Chapter 40-Part 2

In reality, after committing such a scandal, her ultimate fate would likely be a bowl of poisoned wine. However, the Crown Prince hadn’t taken any action, seemingly intending to extort a hefty sum from her father to resolve the matter.

As Jiang Xiurun got off the carriage and entered the sealed courtyard of the post station, she heard the loud cries of a baby before even entering the house.

Taking a deep breath, Jiang Xiurun entered the room with Qian’er.

Inside, they saw a slightly plump young girl clumsily trying to feed a baby. Due to her imprisonment and the confinement of her maids, she hadn’t received proper care. Her milk was insufficient, and the baby, not getting enough to eat, soon started crying loudly.

The girl seemed at her wit’s end, holding the baby and about to cry herself. When she saw Jiang Xiurun, a handsome young boy, enter, she quickly covered her exposed chest and then, recognizing the “boy,” blinked in confusion.

Upon closer inspection, she realized it was her sister, Jiang Xiurun.

She was about to call out when Qian’er, with a swift move, covered her mouth and nose.

Jiang Xiurun then recognized the unfortunate girl sent by their father. It was Jiang Xiuyao, the daughter of the new empress.

The new empress had only this one daughter, whom she doted on. It was unexpected that their father would send her to Qi, showing his earnest desire to please the emperor of Qi.

Although Jiang Xiurun was the elder sister, she lost her birth mother early and had no support in the palace. Despite being a princess, her gentle nature made her an easy target for bullying.

Jiang Xiuyao, though not intentionally mean, was accustomed to speaking down to her elder sister.

Knowing that walls have ears, Jiang Xiurui whispered to her, “Don’t make a fuss. Call me Second Brother. If I’m recognized, no one will protect you, and we’ll both end up at the execution ground!”

Her chilling tone sent a shiver down Jiang Xiuyao’s spine. The once gentle and meek elder sister seemed to have changed drastically.

Jiang Xiurun, seeing her calm down, signaled Qian’er to release her, then pointed to the baby, asking, “What’s going on here?”

Jiang Xiuyao, feeling lost and desperate, burst into tears at the sight of a relative. She sobbed, “Father must have been misled by some villain and sent me to Qi as a hostage. The journey was rough, and I often felt sleepy. My belly grew bigger each day. I thought I was ill and didn’t pay much attention until I realized I might be pregnant. When we reached the station, I couldn’t hold it anymore…”

Jiang Xiurun felt a headache coming on from her rambling.

The empress’s intelligence seemed only to be passed on to her younger son, not her daughter.

Spoiled and oblivious, Jiang Xiuyao had grown up without any awareness of her situation.

Having heard enough of her sobbing, Jiang Xiurun asked, “Didn’t  father and mother know you were pregnant?”

Jiang Xiuyao shook her head.

“Father recently took in two new concubines who are very seductive. Mother has been preoccupied and hasn’t asked about me. During that time, Father decided to send me to Qi. I was so busy crying and making a fuss that I didn’t notice anything.”

Jiang Xiurun then asked, “Who is the father of the child?”

Blushing, Jiang Xiuyao seemed embarrassed as she whispered, “Sister, I’ll tell you, but you mustn’t tell Father or Mother!”

Jiang Xiurun rolled her eyes and said, “Father is far away. Even if I wanted to, I could only tell him in a dream.”

Feeling reassured, Jiang Xiuyao confessed, “It’s my cousin, Shen Siwen.”

Jiang Xiurun sat down slowly. Shen Siwen, the son of Shen Yong, was notorious for his lechery. He often harassed others in the palace under the guise of being the chief guard.

Jiang Xiurun had always avoided him. Unexpectedly, the empress’s daughter had fallen for him and ended up in this mess!

The attempted assassination orchestrated by Shen Yong was still unresolved, and now she had another leverage against the Shen family.

After some thought, Jiang Xiurun formed a plan.

However, the post station was not a safe place.

Though she had no deep sisterly affection for Jiang Xiuyao, she couldn’t bear to see the baby die. If left in Jiang Xiuyao’s care, the frail child would not survive.

Yet she couldn’t let her sister appear before the Crown Prince, as he would easily see through her with just a few questions.

For a moment, Jiang Xiurun hesitated.

However, Feng Liwu had no interest in dealing with the scandals of the Bo state’s royal court, giving his tutor ample leeway in handling the matter.