Big Brother!

I’m only eight months old!

How am I supposed to perform a ritual? Wouldn’t that just embarrass me in front of everyone?!

Yuan Ruan babbled, “Yiya yiya,” while flailing her tiny hands in protest.

But the emperor simply closed his eyes slightly, pretending not to notice.

System: 【Don’t panic, Yuan Ruan! You can take flight!】

Yuan Ruan’s voice was full of grievance:

【Take flight? The kind where I barely hover a centimeter off the ground?!】

Consort Rong: !!!

The Ninth Princess can fly?! Even if it’s just a little, it’s still flying!

Consort Rong’s heart pounded wildly!

She finally understood why the emperor treated Yuan Ruan with such high regard.

If even a flying ability like this didn’t impress him, could it be that the rumors circulating outside the palace were true?!

This child was truly extraordinary!

System: 【No need to worry, Yuan Ruan! Maybe they just want you to go through the motions.】

Yuan Ruan: 【That’s possible. But with 100,000 people watching? All they’d see is a baby lying there, lifting her head. Even if I’m not embarrassed, I’d feel secondhand embarrassment for Great Xia. After all, I’m its human embodiment of national destiny. I can’t let people look down on me!】

“Bang!” The corner of a solid wooden table was snapped clean off by Consort Rong.

Everyone: !!!

Yuan Ruan stared in shock at Consort Rong, who calmly smoothed her hair and gently said, “Chun Lan, this table has been broken for a while. Take it away and have it repaired properly.”

Chun Lan froze for a moment before hastily calling over eunuchs to help move the table.

Yuan Ruan continued her musings with the system:

【No wonder Little Yueyue can become a rebel King in the future. Such valor clearly runs in the family’s bloodline!】

Crack!

Yuan Ruan turned her head again and saw Consort Rong slipping something into her long sleeve. She then looked warmly at Yuan Ruan and said, “Chun Lan, prepare some sweet soup. The Ninth Princess keeps looking at me—she must be hungry.”

Wu Yue discreetly stepped forward and nudged the fragments of a shattered teacup lid with her foot, hiding them further.

System: 【You’re right, Yuan Ruan. So, what’s your plan?】

Yuan Ruan: 【We still have two weeks. System, how many points do I need to unlock the next divine abilities?】

The emperor’s eyes snapped open.

Wu Yue raised her eyebrows.

Consort Rong barely contained her excitement, listening intently.

System: 【Let me check! Oh, the task with the wildlings has been completed. Right now, you have 5 national fortune points. The next divine ability requires 8 points.】

Yuan Ruan clenched her fists:

【Thankfully, it’s not too far off. I’ll just have to work harder to trigger more tasks!】

System: 【Got it!】

It wasn’t just Yuan Ruan who felt motivated—the emperor also became eager to assist.

However, triggering national fortune mission wasn’t easy.

Over the next few days, Wu Yue carried Yuan Ruan all around the harem, even barging into the emperor’s study while he was holding a small court meeting. Yet not a single task was triggered.

Yuan Ruan was exasperated.

Zhaoyang Palace

Feeling deflated, Yuan Ruan returned to her bedroom, only to find the emperor and empress chatting with Consort Rong.

Wu Yue carried Yuan Ruan in and saluted.

Yuan Ruan cheerfully interacted with the three, all smiles. Afterward, she vented to the system:

【Tasks used to come one after another, and now there’s nothing. The ceremony is approaching, and I’m getting anxious.】

The emperor and empress exchanged a glance.

The empress stepped forward and said gently, “You must be tired from playing outside. The Great Xia is vast, and the palace is large too. There’s no need to rush—it’s better to take your time.”

Yuan Ruan cupped her face with her chubby hands:

【The empress is so kind. And she’s absolutely right. Everyone still sees me as an eight-month-old baby. If I end up embarrassing myself during the ceremony… I’ll just pretend I have amnesia later. Big Brother can handle everything for me.】

The emperor felt both amused and exasperated. He tapped Yuan Ruan’s forehead lightly with his finger. She only remembered him when there was trouble to be dealt with.

Seeing Yuan Ruan perk up, the emperor felt much more at ease.

He had never intended for Yuan Ruan to perform any miraculous feat during the ceremony—it was just a standard ritual.

System: 【To celebrate Yuan Ruan’s newfound optimism, how about a daily task to relax?】

Yuan Ruan sighed:

【You really take every chance to push tasks on me. Fine, tell me what it is.】

System: 【Hehe, you’ll love this one. During a meal, cause some mischief. The reward is a family-sized bucket of fried chicken (enough for five people).】

Yuan Ruan’s eyes lit up with joy:

【A bucket of fried chicken?! Yes! I’ll do it! Give me the task!】

Consort Rong noticed Yuan Ruan’s sudden excitement and grew curious about what this “fried chicken bucket” could be.

The emperor and empress, who had been preparing to leave, also paused upon hearing Yuan Ruan’s delighted exclamations.

As the palace maid brought the milk soup, Yuan Ruan slapped at the bowl, but her tiny hands were too short to reach it.

Consort Rong’s lips twitched as she held Yuan Ruan closer, allowing her another attempt. Yuan Ruan slapped the bowl with all her might but still failed to knock it over.

Wu Yue: …

She discreetly adjusted the bowl’s balance. The emperor and empress pretended not to notice this scene.

Finally, on Yuan Ruan’s third attempt, the bowl tipped over. Before it could hit the ground, Wu Yue gracefully caught it, even managing to save the sweet soup mid-air.

Yuan Ruan: 【What a stunning move! But she caught everything—does that still count as completing the task?】

Wu Yue froze momentarily.

System: 【It’s completed! I’ve already delivered the family-sized fried chicken bucket to the palace kitchen!】

Yuan Ruan: 【I can’t wait!】

The emperor, empress, Consort Rong, and Wu Yue were all infected by her excitement and began feeling a sense of anticipation themselves.

Moments later, an eunuch ran in, bowing as he said, “Greetings, Your Majesty. Chef Lai said the Ministry of Internal Affairs sent over a new tribute snack—something called fried chicken. Could this be…”

“Bring it in at once,” Consort Rong ordered.

Although the emperor was used to the inexplicable appearance of bronze boxes, due to the system’s powers, he couldn’t help but feel a flicker of wariness. The thought that this mysterious force could alter people’s memories and interfere with palace affairs unsettled him.

His gaze fell on Yuan Ruan with a complicated expression.

Yuan Ruan: 【Fried chicken! Fried chicken! Fried chicken!】

System: 【Host! Can we share the taste? I want to try it too! Please!】

The emperor: …

He suddenly felt ridiculous for being on high alert moments ago.

The palace kitchen staff soon brought out the fried chicken, neatly plated.

Golden and crispy, the tantalizing aroma filled the air, making everyone’s mouths water. Even before tasting it, their picky palates told them this dish was bound to be delicious.

“Yiya! Yiya!”

Yuan Ruan: 【Bring it on! Chicken drumstick!】

Wu Yue, quick on her feet, picked up a drumstick and handed it to Yuan Ruan. Yuan Ruan eagerly opened her mouth to take a bite—she chewed, she gnawed, she tried her best.

Yuan Ruan: 【…Why can’t I eat it without teeth?!】

System: 【Keep trying! Remember that old saying: with perseverance, even an iron pestle can be ground into a needle. Just keep gnawing!】

“Pfft!” Consort Rong almost choked with laughter. She patted her chest, sipped some water, and chuckled at Yuan Ruan holding the drumstick with a bewildered expression. She teased, “Ah Ruan looks so adorable eating her drumstick. I just couldn’t help myself.”

Yuan Ruan squinted and waved her tiny hand:

Yuan Ruan: 【I truly am a beloved treasure! Everyone loves me!】

The empress couldn’t resist picking up a fried chicken wing to try. The moment she took a bite, her eyes lit up. “Delicious!” she exclaimed.

Wu Yue’s eyes also brightened. Within three seconds, she had stripped her drumstick clean, leaving only the bone.

Yuan Ruan: 【Such strong teeth!】

Consort Rong placed a piece in her mouth and was instantly enchanted by the crispy texture and the burst of juicy flavor. The rich aroma filled her nose. Despite years of maintaining her figure, she couldn’t resist taking piece after piece.

Initially, Yuan Ruan was thrilled to have introduced fried chicken to everyone. But as they continued eating, she realized something devastating—while she was still struggling with her intact drumstick, the others had nearly finished the entire bucket of chicken.

She looked at her untouched chicken leg with tears in her eyes:

Yuan Ruan: 【It’s all my chicken!】

The emperor almost burst out laughing at the sound of her sniffling in his ears. Strangely, it made his own chicken wing taste even better.

Just then, news came from outside: Consort Rong’s father, the Assistant Minister of Revenue, had arrived with his wife and daughter, requesting an audience.

Before they even entered, the Assistant Minister’s voice could be faintly heard:

“Your Grace, I know you’ve always held a grudge against me, but this matter is critical and urgent. Please, I beg you to meet with me.”

Yuan Ruan perked up, frowning slightly:

Yuan Ruan: 【Why start by mentioning grudges? It sounds so coercive.】

System: 【Exactly. The beautiful lady’s father is here to ask for help. She might soften her heart this time, but she doesn’t realize she’ll be betrayed. Her father will use her as a scapegoat, leading the emperor to resent her. Her rival consorts will seize the chance to bring her down. She’ll end up confined to a freezing cave in the dead of winter, disfigured and crippled before dying in the cold palace after three miserable years.】

Consort Rong: !!!

Her face darkened, and she could no longer sit still.

She anxiously glanced at the emperor, worried that her father’s actions might implicate her once again.

Fortunately, the emperor did not seem angry.

Yuan Ruan: 【If I were Consort Rong, I’d let them shout outside and refuse to meet.】

Consort Rong agreed wholeheartedly. Since both parties resented each other, it was better not to meet at all.

System: 【Exactly! Oh, wait—host! A national fortune side quest has been triggered!】

System Notification:
Side Quest: Uncover the mastermind’s conspiracy and locate the stolen funds meant for constructing the National Preceptor’s residence.
(Status: Incomplete. Reward: +3 National Fortune Points.)

The emperor: !!!

The mastermind? Could it be the same person who orchestrated the crown prince’s assassination?

The empress: !!!

So this is one of the national destiny missions His Majesty mentioned before!

Consort Rong: !!!

Though she didn’t fully understand, it sounded incredibly important.

Yuan Ruan: 【Oh my goodness! My house! My money! Beautiful lady, charge!】

Consort Rong immediately stood up. This meeting was now unavoidable.