Bai Lan's petite figure gradually disappeared into the long corridor of the palace, filled with helplessness and loneliness.
"Who is that?" Mu Ange suddenly appeared, looked around warily, and then slipped into the house.
An Ning turned to look in the direction she had left, and said thoughtfully, "A friend." Then she handed him the letter from Sister Yun.
Mu Ange was stunned, and took it with a puzzled look: "What is this?"
"The letter that Sister Yun wrote to you says she doesn't want to leave the palace."
Mu Ange's hand holding the envelope suddenly stopped. The cool touch of the envelope felt like an iceberg spreading outwards, gradually engulfing his senses.
He dared not open it!
The flickering candlelight illuminated Mu Ange's tense face. He seemed frozen in place, clutching the letter for a long time without moving.
“You should know Sister Yun’s temper better than I do. Once she’s made up her mind, no one can change it,” An Ning said, sitting opposite her, her tone full of helplessness.
He had been raised by his aunt since he was a child, and he knew her temperament better than anyone. But it was precisely because of this that he understood that once this letter was opened, her peaceful life would never be the same again.
Mu Ange peeked at An Ning, a fleeting look of helplessness in her eyes.
Seeing the look in his eyes, An Ning was momentarily taken aback: Was he asking me for help?
"Open it and take a look. I was with Sister Yun when she wrote the letter. She is more fearless than we imagined."
Mu Ange, who always kept all her hardships to herself, was also frightened by her own actions just now. But when the words "Open it and take a look" reached her ears, she actually felt a sense of peace.
A moment later, a rustling sound came from behind. Mu Ange looked down and saw the same handkerchief with its delicate calligraphy.
"In the first year of the Kaiyuan era, a new emperor ascended the throne, and my eldest sister became a favored concubine at the height of her power. However, the emperor was utterly wicked and ungrateful, and he slaughtered the entire Helian Kingdom, which had used the power of the whole country to help him ascend the throne. Almost none of his relatives survived. At that time, my eldest sister was pregnant. The emperor cut off all her contact with the outside world. It was not until she was about to give birth that she learned that the country had been destroyed. My eldest sister was proud and unwilling to live a life of dishonor. She entrusted you, who was still an infant, to me and then hanged herself in front of the emperor with a white silk ribbon."
A month later, chaos erupted on the border of Qi, and the city was besieged by three states. Only then did the father receive news of his daughter's suicide. He was then attacked by the army that stormed into his camp and hacked to death. His lonely grave was left for thousands of miles away, with no one to share his sorrow. The crime of betraying the country and colluding with the enemy was also pinned on the father.
In the second year of the Kaiyuan era, the emperor deceived the world and stole the name, changing the surname Helian to Meng. From then on, there was no more Helian Kingdom or Helian clan in the world. You must remember, Meng is not a sign of imperial grace, but a sign of utter disgrace. It proclaims every moment the heinous crimes of the Great Qi emperor.
The Helian clan suffered injustice before death and humiliation after death. We two have survived until now to avenge this blood feud and to wash away the stains accumulated over generations. For this, I am willing to give up everything in this life, and so are you!
The biting wind howled, and countless white bones littered the mountain valley. The general, his name shattered after a hundred battles, lay on the riverbank, looking back from ten thousand miles away, his old friends gone forever.
Meng Yun and Mu Ange's lives were never lived for themselves.
An Ning held her breath and watched him, watching him tremble and stagger, his eyes red as he tore the letter to shreds.
She knew he was crying. In just a few days, he had cried twice in front of her. In the years before that, he had drunk blood with tears in his eyes, how desolate he must have been.
"It's cold, so the tea is hot." Anning placed a cup of tea next to him and then quietly stepped aside.
He has his own integrity, and probably doesn't want people to see such a vulnerable side of him.
“I will stand by your side,” An Ning said softly from behind him.
Mu Ange hesitated for a moment: "It's for your aunt, isn't it?"
An Ning nodded: "Yes."
Thank you.
"Sister Yun treats me like family, this is what I should do."
Mu Ange nodded, left without saying a word, her back view as resolute as when she arrived.
Meanwhile, although it was late at night, the East Palace was still brightly lit. Su Yunyan stood by the table, silently grinding ink. Her face, which had been delicate and fair just a few days ago, now showed dark circles under her eyes, even though she was wearing makeup.
"Keep reading." The crown prince casually tossed her a memorial, then put his legs on the table and closed his eyes.
Su Yunyan quietly rubbed her slightly sore wrist, carefully picked up the memorial, and began to read it aloud.
Her once clear and melodious voice now sounds slightly hoarse.
"Cough cough." Su Yunyan couldn't help but cough, and the sudden discomfort in her throat forced her to speak more softly.
The crown prince frowned and said unhappily, "Speak louder! Hasn't the palace fed you?"
Sun Yunyan forced herself to speak louder, but her throat suddenly felt like it was being slashed by a knife, and tears welled up in her eyes.
"Just a few days ago I praised your voice, what's wrong with you now?" The Crown Prince opened his eyes and glanced at her, his disdain evident in his expression.
"I hope Your Highness will forgive me. Perhaps I have been too tired these past few days."
The crown prince waved his hand impatiently: "Alright, that's enough for today. We'll continue tomorrow."
After saying that, he turned and left. When Sun Yunyan saw him walk away, she quickly grabbed the teapot and drank it all down her throat.
"Miao'er, go boil another kettle of water."
Miao'er heard the sound and pushed the door open, her eyes filled with tears: "Miss, your voice is even more hoarse. The doctor said that if you don't rest for a few more days, you might lose your voice."
Su Yunyan touched her throat with her slender fingers and shook her head: "Mother said that a husband is like the sky, especially since he is the Crown Prince and the future heir apparent. As his wife, I should put him first in everything. More importantly, he has made life much easier for the family. By the way, did you send the money back to our hometown yesterday?"
Miao'er secretly wiped away her tears and said, "I've sent it, Miss. I'll go brew some more medicine. Miss, please take the medicine and then rest."
Su Yunyan called out to Miao'er, who was turning to leave: "Miao'er, now that we are in the palace, you can no longer call me Miss. You should call me Crown Princess. There are strict rules in the palace, and we must not give anyone any leverage over us."
Miao'er nodded in agreement: "Yes."
She knew her young mistress well; she always placed great importance on rules. But what use were those rules if her body was ruined?
Su Yunyan's life was tough, and Lan Xi's wasn't much better.
"I'm telling you to sleep on the floor, you better not be ungrateful." Lan Xi stared at the Sixth Prince Mu Anxiang, wishing she could poke a hole through him.
Although Mu Anxiang, as a prince, had never held any important position in the court and had not received much favor from his father in the harem, he would never allow a woman to treat him so rudely.
"Look at yourself! You're a disgrace! Do you even resemble a woman? You expect me to sleep on the floor? Do you think I'd want to share a bed with you? The sight of you disgusts me. Are all the women of Tianlan Kingdom this repulsive?"
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