As Chu Siqing gradually grew older, the moment she learned to walk, she began pestering Princess Yu all day to take her out to play.
Before that, she had only ever been at the prince's residence or the imperial palace. She had grown tired of looking at both and found the world outside much more novel.
Besides strolling through the streets, Princess Yu sometimes took her to Buddhist temples or Daoist temples to burn incense.
Chu Siqing had once asked Princess Yu curiously in her thoughts: [Mother, do you believe in Daoism or Buddhism? Why do you worship at both?]
"Actually, I don't believe in either," Princess Yu said. "I mainly take you there to enjoy the scenery. Burning incense is just something we do along the way."
Chu Siqing could not help giving her a thumbs-up. [Mother, you're so wise! Those Daoist priests and Buddhist monks are just performing tricks to fool people!]
They had once watched Daoist priests perform so-called Daoist arts on the spot: fishing coins out of boiling oil, carrying water in broken baskets, turning lamp smoke into snakes, and all sorts of other tricks.
The commoners watching had taken it all as genuine, donating money and burning incense. Who knew how much they had been cheated out of?
Princess Yu smiled. "Although I can't see through those tricks, I do understand one thing."
"If those monks and Daoist priests truly had such abilities, they wouldn't keep asking people to donate incense money."
Chu Siqing was filled with admiration.
After all, in ancient times, before scientific knowledge had become widespread, few people could remain rational when confronted with such miraculous phenomena.
Most people would consider those monks and Daoist priests extraordinarily gifted, even treating them as honored guests.
Princess Duanmin was one such person.
That day, when Chu Siqing and Princess Yu visited the Empress Dowager's palace, they ran into this princess, who was praising a Daoist priest to the skies.
Princess Duanmin was Emperor Chu Ming's second daughter. She had been married for over three years and had only recently given birth to a son.
Empress Dowager Pei asked, "Duanmin, does that Daoist priest truly possess such abilities?"
Princess Duanmin nodded. "Imperial Grandmother, he really does."
Her eyes and brows were full of smiles. "My consort and I had been married for two years, but I still hadn't conceived. I was beside myself with worry when that Daoist priest arrived."
"The priest said that I was originally fated to have no children and needed a woman with a special destiny to complement mine. Once my consort took her in and had a child with her, I would have a child too."
"I had already intended to find my consort a concubine, so I simply found an orphan girl with that kind of destiny. Later, she and I really did become pregnant one after the other."
As Empress Dowager Pei listened, she kept feeling that something was wrong, but she could not quite put her finger on it.
Princess Yu also found it rather strange.
Sitting in Princess Yu's arms, Chu Siqing was enjoying the gossip with the system.
[A-Tong, hurry and look into this for me. What exactly happened here?]
After investigating, the system told her the gossip.
As Chu Siqing listened, she exclaimed inwardly: [What?! This Daoist priest was a charlatan specially hired by the second princess's consort to deceive Princess Duanmin?]
Having finished her story in one breath, Princess Duanmin felt a little thirsty and raised her tea to drink. To her surprise, she suddenly heard this babyish voice in her ears.
Who was speaking?
How dare they say her consort had deliberately hired someone to deceive her?
Her consort had always been so loving toward her. This person actually dared slander him right in front of her. How outrageous!
Princess Duanmin's beautiful eyes widened. She looked around before finally turning her gaze toward Chu Siqing.
Had her little cousin been speaking just now?
But this little baby clearly could not speak yet. Could those have been her thoughts?
Princess Duanmin knew that her imperial uncle Prince Yu's daughter had been named the Holy Maiden of Great Chu, but she had never interacted with Chu Siqing up close before. For a moment, she was filled with bewilderment and uncertainty.
Chu Siqing was busy enjoying the gossip when she suddenly noticed Princess Duanmin staring at her. She could not help feeling puzzled.
[Sigh, my cousin really has terrible luck.]
Only then did Princess Duanmin become certain that this babyish voice really was her cousin's inner voice.
She opened her mouth to speak. "Imperial Grandmother, Siqing..."
Princess Duanmin wanted to ask about the inner voice, but no matter what she tried, the rest of the words would not come out.
Empress Dowager Pei nodded, then gave her a meaningful look.
Princess Yu also wore a knowing expression and smoothed things over. "Would you like a closer look at Siqing, Princess?"
Only then did Princess Duanmin understand. Perhaps her imperial grandmother and the others already knew, and the matter of the Holy Maiden's inner voice could not be revealed.
She hurriedly played along. "Yes, Aunt. I would love to have a little girl as adorable as Siqing."
Princess Yu brought her daughter closer so Princess Duanmin could look at her.
Princess Duanmin had barely touched her cousin's chubby little hand when she heard her inner voice again.
[Cousin, that orphan girl was the second princess's consort's old sweetheart all along! He deliberately set this trap so you would willingly bring her into your household!]
[The reason you had no children for those first two years was that your consort was taking contraceptive medicine for men, all to make you feel guilty!]
Princess Duanmin was stunned.
How could that be possible?
Her consort had always been devoted to her alone. She had even suggested taking a concubine before, but he had never agreed!
Yet her cousin's inner voice described everything in such convincing detail that it did not seem false.
She had previously had imperial physicians examine her, and they had all said there was nothing wrong. But if the problem lay with her consort, that was not impossible...
Having heard this shocking piece of gossip, Empress Dowager Pei and Princess Yu exchanged a glance, then silently continued listening.
Chu Siqing held Princess Duanmin's finger, wishing she could tell her the truth immediately, unaware that her cousin had already heard her thoughts.
[As soon as his old sweetheart entered the household, your consort stopped taking that medicine. That was how both of you became pregnant.]
[When you and that orphan girl gave birth one right after the other recently, your consort actually pulled a "civet cat for the crown prince" swap! He replaced your own daughter with the son he had with that orphan girl!]
[The red mole on your daughter's arm is exactly like yours. That's the proof of the baby swap!]
At the words "civet cat for the crown prince," everyone's expression turned grave!
Using a few schemes to take a concubine was one thing, but he had actually muddled the imperial bloodline. That was a grave crime!
A chill ran through Princess Duanmin's entire body as she listened. She wanted nothing more than to investigate this immediately!
She had barely managed to remain calm while hearing the other revelations, but upon learning that her own daughter had been swapped away by her consort, Princess Duanmin's heart ached fiercely!
She looked down at her little cousin, who was holding her finger with eyes full of concern, and knew that everything in her cousin's thoughts was true!
For over a year, she had believed that she and her consort lived in harmony like a perfectly paired qin and se. Never had she imagined that the man beside her harbored a wolf's ruthless ambitions!
His son with another woman enjoyed all the honor of being a princess's child, while her own daughter might be suffering who knew what kind of mistreatment!
But why had he done all this?!
Back then, her consort had been the one to seek her hand. She had thought their love was mutual. Had all of it been a lie?
Princess Duanmin felt that she could not make sense of it, no matter how hard she tried.
Meanwhile, through the system, Chu Siqing had already learned the entire story from beginning to end.
[The second princess's consort was born to Marquis Changning's second wife. He was accomplished in neither letters nor arms and fell far short of his eldest brother, who was born to the first wife. His mother wanted her own son to inherit the title, so she came up with the idea of having him marry a princess.]
[When the second princess's consort was young, he had always liked the girl living across from him. Later, she went away with her father when he took an official post elsewhere, and the two were separated. Under pressure from his mother, he had no choice but to come and court the princess.]
Princess Duanmin's gaze turned icy. Only now did she understand that, from the very beginning, all of this had been her consort's calculated scheme!
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