Chapter 71: Dare to Touch Her Family

[Craving, craving, meat, meat…]

Ah Bao pitifully gazed at the large golden chicken leg.

She had to admit, her aunt really understood her well.

She had given her a large golden chicken leg, hoping to let her feast her eyes and satisfy her cravings.

But now, she was even more tempted—what to do?

“Hahaha, Ah Bao, this gold won’t hatch little gold chicks just by keeping it warm.”

[Mother, I really crave some meat.]

[Dear mother, I want to eat that big chicken leg. Please, just let me have a bite.]

Concubine De chuckled softly, “Zhilan, tell the small kitchen to prepare some minced meat and egg custard for the little princess.”

A six-month-old child can gradually start eating some rice cereal and minced meat.

Zhilan cheerfully responded, “Yes, Your Highness.”

Before long, as Ah Bao was playing alone, she heard the sound of chickens clucking from the courtyard…

Ever since Ah Bao came along, Concubine De started growing vegetables and raising chickens, ducks, and fish in Yihe Palace.

She said she wanted to provide fresh food for Ah Bao when she began eating solid food.

Ah Bao’s eyes darted around as Concubine De was busy making a small vest. Ah Bao stretched out her little arms, got down on all fours, and started crawling…

She crawled to the doorway.

As she tried to cross the threshold, which was too high, she almost tumbled over.

“Oh my, my precious!” The tyrant arrived just in time to see this, quickly rushing over to scoop Ah Bao up.

He was almost flying.

The great tyrant hurriedly patted Ah Bao’s back to comfort her, “My darling daughter, did you get hurt?”

Ah Bao was dressed warmly, round and chubby, so she hadn’t gotten hurt.

Hearing the commotion, Concubine De also hurried out, “Greetings, Your Majesty.”

The great tyrant carried Ah Bao into the room, while Ah Bao stared longingly at the little chicks in the cage outside, hatching eggs…

Gurgle, gurgle.

She started drooling again.

Little chicks, wait for me.

“Concubine De, you handled the situation in Changping very well this time. I am very pleased,” the great tyrant said, holding Ah Bao, unwilling to put her down.

Concubine De shook her head, “Your Majesty flatters me. Although the Princess calls me sister-in-law, we are as close as sisters. If she is well, I can be at ease.”

The great tyrant sighed, his affection for Ah Bao deepening.

If it weren’t for Ah Bao, Changping might be in dire straits by now.

And the royal family would be in utter chaos.

“Your Majesty seems troubled. Is something bothering you?” Concubine De asked.

The great tyrant sighed again, “I don’t know what’s wrong these days. I just feel uneasy, very uncomfortable in my mind.”

Ah Bao’s big eyes turned.

[Could it be that scumbag dad is sick?]

Concubine De asked, “Have you seen the imperial physician?”

“I have. The physician couldn’t find anything wrong, but I keep feeling as though some force is stirring in my mind. I wonder if Concubine De can understand what I’m saying.”

After all, he couldn’t even explain it himself.

This was the first time something like this had happened.

He felt very uneasy, yet somehow, everything seemed to be happening as it should.

Concubine De frowned, thinking that the emperor might be experiencing some psychological issues.

[Could it be… the power of the Fate God is altering scumbag dad’s life trajectory?]

The great tyrant’s heart skipped a beat.

In this world, there were indeed gods, but they existed only in legends.

Ah Bao pursed her little lips, her mind racing.

Fate and Luck are two gods.

The Fate God is responsible for the trajectory of life.

The Luck God controls people’s fortune, both good and bad.

[Because of my presence, many people’s life trajectories have changed. Is the Fate God trying to set things back on track?]

[If that’s the case, then the people who avoided misfortune before, like my mother, who was supposed to hang herself out of depression, like me, who should have been drowned at birth, like scumbag dad, who was meant to be cruel and ruthless, like my aunt, who should have died with regret, and like my uncle, who was supposed to have his legs poisoned, will all revert to their original fates, becoming cannon fodder on the protagonists’ path to success.]

Ah Bao thought of this and felt her little belly swell with anger. No, no!

As long as she was here, she would never let her family follow the original plot.

Ah Bao puffed up with anger.

Suddenly, a beam of red light descended from the sky, heading straight for Yihe Palace.

Ah Bao clenched her tiny fists, “Fate… Bone…”

Fate God, scram, scram, scram!

As long as Ah Bao was here, the Fate God better not dare touch her family.

‘Boom—’

A lightning bolt suddenly struck from the sky, slicing through the red light, splitting it apart.

The red cloud that was about to appear seemed to shudder.

It was as if the Fate God, who was about to show up, shrank back upon seeing Ah Bao, this little hellion.

Why was she here?

It was said that she got her position as the Hell King by drawing lots…

At that time, the old Hell King had begged her to take it, crying and shouting.

She… she actually is—

The great tyrant suddenly felt his heart clear, as if it were a bright mirror.

The suffocating discomfort he had felt vanished the moment the lightning dissipated, as if what he had said earlier was just the ramblings of a madman.

The great tyrant widened his eyes in surprise.

Had Ah Bao just corrected his life path?

The great tyrant smiled as he held Ah Bao, “My precious daughter is truly my little lucky charm. This discomfort—just holding my little Ah Bao has made it disappear. She’s more effective than the imperial physician’s medicine.”

Ah Bao stretched out her little arms, hugging the tyrant’s neck and giggling.

The tyrant had no idea that, just a moment ago, Ah Bao had protected them once again.

After having lunch at Yihe Palace, the tyrant took Ah Bao back to the Imperial Study.

The tyrant played with Ah Bao for a while until it was time for her afternoon nap.

Reluctantly, he placed her in the inner chamber for the sake of her health.

Not long after, the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Personnel arrived.

The Minister of Justice reported, “Your Majesty, we’ve reached a critical point in the investigation of the imperial examination scandal.”

“Haven’t the Prince Concubine and the chief examiner Song Ting already been imprisoned? How is the interrogation progressing?”

Minister Zong of the Ministry of Justice sighed, “I came to report that we’ve discovered another accomplice who has yet to be apprehended.”

“Speak.”

Minister Zong hesitated for a moment, “According to the Prince Concubine… I mean, according to Shangguan Ze’s confession, they were in contact with Minister Wen of the Ministry of Rites.”

“The vice examiner?” The tyrant frowned. Minister Wen Zixu of the Ministry of Rites was indeed one of the vice examiners this time.

But Minister Wen Zixu was someone the tyrant himself had discovered and nurtured years ago. Over the years, the tyrant had seen Wen Zixu’s abilities firsthand. Though Wen Zixu was getting older, he was known for his integrity and strict adherence to principles.

Minister Zong nodded, “Indeed.”

The tyrant was silent. “Continue the investigation! If this case truly implicates Wen Zixu in the exam scandal, I will not show mercy. No matter who is involved, I will not let them off lightly!”

It was as if he had seen a tree he had carefully nurtured suddenly rot from the inside, a feeling he did not like at all.

The Tiansheng Dynasty—was there truly no one who was genuinely upright?

The tyrant recalled Ah Bao’s thoughts, saying that the Tiansheng Dynasty would fall within ten years.

At this rate, there would be no need for the so-called ‘protagonists’ to destroy the Tiansheng Dynasty; these officials alone would exhaust the dynasty’s fortune.

“Your Majesty, I have something to report,” said the Minister of Personnel.

“Speak.”

“There’s been a strange occurrence in the capital recently. Has Your Majesty heard of it?”