The echoes of the "International Tuning" were still lingering in the royal city, but Lingbao's cradle was quietly filled with "early childhood toys" sent by secret agents from the four countries.
>The rattle contains a map of Northern Di military equipment, the cloth tiger's belly is stuffed with secret letters from Xiling, and even the teething stick is engraved with the Southern Xinjiang curse.
> Chen Bao’s plan is to settle the “early education conspiracy” in the pile of toys, Er Bao’s pacifier automatically blocks “dangerous early education”, and San Bao’s Yunzhou hunts down “counterfeit toy manufacturers” all over the city.
> Lingbao chewed on the encrypted bamboo and drew the "Four Kingdoms Defense Map." The Poison Tongue System sounded the alarm: "Anyone who sends poisonous toys again will be punished by having Lingbao be a plaything puppet for a hundred years!"
Xiao Jue looked at the vast mountains and rivers hidden in his daughter's graffiti and sighed softly: "The chessboard of the world is just the plasticine in her palm."
---
The lingering echo of "The Lullaby of International Tuning" gently seeped into every inch of the royal city's stone and hearts, like the last thin sheet of ice melting under the warm spring sun. Sanbao Su Yu's super-amplified rainbow cloud boat, having concluded its days of city-wide patrol, rested quietly in a custom-made "dock" (a padded rattan basket) in the backyard of the general's residence. The massive golden morning glory arrays on either side of the boat's hull dimmed their light, leaving only a gentle stream of light, as if savoring the pure humming that soothed panic. In the streets and alleys, the silk handkerchiefs covering ears and the jingling amulets warding off evil spirits quietly vanished, replaced by the resounding, no longer paranoid shouts of street vendors and the laughter of children. The Musicians' Guild ceased operations, and the sound-refining sects closed in for reflection. Those exorbitantly priced "anti-magic sound" products, along with the greed behind them, were consigned to the dustbin of history.
The General's Mansion finally welcomed a long-lost moment of true tranquility. At least on the surface.
The atmosphere in the dining room was unusually relaxed. Su Li hummed a little tune as she patiently fed Lingbao a spoonful of rice porridge mixed with spiritual fruit puree. Lingbao was being particularly cooperative today, slurping the food with sweet slurps, his big, dark eyes narrowed in contentment. Su Chen, the eldest child, was holding his abacus, noting something on a thick, open account book. His face was serious, but the tension of the past few days had vanished from his brow. Su Heng, the second child, sat in his personal "bank president's throne," with a small mountain of rainbow candies before him—the lucrative income from his recent "tuning business." He was carefully applying a touch of color to each candy with his golden pacifier, his money-loving face brimming with pure happiness. Su Yu, the third child, lay at the table, his cheek resting on his hand, eagerly watching A Luo clean and maintain his model of the Meritorious Cloud Boat, his face brimming with pride.
Xiao Jue sat at the head of the table, the Guihong ruler resting quietly on his lap, its body warm. He gazed at the peaceful scene before him, surrounded by his wife and children, his hard features softening beneath the warm light. This moment of tranquility, like a brief respite before a storm, was too precious to be broken.
However, the tree wants to be still but the wind does not stop.
The small world of the General's Mansion had long been the eye of the storm in the four-nation struggle. When the overt tactics of "auspicious signs," "divine beasts," and "devilish sounds"—these were either flattered or stigmatized—were shattered one by one by Chen Bao's calculations and the iron will of the venomous system, the sharp arrows from the shadows quietly aimed at the softest, yet most deadly, spot: Ling Bao Su Ling, the Chaos Divine Infant herself, and her ignorant, childlike world.
**Section 1: Sweet Bait**
The first person to notice something was wrong was A'Luo, who was very attentive and knew everything about Lingbao.
That morning, Ah Luo sorted Lingbao's toy box as usual. Ever since Lingbao showed a fondness for rattles, Su Li had instructed her to find more fun and safe baby toys. With purchases from the mansion and well-wished gifts from various quarters, the toy box quickly became well-stocked.
Ah Luo hummed a little tune as she put the small cloth balls, soft building blocks, and delicate balls wrapped with colored string that Lingbao had played with back in their proper places. When she picked up a rather delicate-looking rattle decorated with colorful feathers and sequins, her hand paused slightly.
This rattle wasn't purchased at the palace, but rather sent three days ago by the Northern Di envoys, ostensibly to "congratulate His Highness Ling on his widespread fame (?), and to present him with a gift of the Northern Di children's favorite." At the time, Ah Luo had thought it was even more elaborate than the one she'd bought in the royal city, and that Ling Bao would surely appreciate it.
At this moment, the drum felt a little heavier than an ordinary rattle. It was so subtle that if Luo hadn't handled it every day, it would be almost unnoticeable. She shook it subconsciously.
"Dong... Ta... Dong... Ta..."
The drum beat was dull, with a subtle sluggishness, far less crisp than Lingbao's cloth rattle. Even stranger, in the intervals between beats, Luo seemed to hear an extremely faint "hum" like the vibration of a metal reed.
Ah Luo's heart sank. She remembered the instructions from her wife and the general to be careful with the gifts sent by the four nations. She calmly set the Beidi rattle aside and continued to sort.
Then her doubts snowballed.
A adorable, finely stitched cloth tiger (created by the skillful hands of a Xiling embroiderer). When Ah Luo pinched its belly, the stuffing felt unusually firm. Not soft cotton, but rather... some kind of rolled, resilient fabric. Carefully, she tore a tiny slit (avoiding the seams) and peered inside in the light—it was filled with densely written silk in tiny handwriting! A secret letter!
A beautifully carved red sandalwood teething stick (kindly provided by a witch doctor from southern Xinjiang) exuded a faint medicinal aroma. Ah Luo brought it close to her nose and sniffed. Beneath the medicinal aroma, a faint, yet slightly disturbing, fishy-sweet odor lingered! It was the scent of a curse!
A colorful, rotating seven-piece exquisite ball (presented by Donghuang craftsmen). When Luo gently turned it, the "clicking" sound emitted by the internal mechanism actually formed a small, regular, code-like rhythm!
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