The Prime Minister's Darling
Chapter 1190 - 1190 577 Background (second update)

Chapter 1190: 577 Background (second update) Chapter 1190: 577 Background (second update) “Is life in the borderlands always so harsh?” Gu Jiao, who had visited the borderlands, naturally knew of the people’s suffering there, and had heard that Princess Ning An did not carry the burdens of royalty and suffered alongside the common folk.

But wasn’t this a revelation of Ning An’s true nature? It inevitably led to suspicion that her supposed hardships were performed for show.

“I do not find it harsh,” said Huangfu Xian.

“Indeed,” responded Gu Jiao.

She recalled how, even in their poorest days in the countryside, Jingkong had never complained about the hardships at home.

Sometimes, what a child desires can be very simple.

Huangfu Xian looked towards the inscrutable expanse of the night sky, “But then, everything changed.”

Gu Jiao looked at him.

Huangfu Xian’s gaze was firmly fixed on the brightest star in the night sky, as if recalling some unreachable memory, “After my leg was broken, she became like a different person. She became fearful of getting close to me, no longer carried or hugged me like before, and wouldn’t let me sleep with her. She said she was afraid of hurting my wound.”

“I was only five at the time. I didn’t understand. As I gradually grew older, I realized that it wasn’t fear—she was disgusted. She loathed my broken body, that I could no longer be a normal child, she even disliked being around me.”

“During bone-setting, I always hoped she would stay by my side. She didn’t need to hold me, just holding my hand would’ve been enough.”

“But she never did.”

Not even once.

Gu Jiao seemed to understand, Huangfu Xian’s self-loathing was largely due to the disdain from his parents, especially Princess Ning An, which had devastated his pride and confidence. Compared to the loss of his legs, the various forms of violence inflicted by Ning An were what truly dealt the destructive blow.

Why did his mother not love him?

Was it just because he had no legs?

What then was the meaning of his life?

Gu Jiao looked at him and said, “Despite her treating you this way, do you still feel sad for her?”

Huangfu Xian was silent for a while before softly saying, “…She is my mother.”

…

In the pitch-dark prison, Empress Dowager Zhuang stood indifferently in the corridor, not taking a step closer.

Eunuch Qin had already taken the guards to another place, leaving only a few trusted experts to watch over.

Empress Dowager Zhuang said, “Tell me, when did you become Ning An’s?”

Most people in the world cannot bring themselves to face the music, but Empress Dowager Zhuang was not of such disposition.

She did not show the slightest hesitation.

When she spoke, she got straight to the point.

Ning An lay on the ground, looking up at Empress Dowager Zhuang with a mocking smile, “I am Ning An, Mother!”

Empress Dowager Zhuang coldly said, “At the brink of disaster, and yet you still will not confess!”

Ning An replied incredulously, “Confess what? I am Ning An! Ning An is me! Has Mother gone senile, forgetting her own daughter? If Mother’s affection has changed, just say it. If you no longer care about Ning An, just say it outright, why resort to such methods to humiliate Ning An!”

Empress Dowager Zhuang was not provoked by her outburst, and simply looked down upon her, as if observing the last struggles of an ant.

Ning An, under Empress Dowager Zhuang’s gaze, laughed bitterly, her shoulders trembling, “Mother, your skill at framing others has not changed a bit! That’s exactly how you framed my birth mother back then and now you turn to framing me!”

Empress Dowager Zhuang did not engage in a war of words but let her ramble on in her mad laughter.

Ning An’s punches seemed to hit cotton; she grasped the wooden bars of her cell, pressing her cheek tightly into a crack, “Mother claims I am not Ning An, do you have evidence? Look at my face, does it not belong to Ning An?”

Slap!

Empress Dowager Zhuang threw a stack of letters in front of Ning An on the corridor floor.

Ning An’s gaze shifted downward, slowly extending her hand to retrieve the letters through the cell gap, and by the dim light in the corridor, she carefully perused them.

With each page she turned, her expression darkened. Halfway through, she suddenly began tearing the letters, raging, “Nonsense! Nonsense! It’s all nonsense!”

“I am Ning An!”

“I am indeed Ning An!”

She became violently emotional, the veins on her temples bulging.

Empress Dowager Zhuang glanced at her and remarked unhurriedly, “Alright then, let’s have me tell you a story. Where shall we begin? Let’s start with the plight of a well-born lady. This lady, bright and courageous from a young age and blessed with beauty, unfortunately had a mother who was not favored; consequently, she suffered frequent disparagement from her legitimate sisters at home. On a trip to the temple to offer incense, she happened to meet a wise person. This wise person took to her immediately and, after several interactions, they became close friends. After a year of acquaintance, this wise person successfully convinced her new friend to join an underground organization called the Honglian Society.”