Xiao Yi's gaze lingered on Duoduo's face, studying her for a moment.
"Alright, what do you want to know?" he nodded.
Duoduo swallowed nervously.
"Father, do you know how many pieces of that jade pendant there are in total?"
Xiao Yi raised an eyebrow. He hadn't expected this to be the question Duoduo wanted to ask!
Xiao Yi looked at Duoduo. "Four pieces in total!"
"I, Second Prince, the Third Prince, and Fourth Brother, we each have one piece."
Confusion surfaced in Duoduo's eyes.
Were there really only four pieces?
Were the golden words wrong?
Duoduo looked at the words in the empty air; it clearly said five!
Xiao Yi noticed Duoduo's movement and looked in the direction she was staring.
It was completely empty!
There was nothing there at all!
But what was Duoduo looking at?
Xiao Yi suddenly recalled that Duoduo had made the exact same gesture several times before.
It was as if something in the air was giving her hints.
The hands hidden within Xiao Yi's sleeves involuntarily clenched into fists.
"Duoduo, is it... did you see... did you dream of more than four pieces?"
Xiao Yi struggled to rephrase his question a few times before finally asking it.
Duoduo froze for a moment and pursed her lips.
"I'm just curious. Imperial Grandfather owns the world and has countless gold, silver, and jewels."
"Why would he give you all such ordinary jade pendants as wedding gifts?"
Xiao Yi's tense body relaxed.
"Father knows the answer to that."
"This piece of jade came about when Imperial Father was on his southern inspection tour years ago and saved an old Daoist priest."
"The old Daoist was a wandering ascetic. Hearing that Imperial Father was traveling south, he tagged along for the journey."
"Along the way, he discussed scriptures and Daoism with Imperial Father, and they got along very well."
"Later, under his guidance, Imperial Father's southern tour went extremely smoothly."
"When the tour ended and Imperial Father was about to head north, he invited the old Daoist to go with him, but the old Daoist refused."
"Before Imperial Father departed, the old Daoist gave him a jade pendant to thank him for saving his life."
"And this jade pendant held a hidden mechanism; it could be divided into several smaller pieces."
"Later, Imperial Father split the jade pendant into several pieces and gave them to the few of us."
Xiao Yi's cold and clear voice paused.
Duoduo's eyes were filled with curiosity.
"Why did Imperial Grandfather divide it into several pieces to give to you? Couldn't he just keep it for himself?"
"It isn't a particularly good piece of jade anyway, so there's no need to go through the trouble of dividing it, right?"
A flash of confusion also crossed Xiao Yi's eyes.
With Duoduo's reminder, he also realized the discrepancy.
Indeed, Duoduo was right.
There was no absolute need for his Imperial Father to split the jade pendant and gift it to them.
Unless there was some secret hidden within this jade pendant?
As Xiao Yi thought of this possibility, his eyes gleamed.
"Could it be that because this jade pendant was gifted by a Daoist, it holds some special significance?"
"Or perhaps, it's a kind of blessing? And that's why Imperial Father rewarded us with it?"
Duoduo thought for a moment and slowly nodded.
"Both are possible! Father, why don't we gather all the jade pendants together? Maybe then we'll know the answer to the riddle!"
Xiao Yi didn't get the answer he was looking for, and he took a deep look at Duoduo.
It seemed that Duoduo really hadn't dreamed of anything.
Rather, she just felt that his Imperial Father's behavior defied common sense, which led to her suspicions.
However, Duoduo's suggestion made him somewhat tempted.
"Fourth Brother hasn't even entered the capital yet."
"Our people reported that they encountered assassins as soon as they left their residence, and Princess Consort Rui was abducted."
Duoduo couldn't help but open her mouth wide.
"Who did it?"
Xiao Yi's eyes flashed with icy coldness. "Who do you think it could be?"
Duoduo closed her mouth and quickly recalled the information on Prince Rui in her mind.
Prince Rui's fiefdom was the closest to Prince Ling's fiefdom.
"Is it Prince Ling?" Duoduo wasn't entirely sure.
Xiao Yi rubbed his fingers together. "He had a hand in it."
Duoduo's eyes widened. "There's more than one person involved?"
Xiao Yi nodded. "Fifth Brother and Second Prince are close."
"And Fifth Brother's fiefdom is also not far from theirs."
Duoduo suddenly understood.
"I get it! He helped Prince Ling stall Prince Rui, so now, neither of them has arrived."
Xiao Yi curled the corners of his lips.
"No, it's because Fifth Brother was poisoned and is currently still unconscious."
Duoduo's small face wrinkled up into a ball.
So complicated!
"Father, why do they have to fight to the death over a single seat?"
"Aren't you all blood-related brothers?" Duoduo didn't understand.
"If Imperial Grandfather finds out you are doing this, he will be heartbroken!"
A cold sneer appeared on the corners of Xiao Yi's lips.
"No! Your Imperial Grandfather already knows!"
"He is just pretending not to know!"
"Ah?" Duoduo was stunned.
What kind of biological father would watch his own sons slaughter each other?
Xiao Yi patted Duoduo's shoulder. "The position of the supreme ruler, your Imperial Grandfather seized it the exact same way back then."
"In his understanding, only the strongest victor can lead our country to become even stronger!"
"If a prince cannot even defend against the hidden arrows of his own brothers, how can he protect the entire empire?"
Xiao Yi's face was full of mockery.
He understood his Imperial Father's thoughts all too well.
It was like how eagles raised their young.
To make the young eagles learn how to fly, the mother eagle would throw them out of the nest.
They either learned to fly, or they died!
Back when he was pronounced permanently disabled by the imperial physicians, his Imperial Father immediately stopped caring about him.
Perhaps, to his Imperial Father, he was just a discarded pawn, so naturally, no more effort would be wasted on him.
Seeing the disappointment on her father's face, Duoduo grabbed his hand, and a golden light enveloped the space above them.
"Father, isn't Imperial Grandfather afraid that all his sons will kill each other off?"
"When that time comes, wouldn't there be no one left to take over his empire?"
Feeling the warmth transmitting from his palm, Xiao Yi's whole body felt warm and very comfortable.
The gloom in his heart gradually dissipated.
"As long as there are still newborns being born in the inner palace, he will never fear having no one to inherit the throne."
Duoduo felt somewhat melancholic. Imperial Grandfather didn't seem like such a heartless person, did he?
Thinking back to the Emperor she had seen, Duoduo felt that he didn't seem like the same person her father was describing.
Seeing Duoduo deep in thought, Xiao Yi asked, "What's wrong?"
Duoduo snapped back to reality and looked at Xiao Yi. She opened her mouth and eventually asked the question.
"Father, I feel like, maybe you have a misunderstanding about Imperial Grandfather?"
"The feeling Imperial Grandfather gives me is different from what you say!"
Xiao Yi looked at Duoduo. "How is it different? Don't tell me you want to say he's a good person again?"
Xiao Yi recalled Duoduo's evaluation of Ling Feng.
Duoduo revealed a slightly embarrassed smile. "Imperial Grandfather is a good person to begin with."
"You aren't deliberately speaking up for him just because your Imperial Grandfather gave you those rewards, are you?"
Duoduo felt a little awkward. "I am not."
"Father, how are we going to get Prince Rui's piece of the jade pendant?"
