In the carriage heading to the Capital City, Cui Yu and Ning Family, pondering over the recent news, Ning Family softly asked, "Sir, do you think Chen’er is still alive?"
After all, she is her biological daughter, how could she not be concerned about her condition.
Cui Yu frowned, "Regardless of whether she’s alive or not, she can no longer be our daughter in na, madam. Let’s just pretend we don’t have this daughter. Last ti, Your Majesty did not punish us, considering that Chen’er brought Jing’er back."
"If Chen’er is still alive, will she be seen?" Ning Family asked again.
Cui Yu said, "The ti she swapped Jing’er to Bei Qi probably angered Your Majesty. Even if she returns by a stroke of luck, you better not et her. Your Majesty is probably still angry with her, but perhaps for the sake that we raised Jing’er and Chen’er brought Jing’er back, he might spare her life. As long as she doesn’t cause trouble, she could probably live peacefully as the Ninth Princess."
"I fear that with her character she cannot settle down. If she knows Jing’er was enfeoffed as a Commandery Princess by Your Majesty, she might not be satisfied."
Should she cause another stir, Your Majesty might not save any face.
About what Chen’er did before, Your Majesty surely is angry.
"Madam, don’t get involved anymore, do you want to implicate the entire Cui Family because of her? We still have Zhao’er and Chen’er," said Cui Yu.
With tears in her eyes, Ning Family lightly nodded, "So Jing’er and Chen’er’s identities will never be publicly revealed?"
"The matter made such a commotion back then, if it were really made public, wouldn’t it be a joke? Madam, rember, our daughter is Jing’er, Chen’er is the current Ninth Princess. This secret cannot be known by more people," Cui Yu warned.
Ning Family agreed, still feeling sowhat sad.
"I heard Canglan Country is not bad, maybe it’s better for her to stay there," she said.
Cui Yu said, "Once things stabilize there, they will inevitably deal with the leftover issues from Bei Qi, including Her Highness the Ninth Princess. She should be sent back."
"Her future depends on whether she can restrain her temper," Cui Yu said. If she behaves, Your Majesty won’t do anything to her.
Ning Family heard the implication and sighed inwardly, not saying any more.
Your Majesty is the Emperor, and they are the subjects. The Emperor commands, and the subjects cannot resist. Her husband is a trusted subject of Your Majesty. When they took on the task of protecting the Ninth Princess in the past, they had no other choice. The matter last ti didn’t implicate them truly shows Your Majesty’s generosity.
No wonder her husband loyally serves Your Majesty.
Before the ergence of Canglan Country, Nan Qi was oppressed by Bei Qi, yet Your Majesty was considered a generous ruler.
Two days later, the Cui Family reunited.
They all tacitly avoided discussing Canglan Country, and deliberately didn’t ntion Ah Chen, as if this person never existed in the family.
Until one day, news ca from the palace that Consort Li had fallen ill, rumored to be due to a heart condition.
A slightly clever person imdiately thought she must be missing the Ninth Princess.
Now that Bei Qi is gone, and the other side is Canglan Country, Consort Li surely thought of the Ninth Princess, not knowing her life or death left her worried and thus fell ill.
But now, Canglan Country cannot attend to others, and people here cannot find out the exact situation. Even the Emperor of Nan Qi can’t.
Even if they did find out, concerning two countries, it is impossible to bring the person back easily.
To make Consort Li recover, the current emperor summoned noble girls from the Capital City to accompany Consort Li; whoever could help her recover would be adopted as a daughter and be enfeoffed as a princess.
Risk and reward coexisted, which actually led many to want to let their daughters enter the palace to try. Even those unwilling had no choice as this was ordered by His Majesty, otherwise risking the Emperor’s wrath.
As a confidant of the Emperor, Cui Yu naturally knew Song Chong’s plan early on. His wife, Ning Family, aware of Cui Jing’s identity, also needed to be inford of the emperor’s intentions.
But Cui Yu wasn’t in a hurry, pretending not to know about this matter.
Until the noble girls of the Capital City tried one after another with no success, there was no need for Song Chong to say much before soone reminded, isn’t there still Cui Jing? Song Chong frowned slightly, pretending to be doubtful, but for Consort Li’s sake, ultimately summoned Cui Jing.
When Cui Jing received the imperial edict, she felt uneasy. However, having interacted with Consort Li before, she loathed Song Chen but didn’t dislike Consort Li, who was gentle and kind, unlike the lofty and arrogant Song Chen’s biological mother. When accompanying Song Chen back to the palace previously, Consort Li was also warm to her upon seeing her.
Thinking of her illness, Song Chen was detestable, but Consort Li was innocent, and Cui Jing felt so sympathy, understanding a mother’s feelings.
With such complex emotions, Cui Jing entered the palace.
Within a day, Consort Li’s condition improved.
Soone then said that Cui Jing herself had profound fortune; otherwise, how could she have safely returned from Bei Qi?
Without errors, the plan proceeded as intended.
Once Consort Li fully recovered, Song Chong honored his promise, recognizing Cui Jing as his adopted daughter, entitling her as a princess, with the title Changning.
Cui Jing felt complex emotions but couldn’t refuse Consort Li’s gentleness. Besides, she didn’t have the ability to oppose everything.
She still cared about news of Song Chen; Cui Chen made information hard to obtain, so she thought of asking Consort Li. After all, Consort Li cares about Song Chen and would certainly inquire about her news.
Consort Li thought Cui Jing genuinely worried, her heart softened; how could her daughter be so kind?
Now, being able to often see her biological daughter, how could she still think of that Song Chen, wishing that she’d suffer and die over there. If not for her, would her daughter have suffered so much?
But in her daughter’s presence, she naturally would not reveal this side, lest she frightened her; moreover, this secret must not be exposed. Her daughter is so kind; if she knew the truth, she’d likely feel hurt and guilty.
"Your Majesty has already arranged for soone to inquire. Once there is news of Chen’er, we will report back," Consort Li said, wiping her tears, "I hope she’s okay."
How can it be okay after causing her daughter so much suffering?
In the Canglan Country’s palace, Fan Shi was talking to Ah Chen: "Your Majesty, recently soone has been inquiring about the Ninth Princess’s whereabouts. I suspect it’s Nan Qi’s side. After checking into it, it indeed is."
Ah Chen looked up, "Just let them know that the Ninth Princess is being well cared for, and currently, Canglan Country has temporarily forgotten about her, not having had the chance to address her situation yet."
There are quite a few things here, really can’t go back now.
"Understood, Your Majesty." Fan Shi agreed, recalling a book on agriculture, he reported progress to Ah Chen, his face full of excitent.
"Good, I have more here; take it and research them." Ah Chen handed over so booklets, containing skills such as crop cultivation and so military books.
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