Will You Be My Princess?

When Liu Wan learned of it, she cursed Xie Jinqiu for his outrageous behavior. He had actually stooped to something so shameless and vile.

Pan Chun hurriedly shut the door. "Eldest Madam, keep your voice down. Fourth Master runs the household now. No matter how far he goes, we must stay out of it."

The more Liu Wan thought about it, the more she pitied the Zhong Family's Daughter.

"I urged Fourth Master to think twice because the Zhong Family's Daughter was spoiled and willful. But now it seems she's a pitiful girl, too. It's a hypocrite like Fourth Master who isn't worthy of her. A perfectly decent young woman, ruined by him just like that!"

As she spoke, deep regret filled Liu Wan's eyes. She even felt a little remorseful.

She regretted not stepping in back then to help the Zhong Family break off the engagement.

Little Wanwan tilted her head and looked at Mother.

[Mother, don't blame yourself. Some causes and consequences are set in stone from the start. You couldn't have changed them.]

[Whoever does something wrong has to pay the price.]

[Mother, let's just live our own lives well. When your little baby grows up, she'll take you away from here.]

This place was too filthy. It didn't deserve Mother.

To comfort Mother, she offered her the thumb she had sucked wet with saliva.

Liu Wan laughed despite her anger and said helplessly, "Thank you, but I don't want any."

Little Wanwan looked at her in confusion, then at her own thumb.

[But it's so yummy.]

Liu Wan asked Wang Xia again, "What happened afterward? How did they settle things?"

Wang Xia frowned, her face full of indignation. "For the sake of their daughter's reputation, her parents ended up setting a wedding date. Fourth Master was so sickly that they didn't dare do anything to him!"

She recalled the looks of contempt on the faces of the Zhong Residence's masters and servants, and how desperately they had wanted to kill Fourth Master.

Just thinking about it made Wang Xia feel that the Marquis's Residence would never be able to hold its head up again.

Liu Wan let out a deep sigh.

Just then.

A Nanny from Charity Hall arrived, saying it was Liu Wan's turn to attend the sick today.

Liu Wan smiled faintly. "I'm afraid today is inconvenient. The Fifth Princess is getting married tomorrow, and we've been ordered to spend a day in the palace. I'll leave this to Concubine Xu."

The Nanny was left speechless.

"Pan Chun, Wang Xia, pack our things. Get ready to enter the palace."

The two maids happily went off to prepare.

The little one in her arms was even more excited, waving her hands and kicking her feet as she babbled.

[Woohoo, we're going to the palace again!]

[Mother, please bury me good and deep beneath the Coral Tree. I want to grow big and strong! Yahoo~]

Liu Wan: ...

Some time later, the carriage stopped at the palace gates.

An eunuch led them into the palace.

Along the palace walkway, Liu Wan faintly heard several palace maids discussing Consort Ling's condition as they walked.

Liu Wan discreetly slipped the eunuch some silver. "Sir, Consort Ling is a close friend of my aunt's from her unmarried days. It's been quite some time since I last saw her. How is she doing now?"

The young eunuch glanced around, then lowered his voice and said to Liu Wan,

"Consort Ling's leg ailment has been getting worse. Two years ago, she could still walk. Perhaps it's because winter is approaching, but now she can't move her legs at all. The imperial physicians have treated her for a long time, but they're at their wits' end. The Ninth Prince has also been searching far and wide for renowned physicians to treat the Imperial Consort Dowager, all to no avail..."

Concern crept into Liu Wan's expression as she listened.

[It isn't a leg ailment at all!]

The little one yawned, tears clinging to her long eyelashes as she looked at Mother.

Curious, Liu Wan looked over as well, deliberately slowing her steps beside Pan Chun so she could hear the little one's words clearly.

[Consort Ling is being haunted by a ghost. That ghost has no legs... It seems to have something to do with one of the Late Emperor's consorts. That consort colluded with a foreign nation and betrayed the country. What was her name again... Ugh, this little head of mine is so forgetful.]

[No renowned physician can help her. The only one who can save her is...]

Liu Wan wanted to listen closely, but the little one stopped thinking about it. Her scalp prickled. She wondered just what sort of immortal her daughter was.

How did she even know about ghosts and spirits?

Before she could work it out, they arrived at the Fifth Princess's Bedchamber.

The moment Little Wanwan saw that enormous coral tree, she waved her hands and kicked her feet, howling excitedly.

The Empress Dowager was already seated beneath the tree, waiting for her.

"Zhao'er wants to see you. Go on, then. Leave Little Wanwan here. I'll play with her."

Liu Wan could only bow and go inside.

Little Wanwan and the Empress Dowager stared wide-eyed at each other.

She pointed beneath the tree, blinking her big eyes, her little face wreathed in smiles.

The Empress Dowager chuckled and had all the palace attendants step aside, revealing a large pit before them.

Little Wanwan's eyes went round. She hugged the Empress Dowager and kissed her. The Empress Dowager laughed delightedly. "Well? Do you like this pit? Come, lie down and try it!"

With that, she placed the little one inside.

Pan Chun let out a piercing shriek! "Your Majesty, my young miss is only a child! If she's offended you in any way, punish me!"

"Please don't bury my young miss alive!"

The Empress Dowager gave her a quiet look. A palace maid beside her said, "You've misunderstood. Her Majesty played with her like this last time, too."

Pan Chun still couldn't believe anyone would play with a child like this.

Then she saw the Empress Dowager lie down in the pit, too.

Pan Chun: ...

The Empress Dowager even ordered them to fill it with soil!

Pan Chun: !!!

One old and one young lay in the pit, their bodies buried, with only two peaceful faces showing!

Pan Chun simply couldn't make sense of it.

When Little Wanwan woke up, she rubbed her face and sneezed, leaving her little cheeks filthy.

"Ah... up..."

Time to get up!

The Empress Dowager slowly opened her eyes, and the palace maids immediately came forward to dig away the soil around them.

She sat up, feeling light and relaxed all over. Even the chronic cold-weather pain in her legs was gone. The palace maids stared at her in astonishment.

"What is it? Is there something on my face?"

"Your Majesty, you... you're so beautiful..."

Pan Chun swallowed. Could being buried in soil really nourish the skin and enhance one's beauty?

A palace maid brought a bronze mirror. The Empress Dowager studied herself for a long time. Though her face was covered in dirt, her skin was visibly firmer and smoother. Even the crow's feet and forehead lines left by the years had vanished completely.

She looked as she had twenty years ago.

Astonished, she turned toward Little Wanwan, who was putting dirt into her mouth.

Little Wanwan: "Ah..."

Then, meeting the Empress Dowager's gaze, she gave an embarrassed little smile.

[Ooh, what a pretty big sister. Where's the Empress Dowager? Where did she go?]

"Big... sister..." Little Wanwan stammered.

The Empress Dowager was so excited she nearly cried. She scooped Little Wanwan up and lifted her as though she had found a priceless treasure.

"You're truly a little marvel! I'm going to make you a princess! Wanwan, will you be my princess?"

Little Wanwan: ???

Her big eyes darted about her little face, and she looked toward Pan Chun in a panic.

"Quick, say you want to be a princess! Say it!"

"My... mama..." My mother won't agree!

"Don't worry. Your mother will agree." The Empress Dowager's gaze was fierce as she stared straight at the tiny girl held aloft.

The little one let out another "ah" and opened her mouth. "My... my... daddy..."

My daddy won't agree!

"Your father? Who does your father think he is? If he doesn't agree, I'll have the emperor pin some charge on him and throw him in prison!"

"My... my... Grand... mother..."