January 20th

At the Empress's burial, everyone was dressed in white with black hemp ropes tied around their waists.

The palace maids knelt on the ground, heads bowed and weeping. Consort Li's eyes were red, and her body swayed slightly.

Looking at the jade coffin being buried, Qin Jue felt an even greater pang of sorrow.

Little Xi'er was exceptionally well-behaved today, as if she knew her mother was going to rest here forever, neither crying nor fussing.

A pair of large eyes stared at his mother's jade coffin, and even after the coffin was buried, they continued to gaze at it.

The ceremony is now complete.

After the master of ceremonies announced the end of the ceremony, Qin Jue carried Xiao Xi'er and left, followed by the ministers, concubines, and palace maids who also gradually departed.

Hall of Mental Cultivation

After the Empress passed away, the little girl remained in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, and Qin Jue made no attempt to find her a foster mother.

Chunhe and Xiaju were left in the Hall of Mental Cultivation to take care of the little dumpling.

Chunhe placed the goat milk on the table, and Qin Jue picked up a spoon and began feeding the little dumpling.

After initially complaining that the Sanhezi spoon was too big, the kiln later fired mini spoons suitable for small dumplings.

Before the spoonful of goat's milk was even brought to his lips, the little guy opened his mouth wide, waiting for his father to feed him.

Qin Jue placed the spoonful of milk near the little dumpling's mouth, slowly lifted the spoon, and let the goat milk flow smoothly into the little dumpling's mouth.

The little dumpling felt the goat milk flowing down and started smacking its lips, making "buya buya" sounds as it began to drink.

Qin Jue always felt that the little dumpling was listless, and would only drink a few sips of milk before refusing to drink properly.

She would spit out the goat milk if he tried to feed her again, refusing to drink any more, so Qin Jue had no choice but to put down the spoon.

Seeing the little dumpling looking listless, Qin Jue wiggled his arm and began to coax the little dumpling to sleep.

"Sleep well, little one, your father is always here."

After the little dumpling fell asleep, Qin Jue placed it on the dragon bed and covered the sleeping person with a small blanket.

The sleeping little dumpling had its mouth slightly open, its two tiny hands clenched into fists and held up to its ears.

Then I put Xiaoxi'er's little hands down and tucked them into the blanket.

Even in the first month of the lunar calendar, it was still snowing lightly. Sanhezi added some more charcoal to the fire, making the entire palace warm.

Qin Jue looked at the sleeping person, got up and walked out.

"Yu Ying"

As soon as the words were spoken, a figure landed.

"How's the investigation going?"

"The poison was administered by Consort Hui's men, with the aim of killing the Empress or the little princess."

"However, the person who poisoned her has already been killed by Consort Hui, and her body has been thrown into Consort Shu's Liuyun Pavilion. The poison was also found under the locust tree in Consort Shu's Liuyun Pavilion."

After Yu Ying reported this, he found that his master had not taken any action, so he withdrew.

Consort Hui has a brilliant plan. With the Empress dead, I will have one less rival. The little princess will surely find a new mother, and I can seize this opportunity.

Now that the princess is dead, I will visit Futang Palace less often than before.

It could also frame Consort Shu, making me even less willing to be close to my two sons because of her—a brilliant four-pronged approach.

Consort Shu, Yang Jiaojiao, was the daughter of General Yang Fan, a fifth-rank official. She had three brothers, and General Yang raised her as a son.

Having always been thuggish and roguish, he couldn't stand scheming.

"Your Majesty, Consort Hui, the Second Prince, and the Third Prince request an audience."

She'd delivered herself to him before he even went to her, so why should he leave? He glared angrily at Sanhezi.

"Let them in."

"Your servant obeys the decree," Sanhezi said, leading Consort Hui, the Second Prince Qin Jingmu, and the Third Prince Qin Jingtai inside.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects."

"Your subject greets Your Majesty," the two said in unison.

What brings you two here?

The two five-year-old children, who rarely saw their father, were already terrified of him. Seeing their father's angry expression only intensified their fear.

Thinking of their mother being wrongly accused, the two spoke up under the Emperor's gaze.

"Father, Mother is innocent!"

Qin Jingtai's words left Qin Jue completely bewildered, not knowing what had happened.

Qin Jingmu listened to his younger brother's ambiguous words and continued...

"Father, Mother has always been deeply grateful to the Empress for her kindness. How could she possibly repay such a debt of gratitude with such treachery and poison the Empress? I beg you, Father, to investigate thoroughly and clear Mother's name."

Qin Jue now understood what was going on. It was nothing more than finding poison at Consort Shu's place, and the two of them were worried about their mother coming to explain.

He ignored everyone and instead looked at Consort Hui.

When Ma Yuhui saw the Emperor looking at her, she was overjoyed and immediately stated her purpose.

"Your Majesty, I have no children, but I love children very much, so I wish to ask Your Majesty for a favor."

Seeing that Qin Jue, sitting in the superior position, remained silent, he prepared to speak again...

"Your Majesty, Consort Shu requests an audience," Sanhezi said respectfully as he entered.

Whether it was because Sanhezi was too loud or because the little dumpling had slept well, she suddenly burst into tears.

As Qin Jue stood up, he didn't forget to glare at Sanhezi with a sharp look, which made Sanhezi's legs tremble.

Qin Jue walked towards the room with the dragon bed, picked up the little dumpling, and gently rocked it so that it was nestled on his shoulder.

Gently patting the little one's back, silently comforting him.

Not long after, the little dumpling stopped crying, and Qin Jue held the little dumpling facing him.

Looking into the little dumpling's big, watery eyes, and the tear stains on her chubby cheeks from just crying, I could see...

This broke the heart of the usually ruthless and decisive king.

Holding the little bundle of joy, they came to the front and sat down at the head of the table.

Qin Jingmu and Qin Jingtai stared wide-eyed at the little dumpling clutching the dragon pendant in her arms and nibbling on it, terrified that their little sister, who had just lost her mother, would be thrown out and beheaded by their father.

Consort Hui had already heard that His Majesty had given the dragon pendant to this young girl, and had previously doubted the veracity of the news.

I never expected this little girl to be so favored. Not only did she receive the dragon pendant, but she was also held in his arms and nibbled on it, and His Majesty didn't say a word.

It seems I made the right move.

"Let her in here."

"This servant will go immediately."

Sanhezi led Consort Shu in and heard this sentence.

"Your Majesty, since the Empress passed away, the little princess has been left without anyone to care for her, and I am deeply distressed by this."

"Your Majesty, I wish to bring the little princess to my side and raise her as my own daughter. This would also fulfill my wish of having no children of my own."

Consort Shu almost rolled her eyes at Consort Hui's words. "You raised her like your own daughter? You raised her like a tool to win favor! Everyone in the harem knows how much the little princess is favored!"

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects."

Qin Jue did not respond, still focused on playing with the little bundle in his arms.

When my hand touched the little dumpling's mouth, the little dumpling stopped chewing on the jade pendant.

As if discovering something even more fun, it grabbed the tyrant's hand and tried to bite it, but since it didn't have any teeth, its cheeks puffed out, and it still couldn't bite anything.

After the little dumpling realized it couldn't chew, it started sucking on it non-stop.

The tyrant frowned slightly. "Dirty beyond belief."

"Guards! Drag him away and behead him!"