Chapter 855 The Truth - Twenty Years Ago 16
The carriage slowly made its way towards the palace. Suddenly, the eldest princess, who had been keeping her head down, looked at the seventh prince.
"Seventh Brother, is what Grandmother said true?"
The eldest princess still can't be sure how she, as a princess of the Great Zhou Dynasty, got involved with the descendants of the previous dynasty.
“It should be true; my grandmother would have no reason to lie to us about something like this.”
As the Seventh Prince spoke, he recalled those two pictures. The way the pictures were hidden was so secretive. If it weren't true, who would go to such lengths to tell such a huge lie?
Looking up at the eldest princess, he saw that she still looked bewildered. The seventh prince reached out and patted her shoulder.
"Alright, I know you don't understand right now. But you have to keep this safe from your grandmother. If someone sees it, who knows what kind of trouble it might cause."
If the emperor were to find out about the phoenix hairpin passed down from the previous dynasty, even if the princess was born as the emperor's daughter, she would still be punished.
Most importantly, according to the old lady of the Duke of Zhenguo, this phoenix hairpin is the key to opening the stone coffin, so it must be hidden away carefully.
The eldest princess also knew the gravity of the matter. Upon hearing what the seventh prince said, she immediately replied, "Brother, don't worry. I will keep this matter to myself and never mention it to anyone."
For the next few days, the eldest princess did not leave the palace. It wasn't until June 15th that news came from the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion that the old lady was in bad shape. Only then did the eldest princess hurriedly go to the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion with the seventh prince.
When the eldest princess arrived, the old lady of the Yi'an Marquis's residence and others were already there.
"Mother-in-law, the princess and the seventh prince have arrived!"
Upon seeing the arrival of the brother and sister, the Duchess of Zhenguo immediately whispered something in the old lady's ear, and the others immediately made way for the eldest princess and the seventh prince to walk ahead.
The old lady was speechless. When she saw her beloved grandson and granddaughter, her mouth moved slightly, and her eyes stared straight at them.
Upon seeing this, the eldest princess quickly stepped forward and grasped the old lady's hand, while the seventh prince also moved a few steps closer.
"Grandma, don't worry, your grandson will take good care of your sister."
Although the old lady did not speak, the seventh prince guessed that she was worried about the eldest princess.
Sure enough, upon hearing this, a hint of relief finally appeared on the old lady's face. She nodded to the two of them, then looked at the wife of the Duke of Zhenguo.
"Don't worry, Mother, your daughter-in-law will take good care of Grandpa and the family."
The Duchess of Zhenguo's eyes were red-rimmed, and tears were about to fall, but she still forced a not-so-good smile at the old lady.
Seeing this, the old lady of the Marquis of Yi'an's mansion, who was sitting to the side, lifted the corner of her dress and gently wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes.
"Don't worry, elder sister! The younger generation will take good care of themselves."
Although she understood that everyone eventually grows old and dies, the old lady still couldn't help but feel sad when she saw her own sister like this.
After receiving her daughter-in-law's reply and hearing her sister's words, the old lady felt relieved, as if the last weight had been lifted from her heart.
Her gaze swept over everyone present, and finally, the old lady closed her eyes wearily. Then, she tilted her head and leaned against the wife of the Duke of Zhenguo.
"Mother!"
The old lady passed away here. The Duchess of Zhenguo looked at the old lady who had already stopped breathing and couldn't help but shout out in a tearful voice.
Immediately, shouts and soft sobs filled the room.
The Duke of Zhenguo's mansion was in mourning, and overnight the entire mansion was covered with white banners. In the main hall of the front courtyard, the old lady's coffin rested quietly.
As members of the royal family, the eldest princess and the seventh prince were not obligated to wear mourning clothes even after their maternal grandmother passed away. So, they could only offer incense and burn some paper money for the old lady from the side.
"Your Highness, Princess, it's getting late. You should both return to the palace soon!"
After arranging things, the Duke of Zhenguo saw the two men still standing before the coffin and stepped forward to speak to them.
The Seventh Prince glanced at the coffin in front of him, then at the still sobbing Princess, clasped his hands in a fist salute to the Duke of Zhenguo, and silently led the Princess out.
As night fell, the Seventh Prince did not take the Eldest Princess back to the palace, but instead took her to a restaurant on the street.
It is said that wine can cure all sorrows. At this time, sending them back to the palace would only make them feel more depressed. So rather than going back and feeling uncomfortable, they might as well have a good drink.
The brother and sister asked the waiter to take them to a private room. Coincidentally, at that moment, Bai Xu also arrived with Princess Baiyun for dinner.
Upon seeing the Seventh Prince, Bai Xu walked up to him: "Isn't this the Seventh Young Master? What a coincidence, the Seventh Young Master is here for dinner too?"
A few days ago, after the Seventh Prince brought Prince Gu to see him, Bai Xu secretly decided to have less contact with the two of them in the future.
Firstly, because the two must be of high status, and secondly, to facilitate his own actions. He had previously inquired about the nobles of the Great Zhou from the two, hoping to use their status to find out more information that would benefit him.
But when the two men treated him with such sincerity, Bai Xu suddenly felt a pang of regret. These two men were truly gentlemen, and his behavior was unworthy of his association with them.
Of course, even though that's what he thought in his heart, when they actually met, Bai Xu couldn't help but speak first.
"So it's Young Master Su and Miss Su."
The Seventh Prince's tone was somewhat listless, and judging from his unpleasant expression, Bai Xu instinctively felt that something must have happened to him!
"It just so happens that I've run into Seventh Young Master and Miss again. How about I, Su, treat you to a simple meal today?"
Bai Xu's warm invitation was too much for the Seventh Prince and the Eldest Princess to refuse, even though they looked displeased.
So the four of them went upstairs to a private room.
"What would you like to eat, esteemed guests?"
After the waiter had the group sat down and served them tea, he asked in a low voice.
Bai Xu didn't know much about the cuisine in the capital, nor did he know the tastes of the Seventh Prince and his sister. With a quick glance, he simply said to the waiter, "Bring out all your best dishes!"
"No!"
No sooner had Bai Xu finished speaking than the eldest princess refused.
Why not?
After his words were rejected, Bai Xu looked at the Princess with some confusion.
Upon hearing this, the eldest princess immediately said, "Father... my father taught me that even if a family is well-off, it is still necessary to be diligent and thrifty. If one gets used to extravagance and waste, it will only lead to a decadent lifestyle."
Although the princess seemed to be in a bad mood, Bai Xu's gaze lingered on her face for a few more moments because she could still say such things under these circumstances.
It must be said that the eldest princess's appearance is truly extraordinary. Unlike Princess Baiyun's ethereal and gentle beauty, the eldest princess's beauty exudes charm and flamboyance.
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