Chapter 51: with translation of chapter title

Xiao Yuanhang covered Tuan Tuan's little nose; Tuan Tuan wrinkled the tip of her nose, lifted her small hand, and also covered dad's nose.

Xiao Yuanhang laughed, "Good child!"

Xiao Ningchen took a torch from a guard's hand and shone it inside.

In the secret chamber, a female corpse that had already turned to white bone lay silently.

It was a female corpse because, although the bones had all whitened, the clothing and ornaments were still present.

Li Jing frowned, "Lord Zhao, this is in your residence; who is this person?"

Zhao Heng stepped forward, glanced once, and recognized her: "Ruo Mei? How did she end up here?"

He turned his head toward Lin Xiangyue: "Didn't you tell me that an elder in Ruo Mei's family fell gravely ill, so she went back home to visit relatives? She hasn't returned for a long time; I sent people to inquire at her house, and you said she might have encountered bandits on the road…"

His eyes widened, full of fury: "It was you! You killed her and hid her here?"

Xiao Yuanhang, upon hearing this, guessed the gist; not wanting his daughter to hear any more vulgar words, he handed her to Xiao Ningxun, lifted his chin, and stepped toward the doorway.

Xiao Ningxun understood, hurriedly embraced his sister and walked outward.

Tuan Tuan stretched out her small hand toward him, "Dad!"

"Good, the smell here is bad; you go first, dad will be right there."

"Oh!" Tuan Tuan then sat properly in Third Brother's arms, and followed him outward.

Lin Xiangyue's face was as blank as paper, yet she showed no fear: "Yes! It's me! That scoundrel has bewitched you completely; how could I tolerate her! If I don't act, should I just wait for her to give birth to a lowly offspring and fight my son?"

"You!" Zhao Heng, enraged, rushed at her and grabbed her throat: "You scoundrel! You harmed Ruo Mei, and you even had the audacity to harm Prince Ning's son!"

"If it weren't for your reckless audacity! I wouldn't have fallen into this predicament!" He exerted all his strength, intending to choke the woman to death.

Several guards rushed forward and it took a while before they separated the two.

Xiao Yuanhang, thinking of his daughter, paid no mind to the Minister's family's feuds: "Lord Li, the capital's homicide case falls under your jurisdiction; handle this matter with full authority. Xiao Er, take twenty men and stay to assist Lord Li; I am returning to my mansion."

"Yes!" Li Jing and Xiao Er bowed and saluted.

Xiao Yuanhang strode outward; where was Tuan Tuan? Where had she run off to?

Just a short distance out, he saw Tuan Tuan squatting on the ground, picking something up, and happily putting it into her little embroidered pouch.

Xiao Yuanhang smiled faintly, "Come, Tuan Tuan! Let's go home!"

Tuan Tuan rushed over, "Dad! That big villain, is he finished?"

Xiao Yuanhang hugged her, signaling Xiao Ningxun beside him to follow: "It's over! The villain who bullied our family won't be spared by dad."

"Dad is so good!" Tuan Tuan buried her little face against his neck: "I'm so sleepy, dad." She let out a small yawn.

"Then sleep! Sleep right in dad's arms."

"Hmm." Tuan Tuan closed her eyes.

Xiao Yuanhang held his daughter tightly and strode out of the Minister of Works' residence.

Early the next morning, Tuan Tuan opened her eyes and scrambled up: "Mother!"

"Here you are! Here you are!" Cheng Ru'an, hearing his daughter call him, took three steps at a time and came in: "Tuan Tuan awake?"

"Where's big brother? Is he awake?" Tuan Tuan kept worrying, having not yet seen big brother open his eyes!

Cheng Ru'an paused, "Not yet; big brother is still sleeping, hasn't woken up at all."

"He hasn't woken up, I'll go check on him!"

"Alright, don't rush. Mother will dress you in your little clothes; we'll have breakfast first, then mother will accompany you to see big brother."

"Alright."

Soon, the mother and daughter arrived together at Yangzheng Pavilion.

Xiao Ningyuan remained asleep, his face very serene, yet still not awakened.

Tuan Tuan perched at the bedside, patting his big hand: "Big brother, I'm already awake, why are you still sleeping?"

Cheng Ru'an quickly comforted her: "Guo Taiyi examined big brother's pulse this morning and said he was hurrying home, got exhausted on the road, and may need a few more days of sleep to wake up. Good Tuan Tuan, don't worry."

Tuan Tuan nodded, leaned her face forward, and rubbed against Xiao Ningyuan's hand: "Big brother, wake up quickly, stay awake to play with me. I have a big cat now, and I'll take you to pet it, okay?"

Cheng Ru'an felt both sorrowful and helpless; this child truly cares for her several brothers.

"Tuan Tuan wants to see the big cat? Shall Third Brother take you to see it, okay?"

Tuan Tuan lifted her head, thought for a moment: "No, I want to wait until big brother wakes up, then we'll go together to see it."

Cheng Ru'an considered, wanting to take her daughter out for a walk instead of staying here idly: "Then mother will take you to Xuanqiong Temple; we'll go together to burn incense for big brother, praying that the deities bless him to wake quickly, okay?"

"What is Xuanqiong Temple?"

"Xuanqiong Temple, ah, is the largest Daoist temple in the capital, with beautiful scenery. Its Temple Master is a highly respected Taoist Priest. People in the capital go to him for divination and inquiries; he's a very kind old gentleman."

"Taoist Priest Grandfather?" Tuan Tuan's eyes lit up, having not seen him for a long time: "I want to go! Mother! I want to see the Taoist Priest Grandfather! Let's call dad, Second Brother and Third Brother to go together, let's leave right now!"

"Now?" Cheng Ru'an laughed; children truly take words literally: "Your dad and Second Brother went to Dali Temple; the big villain they captured last night is locked there. They only left this morning and haven't returned yet. Call Third Brother; he's at home."

"Oh, okay." Tuan Tuan was a bit disappointed, but Third Brother is fine; he's the most obedient: "I'll go find Third Brother!" After saying that, she bolted outward.

"Slow down! Don't fall!" Cheng Ru'an called from behind, "Go straight to the gate; I'll wait for you on the carriage!"

"Got it! Understood!" Tuan Tuan shouted, then vanished from sight as she ran.

Cheng Ru'an shook her head, "That child!" She instructed Liu Grandma to ready the carriage and ordered the guards and attendants to go.

The mother and her two children boarded the carriage and soon arrived at Xuanqiong Temple.

Just as they stepped off the carriage at the gate, the Temple Attendant on the small path greeted them; seeing the five‑colored black snake on the carriage, he recognized their identity: "Prince Ning's mansion has arrived, please proceed inside quickly."

Cheng Ru'an smiled, "Thank you, Junior Master. Is Master Xuanqing present in the temple today?"

The Temple Attendant replied promptly, "He is in the main hall. Princess Consort, please follow me."

Cheng Ru'an nodded and instructed her son, "I'll go in first to meet the Taoist Priest; you take Tuan Tuan to look around, and return to the main hall to find me later."

"Yes! Mother, rest assured."

Cheng Ru'an followed the Temple Attendant and left.

Tuan Tuan looked up at the gate, full of confusion, "Why is it so big? It used to be so small. When did it become this big?"

"I wondered who it was, turns out it's Princess Jiayou, just brought back from the countryside to Ning Prince's Mansion. So you came to ask the Sanqing Immortal for blessings, that the Eldest Princess can keep valuing you like that?" a teenage girl's voice, clearly laced with anger, said.

Tuan Tuan turned her head and saw a golden‑clad girl in splendid brocade, followed by a youth in a blue brocade robe, and a girl with a pointed chin wearing a pink dress, all slowly walking toward her.

Behind them trailed dozens of servants, an impressive display.

The girl in the pink dress spoke: "Sister Wenxuan, this fate is heaven‑determined; those sent away at birth are inevitably ill‑fated. How many in this world can, like you, be born the Eldest Princess's niece?"