She still had to keep an eye on this little brat, it was clear that this little brat was a mischievous one. If she left and this little brat did something unfavorable to the Empress Dowager, what if she ended up hurting the Empress Dowager?
The Empress Dowager was getting old and couldn’t handle any turmoil.
Nanny Zhang looked eagerly at the Empress Dowager, refusing to leave.
The Empress Dowager said, "Nanny Zhang, rest assured, there are so many people around, nothing will happen to me."
Nanny Zhang heard this, still looked at the Empress Dowager with grievance, and unwillingly left, looking back every three steps.
Now only the Empress Dowager, Jun Ning, Nanny Liu, and a group of silent maids who didn’t dare speak idly were left in the room burning sandalwood.
Suddenly, it got much quieter.
The Empress Dowager stepped forward and pulled Jun Ning to her side, holding her little hand, looking left and right, unable to see enough, full of affection in her gaze.
Jun Ning frowned, "...Empress Dowager, why are you looking at me ?"
The Empress Dowager feigned anger, saying, "I am your Grand Empress Dowager, so you should call me Grand Empress Dowager."
"Oh..." Jun Ning said, "Grand Empress Dowager."
The Empress Dowager laughed, "My little granddaughter is truly sensible."
Little granddaughter?
Wasn’t she just about to confront her over the unclear gender, cross-dressing matter?
How did she suddenly become a little granddaughter?
Jun Ning was puzzled.
The Empress Dowager, having lived for many years, saw through Jun Ning’s thoughts, and she laughed lightly as she bent down to hug Jun Ning, holding her in her arms, and sat down.
Looking closely at this little girl’s fair and lovely face, the more the Empress Dowager looked, the more pleased she was.
She spoke fondly, "Whether you’re cross-dressing or whatever, I now recognize you as my little granddaughter." ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭⟡𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦⟡𝘯𝘦𝘵
Jun Ning: "........."
She was ready to take.. off. her. pants. to prove her true self.
Jun Ning was still very confused, why exactly?
The Empress Dowager was the one who aggressively sent people to invite her earlier, now the one looking kindly at her is also the Empress Dowager.
Why did the Empress Dowager change so drastically?
The Empress Dowager slowly provided her answer.
"Having lived to my age, what’s right and wrong, true and false are not so important anymore, as long as one lives happily according to their nature for one day, that’s enough."
"No matter what others say about you, you are my little granddaughter."
"Because whenever I see you , I am filled with joy."
The Empress Dowager tightened her embrace on Jun Ning, she was indeed truly joyous.
Jun Ning was somewhat bewildered, thinking to herself, "Is there another self-deceiver?"
Does she look so deceptively pleasing?
The Emperor Yongning was, and now the Empress Dowager too.
Seeing her soft and adorable little girl appearance, completely disregarding her being cross-dressed or anything.
The Empress Dowager thought her bewildered look was because she hadn’t understood her words. After all, as a child, how could she understand such profound words?
The Empress Dowager initially wanted to explain further, using simpler terms to make Jun Ning understand.
But after thinking about it, she decided to let it be.
Saying more is pointless if it can’t be understood. Instead, she should do more for the little girl.
"The little girl is so soft, holding her is really comfortable." The Empress Dowager intimately leaned forward to touch her forehead against Jun Ning’s, rubbed gently, "I finally have a little granddaughter, what should I give her as a meeting gift?"
Emperor Yongning, upon hearing from Jun Yu that the Empress Dowager aggressively took Jun Ning away, knew it wouldn’t be good and hurriedly came to rescue, only to see this scene.
The pair seemed to get along well, and his mother looked fond of Yiyi too.
The tense emotions Emperor Yongning felt all the way here eased somewhat, he strode to the pair and greeted them.
"Son pays respect to Mother..."
Upon hearing this address, the Empress Dowager was instantly brought back from her thoughts about what gift to give.
She glanced at Emperor Yongning, "You rascal, having such a cute daughter and not mentioning it to me, enjoying the blessing yourself, huh?"
"Mother, I’m nearly fifty..." Could you stop calling me a rascal?
Emperor Yongning didn’t say this last part directly, saying it would be cheesy and awkward, not fitting his status. But the Empress Dowager understood.
"Even if you reach eighty, you’d still be my rascal." The Empress Dowager remarked.
"Oh..." Emperor Yongning responded without saying more. He looked towards Jun Ning in the Empress Dowager’s arms, the little girl was wearing the narrow-sleeved fairy skirt he ordered, and she looked very nice.
No wonder even his mother was charmed by the little girl, recognizing her as a little granddaughter without questioning right or wrong!
"Father, don’t look at me like that, Yiyi is indeed a girl." Jun Ning confessed her gender again.
Previously fearing if the Empress learned her true gender, she wouldn’t tolerate her and might harm her. So as advised by her mother, she always guarded against the Empress, never revealing her true gender.
But now, with the Empress confined in the Jiaofang Palace and not temporarily able to come out, while Father and the Empress Dowager seemed to value her, likely keeping her safe from harm.
More so when the matter of her true gender keeps getting misunderstood, the impact wouldn’t be good, might as well seize the opportunity to confess directly now.
Emperor Yongning affectionately ruffled Jun Ning’s hair, "Yiyi is indeed Father’s favorite little princess, Father never doubted anything."
Is this really not questioning?
This is self-deception to the extreme, now even if she declared she was a boy, her doting father would still consider her a girl.
"Father, I’m saying that I’m not cross-dressed, I am a girl." Jun Ning now spoke very clearly, if Emperor Yongning still didn’t understand, there’d be nothing she could do.
"Of course you’re a girl." Emperor Yongning chuckled, "On the Imperial Family jade butterfly, you’re listed as a princess."
She can’t change this.
"Empress Dowager, granddaughter isn’t cross-dressed, granddaughter is a girl." Jun Ning placed her hope on the Empress Dowager again, hoping she would understand. If not, she could prove by taking. off. her pants.
She looked eagerly at the Empress Dowager, waiting for her response.
The Empress Dowager nodded, "Yes, yes, you’re a girl."
Upon hearing this reply, Jun Ning put her little hand on her head and sighed deeply.
She truly can’t change this!
She looked at Emperor Yongning and the Empress Dowager with immense fatigue.
Never in her life did she think the day she openly revealed the truth, nobody would believe her.