Huh? The Tyrant Cries After My Inner Thoughts Were Exposed!-Chapter 115: Am I Not Even Allowed to See Her!?
In the palace, upon hearing from Duke Ping that the daughter lost years ago had been found, the Empress trembled, her eyes suddenly turning red, "...Really!?"
Messages had come throughout the years, but each time ended in disappointment, leaving her with almost no hope.
Now, her brother was telling her the daughter had been found.
Duke Ping nodded, "This humble servant has confirmed it; it is indeed the little princess, but..."
He looked worried, fearing the Empress might not withstand the shock, yet he did not want to conceal it, "She is no longer alive."
The Empress suddenly stood up, overwhelmed with emotion, her vision darkened, nearly fainting. The maid beside her immediately supported her, as she looked on with pained compassion, "Your Grace... please take care of yourself!"
Scalding tears rolled down as the previously suppressed emotions erupted like a storm, now utterly uncontrollable, as she could no longer bear the collapse of losing a daughter, gripping the maid’s hand tightly.
Moments later, with tear-stained eyes, the Empress looked at her brother, "How did she pass away?"
Duke Ping said in a deep voice, "According to my investigation, the little princess fell ill after giving birth to a daughter, and medicine was of no help."
The Empress felt her heart ache with a combination of sourness and fullness, painfully so, with tears slipping down her face, emotions welling up in her throat, bitterly leaving her unable to recover for a long time.
Her poor daughter, not even meeting her once, had already passed away.
If she had known it would be like this, she would never have left Capital City to nurture her pregnancy, nor would she have entrusted her daughter to that family, once thinking it was only a temporary parting, not realizing it was a final farewell.
Duke Ping, seeing her like this, was also heartbroken, "Your Grace, though she is gone, you must live well in the present days."
"I have already gone to pay respects, and if there is a chance in the future, I will move her grave back to the Xie Family."
He believed the Empress could pull through, so he chose to tell her, not wanting her to live the rest of her days burdened with regret from the past. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂
To her brother’s arrangements, the Empress naturally trusted and was satisfied.
With the maid’s support, she walked to Duke Ping, a glimmer passing through her tear-filled eyes, "She... still has a daughter?"
Duke Ping nodded, "This humble servant has already brought her to reside at the Duke Mansion, the matter is significant, hence we have not yet informed His Majesty."
The Empress, with icy hands, grasped Duke Ping, anxiety rising from deep within her heart, looking at him with tearful eyes, "Brother, do not tell His Majesty, let her stay outside well, this palace is like a cage that has trapped me all my life..."
"I do not want her to be trapped in this Imperial Palace by the present wealth and power as I have been."
Moreover, with the current court situation, with factions vying for power, if her existence were known now, it might bring endless trouble to a girl like her.
Duke Ping looked troubled, "Though I wish to conceal it, His Majesty is also investigating, and it is only a matter of time before he discovers her."
The Empress, tears staining her face, stumbled, muttering to herself, "Is there... really no other path to take..."
How can a girl like her bear all this?
Duke Ping sighed and gently soothed her, "She is far stronger than you think, besides with me protecting her, rest assured, I will not let her suffer."
The Empress remained worried, "You have placed her in the Duke Mansion, does anyone else know about this? Have you arranged some people to protect her?"
"Outside is not like in the palace... better find a reason to bring her into the palace, so I can see her."
"What kind of girl is she?"
As she asked, her eyes started turning red again, thinking of how much her unfortunate daughter and granddaughter must have suffered.
Knowing the Empress longed to see her granddaughter, Duke Ping reassured her, "Your Grace, you have seen her, if you wish to see her, it is naturally not difficult, but as she now holds an official position in court, it is naturally inconvenient to place her by your side."
The Empress looked confused, "I have seen her?"
Almost instantly, the image of Su Juan appeared before her eyes, her expression one of surprise and disbelief in her words, "Could it be... that child Su Juan!?"
Seeing Duke Ping nod, the Empress burst into tears of joy, "No wonder! No wonder I liked that child so much when I first met her and always felt a kinship in talking to her, feeling such a connection."
After all, it’s the connection of blood.
Seeing the Empress’s reaction, Duke Ping was finally relieved, "I have not told her about her lineage for fear she might inadvertently reveal it to others, Your Grace must remember not to lose composure in front of others."
Until everything is final, Su Juan’s identity must not be revealed.
The Empress was not truly indifferent to the affairs of the previous dynasty, she was somewhat aware of the current court situation and naturally understood.
"Rest assured, my brother, everything hinges on that child’s safety."
That night, the Empress wept tears, with the maid by her side persuading, "The little princess was truly unfortunate, but fortunately, the little miss is right before you, Your Grace must take care of yourself, though Prince Heng has left the capital, there is still Prince Han and Prince Jing eyeing eagerly, Your Grace must plan well for the little miss."
The Empress took the handkerchief to wipe away the tears at the corners of her eyes, "I naturally know I must plan for her, but when I think of her mother being left alone at a young age, and even she suffered so much, being clearly the eldest daughter of the Su Family, but living at the Su Mansion like an outsider, and even being bestowed with such an absurd marriage by His Majesty, just thinking about it, I feel terribly hurt."
The maid sighed, "The little miss did have some hard times over the years, but with Your Grace and Lord to plan for her, she will not suffer anymore."
The Empress’s eyes welled with redness, "Ever since she came into the palace, I knew she was suffering at the Su Family, and at Prince Jing Mansion, she was not well-received by the Princely Heir either, not even able to eat the food she liked. She is my granddaughter, how can they be so heartless!"
The maid could only try her best to comfort her from the side, fearing the Empress would harm her spirit.
When the Old Emperor made his way to the Empress’s quarters, he was stopped outside, his old face turned stern instantly, "Can even I not meet my own Empress!?"
Several palace maids and eunuchs fell to their knees, trembling.
The maid hurriedly came out from the inner chamber in a quick stride, "Your Majesty!"
The Old Emperor asked coldly, "Where is the Empress, could it be I’ve been too lenient with her usually, for her to disregard the rules now?"
The Old Emperor was very angry, he had good intentions to come see the Empress, but was stopped by some audacious palace attendants outside, who in the world would dare such a thing?
Women really should not be pampered!
Having been by the Empress’s side for decades, unlike those still young palace attendants, "Your Majesty, it is not that Her Grace is unwilling to meet Your Majesty, just that she saw Lord today, reminisced the past, feeling very troubled, and cried for many hours, has just rested, and hopes Your Majesty forgives!"
Hearing this, learning the Empress had cried for many hours, the Old Emperor was slightly stunned, most of his anger dissipated, "What past matters?"
What was Xie Yu’an doing visiting the palace, nothing better to do after eating his fill!?
