The Prime Minister's Darling
Chapter 1129 - 1129 550 Auntie Strikes (First Update)

Chapter 1129: 550 Auntie Strikes! (First Update) Chapter 1129: 550 Auntie Strikes! (First Update) Even Ning An was perplexed by the sudden turn of events, let alone Eunuch Qin who had just brought over a plate of fresh fruit and stood frozen in place.

What was going on?

Why had the mother and daughter suddenly turned against each other?

To be precise, it was the Empress Dowager who had turned against Princess Ning An.

After all, Princess Ning An was raised under the watchful eye of the Empress Dowager, no different from her own daughter.

Princess Ning An looked at Empress Dowager Zhuang with shock, her eyes flashing with confusion, astonishment, fear… a mix of emotions.

Just as her emotions were beginning to converge and something seemed about to burst forth from her mind, her tears fell first, “Mother, this daughter does not know what mistake she has made to provoke such anger from you?”

Empress Dowager Zhuang looked at her coldly, “You don’t know? Are you truly unaware or are you feigning ignorance?”

The light in Princess Ning An’s eyes flickered slightly.

Empress Dowager Zhuang could barely contain her anger, “I ask you, did you secretly venerate your late mother?”

Princess Ning An opened her mouth, and the flickering in her eyes gradually stilled.

She slowly relaxed her body and, moments later, stood up, stepped back, knelt in front of Empress Dowager Zhuang, bowed her head and said, “Please forgive me, Mother.”

Empress Dowager Zhuang clenched her fingers tightly, looking at her with disappointment, “So you admit it?”

Princess Ning An admitted softly, “I indeed visited the nunnery and… remembered my mother there.”

Eunuch Qin sighed secretly; he was also aware of the matter. It was the night Princess Ning An returned to the palace that she quietly visited the nunnery where Consort Jing used to live, staying inside for half an hour before leaving.

Regardless, Consort Jing was Princess Ning An’s birth mother, so it made sense for the princess to remember her.

Didn’t the Empress Dowager already know this from the beginning?

And had she not kept silent about it?

Why was she bringing up the past all of a sudden?

Empress Dowager Zhuang’s body began to tremble slightly as if trying to suppress her rage, “Had I not heard someone mention it last night, I wouldn’t have known that you cried ‘Mother’ while still holding on to your feelings for Consort Jing! Do you really not know how much I detest her?”

Ning An knocked her head on the floor, her hands overlapped on the cold ground, her forehead sincerely touching the back of her hands, “I understand my fault, please calm your anger, Mother!”

Eunuch Qin was even more confused; the Empress Dowager knew about Ning An’s visit to the nunnery on that very night, so why did she tell the princess that she had just found out?

Empress Dowager Zhuang spoke with an icy tone, “If you insist on acknowledging that poisonous woman as your mother, then do not recognize me as your mother!”

Having said that, she left with a sweep of her sleeve!

Eunuch Qin didn’t dare to stop her and waited until she was far away before entering the Sleeping Palace, placed the fruit plate on the table, and then helped Princess Ning An to her feet.

Princess Ning An looked at Eunuch Qin, her eyes filled with confusion and guilt, “Eunuch Qin…”

“Alas,” sighed Eunuch Qin again, “after all that has happened, does the princess still not see how deeply Consort Jing hurt the Empress Dowager? She caused the Empress Dowager to fall out with the Emperor and snatched away the only daughter she cherished from her side. You are Consort Jing’s flesh and blood, it is understandable that you cannot bring yourself to hate her, but to remember her, to venerate her… Aren’t you throwing the Empress Dowager’s heart into the millstone?”

Princess Ning An said with remorse, “Eunuch Qin, I know I was wrong.”

Eunuch Qin said, “Enough. The Empress Dowager’s anger is still because she cares too much for you. She probably wouldn’t mind others venerating Consort Jing. You also understand the Empress Dowager’s temperament, she cannot be hurt by those she does not care about.”

Princess Ning An asked, “What should I do to earn Mother’s forgiveness?”

Eunuch Qin hesitated before speaking, “Currently, the Empress Dowager is angered. The princess should avoid her for now, and once her anger subsides, you can then find a way to seek her forgiveness.”

Princess Ning An looked down, “It seems that’s all I can do now. I cannot show filial piety before Mother, so I’ll have to trouble Eunuch Qin to look after her more on my behalf.”

Eunuch Qin smiled, “I will do so. Please rest assured, princess.”

Princess Ning An said softly, “Then I will take my leave.”

“This servant will see you out.”

“No need, Eunuch Qin, you should attend to Mother instead.”

“…Yes,” Eunuch Qin answered sheepishly.

Watching Princess Ning An’s gradually receding figure, Eunuch Qin suddenly called out, “Princess.”

“Is there something else, Eunuch Qin?” Princess Ning An turned back to look at Eunuch Qin.

With a serious tone, Eunuch Qin said, “The Empress Dowager is purposely taking her anger out on Miss Gu to upset you, don’t take it to heart.”

Princess Ning An was stunned, “Is that so? I thought… the things prepared for Doctor Gu were truly intended for her?”

Eunuch Qin laughed, “This servant attends to the Empress Dowager personally, would this servant not know for whom those things were made?”

Princess Ning An revealed an enlightened smile, “Thank you, Eunuch Qin.”

Eunuch Qin smiled and bowed, “Please take care, princess.”

Princess Ning An left Renshou Palace.

The smile disappeared from Eunuch Qin’s face, “How would I know for whom those things were made?”

But he understood not to draw enmity towards Jiaojiao.

Eunuch Qin headed to the Study Room.

Empress Dowager Zhuang sat composedly in her chair, with the nation-protecting Token and the purple gold phoenix crown in front of her.

“Empress Dowager,” Eunuch Qin honestly relayed the conversation he had with Princess Ning An, without missing a word, “This old servant doesn’t know if what I said was right.”

Having served the Empress Dowager for many years, not everything was communicated to him in advance, and as a trusted confidant, one must not hold back the master under any circumstances.

What should be said, what should not be said, and what aftermath should be handled—he knew it all clearly.

He did an especially good job wiping clean the record of hatred held against Gu Jiao.

The Empress Dowager and Eunuch Qin shared an unspeakable rapport between master and servant; she knew that when she cast a sword, Eunuch Qin could retrieve it and sheath it once again.

Eunuch Qin asked with bewilderment, “But why did you do this, Your Majesty?”

The Empress Dowager said indifferently, “When it is time for you to know, I shall tell you.”

Eunuch Qin replied, “…Yes.”

As the saying goes, do not speculate on the divine will, yet tragically, if one cannot fathom the master’s thoughts, they might not survive in the Forbidden City.

Eunuch Qin pondered carefully.

Did the Empress Dowager not tell him because she did not trust him enough, or was it because she herself did not wish to talk about certain matters?

He felt it was the latter.

Subjects too painful to bear, each mention was like being pierced by a thousand arrows.

The Empress Dowager could encase herself in ice-cold armor, but beneath the armor, her heart was no different from any other’s; it could be hurt, and it could ache.

However, the Empress Dowager bore far too heavy burdens; she could not indulge in her pain but had to endure it and press on with the weight.

The Empress Dowager ordered, “Keep an eye on her and find a way to discover what she took from the nunnery that night.”

Eunuch Qin was greatly shocked.

What?

Princess Ning An took something from the nunnery?

Wasn’t she going to offer condolences to Empress Jing? Could it be… her offering of condolences was false, but taking something was true!

That would explain why, despite knowing the Empress Dowager hated Empress Jing, she still risked falling out of favor to go to the nunnery where Empress Jing had stayed.

Of course, the implications of these words were not limited to the simple fact that Princess Ning An took something from the nunnery; there was more to why she took it and why the Empress Dowager wanted to investigate.

If it were ordinary relics, the Empress Dowager wouldn’t bother investigating.

If they weren’t ordinary relics, then the matter was quite serious.

After all, Eunuch Qin had braved storms with the Empress Dowager and had been through many trials; naturally, his mental resilience had grown stronger.

What could possibly shock him, right?

Yet at this moment, he couldn’t help but think to himself—how extraordinary to see such days!

…

Meanwhile, Xiaojiu once again entered the palace.

This time, he came by himself!

…riding in Liao Quan’s carriage.

He was there to find Huangfu Xian.

Since he had a falling out with Huangfu Xian, his aunt would not allow him to visit Bixia Hall anymore, so he had to sneak over!

Huangfu Xian sat by the window, lost in thought.

Lianlian was in his room, organizing clothes. She cast him a strange glance, musing to herself that ever since the young master was injured, he liked to stare blankly out the window.

How could he not mind the cold in such weather?

One who was so sensitive to the cold at that.

“Young Master,” Lianlian asked, “shall I close the window a bit for you?”

“No need,” Huangfu Xian said indifferently.

“Then I’ll pour you a cup of hot tea,” Lianlian said as she put down the half-folded clothes and poured a cup of steaming brown sugar ginger tea, then turned to walk towards Huangfu Xian.

Just at that moment, a small round head suddenly popped out from outside the windowsill.

Huangfu Xian’s gaze flickered, and he quickly reached out to press the small round head back down.

“Lianlian!”

“What is it, Young Master?”

In a calm voice, Huangfu Xian said, “I’m hungry, go get me something to eat, quickly!”

Lianlian looked at the cup in her hand, “What about this tea…”

Impatiently, Huangfu Xian said, “I don’t want it anymore! Pour it out!”

Used to his capricious moods, Lianlian did not suspect anything strange, set down the ginger tea, and stepped out of the room.

Assured that she was gone, Huangfu Xian finally retracted his hand that had been pressing down on someone’s head.

The little mushroom head indeed popped up again, spinning around like a mushroom.

“Big brother!”

Xiaojiu tilted his head cutely, endearing!

Huangfu Xian turned his face away, “Ugly as sin.”

Xiaojiu looked up and down, picked up Mengmeng who was playing in the snow, and said in disappointment, “Big brother says you’re ugly.”

Mengmeng, unjustly saddled with the blame: …!!

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