Entering the palace

System: [Host, General Fang's leg injury has not fully healed yet.]

Chu Siqing asked in confusion, [Huh? Didn't you say the Recovery Pill could heal old injuries and restore the body to its original condition?]

System: [But that still takes time.]

Chu Siqing pondered this as she asked, [So the points will still arrive, just a few days later?]

System: [Correct.]

Chu Siqing immediately turned ingratiating. [A-Tong, just credit me the points now. You'll have to give them to me sooner or later anyway.]

System: [Uh... that's against the rules.]

Catching the implication, Chu Siqing hurried to explain, [I'm entering the palace tomorrow. I'd feel more secure with some points on hand. You could even let me have them on credit!]

System: ...

Chu Siqing kept at it. [A-Tong, we're comrades on the same front. You have to help me!]

System: [All right.]

After the system performed some unknown operations, Chu Siqing soon heard an electronic voice:

[Host helped General Fang treat his leg ailment. Points +200]

That many!

Surprised and delighted, Chu Siqing hurried to ask, [A-Tong, why did I get so many points this time? Did you secretly pull some strings for me?]

System: [Host, the number of points depends not only on the deed itself, but also on the impact it has.]

Chu Siqing quickly understood.

[In other words, the greater the impact of my good deeds, the more points I'll receive?]

System: "Exactly."

Chu Siqing was overjoyed. At last, she felt that this cheat ability was actually useful!

The next day, Chu Hongle brought his wife and daughter into the palace.

Han Wanqing took Chu Siqing to the Empress Dowager's palace first. Unfortunately, they happened to run straight into Princess Yongfu.

Chu Siqing thought, We arrived a step too late. Who knows what the Empress Dowager will think of this matter?

Her father was indeed the Empress Dowager's son, but Princess Yongfu had also been raised by the Empress Dowager, so there was no telling how this would turn out.

Princess Yongfu sat below the Empress Dowager. When she saw Han Wanqing arrive, disgust flashed through her eyes.

She concealed it, saying, "Your Majesty, I was just mentioning Princess Yu, and here she is."

Han Wanqing and the nanny behind her, who was holding Chu Siqing, paid their respects to the Empress Dowager.

After granting them seats, Empress Dowager Pei said with a smile, "I haven't seen Hongle's daughter yet. Her name is Siqing, isn't it?"

"Yes," Han Wanqing replied.

She then asked Nanny Li to hand the child to Nanny Fang, who stood beside Empress Dowager Pei.

Nanny Fang carried the child over to the Empress Dowager, who looked her over. "Such delicate, lovely features. What a blessed child."

Chu Siqing knew the Empress Dowager was a powerful patron to cling to, as well as her own grandmother. She had to get into her good graces, so she reached her chubby little hands toward her and babbled, "Ah, ah."

Empress Dowager Pei froze for a moment, but Nanny Fang had already caught on. She smiled and said, "Your Majesty, the little princess wants you to hold her!"

Empress Dowager Pei had not expected her granddaughter to be so affectionate toward her. Her eyes immediately lit up, and she reached out to take Chu Siqing into her arms.

She stroked Chu Siqing's chubby little hand. Chu Siqing promptly grasped her finger and blew a bubble.

Empress Dowager Pei's eyes curved with her smile. "What an affectionate child."

Han Wanqing said gently, "Your Majesty is Siqing's own grandmother. Naturally, she feels close to you."

Princess Yongfu interrupted, "Your Majesty, little children can't control their bodies. Be careful she doesn't wet you."

Just what I'd expect of a child born to that bitch Han Wanqing! She already knows how to win people over at such a young age!

Empress Dowager Pei gave Princess Yongfu an indifferent glance. "I simply want to hold my granddaughter."

She had long since learned why Princess Yongfu had come today.

Had it been anything else, she could have opened one eye and closed the other, but she could not let Yongfu off lightly for interfering with Princess Yu's childbirth.

Even though she had watched Yongfu grow up, how could Yongfu be as dear to her as her own son and granddaughter?

If she let this slide so easily, who knew what even more outrageous things Yongfu might do in the future?

Princess Yongfu bit her lip, inwardly resenting Empress Dowager Pei's coldness.

Could a child she had only just met outweigh more than a decade of my companionship?

As expected, without blood ties, there was no real affection.

Seeing this, Han Wanqing picked up the conversation. "Your Majesty, Siqing is very well behaved. She has never wet anyone holding her."

Empress Dowager Pei gently brushed Chu Siqing's little nose and smiled. "Really? Is Siqing such a good girl?"

Chu Siqing hurried to engage with her powerful patron, babbling, "Ah, ah."

Empress Dowager Pei said in surprise, "This child is quite clever. It's almost as though she knows what we're saying."

Han Wanqing chatted a little more with the Empress Dowager about amusing things her daughter had done.

Unable to get a word in from the sidelines, Princess Yongfu could only stew in anxiety.

She had entered the palace early that morning precisely to plead with the Empress Dowager. Who could have imagined that Han Wanqing would arrive at the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility right on her heels?

At the thought of Prince Yu having the Imperial Clan Court try her, Princess Yongfu felt both frightened and resentful.

Han Wanqing was perfectly fine now. Why did Chu Hongle insist on refusing to let this matter go?

They were the ones who had grown up together!

Meanwhile, as soon as morning court ended, Chu Hongle was waiting outside the Imperial Study.

Seeing his younger brother so anxious, Emperor Chu Ming asked curiously, "What brings you here today?"

Chu Hongle said, "Imperial Brother, ever since my consort was frightened into labor, I've been investigating in secret. In the end, I discovered that Princess Yongfu was behind that supposed accident!"

"At Siqing's full-month celebration yesterday, I presented the evidence and confronted Yongfu. She admitted it herself!"

Emperor Chu Ming frowned. "I've heard something of this as well. You want the Imperial Clan Court to punish her?"

Chu Hongle nodded. "She committed a crime, so she should be punished."

Emperor Chu Ming looked troubled. "Hongle, Uncle Prince Fu rendered meritorious service to the nation. Now Yongfu is the sole remaining heir of Prince Fu's Residence. If we punish her according to the law, I fear it will chill the hearts of the imperial clan."

Chu Hongle's eyes blazed. "Imperial Brother! Are we supposed to let this slide just because Uncle Prince Fu rendered meritorious service?"

"Wanqing is my consort, and Siqing is my daughter. Yongfu actually dared to harm them! If she goes unpunished this time, who knows what she'll do in the future!"

He said bitterly, "She acted with such viciousness. If my consort hadn't been lucky, how could she possibly have survived?"

Emperor Chu Ming hurried to soothe him. "Hongle, I'm not saying we shouldn't punish Yongfu. We simply need to proceed carefully."

Chu Hongle refused to relent. "Then tell me, Imperial Brother, how will you punish her?"

After considering for a moment, Emperor Chu Ming decided, "Demote her to Commandery Lady and confine her to her residence for six months."

Hearing that Yongfu would only lose one rank and be confined for six months, Chu Hongle was displeased. "Imperial Brother, you're far too biased!"

Emperor Chu Ming said, "Hongle, you need to consider my position too. If I punish her any more severely, the imperial clan will make a fuss."

Chu Hongle thought for a moment, then added, "That's not enough, Imperial Brother. I also want you to decree a marriage for Yongfu! Otherwise, she'll never give up her wicked designs!"

Emperor Chu Ming laughed. "What do you mean by that?"

Chu Hongle glared. "Imperial Brother, why are you pretending not to know? I truly don't want her setting her sights on me anymore!"

Emperor Chu Ming agreed. "All right. I'll arrange a marriage for Yongfu as soon as possible."

Only then did Chu Hongle relax. He smiled at Emperor Chu Ming. "My daughter is at Mother's palace right now. Would you like to go and see her, Imperial Brother?"