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Eunuch Qin brought a cup of tea.
Seeing Empress Dowager Zhuang's mournful expression, he couldn't help but sigh and advise, "The princess has had a hard life. If only she had listened to your advice back then, she wouldn't have ended up like this. But thankfully, she has returned safely, and from now on, no one will make her suffer again."
Empress Dowager Zhuang closed her eyes and turned her head, a tear sliding down her cheek.
The Emperor walked alongside Princess Ning'an toward the Bixia Palace.
Lian'er pushed Huangfu Xian, following not too far away.
Princess Ning'an glanced back at the indifferent Huangfu Xian and sighed helplessly.
The Emperor noticed her gaze and softly asked, "What happened to Xian'er's legs? Was it from this recent war?"
Princess Ning'an shook her head with difficulty and said, "It happened when he was young, when Xian’er was five years old. We experienced an extremely rare heavy snowstorm at the border."
The Emperor nodded thoughtfully, "Zhen recalls that incident. The imperial court allocated relief funds to the border. Imperial Concubine…"
Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing personally made warm clothing for Princess Ning'an and entrusted the imperial envoy responsible for disaster relief to deliver them to the borderlands.
The Emperor no longer wanted to mention that name now. He detested her extremely, but unfortunately, she was Ning'an's birth mother, making it an awkward situation.
Princess Ning'an smiled faintly, "That's right, imperial concubine mother sent me warm clothing back then."
"What does this have to do with Xian'er's legs?"
"At that time, both I and... his father went to help the disaster victims. He sneaked out from the princess mansion alone. This child was mischievous from a young age, couldn't sit still for a moment, and the guards couldn't keep an eye on him. He managed to get lost. When we found him, it was a day and a night later. He fell from a hill, lying in the cold snow. His legs froze and had to be amputated by the physicians to save his life."
As Princess Ning'an recounted the tale, she tried to appear calm, but her breath and tightened fingers betrayed her emotions.
The Emperor's heart clenched, unable to determine whether he felt more distressed for Huangfu Xian or for Princess Ning'an, who had undergone such an experience with her son.
He grasped Princess Ning'an's hand like he did in his youth, "Zhen didn't know about this incident with you and Xian'er... Why didn't you mention it in your letters?"
Princess Ning'an murmured, "This kind of thing... it's not easy to talk about."
Every mention felt like a stab to the heart. Each consolation followed by another stab. When someone was truly in agony, seeking comfort wasn't the solution, it was isolating oneself from the outside world.
The Emperor naturally understood this, hence he felt even more sympathetic towards Princess Ning'an.
He silently vowed that from now on, he wouldn't let Princess Ning'an leave his side. He wouldn't allow her or Xian'er to suffer any injustices.
"About Xian'er..." Princess Ning'an hesitated.
The Emperor was her brother. Even though many years had passed since they saw each other, he could still understand her primary concerns.
He halted, looking at her solemnly, "Regardless of who Xian'er's father is, he's your child, he’s Zhen's nephew, and Zhen will do everything to protect him."
Not many opposed Princess Ning'an's return to the capital, but the same might not apply to Huangfu Xian. After all, his veins carried the blood of the previous dynasty's imperial family. Those radical civil and military officials might use Huangfu Xian's lineage as an argument.
Princess Ning'an felt ashamed. "I'm causing trouble for you, imperial brother."
"It's no trouble." the Emperor reassured.
If Huangfu Xian had been physically fit, it might have posed some problems. However, what reason was there to be wary of a disabled person?
Those officials simply had nowhere to vent their frustration, thus targeting a child. Once they knew the truth, the controversy would likely diminish.
The Emperor said, "Ning'an, Zhen needs to talk to you about Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing's matter."
Princess Ning'an smiled faintly, "Imperial brother doesn't need to say more. Ning’an understands it all. Imperial concubine mother... she was a spy from the previous dynasty. From the moment she worked for the imperial family of the former dynasty, her final outcome was predetermined."
"Do you not blame her?" the Emperor asked.
"There's no point discussing that now." Princess Ning'an replied.
"She sent the Dragon Shadow Guards to the border to find you. Did they intend to abduct you?" The Emperor inquired.
Princess Ning'an shook her head, "They wanted to take me away. They came with a dark guard. He said there was trouble in the capital, and the border might not be safe, advising me to leave with them. However, they couldn't defeat Huangfu Zheng's death warrior. In the end, they were all injured, and the dark guard died."
The Emperor hadn't expected Du Zheng... no, Du was an alias. His real name was Huangfu Zheng.
He hadn't expected him to possess such formidable experts.
Thankfully, Princess Ning'an was unharmed. Otherwise, the Emperor would have deeply regretted it.
Princess Ning'an, expressing guilt for the umpteenth time today, said, "I'm sorry. Imperial brother's Dragon Shadow Guards got severely injured because of me."
"They will recover." The Emperor said. The Dragon Shadow Guards had returned to the capital with the army and was recuperating in a specialized facility.
It was untrue to say that it wasn’t a pain in the flesh, but this incident wasn't related to Ning'an. Everything stemmed from Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing's schemes.
Princess Ning'an continued walking. "I think imperial concubine mother might have realized she couldn't hide it for long. Yi Wang and Huangfu Zheng's methods were atrocious. She feared that if the truth were revealed, I might be in danger. That's why she sent people to rescue me. She used me all her life and only realized at the end that she should do something for me."
Speaking up to this point, Princess Ning'an smiled self-mockingly, "But what's the point?"
The Emperor's expression was complicated, and he remained silent.
The group soon arrived at Bixia Palace.
The people of the Inner Palace were accustomed to flattering the superior and belittling the lowly.
Despite Princess Ning'an being a widow, she had received the Emperor and Empress Dowager Zhuang's full favor. All the items arranged for her were the most luxurious and exquisite.
Leaving aside everything else, just the bed curtains alone were made of gossamer fabric, a treatment not even given to Empress Xiao and Princess Xinyang.
The attendants serving her were also carefully selected by the Imperial Household Department. There was one chief eunuch in charge, one chief palace maid, along with four senior palace maids, ten junior palace maids, and ten young eunuchs.
This was no longer the level of service afforded to an ordinary princess. contemporary romance
"Imperial brother." A hint of complexity flashed in Princess Ning'an's eyes. She sighed, "I don't need such expensive things, nor do I need this many people."
The Emperor's expression darkened. "You are Zhen's most beloved sister. If Zhen says you need them, you do!"
"I..." Princess Ning'an wanted to say something but stopped.
The Emperor held her shoulder, gazing at her weathered face with both affection and self-reproach, "Zhen didn't protect you well before, causing you to suffer for so many years. From now on, Zhen will compensate you properly. Don't worry about anything and just leave everything to Zhen. No one dares to criticize you. If anyone does, Zhen will chop off their heads!"
Princess Ning'an intended to say something more, but before the words of refusal could be uttered, the sound of children's chatter came from outside the Bixia Palace.
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