Chapter Seventy-Seven: The Tearful Little Princess

“Don’t even mention it. That rabbit has disappeared, and along with it, Fu Bao’s fat rabbit is gone too,” Bai Jie rubbed her face—ah, how filthy!

“Little White is missing? Oh well! It must have gone wandering again. It’ll be back soon!” Fu Bao was rather calm about it. Little White running away from home wasn’t a first or second occurrence, and now it’s eloped with the little rabbit—it’ll return soon enough!

Bai Jie thought: So calm! That fat rabbit might have been caught and cooked!

“What rabbit is missing?” Han Zixuan was a bit confused.

“Oh, it’s just that my cousin raised a fat rabbit, and it eloped with a snow-white rabbit with a patch of yellow fur on its forehead!” Bai Jie summed up the situation in just a couple of sentences.

Han Zixuan was puzzled. The appearance of that rabbit seemed so familiar! Where had he seen it before?

“You mean a fat rabbit and a little rabbit, right?” A voice interjected—it was Bai Zhuo!

“Huh—brother, how come you’re back? Didn’t you have to accompany the prince in his studies today?” Her elder brother usually accompanied the crown prince for his lessons and rarely returned so early.

“I think I know where those two rabbits are,” Bai Zhuo recalled the scene in the palace, and the corner of his mouth twitched.

Soon, Han Zixuan realized why that rabbit looked so familiar!

Early that morning, Fu Bao had been dressed up in pink and brought to the palace by Old Lady Bai. Today was the princess’s first birthday celebration.

Ah, this princess was the youngest daughter of Empress Shangguan, and naturally she was quite favored. The empress had invited the wives of several important ministers to attend the celebration.

The Bai family sent Old Lady Bai, Bai Shi, and Fu Bao—oh, and Bai Yugu also came along. As for Bai Yulan, she was pregnant and so stayed home.

Some officials, meanwhile, were in the front hall with the emperor—enjoying braised pork knuckles!

The chef’s skill with pork knuckles had grown more refined with time!

But was it really appropriate to eat such greasy pork knuckles in an elegant and regal place?

Several respected old ladies gathered and began their sisterly conversations. Fu Bao felt listless—how boring!

A palace maid whispered something in Empress Shangguan’s ear, and the empress’s expression soured. After making arrangements, she hurried away.

It was only when Old Lady Bai and Bai Shi couldn’t find Fu Bao that they realized the girl had slipped away again!

Fu Bao had followed the empress into her sleeping quarters, and as for why none of the guards stopped her—

It was probably because she was so small and darted off like a mouse.

In the empress’s palace, the little princess was crying miserably, and the maids were at their wits’ end.

Even in her mother’s arms, the princess kept crying. “Why is she crying so fiercely?” the empress wondered.

The princess was not usually one to cry, so today was truly odd.

“Wow! Quick, let me eat it!” At that moment, Fu Bao, hiding in a corner, heard the little ginseng inside her jade pendant speak.

“Eat what?”

“That black shadow beside the child.”

“Huh—what’s that?”

“It’s sickness! But so ugly!” The little ginseng was a bit disdainful about ugly things.

The shapeless sickness: Ugly??

“The princess is perfectly healthy, so why is there sickness?” Fu Bao looked at the wailing girl in confusion.

“It’s normal for children to be targeted by such dark things. I suspect someone is ill and wants to transfer the sickness.”

“Why?”

“You silly thing, take a look—isn’t there a little silk pouch hanging from the princess’s neck?”

“Yes!”

“That’s the source. Find a way to get it!”

“Huh?” How was she to do that?

The palace maids were frantically pacing in circles, and the princess kept crying, barely able to catch her breath.