Transmigrated as the Villainess, Troubled by the Cuteness!-Chapter 159 - 142: The Princess Is Different Now (Part 2)
The Princess hadn’t noticed anything amiss and said to herself, "It seems like forty thousand."
"Do you intend to kill all these forty thousand people?"
The Princess saw that the Emperor had forgotten again and urgently reminded him, "And their parents, wives, daughters, sons!"
The Commanding Officer finally changed his expression. Since these people had dared to go to war, they had entrusted their lives and deaths to the nation and would not fear dying.
However, dying on the battlefield wrapped in a mare’s hide for the sake of one’s country is a different matter from having one’s life cut short due to a baseless accusation.
Moreover, their families are innocent!
"Your Majesty!" The Commander was about to speak, but the Emperor raised his hand to stop him. He looked only at the Princess, his eyes mysterious, yet there was an inexplicable sense of oppression.
"Someone, the Princess is tired from her journey, escort the Princess back to the palace!"
The Princess had not yet reacted when she was carried from one sedan chair to another by a group of people. She seemed to want to say something but was immediately silenced by a nimble Nanny who covered her mouth, preventing her from speaking.
If Shen Jingxian were here, she would recognize this Nanny as Nanny Wang, the Empress’s most favored and capable confidante.
The Commander saw this scene and vaguely guessed something, it seemed the Emperor also knew.
The Emperor walked to the side, took the Empress’s hand, silently giving her strength, then said to the Commander, "You and the soldiers have worked hard."
The Commander was immediately moved to tears, "Subordinate... fortunately did not disgrace the mission!"
...
The Princess couldn’t understand why this happened. She thought that seeing the Empress and Emperor would allow her to take revenge, but the reality was completely different from what she imagined. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶
Her father and mother had no intention of avenging her at all. No matter how much she cried and made a fuss, they turned a blind eye, and even soon after her return to the palace, disappeared without a trace.
The doors to the Imperial Study Room, which were always open for her in the past, only left her with a few words now: The Emperor is busy with state affairs; the Princess, please return.
The Empress also couldn’t be found. When she went to the Empress’s quarters, the servants said the Empress was unwell and had gone to another palace to recuperate, not telling the Princess for fear that she would worry.
The Princess always felt something was wrong, but she couldn’t pinpoint it, just feeling restless, irritable, and unwilling.
And when she was in a bad mood, she would think of hitting people.
In just three days, the Palace Maid and eunuchs at Yi Fen Palace were covered in scars, especially the more attractive young girls, who had their faces directly slashed.
When these events reached the Empress’s ears, she was reading a letter, "Treat the injuries of those Palace Maid and eunuchs, try not to leave scars on their faces, and once they’re half-healed, dismiss them from the palace."
"Yes!"
After a while, that voice asked again, "Madam, should they be instructed on anything?"
The Empress shook her head, "No need, people will believe what their eyes see, and at such times, those who think they have grasped the truth will easily understand."
The questioner scratched his head, the Empress’s words were profound, though he didn’t quite understand, he just needed to act on them.
The Princess had been back for barely five or six days before the entire Imperial Palace became engulfed in chaos. Previously, when Palace Maid and eunuchs spoke of the Princess, they would gather and feel that no amount of praise was enough, but now, they were even afraid to mention the word ’Princess.’
On this day, the Princess was torturing yet another Palace Maid until she screamed continuously, but the Princess found it utterly uninteresting. If Ming Xiang were here, she would surely come up with more ideas.
So she asked, "Where is Ming Xiang?"
The Palace Maid all looked at each other in dismay; they didn’t know who Ming Xiang was, except for an elder who, upon hearing the Princess mention Ming Xiang’s name, trembled.
This scene was fully captured by the Princess’s eyes. She approached the Palace Maid, stepping on her head, and angrily said, "What are you trembling for? Do you know where Ming Xiang is but refuse to tell me? Do you have a death wish?"
The Palace Maid was terrified and quickly said, "Your Highness, Ming Xiang was sent out of the palace when you were four years old."
Four years old?
The Princess was somewhat bewildered. She remembered Ming Xiang as someone who always accompanied her as she grew up, teaching her many things, even teaching her how to deal with those who made her unhappy—she was her favorite head Palace Maid. How was it possible that she was sent away at four?
The Princess had no time to think further when someone came to deliver a message, saying that Prince Fu Xuan wanted to invite the Princess to meet at a restaurant.
This era was not so rigid anymore. Although the necessary segregation of men and women was still present, men and women of marriageable age could go for an outing or have fun together accompanied by servants, which was considered a way to understand one another.
The premise was that neither side’s parents objected, and both families were of equal social standing.
In other words, only when families were of equal standing could mutual respect be ensured, so that neither side would overpower the other, denying even the chance to get to know each other.
