Consort Nian had something she wanted to say to the Second Princess, so she gestured to Bai Zhi with her eyes, and Bai Zhi immediately led her maids away.
"Your Highness, please speak your mind," said the Second Princess.
Consort Nian warmly took the Second Princess's hand again, and said in a gentle but slightly commanding tone, "Since you married into my Nian family, I have been very happy! I have carefully and meticulously instructed Bocheng to treat you well..."
The Second Princess looked at Consort Nian with gratitude and quickly thanked her, saying, "I will never forget the kindness of Your Highness, and I will remember it in my heart every day to express my gratitude and repay you."
Consort Nian was very pleased to hear this and continued, "Actually, a family is a woman's support. You are a member of the Nian family, so naturally you hope that the Nian family can remain invincible in the court and be forever wealthy and prosperous. There's no need to talk about repayment or gratitude; as long as you have the heart to contribute to the Nian family, that's good enough!"
The second princess was taken aback, and Consort Nian continued, "You are a smart child, you should know what you should do..."
The Second Princess's heart sank. Although she didn't know what Consort Nian meant, she was already half a member of the Nian family and had no reason to refuse. She could only smile and nod, "Your Highness is right! Elanzhu understands!"
The second princess spoke with Lady Nian for a while longer.
Leaving Yikun Palace, the Second Princess kept thinking about what Consort Nian had said to her, knowing in her heart that Consort Nian must have deliberately reminded her. Things were different now than in the former Prince's residence; the Second Princess's status was awkward. She had grown up under the Empress's care, then was assigned to serve Consort Xi, and finally married into the Nian family. The Second Princess knew she couldn't afford to offend either side, so Consort Nian's words left her trembling with fear and unease.
Seeing that the Second Princess looked unwell, the maidservant stepped forward to support her and asked in a low voice, "Princess? Where are we going now? To Jingren Palace or Changchun Palace?"
The Second Princess slowly looked at the intricate roads and various palace gates and high walls within the palace, her heart filled with unease. After a long while, she finally uttered a few words: "Go to Jingyang Palace!"
The Empress was surprised by the Second Princess's arrival. When the maidservant reported it, she thought she had misheard and had to ask several times to confirm it was indeed the Second Princess. Because the Second Princess was born to Lady Li, the Empress had never been particularly fond of her. She only reluctantly accepted her because the Fourth Prince insisted on raising her by his side, but she had no real affection for her. The Empress was even more puzzled by the Second Princess's arrival.
"What is she doing here? Could it be that she's here to gather information or to test me?" the Empress asked in surprise.
“Your Majesty, since Princess Yong’an has come, let’s just see her! What trouble could she possibly cause? She’s just a princess who’s already married… But she’s now working for Consort Nian, so Your Majesty should just be careful…” Lingxiu whispered a reminder to the Empress, and only then did the Empress beckon for someone to invite the Second Princess in.
As soon as the Second Princess entered, she bowed deeply to the Empress. The Empress smiled gently and gracefully offered a helping hand, a stark contrast to Consort Nian's attitude towards the Second Princess: "Princess Yong'an is so thoughtful, remembering to visit me. I am very pleased..."
"Her Majesty the Empress has been kind to Elanzhu since childhood, and Elanzhu dares not forget it. She has come here to pay her respects to Her Majesty the Empress..." The Second Princess knew that Her Majesty the Empress had always been indifferent to her and looked down on her background, but after all, she had been kind to her, so the Second Princess dared not be negligent.
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