Chapter 105

Chapter 105

To Transform an Assassin?

Xiao Yunzhou was stunned.

The Immortal Realm indeed lived up to its name, presenting him, the Emperor, with such a challenging test!

Could the resentments and grudges between the previous and current dynasties truly be resolved?

Xiao Yunzhou took a deep breath and looked down at the cherished daughter Chu Chu cradled in his arms. Seeing the worried look on her tiny face, he couldn't help but smile.

This matter was urgent, yet it was for the adults to worry.

No need for his precious daughter to fret.

"Someone, tell Consort Liu to... send someone to fetch the little Princess back."

Xiao Yunzhou dared not let his beloved daughter face even the slightest risk.

Although he did not trust leaving her entirely to others, for now, he, the Emperor, was the one being targeted by the assassin!

Unless there were peculiar circumstances, the assassin would not pay heed to a child not yet a year old.

"Tell Consort Liu that she need not attend court for the time being, and the little Princess should not come to the Imperial Study either."

With over twenty days until the Lantern Festival, Xiao Yunzhou planned to keep them away from the assassin's sight until this matter was resolved.

Xiao Yunzhou had the little Princess taken away and strictly forbade Consort Liu, the little Princess, and the Fifth Prince from appearing before him.

There were no secrets in the harem, and within an hour, this news had spread throughout.

"Consort Liu fell from favor after conferring titles on her ladies-in-waiting? How amusing!"

"I've always said that harem women should not meddle in politics. What our ancestors left behind cannot be wrong. The Emperor found her a novelty at first, but soon realized Consort Liu's impropriety!"

"One rises, all rise; one falls, all fall. Now the Emperor no longer sees Consort Liu or the little Princess, and even the Fifth Prince will lose favor."

The palace ladies gossiped endlessly behind closed doors, with many secretly rejoicing.

The Consort Li, who had been so enraged by Consort Liu's actions that she could not eat, and the Empress Tong, who had been burning with the desire to remonstrate, now rejoiced in having restrained themselves.

"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager was right. These harem women rise and fall in an instant, but none can surpass you."

The Empress's attendants could not help but smile all day.

"You need only sit and watch, doing nothing, and you will never lose."

The Empress Tong nodded and smiled, "Tell the Crown Prince to be more diligent in his studies."

Seizing the opportunity, she would outshine the Fifth Prince!

A prince or consort who had lost the Emperor's favor had no future in the palace.

*

In the Donghua Palace.

Consort Min was making a new batch of down coats.

She selected dried duck down, stuffing it into the fabric as she sewed the edges.

To prevent the down from shifting inside the garment, they would sew 'grid-like compartments' onto the coats - a technique devised by Consort Liu.

"The Emperor is so fickle. One new fancy every day, but at least he hasn't summoned you all lately."

"I miss our dear Chu Chu so much when he monopolizes her every day." Consort Min wished the Emperor would just go away, leaving them in peace.

Consort Liu could only laugh wryly.

The Fifth Prince Cheng Qian thought with some displeasure, but soon froze.

As he cradled Xiao Chuchu in his arms, her rosy face contorted strangely.

[Oh my, my own brother, yet your combat power is only 59!]

Cheng Qian: "..."

Consort Liu: "..."

[Alas, it seems the Liu family's attributes are all concentrated in our wits.]

Xiao Chuchu shook her head with a tsk.

[How disappointing! The novels described my brother Cheng Qian as an accomplished individual, both scholarly and martial. Was the author mistaken about what it means to be well-versed in both civil and martial arts?!]

[My brother's current combat power is 59, with only a two-and-a-half-star growth rate. Despite being older than the Sixth Prince, his combat power at adulthood would be fortunate to reach 70.]

["It's no wonder my brother later died on the battlefield. It seems my brother was all talk and no action."]

Cheng Qian fell silent.

He held his sister's arm as if it weighed a thousand pounds!

His horsemanship and archery skills were not bad, and he had also studied military strategy well, it was just... wrestling on the training grounds and fighting with the palace guards, he always lost.

But he felt that being a strategist would not be a problem for him.

["Alas, my brother's core strength is lacking. It's over, he must have inherited the Emperor Father's feeble waist."]

Cheng Qian: "..."

Concubine Liu: "..."

Xiao Chuchu noticed that others did not examine so carefully, since it would cost points to redeem the specific six-dimensional martial arts data.

But for her own brother, Xiao Chuchu was very concerned about the reason behind his poor martial arts abilities.

Without hesitation, she spent 50 points to redeem the data, and as soon as she saw it, she blinked.

["My brother's arm force application is incorrect, his core strength is lacking, and the training ground instructors' guidance is unsuitable for him, resulting in his slow growth."]

["His lower body and legs are still decent, but his agility is insufficient."]

["His endurance is acceptable, but his explosive power is poor."]

["Tsk."]

Cheng Qian was immediately on high alert and hurriedly took detailed notes.

He still had time, he could still improve!

["Alas, my brother's stature probably won't be very tall in the future."]

["The training ground instructors follow a fierce path, which is unsuitable for my brother."]

["My brother is actually quite similar in build to that tea-serving eunuch before the Emperor, who looks skinny..."]

["But no, it's too dangerous for him to be like that wretched fellow with a martial arts score of 99."]

Cheng Qian's eyes flickered.

As Xiao Chuchu thought of that eunuch, her thoughts instantly turned to the Lantern Festival tragedy.

["I wonder if the Emperor Father is capable or not."]

She grew worried, ["Is there any way to redeem that tea-serving eunuch's weaknesses?"]

Cheng Qian and Concubine Liu were stunned, immediately pricking up their ears and stopping what they were doing.