Chapter 96: Chapter 96

Immediately, I must help Jun Yu find his biological mother. Since I made such a boast today, I must assist in finding her.

The people arranged by the Empress to guard Jun Yu outside heard the conversations between Jun Yu and Jun Ning, and they went back and reported everything verbatim to the Empress.

After hearing it, the Empress angrily rushed to Jun Yu.

"Smack..." A slap landed on Jun Yu’s face without any warning. Follow current novels on 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩~𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢~𝔫𝔢𝔱

Jun Yu fell to the ground from the hit, and a trace of blood appeared at the corner of his mouth.

As Jun Yu’s mother and Empress, at this moment, there was no sign of distress for Jun Yu on her face.

She pointed at Jun Yu’s nose and cursed, "You ungrateful wretch! Over the years, I have provided you with food and clothing and even found the best teachers in the palace to enlighten you with books. I’ve almost given you the best there is. If you side with outsiders, that’s fine, but you even want to find your birth mother?"

The Empress sneered continuously, "What can your birth mother give you? Can she give you the status of a legitimate heir? Or a powerful maternal family? Or perhaps the best life and everything?"

"None of it is possible!"

"Your mother was born an alien race, and even after giving birth to you, she remains an alien race. The Emperor will never allow her to raise you by her side, so you should just give up on this!"

Even after saying so much to vent her rage, the anger in her heart hadn’t been completely vented.

She paced back and forth in fury, her chest heaving violently.

While passing by a shelf inside the room, she casually picked up a vase and hurled it in Jun Yu’s direction. If Jun Yu hadn’t been quick to dodge to the side, that vase would’ve hit his head.

Jun Yu felt a surge of fear, looking incredulously at the Empress.

The Empress, however, said indifferently, "Ungrateful wretch, what are you looking at? Is there a flower on my face?"

With that, she grabbed another vase to throw at Jun Yu.

Nanny Li saw this and hurriedly knelt before the Empress, holding her legs and crying disconsolately, begging, "Your Highness, you must not! If you truly harm the Seventeenth Prince, then you will really have to stay in the Jiaofang Palace forever, never to leave."

Currently, the old Marquis can still help maneuver some connections outside, as long as the Empress hasn’t committed any outrageous mistakes. Once this period passes, and when the Emperor’s anger subsides, the old Marquis will surely find a way to get her out.

Even if it’s for the sake of the Seventeenth Prince, the Emperor would likely let the Empress out of the Jiaofang Palace.

But if news spreads that the Empress harmed the Seventeenth Prince, they really won’t stand a chance and will probably remain in this Jiaofang Palace.

The Empress eventually listened to Nanny Li’s words and did nothing further to Jun Yu. Instead, she glanced sideways at Jun Yu, then returned to her own sleeping chamber.

Once the door was closed, she said to Nanny Li, "Nanny, surely Qiong Hua won’t really take the Seventeenth Prince back from me, right? I heard that the Emperor intends to release her from the Cold Palace, but she refuses to come out. It seems she’s arguing with the Emperor over this matter, isn’t it?"

"Your Highness, don’t panic," Nanny Li said. "As you said, Qiong Hua is an alien race; how could the Emperor allow her to raise the Seventeenth Prince? Even if she uses leaving the Cold Palace to pressure the Emperor, he won’t comply with her wishes."

The Empress shook her head and said, "How can I not panic? The Emperor now dotes on the Eighteenth Princess so much. If the Eighteenth Princess makes a considerable fuss, it’s possible that the Emperor might agree in a moment of confusion."

"Your Highness, have you forgotten why the Emperor let you raise the Seventeenth Prince?"

"Of course, I haven’t forgotten." Thinking of this, the Empress got even angrier, clenching her fists so tightly that her nails pierced her palms, bleeding, yet she felt no pain. "If it weren’t for me mistakenly drinking the infertility medicine the Emperor prepared for Qiong Hua, I wouldn’t have been infertile for life."

"So the Seventeenth Prince is the Emperor’s compensation to you!" said Nanny Li, "With this matter, the Emperor would never give the Seventeenth Prince back to Qiong Hua, so you don’t have to worry."

"... Alright, Nanny, I’ll listen to you."

After Nanny Li’s persuasion, the Empress finally stopped her endless worrying.

Not only did she come to understand, but she also took people with her to see Jun Yu. Regarding the earlier events, she apologized to Jun Yu, asking him to not take it to heart.

Meanwhile, after climbing down from the big tree at Jiaofang Palace, Jun Ning wasn’t idle. She headed straight to the Imperial Study Room.

No one knows better than Emperor Yongning who Ah Yu’s real mother is.

Moreover, she didn’t know many people in the palace. Investigating it would be unrealistic; even though she is now the Eighteenth Princess and favored by Emperor Yongning, those officials might not cooperate with her investigation.

So rather than getting entangled with so many complications, it’s better to ask Emperor Yongning directly.

But upon arriving at the Imperial Study Room, Jun Ning didn’t enter immediately. Rather, she looked back at the young lady following her — the maid Emperor Yongning assigned to dress and adorn her.

"Sister Nan Nan, please help me check if my hair is messy, and whether my clothes are neat or not?"

The maid called Sister Nan Nan eyed Jun Ning up and down, smiled, and said, "The Princess’s hair is a little messy, let me tidy it for you."

Nan Nan took out a comb she carried with her and helped Jun Ning smooth the bangs fluttering on her forehead, as well as tidied up her dress and necklace.

Children are lively and active; clothes and accessories tend to get tilted.

But now, after Nan Nan’s tidying, Jun Ning once again appeared as the adorable and well-behaved little princess.

"The Princess is ready," Nan Nan took out a mirror and showed it to Jun Ning, "See for yourself? Satisfied?"

Jun Ning nodded, "Satisfied!"

"Who’s talking outside?"

Upon Jun Ning’s arrival, Xiao Lizi had already gone in to report. By now, Emperor Yongning had long known Jun Ning was here, but seeing her standing at the door for quite some time without entering, he thought his darling was still sulking with him.

Afraid the little girl might huff and run off, as soon as he heard voices outside, he immediately spoke up.

Jun Ning walked in with a smile.

"This is different from what I thought, my dear isn’t angry!" Emperor Yongning thought to himself.

Jun Ning, holding up her skirt in both hands, spun like a butterfly in front of Emperor Yongning and said coquettishly, "Father Emperor, I’ve prepared a dance for you, would you like to see it?"

"My dear is going to dance for me?" Emperor Yongning, setting aside the memorials in his hands, looked at his charming daughter with great delight, a daughter he held dear, "Of course, I would like to see."

No matter how Jun Ning danced, to Emperor Yongning, it would be his first time in life seeing his daughter dance, he couldn’t ask for more!

"However..." Emperor Yongning, after much consideration, said, "I need to say the ugly words upfront — even if your dance brings me great joy, I still can’t tell you the reason your mother refuses to leave the Cold Palace."