Huan Niang’s plight was truly tragic.
When she was practicing her zither at the prince’s mansion with Xue Li, she actually didn’t like him.
Even though she had spent her life in the inner chambers and seen few men.
She was indeed moved when she first saw the handsome and refined Xue Li.
But after all, she had been taught by the imperial governesses.
She knew the rules.
She and Xue Li could never be together.
Their social statuses were too disparate.
Thus, she suppressed the feelings in her heart for him.
Yet, from the very first day he entered the mansion, Xue Li had been provoking her, seducing her.
He deliberately created physical contact between them while practicing the zither.
First, he would touch her small hands, then he would embrace her slender waist.
Later, he would hold her in his arms.
She was young at the time, and shy, so she dared not tell anyone.
Actually, she did tell someone, but the person she confided in was her half-sister, Ping Ning.
Ping Ning not only did not reprimand her but also encouraged her to bravely pursue the life she desired.
She also said that Xue Li was a good man and that she shouldn't give up her happiness because of the arranged marriage by the family.
She was constantly provoked by Xue Li.
He would create small romantic moments from time to time, and whenever she regretted it and wanted to escape this mire, Ping Ning would persuade her to sink deeper.
Until one night, when her father and mother had gone to the palace for a banquet.
She was tricked by Xue Li into giving herself to him.
From then on, she had no way back.
After Ping Ning told her about all the consequences of doing so.
She realized she had no path left.
Only by fleeing could she protect Xue Li, protect herself, and preserve the reputation of the prince’s mansion.
So, with a surge of impulse, she ran.
After running, she regretted it.
But it was too late.
Xue Li had already taken her far away to Bashu.
As a weak woman, she couldn't return.
Furthermore, she was pregnant at the time.
Her pregnancy was not going well, and there was nothing she could do but stay to protect the fetus.
She had intended to return home after giving birth to beg her parents for forgiveness.
“Yes, why didn’t you return? If you had returned then, you wouldn’t have suffered so much,” Princess Xiang, filled with sorrow, couldn’t help but interrupt her.
Why didn’t she return? Why didn’t she return?
She could have absolutely chosen to return.
“Mother, I… I… your daughter is unfilial. Your daughter met a faithless man.
After I gave birth, he sold the child to a brothel, deceiving me by saying I had a stillbirth.
I… I went mad. I… I couldn’t remember who I was, and I didn’t know where I was.
I only knew that I seemed to be from the capital.
I wanted to find my child. When I couldn’t, I came back to the capital.
But… but I didn’t know where my home was…”
Huan Niang recounted her hardships along the way with a tearful voice.
It wasn’t until she arrived at Chen Jin Ji and met Shen Mingzhu and Su Xiao Qi.
That her life began to improve slightly.
Su Xiao Qi cured her illness, and she remembered her parents and family.
It just so happened that Su Xiao Qi and his wife helped her clarify these matters.
Only then was she able to return home today.
Princess Xiang immediately broke down and cried.
She hugged Huan Niang tightly, weeping inconsolably.
This weeping lasted for a very, very long time.
Su Xiao Qi looked at them and felt a pang of sadness in his heart.
He thought, if they knew the final truth, he didn't know what Princess Xiang’s temperament would lead her to do.
He was thinking.
Meanwhile, Huan Niang had already recounted what she knew about the actions of Consort Liu and her daughter.
“What… what did you say? It was her, it was her and her daughter.” Princess Xiang was greatly shocked, then filled with rage.
Consort Liu had always been respectful to her, never daring to disrespect her in front of her.
She actually knew that she and Ping Ning had been making trouble behind her back.
But she had never expected them to be so bold as to extend their hands to her children.
And even to have acted against them more than ten years ago.
“So Xue Li was arranged by her. Bring him here.”
She remembered they had said Xue Li had been brought this way.
With so much time, it was about the right amount of time from the Imperial Guard’s prison.
The person was indeed brought, Shen Yun waved his hand, and Zhang Lei brought the person in.
This was a middle-aged handsome man.
After so many years, his appearance had not aged at all.
On the contrary, with the accumulation of years, he appeared even more composed.
If Su Xiao Qi didn’t know his deeds, he would have thought he was just a handsome middle-aged uncle.
However, Su Xiao Qi knew his affairs too well.
Looking at him, his heart was filled with nothing but deep disgust, and even a desire to slap him to death at the sight of him.
The moment he saw Huan Niang, he wanted to plead for mercy through their past affections.
But seeing that Huan Niang didn’t even give him a glance.
Coupled with his seeing Xiao Xi Que sitting with Huan Niang.
Their strikingly similar appearances made him understand something instantly.
This young girl was likely his child with Huan Niang.
He selectively forgot the fact that he had abused Huan Niang and sold their own daughter while falsely claiming it was a stillbirth, and instead tried to play the emotional card.
He said that the two of them already had a child, and if he died, the child would have no father.
Xue Li spoke with sincere emotion.
Anyone who didn’t know what he had done would have been moved by him and brainwashed by his words.
But everyone present knew what he had done.
Listening to his words again, everyone found them only ironic.
Especially Xiao Xi Que.
She glared at Xue Li and let out a cold snort.
Affected by her daughter’s angry emotions, Huan Niang also glared at Xue Li, spat, and said, “Father, Xue Li, are you joking? Xiao Xi Que has never had a father.
You are also the one who made her lose her mother for over ten years.”
Reminded by Huan Niang, Xue Li finally remembered what he had done that year.
He was somewhat incredulous that a little girl, who was sold into a brothel shortly after birth, could still be found by them.
He had to admit, her life was truly resilient.
As resilient as her mother!
Xue Li’s eyes darted around, attempting to say something else.
But Xiao Xi Que couldn’t listen any longer.
She raised her foot and, using the self-defense techniques Su Xiao Qi had taught her, kicked him in the groin.
“Ah…” Xue Li cried out in pain.
He panicked, he was afraid, he felt like he had lost something…
However, there was no time for him to think further, Prince Xiang’s words had already rung out.
He asked if he had conspired with Consort Liu against Princess Ping An.
Xue Li’s eyes flickered, and he hesitated before saying no.
The moment he turned, his neck felt a sharp pain.
Zhang Lei’s hand had already grabbed his throat.
He recalled the hellish days he had endured in the Imperial Guard’s prison.
He suddenly became terrified. He repeatedly said yes and revealed everything Consort Liu had told him at the time.
At this moment, Consort Liu, who had been summoned by Prince Xiang, also arrived.
As she stood at the doorway, she heard Xue Li’s voice.
This was a voice she could never forget.
Her heart tightened, and she clenched her palms tightly. The pain brought her back to her senses.
This was nothing yet, she hadn’t lost, she couldn’t admit defeat like this.