The Grand Secretary’s Pampered Wife

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The Emperor said coldly, "Why did you knock Zhen unconscious? Zhen thought you were going to commit regicide!"

Princess Xinyang honestly said, "I misunderstood Your Majesty, thinking you were going to protect Ning'an."

"Zhen, Zhen protecting her?" The Emperor became furious. When did he ever say he would protect Ning'an?

The Emperor gave Princess Xinyang a cold stare. It was a rare moment where she resembled more of a younger sister than her usual elder sister impression.

It felt oddly satisfying.

The Emperor cleared his throat, "Did you enter the imperial palace today to ask Zhen something?"

She didn't.

Princess Xinyang glanced at the Emperor's forehead, which was swollen like a pig's head.

Forget it, she could just ask something.

Princess Xinyang racked her brains for questions and then asked, "Why did Princess Ning'an attempt to assassinate Your Majesty?"

The Emperor answered, "Zhen saw the confession letter and learned that the incident at Heavenly Music House was her doing."

Princess Xinyang looked at the Emperor skeptically, "Did Your Majesty believe it?"

The Emperor coughed lightly, "Zhen didn't believe it at first, but then she crashed into a pillar to further prove her innocence. But that scene reminded Zhen of something long forgotten. It was many years ago when both you and Ning'an were not yet married. The late Emperor was seriously ill, and Zhen went to visit him, only to find two Ning'ans there! One Ning'an pushed the other, causing her to suffer a severe head injury and bleed profusely, just like... that day in the study..."

"Two Ning'ans?" Princess Xinyang furrowed her brows.

The Emperor's expression became complicated, "That was the first time Zhen saw two Ning'ans. Zhen was terrified at the time, thinking it was a ghost. It was then that Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing appeared. She took Zhen back to her bedchamber and told Zhen not to speak of what he saw. Zhen asked Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing what happened, why there were two Ning'ans. If Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing didn't tell Zhen the truth, Zhen would have gone to find the late Emperor, so Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing told Zhen that Ning'an had a younger sister, but unfortunately, she was stillborn. She thought it was a stillbirth and was afraid it would upset the late Emperor, so she quietly had the midwife take her out of the palace and bury her. But after being taken out of the palace, the child miraculously survived. It had already been announced that there was only one child. Bringing her back would reveal the truth about burying the 'stillborn,' and the late Emperor would be furious. So she could only secretly raise the child outside the palace."

"Your Majesty didn’t believe that, surely?" That scenario sounded fake from the start.

The Emperor sternly said, "Zhen, Zhen, Zhen certainly didn’t believe it!"

Princess Xinyang rolled her eyes.

You did believe it.

"The Ning'an who pushed was the younger sister?" Princess Xinyang asked.

"How do you know everything?" The Emperor looked at Princess Xinyang in surprise.

Princess Xinyang didn't say that even a fool could guess it. If there was a good Ning'an and a bad Ning'an in the world, then the Ning'an who grew up with them must be the good one.

"What happened next?" Princess Xinyang looked at the Emperor.

"Then, Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing implored Zhen to keep the secret for her." At this point, the Emperor paused.

Princess Xinyang continued for him, "But since Your Majesty is close to Empress Dowager Zhuang, like a real mother and son, Your Majesty will definitely tell Empress Dowager Zhuang."

The Emperor didn't deny it.

He knew his own temperament well. Even if he promised Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing not to tell anyone, he would still tell his imperial mother later.

"Empress Dowager Zhuang will definitely not believe the story fabricated by Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing. She will notice something suspicious." Princess Xinyang combined the events that had happened earlier and said, "Then... Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing was anxious to break Your Majesty’s relationship with Empress Dowager Zhuang, but she was afraid that the rift wouldn't be thorough enough. So she gave Your Majesty a drug and made Your Majesty obedient to her. Under the influence of the drug, Your Majesty naturally forgot everything that might affect the relationship between you and your imperial concubine mother."

The Emperor sighed and nodded, "Exactly."

Princess Xinyang realized, "That explains everything."

The Emperor continued, "Her running into the pillar in the study ended up self-defeating. Instead of clearing her name, it made Zhen remember what happened in the late Emperor's bedchamber. Zhen concluded right away that she was the other Ning'an, not the one who grew up with Zhen!"

So that was how it was. She was wondering how a mere confession letter could have caused the relationship between the Emperor and Ning'an to shift.

Princess Xinyang asked seriously, "How does Your Majesty intend to deal with her?"

The Emperor said sternly, "She is not Ning'an, so Zhen won't be lenient."

That was about right.

Princess Xinyang slowly got up, "It's getting late, I'll take my leave first."

"Xinyang." The Emperor suddenly stopped Princess Xinyang.

"Hmm?" Princess Xinyang looked at the Emperor, puzzled.

The Emperor hesitated for a moment and said with difficulty, "Do you think... Ning'an is still alive?"

Princess Xinyang didn't say anything, just bowed slightly and turned to leave.

Princess Xinyang came out of the palace and boarded her carriage.

Yu Jin, by her side, asked, "Princess, are we going to Zhuque Street?"

Princess Xinyang thought for a moment and replied, "Let's go to Bishui Alley."

When the carriage arrived at Bishui Alley, Gu Jiao and Xiao Heng were tilling the front yard, holding hoes and working diligently, resembling a peasant couple.

Princess Xinyang walked over.

"Mother." Xiao Heng greeted her when he saw her.

Gu Jiao called out, "Princess."

Princess Xinyang glanced at someone, not entirely pleased with the title.

Xiao Heng smiled and discreetly took Princess Xinyang's hand, "Mother, why are you here?"

"I won’t bully your wife!" Princess Xinyang scowled at him, pushed his hand away, and asked the two, "Has Empress Dowager Zhuang returned?"

Xiao Heng looked at Gu Jiao.

Gu Jiao replied, "Yes, she's inside talking to Huangfu Xian."

Princess Xinyang asked, "Do you both know about Ning'an?"

Gu Jiao nodded, "Grandaunt just told us."

Princess Xinyang relaxed, "Then there's nothing to worry about. I'll go back first."

"I'll escort you." Xiao Heng offered.

Princess Xinyang turned and walked towards the gate. Just as she took a couple of steps, she caught sight of the red-tasseled spear leaning against the bamboo, basking in the sun. She tugged at the corner of her lips and said to Xiao Heng, "This courtyard is empty. Why not show me some spear techniques for a bit."

A trace of embarrassment flashed across Xiao Heng's face. He grabbed her arm and escorted her out, saying, "Dear mother, please."

Princess Xinyang glared at him, feeling both amused and annoyed, then boarded the carriage.

Gu Jiao, holding the hoe, looked at the closed window of the west room and asked, "Do you think Grandaunt will tell him everything?"

Xiao Heng's gaze also fell on the tightly shut window as he replied, "She probably will."

Gu Jiao pondered, "Aren't you afraid he'll be upset? He's still so young."

Children seemed to be very fragile beings.

"You're only three years older than him." Xiao Heng chuckled. Did this girl think he was much older?

Xiao Heng continued, "Choose the lesser of two evils. It's better to reveal everything. Not telling him and letting him live his whole life in the misunderstanding of being disliked by his own mother, is the most distressing thing."

Gu Jiao seemed to sense his emotions and understand a bit. She turned to him, "Remembering your own experience?"

"Mm." Xiao Heng admitted without denial.

The most painful experience he went through was not being Princess Xinyang's real child, nor narrowly escaping being burned alive in a fire, but rather the misunderstanding of Princess Xinyang's disgust and abandonment towards him.

It was a kind of self-disembowelment, digging out one's own heart and liver.

"Huangfu Xian said that after he was injured, his mother seemed like a different person. Maybe she wasn't the real Princess Ning'an from that moment. Do you think the Imperial Son-in-law knows about Princess Ning'an?" Gu Jiao asked.

Xiao Heng shook his head, "I'm not sure. Some things will never have answers."

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