Anning did not understand why the cook gave her such a meaningful smile. She carried the peach blossom cakes to the Crown Prince's study.
Outside the study, she saw not only Xue Feng but also another person.
If she remembered correctly, it should be Xue Song.
"You are Xue Lan's sister?" Xue Song asked, stepping forward.
Anning nodded, "I am."
Xue Song sized up the scar on Anning's face and clicked his tongue twice, "Indeed, shockingly ugly."
"Xue Song…" Xue Feng interjected.
Xue Song smacked his lips and said, "Go in!"
Anning walked in and immediately saw Xue Jingyun there.
Still immaculate in his moon-white brocade robe, he sat with elegant posture, exuding immense dignity.
Just this scene was enough to shock her.
As if sensing footsteps, he looked up, and a clear, handsome face appeared in her sight.
Her heart suddenly skipped a beat.
"Who are you?" Xue Jingyun asked.
He saw a young girl standing at the door, with a conspicuous scar on her face, clearly a recent injury.
The girl before him hastily lowered her gaze, "Your Highness, I've come to deliver peach blossom cakes for you."
Saying this, she stepped forward and placed the peach blossom cakes on the table.
Upon seeing the peach blossom cakes, Xue Jingyun's gaze flickered. He put down the memorial he was holding, picked up a cake, and put it in his mouth.
His every move exuded charm.
No wonder he had driven the elder sister, the Empress of Huang Ze, to distraction.
"What is your name?" Xue Jingyun asked faintly after taking a bite, putting down the peach blossom cake.
"Xue Ning," Anning replied.
"You may go!"
Anning turned and left without hesitation.
Upon exiting the study, she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. She touched the scar on her face, thinking he wouldn't recognize her.
Returning to her room, she found Xue Lan sitting there. Anning walked over. Xue Lan looked up, her eyes slightly red; she had likely been crying while Anning was out.
"You're back?" Xue Lan asked with a smile.
"Sister, if you like him, why not fight for him?" Anning suddenly said.
Xue Lan trembled all over, then turned her face away. "For so many years, I've been in this Eastern Palace for ten years, but the Crown Prince has not felt even a shred of affection for me. I... I've let go."
"Sister…"
"You wouldn't understand, and there's no need to persuade me. Go to sleep!" Xue Lan said faintly, lowering her eyes.
Seeing this, Anning said no more and returned to her own bed to lie down.
The next day.
Xue Lan still entrusted her with the task of delivering peach blossom cakes.
This time, she entered the study. There was no one else there; it seemed the Crown Prince had not yet returned from court.
She placed the peach blossom cakes on the table and suddenly saw what appeared to be a scroll on the desk. A corner of the scroll was exposed, revealing a hairpin that Xue Jingyun had once given her.
On impulse, she unfurled the scroll. The person depicted was none other than herself,
It was from the time in Anguo when Xue Jingyun had snuck into her chambers and placed the hairpin on her.
"Who are you? Why are you here?"
Anning looked up and saw a woman with a bulging belly, staring at the scroll in her hands with a furious expression.
She quickly put the scroll down, "I... I was just curious."
"How dare you touch the Crown Prince's things, who exactly are you?" the woman asked coldly, stepping forward despite her advanced pregnancy.
"I am Xue Lan's sister, Xue Ning. I was just curious. Sister, please don't be angry. I won't touch anything else."
Xue Yan looked at the girl before her, who gazed at her with a pitiful expression, her eyes as clear as water.
For some reason, she was reminded of someone from the past, and her heart ached fiercely. "Be careful next time."
"Thank you, Sister," Anning said.
Xue Yan looked up again. These eyes did indeed resemble His Majesty's, but she knew it couldn't be; His Majesty had not returned after such a long search.
After finally finding the Third Princess of Anguo, there was a trace of His Majesty, but she disappeared.
As if vanishing into thin air.
His Majesty…
Xue Yan bit her lower lip, and suddenly her stomach began to ache violently.
She knelt on the ground, thinking, "This is bad, I might be giving birth."
Seeing the woman in such pain, Anning couldn't help but ask, "What... what's wrong?"
"Quick... quick, go find Xue Song, I'm giving birth," Xue Yan said, biting her lip and speaking word by word.
"Someone, someone…" Anning shouted towards the outside.
Soon, two palace maids ran in. Anning said, "Quickly go invite the Crown Prince."
The palace maids nodded and hurried out.
A moment later, Xue Song rushed in first. Xue Yan had already been helped onto the bed.
"Xue Yan, don't be afraid, I'm here. The imperial physician will be here soon."
Xue Yan nodded, large beads of sweat trickling down her face, "I'm not afraid…"
"Hasn't the imperial physician arrived yet?" Xue Song asked anxiously.
The palace maids were also anxious, "The imperial physician is with Her Majesty the Empress."
"Are there no other imperial physicians?" Anning asked from the side.
The palace maid shook her head, "The Imperial Hospital is on holiday today; only one imperial physician is on duty."
"I'll go get a doctor from outside the palace," Xue Feng said from the doorway and left.
Xue Song was extremely anxious. The Crown Prince was not in the palace at the moment, and he couldn't snatch the imperial physician attending the Empress.
"Xue Song, don't be afraid, I can hold on," Xue Yan said, her face alarmingly pale.
At this moment, Xue Song felt utterly useless, unable to protect the woman he loved most.
"Don't... don't cry, Xue Song, I'm fine..." Xue Yan said word by word, biting her lip.
Xue Yan couldn't hold on much longer. If it took any longer, even if the fetus wasn't stillborn, Xue Yan might bleed to death. Anning frowned, "I'll go to the Phoenix Palace to fetch the imperial physician."
With that, she left the Eastern Palace.
Arriving at the Phoenix Palace, she successfully met the Empress. The imperial physician was kneeling there, neither treating anyone nor being allowed to leave, implying the Empress was doing this deliberately.
She stepped forward and knelt on the ground, "I beg Her Majesty the Empress to show mercy and send the imperial physician to the Eastern Palace."
Upon hearing this, the Empress sneered, "Xue Ning, if not for the fact that you are Xue Lan's sister, I would have had you beaten to death today."
"Your Majesty, why?" she asked, looking up.
The Empress said, "The future Crown Princess will soon reside in the Eastern Palace. At this time, no new life should be born in the Eastern Palace, as it would affect the destiny of our Xue Kingdom."
"Your Majesty, that is all nonsense. That is a life, two lives!" Anning said painedly.
"So what? She is merely a servant," the Empress said dismissively.
"Your Majesty, they are people too…"
"Xue Ning, step down!" Xue Lan walked forward from behind and knelt down, saying, "Your Majesty, please forgive her. Xue Ning is young and spoke disrespectfully to Your Majesty. I beg Your Majesty to show mercy."
"Let this not happen again," the Empress said coldly.
"Let's go," Xue Lan pulled Anning, intending to leave.
Anning broke free from Xue Lan's grasp, stood up, and asked coldly, "In this world, life is the most important thing, regardless of status. Your high position is merely because you were born into a wealthy family. They are unfortunate to be born into poor families, but life is the same for everyone. No one is noble, and no one is inferior."
"Presumptuous…" The Empress was enraged.
"Xue Ning, have you gone mad?" Xue Lan was also furious.