The little heroine investigates a mysterious case

Ever since the defeat at the Battle of Fengcheng, Emperor Tian Shang of Yue has been in a bad mood.

The Battle of Fengcheng was a crucial battle he had planned for many years to unify the Qiankun Continent.

But no matter how much he schemed and plotted, there were always so many unexpected things that would suddenly come up and hit him hard.

The unstoppable crossbows of the Xia state, the inexplicable defection of the Rong and Di tribes, and the sudden appearance of the Song state's navy all led to the failure of his entire plan.

Furthermore, the assassin that Wang Huai had confidently vowed to use to deliver a fatal blow to the Xia Kingdom, which he had buried for many years, turned out to be so easily defeated.

From a ninth prince who was barely surviving in the deep palace, he endured hardship and suffering step by step before gaining the trust of Crown Prince Tian Yuan and becoming his confidant.

On the surface, he helped Tian Yuan eliminate his rivals and took the lives of those princes who dared to compete with Tian Yuan for the position of crown prince. Of course, there were also fools like the sixth prince who were used by him and deserved to die.

But in reality, his plan was incredibly clever. He used Tian Yuan to kill with a borrowed knife, eliminating all his so-called brothers who would compete with him for the throne in advance.

In the end, only his duel with Tian Yuan remained. As he wished, Tian Yuan suffered a crushing defeat and fled like a stray dog. He was severely wounded by the assassin he had sent and was long since lost.

Who caused all this killing?

The culprit was his good father, the emperor!

So he killed him with his own hands, and it felt so good!

There were no more obstacles in his way, and he could finally realize the ideal he had set out for since childhood: to unify the Qiankun Continent and become the sole king of this land!

But at the moment when he was closest to his ideal, he lost, and lost miserably.

How could he possibly be in a good mood?

But his bad mood didn't stop him from sticking to his ideals. It's just that he needs to spend many more years re-planning the unification strategy.

Five years, ten years, or twenty years?

After this battle, the Yue Kingdom needs to recuperate, and the Xia and Song Kingdoms are also heavily guarded against Yue, so they are not so easily fooled.

The spies brought back news that the wise king and queen of Xia had gone to Song to learn how to build a navy, and that Xia and the Rongdi tribes had also opened a border town in the north.

What a joyful and harmonious scene!

The sudden death of the Song emperor was good news for him, but the new emperor's ascension to the throne was much smoother than he had imagined.

He couldn't even manage to take advantage of the chaos and plant more spies.

It's really incredibly annoying!

But as the saying goes, after the worst comes the best, and even in the most desperate situations, a new lease on life can be found!

The problem of having an heir, which had been a constant source of anxiety for him, was suddenly resolved.

The Empress gave birth to a prince at 3:45 AM today.

After having two princesses, he finally welcomed his first prince, who is also the only prince in Yue Kingdom to date.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, this child will be the future crown prince, the most natural heir to the throne.

The moment he held his child, all the gloom in his heart vanished.

He saw hope.

The hope that the Yue Kingdom will eventually unify the continent.

He was determined to personally teach his crown prince how to become a qualified monarch in the future!

So, after a day of dealing with government affairs, he was exhausted. He stretched behind his desk in the Imperial Study and suddenly wanted to have a little wine to relieve his fatigue.

As an emperor, this small request was easily granted. He gave the order and in no time, Shi Xiaofu brought him a jar of fine wine and several exquisite snacks to accompany it.

He dismissed the other unnecessary palace maids and eunuchs, leaving only Shi Xiaofu by his side.

After drinking half a jar of wine, he started chatting with Shi Xiaofu.

Who told him that he only trusted three people in his life: the current Empress Dowager, his sister Tian Shiliu, and this Shi Xiaofu.

But the Empress Dowager would not drink with him, and Tian Shiliu was gone forever, leaving only Shi Xiaofu, the little eunuch who could only survive by being wholeheartedly loyal to him.

Do you know when the happiest day of my life was?

He didn't wait for Shi Xiaofu's answer, nor did he actually need one; he simply needed someone to listen.

"It was in the Yeting Palace... when I secretly went to find Little Pomegranate..."

At that time, Xiao Shiliu was even worse off than him. She often went hungry and was bullied, verbally abused, and beaten every day.

He would do everything he could to bring Little Pomegranate some food and some medicine to treat her external injuries.

"One day, I remember it was a summer night, just like today, the moon was high in the sky, round and bright..."

Tian Shang looked at the moon hanging high in the night sky outside the window and smiled.

"I stole half a jar of wine and a handful of fried peanuts from a few drunk eunuchs and went to find Little Pomegranate! There was no one around, just the two of us. We sat on the steps, taking turns drinking and eating peanuts, and we felt really happy!"

As he spoke, Tian Shang picked up his wine bowl and took a big gulp. He then reached into the plate to pick something up, intending to put it in his mouth, but he couldn't find anything.

"Fu Zi... you've finished your peanuts, go and bring me another plate!"

Standing next to Tian Shang, Shi Xiaofu, who was about to pour him a drink, was taken aback by what he heard.

Peanuts? What peanuts?

Were there peanuts in the snacks we had with our drinks earlier?

Am I blind? Didn't I see it?

Oh……

Shi Xiaofu shook the wine in the jar; there was hardly any left. He realized that it wasn't that he was blind, but rather that His Majesty had drunk too much.

But Shi Xiaofu always obeyed Tian Shang's every word. When he heard that Tian Shang wanted peanuts, he immediately agreed and ran out of the Imperial Study. When he ran back, he was carrying a plate of freshly fried peanuts.

Meanwhile, Tian Shang was on the verge of exploding in rage because he had no fried peanuts to go with his drinks.

why? !

Even though he became emperor, he couldn't even afford a plate of ordinary fried peanuts?

Who is it? Who exactly is defying his orders?

Is it Fu Zi? He wouldn't dare!

Is it Liang Changping? Or Wang Huai?

How could he possibly lose the Battle of Fengcheng?

Could there be some conspiracy behind this that he is unaware of?

He is determined to tear all those who defy him to pieces!

Just then, a plate of shiny, bright red peanuts, each one distinct, appeared before him.

His restless and resentful heart suddenly calmed down.

He picked up a peanut, put it in his mouth, and chewed it. It was a little hot from being freshly fried, but the taste of the peanut was so appealing to him.

Before he could even taste it, a peanut was already gone.

He picked up another one and put it in his mouth, chewed it a few times, and exclaimed how delicious it was!

Just like that summer night many years ago, with the moon, a gentle breeze, and the chirping of insects... the peanuts he and Xiao Shiliu ate together tasted just as good.

"Your Majesty, please eat slowly..."

He seemed to hear Shi Xiaofu talking to him. He looked down and saw that there were several peanuts in his palm.

He laughed and stuffed several peanuts into his mouth.

Then, he felt a lump in his throat!

A peanut got stuck in my throat...

He bent down and coughed a few times, struggling to breathe, and tears welled up in his eyes.

His ears were ringing, and Shi Xiaofu seemed to be saying something to him. His eyes were full of fear, and then he brought him a cup of tea.

He reached for the teacup with trembling hands, but for some reason it fell to the ground, and then he felt himself fall to the ground as well.

He no longer had the strength to cough; his brain was spinning in waves, and he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest.

His vision gradually blurred, and he seemed to see a bright moon again, hanging high in the sky, seemingly within reach...

But just as he was about to reach the bright moon, boundless darkness enveloped him.

In the summer of the twenty-second year of Xuanhe, Emperor Tian Shang of Yue passed away.