Volume One, Chapter 13: System Upgrade

“Before the autumn hunt, I repeatedly instructed the Eastern Palace steward to arrange the guards properly to ensure safety, absolutely preventing any mishaps involving the young princes.”

“Yet, despite all that, such an incident still occurred. I truly feel ashamed before His Majesty and Her Majesty.”

Empress Ma’s gaze remained smiling, but one could not discern the depth of her emotions.

She idly rotated the teacup in her hand, as if asking casually, “Since Qianlan is so cautious, why were the Eastern Palace guards replaced with unfamiliar faces during the autumn hunt?”

“Who ordered this change in the guards? And why, at such a critical moment, did they fail to protect Xiongying?”

Upon hearing this, Lady Lü’s heart sank sharply; her fingers unconsciously clenched the sleeve of her robe.

She forced herself to maintain composure and answered calmly, “I... truly do not know the details involved.”

“Normally, the Eastern Palace guard rotations are managed by a dedicated official. I assumed this was just a routine shift; perhaps someone was negligent in their arrangements.”

Her tone carried a cautious probe. “In the coming days, I will thoroughly investigate this matter and will not tolerate any dereliction of duty.”

“Is that so?” Empress Ma’s voice suddenly softened, but the subtle pressure in her tone sent a chill down one’s spine.

She lifted her eyes slightly and said lightly, “If it’s merely guard negligence, then it is still somewhat fortunate.”

“After all, Xiongying managed to survive.”

“But if someone did this intentionally, then it cannot be settled simply as ‘neglect.’”

Lady Lü felt her heart tighten, a thin layer of sweat forming on her brow. She quickly bowed her head with a polite smile. “Your Majesty’s admonition is well-founded. This matter must be thoroughly investigated. If someone harbors ill intentions, they must be brought to justice.”

Empress Ma’s gaze fixed steadily upon her, unchanged yet imbued with a faint, oppressive weight.

After a moment, she shifted her tone, deep and meaningful: “Xiongying is the eldest legitimate grandson of the Zhu family, not only the beloved of His Majesty but the future of the Zhu clan.”

“Though young, he is already a figure of great attention within the Ming court.”

“If anyone intends harm against him… hmph, we will never let them off.”

Those words pierced Lady Lü’s heart like a blade, causing a chill to run down her spine.

She lowered her eyes, swallowing her guilt, and responded cautiously, “Your Majesty speaks rightly. Xiongying is the bloodline and key to the Zhu family; how dare I not keep this foremost in mind?”

“If there truly are those with malicious intent, I will assist Your Majesty in uncovering the truth and seeking justice for Xiongying.”

Empress Ma watched Lady Lü’s performance coldly, her eyes narrowing slightly, a half-smile curling at her lips. She sighed softly, her tone no longer sharp but tinged with resignation. “Let us hope so. However, Qianlan… palace affairs are complicated and numerous. Once some people are blinded by personal gain, they are prone to foolish deeds. Don’t you think?”

Lady Lü felt a cold shiver down her spine at these words.

Though no names were mentioned, each word felt aimed directly at her.

Suppressing her inner panic, she bowed her head respectfully, “Your Majesty’s words are wise; I will keep them in mind.”

“Hmm.” Empress Ma withdrew her gaze and took a delicate sip of tea.

It seemed she would not press further, yet the faint chill still lingered in the hall.

Lady Lü’s forced smile gradually stiffened as her mind pondered how much Empress Ma truly knew.

After leaving the Palace of Earthly Tranquility, Lady Lü hurried down the vermilion corridor walls.

The cool autumn wind blew softly, and she tightened her shawl, but her heart brimmed with anger.

Every word from Empress Ma had cut into her like a sharp blade.

Outwardly, she feigned respectful innocence and calm composure, but beneath it all, her emotions churned wildly.

“That old woman!” she gritted her teeth silently, maintaining a facade of respect and submission.

When she reached a secluded side chamber, unable to contain her fury any longer, she flung her sleeve sharply and muttered under her breath, “Just a whelp whose fur hasn’t even grown yet—why must I endure such humiliation because of him?!”

“Zhu Xiongying… you truly have a hard life, surviving that kind of situation!”

Recalling Empress Ma’s earlier warning and the awkwardness she felt while facing her, Lady Lü’s heart burned as if scorched by fire.

Her nails dug deep into her palms, eyes flashing with a cold, ruthless gleam.

“Looks like this brat really is a disaster…”

Her breath quickened, a fierce determination flickering in her eyes.

“No matter what, he cannot live much longer, or he will surely bring great calamity upon the Lü family!”

Her fists clenched tighter, a cold smile curling at the corners of her mouth.

Inside the Imperial Medical Department, Zhu Xiongying sat alone, leaning against the bed.

Silence filled the room, broken only by the gentle rustling of wind against the papered windows.

His wounds, carefully treated by the imperial physicians, were no longer severe but still throbbed faintly.

He lowered his gaze to his palm and gently clenched his fist.

Feeling the gradual return of strength, his expression was calm, but his eyes held a trace of complexity.

At that moment, a familiar electronic tone echoed in his mind:

[Ding—Host has completed the task “Turning Danger into Safety.” System confirms task completion; reward issued: System upgrade.]

Zhu Xiongying’s eyes flickered subtly, a slight lift at the brow.

The familiar interface immediately appeared in his consciousness.

Compared to before, the interface now gleamed with added luster; the number “1200” in the upper right corner twinkled, indicating his current available points.

At the center, a golden notification box slowly emerged:

[System upgrade successful; new features added as follows:]

[Advanced Character Insight Function: Can analyze targets’ deeper motives and inner states.]

[Situation Prediction Function: Based on current intelligence, deduces possible future developments.]

[Points Test Function: Can consume points to test surrounding targets’ favorability or hostility toward the host.]

Zhu Xiongying read through the new features carefully, a meaningful smile surfacing in his eyes.

He murmured softly, “Analyzing motives, predicting situations… this system is becoming more interesting.”

Though the autumn hunt was fraught with danger, he not only survived but earned a system upgrade.

These newly unlocked functions were undoubtedly timely aids, especially the situation prediction and character insight — tools seemingly tailor-made for him.

However… all these features required points.

Though he had 1,200 points remaining, using the situation prediction would cost 5,000 points, and the favorability test consumed 800 points.

He must not waste them recklessly.

Squinting slightly, he murmured, “Points are precious; better to save them and use only when the situation is clear.”

Closing the interface, he looked out the window again.

Sunlight streamed through the latticed panes, casting mottled shadows.

He exhaled slowly, his expression gradually settling.

From the peril of the autumn hunt, he had already sensed Lady Lü’s involvement.

Though lacking concrete evidence, his intuition told him this was no mere guard negligence.