Chapter 1: Eating Melons Until It Hits Yourself

Chapter 1: Eating Melon and Finding It’s My Own

As soon as Chu Yaoyao opened her eyes and saw the antique-style bed curtains, she let out a long, weary sigh.

Fine, it wasn’t a dream, and she hadn’t gone back.

Hearing the sound, a maid walked over and gently pulled back the curtains. "Is the little princess awake? Let this servant help you dress."

Chunshi pursed her lips to hide a smile. She had heard that sigh just now; she hadn't expected the princess, a toddler of two and a half, to be so good at acting melancholy.

System: Host, there’s a huge piece of gossip!

Chu Yaoyao’s hand paused mid-air. The soul of a gossip-lover instantly awakened. [Quick, tell me.]

Two days ago, she had been on her way home from work, having bought two of her favorite roasted sweet potatoes, when she stumbled upon a dramatic scene of a wife catching her husband’s mistress. She had immediately squatted on the curb, eating her sweet potato while watching the show.

She was so engrossed in the drama—or perhaps too focused on her sweet potato—that she was shoved into the middle of the road by the wife and hit by a speeding car.

When she woke up, she had become this two-and-a-half-year-old milk-drinking toddler.

System: Last night, the Crown Prince suddenly developed a high fever and broke out in red rashes all over his body. He suffered for half the night; although the fever has broken, he still won't stop coughing.

[Rashes? Sounds like an allergy.]

Chu Yaoyao let Chunshi dress her while she blinked her big eyes, scrolling through the system panel to consume the gossip.

Seeing her like that, the system felt it couldn't bear to watch. To think that it, a dignified "Counterattack System," had been bound to a child who had just been weaned. Was it supposed to point at a toddler who couldn't even count properly and lead her to conquer the world while smelling like milk?

What about this year's KPI? How was it supposed to compete for "System of the Year"?

But fortunately, it was clever...

System: I don't know what the palace maid said to the Empress, but she has taken dozens of eunuchs and maids and is heading out of the Eastern Palace in a fury.

[Going to the Imperial Hospital?]

System: They are heading toward Qionghua Palace.

Chu Yaoyao:!

Qionghua Palace—wasn't that her current home?

Was she eating gossip only to find it was about herself?

Suddenly, there was a commotion outside.

Chu Yaoyao twisted her little body and hopped off the bed.

"Little Princess! You haven't put your shoes on yet!" Chunshi grabbed the tiny shoes and chased after her.

Outside the hall

Consort Shu noticed the little one beside her and turned to shield her, facing the crowd led by the Empress with a calm and composed expression.

"What is the meaning of this, Your Majesty?"

"Someone reported that filthy items have been discovered within the inner palace. As the mistress of the harem, I must investigate this thoroughly!"

With that, the Empress ordered her servants to search everywhere.

Consort Shu looked down and saw Yaoyao’s fair, delicate little feet. She picked her up and asked with a hint of annoyance, "Why did you run out without your shoes?"

Chu Yaoyao wasn't afraid at all; she wrapped her arms around her neck. [Wow, my beautiful mother-consort is so pretty, she smells so good and feels so soft. It’s a real waste on that big pig's trotter.]

Big pig's trotter?

Could she be referring to the Emperor?

Consort Shu chuckled and rubbed her forehead against the child's.

Soon, a trace of worry crossed Consort Shu's eyes. Could they be targeting Yaoyao?

Two days ago, Yaoyao had fallen into the water and developed a high fever that night. Since waking up, she had been able to hear Yaoyao’s inner voice.

If others found out, they might treat Yaoyao as a freak...

[My beautiful mother-consort is so gentle. I must protect her. System, show me the gossip; I want to see who is trying to harm her.]

Listening to Yaoyao’s inner voice, Consort Shu patted her head. "Mother-consort will protect Yaoyao, too."

[Found it! So it was her!]

"Sister." A delicate voice drifted over, and a figure even more frail than the voice stepped forward.

Consort Shu nodded faintly at the newcomer.

[Why does she look so familiar?]

Chu Yaoyao looked at her mother-consort, then turned to look at the other woman, and suddenly realized.

The clothing, the makeup—it was exactly the same as her mother-consort's. But when standing next to her mother-consort, there was a sense of... cheap, counterfeit quality.

"Little Princess, we meet again."

Thinking of what she had just seen, Chu Yaoyao turned her head away angrily, refusing to look at her.

Seeing the child snub her, Imperial Concubine Li gritted her teeth in secret. *That brat, she fell into the lake and soaked for so long and is still fine—she has a lucky life!*

*I just wonder if you and your mother will have such good luck this time!*

[This scheming bitch, this dead green tea—it was her who framed my mother-consort!]

What!

Consort Shu was shocked and looked sharply at Imperial Concubine Li, naturally not missing the trace of malice in her eyes.

It was actually her?

At that moment, a palace maid rushed in to report that a secret compartment had been found in Consort Shu’s bedchamber.

The Empress glanced at Consort Shu and asked, "What is inside?"

The maid immediately knelt on the ground, looking terrified. "This servant dares not say. Please, Your Majesty, see for yourself."

Everyone went to the bedroom and saw a small doll made of cloth in the secret compartment, with yellow talismans pasted on it and densely packed needles stuck into it.

The Empress grabbed the doll, and after seeing the characters written on it, she shouted angrily, "Audacious Consort Shu! How dare you use witchcraft against the Crown Prince! Such nerve!"

Consort Shu shook her head, explaining, "How is that possible? I did not."

Yaoyao touched her mother-consort’s pale face.

[This Empress is really... panic makes one lose their head? Even a modern person like me knows that in ancient times, one's birth date and hour are extremely important, especially for the royal family. How could Mother-consort possibly know the Crown Prince's birth date?]

Consort Shu glanced at Yaoyao. *That’s right, that reminds me.*

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger. How could I possibly know the Crown Prince's birth date?"

"Sister Shu is right," Imperial Concubine Li stepped forward.

"Although the handwriting is very similar to Sister's, the Crown Prince’s affairs concern the foundation of the nation. There can't be many people who know his birth date. Your Majesty, perhaps you should interrogate them one by one before making a decision."

Yaoyao rolled her eyes at her.

[The Empress didn't even notice the issue with the handwriting; thanks to you for reminding her.]

The Empress nodded. "That is true, but regardless, the handwriting is Consort Shu's, so she remains a suspect."

[Speaking of handwriting, that Imperial Concubine Li put a lot of effort into imitating Mother-consort's. Why bother investigating? The Crown Prince’s wet nurse, Zhao, has already been killed by Imperial Concubine Li; she’s in the abandoned well in the back hall. Not only that, she bribed the maid by Mother-consort's side to put those things in the secret compartment.]

Consort Shu calmly observed Chunshi and Xiaci. These two had followed her since the General's mansion; among all the servants in the palace, only they knew about the secret compartment.

[It’s that Xiaci!]

Hearing the inner voice, Consort Shu looked over, and sure enough, Xiaci’s expression was unnatural.

At that moment, the servants searching the backyard discovered Nurse Zhao’s body and also found Xiaci’s earring.

Xiaci knelt on the ground and confessed, "Your Majesty, spare me! Consort Shu made me do all of this."

The Empress was furious and pointed at Consort Shu. "The witnesses and evidence are all here. Consort Shu, what else do you have to say for yourself?"

"Your Majesty, please look clearly. What reason would I have to harm the Crown Prince?"

[If only someone could go to Imperial Concubine Li’s palace right now and stop her maid from drinking the soup. Imperial Concubine Li’s plan is indeed flawless—bribing Mother-consort’s personal maid, imitating her handwriting, and silencing Nurse Zhao. And she’s so cruel, she’s even going to kill the maid who was loyal to her.]

[Poor me, I only just came back to life two days ago, and now I have to go report to the King of Hell again.]

Thinking of this, Chu Yaoyao felt incredibly depressed.

[System, aren't you worried? Your host is about to die.]

System: Don't worry, Host. According to the original plot, the Li family is currently leading troops in battle at the border. At most, the Host will be thrown into the Cold Palace with Consort Shu, and the death date is two years from now.

Chu Yaoyao: Thanks a lot.

She was not comforted.

"I have no grudge against the Crown Prince, and besides, Yaoyao is a princess. I truly cannot think of any reason to target the Crown Prince."

The Empress slammed her hand on the table. "Still quibbling! Someone, seize Consort Shu!"

"Stop!"

A cold, slightly majestic voice rang out from outside the door.

Then came the shrill voice of a eunuch: "The Emperor has arrived—"

Yaoyao struggled to look outside.

[The tyrant is here? Let me see what the tyrant looks like.]

(End of chapter)