The Child I Raised Has Been Reborn - Chapter 3

The Emperor was born to the Empress, and according to the succession rules of this dynasty, the eldest son of the Empress takes precedence. This put Qin Tangxi, born of a concubine, at a disadvantage.

The Emperor occasionally sent interesting gifts to the Grand Princess’s Residence, and the staff had grown accustomed to such deliveries. A wooden chest like today’s had arrived before.

Qin Jianhan, unable to contain her curiosity upon seeing the seal on the chest, spoke up before her aunt could react, “Your Majesty is young and spirited. To think of you at this age shows he still cares deeply. The rumors circulating outside are clearly attempts to sow discord between you and His Majesty.”

Qin Tangxi remained impassive, her fingers mechanically flipping through official memorials. Her gaze fell on the character “Lan” carved on the inkstone beside her hand, and Zhao Lan’s bright, lovely face surfaced in her mind. A sudden pang of discomfort welled up in her chest.

Qin Jianhan pressed further, “Aunt, shall I open it for you?”

A tense silence filled the candlelit room. Qin Tangxi’s slender, pale fingers traced the character “Lan” on the inkstone. “How has Lan’er been lately?” she suddenly asked.

Qin Jianhan, standing beside the wooden chest, flinched violently. Her outstretched hands snapped back as if burned, and she forced a casual smile. “She’s well. She even wrote a letter a few days ago. You needn’t worry, Aunt.”

Qin Tangxi didn’t press further. “You may withdraw.”

“Aunt, what about this?” Qin Jianhan gestured at the wooden chest, her meaning clear.

Qin Tangxi stepped forward from behind her desk and tore open the seal. Refusing the Emperor’s gift would only invite rumors of discord the next day.

The wooden chest, made of sandalwood, felt cold to the touch. Once the seal was broken, faint sounds emerged from within.

Qin Tangxi’s hand froze mid-air as she reached for the lid. What was the Emperor up to?

After a moment’s hesitation, she lifted the lid, and a figure suddenly appeared before her.

“This…” Qin Jianhan was equally startled. Where had the Emperor found this woman?

A woman lay inside the chest, her hands and feet bound with ropes, a cloth stuffed in her mouth. Her starry eyes overflowed with panic.

Qin Tangxi paused, then recognition dawned as she saw the pale face. “Mingshu?”

The woman in the chest nodded vigorously.

“Nonsense,” Qin Tangxi rebuked angrily.

Mingshu shuddered. Her gaze, which encompassed not only the Grand Princess but also Qin Jianhan, her childhood sweetheart from her past life, brimmed with hatred.

Qin Tangxi leaned down to untie Mingshu’s ropes and soothed her, “Don’t be afraid. I’ll have someone escort you home.”

Qin Jianhan interjected, “Aunt, this gift is from Your Majesty. If you refuse it, she’ll be displeased.”

Ignoring Mingshu’s protests, Qin Tangxi personally helped the girl out of the cramped wooden box, instructing her attendants to prepare hot water.

Mingshu trembled violently, standing unsteadily. From her position in the box, she saw the Grand Princess’s usually gentle eyes now dark as still water, cold as icy streams.

Under the clear light, those eyes held no warmth.

Her body icy-cold, Mingshu was guided to a chair by Qin Tangxi’s shaky hands. She never imagined she would meet Qin Jianhan so soon.

Qin Tangxi frowned deeply. Seeing a healthy girl reduced to such a pitiful state, the Emperor’s actions were no different from Wu An’s. Suppressing her anger, she ordered water to be brought, her gaze sweeping past Qin Jianhan. “Get out.”

Qin Jianhan’s eyelid twitched. “Aunt, I had no knowledge of this!”

“Get out!” Qin Tangxi roared, her voice sharp with fury.

Left with no choice, Qin Jianhan shot a glare at Mingshu before bowing and retreating. Outside, she summoned a trusted confidante. “Tell His Majesty that the Grand Princess is furious. Let her think of how to appease her.”

Maids filed in, carrying basins of hot water.

Mingshu’s clothes, soaked through by the rain, clung tightly to her body. Qin Tangxi ordered dry garments to be brought.

The maid hesitated. “Shall we fetch the Commandery Princess’s clothes?”

Mingshu shivered and instinctively shook her head. “No, thank you.”

Qin Tangxi immediately said, “Go to my chambers and get the new clothes that arrived yesterday.”

Mingshu glanced up at the Grand Princess. Soaked to the bone, a chill had seeped deep into her bones, like winter ice coursing through her veins, making her tremble uncontrollably. “Your Highness, thank you for saving me that day.”

“I didn’t save you. Just wash up here with hot water and return to Jade Spring Tower.” Qin Tangxi spoke curtly, not even glancing at Mingshu as she ordered the memorial petitions removed and strode into her study.

Watching the resolute back of the Grand Princess, Mingshu finally relaxed. She stripped out of her clothes and sank into the hot water, the warmth seeping into her heart. The Grand Princess, ever serene and luminous, remained unchanged. Yet, in her mind’s eye, the final, venomous face of Qin Jianhan from her past life surfaced.

She never imagined she would be reborn after death, only to be sold into Jade Spring Tower in a bewildering twist of fate.

The hatred of the Duke of Xinguo’s Residence, Qin Jianhan’s betrayal and manipulation, felt like a thorn lodged in her throat, making it hard to swallow.

Inside the study, Qin Tangxi noticed a portrait on her desk as soon as she entered. It depicted fifteen-year-old Zhao Lan sitting by the riverbank, her delicate and spirited beauty captured in the painting.

Not long after she settled behind her desk, Qin Jianhan arrived. “Aunt, do you recognize this woman?”

When Qin Jianhan lifted the wooden lid, she met the woman’s gaze, which was strange, filled with both fear and hatred. She didn’t recognize the woman, so why would she receive such a hateful look?

“How’s the investigation into the grain situation progressing?” Qin Tangxi asked, changing the subject and keeping her expression cold.

Qin Jianhan replied plaintively, “Aunt, because of the Duke of Xinguo’s Residence incident, you haven’t spoken to me in days. Zhao Lan was the one who reported collusion with the enemy to Your Majesty—it had nothing to do with me. Besides, as you saw, it was the Duke of Xinguo’s own handwriting. Zhao Lan’s choice to prioritize justice over family ties was the right one.”

“Zhao Lan?” Qin Tangxi raised an eyebrow. “When did you become so distant from her? And when do you plan to marry her?”

“Marry her?” Qin Jianhan was slightly taken aback. “Why would I marry her? She’s the descendant of traitors.”

Qin Tangxi’s eyes turned frosty. “Earlier, you said she liked you, and you had feelings for her. I could have pardoned her and allowed you to be together openly.”

Qin Jianhan’s face paled. “Aunt, you’re virtuous,” she stammered. “How could you ruin your reputation because of her? Besides… besides, I… I don’t like her anymore.”

“Don’t like her?” Qin Tangxi’s voice suddenly rose, as if something had occurred to her. “Where did you put her?”

“She… she left without saying goodbye.” Overwhelmed by her aunt’s anger, Qin Jianhan lowered her head in fear.

“Qin Jianhan,” Qin Tangxi said angrily, her jet-black eyes burning with fury and heartache. “She’s devoted her heart to you. How could you treat her so poorly?”

Qin Jianhan flushed crimson, but she remained defiant. “You’re my aunt, the mother who raised me. Why are you defending her? You’ve always favored Zhao Lan over me. So what if she likes me? Does that mean I should return her affection?”

Qin Tangxi’s anger reached its peak, her expression cold and severe. “You were the one who told me you liked Zhao Lan and wanted me to give you both a chance. Now that the Zhao family is in trouble, you abandon her? Qin Jianhan, you’ve truly disappointed me.”

“Aunt, you should consider that she betrayed her family and her father. A woman like that isn’t worthy of my affection. She’ll betray me too someday.”

“So you’re betraying her instead?”

In the study, the two women faced each other in a tense standoff. Meanwhile, in the bedroom, Mingshu, dressed in a brand-new gown, barely dared to lift her head. Her gaze fell on the golden peony stamens embroidered on her sleeve cuffs. The familiar fabric felt soft as clouds against her skin.

Once she was ready, a maid came to escort her. “The carriage is waiting outside. We’ll take you home immediately.”

Mingshu felt no lingering attachment. The debt Qin Jianhan owed her would one day be repaid.

******

The carriage of the Grand Princess Protector of the Nation’s Residence came to a stop before the Jade Spring Tower, and Yu Niang immediately rushed out to greet it.

Mingshu stepped down from the carriage, leaning on Yu Niang’s arm. After spending several days together, Mingshu had long since discerned Yu Niang’s ambitions for power and wealth. Sending her to the Grand Princess was undoubtedly a scheme to secure riches, using the Grand Princess as a patron to advance her own ends.

“Don’t blame me,” Yu Niang said as she escorted Mingshu into the tower. “The Grand Princess is a luminous and magnanimous person. If you gain her favor, you’ll come out ahead. The fact that she comes daily to listen to your music proves how much she likes you.”

As they walked, numerous eyes followed them. Mizhen had noticed Mingshu’s absence from the tower early that morning, and seeing Yu Niang’s beaming smile, she immediately understood that Mingshu had secured a favorable position.

Yu Niang had struck a lucrative deal.

“Hmm, Your Highness the Grand Princess is very kind,” Mingshu replied vaguely. The mere thought of Yu Niang’s earlier insistence that she entertain clients made her stomach churn. At this critical moment, she needed Yu Niang to believe she was firmly under the Grand Princess’s patronage. Only then could she gain her freedom.

Yu Niang was overjoyed. Upon entering the room, she noticed Mingshu’s distinctive attire and reached out to touch the gold-embroidered trim on her sleeves. Mingshu recoiled in disgust, her voice cold as she said, “These are the Grand Princess’s clothes. I’ll have to return them in a few days.”

A single sentence was enough to set one’s imagination racing.

“Excellent, that’s the best,” Yu Niang said, practically lifting Mingshu to the heavens. She immediately instructed her to rest well and not receive any visitors the next day.

Hearing this, Mingshu nearly collapsed onto the bed, exhausted as if she had been run over by a carriage. Despite her fatigue, she carefully removed her clothes and neatly folded them.

These were the only tangible connections she had to the Grand Princess.

The next day, Yu Niang didn’t visit personally but sent over numerous high-quality tonics, beauty products, and even a substantial number of new ornaments. Though far inferior to what she had enjoyed at the Duke of Xinguo’s Residence, she had no grounds for complaint and had to make do.

Over the following days, the Grand Princess didn’t return to Jade Spring Tower. Yu Niang began to harbor suspicions about what had happened that night.

Mingshu maintained her composure, living her days as usual while mentally reviewing the Grand Princess’s preferences. Qin Tangxi, now twenty-seven years old, had remained chaste for years, immersed in state affairs and uninterested in frivolous pleasures.

After four or five days, she compiled a list of the Grand Princess’s preferences and methodically set about addressing each one.

Unexpectedly, before Qin Tangxi could return, Qin Jianhan arrived, accompanying the Emperor on a visit.

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