Born with divine strength?
Isn’t that just an unfair advantage?
Not only did the ministers fall silent, but even Mingzhu’s smile faded slightly. Kangxi himself looked momentarily astonished before bursting into laughter. "Good, very good! Tuyue, you’ve truly raised a remarkable son. No wonder Fulu was so eager to accept the challenge—he was confident he could surpass Kuien! To think he never even told me about his divine strength…"
The moment Fulu effortlessly set down the stone, Kuien’s eyes widened. He stammered, his face flushing red with disbelief as he staggered back a few steps. How was this possible?
Had he been played for a fool by Fulu all along?
Recalling his earlier smugness before the stone-lifting challenge, Kuien felt utterly humiliated. In front of the entire court, he couldn’t bring himself to go back on his word. Gritting his teeth, he wiped his face in defeat and admitted, "In terms of strength, I am no match for you. I… I apologize!"
As he spoke, his face burned even hotter, and he dared not glance in Consort Hui’s direction…
His elder brother, Kuimi, clenched his fists, sensing disaster.
Consort Hui had entrusted them with what should have been a simple task, yet they had failed spectacularly. Now, how could Her Highness expose Mrs. Guoluoluo’s audacity in disrespecting the Eldest Prince before the Emperor?
The competition had merely been a pretext. Consort Hui adored the Eldest Prince and would never allow anyone to overshadow him.
Back when the Eldest Prince was five, he had defeated a companion three years his senior through agility and strength. That was why the Nara clan had sent Kuien—to recreate that very scenario.
Fulu had dared to compare himself to the Eldest Prince—no, to claim he surpassed him. If he couldn’t even defeat Kuien, wouldn’t that prove him a laughingstock? How could he ever measure up to the Eldest Prince?
Soon, rumors of Fulu’s overconfidence would spread. And with them, whispers of the Guoluoluo family’s arrogance, Consort Yi’s domineering nature, and how the aunt and nephew were cut from the same cloth. Consort Hui intended to drag the Guoluoluo name through the mud, ensuring their standing in the Emperor’s eyes plummeted…
At the same time, she aimed to deepen Kangxi’s impression of the Nara clan’s younger generation. This was her open scheme.
The Eldest Prince was Consort Hui’s pride. How dare Fulu provoke her wrath?
Beating a child was nothing to boast about. As Consort Hui had said, the true purpose was to expose Fulu’s claim of being "exceptionally valiant." For Kuien, winning through unfair means was irrelevant.
Kuimi’s face paled as he mulled it over. They had planned every detail—except for Fulu himself.
They had all been deceived by the child’s innocent appearance!
Fulu wasn’t foolish. In fact, he was cunning, hiding his true abilities like a seasoned schemer—nothing like a typical five-year-old.
Now, their grand scheme had crumbled. What was meant to be "overconfidence" had turned into "quiet confidence." Fulu, at just five years old, had defeated Kuien. Far from being arrogance, this proved he truly could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Eldest Prince.
No—perhaps even surpass him. No matter how heroic the Eldest Prince was, he didn’t possess divine strength.
Divine strength was a heavenly gift. Throughout history, those blessed with it had all become legendary generals and commanders. Who could have guessed that the Guoluoluo family had such a prodigy and chose to keep it hidden instead of flaunting it?
By the end, Kuimi was nearly overcome with indignation.
Who was the one with the unfair advantage here? This—this was outright bullying!
Yinti, too, was momentarily speechless. Noticing the Crown Prince’s slowly widening smirk, he took a deep, steadying breath. The Emperor was still present—he couldn’t afford to storm off in anger.
Meanwhile, after Kangxi’s praise and Kuien’s humbled surrender, all eyes turned to Fulu. Some regarded him with awe, others with admiration, and a few with wariness. Fulu remained his usual round, cheerful self, grinning as if nothing had happened. Yet no one dared underestimate him now.
Just as he was about to speak, he was met with a fierce glare from his father.
Tuyue shook his head sternly, then bowed with a sigh. "Your Majesty, please, do not praise Fulu any further. Winning like this is no accomplishment—it’s nothing to be proud of. Shameful, truly shameful."
Then, he shot another glare at Fulu. "You brat! How can you just accept his apology so shamelessly? Have you forgotten everything I taught you?"
His tone was harsh, but if one listened closely, there was a hint of guilt beneath it—
Tuyue had just remembered. He’d forgotten to inform his sister about Fulu’s divine strength!
It was all Sanguanbao’s fault for insisting they keep a low profile upon arriving in the capital. He had warned against drawing attention to Fulu’s uniqueness, lest it burden Consort Yi with worry or attract unwanted scrutiny. Tuyue had taken his father’s words to heart, reminding Guargiya while deliberately omitting the detail in his letters to Yunxiu.
Who could have predicted that the Nara family’s young master would challenge Fulu on this very day?
Ah, Consort Yi must have been worried sick all this time.
This was all that brat’s fault!
Not daring to meet Yunxiu’s gaze, Tuyue glared at Fulu even more fiercely—enough to scare children into silence at night.
Truth be told, Fulu feared nothing in this world… except Tuyue wielding a cane.
With another jolt, Fulu hurriedly waved his hands at Kuien, nearly creating a blur. He picked up the small melon-skin cap nearby, awkwardly placed it on his head, and with a scrunched-up round face, whispered, "No need for compensation, no need! My father was right—what was it again? Winning unfairly… yes, ‘winning unfairly.’ I was at fault too. So, how about we call it even?"
The Eldest Prince: "…"
Mingzhu: "…"
Yunxiu, supporting the Empress Dowager, had just witnessed quite the spectacle. Initially somewhat dazed, she couldn’t help but curve her lips into a smile as she glanced sideways at Consort Hui, nearly laughing out loud.
Consort Hui’s face shifted through shades of green and white, a sight so entertaining it even improved Yunxiu’s appetite for the meal ahead.
Earlier, when Kangxi arrived with a crowd of high-ranking officials, followed by the Eldest Prince Yinti, Yunxiu’s expression darkened as she suddenly recalled an incident from her early days in the palace—when the five-year-old Eldest Prince had defeated his study companion in a contest.
Now, she fully understood Consort Hui’s scheme.
From the beginning, the only thing that had truly bothered Consort Hui was the claim that "Fulu is more valiant than the Eldest Prince." It had driven her to madness, plotting against Yikun Palace!
All this fanfare wasn’t really about Fulu—it was about undermining the prestige of the Guoluoluo family and Yunxiu’s own reputation.
Mingzhu must have played a part too, eager to stamp their family with the label of arrogance, making it impossible to shake off in the future…
And now? Their carefully laid plans had backfired spectacularly. How did it feel to reap what they’d sown?
With a cold laugh in her heart, Yunxiu lightly averted her gaze, the anger she’d felt toward her brother for keeping secrets vanishing without a trace.
In her dreams, she’d never known about Fulu’s innate strength. Really, truly…
Her father had hidden it from her, and so had her brother. Fulu, being far away in Shengjing, might have had an excuse—but what about now?
Her elder brother often acted foolishly, and she couldn’t very well blame him for that, could she?
She’d just have to ask his wife to withhold his braised pork as punishment.
Meanwhile, Kangxi watched the earnest little round ball Fulu repeating his father’s teachings and chuckled again.
The Empress Dowager laughed, the Grand Empress Dowager laughed—only Mingzhu stood there awkwardly, suspecting that father and son were mocking him in tandem…
Fortunately, no one dared to embarrass the esteemed Mingzhu. The officials exchanged glances, chuckled politely, and let the matter pass.
Still, the incident stirred ripples, especially among those outside Mingzhu’s faction, who couldn’t wait to return home and share this joke with their wives.
Seeing the cunning old fox Mingzhu humiliated was a once-in-a-century spectacle—how could they resist?
Recalling the old tale of Yinti’s childhood contest with his study companion, the Emperor was thoroughly amused. He pointed at his eldest son and said with a smile, "Fulu is exceptionally valiant. I daresay he’s even more impressive than you were at his age."
Yinti had been forcing a smile all along—what a pair, Tuyue and Fulu, stabbing him right in the heart with their words.
The phrase "winning unfairly" rang in the Eldest Prince’s ears until they buzzed, making him wish he could silence both father and son. But an even greater blow was yet to come!
Hearing Kangxi’s assessment firsthand, even if he sensed the teasing undertone, Yinti stiffened for a long moment before finally managing to say, "...Yes."
Who could have predicted such a twist?
Taking in Yinti’s reaction, Kangxi’s smile faltered slightly, his eyes glinting with curiosity—while the Crown Prince struggled to hold back laughter, his stomach aching from the effort.
Finally composing himself, the Crown Prince ruffled Yinqi’s hair and asked in a low voice, "Now that you’ve seen how impressive your little cousin is, will you still call him a bootlicker?"
The Fifth Prince: "…" Never again.
Yinqi was filled with admiration—but it was mixed with fear, terrified that Fulu might overhear the term "bootlicker" and punch him without a second thought.
Oof, that was a strength even stone couldn’t withstand!
He hurriedly said, "No more! Second Brother, you have to keep this a secret…"
The Crown Prince hummed, extending a hand and wiggling his fingers. "Ten sheets of calligraphy."
"...Five."
"Eight."
"…" The Fifth Prince puffed up his cheeks like a steamed bun and gritted out, "Fine, eight it is!"
After the contest, Consort Hui wasted no time in whisking her nephew back to Yanxi Palace. The Grand Empress Dowager, having endured the chilly breeze for so long, seemed weary. With a kind smile, she instructed Sumalagu to reward Fulu generously before retiring to her palanquin.
Having received the Grand Empress Dowager’s gifts and Kangxi’s promise of a feast, Fulu happily trotted after Tuyue—though not before waving goodbye to Yunxiu with a sweet grin.
The Empress Dowager summoned Yinqi to her side and invited the Crown Prince to dine at Ningshou Palace. Before leaving, she said cheerfully to Yunxiu, "I can tell the Grand Empress Dowager is quite fond of Fulu. You should bring him to Cining Palace to pay his respects more often when you have the time."
Yunxiu nodded with a radiant smile, replying gently, "There’s no need for me to accompany him. Fulu is Yinqi’s study companion—if the Grand Empress Dowager wishes to see him, she can do so every day."
"Ah yes, his study companion! I’d forgotten." The Empress Dowager brightened, looking pleased. She patted Yunxiu’s hand and added softly, "I can see what’s really going on here, and so can the Emperor. Rest assured—when the Emperor comes to pay his respects, I’ll mention this to him…"
This was clearly an act of standing up for her.
The Empress Dowager seldom interfered in the affairs of the inner palace, but that didn’t mean she was blind or deaf.
Earlier that afternoon, the Empress Dowager, like the Grand Empress Dowager, had initially dismissed the incident as mere childish squabbles. But when Nanny Qian went out to replace the charcoal brazier, she witnessed the Eldest Prince hurrying toward the Palace of Heavenly Purity…
After Nanny Qian reported this to her, the Empress Dowager couldn’t help but feel unsettled.
The contest between Fulu and Kuien was nothing more than playful rivalry—what did it have to do with pride or face? Why drag the Emperor, let alone the Six Ministries and high-ranking court officials into it?
If Consort Hui hadn’t had a hand in this, she wouldn’t believe it.
To scheme even against a child—such behavior was beneath contempt in the Empress Dowager’s eyes. Even if Fulu won, to her, it was no different from bullying the weak.
Had Fulu not possessed extraordinary strength, the outcome would have been entirely different!
Yunxiu hadn’t expected the Empress Dowager to speak so frankly. Surprised and grateful, she bowed slightly and said, “Thank you for your kindness, Empress Dowager.”
After pulling Yinqi aside to give him a few words of advice, she watched the Empress Dowager’s procession depart. Then, wrapping her cloak tighter, Yunxiu’s smile faded as her cool gaze settled on the stone pile in the training grounds, a trace of frost in her eyes.
Her thoughts churned as she keenly sensed something amiss.
Those who sought to scheme against her were not limited to Consort Hui and the Nara clan.
The root of it all—who had spread the rumors of Fulu’s extraordinary martial prowess?
Resolving to visit Yongshou Palace later, she finally withdrew her gaze and said softly, “Let us return to the palace.”
Nanny Dong quickly summoned the palace attendants to carefully assist her into the sedan chair.
Along the long palace path, an elderly official with a graying beard hurried ahead, carrying a medicine chest, followed by two young attendants—it was Imperial Physician Hu, on duty that day.
Imperial Physician Hu paused mid-step and bowed from a distance toward the sedan chair. Yunxiu gestured for him to rise and quietly instructed Ruizhu, “Ask where he is headed.”
Ruizhu obeyed and returned moments later, pointing toward the Western Palaces and whispering, “The Fourth Prince has caught a chill. Imperial Physician Hu was summoned by the Imperial Noble Consort for an urgent examination. He said the Imperial Noble Consort was extremely anxious—any delay on his part would bring unpredictable consequences…”
