Quick Transmigration Sweet Story, The White Moonlight Rescue Plan

It snowed all night long, and when Xiaoxiao got up in the morning, she felt very cold as soon as she opened the door.

Perhaps because her body was so delicate, she could feel even the slightest chill. Xiao Xiao helplessly pulled her collar tighter, picked up the hand warmer handed to her by a palace maid, and gazed absently at the snow scene outside the courtyard wall.

The head palace maid, Ruyan, who was setting out the food, was telling Xiaoxiao about the interesting things that had happened in the palace these days. Xiaoxiao usually loved listening to these stories. But as she was talking, Xiaoxiao suddenly asked, "Is His Highness the Crown Prince feeling any better?"

Ruyan stopped what she was doing, looking dejected. "Imperial Physician Zhao has been watching over His Highness these past few days, but he hasn't gotten better."

The current emperor is muddle-headed and licentious. He ruined his health in his early years and only has three sons now that he is over fifty: one is the crown prince, another is the eldest prince Chu Qi who has already established his own residence, and the third is Chu Yunhe who lives in the cold palace.

Chu Yunhe's birth mother was originally Emperor Zhao's favorite concubine. She was a dancer sent from a neighboring country and was exceptionally beautiful. After giving birth to Chu Yunhe, she was even more pampered.

Emperor Zhao was overjoyed to have a son in his middle age and doted on Chu Yunhe. Chu Yunhe was handsome and exceptionally intelligent, and for a time, Chu Yunhe's fame overshadowed that of the crown prince born to the empress.

However, this happy period did not last long. Zhao Junze's father, Zhao Shilang, discovered that Consort Chen had taken a drug that would prevent her from having children when she was young, so it was impossible for her to have any children. Chu Yunhe could not possibly be Emperor Zhao's biological son.

When Emperor Zhao learned of this, he intended to execute Chu Yunhe that very night. However, Consort Chen drowned herself in a well that night, leaving behind only a letter. After reading the letter, Emperor Zhao surprisingly spared Chu Yunhe's life. He simply stopped valuing Chu Yunhe and abandoned her in the cold palace to fend for herself. He appointed the Empress's son as Crown Prince and Shen Heze as Prime Minister, and then spent his days seeking immortality and indulging in a life of debauchery in his palace.

The crown prince was young, and over the years the Shen family's power had gradually grown. Shen Heze was a founding elder who had no children. He was rescued by Shen She by chance some years ago and recognized Shen She as his adopted son. After his death, he left his entire family business to Shen She.

The emperor's health has long been ruined by wine and women, and the crown prince has suddenly fallen ill with a strange disease and is bedridden. Shen Heze has also handed over all power to Shen She, and for a time everyone followed Shen She's lead.

Some even suspected that the Crown Prince's strange illness was related to Shen She, and that it was a means for Shen She to take the throne. Everyone flattered Shen She to his face, but privately they all cursed him as a traitorous minister with wolfish ambitions.

Shen She held a high position and wielded great power, commanding respect from all, yet he was also capricious and unpredictable. Such a person was undoubtedly dangerous, but the more dangerous a person or thing was, the greater the potential profit from acquiring it.

The Crown Prince's sudden serious illness is likely due to Shen She's discovery over the years that the Crown Prince was no longer obedient. This is a warning to the Crown Prince that the world belongs to Shen She, and that the Crown Prince should behave himself and not try to break free from his control.

Shen She only needed an obedient puppet, not a monarch with his own opinions. Shen She wanted the crown prince to know that he received everything because of Shen She's charity, not because of his own abilities.

However, after the Crown Prince recovered from his illness, he continued to do as he pleased, relying on the Empress's family's influence, and repeatedly rejected Shen She's proposals.

When Xiao Xiao learned that the Crown Prince had gone against Shen She's suggestion and even privately invited advisors, she quickly ordered someone to unintentionally reveal Chu Qi's incompetence and absurdity to Shen She, hoping to shift Shen She's attention to the eldest prince, Chu Qi.

In her past life, Xiao Xiao had heard Chu Yunhe speak his true feelings when he was drunk, saying that he was actually tired of the intrigue and backstabbing in the palace and just wanted to escape from this deep palace-like cage.

To spend one's life with the one they love, to be a carefree and happy couple, not caring about right or wrong, living a free and unrestrained life.

Xiao Xiao guessed that since the Crown Prince didn't take Shen She seriously, Shen She must have been fed up and wanted to get rid of him as soon as possible.

Xiao Xiao guessed that Shen She was looking for a new puppet, and Chu Yunhe, who seemed to be all alone, would be easy to manipulate.

Just as Xiao Xiao expected, just after the beginning of summer and as the days began to get warmer, something happened at the Eastern Palace. The Crown Prince, who had been alive for only a few days, suddenly fainted and never woke up again.

Soon, everyone in the Zhao family was arrested by Shen She.

Zhao Junze, still dressed in his court robes, was bent over by his attendants, his face full of indignation, and he staggered away from Xiao Xiao.

That night, the lights in the Eastern Palace stayed on all night, and the sounds of fighting and killing also rang out all night.

Zhao Junze was carried out of the palace, covered with a white cloth, his hands dangling by the stretcher, lifeless, and surrounded by a strong smell of blood and decay.

A vibrant life came and went so quickly in front of Xiaoxiao.

In her previous life, Xiao Xiao was blind in her early years. Although she always heard that people had died, she never witnessed it with her own eyes. She only occasionally smelled the stench of rotting corpses. Later, she was protected by Chu Yunhe and never smelled that smell again.

Now, these familiar yet unfamiliar smells filled Xiaoxiao's nasal cavity once again, causing her to gag for a while.

Seeing that Xiaoxiao looked unwell, Ruyan quickly helped her back to her room to rest.

During Xiao Xiao's rest days, Chu Qi, who was originally thought to be reinstated, was still enjoying himself outside the palace, while Chu Yunhe was still appointed as regent.

Why did Shen She choose Chu Yunhe when Chu Qi, a useless puppet, would have been a better fit?

"Your Highness, the Empress Dowager's birthday is coming up in a few days, and a palace banquet will be held. Which dress do you plan to wear?" Ruyan was looking at Rushan's pile of clothes and was having a hard time.

Xiao Xiao glanced at the colorful clothes and felt overwhelmed by the sheer variety. But then she remembered that Shen She seemed to be attending a banquet today, and a thought struck her. She immediately chose the most vibrant dress and said, "This one will do."

Seeing that the princess had finally regained her former vitality, Ruyan was relieved. "Your Highness, several palace maids have reached the age to leave the palace these days. Eunuch Deng sent over a few. Would you like to go and see if there are any that are usable and keep them for use?"

Xiao Xiao thought that she really didn't have enough people these days, and there were some things that were inconvenient to entrust to the old people in the palace. She still needed to find some new faces to do things for her.

"Let's go, accompany this princess to take a look."

"These women were all sent to be government slaves because their families were convicted of crimes. They were all daughters of officials and could read and write..." Eunuch Deng introduced the identities of the people in front of him with great enthusiasm.

Xiao Xiao glanced at everyone. Everyone in front of her had their heads down, except for one person who stood there neither humble nor arrogant. His face showed a maturity beyond his years, which made him stand out.

Xiao Xiao felt that this little girl was different from others, so she pointed and asked, "Whose family is that?"

Eunuch Deng narrowed his eyes as he looked at the palace maid Xiaoxiao pointed to and said, "She is a relative by marriage to the Zhao family. She knows some medical skills and was also punished for no reason after the Zhao family's incident."

"She's pitiful. Since she knows some medicine, she can come to my palace as a second-class palace maid. That way, I won't have to smile and fawn over those clueless imperial physicians when I have a headache or fever."

Upon hearing Xiaoxiao's words, Eunuch Deng smiled obsequiously and agreed, "Yes, yes, yes. It's her good fortune to have been chosen by the princess. Hurry up and pack your things to return to the palace with the princess."

Later, Xiao Xiao selected a few more seemingly honest and dutiful palace maids and returned to Jinhui Courtyard.