Yin Ning looked at the young eunuch, whose face was bruised and swollen, with blood at the corner of his mouth. He appeared to be about the same age as Yin Jie, around ten years old, with a childish look, but his eyes were noticeably dimmer compared to Yin Jie's spirited demeanor.
She walked over to him, took out a handkerchief, and gently wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. Startled, he looked up at her like a frightened rabbit, his eyes full of surprise and unease.
Yin Ning raised her hand and gently rubbed his head, asking softly, "Yin Jie said you disobeyed orders. Can you tell me what happened?"
"...I, I can't swim. I was afraid that if I went down, I would sink."
The young eunuch's voice grew softer, and he couldn't help but shrink his head down after speaking.
Hearing his explanation, Yin Ning couldn't help but sigh inwardly. She turned to Yin Jie, "Did he explain to you that he can't swim?"
Yin Jie lowered his head, picking at his fingers without speaking. His attitude was clear: the young eunuch had indeed explained, but Yin Jie didn't care—he felt that since he needed it, the eunuch had to obey even if it meant death.
Seeing the obvious anger on Yin Ning's face, Yin Chen suddenly spoke, "Little Aunt, I'm sorry. As the eldest brother, I failed to keep my younger brother in check. Fourth Brother has been spoiled by Consort Xu and has a bit of a temper. I'll have someone apply medicine to this eunuch later."
Seeing Yin Chen acting like a responsible elder brother, Yin Ning felt only disgust. When Yin Jie was ordering the beating, Yin Chen stood by without stopping him, but now he was jumping in to play the good guy.
Yin Ning hadn't had much interaction with these four nephews before, but after what just happened, she couldn't help but doubt: Was Emperor Jingwu really one of these four?
Acting quickly, Yin Ning contacted her bound Palace Intrigue System 007 in her mind. [007, help me detect the攻略 value of Yin Chen, Yin Jie, and the other two.]
[Alright, host. It will cost 40 points in total. Do you confirm the deduction?]
[Confirmed!]
System 007's voice was cold and mechanical: [After detection, Yin Chen's攻略 value is 45 points, rated as negligible. The other three's攻略 value is 30 points, rated as insignificant.]
Yin Ning had previously used this system function to assess a person's potential and talent. Hearing 007's result, she immediately understood that Emperor Jingwu had nothing to do with these four.
"You don't need to give him medicine!" Yin Ning said to Yin Chen. "I want this eunuch. From now on, he'll serve by my side!"
Hearing this, Yin Chen immediately nodded with a smile, saying no problem, but Yin Jie wore a resentful expression, clearly dissatisfied.
Yin Ning wasn't going to indulge him. She said directly, "My father, the Emperor, doesn't even order the death of eunuchs and palace maids. If I ever find out you do something like this again, I'll drag you before him and let him give you a lesson you'll never forget!"
Only then did Yin Jie's face show some fear. After a few days in the palace, he could clearly feel that Emperor Jingming valued his eldest brother Yin Chen more, while he himself was treated as dispensable. Besides, at home, his mother often said that Yin Ning was the Emperor's most beloved youngest daughter.
"Little Aunt, I understand. I won't dare do it again!" Yin Jie said timidly, making a promise.
Seeing how he bullied the weak and feared the strong, Yin Ning just snorted coldly.
In Yin Ning's view, sayings like "He's just a child, he doesn't understand" were complete nonsense. If Yin Jie truly didn't understand, he wouldn't have become afraid once she invoked Emperor Jingming's name.
But Yin Ning was done dealing with the four brothers. She called the young eunuch and returned to her residence, Ruihe Hall.
Since Bai Ju had studied medicine, she usually handled any minor ailments among the palace maids and eunuchs in Yin Ning's hall. So, upon returning, Yin Ning had Bai Ju check the injured eunuch's wounds to see if a doctor was needed.
Fortunately, after Bai Ju examined him, she found that although he looked severely beaten, the injuries were superficial. With some medicine, he would recover fully in time.
Relieved, Yin Ning said to the young eunuch warmly, "What's your name? Is there anything you're good at or would like to do?"
It seemed he had finally relaxed. A faint smile appeared on his thin little face as he whispered shyly, "Reporting to Your Highness, this servant is called Xiao Shunzi. I'm not good at cheering people up, but I can cook decently. Whenever the others wanted to cook extra meals, they'd ask me to help."
Curious, Yin Ning had System 007 check Xiao Shunzi's攻略 value. The result surprised her: Xiao Shunzi scored 83 points—a fairly high level compared to past results.
So Yin Ning smiled and said to him, "Then from now on, you'll work in my small kitchen assisting Cook Hua. You can learn to cook from her."
Cook Hua was the head chef in Yin Ning's kitchen, extremely skilled and kind. Yin Ning felt that if Xiao Shunzi's talent truly lay in cooking, Cook Hua might help nurture a culinary prodigy.
Xiao Shunzi beamed with joy at this arrangement, nodding eagerly, tears forming at the corners of his eyes. Earlier, when he was being beaten by the lake, he thought he might die today. He never expected such a turn of events.
Everyone in the palace knew that Yin Ning's Ruihe Hall was a blessed place. Yin Ning was generous, often rewarding her servants, and always treated them gently without harsh scolding. More importantly, mastering a skill in the palace was highly advantageous, especially culinary skills, which could ensure a good life.
As Yin Ning's chief maid, Bai Ju soon took Xiao Shunzi to settle in. After they left, Yin Ning looked at her tutor Shi Qingyuan and asked, "Teacher, what do you think of my four nephews?"
"Rotten wood that cannot be carved. Useless."
Shi Qingyuan had been observing the four brothers but grew increasingly disappointed, feeling none of them fit the legendary sage-king Emperor Jingwu.
Hearing such sharp criticism, Yin Ning couldn't help but chuckle. She gave Shi Qingyuan a thumbs-up. "Teacher's skill in judging people is still unmatched!"
Shi Qingyuan composed herself. "It seems the recent rumor might actually be true. A brother seizing the throne—no wonder some think Emperor Jingwu's claim is illegitimate."
Yin Ning casually cracked a melon seed. "Legitimate or not, as long as Emperor Jingwu can govern the country well, it's fine!"
Shi Qingyuan nodded in agreement. The reason the master and disciple got along so well was their similar temperament—they both disregarded formalities and hypocrisy, acting freely.
Moreover, Yin Ning wasn't in a hurry to find out who Emperor Jingwu was. Otherwise, she would have approached the four brothers sooner. It was only by chance that she interacted with them today.
Although the Sky Canopy had disappeared, Yin Ning had a strong feeling that Liu Sanqi would continue to broadcast, so the identity of Emperor Jingwu would eventually be revealed.
What concerned Yin Ning more now was the drowning of the Crown Prince's concubine. She had hoped to use her to uncover the true culprit behind the murder of her eldest brother, the Crown Prince. Now that the key witness had been silenced by the murderer, she was certain of the murderer's identity, but the evidence she had was insufficient to convict the Third Prince.
Yin Ning thought she might need to investigate further to find the Third Prince's weakness. However, Liu Sanqi's broadcast the next day saved her a lot of trouble.
When the Sky Canopy reappeared, it happened to be after the morning court session.
Emperor Jingming led the officials out of the Golden Throne Hall and stood on the white marble steps.
"Dear followers, Sanqi is back! This episode is still about the Great Jing Dynasty!"
"Although many of you criticize Emperor Jingming for his poor choice of successors, and I even joked about his poor judgment at the end of the last broadcast, I have to speak up for him: you can't make bricks without straw. He didn't have many options."
"The Crown Prince he originally appointed was poisoned to death by his third son, who later even planned to rebel. Could he keep that son around for the New Year?"
Liu Sanqi's tone was light and casual, but the sound of the Third Prince's knees hitting the ground was particularly loud.