Princess In The Palace

21. The Minister's Daughter

Chapter 21.

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recap: in the previous chapter, Rù Yáo found out from Pī Yáng that Yì Rán entered the palace, came to like Empress Dowager Xīn and believed the ongoing rumours about how Crown Prince, Crown Princess and Mistress were despicable people. Ān Yù also finally revealed the reason behind her fragile body, which was caused by the poison given by Empress Hán, Crown Prince's birth mother. Ān Yù told Rù Yáo to take care of Yì Rán when she was gone, because she felt that her time was up soon. When Rù Yáo was staring outside the window of her room, Minister Yú entered and they both conversed for a while, before Rù Yáo brought up the idea of adopting Yì Rán and Minister Yú agreed.

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"Minister Yú has agreed." Rù Yáo firmly exclaimed, sitting straight on the tattered cushion in the worn-down hut.

"Bu-but will it be okay? Will she be safe?" Ān Yù's lips trembled slightly knowing that the little girl would leave her grasp. She might be the daughter of Crown Princess, her rival, but she had grown to love the little girl who was so pure at heart that she worried about how she could face the world. Then again, the aunt of the family thought, perhaps that was why she failed to see through the world, because she was also that naive last time that she ended up how she was today.

"She is a real princess. I must ensure that she must at least live like one, or else how am I supposed to face Crown Princess?"

"You are right...she is a princess. She should not live like a servant like us."

"Do not worry. You still can see her. I am sure Princess will want to see you from time to time as well. If she wants to see you, I will let her, though of course her learning comes first. She has a lot to catch up on."

Reading, writing, literature, dancing, singing, musical instruments and many more. Ān Yù could have taught her all those as well, but to ensure that no one doubted their identities as commoners, she did not.

Perhaps the girl would have a better life as a tomb cleaner or servant forever. It was regrettable that the acts of people who were trying hard to protect and save her, instead became the acts that brought her to her calamity. It was even more tragic that the Heaven's decided that all the sins of people from the past must be ended by her. What had she done in her previous life that she was burdened with such a huge responsibility?

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Her lips curled into a big smile when she heard of the news. The smile soon faded away when she remembered of how she could not meet her aunt and sister anymore. Was that the price to pay?

"I know you will miss your aunt and sister. You can still see them. However, you have a lot of learning to do and they are more important. Understand?" Rù Yáo's slender fingers picked up the veil that was left lying on the low wooden table in her bedchamber. She stretched out her hand and handed it over to the little girl.

"I think you should keep wearing this. Do not take it off unless you are alone in your room or we are alone together. Remember, alright? I will talk to My Lord about it."

"Ye-yes." Yì Rán retrieved the piece of veil from Rù Yáo's hand and tied the strings around, ensuring that it covered her face again.

"Hmm?"

"I mean...yes, mo...ther..." It felt weird for her to suddenly call someone she served before her mother, however the fact that she was going to have a mother drove those irrelevant thoughts away. She was going to finally have a mother and father! It was something that she had never thought she could before, in her whole life.