Chapter 146: Chapter 146
Ever since Jun Ning secretly ran out of the palace, Emperor Yongning had no intention of raising Yao Yao anymore, and even felt somewhat resentful towards her.
Although he knew as a father he shouldn’t think this way, he just couldn’t help it.
If it weren’t for Yao Yao, none of this would have happened.
Caught up in his emotions, regardless of whether Liu Pin’s illness was better, Emperor Yongning directly sent Yao Yao to be raised by Liu Pin. From now on, Yao Yao would be Liu Pin’s child, and he would never personally take care of her again.
Even though Liu Pin had been sick and didn’t recover well, she dared not neglect the princess given to her by the Emperor, always taking careful care, giving her whatever she wanted, accommodating her in every way.
Today, the princess kept insisting on seeing Emperor Yongning, and she couldn’t calm her down, so she had to bring her to see him.
Emperor Yongning paused for a moment and said, "I won’t see her. Let Liu Pin take the princess back."
Xiao Lizi conveyed Emperor Yongning’s words to Liu Pin and Princess Yao Yao.
Liu Pin was obedient; the Emperor said not to see her, so she was about to take Yao Yao back. But Princess Yao Yao suddenly burst into tears, her crying deafening and shrill, which startled Xiao Lizi, who was the closest.
Xiao Lizi sighed and advised, "Little princess, please stop making a fuss and return with your Lady Liu?"
The little princess refused and continued to cry.
Xiao Lizi continued to persuade, "When the Emperor is willing to see you, he will naturally summon you."
Yao Yao sniffled, feeling very aggrieved.
She was timid and didn’t dare to speak harshly or loudly, so she muttered in a low voice, "Does it mean I can’t see Father unless he summons me?"
For some reason, Yao Yao’s current demeanor and her tone reminded Xiao Lizi of those concubines in the harem who desperately wanted to see Emperor Yongning, and when they couldn’t, would feign sadness and pity.
He greatly disliked such sentimental people, whether adults or children. He found it easy to handle them.
He said coldly, "You can see, but Princess Anle is inside discussing important matters with the Emperor." It’s the Emperor who doesn’t want to see you, so if you’re wise, leave quickly and don’t insist.
Who would have thought that Princess Yao Yao wouldn’t understand this at all, tearfully she said, "Why can sister see Father, but I can’t? What makes sister so special compared to me? We are both beloved princesses of Father!"
"Eunuch, I beg you to let me in to see Father for a moment?" Yao Yao wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and nervously pleaded with Xiao Lizi.
Someone who didn’t know might have thought Xiao Lizi had threatened her with something, scaring her into such a humble pleading posture.
Xiao Lizi was also very displeased with Princess Yao Yao’s aggressive yet self-pitying demeanor.
He glanced at the two Imperial Guards standing outside the Imperial Study Room, and the Imperial Guard personally escorted Princess Yao Yao back.
Throughout the journey, Princess Yao Yao kept crying, but no one sympathized with her.
Jun Ning, upon hearing the crying, teased Emperor Yongning, "Father, aren’t you going to check on her? After all, Yao Yao is also your daughter!"
"Whether she truly is my daughter remains uncertain." Emperor Yongning squinted, saying something unfathomable.
Why he said this was unknown, but if he did, he must have discovered some clue.
Anyway, it had nothing to do with Jun Ning, who was so exhausted she had no time to care about these things.
She mumbled in her sleep, "Father, Brother Crown Prince found you for me; don’t forget to reward Brother Crown Prince" and then drifted off to a deep sleep.
These past two days out in the world had really worn out the little girl; she slept through dinner and continued sleeping until the next day when Emperor Yongning returned from the morning court session.
Wei Lin, seeing her awake, according to Emperor Yongning’s instructions, brought her the food she liked: hot and spicy soup, mung bean cakes, deep-fried dough sticks, buns, and other things she enjoyed.
After freshening up, Emperor Yongning personally held her and had breakfast with her.
Jun Ning, after eating her fill, patted her round little tummy and burped, confirming once more, "Father, didn’t you put out a citywide reward to find me before? Brother Crown Prince found me, did you give Brother Crown Prince the reward?"
Emperor Yongning said displeasedly, "I ordered someone to send a thousand taels to the Eastern Palace yesterday!"
Jun Ning nodded, "That’s good."
"What’s so good about it? Before sleeping, you were talking about your Brother Crown Prince, and after waking up, you’re still talking about your Brother Crown Prince." Emperor Yongning said, "You little heartless one, why don’t you ask how your Father has been these days since you slipped out of the palace?"
Jun Ning smiled slightly and hugged Emperor Yongning’s arm, asking, "Then how has Father been during these days when I left the palace?"
The nearby Xiao Lizi, upon hearing this, almost blurted out about Emperor Yongning coughing up blood.
Being Emperor Yongning’s personal eunuch, he knew these things best. He also wished to reveal this matter so the princess could urge Emperor Yongning to take better care of himself.
But Emperor Yongning shot him a cold glance, and he obediently shut his mouth.
"Father is fine." Emperor Yongning rubbed Jun Ning’s head, "Why don’t you go to Cining Palace to see your Grand Empress Dowager? She has been worried stiff ever since she learned you left the palace, fearing you’d encounter trouble outside. She’s worried to the point of not being able to eat or sleep well. She has been sending her maids to inquire every day, asking if you have been found yet?"
The Grand Empress Dowager is thoughtful.
Jun Ning picked up her skirt and jumped out of Emperor Yongning’s embrace, "Yes, Father, I will go to Cining Palace to see Grandmother now."
"Xiao Lizi, you go with her." After all, the disaster star incident hasn’t been completely resolved, and Emperor Yongning worried about Jun Ning’s safety, "Make sure Princess doesn’t encounter anyone on the road and suffer losses."
"Yes, Your Majesty." The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹✦𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖✦𝓷𝓮𝓽
Xiao Lizi took Jun Ning to Cining Palace to visit the Empress Dowager, but as they were just stepping out of the gate of the Imperial Study Room, they were intercepted by Princess Yao Yao and a group of ministers led by Marquis Zhongyong.
These ministers looked at her with malicious intent, and Marquis Zhongyong, holding Princess Yao Yao in one arm, pointed fiercely at Jun Ning’s face without any hesitation, saying, "You disaster star, where do you think you’re going?"
Jun Ning stopped her steps.
Xiao Lizi feared that these ministers might do something bad to Jun Ning, so he took a step forward, shielding Jun Ning, smilingly saying to the ministers, "If the ministers have something to say, let’s speak slowly, but please don’t be threatening."
He glanced at Jun Ning who was behind him and reminded, "The princess is still young, it wouldn’t be good to scare her."
"Speak slowly?" Marquis Zhongyong bellowed furiously, "The Astronomical Bureau was locked up in the death row because of this cross-dressed disaster star, driven mad overnight, what is there to speak slowly about?"