"Your Highness, Changping King of Ancheng has sent someone to deliver something to you, insisting that you open it personally."
Han Xichen heard this and said, "Bring it in."
"Your Highness, it's a rather large item."
Han Xichen frowned and said coldly, "Carry it in."
Soon, two people carried in a large chest.
"Open it," Han Xichen commanded.
The chest was opened, and the person who opened it was startled. He turned back to report to Han Xichen, "Your Highness, it's a person, a woman."
Han Xichen was taken aback, stood up, and walked to the chest. He saw a young girl curled up inside.
The girl suddenly raised her head, her eyes filled with hatred. If she hadn't been bound by ropes, she might have lunged out and killed him.
"Did Changping King only send this person? Was there no other explanation?"
The servant shook his head.
Han Xichen frowned and said coldly, "You may withdraw!"
He examined the girl, feeling a strange sense of familiarity. He stepped forward, removed the cloth gagging her mouth, and asked, "Who are you?"
"Let me go," the girl said.
"Tell me who you are first?" Han Xichen asked.
The girl bit her lower lip and did not answer him. Han Xichen chuckled softly, "If you don't speak, I can't possibly let you go."
"If I tell you, you'll let me go?" the girl sneered.
"I need to see who you are," Han Xichen said.
"I won't tell you," the girl turned her head away and remained silent.
Han Xichen sneered, "Then I won't let you go either."
"You..." the girl bit her lower lip.
Han Xichen waved his hand and said coldly, "Take her away."
"Wait..." the girl suddenly spoke.
"Have you changed your mind?" Han Xichen asked.
"Where is this?" the girl asked.
"Take her away," Han Xichen said coldly.
As the girl was being escorted away, Han Xichen's expression grew considerably grim. He wrote a letter and called for a servant, saying coldly, "Send this letter to Changping King immediately."
"Your Highness, the person Changping King sent, don't you think it must be someone Changping King detests?"
Han Xichen turned back and said coldly, "Why have you come here?"
"I heard that Your Highness received a woman from Changping King, so I came to enlighten Your Highness."
"Do you know this woman's identity?" Han Xichen asked.
"If my guess is correct, she is likely Princess An Ru."
Han Xichen was stunned, and his expression quickly turned dark. "Is Changping King asking me to deal with her enemy for him?"
"Your Highness, think positively. This might be a way to ascertain if Miss Ning An is indeed Princess An Ning."
Han Xichen's eyes brightened. "You are not wrong."
"Your Highness, I have recently heard a rumor..."
"What rumor?"
"Princess An Ning and Empress Chang Ning are the same person."
Han Xichen trembled all over. "Are you sure?"
"Your Highness will have to verify this personally."
Hearing this, a spark of light flashed in Han Xichen's eyes. If this were true, then all he needed to do was confirm that Ning An was Princess An Ning, which meant Empress Chang Ning.
Thinking of this, he could no longer sit still. "Someone!"
Soon, someone walked in from outside. "Your Highness."
"Bring the person Changping King sent here."
Xue Zining was just about to fall asleep when she was awakened by a rapid knocking at the door. She got up and went to the door, opening it to reveal Shen Yunxuan.
"Is something the matter?"
Shen Yunxuan nodded.
Xue Zining moved aside, letting him in.
Shen Yunxuan said in a low voice, "I have received news that Changping King sent a woman to Han Xichen. My informant reports that it might be Princess An Ru."
Xue Zining was startled. "Are you sure it's An Ru?"
Shen Yunxuan replied, "Not entirely sure."
"Do you know where she is being held?" Xue Zining asked.
Shen Yunxuan nodded. "I do."
"Take me there."
"Your Majesty, could it be..."
"I won't be rash," Xue Zining said. She just wanted to confirm if it was An Ru.
Upon arriving at Han Xichen's room, Xue Zining and Shen Yunxuan flew onto the roof.
Shen Yunxuan removed a roof tile, creating a palm-sized opening through which they could see inside.
Xue Zining saw a woman standing, her hands bound, at first glance.
"Kneel," someone from Han Xichen's retinue kicked the woman's knee.
The woman cried out in pain and turned to glare fiercely at the person who kicked her.
This turn of her head allowed Xue Zining to see the woman's face clearly. She gasped. It was indeed An Ru.
"You may all withdraw!" Han Xichen did not force An Ru to kneel further.
"What do you want?" An Ru asked coldly.
Being gifted to someone else as an item by An Ping had made her hate An Ping to the bone. But that wasn't what hurt her the most; it was her father's attitude.
Her father now only had eyes for An Ping, and no one else.
"Are you Princess An Ru?"
Han Xichen's voice interrupted An Ru's thoughts. She looked up and smiled sarcastically, "Have you ever seen a princess treated like an item, passed around?"
Han Xichen did not laugh upon hearing this. He simply said faintly, "I have."
An Ru was startled and looked at Han Xichen.
Han Xichen chuckled softly. "Why, is it so surprising? Isn't it quite normal? With so many children, parents always have favorites, and sometimes they don't even care for them as much as a dog they raise."
An Ru remained silent.
Han Xichen continued, "Moreover, being born into royalty, your status determines everything. When your birth mother is humble, you will be looked down upon by your siblings, even trampled and insulted by them."
An Ru lowered her gaze.
"Am I speaking the truth, Princess An Ru?" Han Xichen asked slowly.
"What exactly do you want?" An Ru asked.
"I heard you had a good relationship with Princess An Ning. Now, I have found Princess An Ning."
An Ru looked at Han Xichen faintly and said, "Princess An Ning is already dead."
Han Xichen was slightly taken aback. An Ru said, "Perhaps Your Highness has found a fake?" Da Feng Novel Network.
"Who's there?" A voice suddenly called from behind.
Xue Zining turned her head and saw one of Han Xichen's men. She quickly pulled down her veil and flew off the roof.
Shen Yunxuan followed closely behind.
Han Xichen emerged from the room and, seeing them, said coldly, "Seize them."
"You go first," Shen Yunxuan said.
"You go first. I can handle these people," Xue Zining said.
"Your Majesty..."
She cut off Shen Yunxuan's words. "This is an order."
Shen Yunxuan had no choice but to say, "Be careful."
With that, he turned and flew away.
Han Xichen said coldly, "Don't let any of them escape."
Xue Zining drew the soft whip from her waist, blocking those who were pursuing Shen Yunxuan.
More people rushed in from outside. She knew she had to end this quickly.
At the doorway, she saw An Ru watching her. She couldn't attend to her and could only fly up and quickly leave the place.
"Chase, go chase them..." Han Xichen's face was dark and grim with anger.
"Your Highness, the person disappeared after reaching Lord Shen's courtyard," the guard reported.
Han Xichen smiled grimly upon hearing this. "Good, very good. Shen Yunxuan, let's see how you explain this. Someone, summon Shen Yunxuan."
Suddenly, he changed his mind. "No need. I'll go personally."
After a few steps, he turned back to look at An Ru and said, "Princess, would you like to go see the excitement?"
"Yes!" An Ru smiled brightly, but inwardly she was nervous. That person just now looked so much like Xue Zining. Could it really be her?
In Ancheng, she had heard rumors that the Empress had gone missing, and Xue Jingyun was furious.
Later, after An Ping left Ancheng, she had sent people to track him. An Ping seemed to know the Empress's whereabouts.
She wanted to send people to find the Empress, at least to find her before An Ping did, but she didn't know how An Ping found out, and then she was controlled by An Ping.