Chapter 214 Family Affection
Jiang Huan paused, her gaze sweeping over the direction Huo Lin had just left before returning to her parents, a genuine smile appearing on her face.
“My daughter is doing very well now, really well. The Emperor loves me and has never let me suffer the slightest grievance.”
"This Weiyang Palace is my home. I feel very safe and at ease here."
"Look."
She pointed to the warm and elegant furnishings inside the hall, and then to the exquisite pastries and steaming tea on the table.
"There is nothing lacking here. You can eat whatever you want and do whatever you want. No one dares to bully me, and no one dares to give me a hard time."
She looked into Madam Jiang's eyes, speaking each word carefully and earnestly.
"Father, Mother, I may have been forced into the palace, but I am now staying here willingly because there are people here who truly care about me, and things I want to protect. My life now is a thousand times better than before I entered the palace."
That's the truth.
Although arriving here was an accident at first, now that Huo Lin, Xiao Zhao, the nanny, and Jing Lei and those little ones are here...
As more and more people gathered in Weiyang Palace, so did the number of entanglements she became.
Madam Jiang was stunned as she listened to her daughter's words and saw the smile on her face and the light in her eyes.
She carefully examined her daughter; her complexion was excellent, and her skin was radiant.
Her eyes were bright, and her brows exuded a composure and radiance nurtured by love.
This is definitely not a sign of being wronged.
Looking at her daughter like this, Madam Jiang felt a very subtle strangeness.
Huan'er, she seems a little different.
Her smile is still so beautiful, and her words are still so considerate, but I always feel like something's missing...
Yes, it's that kind of girlish innocence and dependence.
Huan'er is much more composed now, as if she has grown up overnight.
Maternal instincts allowed Madam Jiang to keenly perceive the subtle changes in her daughter.
This change made her feel gratified, but also a little heartbroken.
What kind of experience allowed her daughter to undergo such a complete transformation in such a short period of time?
Jiang Wenyuan also looked up at his daughter.
His eyes were filled with surprise and relief, but also with a hint of deep thought that was hard to detect.
He had assumed that his daughter was living on thin ice in the deep palace, forcing a smile.
But now it seems that the daughter's expression, demeanor, and the satisfaction and confidence she exuded in her words were all genuine.
But this composure and calmness seem to have come too quickly?
Seeing the expressions on her parents' faces, Jiang Huan felt a cold sweat break out on her forehead.
As expected, there is a difference between the real child and the imposter; even with such good acting skills, one cannot avoid being suspected.
She keenly caught the fleeting doubt in Madam Jiang's eyes and the deep thought in Jiang Wenyuan's eyes, and her heart skipped a beat.
The smile on her face faded slightly, and her words carried a hint of heaviness and emotion.
"Father, Mother, I know you may feel that I am not the same as before."
She lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes casting a small shadow beneath them.
“It was indeed not easy when I first entered the palace. There were many rules in the palace, and people’s hearts were complicated. As a newcomer, I didn’t know anything and had no one to rely on. At that time, I had to be careful with every step I took, for fear of making a mistake and causing trouble.”
"I've also... suffered some injustices." She said these words softly, but they struck Madam Jiang's heart like a heavy hammer.
"I've encountered cold shoulders, heard a lot of hurtful things, and even almost..."
She paused, not continuing, but the danger in her unspoken words was enough to turn Jiang Wenyuan and his wife pale.
Madam Jiang's heart clenched suddenly, and tears welled up in her eyes again.
"Huan'er, you've suffered so much..."
Jiang Wenyuan's expression was also solemn, and his hands on his knees clenched slightly.
It was his incompetence as a father that prevented him from building a substantial family fortune, and his lack of success in his official career, ultimately failing to protect Huan'er.
Jiang Huan looked up and saw the two people's distressed and fearful eyes, and gave them a reassuring smile.
"It's alright, all of that is in the past now. I was very lucky to meet the Emperor. He protected me and even had my nanny teach me manners. He helped me avoid a lot of trouble."
"Gradually, my daughter also learned how to survive in the palace and how to protect herself. Although those experiences were unpleasant, they also taught her a lot."
Her eyes became firm and clear. "Daughter can no longer be as carefree as she was at home, relying on her parents for everything. In this deep palace, daughter must stand on her own, must become stronger and more sensible."
"Only in this way can I protect myself, live up to the Emperor's protection, and stop my parents from worrying about me."
She looked at Madam Jiang with a pleading look in her eyes.
“Mother, don’t think that just because your daughter has changed, you’ve become distant. Your daughter is still your Huan’er, just a little older and more understanding. It’s not that I blame you for not being able to protect me; I just don’t want you to worry about me anymore.”
As Jiang Huan recounted her story, the atmosphere inside the hall gradually became somewhat heavy, and even the sunlight seemed to dim.
As Madam Jiang listened to Jiang Huan calmly recount the hardships and grievances hidden behind the glamour that she had never known before, Madam Jiang felt as if her heart was being torn apart.
She finally understood where her daughter's composure came from; it was the resilience honed by reality.
She held her daughter tightly, sobbing uncontrollably: "My Huan'er, it's all my fault for making you suffer so much all by yourself."
Jiang Wenyuan's eyes also reddened. He looked at his daughter with a complex mix of emotions: heartache, guilt, and an indescribable pride.
His daughter, after going through those storms, was not defeated, but instead grew up to be so outstanding and so dazzling.
"Huan'er..." Jiang Wenyuan's emotions were stirred, and his voice inevitably choked up, "Father is proud of you."
Jiang Huan leaned against Madam Jiang's chest, feeling her embrace, and her heart ached.
sorry.
She didn't mean to scare them, but only by explaining it this way could she make sense of the changes in her and put their minds at ease.
Madam Jiang held her daughter tightly, sobbing uncontrollably, her tears soaking the fabric of Jiang Huan's clothes.
After a moment, Jiang Wenyuan took a deep breath and suppressed the slight pang of heartache.
It's a good thing that my daughter is here; we should talk about something happy.
He nervously rubbed his hands together, trying to break the suffocating atmosphere of sadness.
Remembering the things he brought with him before entering the palace, he reached into his robes and groped around, pulling out a small package wrapped in clean oil paper.
"Huan'er".
His voice was still a little hoarse, and with a slightly ingratiating smile, he handed the oil paper package to Jiang Huan.
"Father knows you have everything in the palace and don't lack these things, but these were specially made for you by your mother. They're the sesame brittle you loved to eat when you were little, and the plums your mother pickled. You always said they were sour and appetizing, and..."
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