Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Princess Lanzhen turned around but didn't see any man. She looked at the Crown Princess and asked in confusion, "Qinghe, did you hear..."

In the next moment, her mouth felt like it was pricked by needles, completely numb, and she couldn't speak.

Shen Zhinuo, carried by Princess Lanzhen, rested against her shoulder, wondering what was wrong with her big aunt. She tilted her little head, trying to see her aunt's face.

The Crown Princess had been observing Princess Lanzhen and quickly took the little girl, handed her to Princess Wen'an, and blocked the child's view. "Hui Er, take your sister inside to brush her hair and wash her face, then come out for breakfast."

Princess Wen'an nodded obediently, carrying her chubby sister into the inner room. "Sister will put flowers in Nuo Er's hair, okay?"

Princess Lanzhen pointed to her still numb and painful mouth, looking shocked. "My mouth..."

The Crown Princess raised a finger to her lips, signaling to be quiet, and led her to the couch to sit. She lowered her voice to explain about A Tong.

Princess Lanzhen was shocked. "How can something so strange exist? Why didn't you tell me when I arrived?"

The Crown Princess had deliberately not mentioned it earlier, wanting to see if Princess Lanzhen could hear it. But she couldn't say that, or Princess Lanzhen would feel slighted. So she said, "This is too astonishing, and you've always doubted ghosts and spirits. Even if I told you, you wouldn't believe it unless you heard it."

Princess Lanzhen thought it made sense and nodded. "True."

Then she frowned and asked, "Just now, A Tong said you were all exiled. What happened?"

Seeing that Princess Lanzhen didn't ask about her own death first but instead inquired about their family, the Crown Princess was moved and didn't hide anything. She recounted the entire story of the Crown Prince losing his position and their family being assassinated during the exile.

Princess Lanzhen slammed the table in anger. "I never thought Father could be so heartless. A Xu has been a diligent Crown Prince for eighteen years, only to end up like that. And the children, how could he do that?"

Seeing Princess Lanzhen's eyes redden, the Crown Princess quickly held her hand. "Sister, it hasn't happened yet. There's still time. Don't be sad."

Princess Lanzhen held the Crown Princess's hand. "You're right. Now that I know, I won't let you suffer."

Her eyes flashed with determination, and she gritted her teeth. "And those cowards hiding in the shadows, once I find them, I won't let them off lightly."

The Crown Princess felt warmth in her heart and her eyes moistened. "Sister, you always protect us like this. I don't know what to say."

"Stop with the useless pleasantries," Princess Lanzhen chided her, then changed the subject. "So, we can't ask about these things in front of Nuo Er?"

The Crown Princess nodded. "Right. Not only can we not ask, but Nuo Er can't say anything either, or she'll be punished."

Remembering the pain in her mouth, Princess Lanzhen seriously warned, "Then we must never ask Nuo Er, lest she suffers."

The Crown Princess nodded. "Exactly."

Princess Lanzhen leaned closer, eager. "Then tell me more. What else did A Tong say?"

The Crown Princess told her about the 14th Prince's Consort, and Princess Lanzhen was furious, cursing those rats in the gutter.

Then she asked, "Do you know how I died?"

The Crown Princess shook her head. "This is the first time A Tong mentioned it. He just started when you interrupted, so I don't know if he finished."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go in and listen." Princess Lanzhen immediately stood up, pulling the Crown Princess with her.

---

Princess Wen'an placed her sister on the chair in front of the dressing table, wet a cloth, and carefully wiped her face and hands. Then she took a comb and gently combed the little girl's hair. "Nuo Er, which color flower do you want to wear?"

Shen Zhinuo sat obediently, her little hands rummaging through the dressing table for a while, picking out two pink pearl hairpins. She held them up. "These."

Then she lifted her little foot for Princess Wen'an to see, her small voice serious. "They match my shoes."

Princess Wen'an nodded approvingly, quickly smoothing out the little girl's messy hair, tying it up into two little buns with silk ribbons, and placing the pearl hairpins. She then held the little girl's face in her hands, looking at her from side to side: "You look lovely."

Shen Zhinuo giggled, leaning over to give a kiss on her sister's cheek, her sweet little voice saying, "Sister is pretty too."

Princess Wen'an beamed with joy, kissed her sister's chubby cheeks repeatedly, making the little girl giggle.

After playing for a while, Princess Wen'an straightened out the little girl's clothes and then picked her up, ready to head out for breakfast.

After just a few steps, they encountered the Crown Princess and Princess Lanzhen entering, so the four of them went out together.

The Crown Princess ordered someone to bring the little girl's breakfast, which included fresh shrimp wontons, red date and millet porridge, milk and egg custard, and a plate of crispy yet tender small yellow fish.

Princess Lanzhen held the little girl in her arms, picked up the milk and egg custard, feeding her slowly spoon by spoon.

The Crown Princess hugged Princess Wen'an tightly, "Hui Er, do you want anything else to eat?"

Princess Lanzhen also said, "Hui Er is too thin, she should eat more."

But Princess Wen'an shook her head, "I'm already full."

Knowing that the little girl had a small appetite, the Crown Princess and Princess Lanzhen didn't say more, deliberately falling silent, their gazes fixed on the little girl who was eating obediently, quietly hoping she would summon A Tong for another chat.

Shen Zhinuo, who had been interrupted earlier and had been talking with her sister after going into the inner room, now sitting in Princess Lanzhen's arms, recalled the half-finished tale and asked in her heart, "Doggy, how did my aunt die?"

The little black dog popped up, "On the day the Crown Prince was deposed, it happened that Princess Lanzhen's daughter, Princess Huayue, caught a cold that wouldn't heal, with a high fever that wouldn't break. Princess Lanzhen, persuaded by those around her, went out of the city to burn incense and pray to Buddha."

Princess Lanzhen frowned. She had never believed in gods or Buddha, but for her to go to the extent of burning incense and praying, it showed how serious her daughter's illness was.

Thinking of that lively cousin, Shen Zhinuo felt sad, sighing in her heart, "My poor Hua Yue sister."

Then she asked again, "What happened next?"

The system replied, "After Princess Lanzhen went up the mountain to pray to Buddha, she hurried back. Halfway, she encountered someone who brought news that the Crown Prince had been deposed, and your whole family was already on the road to exile."

"Princess Lanzhen didn't even bother to return home, galloping out of the city to catch up with your family, stopping the prison cart, asking for the reason, and then immediately turned back, rushing into the palace to plead with the Old Emperor, staking her own life to guarantee that the Crown Prince would never disrespect the imperial concubines, urging the Old Emperor to investigate thoroughly and clear the Crown Prince's name."

"But the Old Emperor was in a fit of anger and wouldn't listen, instead scolding Princess Lanzhen and driving her out."

"Princess Lanzhen knelt in the snow for an hour, but the Old Emperor still refused to see her. She then got up, took a knife, and went to the prison, wanting to personally interrogate that concubine. But when she arrived, the concubine had already hanged herself in the cell, her body cold."

"Later, when the Old Emperor found out about this, not knowing what slander he had heard, in a rage, he ordered Princess Lanzhen to be expelled from the palace and decreed that from then on, Princess Lanzhen could not enter the palace without a summons."

"Princess Lanzhen had been running around all day, furious, exhausted, and worried about her daughter, so she first returned home, planning to check on her daughter before going to discuss strategies with the Crown Prince. But upon entering her home, she found out that her daughter had just passed away."

Princess Lanzhen's hand trembled, the spoon clinking against the porcelain bowl, making a clear sound.