Tangtang blinked her large, round eyes, staring curiously at Fuquan.
After mulling it over for a long moment, she greeted him in a soft, milky voice, “Hello, Uncle-Auntie~ I’m Tangtang, Father’s daughter!”
The little girl cast an anxious glance at Gu Yanzhao. Seeing that he raised no objection, she secretly let out a quiet sigh of relief.
This Uncle-Auntie was clearly missing certain parts—calling him ‘Uncle’ wasn’t quite right, but calling him ‘Auntie’ wasn’t entirely accurate either…
As a polite little kid, her only choice was to invent a fresh, proper title and address him as Uncle-Auntie~
Standing off to the side, Fuquan was completely struck dumb.
This… this… His Highness had only been missing for two or three days, so how on earth had he produced such a big daughter out of nowhere?
Yet, as a servant after all, he suppressed all his doubts and curiosity, breaking into a warm smile instead. “Young Mistress, you flatter this servant! This servant is the chief eunuch of the Eastern Palace; you may simply call me Fuquan…”
Tangtang nodded. Her tiny hand suddenly dug deep into her dingy little pouch and fished out a yellow talisman folded into a neat triangle, holding it out to him.
“Uncle-Auntie Fu, put this Peaceful Sleep Talisman under your pillow and you’ll sleep soundly straight through till dawn~”
Uncle-Auntie Fu had severe dark circles under his eyes, a clear sign of chronic insomnia caused by the black mist haunting the estate.
If this kept up, anyone living in Father’s household would eventually go mad or turn into a mindless fool, even if they were lucky enough to keep their lives.
Tangtang clenched her tiny fists. Who could be so wicked, trying to harm so many innocent people just to achieve their own evil goal?
Once she caught that villain, she would beat them black and blue!
Fuquan froze in surprise. Only when he saw his master offer a subtle nod did he receive the yellow talisman with both hands, deeply touched. “This servant thanks the little master!”
*His Highness must have mentioned it to the little master! How else could she know I haven’t been sleeping well at night?*
*Sob sob… I had no idea I held such a special place in His Highness’s heart!*
“Eunuch Fu, this is bad! The Crown Princess…” Cuiyu, the Crown Princess’s personal maid, rushed over in a panic. Spotting Gu Yanzhao, she hurriedly curtsied in greeting. “Your Highness, you’ve finally returned! The Crown Princess suddenly spat up a huge amount of blood—please come see her right away!”
Gu Yanzhao’s expression changed instantly. Ordering Eunuch Fu to summon the imperial physician, he strode with long, rapid steps toward De’yin Hall.
Tangtang snuggled in Gu Yanzhao’s arms, her small hands clutching his collar tight.
*So Mother is called the Crown Princess—that matches Father’s title so well!*
*It seems Mother’s deep sleep and vomiting blood are also the work of this annoying black mist!*
“Don’t worry, Father, Mother will definitely be okay!” The little dumpling’s voice was childish yet firm, warming Gu Yanzhao’s heart.
“Tangbao, your father’s house is a treacherous mess—we have to be careful!” Yaya covered its head with its wings and whispered in her ear.
It had to stay sharp. If things took a turn for the worse later, it would grab Tangtang and flee!
Tangtang kept her small face stoic, neither agreeing nor refusing.
The moment they stepped into De’yin Hall, they found a neat row of maids and eunuchs kneeling on the floor.
Tangtang instantly sensed something was wrong. Even in the sweltering heat of midsummer, Mother’s quarters were as bone-chillingly cold as an ice cellar!
What was worse, the black mist here was twice as thick as what she had seen when entering the front gates!
Tangtang scrambled down to the ground and trotted on her short legs over to the bedside of Crown Princess Yun Jingshu. She stared intently at the woman in bed, her tiny face turning dead pale within seconds.
*The core!*
*Mother is actually the core of the formation!*
Tangtang stumbled back a step in utter shock. *If Mother is the core of the formation, then Father’s massive estate is a full-fledged evil formation!*
An ordinary formation would pose no challenge to her, but this evil formation…
To break it, she would have to eliminate Mother, who served as the core!
Yet she dared not act rashly. A single misstep could cost the lives of Father, Mother, and everyone else present!
Tangtang closed her eyes and pressed her finger against Yun Jingshu’s brow.
For now, her only option was to disperse some of the black mist inside Mother’s body before making further plans.
“Don’t you dare touch the Crown Princess!” Hongyu, the Crown Princess’s senior maid, shrieked. She rushed forward to shove Tangtang away.
*The Crown Princess is gravely ill and just spat up blood! What if this clumsy little child ends up hurting our mistress…*
Tangtang stood completely unshaken, not even fluttering an eyelid.
Gu Yanzhao knit his brows tightly and barked coldly, “Hongyu, step back!”
His daughter had surely noticed something wrong with the Crown Princess; otherwise, she wouldn’t be doing this.
Hongyu froze at his command, looking at the Crown Prince in utter disbelief.
*The Crown Princess is his legally wedded wife, yet she’s being treated like this by some random little girl!*
Her eyes turned bloodshot as she glared fiercely at Tangtang. “You stinky girl, get away from my mistress! Otherwise, don’t blame me for spanking your bottom!”
She had seen right through His Highness’s cold indifference, but so what?
As long as she, Hongyu, was still breathing, she would never allow anyone to bully the Crown Princess!
Tangtang’s small face grew paler and paler. Her tiny body swayed slightly, yet her finger remained firmly planted on the Crown Princess’s brow.
Hongyu’s angry scolding continued, but just as Gu Yanzhao was about to order his attendants to drag her away, Tangtang suddenly made her move.
With her lips pressed tight, her small hand yanked backward with force. Miraculously, a hint of color began to return to the Crown Princess’s perpetually pale face.
At the same time, the unconscious Crown Princess’s eyelids fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes.
“Mother!” A huge, radiant smile broke across Tangtang’s pale face, but the next instant, her eyes fluttered shut and she collapsed into unconsciousness.
“Tangtang!” Gu Yanzhao was horrified and caught her just in time.
It was precisely at this moment that Fuquan arrived in a hurry, bringing Imperial Physician Zhang with him.
“Imperial Physician Zhang, quickly check on my daughter! What on earth happened to her?” Gu Yanzhao asked, his voice laced with anxiety.
After a bout of chaotic flurry, Gu Yanzhao learned that his daughter had simply passed out from complete exhaustion, and the heavy weight in his heart finally lifted.
Once he had settled Tangtang and Yaya into bed, Gu Yanzhao turned his head back to look at the Crown Princess. “Jingshu, you’re finally awake!”
The pale Crown Princess was still feeling somewhat dazed. When she woke up just now, she thought she heard that little girl named Tangtang call her ‘Mother’.
She remembered she had never given birth to a daughter. Had she slept for so long that her mind had gone hazy?
Seeing her mistress awake, Hongyu wept tears of joy.
*That little girl saved my mistress! For the rest of my life, I’m willing to serve her like a horse or an ox and worship her like an ancestor!*
Realizing that the Crown Prince and Crown Princess must have much to say to each other, Hongyu wiped her tears and sensibly beckoned everyone to retreat.
“Ah Zhao, we haven’t seen each other for just a day—how did you become so haggard?” Yun Jingshu was both angry and heartbroken, breaking into a fit of coughing.
Gu Yanzhao hurried forward to gently pat her back and soothe her breathing. “You’ve been in a deep sleep for three full years. If it weren’t for Tangtang, I’m afraid…”
The Crown Princess furrowed her brows in confusion. *In a deep sleep for three years?*
She remembered only taking a brief nap—how could she have slept for so long?
*And Tangtang?*
*Is that the little girl who called her Mother?*
*Ah well, since she is Ah Zhao’s child, she is my child too. Having her call me Mother won’t do any harm.*
Seeing her silence, Gu Yanzhao knew she had misunderstood, so he immediately recounted the whole story in detail.
“Is that really what happened? Ah Zhao, how are your injuries? Has the imperial physician checked on you?” Yun Jingshu’s eyes turned red with tears. “What a poor child… From this day on, I shall be her mother and protect her with everything I have!”