On the morning of the 30th of the twelfth lunar month.
"Hey," Tong Aning said excitedly, picking up an orange at random, "It's a reply from Third Brother! What did he write?"
Seeing that she had no interest in peeling oranges, Tong Siyan took the oranges from her hands and peeled them slowly. Tong Aning, with her eyes crinkled, rested her chin on her hand, waiting for Su Zhouyue to read the contents of the letter to her.
Su Zhouyue: "..."
She joked with Tong Siyan, "Our Aning is so lucky."
"Oh dear," Tong Aning said slowly, "I'm so lucky, don't I still have to rely on my mother and second sister to spoil me?"
Tong Aning leaned forward, Su Zhouyue held the letter slightly to the side so Tong Aning could see it too. She said, " Fengye said he received the winter clothes we sent, and told us to take care of ourselves and not worry about him. He also wished us a Happy New Year in advance, and if we wanted to give him lucky money, we should remember to send it to him."
Tong Aning: "Ha, I haven't even asked him for my New Year's money yet."
Tong Siyan popped a segment of orange into Tong Aning's mouth and said softly, "Shall I give you two?"
Tong Aning cupped her face in her hands and squinted her eyes, "This orange is so sweet."
Tong Siyan and Su Zhouyue laughed. Su Zhouyue asked meaningfully, "Which is sweeter, the orange or your second sister's words?"
Tong Siyan nodded and said, "They're all sweet, they're all sweet."
"Your father and I are going to a banquet at the palace today, and His Majesty specifically instructed that you be brought along."
Tong Aning asked in confusion, "Why did you bring me along?"
Ever since the emperor bestowed that precious gift and promised that he would not require Tong Aning Tong Aning enter officialdom unless she voluntarily chose to do so, Su Zhouyue and Tong Aobai both breathed a sigh of relief and were no longer as apprehensive as before.
So Su Zhouyue said dismissively, "Maybe it's because you're particularly likable."
[Really?]
Tong Aning looked at Su Zhouyue with starry eyes, "Then is His Majesty going to bestow many gifts upon me again?"
"Yes, yes, yes."
Tong Aning chuckled, "Then I'll have to prepare properly."
After nightfall.
Tong Aning followed Su Zhouyue and Tong Aobai into the palace, where they encountered Lou Ming and his wife, as well as Lou Yingyu.
Tong Aning and Lou Yingyu were both very happy, and the two of them huddled together and chatted.
Upon entering the main hall, the two sat next to each other.
[Was this arranged by His Majesty on purpose?]
[His Majesty is truly a good person.]
The emperor had just entered the hall when he heard these words. He was overjoyed and said, "Lou and Tong, this is your first time attending a palace banquet. Don't be nervous, just be yourself. I don't eat people."
[Hahaha, Your Majesty is quite humorous.]
Tong Aning and Lou Yingyu nodded obediently.
After the emperor took his seat, everyone else followed suit.
The Emperor said, "I propose that the first cup be offered to the soldiers on the frontier."
Tong Aning and Lou Yingyu raised their glasses as well. They had just said goodbye to Azhu not long ago, and they both missed her a little now.
"It's snowing! It's snowing!"
Several princes and princesses were cheering outside the palace.
The emperor said, "Since it's snowing, I'll go take a look."
The emperor rose from his seat, and everyone else followed suit.
Large, feathery snowflakes fell from the sky, and within a quarter of an hour, the entire palace was covered in a layer of white.
The emperor looked around and saw a world covered in silver, utterly silent. He exclaimed, "A timely snow promises a bountiful year!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than his sleeve was tugged. The emperor looked down and saw it was the Fifth Princess. He asked gently, "What is it, Little Five?"
Before the Fifth Princess could answer, her birth mother, Consort Wei, said in a panic, " Little Five, don't disturb your father."
The emperor said amiably, "It's alright, Little Five, tell your father what you want."
The fifth princess said in her childish voice, "Father, hug me."
The Fifth Princess is only five years old this year. She takes after her mother, with beautiful eyes like two black grapes. Even the emperor would soften his heart if he were looked at by such a pair of clean and flawless eyes.
The Emperor said softly, "Alright, Father will hold Little Five."
The emperor picked up the fifth princess, and now she could see even further. She was extremely excited in the emperor's arms and couldn't help but cup his face and give him a kiss.
Consort Wei hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, it's all my fault for not teaching Little Five well."
The emperor showed no sign of reproach; he smiled and said, "He's just a child... Where's Little Six?"
Although the Fifth Princess and the Sixth Princess did not share the same birth mother, they were born on the same day. In addition, Consort Wei and Consort An had a good relationship, so the two of them often played together, as close as twins.
The two were always inseparable, so the fact that only the Fifth Princess was here now was quite puzzling to the Emperor.
Consort An said, " Little Six was just here, saying he wanted to wish Father Emperor a Happy New Year, but now... he's probably just playing around."
The emperor wholeheartedly agreed, "It's because he's playful; the Little Six is much more playful than the Little Five."
"Oh no! Oh no! The Sixth Princess has fallen into the water!"
The palace maid who was speaking approached from afar. Upon seeing the emperor, she felt a chill run down her spine, and her voice stammered. The emperor said sternly, "What's going on? Explain yourself."
The palace maid knelt down in fear and trepidation, "This servant accompanied the Sixth Princess to the Plum Garden to pick plum blossoms. It snowed, and this servant intended to lead the Sixth Princess back, but unexpectedly, the Sixth Princess was reluctant to leave. This servant had no choice but to order someone to fetch a cloak and an umbrella. Who knew that as soon as we turned around, the Sixth Princess fell into the water."
The emperor's brow twitched. "Did the imperial physician go?"
"They've already gone."
Upon hearing this, Consort An almost lost her balance. The child was so small, and it was freezing cold; what would happen if something really happened to him?
Wei Fei accompanied Consort An to the Ninghe Hall, and held Consort An's hand to comfort her, "Consort An, it's alright."
Consort An was trembling all over and could no longer speak.
As soon as she entered the hall, she rushed to the bedside. The Sixth Princess lay on the bed, her face pale and her eyes tightly closed. Consort An's heart ached at the sight. " Yunyang, Yunyang? Open your eyes and look at your mother!"
The imperial physician standing nearby said, " Your Consort An, the Sixth Princess is alright. She just developed a high fever from the shock of falling into the water. Once the fever subsides, she will be fine."
Consort An finally felt alive again. "Very good, thank you for your help, Imperial Physician."
The emperor and empress were judging people outside.
Aside from the fact that men were not allowed to enter, the women, who were busy Consort An, mostly came along.
His Majesty and the Empress didn't let them leave, so they stayed inside the hall and listened.
The emperor said in a deep voice, " Little Six has suffered such a great injustice for no reason; this must be thoroughly investigated."
Empress: "Your Majesty is right."
She looked at the palace servant standing in front of her, frowned, and said, "Tell me everything that happened before and after the Sixth Princess fell into the water."
There were three palace maids in total, and their statements all matched up.
Could it be that the Sixth Princess fell down on her own?
There is a koi pond in the Plum Garden, but the plum trees are still some distance from the pond. Moreover, the Sixth Princess had fallen into the water before, and she is afraid of water, so it is impossible for her to approach the water on her own.
The Empress speculated, "Could it be that it was dark and the road was slippery, and the Sixth Princess didn't see clearly?"
The emperor pursed his lips. "That's certainly a possibility."
[The Sixth Princess didn't fall on her own; she was pushed. Damn it, they wouldn't even spare such a young child!]
The emperor, who had just stood up, suddenly paused and sat down again.
The Empress asked curiously, "Your Majesty?"
"Check again."
"... yes."
[Sigh, even if they find out, it will be unbelievable. After all, who would believe that a grandfather would want his own granddaughter dead?]
maternal grandfather?
Consort An's father was the former Grand Tutor and His Majesty's teacher. Although he has now retired and is enjoying his old age, he is still respected by everyone in the court and the country.
How could he possibly do such a thing?
But those in the hall who could hear Tong Aning 'Tong Aning prowess; she was incapable of making a mistake.
The emperor understood, and with a stern face, he asked, "Where is Grand Tutor An?"
The Empress was puzzled as to why His Majesty was asking about Grand Tutor An out of the blue. She replied, "I saw the Grand Tutor leave his seat and he has not returned since."
The suspicion has deepened.
"Go find it."
"Yes, Your Majesty, I will have someone go find it immediately."
Before the people sent out by the Empress could even leave the palace, a man hurriedly walked in from outside. It was none other than Grand Tutor An.
Grand Tutor An said in a panic, "This old minister was drunk just now and wandered around. I didn't expect to hear about the Sixth Princess falling into the water when I returned. Is the Sixth Princess alright?"
[That old Deng, he's quite the actor. If I didn't know the truth, I might have actually been fooled by him.]
The emperor remained silent, instead scrutinizing Grand Tutor An, Grand Tutor An looked on with unease.
[To sober up, one needs to go to the Plum Garden? He saw his granddaughter happily picking plum blossoms there, and not only did he remain silent, but he also pushed her into the koi pond while the Plum Garden servants turned away to give instructions.]
[Sigh, the sixth princess is still talking about picking a branch for her grandfather.]
What a beast!
That's utterly inhuman.
Su Zhouyue asked, "Has Grand Tutor An gone to the Plum Garden?"
Grand Tutor An said, "So you are Lady Tong, the wife of Marquis Tong. What am I doing going to such a far place as Plum Garden?"
Su Zhouyue had been waiting for this moment of denial. She said, "Then why are there plum blossom petals on the edge of your shoes?"
Grand Tutor An lifted his foot to glance at it, remaining calm and composed. "In the palace, there are plum blossoms not only in the Plum Garden, right? I don't understand what you mean... Ah."
Grand Tutor An suddenly realized what was happening. He looked at Su Zhouyue angrily and said, "Could it be that you suspect me of personally pushing my granddaughter into the koi pond? That's my own granddaughter!"
This is precisely what puzzles everyone.
Many people secretly glanced at Tong Aning several times.
Tong Aning suddenly widened her eyes, "[That vicious old Deng!]"
[After the Sixth Princess was born, he kept urging Consort An to have another prince, saying that princesses were unreliable and a prince would give them a chance to compete for the throne. But after Consort An had the Sixth Princess, she devoted herself entirely to her, saying that giving birth to a prince was not so easy. Grand Tutor An was disappointed in her.]
[Until today, after drinking, he went to the Plum Garden and saw the Sixth Princess. For a moment, he actually had murderous thoughts... Is he insane?]
The emperor remained expressionless. This old scoundrel actually harbored such deep thoughts.