Chapter 104: Chapter 104

The matters that Emperor Yongning discussed with him were important and gave him a sense of being freed from the mud, showing him a new horizon and hope, but nothing compared to the joy he felt upon finding his biological mother.

He nodded like a pecking chicken at whatever Emperor Yongning said, telling him that he remembered, yet his eyes never left Qiong Hua.

Whether he truly remembered Emperor Yongning’s words or not, only he knew.

And this dinner was quite peculiar.

Logically, Qiong Hua and Emperor Yongning had not sat down together for a meal in years, and their first-time reaction to sitting together should have been quite a spectacle.

Who would have expected otherwise?

Their attention was entirely on the two children; they talked quite a bit with the children but exchanged not a single formal word with each other.

Finally, after the meal, Emperor Yongning still had memorials to review, so he returned to work. He initially intended to take Jun Ning with him, but considering that today’s revelation of Seventeen’s identity required him to leave time for this mother and her children to face it, he left alone.

As soon as Emperor Yongning left, Jun Ning pulled Jun Yu in front of Qiong Hua, exclaiming, "Mother, Mother, I have a younger brother now."

"What younger brother?" Qiong Hua tenderly gazed at Jun Yu, "He was born a quarter of an hour before you, so he’s the older brother, and you’re the younger sister."

"Older brother?" Jun Ning seemed troubled, "But Ah Yu has always called me Boss!"

The boss suddenly became the little brother, no, the little sister!

Why does it feel so strange?

"This won’t work, this won’t work." Jun Ning sulked.

"Boss, no, well, in the future, your brother will protect you well."

Jun Yu also felt odd with Jun Ning being his little sister, as he preferred having Jun Ning as his boss.

However, he knew he must abandon such thoughts and refrain from always calling his sister ’boss,’ inadvertently burdening her with a sense of having to carry him.

He is the older brother now and must strive to create a safe haven for his sister.

So just like that, she gained a convenient older brother, and there was no escaping him.

However, seeing the fellow in front of her and making him her brother, gradually training him to be responsible, capable of taking on matters, and turning him into a sturdy man did seem appealing.

Realizing this, Jun Ning accepted the fact of having gained an older brother and started cheerily calling brother, brother, all day long.

Every time Jun Yu heard her call him brother, he self-reflected: Have I worked hard today? Am I becoming a qualified brother who can protect my sister?

Driven by this motivation, whether it be studying or practicing martial arts, Jun Yu made rapid progress.

Of course, these are matters for later.

At that moment, the three of them said nothing more. Qiong Hua embraced the two children tightly. They were reunited at last, a day hard-won.

She cherished this moment deeply, feeling both grateful and relieved, her eyes welling with tears.

In this silent-but-meaningful moment, the three of them held each other for a long, long time before parting.

That night, Jun Yu did not return to Jiaofang Palace but stayed in the Cold Palace, sleeping with Qiong Hua and Jun Ning.

Originally, the two little ones were uncomfortable with such close contact, but since Qiong Hua insisted on holding them left and right, they said nothing more and obediently complied.

The initial discomfort melted away deep in the night when they felt their mother occasionally tuck them in.

The siblings each slept by their mother’s side, feeling warm and cozy inside.

The Empress waited for Jun Yu but instead received the Imperial Decree moving Jun Yu to the Prince’s Residence in three days.

Upon receiving the decree, the Empress crumpled to the ground, unable to react for a long while. As time ticked by and the decree announcer departed, she still hadn’t risen.

Finally, Nanny Li couldn’t bear it and forcibly pulled her up. Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡⚑𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚⚑𝙣𝙚𝙩

"Your Majesty, the ground is cold. Let’s move to sit in a chair."

The Empress did not resist or comply, allowing Nanny Li to help her to a chair. She stared blankly at the distant greenery, her gaze hollow and spiritless, unmoving for a long time.

"Nanny, what does His Majesty mean by this? Why does he want to move Seventeen to the Prince’s Residence? Could he truly intend to take Seventeen away from me?"

The Empress asked dully.

"Your Majesty, don’t think , it won’t be so." Nanny Li consoled, "Currently, you’re confined to Jiaofang Palace, and Seventeen can’t leave either. His Majesty’s move is to allow Seventeen to leave Jiaofang Palace and go to the Imperial Study Room for lessons, considering his education."

"Ha ha ha..." The Empress laughed coldly, her face full of sarcasm, "Nanny, is that really the case?"

The Empress had already been briefed by her spies about the outside situation today. She knew that Qiong Hua and the Eighteenth Princess had coerced His Majesty into returning Seventeen to them.

His Majesty’s actions now were not about solving the issue of Seventeen being trapped in Jiaofang Palace and the inconvenience of studying. It was clearly to assist Qiong Hua and the Eighteenth Princess in taking Seventeen from her side.

"Those insolent fools, how dare they compete with this Palace for people?"

"Who do you think you are?"

The Empress finally couldn’t restrain the burning anger within her. She picked up a teacup and threw it forcefully.

The teacup shattered, glass shards scattering everywhere.

Nanny Li wanted to advise but the Empress refused to listen, abruptly ordering Nanny Li to be silent, and immediately to contact the person arranged by her father, Marquis Zhongyong, for her.

This person was arranged by her father as a backup plan when she entered the palace, to be used when absolutely necessary.

Her father had specifically instructed her not to use this person unless absolutely necessary.

The Empress had not used this helper for years, but now, to her, it was an absolutely necessary moment. She must employ this person to regain some ground.

This person’s name was Jiang Li, a palace lady whose martial arts were extraordinary, having the freedom to enter and leave the palace freely.

After Nanny Li sent out the summon signal, Jiang Li came immediately under the pretense of delivering essentials to Jiaofang Palace, and the Imperial Guards did not stop her, letting her enter Jiaofang Palace directly.

"Greetings, Your Majesty. What is the reason for your summons?"

The Empress had taken advantage of Nanny Li sending the signal to write a letter, which was now dry. She smiled, sealed the letter, and handed it to Jiang Li.

"I have an urgent matter to request my father’s help; please deliver this letter to my father’s hands directly."

The Eighteenth Princess only gained His Majesty’s favor by disguising herself as a man, granting her the audacity to challenge her, a rightful Empress, and compete for people.

Ultimately, she is fake, a false Eighteenth Princess, all she possesses is superficial.

If she can have her father help find the real princess...