble Consort Yi was in better condition than Emperor Ling. She urged him to rest while she continued to watch over the little prince.
Ji Yan prepared more soup, feeding it to the groggy little prince.
“Niang Niang, he can’t keep drinking only soup. He needs to eat some solid food,” Ji Yan said.
“He won’t eat. If we force him, he’ll just vomit it up,” Noble Consort Yi said, her brows furrowed, helpless in this situation.
The news of the little prince’s late-night summons of the imperial physician couldn’t be kept secret in the palace. Ling Yi came with Shui Shui to visit.
When they arrived, the little prince was awake but looked very unwell.
“Little Seven,” Shui Shui said, holding the little prince’s hand.
After paying respects to Noble Consort Yi, Ling Yi approached and took the little prince from her arms.
Noble Consort Yi, seeing them, decided not to stay and disturb them.
“You two stay with Little Seven. I have other matters to attend to,” she said and left.
With no one else in the room, Ling Yi looked down at Ling Rui and asked, “What’s going on? I saw people from Ling Fu’s palace. He cried several times last night too.”
But Ling Fu, being strong and healthy, only cried a few times without developing a fever.
Ling Rui, leaning against his third brother, didn’t want to talk.
Seeing this, Ling Yi and Shui Shui didn’t force him but instead asked Jiang Yan and Chen Zhou.
Chen Zhou summarized the key points of the incident to Ling Yi.
Both Ling Yi and Shui Shui felt a chill after hearing it.
“Little Seven, don’t worry, Third Brother will make sure you get justice.”
Although Ling Yi was often ill, his high status made dealing with the eldest son of the Shen family a trivial matter.
Shui Shui also spoke slowly, “Little Seven, I have some medicine.”
Ling Rui’s ears perked up, and in a soft, hoarse voice, he asked, “What kind of medicine?”
“A lot of different kinds, some not very good.”
Standing in front of him, Shui Shui explained, “It can make him have nightmares, or cause hallucinations where he’ll see cats coming for him.”
“There’s also a kind that can be sprinkled on his wounds to ensure they never heal properly.”
As Shui Shui described each type of medicine, Ling Yi couldn’t help but twitch his mouth, “Aren’t you supposed to be curing people? How do you know so much about poison?”
Tilting his head, Shui Shui met his gaze and replied, “It’s all the same.”
Curing people and poisoning them were no different to him.
Ling Rui sniffled and did not choose any of Shui Shui’s medicines. Instead, he simply asked, “Can you treat Second Shen’s illness?”
If the second young master’s health improved, he would certainly hold more sway in the household than Shen Da.
“Yes, I can.”
Though Shui Shui confirmed he could treat Second Young Master Shen, they didn’t rush over immediately.
The Shen household was still in turmoil.
Madam Shen acted swiftly, imprisoning Shen Da after he received his punishment.
No matter how much Liu Yiniang feigned fainting or illness, it didn’t soften Master Shen’s heart.
Following Madam Shen’s instructions, the family doctor exaggerated the severity of the young masters’ conditions.
Feeling guilty about his children, Master Shen didn’t show any leniency towards Liu Yiniang this time, especially as he looked at his two sons lying in bed.
For days, the Shen household remained in upheaval.
Liu Yiniang was stripped of all her privileges, and Shen Da was also confined to the back courtyard.
Despite using the best medicine, Shen Da’s wounds failed to heal and even developed gangrene.
Upon hearing this, Madam Shen coldly remarked, “Even in his current state, he’s still not as pitiful as the cats he tortured to death.”
“His wounds not healing, my lord, do you think it’s possible that the cats he killed have come back to haunt him? I’ve heard that cats are highly spiritual creatures.”
Her tone was casual, but Master Shen was unsettled.
Master Shen had always been somewhat superstitious about such eerie tales.
He never once visited Shen Da.
Locked up, Shen Da spoke weakly to his crying mother, “Mother, crying won’t help in our current situation.”
“You need to find a way out for me.”
Having lived comfortably in the back courtyard for so long, Liu Yiniang was now at a loss in this crisis. Though she used to be clever, her abilities had dulled over time.
“Son, what can I do now? Your father spends all his time in Madam’s quarters and doesn’t want to see me.”
“I’ve told him about your injuries, but he doesn’t care.”
“I knew it, he always values his legitimate sons the most.”
Listening to her complaints, Shen Da’s pale face remained calm and composed.
“It’s okay. We still have a chance.”
“Father is angry now, but his anger will subside in time. He values profit above all, and as long as I accomplish something worthwhile, he’ll forgive me.”
Shen Da already had a plan in mind.
“If this plan doesn’t work, there’s another way.”
“We can poison them all, and then find a scapegoat.”
Shen Da spoke of killing with a sense of satisfaction, “Madam Shen, my father, Shen Hui, Shen Tang, let them all die.”
“We’ll keep Shen Er alive. Though his health is poor, at least he’s a legitimate son.”
“On the surface, we’ll let Shen Er inherit the Shen family, but ultimately, we’ll be in control.”
Every word Shen Da uttered was clear and deliberate.
Liu Yiniang, sensing that these weren’t spur-of-the-moment thoughts, realized her son had long been planning.
“Alright.”
She stroked Shen Da’s head, not finding his murderous intentions terrifying but instead justifying his actions with tears, “They forced my son into this. For the sake of a few little animals, they wanted my son dead.”
“They’re the ones who deserve to die.”
Holding her son, she cried a bit longer.
After she finished, Shen Da handed her a letter, “Mother, father desperately wants to ally with Lord Zhu, but Lord Zhu has always looked down on him. Take this letter to Assistant Sun at the yamen and ask him to pass it to Lord Zhu.”
“Lord Zhu sees father as weak and incapable of great things. In my letter, I promise that if he helps me, I’ll be his man, and I’m willing to offer two-thirds of the Shen family’s wealth.”
Nervous but determined, Liu Yiniang nodded, “I’ll make sure he gets it.”
As soon as she left Shen Da’s room, someone began to follow her closely, clearly monitoring her every move.
Time passed.
Back at the imperial palace, Ling Rui took several days to recuperate before returning to school, coinciding with Shen Tang and Shen Hui’s return.
It was their first meeting since parting ways at the Shen household.
Shen Hui noticed that Ling Rui seemed to have lost some weight.
The little ones exchanged glances with each other, but no one spoke. The child who used to play with Shen Hui still didn’t know they had gone through some dangerous experiences together.
Seeing them staring at each other like this, a child who loved to stand up for Shen Hui rolled up his sleeves and rushed forward bravely, saying, “Little Seven, are you looking for a fight again? We’re not afraid of you.”
After directing his words at Ling Rui, he turned to Shen Hui and asked, “Shen Hui, are we going for it?”
Shen Hui: “…”
Shen Hui slapped the back of his hand and said, “No, we’re not!”
Did he look like he was about to fight?
Ling Rui walked over, hesitated for a moment, and still asked, “What…what happened to you later?”
Ling Rui still didn’t know what had happened at the Shen residence afterward.
Shen Hui pointed to a chair and said like a little adult, “Sit down first. Once we’re seated, we can talk. A lot has happened in our residence these days. Oh, my mother said she wants to see you again and will entertain you properly.”
Polite as ever, the little kid didn’t refuse the invitation.
He nodded and said, “I’ll come after school.”
Shen Hui replied, “Okay.”
Since the teacher hadn’t arrived yet, Shen Hui pulled a chair next to Ling Rui and told him about recent events in the residence. “My mother locked up my eldest brother. His injury hasn’t healed, and he got an infection in the meantime, almost dying.”
“I was also sick, but I was already better. My mother said I wasn’t fully recovered. Whenever my eldest brother was in danger, my mother called a doctor for me.”
“And then my father came to see me, but not my eldest brother.”
“Also, yesterday, Liu Yiniang seemed like she wanted to go out, but my mother stopped her. My mother searched Liu Yiniang and now has her locked up.”
“There’s a new law in Luocheng. Anyone who cruelly abuses cats, dogs, or other non-edible animals will be sent to prison. My eldest brother was taken away before his injury had healed.”
Talking about the last piece of news, Shen Hui’s face showed a hint of relief.
Even though his eldest brother was so wicked, Shen Hui knew his father would not really kill him.
Living with such a brother in the same residence had made Shen Hui and Shen Tang very afraid. They now slept with Master Shen and Madam Shen every night.
Now that his eldest brother had been taken away, Shen Hui and Shen Tang didn’t need to be so scared anymore.
The kids gathered their little heads together, chatting, while those who had previously wanted to help Shen Hui fight looked on in confusion.
“Little Six Little Seven, are you sick? I was so scared I got sick.”
“I also got sick from being scared.”
The not-so-fearful little kids frowned as they talked about it. “My father gave me really bitter medicine. I didn’t want to drink it, so he forced it into my mouth.”
Shen Hui also had a pained expression. “Me too.”
Ling Fu didn’t drink the bitter medicine but had no appetite for several days. The kids had all had a hard time recently, and they all hated Shen Da.
Shen Hui, still puzzled, said, “It’s so coincidental that this new law came out in Luocheng. How did the people who arrested my eldest brother know he abused cats?”
Ling Rui responded with a thoughtful “Hmm” and exchanged a glance with Ling Fu.
They both understood well that this law was set by their father, but considering what the teacher had said, they couldn’t emphasize their identities here.
Their special identities, if exposed, might attract people with ill intentions toward the princes or cause other children in the school to attach themselves to them.
If that happened, the purpose of the educational institution would be undermined.
“Yes, it’s a bit coincidental,” Ling Rui agreed.
They chatted a bit more until the teacher arrived, bringing with him new classmates, including the younger Li San and Li Si from the Li residence.
Ling Rui’s eyes lit up when he saw them.
Shen Hui was surprised to see the young masters from the Li residence. He recognized them, but the Li residence was different from theirs.
The Shen residence had money but lower status.
The Li family produced Consort De, who had the Fourth Prince under her care. The Li family also has a strong foundation, with several members holding official positions.
He had seen the young masters from the Li residence but had never spoken to them.
After the teacher introduced their names, the two young masters, holding books, took their seats. Shen Hui noticed that they seemed to keep looking at Little Seven from the moment they entered until they sat down.
After the class ended, Li San and Li Si immediately surrounded Ling Rui.
They handed some food they had brought to Ling Rui. “Little Seven, these are for you. Little Six, there are some for you too. Jiang Yan and Chen Zhou have some as well.”
Li San and Li Si were visibly in high spirits.
Ling Rui wasn’t very interested in eating and asked, “Why are you two so happy today? Is it because you came to school?”
Li San said, “Not exactly.”
Li San continued, “My Fourth Brother’s arm is healed.”
Their family was most concerned about the Fourth Prince’s arm, and now that it was healed, everyone in the family was naturally overjoyed.
They had learned that the Seventh Prince had persistently helped find medicine for the Fourth Prince, which restored his arm.
For the Li family, it was a great favor.
Ling Rui was taken aback and asked, “When did you find out?”
“This morning.”
Ling Rui: “…”
Ling Rui hadn’t heard the news when he left in the morning. Perhaps the news had come back, but no one had told him yet.
“That’s good to hear.”
Ling Rui’s eyes curved into a smile, finally feeling happy for the first time in days.
At this moment, he only thought about the healing of Fourth Brother’s arm, with no other thoughts.
What he didn’t know was that if the Fourth Prince’s arm had truly been damaged, there would be no hope for him to ascend the throne. A person with a physical impairment could not become emperor.
Now that he has healed his arm, it also reignites Consort De’s hope.
“Little Seven, come to my house after school.”
Although the two young masters from the Li residence were small, they had been advised by their family to get along well with the Seventh Prince.
Even without their family’s reminder, the two young masters enjoyed playing with the Seventh Prince. He was adorable and soft, and they liked him.
“I’m not going.”
Ling Rui shook his head and said, “I’m going to Shen Hui’s house.”
He had already promised Shen Hui and couldn’t agree to Li San’s invitation.
Li San wasn’t upset by the rejection.
“Alright, then come to my house tomorrow? We have lots of toys, and we can play together.”
“Okay! Sounds good!”
The group of kids played and had fun in the classroom. With Shen Hui and Ling Rui reconciling, the atmosphere among the children improved.
They had many games to play together, like hide-and-seek, dropping handkerchiefs, marbles, and throwing stones…
The children played without regard to status, their little faces all beaming with clean smiles.
While they played in the classroom, Liu Yiniang in the Shen residence appeared calm on the surface, but inside, she was enraged.
The first plan her son suggested was no longer viable.
Now, they had only the second plan left to pursue.
Thinking about her son who had been taken away, and considering that she had learned that Madam Shen would invite Shen Hui and Shen Tang’s friends to their home for a meal, a trace of hatred flashed in her eyes.
Her son was imprisoned, while these children continued to live happily without a care.
She couldn’t let them be so content.
Liu Yiniang changed into plain clothes, stopped making noise, and sincerely apologized to Old Master Shen.
The children were unaware of the adult matters.
After school, the children formed a group and headed to the Shen residence.
On the way, the little kids knew the rules well: “When visiting, we need to bring a gift.”
They had to bring a gift first.
Shen Hui and Shen Tang looked at Ling Rui, who was carrying the gift, puzzled. “Last time you came to our house, there were no gifts.”
The last time these children had come empty-handed.
Ling Rui glanced at them and asked, “Do you want the truth?”
Shen Tang replied, “Yes.”
Ling Rui said, “Last time when I went to your residence, I was actually going to hit you.”
He was displeased with Shen Tang at that time and certainly wouldn’t have brought a gift.
Shen Tang was left speechless.
The carriage continued down the street, when suddenly someone fell in front of them. Chen Zhou saw clearly: “It’s a scam!”
In the capital, there were occasional scam artists, and it seemed to be a phenomenon everywhere.
Chen Zhou frowned and wanted to dismiss the person, but dealing with these scammers usually required giving them some money.
Upon hearing this, the little kid, who had limited pocket money, showed a miserly expression.
“No money.”
The little kid clutched his money pouch, which had only a little money in it.
He needed to save every bit of money.
The little kid leaned out and saw the person lying on the ground, clutching his leg and moaning, “Your carriage hit me, and you need to take responsibility!”
For such scammers, especially professional ones, the little kid maintained a stern face, lifted the curtain, and resolutely climbed down from the carriage.
After getting down, he fell backward dramatically and started shouting, “Ouch, they’re bullying a child! Someone is bullying a child here!”
“I don’t have money. Someone is trying to scam a child.”
The little kid laid on the ground in a dramatic pose, his pretty little face paired with a soft voice, looking far more pitiful than the scruffy old man beside him.
