Chapter 330: Chasing the Crane
Chapter 330: Chasing the Crane
As emperor and king, he had a naturally ruthless and cunning mind.
He quickly replied to the Chief Judge: "Vigorously torture and interrogate them. Their lives are of no consequence."
Of course, the mastermind must not die—not yet.
But for those unimportant people, if they can't withstand the pressure, interrogate them to death. It would be best if they confessed, but if not, their deaths would serve as a warning.
After replying to the Chief Judge, the Emperor thought for a moment and sent someone to the Royal Estate with a message: "I don't know if Little Nine still cares about what's happening here, but since he's not here, we should at least inform him."
As for the Empress Dowager?
The Emperor felt it was best not to mention anything to her until the case was closed.
This case involved the Sus from back then and his imperial younger sister...
It was best not to upset his mother until they had results.
The sun had dried the muddy ground from yesterday, making it perfect for playing.
Su Su and her cousins didn't hold back and fully immersed themselves in their games.
Insects?
As long as they weren't venomous, biting, or stinging insects, the children weren't too afraid.
Besides, they had their medicine pouches, so insects tended to stay away from them.
But the children could still chase them!
The three children played until they were covered in mud, but Qi Wang didn't mind at all. Instead, he kept commenting with a smile: "Look at our good girl, oh, she's so energetic."
"Wonderful!"
"Good girl is so smart."
"Little Six is such a rascal."
"Little Seven can't keep up; he's too slow."
...
Most of his comments were praises for Su Su.
However, Qi Wang didn't neglect his two sons, occasionally clapping and teasing them.
The two brothers: "...!"
They would rather not have this kind of attention!
Feng Xuan Shang played with them for a while before going to check on the herb fields.
He had originally come out of the palace with the Empress to tend to these fields, so it was only natural that he wouldn't spend all his time playing.
But seeing the children having so much fun, Feng Xuan Shang couldn't help but comment to the little page by his side: "Little Nine would've loved this. It's a pity the Empress didn't let him come out. Otherwise, he could've joined in the fun as well."
There were many rules in the palace, and the young princes had even more restrictions.
So, it was impossible for them to let loose and play like this.
Feng Xuan Lu, the Ninth Prince, was Feng Xuan Shang's full brother, and he naturally adored his younger sibling.
Now, seeing the other children playing, he couldn't help but think of his brother and feel a twinge of regret.
He wished he had brought his brother along.
But Feng Xuan Shang didn't dwell on it for too long and soon refocused his attention on the herb fields.
Su Su and her cousins were covered in mud, but they were having so much fun that even Qi Wangfei didn't have the heart to scold them.
The Royal Estate didn't usually have a lot of ingredients for cooking.
Since the residents were mostly guards and servants, the food standards were a bit lower.
Feng Xuan Shang had kept things simple since his arrival.
Qi Wang had been staying at Lanruo Temple for several days, and he was starting to get tired of the bland food.
So, should he also eat simply?
No way!
Therefore, arrangements were made to have ingredients sent over from nearby.
He needed to eat some meat!
He had been craving it for days!
The Royal Estate also kept some small animals, such as deer, cranes, and sheep.
However, this place was different from the Upper Forest.
The animals here were mostly for ornamental purposes. Whether they tasted good or not was unknown, but they were definitely rare and exotic breeds.
So, eating them...
was absolutely out of the question!
But they were nice to look at.
Su Su didn't understand the concept of rarity.
She just followed her brother, watching him chase cranes, birds, and deer, and finally succeeding in getting a feather.
The feather was white with a hint of light gray, and it looked quite beautiful.
Su Su tucked it into her little hat, creating a unique and rustic look.
Feng Xuan Bin envied her and demanded a hat of his own, insisting on having a feather as well! When Queen Qi saw the tail feather, her vision darkened.
Those were the White Cranes that His Majesty favored!
How dare they pluck its feathers!
This could be disastrous!
Queen Qi anxiously tugged at King Qi's sleeve, but he didn't seem too concerned. He gently patted the Queen's hand to soothe her, smiling as he said, "Don't worry, it's no big deal. It's just a couple of tail feathers, and His Majesty isn't even here. It will be fine."
However, King Qi did consider the possibility of startling the cranes, so he instructed the servants to give the cranes some extra treats.
Queen Qi: "...!"
Alright, as long as the King is here to support us.
Su Su didn't understand the value of the crane feathers; she only knew that they looked pretty and made a nice addition to her hat.
The system wanted to educate the children, especially since this particular breed of crane would be considered a rare and protected species in the future. It was itching to impart this knowledge.
However, the system soon reconsidered...
Times were different, and so were the cultural backgrounds and values.
While they might understand what the system told them, it didn't mean they would agree or accept it.
Ultimately, the system decided against saying anything.
Instead, King Qi spoke to Feng Xuan Rui: "It's not good to keep plucking their feathers. His Majesty, your imperial uncle, would be sad if they get damaged."
Feng Xuan Rui had been caught up in the excitement of playing and hadn't paid attention to the implications of his actions.
Hearing his father's words, he nodded obediently and said, "Okay, Father, I understand."
With that assurance, King Qi didn't pursue the matter further.
At noon, they enjoyed a sumptuous meat feast.
Although it wasn't an entirely meat-based meal, it made up at least half of the dishes.
After all, they had been eating vegetarian meals for several days, and it was a rare treat to have meat again.
If it weren't for their concern about upsetting their stomachs, King Qi would have indulged in even richer and oilier dishes.
However, seeing that Su Su didn't like the smell of those dishes and considering Queen Qi's preference for lighter flavors, he eventually restrained himself.
Feng Xuan Shang preferred a lighter diet, and seeing that half of the dishes on the table were prepared in a similar style, he felt somewhat relieved.
At that moment, Feng Xuan Shang was grateful that Queen Qi didn't favor overly meaty dishes. Otherwise, today's lunch would have been a challenge...
He would rather eat with the servants if necessary!
After the meal, the sun was at its peak, and it wasn't ideal for vigorous activities.
Moreover, after playing all morning, everyone was tired.
So, the children soon went to take a nap.
Feng Xuan Shang didn't want to endure the heat either, so he chatted with King Qi for a while before returning to his room for a rest.
The midday sun had effectively dried the ground, and by afternoon, the area was mostly dry and no longer slippery.
Feng Xuan Rui happily took Su Su's hand and ran around excitedly.
He wanted to chase the cranes again, but Su Su stopped him, "Brother, we shouldn't keep chasing them. They feel pain too."
At noon, the system couldn't resist and gently explained to Su Su about the cranes.
The system could only convey this information in a way that a child could understand.
Su Su didn't fully grasp the concept, wondering why they could eat lamb and pork but not cranes. However, even though she didn't understand, she was willing to listen to what the system had to say.
Feng Xuan Rui had intended to continue chasing the cranes, but when Su Su advised him to stop, he thought about it and proudly nodded, "Okay, we'll do whatever Sister says! Wherever Sister wants to go, we'll go!"
Feng Xuan Bin, who was panting from running, heard this and proudly stuck out his little belly, agreeing, "Yes, yes! Listen to Sister!"
Su Su randomly pointed in a direction, "Let's go over there!"
(End of Chapter)
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