Chapter 60: Snatch Your Sister, Snatch

Morning exercise was out of the question; Lin Yue seized the opportunity and bolted.

Poor Empress. Not only had she suffered a terrible night of sleep, but she was also dragged out for morning exercise at the crack of dawn.

Fortunately, after drinking the nutrient solution, she instantly felt ten years younger. Vitality surged through her entire body. Having forgotten to put on socks in the morning, her feet no longer felt cold; her back didn't ache, her legs weren't weak, and she didn't feel drowsy even after eating breakfast.

The only mishap was that after completing two sets of boxing exercises alongside the Empress Dowager, she had to sprint to the outhouse.

Meanwhile, the Emperor questioned Zhou Dahai the moment he finished morning court.

"Well? Has the tunnel leading to the Empress's bedchamber been dug?"

Clutching his horsetail whisk, Zhou Dahai wondered whether to blame the Emperor's poor luck or to conclude that the heavens simply refused to cooperate with His Majesty.

Speaking in a low voice, he replied, "The tunnel has been dug through, but... Her Highness the Princess Consort of Ding has left the palace."

The Emperor: "..." ?!

Now robust and full of vigor, he felt fully capable of accomplishing great things. Why on earth did his sister-in-law suddenly leave the palace?

"Could it be that Xiao Huaiqing came to pester her again?"

Lately, he found this nephew of his increasingly grating.

Zhou Dahai hastily shook his head. "No, Your Majesty. The Princess Consort of Ding left the palace at the very break of day."

The Emperor sighed softly. Why was his path to self-rescue so arduous?

Just then, a palace attendant came to report that the Empress had arrived, bringing along breakfast and requesting to dine with the Emperor.

Remembering how violently the Empress had vomited yesterday, the Emperor felt a flush of heat on his cheeks. "Invite the Empress in," he instructed.

Before long, the Empress entered.

In her youth, the Empress had been a renowned beauty, though her temper was somewhat fiery. After all, she was the daughter of a military general and would readily reach for a spear to reason with people at the drop of a hat!

However, the Emperor had believed that only such a strong character could keep the imperial concubines in check and maintain order in the harem, so he had married her without hesitation.

The two of them had shared many affectionate years. Later, as the Emperor took other concubines and the Empress bore children, the passion naturally faded.

It had been a long time since the imperial couple had truly looked at one another.

Taking a close look today, well now—both of them felt a sudden flutter of bewilderment.

The Empress discovered that the Emperor looked even more handsome. His facial contours were more defined, his skin plump and radiant, and he exuded a mature, steady aura with an added dash of debonair charm compared to his youth. Could this be what people meant when they said a man blossomed in his forties?

The Emperor found his view of the Empress equally dazzling.

Today, this little woman looked stunning and radiant, especially her eyes—dark, brilliant, and full of spirited vitality, just like back when they were young.

Unable to help himself, the Emperor stepped forward a couple of paces to support her and asked, "Why didn't you rest properly today instead of walking about?"

Seeing the Emperor display such gentle consideration, the Empress felt a trace of surprise. Yet, reflecting on their many years as husband and wife and the mutual respect that had carried them this far, her heart softened against her will, and she leaned gently into the Emperor's embrace.

For a moment, ripples of emotion stirred in both their hearts, though both were skilled at hiding it, preventing the other from noticing anything amiss.

The Empress spoke up, "Your concubine has come regarding the matter of Imperial Noble Consort Shu."

The Emperor was startled, wondering if the Empress had also discovered the vicious intentions of that scoundrel Huo Renli.

He asked, "Imperial Noble Consort Shu passed away so many years ago. Why are you suddenly bringing her up, Empress?"

The Empress replied, "Last night, this concubine dreamt of Consort Shu. She said her death was unjust and that she was murdered by villains."

"Upon waking, I carefully re-examined the events of those years. Consort Shu cried out that there was a ghost in her chambers just before her death, yet she chose to commit suicide inside her quarters rather than flee outside."

"This made me deeply suspicious. Consort Shu was implying that there was a 'ghost' among those close to her—meaning a malicious person was plotting against her in secret."

"In those days, Your Majesty was merciful. Aside from Consort Shu's personal maid and two older nurses, very few of the eunuchs suffered punishment. I wish to reinvestigate this case, if only to bring justice to Consort Shu and the little princess."

Upon hearing this, the Emperor immediately recalled the gentle little princess, and a wave of sorrow washed over him.

He said, "In that case, leave this matter to the Empress to handle. As for the Fourth Prince... keep it from him for now."

He had no intention of letting that wayward son off easy. If the boy had genuinely been tricked to the point of suicide, then right now, he deserved a severe reckoning.

The Empress immediately replied, "This concubine understands. Until there is conclusive evidence, I have no wish to subject that child to further trauma."

Mainly, only by uncovering the truth could the Fourth Prince's hatred be redirected.

She had no desire to harbor a venomous snake within the imperial palace, but if she truly moved to eliminate him, knowing that the Fourth Prince had also been deceived and that both his mother and sister had been murdered, she could not bring herself to strike.

What she did not know, however, was that the very "venomous snake" in her eyes had already tracked Lin Yue out of the palace and arrived at the Prince Ding's Estate.

Seeing Xiao Huaizheng chase after her with reddened eyes and tears threatening to fall at any moment, Lin Yue thought: *Whatever happened to the hardened, psycho overlord?*

*He's turned into a little crybaby instead.*

Helpless, Lin Yue said, "I promised I'd help you investigate, and I will see it through to the end. Do you still not trust me?"

Xiao Huaizheng shook his head, sniffled, and whispered in a small voice, "I heard people in the East Palace saying that the Crown Prince is sending provisions to the frontier. Imperial Aunt doesn't live often in the palace, so you might not know, but Eldest Brother's health is poor. He falls ill from time to time. Although the imperial physicians are called in behind closed doors or under different pretenses, I just know."

"I want to take Eldest Brother's place on this errand. Also, Imperial Sister-in-law has been so good to me, and I want to repay her. I will definitely handle this matter properly."

Lin Yue raised her brows in surprise, thinking: *Not bad at all. His worldview has genuinely shifted, and he even knows to mix truth with falsehood to fill me in on the Crown Prince's condition.*

*Still, the Crown Prince has already been cured by me and is fully capable of handling this task.*

*I originally wanted to send you off anyway, but now your mood swings are affecting my system. I'm worried your unstable mentality might crash my system, which would outweigh the gains.*

Xiao Huaizheng continued, "Before I go, though, I have one more wish: I want to uncover the cause of my mother's and sister's deaths. I've found Huo Renli around me to be extremely suspicious. Thinking back to many years ago when I was still small, Huo Renli was responsible for taking care of me, but every night at midnight, he would leave."

"At first, when I found out, he told me it was for my own good, to toughen up my courage. Later, he would feed me osmanthus cake every night. Once I finished the pastry, I would lose all consciousness until I woke up the next morning."

"Being young back then, I just thought I was a heavy sleeper. Now that I think about it, he must have been drugging me."

Hearing this, Lin Yue understood.

Xiao Huaizheng was laying out his suspicions because he wanted to leverage her connections to help investigate his mother's murder.

Once the truth came to light, he could go off to deliver the provisions with peace of mind.

*System, if Xiao Huaizheng isn't completely redeemed, won't I still face a merit crisis?*

System: *Yes.*

Lin Yue gritted her teeth. "Fine then, I'll help you with this favor."

"On the condition that you listen to me and don't do anything rash!"

Xiao Huaizheng nodded, breaking into a brilliant smile. His small eyes flickered, still shimmering with tears.

He thought to himself: *As long as this succeeds, I can logically stick by Imperial Aunt's side from now on, and no one will ever be able to trick me again.*

Lin Yue simply couldn't resist. When this kid behaved, he looked just like a little fox cub.

She reached out and patted his head, her expression full of doting indulgence.

At that moment, Xiao Huaiqing and his wife, who had come to pay their respects, caught sight of the scene. Su Yingyue froze, not daring to step forward.

Xiao Huaiqing's gaze darkened, and he quickly spoke up, "Fourth Brother is here."

"You must have been the one who escorted my mother out of the palace. Truly hard work, wasn't it?"

That tone of suspicion was enough to turn anyone's stomach.

Lin Yue withdrew her hand, the smile fading from her face as she shook her head. "No, the Fourth Prince came to ask for my help with a matter."

"Why have you two come? Didn't I already say there's no need to come pay your respects to me? Just live your own lives well."

*The moment they show up, they start stirring up trouble. Even ghosts would despair at the sight of them.*

Seeing the smile vanish from Lin Yue's face, Xiao Huaizheng was also in a foul mood. He snapped at Xiao Huaiqing, "What is the eldest cousin implying? Just because I didn't escort Imperial Aunt out of the palace means I can't come see her?"

"She is my own aunt, just like a mother to me, and I intend to filialize her properly in the future."

"Once I am granted a princedom and have my own estate outside the palace, I will definitely take Imperial Aunt over to live with me and support her."

Xiao Huaiqing's face turned dark. Then what did that make him—the stepson?

An abuser of his stepmother?

"Why is Fourth Brother getting so worked up? I was merely asking."

Xiao Huaizheng sneered. "Asking? What is there to ask? Even if I come to pay my respects to Imperial Aunt every single day, it's none of your business!"

Furious, Xiao Huaiqing retorted, "How is it none of my business? Don't forget, I am the heir apparent of this estate!"

Xiao Huaizheng shot back, "So what if you are? I'm not here to snatch the heirship from you!"

"Yet you came to snatch my Lin—"

"Huh???" Lin Yue furrowed her brow, glaring fiercely at Xiao Huaiqing.

*Snatch your sister, you idiot! Drop dead, will you!*

Xiao Huaizheng and Su Yingyue also stared at him. Realizing he had spoken out of turn, Xiao Huaiqing flushed crimson and snapped defensively, "Snatching mother away won't do either!"

At those words, both Xiao Huaizheng and Su Yingyue felt somewhat placated, their expressions easing.

Yet Xiao Huaiqing's heart ached bitterly, especially when he saw Lin Yue smiling along as well. A sharp pang gripped his chest, and he abruptly turned around and walked away.