"That period was the happiest time of my life. He was very considerate to me. We spent more than a month hiding in the mountains behind Huangjue Temple like an ordinary couple."
"But I didn't expect that on the day I gave birth, his attitude suddenly changed. I don't know when several men in black appeared in the delivery room. He only showed me the baby and then ordered someone to take the baby away."
"He threatened me with my son's life and made me obey him from now on."
"I was reluctant at first, but Huiji was really cruel! When my son was three months old, he took him to me and almost strangled him to death in front of me!"
"Then I...compromised."
"When the princess was born, he ordered me to kill her and replace her with another child. I held the little princess in my arms at the time, and I couldn't bring myself to do it several times. She was the queen's own flesh and blood!"
Nanny Lai closed her eyes and shed a tear. "I placed the princess in the cradle and let her drift down the moat. I then replaced the child Huiji had prepared with her, and then staged a scene. The emperor knows everything that happened next."
"But I didn't expect Huiji to be worried about me and insisted on seeing the princess's body with his own eyes. I couldn't produce it and I was in a hurry and didn't clean up the mess properly. He quickly realized something was wrong and sent someone to investigate. In the end, he found out that the princess was not dead. He sent people to hunt her down all the way to other states. I was glad that the princess was still alive, but I was also worried that she would not be able to escape the murderer's clutches. That time was very tormenting for me."
"Afterwards, I don't know whether Huiji succeeded or just couldn't find her, so he gave up. I also don't know what happened to the princess. Time passed day by day until the prince was born."
Jiang Qianruo and Emperor Mingde couldn't help but clench their hands.
"That maid was arranged by Huiji. That night, it was also... a deliberate plot. Afterwards, when the emperor secretly searched for that maid, Huiji mobilized the secret agents of the previous dynasty, so he couldn't find her. I only found out later that the maid was likely pregnant from the beginning."
"When the Empress gave birth to the prince, Huiji wanted to repeat the same trick, but before he could arrange it, the Empress went into labor prematurely, causing the prince to be born prematurely. However, the palace maid went into labor at full term, so he abandoned his original plan and asked me to...switch the two children."
"It was also fate. Although the palace maid's child was born full-term, perhaps because of the fear she suffered during pregnancy and poor nutrition, the child was not very healthy at birth and looked like a premature baby. However, the premature baby of your majesty looked white and tender, and looked like it was full-term. Therefore, after I switched the baby, it did not arouse any suspicion at all."
"Then, as the child grew older, Prince Ping, disfavored by the Emperor and without protection, was often mistreated by the eunuchs and palace maids. My secret support was useless, and when Huiji found out, he secretly sent someone to kill him silently."
"One year, when His Royal Highness Prince Ping was only six years old, he was severely beaten by that eunuch. He was also forced to eat dog food and humiliated on the frozen surface of the Imperial Garden. I was worried he wouldn't survive the day, so I persuaded the Queen to go for a walk in the garden to relax. I knew the Queen's temper well, and she would definitely not ignore that scene."
"The Queen is truly kindhearted. After seeing this, she severely punished those eunuchs and had His Royal Highness Prince Ping brought before the Emperor."
"Later, the Emperor sent His Royal Highness Prince Ping to the academy for instruction. Although His Royal Highness Prince Ping was still often bullied by the other princes, his life was better. At least the eunuchs and palace maids didn't dare bully him anymore."
Jiang Qianruo's clenched fists were shaking badly.
She felt that the world was so absurd and ridiculous.
Emperor Mingde didn't know what he was feeling. His face turned pale and blue. He was extremely angry but didn't know who to vent his anger on.
"Good! It's really good! You've played me, the ruler of a country, around in circles! You've made me treat a bastard as a treasure and my own son as an enemy. What a way of playing with people's hearts! It's really superb!"
"Someone! Drag her away! Cut her into pieces and execute her! Exterminate all three clans of the Lai family!"
Emperor Mingde's eyes were red as he looked at Nanny Lai lying there, wishing he could eat her alive.
Lai Ma Ma struggled to get up: "Your Majesty, please have mercy! I can die in any way, but please spare my relatives! They are all innocent!"
"Innocent? My princess and crown prince aren't innocent?! Who allowed the Lai family to produce an outlier like you? I didn't kill your entire clan because I saw how hard you've served the queen for so many years! Come on, drag him away!"
Emperor Mingde was merciless. The guards outside came in and dragged Lai Ma away.
"Your Majesty!! I really didn't mean it. If it weren't for me, the princess and the prince would be gone now! Even if it wasn't me, Huiji would still instruct others to do it, Your Majesty! They are all innocent..."
When Nanny Lai was dragged away, the entire Yanfu Palace was filled with her shrill screams.
"Shut her mouth and pull her down!"
Emperor Mingde looked at Nanny Lai angrily.
Although he had known this result for a long time, Ji Changying still felt extremely complicated when he heard it.
She couldn't imagine how Prince Ping had survived his childhood being hated by his own father for so many years, nor could she imagine how Emperor Mingde and Jiang Qianruo felt at the moment.
Huiji's actions were simply murderous and heartbreaking, even more cruel than slow slicing someone to death.
Jiang Qianruo stood there in a daze, his mind in a mess.
Seeing that Lai Mama was about to be taken away with her mouth gagged, Ji Changying stepped forward and said, "Wait!"
Emperor Mingde turned his head and looked at her unhappily: "Do you want to plead for her?"
Ji Changying looked at Emperor Mingde and refused to give in: "Grandpa, she hasn't finished speaking yet. I still have some questions."
"The truth is out! What else is there to ask? Drag him away and cut him into pieces!"
"Wait! Nanny Lai said earlier that the eldest princess was murdered by Marquis Xuanping, and that her original surname was...what?"
When Emperor Mingde heard the question raised by Ji Changying, the anger on his face paused for a moment, then he waved his hand with a gloomy face and asked someone to release Nanny Lai.
After being released, Nanny Lai knew this was her last chance. She knelt on the ground and said, "I can tell you everything! I can tell you everything. Please, Your Majesty, let my people go!"
"Impossible! If you dare to fool me today, I will wipe out all your nine generations of descendants!" Emperor Mingde's face was full of ruthlessness.
Nanny Lai looked at Jiang Qianruo with a look of help.
She looked down at her mechanically: "You speak first."
When Nanny Lai heard her words of easing the situation, she immediately explained, "The eldest princess died at the hands of Marquis Xuanping! Because... because they were actually brother and sister!"
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