The Fourteenth Princess looked sick and cried sadly, looking extremely pitiful.
"My father said that my mother had an acute illness, but I don't believe it... My mother was still taking care of me the moment before, but my father and mother never showed up again after they came to see me. This is too strange..." She cried and looked at Nanny Duo, begging, "Nanny, I'm so sad. I know no one will tell me, but I'm still so sad..."
Aunt Duo gently patted Princess Fourteen's back with one hand and scanned the surroundings with her eyes.
You can't avoid stepping on high ground anywhere.
Concubine Chen killed the Fifteenth Princess, and everyone knew about it, not only in the palace, but also outside the palace. As a result, even if the Emperor and Empress did not express any dissatisfaction or blame towards the Fourteenth Princess, there were countless people who speculated on the Emperor's intentions and acted accordingly.
A princess who is honored with gold and jade does not need to be treated harshly. Just a little indifference is enough to make her miserable.
At this time, the Fourteenth Princess's residence was as deserted as a snow cave.
In the empty and silent room, Auntie Duo's voice sounded a little abrupt: "Your Highness, do you really want to know how the beauty went?"
The Fourteenth Princess stopped sobbing and suddenly looked up at Madam Duo, with hope in her eyes: "Madam, do you know?"
Aunt Duo said hesitantly and anxiously: "Tell His Highness about this. If anyone knows about it, I will have made a big mistake——"
The Fourteenth Princess squeezed Aunt Duo's hand and said, "Don't worry, Aunt, I won't tell anyone. Aunt, you are willing to tell me so that I, as a daughter, can know the truth about my mother's death and not be a confused person. This is a great favor to me. How can I say something nonsense and hurt Aunt?"
Nanny Duo sighed and said softly, "I can't bear to see Your Highness being kept in the dark, but if Your Highness knows, just keep it to yourself and don't let anyone see it. Otherwise, Your Highness will be the one who suffers in the end..."
"Mammy, tell me, I am not a child anymore, I know what to do."
"Lady Chen... was sentenced to death..."
"Killed?" Princess Fourteen's eyes suddenly widened. She held onto Auntie Duo's hand with more strength. "Who... killed my mother..."
Aunt Duo sighed softly, "Your Highness, who else can give a beauty her death?"
The Fourteenth Princess blinked and burst into tears: "It's impossible. My father is so kind and generous, why would he kill my mother?"
"In the eyes of the emperor, if you have done something wrong, you must be punished."
"What did my mother do wrong?" the Fourteenth Princess asked.
Aunt Duo remained silent.
"Mammy, please tell me. I don't believe that my mother has done anything wrong to deserve the death penalty from my father."
"Alas, in fact, the beauty did not make a big mistake. Princess Fuqing's eyesight recovered, but His Highness was sick. There are rumors that the beauty thought that Princess Fuqing and His Highness were in conflict, so His Highness fell ill as soon as Princess Fuqing's eyesight recovered..."
"And then?" Princess Fourteen asked, pursing her lips.
"The Queen said that the beauty had hidden a doll with Princess Fuqing's birthday and name written on it and stabbed it with a needle. The Emperor was furious and ordered the beauty to be executed..."
The Fourteenth Princess listened blankly, and suddenly became excited: "Impossible! I was ill all those days, and my mother was busy taking care of me, so how could she have time to do such a mess. This is all hearsay, does the Queen have any evidence?"
The change in title from "Queen Mother" to "Empress Dowager" made Auntie Duo smile. She patted the Fourteenth Princess gently and sighed, "Your Highness, Princess Fuqing is the Empress's lifeblood. It's enough to just make groundless accusations. Why do we need evidence?"
The Fourteenth Princess' eyes widened and her face turned pale: "How can you kill a living person without any evidence?"
Aunt Duo curled her lips and said, "Your Highness is really talking like a child. For someone in a high position, if they want someone to die, they don't even need to make a fuss..."
The Fourteenth Princess fell on Aunt Duo and cried bitterly.
Aunt Duo let the Fourteenth Princess cry enough, and gently advised: "Your Highness should wipe away your tears, otherwise your eyes will be swollen tomorrow."
The Fourteenth Princess laughed bitterly: "It doesn't matter if I'm swollen or not. I'm a motherless person anyway. I'll just live and die here."
"Your Highness is wrong. Today the Queen Mother sent me to visit you. If the news reaches the Empress, she might come here in person tomorrow."
Princess Fourteen suddenly wiped her tears, with a certain light flashing in her eyes: "Will the Queen come tomorrow?"
From Queen Mother to Empress Majesty and then to Empress, this change of title once again prompted Aunt Duo to make a decision.
She said, "Your Majesty is the most filial to the Empress Dowager, so the Empress is naturally filial to the Empress Dowager as well. Seeing that the Empress Dowager sent me to visit Your Highness, is there any reason for her to not express her gratitude?"
"Maybe just send a maid..."
Aunt Duo smiled and said, "Your Highness should have heard that the Empress Dowager and the Emperor were not happy today. If the Empress came in person tomorrow, it would not only show respect to the Empress Dowager, but also show goodwill to the Emperor. It would kill two birds with one stone. If it were Your Highness, would you do the same?"
Princess Fourteen listened silently. The dim light flickered slightly on her face, making this gentle and peaceful face look inexplicably eerie.
"So, the Queen will definitely come?" She asked softly as the lights flickered in the empty house.
Nanny Duo showed a look of worry at the right time: "Your Highness, when the Queen comes tomorrow, please don't show your dissatisfaction, otherwise it will be bad for you——"
The Fourteenth Princess covered her mouth with a handkerchief and started coughing. After a while, she lowered her eyes and stared at the bright red mark on the handkerchief.
"Mammy, look—"
When Aunt Duo saw the bloodstains on the handkerchief, her eyes narrowed.
"I don't have much time left. What does it matter whether the Queen is satisfied with me or not?" Princess Fourteen murmured, grabbing Mammy Duo's hand tightly. "Mammy, you are willing to tell me the truth, which shows that you feel sorry for me in your heart. Please help me, I want to seek justice for my mother--"
Aunt Duo looked hesitant.
The previous suspicion was a disguise, but this time it is real.
She wanted to plant the seeds of hatred in the Fourteenth Princess' heart, and then contact her a few more times, waiting for the right time to act. Unexpectedly, the Fourteenth Princess knew that she didn't have much time left, so she was not willing to wait.
If she took action now, wouldn't it be too hasty?
But if I don't take action and let the Fourteenth Princess lose her life, wouldn't that be a waste of a good chess piece?
The Fourteenth Princess suddenly struggled to stand up and bowed to Madam Duo: "Madam, please pretend you didn't hear what I just said. I am sorry for making things difficult for you. I just ask you not to mention it to others."
The Fourteenth Princess's action made all the hesitation on Aunt Duo's part disappear.
"Your Highness, how do you plan to seek justice for your mother?" asked Nanny Duo in the room filled with the aroma of medicine.
Princess Fourteen pursed her lips and said, "Madam, you don't have to ask too much. It's not good for you to know too much."