Little Pink Starfish

The Fourth Prince Who Committed Patricide to Seize the Throne

After passing through Bailin Pass and crossing a barren plain into the borders of the Vermilion Bird Kingdom, Gu Xinglang took Xiaozhuang and Xiao Wei into a small border town where they planned to rest. When the three of them returned to the post station, none of them looked pleased.

Big Boss glanced at their princess. Yu Xiaoxiao was hunched over the dining table, happily devouring a roasted whole lamb. Big Boss sighed and gave up expecting anything deeper from this blockhead, so he turned to Gu Xinglang and asked, “Prince Consort, has something happened?”

Gu Xinglang sat down at the table. Seeing his wife’s mouth covered in grease from gnawing on lamb bones, he pulled out a handkerchief and gently wiped her mouth.

Xiaozhuang stepped forward and said, “Princess, something has happened in the Vermilion Bird Kingdom.”

Yu Xiaoxiao hadn’t reacted yet, but Big Boss was already intrigued. “What happened?”

Without sparing Big Boss a glance, Xiaozhuang leaned close and said softly to Yu Xiaoxiao, “Li Xiaoyuan has imprisoned his fourth prince son. The execution is scheduled soon.”

Silence fell instantly over the table.

Yu Xiaoxiao paused mid-bite. “The fourth prince? His own son?”

Tianxingzi looked at her like she was an idiot. “Yes, the fourth prince is his fourth son. Princess, do you get it now?”

Yu Xiaoxiao truly didn’t get it at first. A father executing his own son? But then she remembered Jing Mo—who’d killed his father and brothers without hesitation. With a lunatic like that around, Li Xiaoyuan killing his own son didn’t seem so shocking anymore. Yu Xiaoxiao muttered, “So this fourth prince tried to kill his father to take the throne?”

Xiao Wei said, “That’s what the imperial family claims. But what the truth is—we outsiders may never know.”

“Oh.” Yu Xiaoxiao bit into another lamb rib and asked Gu Xinglang, “So is Li Xiaoyuan still throwing his birthday bash? If he’s not, we might as well go back.” Honestly, she just couldn’t bear to part with those 66 chests of birthday gifts.

Granny Wang, clearly nervous, asked, “Prince Consort, which prince was born of Princess Fuhui?”

Her question shifted the mood from casual to tense in an instant.

Yu Xiaoxiao asked, “No way—my aunt gave birth to the fourth prince?”

Gu Xinglang gently patted her hand. “No, Consort Yu gave birth to the seventh prince.”

Crisis averted.

Yu Xiaoxiao resumed gnawing her lamb.

Xiao Wei said, “Princess, with the fourth prince imprisoned, there will surely be upheaval in court.”

Yu Xiaoxiao shook her head. “Nope.”

“Why not? Tell me,” Gu Xinglang asked.

Since her little Gu was asking so nicely, Yu Xiaoxiao reluctantly put down her half-eaten rib and said, “Li Xiaoyuan’s birthday party is still on?”

Big Boss corrected, “It’s a birthday banquet.”

“Shut up,” Granny Wang scolded him.

Big Boss wasn’t afraid of Yu Xiaoxiao, but he was scared of Granny Wang. He immediately shut up.

Gu Xinglang nodded. “I heard that Chiyang City is being lavishly decorated for Li Xiaoyuan’s birthday celebration.”

Yu Xiaoxiao said, “If he’s still throwing the party, it means he wants foreign guests like us to see a prosperous and peaceful Vermilion Bird Kingdom. Whatever court drama there is, it’ll be over by the time we get to his capital.”

Everyone blinked in surprise. Was this really their princess speaking so sensibly? Could it be… she wasn’t just a blockhead?

Then Yu Xiaoxiao asked Gu Xinglang, “What’s the name of Vermilion Bird’s capital again?”

…Okay, that was definitely their princess. 100% certified.

“Chiyang City,” Gu Xinglang replied.

Yu Xiaoxiao memorized the name. She couldn’t very well arrive in the kingdom without even knowing its capital.

Big Boss took a big swig of white liquor and said, “Then this has nothing to do with us. Let’s just keep moving.”

But Gu Xinglang shook his head and sighed. “The fourth prince is the son of Li Xiaoyuan’s favored consort, Lady Jiang. With his fall, her entire clan may not survive.”

Xiao Wei asked, “Prince Consort, you know this family?”

Gu Xinglang said, “I once crossed paths with a grandson of the Jiang family on the battlefield.”

Yu Xiaoxiao glanced up at him. Just how busy was her little Gu? Fighting battles from north to south?

Xiaozhuang asked, “So the Jiang family is a military clan?”

Gu Xinglang nodded.

Tianxingzi nodded as well. “No wonder the fourth prince had the guts to rebel—his maternal family had military power. That’s where his boldness came from.”

Gu Xinglang didn’t respond. He didn’t believe the Jiang clan would commit treason. They were known for their absolute loyalty to the imperial family.

Granny Wang glanced at the old Daoist. Having lived in the imperial palace half her life, she knew all too well how vicious a royal succession could be. Just look at Consort Zhao and Consort Hua—already scheming endlessly, and Prince Ziyi was still in swaddling clothes! “What do you know?” Granny Wang snapped. “Were you there to see what happened with the fourth prince?”

Second Boss chimed in, “He’s been in Fengtian with us the whole time. How could he have seen anything?”

“So why are you spouting nonsense?” Granny Wang scolded.

The old Daoist instantly deflated.

“Princess, let me tell you,” Granny Wang continued. “There’s no telling how many twists and turns are behind this. You mustn’t get involved. We’re from Fengtian.”

Yu Xiaoxiao lowered her head and continued drinking lamb soup. Even if she wanted to get involved, she didn’t know how.

“I get the feeling,” Big Boss muttered, tilting his head, “that maybe this fourth prince is innocent?”

“Innocent or not—it’s none of our business,” Granny Wang snapped at him. Over the course of this journey, she’d realized this guy wasn’t exactly easy to handle either. The moment there was a fight, he got excited like he’d found his long-lost dad.

Big Boss nodded obediently and said, completely insincerely, “Yes, yes, Granny Wang is right. It’s none of our business.”

With nothing else to do, the old Daoist started calculating fate again.

Gu Xinglang watched his wife downing her lamb soup without even lifting her head and asked, “You like lamb?”

Everyone else at the table collectively rolled their eyes. Is there anything the princess doesn’t like eating?

Yu Xiaoxiao nodded while slurping her soup. As long as there was good food, the world felt like a beautiful place.

Then Xiao Wei asked Gu Xinglang, “Prince Consort, what’s the name of that Jiang clan young master you crossed swords with?”

Gu Xinglang replied, “Jiang Zhuojun.”

Pfft—

Yu Xiaoxiao sprayed lamb soup everywhere. The world was not beautiful after all!

At that moment, Tianxingzi finished his divination. The result: Great misfortune turns to blessing; disaster avoided means fortune follows. A prince imprisoned and awaiting execution still had hope of survival? The old Daoist glanced at Yu Xiaoxiao, who was now mourning her wasted soup. Ever since he’d met this little monster, his world had become very, very strange.