The Prime Minister's Darling
Chapter 1191 - 1191 577 Background (first update)_3

Chapter 1191: 577 Background (first update)_3 Chapter 1191: 577 Background (first update)_3 “The Honglian Society was in fact just another identity of the remnants of the former dynasty, and this lady unexpectedly became a death warrior for those remnants. She was ordered to join the selection of consorts to get close to the Emperor. Her initial goal was probably to become the Empress or the favorite close to the Emperor’s heart, to bear him a son and help him become the Crown Prince, and then take the Emperor’s life. In doing so, the empire would have fallen into the hands of the remnants of the former dynasty.”

“Unfortunately, things did not go as she wished. She neither became the Empress nor the favorite. In fact, the Emperor did not fancy her at all. Her only choice was to cling to the Empress, who had lost a daughter. Coincidentally, she became pregnant only a month after the Empress, so she conceived a plan. She secretly prepared labor-inducing drugs to deliver her child prematurely, so that her child was born on the same day as the Empress’s.”

“What no one knew, however, was that there was… another child in her womb. Born only 2 hours apart, yet on two consecutive days.”

“The two children never cried together; after the sister finished crying, the younger sister would cry, and once she was done, it was the elder sister’s turn. To outsiders, it sounded like only one child was crying.”

“The midwife who delivered her was her confidant, more precisely a confidant arranged by a certain master for her. The fates of these two children were determined from birth: one would stay in the palace, and the other would be taken out.”

“They would be two perfect pawns, even more perfect than her, a royal consort. But who would stay in the palace as the princess, and who would be taken out of the palace to become a death warrior?”

“The consort kept the elder sister who was born first, because this child had already lain in her arms and had taken her first sip of milk; she couldn’t let go of this child. The other she didn’t even glance at before cruelly having someone take her away.”

Ning An covered her ears, “Stop talking… stop talking…”

“Everyone rumored that the Empress adored the little princess because she was born on the same day as her own daughter, as if her own daughter had been reborn. But in reality, the Empress loved her simply because she was indeed a pretty and lovable child, which had nothing to do with their shared birthday.”

“That child was lively and active, seemingly fearless, but in fact, she was afraid of many things, just a paper tiger. She was afraid of the dark, especially, especially of the dark.”

“Yet sometimes, it seemed she wasn’t afraid. She liked to eat chestnuts, but occasionally she would dislike them. The Empress simply thought it was child’s whimsy and didn’t take it to heart. The Empress certainly loved the child, but do you know when the Empress truly decided that she would cherish this child for the rest of her life?”

Ning An instinctively pricked up her ears.

“It was on a night when the Empress was sent to the Cold Palace, and she fell ill, with no imperial doctor daring to treat her. That night, as lightning flashed and thunder roared, she lay all alone in the Cold Palace bed, feeling like she was going to die just like that. Unexpectedly, at that moment, a thin figure climbed over the wall of the Cold Palace.”

“She pushed open the door, and the thunder and lightning followed her. Her frail figure could have been blown over by the wind at any moment, but she showed no fear. She rushed into the house, threw herself into the Empress’s arms, and said, ‘Mother, I’ve come to see you,’ ‘Don’t be afraid, Mother, Ning An is here with you.'”

Ning An’s body froze.

Memories flashed in the Empress Dowager’s eyes, “It was then, that child who braved the thunder and lightning for her, who had gotten her hand pierced while climbing over the wall, who had fallen many times along the way, bruising her knees… The Empress told herself that she would love her for a lifetime!”

Ning An’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“That child… even just once… once would have been enough… to tell the Empress… she was not Ning An… she was Ning An’s sister…” The Empress Dowager’s voice choked, and she clenched her fingers under the wide sleeve.

Tears gradually filled Ning An’s eyes as she stared blankly at the Empress Dowager.

Drawing a deep breath, the Empress Dowager looked up, turned around, and gazed toward the dim corridor, “The Empress will save her, will care for her. She never needed to live in the shadow of Ning An.”

“Mother!” Ning An’s tears spilled over as she lunged forward to grasp the Empress Dowager’s hem.

The Empress Dowager walked to the exit, her face expressionless.

A single scalding tear slid down her cheek, and she never looked back.