Jiang Yanchuan was very busy that day.
Lunchtime had long since passed, yet he still had not returned to Xianyang Palace to rest.
Although he had instructed the palace servants early that morning to prepare lunch on time and let Jiang Yingcheng eat first, she insisted on waiting until her imperial father returned so they could eat together.
Her stomach, however, kept growling, one rumble after another.
Eunuch Changshun's heart ached at the sight, but there was nothing he could do.
Her Little Highness looked soft and sweet, but once she made up her mind, even eight horses could not pull her back.
He had spent ages trying to persuade her that day, yet the little girl stubbornly held out without taking a single bite.
All he could do was pray that Emperor Mingze would finish his discussions with the ministers soon and return to Xianyang Palace to eat with Her Little Highness.
Jiang Yingcheng was so hungry that her head swam and her vision blurred. She could only distract herself by planning what she would do that afternoon.
Her imperial father was busy that day anyway, and would not have much time to spend with her.
[Hmm... let me see what goodies I can trade today's Merit Points for!]
While she was in the imperial garden that day, she had thought those uncles were very strange indeed. Although a thick layer of snow covered the paths, there was no ice underneath, so they clearly were not slippery. Yet those men had fallen before her one after another, in perfect order.
Now that she saw how much the Merit Points on her panel had increased, she found those uncles utterly adorable. She even wanted to wander outside a few more times and run into more uncles who needed her help!
Eunuch Changshun was amused by what he heard.
How could Her Little Highness know that His Majesty had arranged all of this in advance, just to give her Merit Points?
Jiang Yingcheng was still excitedly browsing the Merit Shop, completely oblivious to the changes in Eunuch Changshun's expression.
[Hehehe, little cakes, strawberry-flavored little cakes~]
[Wow, this aqua-blue puffball dress is so pretty!]
[Spicy strips! They even have spicy strips!]
The sound of swallowing filled the room.
Eunuch Changshun did not know what any of those things were, but quietly committed their names to memory.
[Huh?!]
The sudden rise in her voice startled Eunuch Changshun, and he hurriedly looked toward the little girl.
Jiang Yingcheng's round, almond-shaped eyes widened as she stared intently at the...
Air.
[I already have enough for a Poison-Removing Pill?]
Jiang Yingcheng visibly brightened from head to toe.
[With the Poison-Removing Pill, pretty Aunties' body can be restored to perfect health~]
She happily decided, [Then let's go play with pretty Aunties this afternoon. We can rummage through her bedroom again while we're there!]
[Afterward, we can stop by Auntie Yunmeng's, too. Chengcheng's little gold beans can get them lots of yummy food!]
With every thought he heard, Eunuch Changshun's heart softened a little more.
Having grown accustomed to the palace's scheming and deceit, he found such pure sincerity more precious than all its rare treasures.
Jiang Yanchuan returned before Jiang Yingcheng could faint from hunger.
The lunch on the table looked thoroughly cold, yet waves of warmth spread through his heart.
He turned his head and ordered the eunuch behind him to prepare a fresh meal, then bent down to pick up the little girl who had run over to him. "Didn't I tell you to eat first?"
Jiang Yingcheng smiled sweetly, two faint dimples appearing in her cheeks.
With an air of mystery, she held her hand before her handsome imperial father. A brown pill lay quietly in her open palm.
Before Jiang Yanchuan could ask, Jiang Yingcheng beat him to it. "This is a little snack Chengcheng brought for you, Imperial Father!"
[Hehehe, this pill is really nourishing. Once he eats it, he'll be as strong as an ox!]
Jiang Yanchuan was just about to speak when the little girl's thoughts rang out again-
[Hmm, all right, not as strong as an ox...]
[I used all my points to get pretty Aunties the Poison-Removing Pill. This leftover scrap from a Great Tonic Pill will have to tide Imperial Father over for now. Once Chengcheng has more points, I'll get him an even better pill!]
Jiang Yanchuan: "..."
In the end, he said nothing. He picked up the pill with one hand and put it into his mouth.
Only after swallowing it did he give Jiang Yingcheng a faint smile.
"Thank you," he said. "It's very sweet."
Convinced that she had become her imperial father's little padded jacket against the wind, Jiang Yingcheng grinned even more happily.
Jiang Yanchuan truly was very busy that day.
Not only did he have to deal with the ministers, who were still in shock, but he also had to assign people to verify the information revealed in the little girl's thoughts and work out how to respond afterward.
After lunch, Jiang Yanchuan hurried away again and threw himself into state affairs.
Meanwhile, Eunuch Changshun escorted Jiang Yingcheng toward Noble Consort Qing's Anqin Hall.
When they reached the entrance to Anqin Hall, the maid responsible for announcing visitors had barely gone inside before Noble Consort Qing came out to greet them herself.
Noble Consort Qing, who always presented an elegant, serene demeanor, actually hurried a few steps forward and picked up Jiang Yingcheng, her eyes full of affection.
The little girl was rather heavy. She paused to catch her breath before continuing into the hall.
"What made you think of coming to play with Aunties today?" she asked gently as she walked, coaxing the little girl.
Jiang Yingcheng's large eyes swept back and forth over the maids moving about the courtyard. Finally, she turned back and said brightly, "Chengcheng came to bring Aunties a little snack!"
"Oh?" They had just reached the front hall where they had received guests the day before. Noble Consort Qing set the little girl on a cushioned chair and caught her breath before asking, "What kind of little snack?"
Jiang Yingcheng shyly fumbled around in her purse, though she was actually exchanging her points for the Poison-Removing Pill in the Merit Shop.
Once the exchange was complete, a small, round ball appeared out of thin air in her hand. Delighted, Jiang Yingcheng quickly pulled her hand out and opened it before Noble Consort Qing. "This one!"
After seeing what lay there, everyone fell silent for a long moment.
In Jiang Yingcheng's palm lay an extraordinarily large, round pill. It was dark brown, and if 007 had not declared with absolute certainty that it was the Poison-Removing Pill, Jiang Yingcheng would have suspected it was some deadly poison.
Her guilty gaze darted around the room.
[Waaah, why is this Poison-Removing Pill so ugly...?]
[I just... I just said it was a little snack. Waaah, what do I do now...?]
Hearing those crucial words, Noble Consort Qing's breath caught.
Was this Poison-Removing Pill the one the little girl had mentioned in her thoughts yesterday-the pill that could counteract the harmful effects of Noble Consort Rou's poisons?
Could she truly still have a chance to bear a child of her own?
Noble Consort Qing's breathing quickened, and her whole body began to tremble faintly.
Jiang Yingcheng had held her hand out for so long without receiving a response that her arm was getting sore, and she felt a little hurt.
This Poison-Removing Pill was so expensive. It could have bought so many strawberry cakes, but pretty Aunties did not seem to like it very much.
Yet she could not simply tell Aunties that she had been poisoned and had to eat this to get better...
Who would believe a little child's words?
Just as Jiang Yingcheng was about to withdraw her arm, a pair of slightly cold hands clasped it tightly.
She looked up into a pair of beautiful phoenix eyes brimming with tears.
"Thank you."
Noble Consort Qing's voice trembled softly. "Aunties loves it."
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