Chapter 5
Chapter 5: A Filthy Thing?
The Retired Emperor recognized her at a glance—this was the Emperor’s child.
She looked far too much like him.
Only… that outfit. That limp little braid. That dusty face. She didn’t look like a princess at all. If anything, she looked worse off than a palace maid.
And this old man fishing in the imperial palace was no ordinary retiree. Anyone who could sit by the lake with a rod in hand while the whole palace pretended not to see him? His rank and status had to be sky-high.
Tong Tong had said that twenty years later, she would wreck the Retired Emperor’s coffin…
So… was this really him?
Chu Tian Tian patted the dirt off her hands and marched over, ready to cling to a thigh and live another day.
Unfortunately, the lakeshore was littered with loose stones. She missed one, caught her foot, and went down hard.
She slammed straight into the old man’s bucket.
The fish he’d finally managed to catch flopped free and vanished back into the water.
Chu Tian Tian scrambled up in panic. “Immortal Grandpa, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to!”
Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no.
She’d just ruined the Retired Emperor’s precious spoils!
“It’s fine, child.” The old man waved it off, smiling. “A few fish. Grandpa isn’t angry.”
But Chu Tian Tian still looked miserable. Her tiny palms were scraped raw, yet she worried about him more than her own skin.
That, somehow, made the Retired Emperor feel a little ashamed.
“All right, then.” He coughed lightly and pointed aside. “Grandpa’s a bit thirsty. Go to the garden over there and pick some fruit. If you do, Grandpa will forgive you. How’s that?”
Chu Tian Tian nodded so fast she looked like a chick pecking grain.
She ran there and back—
And nearly dropped the fruit.
The old man was on the ground.
Flat on his back. Stiff. Not moving.
No way.
Did the Retired Emperor get so mad about a few fish that he’d—he’d—
Chu Tian Tian’s scalp went cold. She rushed over and stuck out one trembling finger to check his breathing.
Thank goodness. He was still alive.
He’d only fainted.
It was the heat of afternoon. Even in the shade, the air was thick and scorching. And the old man was already old—too old to be baking out here.
Heatstroke. It had to be heatstroke.
There was no one around. Chu Tian Tian didn’t hesitate. She poured spirit spring water into his mouth a little at a time, then grabbed a broad leaf and fanned him like her life depended on it.
When the Retired Emperor finally opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was a little red-cheeked face right in front of him. Sweat dotted her forehead. Her arms trembled with effort, but she never stopped fanning.
“Child,” he rasped, pushing himself up, “you saved me.”
He lifted a hand and patted her small head.
“Immortal Grandpa!” Chu Tian Tian shoved the fruit toward him. “Here, eat! Hurry!”
The fruit wasn’t from the palace garden at all. She’d quietly swapped it for fruit from her pocket space.
The Retired Emperor ate, and warmth surged through him at once. The tight, suffocating pressure that had been stuck in his chest vanished as if it had never existed.
Seeing color return to his face, Chu Tian Tian finally let out a shaky breath.
“Immortal Grandpa,” she asked, blinking up at him, “now that you’ve eaten, you forgive me, right?”
“Of course.” His eyes softened. “And Grandpa should be the one thanking you.”
[Ding! Host braved heaven and earth and earned the Retired Emperor’s personal forgiveness—truly a miracle!]
[Mission reward: Word-Spirit Physique.]
Word-Spirit Physique?
What was that supposed to mean?
Chu Tian Tian was still stunned when the Retired Emperor took her hand and led her away, heading straight for the Yang Qing Hall.
“Retired Emperor!” Eunuch Teng practically stumbled forward the moment he saw him. “You’re finally back! This old servant nearly turned the whole palace upside down looking for you!”
Ever since abdicating, the Retired Emperor had acted like he’d been released from a cage—vanishing all day, doing whatever pleased him.
Harder to serve than ever.
Eunuch Teng’s head ached.
Chu Tian Tian peeked from behind the Retired Emperor’s sleeve and gave a tiny wave. “Hello, Grandpa.”
Eunuch Teng froze.
So cute.
Truly, painfully cute.
And strange, too. With the Retired Emperor’s authority, every prince and princess in the palace shook like a leaf when they saw him. But this little girl? She clung to him like he was a warm stove.
The Retired Emperor looked smug. “Well? My granddaughter, Little Nine—cute, isn’t she?”
Eunuch Teng snapped out of it and bowed quickly. “Greetings, Ninth Princess. This old servant should be the one paying respects.”
The Retired Emperor set down his fishing rod and scooped Chu Tian Tian up. “Hurry. Tell the Imperial Kitchen to make something good. Look at her—so thin a gust of wind could blow her away.”
On the way back, he’d already asked enough to piece it together.
The little girl had slipped out of the Cold Palace.
No wonder she looked like nobody fed her.
The Retired Emperor’s face darkened.
Adults could suffer for adult sins, but what did this child do? Consort Li had been thrown into the Cold Palace for an official’s blunder, but they’d tossed a little girl in there too and let her fend for herself?
He ordered Eunuch Teng to investigate Consort Li’s case immediately.
Meanwhile, in the Imperial Study…
The Emperor stared at the portrait the Empress had sent, his brows drawn tight.
“A filthy thing?” His voice was cold. “She truly said that?”
The Empress nodded.
The Emperor was silent for a long time, eyes fixed on the painted little face.
So small.
And she looked like her.
The thought of Consort Li left an uncomfortable weight in his chest.
The Empress knew. She’d been married to him since they were young. She understood him almost as well as she understood herself. And Consort Li—ever since entering the palace—had always been modest and proper. Even with the Emperor’s favor, she’d never once behaved like those tactless consorts who forgot their place.
She’d never shown the Empress even a hint of temper.
Besides… Little Nine truly was adorable. And she’d saved Cheng Xuan.
Seeing the Emperor’s expression tighten, the Empress said gently, “It was only a dream. In this consort’s view, it can’t be taken as truth.”
The Emperor’s face eased slightly.
Just then, the head eunuch entered. “Your Majesty, Noble Consort Xian requests an audience.”
Consort Xian?
Why now?
Consort Xian swept in—and immediately aimed her words like a blade at the Empress.
“Your Majesty, this consort accidentally overheard the Empress earlier.” She lifted her chin. “But I must say…the Empress is wrong. Princess Ying Yue is the Great Ning Blessed Girl. If she dreamed such a thing, perhaps it was Heaven’s warning.”
The Emperor’s gaze turned icy. “Consort Xian. You’ve overstepped.”
Consort Xian dropped to her knees at once. “Your Majesty, please don’t blame me. This consort was only anxious. I went to see Princess Ying Yue just now, and she’s ill—dazed, feverish, terribly uncomfortable.”
“Ill?” The Empress frowned. “She was fine not long ago.”
“This consort had an imperial physician examine her.” Consort Xian hesitated, then lowered her voice. “The physician says… it may be a nightmare affliction.”
She pressed on quickly, eyes flashing. “So I thought—could it be connected to the dream Princess Ying Yue described?”
The Emperor’s tone sharpened. “What are you implying? That I should execute Consort Li and the Ninth Princess because of a dream?”
“This consort wouldn’t dare.” Consort Xian’s voice remained calm, and she didn’t sound the least bit remorseful. “I only feel the matter is too important to ignore. Why not invite the National Preceptor to calculate it, just in case?”
In the Yang Qing Hall, the Retired Emperor slammed his hand down, face storm-dark.
“Foolish! Utterly foolish!”
Losing a child that young was already a royal disgrace. They finally found her, and instead of raising her properly, they tossed her into the Cold Palace like trash.
Consort Li may have been wrong, but she shouldn’t have been crushed straight into the Cold Palace either.
And how could they take one line from the National Preceptor, praise a fake princess to the skies, while the real princess was left without a road to live?
Noticing Little Nine staring at him, the Retired Emperor forced a breath in and softened his tone. “Little Nine, don’t be afraid. Imperial Grandfather will back you up.”
He turned sharply. “Eunuch Teng! Go fetch the Emperor. Now!”