66. She wanted to kill her.
Seeing this, the second brother secretly nudged Jin Lanyue and whispered, "Look, he clearly wants to eat."
The little dumpling chuckled, then pinched off another piece and offered it to the little prince: "Little prince, would you like to try some?"
The little prince hesitated for a moment, then finally reached out and took it, taking a small bite. His eyes immediately lit up, but he still refused to admit defeat: "...It's alright."
The little princess couldn't wait any longer and started eating: "Delicious! Even better than the royal kitchen!"
The little ones quickly started making a ruckus.
The little dumpling looked left and right, but couldn't see the little princess's mother, so it asked, "Little Cloud, where is your mother?"
"My mother is very busy; she has to manage the harem!" the little princess puffed out her chest.
Originally, the power to manage the six palaces was shared equally between Consort Xian and Qi Xunyuan.
However, Qi Xunyuan was punished for her reckless behavior, and all the power fell into the hands of Consort Xian.
The young prince felt a pang in his heart upon hearing the princess's words, and lowered his head in disappointment.
The little dumpling immediately noticed the prince's change in mood and quickly patted him with her little hand: "It's okay, it's okay, let's play a game..."
The little princess quickly changed the subject: "Little Moon, what do you usually play outside the palace?"
The little dumpling tilted its head and thought for a moment: "We'll fly kites, play with Little White, and go to the street to buy delicious food!"
The second brother said proudly, "I can also teach Little White martial arts!"
As he spoke, he drew a small wooden sword from his waist and made a couple of impressive gestures.
The young prince scoffed, "All show and no substance."
The second brother retorted, "Then you try it?"
The young prince raised his chin, regaining his composure: "I don't play such boring games. If we're going to play, let's play something interesting."
The little princess's eyes lit up, and she suddenly suggested, "Then... let's play hide-and-seek! The palace is so big, it'll definitely be fun!"
The second brother immediately raised his hand in agreement: "Great! I'll be the one to arrest people!"
Several children cheered and ran out of the palace to play in the garden.
When Consort Xian heard the commotion inside the room, she looked up and saw four little ones running out excitedly. She quickly instructed the palace maids to keep up and not let them go too far.
"Today's palace banquet is crowded and there are many people around, so please be very careful."
-
In the garden, behind the rockery, the little dumpling squatted in a corner, covering her mouth and giggling.
Suddenly, she heard light footsteps behind her.
She thought it was her second brother who had come looking for her, and that she was about to be found.
She doesn't want to be the first one caught!
That would be far too embarrassing.
At least... at least they have to be the second one to get caught!
So she quickly pouted and turned around, pouting, "Second brother, don't grab Yue'er..."
However, standing in front of her was not her second brother, but a palace maid.
The palace maid had her head down, backlit, so her face was obscured: "Princess Fukang, why are you here alone?"
The little girl paused for a moment, then instinctively took a step back and whispered, "Yue... Yue'er is playing a game..."
"Is that so? That's perfect." The palace maid slowly raised her head, revealing a pale face and gloomy eyes.
The little dumpling's eyes widened suddenly—this face was none other than the strange woman he had seen on the street corner that day!
"No..." The little dumpling's voice trembled with fear. She turned to run away, but the palace maid grabbed her wrist!
[Task triggered]
You know her.
She is Qi Xunyuan's head palace maid—Chuntao.
She was utterly loyal to Qi Xunyuan, and did many shady and evil things for her.
Speaking of which... seeing Chun Tao reminds you of Qi Xun Yuan, and thinking of Qi Xun Yuan makes you think of her.
[Good news: She and Qi Xunyuan are mortal enemies. A wicked mother-in-law who wants to control her son and a daughter-in-law who wants to monopolize her husband are locked in a life-or-death struggle.]
[Bad news: Neither of them likes you, and they wouldn't mind killing you first.]
Of course, you also really want to kill them.
Since Chun Tao has walked right into this mess, you've decided to eliminate her first, along with Qi Xun Yuan's trusted confidante.
[Mission: Eliminate Chun Tao]
[Reward: Advanced Animal Affinity]
The system auntie suddenly spoke...
But... kill Chuntao?
Her?
Jin Lanyue was easily lifted up by Chun Tao like a kitten. A strong sense of crisis prevented her from even being shocked; she immediately realized she had to call for help.
"I can't save you—"
Unfortunately, just as she was about to shout, the other person covered her mouth tightly.
Chun Tao covered her mouth with one hand and lifted her with the other, quickly walking into the depths of the garden.
The little girl struggled desperately, kicking her little feet wildly in the air, but Chun Tao didn't care at all and led her straight to a secluded lotus pond.
"Young Princess, don't blame me..." Chun Tao's voice was cold and piercing, "Blame yourself for messing with the wrong person!"
With that, she suddenly threw the little dumpling away—
"Thump!"
The icy pool water instantly swallowed the little dumpling.
She couldn't swim, and her small body thrashed about in the water.
Help, System Auntie! She's about to be killed!
The little dumpling struggled, waving its arms and legs, but the more it struggled, the deeper it sank.
Water poured into her mouth and nose, choking her and making her vision go black.
She tried to call for help, but as soon as she opened her mouth, even more water rushed in...
-
Let's turn back the clock a little.
banquet.
The banquet was filled with singing and dancing, and the sounds of string and wind instruments were constant.
The emperor, sitting on his high throne, asked with a smile, "Which one of you is Xie Wenling, my dear minister?"
Xie Wenling immediately stood up.
He wasn't wearing his beloved red today, but instead wore a low-key black and gold outfit, which suited his aloof temperament better: "Your humble servant Xie Wenling greets Your Majesty."
Wei Xiuming scrutinized him carefully.
Finally, it must be admitted that he was indeed exceptionally handsome, with fair skin and a refined appearance.
"Minister Xie is indeed exceptionally beautiful; no wonder even my Lady of Fukang often mentions her," Wei Xiuming exclaimed.
As he called out Xie Wenling's name, Xie Wenling attracted the attention of all the officials.
Xie Wenling bowed, his tall and slender figure accentuated by his dark robes: "Your Majesty flatters me."
"Yes, I am telling the truth." Wei Xiuming waved his hand with a smile. "I heard that the other day, Grand Tutor Qu praised Xie Qingjiao as being as handsome as a jade tree in the wind. After seeing him today, I can confirm that his reputation is well-deserved."
Upon hearing this, Qu Zijin, who was sitting at the lower end of the table, paused slightly.
He never said that.
It's nothing more than His Majesty using him as a cover.
"Grand Tutor Qu is too kind; I am unworthy of such praise." Xie Wenling's expression remained unchanged, but he subtly glanced at Qu Zijin.
He actually complimented his appearance?
It feels a bit fake.
Qu Zijin, on the other side, lowered his head, carefully studying the untouched food on the table, refusing to make eye contact.
He's an honest man; he wouldn't spout nonsense like His Majesty does without batting an eye.
If you make eye contact, they will definitely notice.
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