The night grew deeper, and all was silent.

The noisy night insects of the past seem to have all disappeared from Kunning Palace.

The third princess knelt before her mother's coffin, numbly adding paper money to the copper basin.

She didn't know if the paper money would really work for her mother, nor did she know if there really was a Bridge of Helplessness and a Palace of the King of Hell.

All she knew was that from then on, she had no mother.

In fact, she had vaguely known since childhood that her mother valued her father more than her, her daughter.

The fact that the Emperor spent the night with one of his concubines, that he embraced the Second Prince, or that he took a maidservant to serve him in his study would all enrage the Empress Dowager.

Even when she occasionally falls ill with a fever, her mother is more happy than distressed.

Because of this, her father would come to visit her and then stay in Kunning Palace...

But being young, she didn't know how to express her grievances of being ignored, so she would throw tantrums and beat and scold the palace maids and eunuchs.

Only when she makes a mistake or causes trouble will the Empress Dowager pay attention to her...

It wasn't until she grew up and became more sensible that she realized how unreasonable her mother was.

She also intentionally distanced herself from her mother.

But now, his mother has passed away, and he lies alone in his coffin.

All the complaints and dissatisfaction suddenly vanished, leaving only regret and confusion...

Jiayin changed into a moon-white dress and rushed to Kunning Palace. As soon as she entered and saw the lonely Third Princess, she couldn't help but shed tears.

The girl, who always smiles brightly and cheerfully, now looks like an abandoned little animal, lonely and pitiful.

"Princess, I've arrived!"

Jiayin stepped forward and hugged her tightly.

The Third Princess's eyes were still somewhat dazed. She turned her head and saw Jiayin with tears streaming down her face. It took her a long time to come to her senses, and she gave a soft, bitter smile.

"Jiayin, you shouldn't have come. This palace is hell, and Kunning Palace is a prison! Anyone who gets involved is doomed!"

"No, you're wrong. I'm the one who's bringing bad luck. My mother is dead, my father is heartless, and my fiancé doesn't like me. I'm a complete failure in life, utterly useless."

"Don't say that," Jiayin said, her heart aching as if being cut by a knife. "Birth, aging, sickness, and death are things no one can escape or stop. Bad things just happened to happen at the same time; they have nothing to do with you."

“You are the Third Princess of Tianwu, beautiful and spirited, noble and elegant. Everyone envies you. How could you be a plague god?”

"Everything will pass, it will get better very soon."

"Will it?" The Third Princess didn't move, just leaned against Jiayin's chest, her once youthful and bright face now ashen.

Jiayin had no choice but to steel herself and take out a handkerchief from her purse, gently wiping the Third Princess's face.

The third princess wanted to speak, but her eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and she soon fell into a deep sleep.

Caiyun's eyes were already red and swollen from crying. Seeing her master like this, she quickly crawled forward on her knees.

Jiayin gestured for her to speak softly, then whispered, "Is there a suitable room? Clean it up so the Third Princess can get some sleep. Otherwise, she's too heartbroken and might get sick from feeling so stifled."

Caiyun glanced around and asked, "Shall we settle here?"

“Yes,” Jiayin nodded, “At this time, the princess probably doesn’t want to leave Kunning Palace.” Of course, even if she wanted to leave, it probably wouldn’t be easy.

Jiayin kept these words to herself.

The Emperor clearly intends to keep the death a secret, making the dead give way to the living. This matter must be kept strictly confidential. Kunning Palace is a place where one can enter but not leave!

Caiyun immediately led the palace maids to clean the side hall, which was originally where the Third Princess lived in her childhood.

Although they had moved away a long time ago, the basic items such as beds, tables, and chairs were still there. After asking the head eunuch for bedding and other valuables, people could move in.

Shui Ling was strong and carried the Third Princess on her back, placing her on the bed.

Caiyun helped her master take off his shoes, wipe his hands and face, and fed him warm water before she felt at ease.

Jiayin sat in the outer room, briefly inquired about the past, and then comforted Caiyun and the palace maids.

"Don't worry, the Third Princess is too tired and too heartbroken. It's good for her to get some sleep right now."

"You should keep vigil if you need to, and rest if you need to. We'll hear the princess's instructions tomorrow morning."

Caiyun and the others quickly agreed, although they still looked somewhat apprehensive, but much better than before.

You should know that the Third Princess is impatient with trivial matters. When Jia Yin lived in Zhi Lan Palace, she arranged almost everything, big or small, and the Third Princess didn't care at all.

Compared to the Third Princess, who was the proper mistress, the palace maids and eunuchs were more used to listening to Jiayin's orders.

At this critical moment, she rushed over and naturally became everyone's pillar of support.

Jiayin turned around to look at the Third Princess, but a white shadow flashed across the courtyard, causing the timid eunuch to scream.

"Ah, a ghost!"

The shout terrified everyone, and they ran around like headless flies. After all, there was still a coffin containing a corpse lying in the main hall, and everyone thought it was a zombie coming back to life!

Jiayin frowned, about to reprimand her, when the little fox Santiao jumped into her arms.

Jiayin breathed a long sigh of relief and couldn't help but pat the troublemaker on the head. "Don't be so elusive next time. If you scare people again, I'll turn you into a fox fur scarf!"

Sensing its master's anger, the little fox shrank back and dared not utter a sound.

Helpless, Jiayin turned to the people in the courtyard and scolded, "Who was shouting just now? Twenty slaps to the face, go back to your room and reflect on your actions! If you dare to speak nonsense again and disturb the peace of the deceased, you will be severely punished!"

The timid eunuch was immediately dragged out and, before he could beg for mercy, was slapped twenty times across the face. Then, crying, he was pulled away again.

Everyone else became much more cautious and focused on their work, and no one dared to speak up easily again.

Jiayin held the little fox and sat in front of the door so that everyone could see her at any time and report anything.

Seeing this, everyone was naturally relieved.

Therefore, paper money was continuously burned in the copper basin in front of the empress's coffin, and incense, candles, and white lanterns were kept lit everywhere.

The ice blocks needed to cool the coffin were replaced every hour without any delay.

As Jiayin stroked the little fox, he felt a mix of emotions.

She got along well with the Third Princess, but with the Empress... she really had no affection for her at all; in fact, it could be said that they had deep-seated grudges.

Unexpectedly, the Empress died just like that, and even in death, she still had to do her best to maintain her dignity.

It must be said, life is unpredictable...

Inside the Xilong Pavilion, the Crown Prince was still organizing memorials. Eunuch Feng stood at the door, bowing, and secretly pulled his sleeve to cover his face as he yawned.

He thought for a moment, then eagerly stepped forward to add another candlestick for his master, carefully advising, "Your Highness, it's already past midnight, you should rest."

The crown prince looked up, glanced at the doorway, and asked, "Still no news?"

Eunuch Feng was startled, his mind racing. After a moment's thought, he quickly replied, "Your Highness, please wait a moment. This old servant will go and take a look."

After saying that, he quickly retreated and rushed frantically towards Kunning Palace as soon as he left the house.

Even the most meticulous plans can have a flaw!

He had just brought the princess here, thinking that the Third Princess would be fine with the princess by her side, but little did he know that His Highness the Crown Prince was still thinking about what would happen next.

Oops, oops!