Hearing Dongyu’s explanation, Chi Can’s anger immediately soared: “The truth? What do you know about the truth?”

“The young lady was taken from Her Highness’s abdomen, and Her Highness died because of this!”

“So you’re planning to go find the Empress Dowager to lodge a complaint and have her punish the Marchioness Guanjun?” Chi Can clenched his fists.

Dongyu stepped back half a pace, but her expression didn’t show much panic: “This slave only wants the Empress Dowager to know the real cause of Her Highness’s death—”

“Enough!” Chi Can rudely interrupted Dongyu’s words. “You served my mother for twenty years after all. Don’t force me to get rough with you. Is there any need to question my mother’s real cause of death? Mother died from difficult labor. If not for the Marchioness Guanjun, mother would have been gone the day she went into labor!”

Those extra half-month and more were precious time. Thinking of the bits and pieces of interaction with his mother during those days, he was filled with gratitude toward her. Now someone wanted to drag her into trouble, and no matter who that person was, he would never allow it!

Dongyu moved her lips, wanting to argue.

“Aunt Dongyu, feel free to speak. We have plenty of time today.”

“Has Young Master considered that with so many imperial physicians and midwives present at the time, Her Highness might still have had a chance?”

“Hehehe—” Chi Can laughed, his lips curling with mockery. “No wonder they say being human is difficult, and being a good person is even harder. There were indeed many imperial physicians and midwives present, but they had already pronounced a death sentence on my mother. Is Aunt Dongyu turning a blind eye to this?”

“Young Master—”

“Saying mother still had a chance is nothing more than your inability to accept mother’s death and your resentment!”

“Young Master, I have no grudge against the Marchioness. How could I deliberately cause trouble for her? It’s just that everyone must take responsibility for their choices. At that time, the Marchioness dared to perform surgery on Her Highness without explaining anything. Now that Her Highness is gone, shouldn’t she bear responsibility?”

“If she had done nothing at the time, not even coming, then my mother dying with her child would have carried no responsibility at all.” Chi Can stepped forward, looking at Dongyu expressionlessly. “Is Aunt Dongyu not resentful?”

“Young Master, why do you say such things?”

“Naturally, because now that Mother is gone, all those men in the vast Princess’s residence must be dispersed, making it inconvenient for Aunt Dongyu to meet privately with her lover.”

Dongyu suddenly stepped back several paces, all color draining from her face.

Chi Can showed no mercy, raising his eyebrows in cold laughter: “Aunt Dongyu is unwilling to have such days disrupted, yet unwilling to admit her bad luck, so she always wants to drag someone else down with her, isn’t that right?”

As Chi Can pressed forward step by step, Dongyu kept retreating, suddenly shaking her head: “Young Master, what kind of person do you think I am? I do have a lover, that’s true, but wanting to report this matter to the Empress Dowager has absolutely nothing to do with that—”

“Enough, Aunt Dongyu. Mother is no longer here, and I don’t want to care about your private affairs. But you’d better behave yourself and live your own life well. If you try to stir up trouble again, I’ll make you and your lover into a pair of mandarin ducks sharing the same fate!” After speaking, Chi Can flicked his sleeves and left.

Dongyu stood stunned for a long time, leaning against the door and closing her eyes in pain.

Qiao Zhao and Shao Mingyuan returned to their residence, having little appetite for the table full of delicacies.

“Zhaozhao, you’ve done your best regarding the Eldest Princess’s matter. Don’t let it affect your mood.”

Qiao Zhao smiled: “It won’t. I did my utmost at the time, so naturally I have no guilt in my heart. I just feel somewhat melancholy thinking of Big Brother Chi being all alone now.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll go help again tomorrow.” Shao Mingyuan patted Qiao Zhao’s hand.

“Tomorrow I want to return to the Li residence to visit.”

Only after having children does one understand parental kindness. Although she hadn’t experienced childbirth herself, she had personally performed cesarean surgery on the Eldest Princess Changrong, making her even more appreciative of a mother’s hardships.

She missed her mother.

“Go ahead. After I finish helping, I’ll come to the Li residence to pick you up.”

Lai Xi returned to the palace and reported Dongyu’s strange behavior to the Empress Dowager.

“You’re saying Dongyu had matters to report to me but was stopped by Can’er?” Empress Dowager Yang gently stroked her long nails, murmuring: “Could there be hidden circumstances behind the Eldest Princess’s death?”

Lai Xi kept his head buried low, not daring to respond.

“Lai Xi, find a way to bring Dongyu to see me. Can’er can’t possibly watch her constantly.”

“Yes.”

With the Empress Dowager’s instructions, Lai Xi eventually found an opportunity to bring Dongyu to the Cining Palace.

Looking at the nervous Dongyu, Empress Dowager Yang smiled: “Dongyu, you also came from the palace. Now you’re just returning home. Don’t be nervous.”

“Yes, Empress Dowager.”

“Didn’t you want to see me that day? What do you have to tell me?”

“This slave—”

“Speak slowly. I’m listening.”

Dongyu’s expression changed unpredictably. Under the Empress Dowager’s gaze, she fell to her knees with a thud: “Reporting to the Empress Dowager, Her Highness once mentioned to this slave who the young lady’s birth father is…”

The Young Master had already warned her that the matter of the Eldest Princess’s cesarean delivery must never be mentioned, so she could only use this to deflect.

Empress Dowager Yang’s gaze narrowed, her voice turning cold: “Is it one of those men in the Princess’s residence?”

“Exactly—”

Empress Dowager Yang waved her hand, stopping Dongyu from continuing: “Some unseemly things – what difference does it make which one? Forget it, you may withdraw.”

Dongyu quietly breathed a sigh of relief: “This slave takes leave.”

Empress Dowager Yang closed her eyes, feeling indescribable disappointment.

“Wait.” As Dongyu reached the door, Empress Dowager Yang suddenly opened her eyes.

Dongyu immediately stopped.

“Dongyu, come here.”

Dongyu respectfully approached.

“How is that child?”

Hearing the Empress Dowager mention the child, Dongyu’s heart inexplicably rose to her throat: “The young lady is doing well. She’s grown a bit plumper these past few days.”

“Well? How can a baby without a mother be well?” Empress Dowager Yang’s voice was cold, without the slightest fluctuation.

Dongyu couldn’t help but look up, and her heart suddenly jumped.

“Dongyu, you’ve served the Eldest Princess for some twenty years. You’re clever and should understand my meaning, shouldn’t you?”

“Em-Empress Dowager!” Dongyu swayed, her face pale as snow.

“What?”

Dongyu fell to her knees with a thud, continuously kowtowing to Empress Dowager Yang: “Empress Dowager, this slave doesn’t dare, this slave doesn’t dare—”

Empress Dowager Yang said nothing, carelessly stroking her nails.

Dongyu continued kowtowing, one strike after another. Soon her snow-white forehead was covered in bruises.

Empress Dowager Yang never stopped her, just watching coldly. After an unknown amount of time, she finally spoke: “Enough.”

Dongyu stopped, trembling all over as she stared at the mirror-bright golden bricks.

“Go. I await your reply.”

“Empress Dowager—”

“Dongyu, I said you came from the palace. This has always been your home. Cining Palace happens to be short one female official. After you handle this matter, come back.”

Dongyu lay prostrate on the ground, motionless.

Empress Dowager Yang impatiently raised her eyebrows: “Why aren’t you going?”

After a long while, Dongyu gave a low acknowledgment and silently withdrew.