Mother had love in her heart for her, yet because she interacted less with others, she actually had a sense of lonely pride.
In truth, today she was sincerely congratulating her father on the joy of having a son.
For a man in his thirties to suddenly have three sons, shouldn’t congratulations be in order?
Who knew that this would strike a painful chord with him.
Perhaps, she too was not skilled at interacting with others.
But what exactly happened back then? Why were her parents so deeply avoidant of the subject, and why did no one at home ever mention it?
What about her nanny? Could she know? It seemed it was time to ask the nanny.
Nanny Qian methodically recounted everything that had happened on the journey to Nanjiang without daring to omit a single detail, then she waited with bated breath for the Emperor’s orders.
The Emperor sat on the Dragon Throne.
He had originally planned to wait for Yun Jinnian’s return, clear up the matters in Nanjiang, and then make his move against Nanjiang, but now that Yun Jinnian was entangled with Nanjiang, he found it difficult to take action.
However, seeing the uselessly extreme demeanor of Nanny Qian and others, he was also exceedingly irritated.
"Go receive your punishments!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace!"
Nanny Qian and the others knelt down to express their thanks, but their hearts were anything but willing.
They had risked their lives on this journey and returned in constant fear, only to find that punishment still awaited them, which certainly gave rise to feelings of desolation.
Ineffectiveness in their tasks indeed warranted punishment.
It was truly a complicated matter; as Nanny Qian and the others withdrew, resentment took root in their hearts, and their once sworn loyalty diminished.
The Emperor sat on the Dragon Throne, very much enjoying the sensation of being high above all, holding everything within his grasp, deciding who would live and who would die, and who would be raised to enjoy wealth and honor.
His face, rather handsome under other circumstances, now bore a trace of ferocity.
For more than a year, he dared not touch a woman, especially after having sworn off indulging in such pleasures.
And Yun Jinnian was likely seeking an antidote in name only, but in the dark, she was probably doing it for Chu Yu and Prince Yanjun.
"Very well, so be it; do not blame me for being heartless and unjust!"
Eunuch Hai stood to the side, silent.
He waited until the Emperor calmed down before speaking softly, "Your Majesty, when will you summon the Fourth Miss Yun into the palace?"
"We have waited so many days, what are one or two more? Let her rest for a few days, we will talk after the Mid-Autumn Festival!"
Although he said this, the Emperor felt dissatisfied at heart, particularly when he thought of the graceful concubine with her entrancing figure, his thoughts involuntarily overlaying her face with that of Yun Jinnian...
The lecherous expression on his face caused Eunuch Hai to frown slightly.
Perhaps, he should send a message to his master as a warning to be wary of the Emperor!
After bathing, Yun Jinnian sat by the window with a book, looking through it absentmindedly, when she overheard a soft voice outside, "Second Aunt has arrived!"
Women who were married off would be referred to as ’Aunt’ upon returning to their maternal homes.
This Second Aunt was Yun Zihan.
Yun Zihan entered the courtyard with a smile, "Where is your Miss?"
"Miss Four is reading!" Hemei said, leading Yun Zihan into the parlor.
Yun Zihan looked towards the study and indeed saw Yun Jinnian daydreaming.
With tearful eyes and a smile, she asked, "What book is Fourth Sister so engrossed in reading?"
Yun Jinnian, hearing her voice, came back to her senses and looked at Yun Zihan with a gentle smile, noticing her rosy complexion, delicate lavender-gold long gown swaying elegantly, lips red and teeth white, her face as beautiful as a lotus, skin soft and fair, with two glittering hairpins on her sleek black hair.
Truly a striking beauty, just looking at her brought joy.
"It’s been over a year, is Second Sister well?" Yun Jinnian rose to her feet and walked toward Yun Zihan.
"Thanks to Fourth Sister’s blessings, I am doing exceedingly well!" Yun Zihan spoke, grasping Yun Jinnian’s hand, which was cold as ice.
In astonishment, she said, "Heavens, on such a hot day, why are Fourth Sister’s hands still so chillingly cold?"