The Prime Minister's Darling
Chapter 878 - 878 405 Slap in the Face (Two s Combined)_3

Chapter 878: 405 Slap in the Face (Two Chapters Combined)_3 Chapter 878: 405 Slap in the Face (Two Chapters Combined)_3 The Emperor gritted his teeth and muttered, “Great, sneaking out of the palace to play cards again…”

His muttering was very soft, naturally unable to reach Princess Xinyang’s ears, but Princess Xinyang’s gaze remained fixed on his face. After a moment, she slowly began, “I heard that Your Majesty’s relationship with the Empress Dowager has improved quite a bit.”

The Emperor did not deny it, “There’s something I must tell you. The person who poisoned Ahen was not my mother, it was a woman named Zhang Xiu from the Shanggong Bureau. She was bribed by the remnants of the former dynasty, attempting to poison Ahen and frame my mother, stirring up strife between my mother and me. I only found out the truth recently, and Zhang Xiu has already been executed.”

“So that’s how it was.” Princess Xinyang lowered her eyes and said softly, “Thank you for seeking justice for Ahen.”

The Emperor said firmly, “Only when the remnants of the former dynasty are completely eradicated will justice truly be served for Ahen. Rest assured, I will not let any of them go!”

…

After leaving Huaqing Palace, Princess Xinyang paid a visit to Empress Xiao’s Kunning Palace.

She didn’t stay long and left after presenting the specialties from Fengdu Mountain.

As she passed through the Imperial Garden, she unexpectedly met the Crown Prince’s Consort, who had just come from the East Palace.

“Aunt!”

The Crown Prince’s Consort’s eyes lit up as she walked towards her.

“Crown Prince’s Consort.” Princess Xinyang greeted her.

Like a child seeing a respected elder, the Crown Prince’s Consort excitedly took Princess Xinyang’s hand, “It’s such a coincidence; I was actually planning to visit you. I didn’t expect to run into you here.”

Princess Xinyang looked at her, “You are now the Crown Prince’s Consort, there’s no need for such formality.”

The Crown Prince’s Consort became flustered, “Aunt… have you become distant with me? In my heart, no matter who I am now or who I will be in the future, uncle and you will always be the elders I respect the most!”

Princess Xinyang let out an almost inaudible sigh.

The Crown Prince’s Consort asked with concern, “Aunt, how have you been feeling? I visited you yesterday, and you were unconscious. I was worried all night, feeling anxious. I didn’t know your illness had worsened so much during those years in Fengdu Mountain. If I had known, I would have searched harder for the Hundred Flowers Pill… By the way, aunt, have you taken the Hundred Flowers Pill? How is its effectiveness?”

“The effect is very good, thanks to you, I can already walk around.” Princess Xinyang said, then paused and asked, “Where did you get the Hundred Flowers Pill from?”

The Crown Prince’s Consort looked around, leaned closer to Princess Xinyang, and said in a lower voice, “I bought it from a place called the underground Martial Arts Arena, where there was a blade-wielding expert from Zhao Country who happened to have a bottle of the Hundred Flowers Pill.”

The Martial Arts Arena was a chaotic place, but indeed the place to go for such rare items.

Princess Xinyang’s last bit of doubt about the Hundred Flowers Pill vanished.

Perhaps the Hundred Flowers Pill really was colorless and tasteless, just that people had distorted its image over time.

The Crown Prince’s Consort smiled slightly, “Aunt, if you’re not in a hurry to leave the palace, let’s sit in the pavilion, and I will keep you company for a chat. Many things have happened in the Capital City during your absence, I’ll tell you about them one by one.”

Princess Xinyang did not refuse.

Not because she wanted to hear about the affairs of the Capital City, but because she didn’t want to snub the Crown Prince’s Consort.

The two ascended the steps and sat down in the pavilion of the Imperial Garden.

The Crown Prince’s Consort ordered the palace maids to prepare tea and pastries.

Yujin looked at the butter tea and rose cake on the table and smiled knowingly, “The Crown Prince’s Consort still remembers the princess’s taste.”

Laughing, the Crown Prince’s Consort added, “Of course I remember. I remember everything that uncle and you like to eat! And what Ahen liked to eat I also…”

She stopped abruptly, mid-sentence.

Realizing she had touched on a painful topic, she became annoyed with herself, looking apologetically at Princess Xinyang, “Aunt… I’m sorry… I…”

Princess Xinyang’s expression remained calm, “You also remember what Ahen liked to eat; there is nothing that can’t be said.”

Yujin waved her hand, dismissing the palace maids.

Only she, the Crown Prince’s Consort, and Princess Xinyang remained in the pavilion.

The Crown Prince’s Consort expressed remorse, “Aunt, I’m sorry.”

Princess Xinyang replied, “You don’t need to apologize.”

The Crown Prince’s Consort opened her mouth, “I…”

Princess Xinyang spoke calmly, “You don’t have to apologize for what you said, nor do you have to apologize for becoming the Crown Prince’s Consort. Ahen is dead, and even if you had gotten married, it wouldn’t be inappropriate for you to remarry.”

The Crown Prince’s Consort clutched the handkerchief in her hand, her eyes slightly reddening, choked with emotion.

“Is the Crown Prince treating you well?” Princess Xinyang asked her.

The Crown Princess nodded, choking back tears.

Princess Xinyang nodded as well, “Then I am relieved. Yujin.”

She gave Yujin a meaningful look.

Yujin got the hint, stepped down the steps, and waved to a young maid who was following along.

The maid approached the pavilion.

Yujin asked, “Did you bring the thing I asked you to bring?”

The maid thought for a moment, “I’ve, I’ve sent them all out.”

Yujin said, “Isn’t there still a box of thousand-year-old Ganoderma?”

“Ah, I left it on the carriage!” The maid covered her mouth, “I’ll go fetch it right away!”

After taking a few steps, she sheepishly returned, “I don’t know the way…”

The maid was brought from Fengdu Mountain and was entering the palace for the first time.

“I’ll get it,” Yujin told Princess Xinyang.

Princess Xinyang said, “No need, Long Yi will fetch it.”

The Crown Princess felt bewildered by this statement; who was Long Yi?

As she looked around among the palace maids down the steps, she didn’t see anyone leaving.

Long Yi was hidden in the shadows, undetectable even by experts, let alone the Crown Princess.

There was only one last box left on the carriage, which should be easy to recognize.

Long Yi swiftly went to the carriage and retrieved the box.

When Long Yi emerged from the sky with an embroidered box into the pavilion, the Crown Princess was thoroughly startled.

Princess Xinyang said to the Crown Princess, “Thank you for the medicine you sent me. This is a token of my gratitude.” Then she turned to Long Yi, “Give the Crown Princess her thank-you gift.”

Long Yi wouldn’t give it.

The Dragon Shadow Guards usually don’t disobey their master’s commands, unless they didn’t understand them.

Princess Xinyang was a patient master. She pointed at the box and then pointed to the Crown Princess, carefully explaining, “The box in your hands, that’s the thank-you gift, give it to the Crown Princess.”

Long Yi still wouldn’t give it.

Princess Xinyang said, “Then give it to me.”

Long Yi handed it to her.

When Princess Xinyang personally reached to give the box to the Crown Princess, Long Yi snatched the box back again!

Even the Crown Princess could tell that this guard named Long Yi didn’t want to give the Ganoderma to her.

It was as if an elder asked a child to share candy with other kids, but the child stubbornly refused, making everyone feel awkward.

The Crown Princess felt especially embarrassed, her face flushed red, “Never mind, Auntie…”

“We cannot let it be,” Princess Xinyang insisted to Long Yi, “If you want the box, I’ll give you another one later, but this one is meant as a thank-you gift to someone else.”

Long Yi still wouldn’t give it.

Princess Xinyang frowned, “If you don’t give it now, I am going to be angry.”

Just then, Gu Jiao happened to be passing by the Imperial Garden.

With a swift jump, Long Yi descended and thrust the box into Gu Jiao’s arms.

Then he turned back to look at Princess Xinyang.

His gaze and posture seemed to say,

Don’t be angry, I’ve given it.