Chapter 13
The evening meal had not yet been served, but Lower Concubine Liu and the Fifth Prince did not urge the staff.
At that moment, they were gazing intently at little Xiao Chuchu in the rocking crib, lost in thought as they listened to her.
Xiao Chuchu was still recounting the plot of a novel.
[This time, with the Earth dragon turnover, only the Qianqing Palace, Lanming Palace, and Yuxi Palace in the entire Imperial Palace collapsed. Three days later, during the sacrificial rites, Father Emperor made a big fuss and even issued a nationwide pardon to pray for blessings.]
The Earth dragon turnover referred to an earthquake.
[Hmm, Father Emperor was also slightly injured in this Earth dragon turnover.]
[At that time, he was meditating in the Qianqing Palace, having been busy discussing the recent flooding disasters and military border affairs with his officials for many days, with no leisure time.]
[That night, he finally had some time to rest and meditate.]
[Who would have thought that in the side chamber of the Qianqing Palace, the earthquake caused a treasured shelf to topple over, and a blue porcelain vase struck Father Emperor's right leg, rendering him unable to walk and requiring the attendants to carry him out.]
The Fifth Prince and Lower Concubine Liu were so engrossed in listening that they nearly forgot their present surroundings.
Images seemed to appear before their eyes.
Little Chuchu even knew what the Emperor was doing and thinking?
If the Emperor learned of her existence, would he tolerate it?
Would he tolerate hearing from little Chuchu the secrets of his movements and innermost thoughts?
The supreme sovereign, whose dignity could not be violated by commoners!
Lower Concubine Liu and the Fifth Prince found the story fascinating yet worrying at the same time.
[Father Emperor's leg was injured this time, and I don't know if it didn't heal properly because he was busy with the sacrificial rites, but after returning from the winter solstice ceremonies, he started to fervently consume the elixirs sent by the Taoists.]
Lower Concubine Liu and the Fifth Prince involuntarily exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with shock.
Previously, no officials dared dissuade the Emperor from his Taoist practices!
And now he was becoming even more obsessed?
[Three years later, the villains took advantage of the situation and poisoned the elixirs, which led to Father Emperor's death...]
The Fifth Prince abruptly raised his head and stared at his sister in disbelief.
Father Emperor would pass away three years from now?!
Who were the culprits?
His eyes burned with fury.
[Hmm... so sleepy... the elixirs already contained heavy metals...]
Xiao Chuchu murmured incoherently, her words becoming increasingly disjointed.
She remembered all the plot details of the novel, but it seemed her infant brain had limited capacity, and only the most recent memories were crystal clear.
The farther back the events, the more difficult it was for her to recall the details.
For instance, regarding the future Emperor's daily consumption of elixirs, she could not recall the specific day he was poisoned to death, who sent the poisoned elixir, or which particular elixir it was laced with.
The more she tried to remember, the drowsier she became.
[Hmm... Mother, Brother, be careful tomorrow night during the Earth dragon turnover, don't wander around...]
[And be kind to the new wet nurse, Zhang Jia, she's a military wife...]
Xiao Chuchu was soon constrained by her infant limitations, unable to resist the overwhelming sleepiness. Her small head tilted to the side as she drifted off to sleep.
In her slumber, she gently furrowed her brow, her fair face flushed with a rosy tint.
The Fifth Prince clenched his fists in frustration, his sister had fallen asleep before finishing.
"Mother, did you... hear anything just now?" he asked in a hushed voice after sitting silently for half an hour, unable to contain himself any longer as he gazed at his sister's sleeping face.
Lower Concubine Liu gasped and quickly scanned their surroundings.
She had just sent the palace maids and wet nurses away for a rest earlier.
At present, only she and the Fifth Prince were in the room.
Lower Concubine Liu finally met her son's gaze and nodded lightly, "Cheng Qian, did you hear it too?"
If her son could hear Chuchu's revelations, it might be possible for him to avert the impending disaster, which would be a good thing.
Cheng Qian nodded eagerly, his hands clenched tightly on his knees.
Mother could hear it too!
Indeed, he, Mother, and little sister shared a true blood connection.
"Don't worry, Mother, I'll definitely find a way to help sister, you, and our paternal family avoid this calamity!"
"But Mother, we can't reveal what sister said about Father Emperor," Cheng Qian's young face tensed.
Lower Concubine Liu's heart skipped a beat.
Her son, though young, was on the same wavelength as her.
While the Emperor might pass away three years later according to her daughter's words, her immediate concern was Chuchu's well-being.
For Chuchu's sake, she would not blatantly inform the Emperor of her daughter's ability to foresee the future.
She did not know, nor dare gamble, whether the Emperor would tolerate Chuchu's existence.
The Emperor had more than one concubine.
But Chuchu was her only daughter.
Moreover, according to her daughter's revelations, the Emperor would depart before her!
He might not even be able to protect Chuchu.
When the new Emperor ascended the throne, if he knew of Chuchu's ability to foresee the future, she would surely be confined for life.
The fate of Cheng Qian and the entire Liu family would also be more tragic than Chuchu had foretold.
For the sake of Chuchu, her son, and the entire Liu family, Lower Concubine Liu did not want the Emperor to know the slightest detail.
Who knew if the Emperor would inform the future Crown Prince or the new Emperor?
"Yes, Mother knows. Don't worry, your Father Emperor rarely visits Consort Min's palace."
"She is a Buddhist, which conflicts with his Taoist beliefs. Naturally, he visits my residence even less."
Lower Concubine Liu felt slightly reassured as she contemplated this.
"Even if your Father Emperor does come, Mother will not reveal even a hint about Chuchu."
She had heard her daughter say that the Emperor would pass away in three years, and she would commit suicide to join him in the afterlife, while her son would be killed on the battlefield, leaving her orphaned and her parents deceased!
What else could she possibly fear?
No matter what else she heard, she would never show a trace of surprise or panic in front of the Emperor!
The Fifth Prince nodded solemnly and stood up like a little adult, "Mother, I'll be careful too."
He was usually expressionless, so the Emperor would not suspect anything.
"Mother, treat the wet nurse as usual, don't show any special attention," the Fifth Prince pondered.
"As for the Earth dragon turnover tomorrow night, Mother doesn't need to worry. I'll have someone keep watch. If any palace guards are indeed injured, I'll arrange for them to rest and recover, and I'll find a way to help them secretly."
"As for Father Emperor's injured leg... that seems unavoidable," the Fifth Prince gritted his teeth. "I've heard that when he's meditating, even the officials are not allowed to disturb him."
Even if he wanted to warn his father now, he wouldn't be able to see him!
"I can only try to persuade Father Emperor to consume fewer elixirs later on."
Lower Concubine Liu nodded helplessly.
"Mother, I'll take my leave now," the Fifth Prince glanced at the darkening sky and stood up.
Lower Concubine Liu personally escorted him to the door and reminded the young eunuch attendants, "It's windy tonight, be careful to shield the lantern flames, and watch your step."
She watched until her son's figure disappeared before returning to the room.
After gazing at her daughter's adorable sleeping face for a while, she instructed the palace maids, "Send a winter quilt to Wet Nurse Zhang Jia."
Although her son had advised her not to treat the wet nurse exceptionally, just as her daughter had said, her husband would later become a general guarding the nation's borders for the people.
It was only right to care for the bereaved children of such selfless soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the country.
Lower Concubine Liu had been educated from a young age by her mother in literature and etiquette, and she deeply respected these frontier soldiers.
"Also, send more firewood to Wet Nurse Zhang Jia's quarters," Lower Concubine Liu instructed.
Zhang Jia, the newly arrived wet nurse, happened to be passing by the window with her small bundle of belongings when she heard Lower Concubine Liu's kind voice, which warmed her heart.
She had previously met the Empress and other noble consorts in the palace, but none had treated her with the same warmth as Lower Concubine Liu.
Zhang Jia quickened her pace, eager to start caring for the little Princess.
The next day at the rooster's crow, the Fifth Prince left Consort Li's Lishun Palace after a brief visit and headed southwest, not towards his Qianxi No.5 Residence.
"Brother, this isn't the way back to the Qianxi No.5 Residence?" the young eunuch attendant asked, puzzled.
The Fifth Prince's expression remained impassive, "I'm going to the South Imperial Garden to pick a few wintersweet branches for my sister to admire."
The young eunuch hurriedly agreed.
The South Imperial Garden was very close to the Qianqing Palace.
The Fifth Prince, Cheng Qian, strolled through the Imperial Garden for a while. Suddenly, the ground beneath the nearby rockery began to violently shake, sending boulders rolling down!
"Fifth Prince, run quickly!" came the shouts.
As expected, the Earth dragon turnover had occurred!
His sister's words had come true again.
The Fifth Prince pursed his lips and hesitated for a moment before gathering his robes and dashing towards the nearby Qianqing Palace.
According to his sister, Father Emperor would consume poisoned elixirs and pass away three years later, which might be related to the injury he sustained during this Earth dragon turnover.
The Fifth Prince's heart was still burning with intense fire.
He still wanted to stop it!
Fifth Prince Cheng Qian left his personal attendant behind and rushed into the Qianqing Palace.
He saw that the gate lintel had already broken and was crushing three eunuchs and guards underneath!
"Your Majesty—where are you!"
The head eunuch Wei Zheng was frantically searching for him in the inner court.
"Father!" Cheng Qian's heart trembled, and he rushed towards the side chamber.
The chamber was now in complete disarray.
Treasure cabinets, beams, pillars... everything was scattered on the ground.
Cheng Qian's breathing became rapid.
He was still too late!
"Fifth Prince?"
"Lord Wei, Father is here!" Following his sister Xiao Chuchu's guidance, Cheng Qian quickly found a yellow robe under a treasure cabinet.
Wei Zheng was greatly alarmed, "Your Majesty!"
Xiao Yunzhou opened his eyes amidst excruciating pain, only to see a small figure rushing to his side, disregarding his own life and death.
It was someone even braver than the eunuch Wei Zheng attending him, fearlessly attempting an Earth dragon turnover to lift the treasure cabinet off the Emperor's leg, heedless of his own safety.
This child was only as tall as Wei Zheng's waist, but he calmly gave orders despite the tension.
"Someone, carry Father out! Be gentle, watch Father's right leg."
Xiao Yunzhou was moved, and was soon carried on a young attendant's back.
"Go through the west gate of Qianqing Palace! Quick!" Fifth Prince followed his sister's words.
Indeed, as soon as the attendant carrying Emperor Xiao Yunzhou exited through the west gate, the beam at the east gate came crashing down, nearly crushing a young eunuch alive!
The Emperor's eyelids twitched heavily as he lay on the attendant's back.
"Thanks to the Fifth Prince's warning," the young attendant with thick brows and big eyes gratefully thanked Cheng Qian.
*
[Your legitimate elder brother has gained the affection of Emperor Xiao Yunzhou (High-Rank)...]
Xiao Chuchu saw this system message the next day when she woke up for her milk.