The Crazy Emperor's Pampered Cousin

"Mother, why does Father never care about us? Why can everyone belittle and humiliate us? Why can Xie Jiayu and Shen Tinghe live such carefree and happy lives, having everything they want?"

Her words were filled with resentment and indignation, cutting into An Cairen's heart like a dull knife.

An Cairen gently patted her daughter's back, her throat tightening.

She knew her daughter must have suffered a great injustice outside. Having lived half her life, she understood the power struggles and backstabbing within the palace better than anyone else.

She said bitterly, "Ran'er, are you resenting your mother... resenting your mother's incompetence, for not being able to support you, and for making you suffer so much coldness because of me?"

"No, that's not it!" Xie Jiaran shook her head violently, tears streaming down her face.

"I don't resent my mother, I never have. I just hate... I hate Xie Jiayu! She has everything, why does she still have to take it from me? The moment I show even the slightest interest, she takes it away! Now she's even... even the person I love won't be spared..."

By the end, she was sobbing uncontrollably.

An Cai's heart skipped a beat: "The person you like? Didn't your father already issue an edict betrothing Princess Rou'an to that young master of the Guan family?"

Her mind raced, and she suddenly remembered that her daughter had mentioned a few days ago that she had met a "good guy she could talk to" while she was out.

At the time, she assumed he was the son of some insignificant official, and her daughter, being shy, didn't investigate further.

"Could it be... that the young man you mentioned before, the one you admired and who was with me, is Guan Yi?"

Xie Jiaran closed her eyes, tears streaming down her face, and nodded.

"Yes... On the day of Father Emperor's birthday banquet, he got lost in the palace and happened to meet me, so I helped him out. Later... Later, we met a few more times at Buddhist ceremonies and poetry gatherings outside the palace. He said I was calm and elegant, and that it was very pleasant to talk to me... We even exchanged poems."

She choked up, recalling that brief moment of sweetness.

"Once, while we were talking near the Imperial Garden, my third elder sister accidentally bumped into us... She didn't say anything at the time, but the next day she went to ask our father for help, and he immediately agreed to bestow a marriage upon her and Guan Yi..."

The more she spoke, the more humiliated and desperate she felt: "I dare not beg my father... He probably doesn't even remember I exist. I'm also afraid he'll think I'm shameless for having affairs with other men. And I'm even more afraid that a noble family like the Guans would never agree to marry a princess who is of no use to them."

"But none of these difficulties exist for Xie Jiayu! She only needs to ask, and everything is within her grasp! Mother, I'm not reconciled, I'm truly not reconciled!"

After listening to her daughter's intermittent sobs, An Cairen felt both resentful and pained.

She had no idea that her daughter had silently endured so much.

"Are you two mutually in love?"

An Cairen asked in a hoarse voice, still holding a faint hope that it was just her daughter's unrequited love, so that the pain might be lessened.

"Yes! We love each other!" Xie Jiaran's answer was resolute, filled with the eagerness of a young girl whose feelings had been acknowledged.

Then her shoulders slumped, and she burst into tears.

"He even wrote me poems, praising me as a rare orchid in a secluded valley. But now, it's all gone, all taken away by Xie Jiayu! Mother..."

An Cairen held her daughter's trembling body tightly, her eyes also welling up with tears.

She endured so many years in the palace, cautious and humble, always smiling at everyone, exhausting herself, yet she was nothing more than a forgotten concubine.

If it weren't for this daughter, the cold and long years in the deep palace would have long since withered her away.

Ran'er was her life, the only warmth she had in this world.

She herself suffered her whole life, but her Ran'er was a princess of noble birth!

Her Ran'er deserves a better life, someone who truly cares for her, and her own happiness, instead of withering away silently in a forgotten corner like her.

Seeing her daughter crying so hard she could barely breathe, the gentleness, timidity, and resignation that had accumulated in An Cairen's eyes over the years were slowly replaced by a ruthless and calculating determination.

For Ran'er's sake, even this useless mother had to do something.

She gently stroked her daughter's hair, her voice soft and gentle: "Alright, Ran'er, don't cry. Mother is here, Mother knows."

She lifted her daughter's tear-stained face and gently wiped it with a handkerchief, a dark light gleaming deep in her eyes.

"Some things, just because she snatches them away doesn't mean she can hold onto them."

Xie Jiaran sobbed, staring blankly at her mother, unable to fully grasp the deeper meaning behind her words.

An Cairen said no more, but simply hugged her daughter even tighter.

She endured half her life in silence, never seeking wealth or status. But if someone were to take away her daughter's last hope and life, she would have no choice but to fight for it, even at the cost of her own life.

In stark contrast to the oppressive and sobbing atmosphere of the side hall of Lanchi, Cuiyao Hall was now filled with tender warmth and sweet intimacy.

Xie Yanzhao sat behind a rosewood desk by the window, writing with a vermilion brush as he reviewed memorials sent by express courier from the capital.

Shen Tinghe walked up behind him, wrapped her soft arms around his neck, and spoke in a voice so sweet it could drip water.

"Promise me, brother, okay?"

She pleaded softly while diligently massaging his shoulders, and every now and then she would lean in and leave light, fleeting kisses on his cheeks and chin.

Like a clingy and cunning cat, she tried every trick in the book to soften his heart.

Xie Yanzhao remained expressionless and silent, seemingly engrossed in his official duties, but the slight upturn of his lips, almost impossible to suppress, betrayed his indulgence and pleasure.

Seeing his feigned composure, Shen Tinghe simply reached out and covered his eyes, forcefully blocking his view.

"Hmph, I won't let go until you agree. Let's see how you approve the commemorative documents."

Xie Yanzhao chuckled helplessly, then sighed and called out, "Yuan Yuan..."

That voice was filled with an indulgent tenderness that held no power whatsoever.

He raised his hand to grasp the soft hand covering his eyes, and with a sweep of his arm, he brought her from behind to the front, placing her on his lap.

"You've really spoiled me rotten, haven't you?"

He pinched the tip of her nose, his deep eyes reflecting her charming face.

Shen Tinghe nestled into his arms, tilted her head back, and obediently and ingratiatingly leaned in to plant a loud kiss on his lips.

"Why don't you let Axi come to the palace to keep me company for a few days? The scenery here is beautiful, but you always have important things to do. I'm so bored by myself."

She blinked, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

Xie Yanzhao lightly touched her moist lips with his fingertip: "If she comes, will there still be any place for your brother in your heart?"

Shen Tinghe was taken aback at first, then couldn't help but laugh and leaned on his shoulder.

This man is so serious about even the most outrageous jealousy.

Shen Tinghe cupped his face in her hands, her eyes brimming with tears, and looked at him with utmost seriousness: "Brother is talking nonsense again. My heart belongs only to my husband."