无翼乌工口里番无色无摭挡

A momentary gleam caught her eye.

She averted her gaze.

Pretending she saw nothing.

“As a child,” he began in a muted tone, “I often wondered why other princes were lavishly pampered by their concubine mothers while I found it difficult to even see her. I thought I was not exceptional enough to gain her favor.”

Jiang Ning remained silent.

Li Hongyuan chuckled, “I thought that if I tried hard enough, I could earn my concubine mother’s love. I really did many childish and laughable things.”

Jiang Ning said, “The things a child does to gain a mother’s approval aren’t childish or ridiculous. Rather, I think she didn’t like you not because of your flaws, but because of her own.”

“I didn’t understand such things when I was a child. But as I grew older, I stopped caring.”

“Are you truly indifferent?”

Jiang Ning never heard his answer.

But she knew that childhood regret could affect one’s entire life.

Li Hongyuan said, “Her presence or absence makes no difference to me. There are some benefits even. Because we didn’t have strong emotional attachment, I wasn’t very sad when she died. See, it’s all good.”

“Good? There’s nothing good about that,” Jiang Ning muttered.

“Your parents adore you and have spoiled you to the heavens,” Li Hongyuan glanced at her, “Some day, your parents will pass as well. Won’t you feel sad and heartbroken? As you can see, I don’t have to deal with this kind of trouble.”

“I can’t be bothered to argue with you.”

Jiang Ning thought, indeed, people tend to emphasize on the things they lack.

If he truly didn’t care, he wouldn’t have rambled on about it for so long.

However, considering that his birth mother had just died, Jiang Ning restrained herself and didn’t argue with him.

Next, it was time to attend to the funeral of the revered Concubine Jin.

The Emperor posthumously titled Concubine Jin as Empress Xiaochun.

Her funeral was conducted according to the rites for an empress.

There was quite an impressive display.

But all the pomp and show were for the living; for the deceased, it held no meaning.

Relatives from Concubine Jin’s maternal side, Li Hongyuan’s maternal relatives, also attended, but they maintained a quiet distance. Seeing them, elderly and free of any visible grief, Jiang Ning found it strange.

It appeared that Concubine Jin’s family wasn’t influential, just a normal small family.

Li Hongyuan said, “If her family held power, why would they let their daughter enter the palace as someone else’s substitute?”

Jiang Ning glanced at him, “Concubine Jin doesn’t resemble your maternal grandmother or grandfather at all… In fact, aside from the eyes, you don’t look much like Concubine Jin either.”

Li Hongyuan didn’t reply to her.

The atmosphere in the East Palace was currently very heavy.

Outraged by the tragic death of Concubine Jin, the Emperor ordered the Court of Judicial Review, the Ministry of Justice, and the Imperial Prison to carry out a simultaneous, exhaustive investigation to identify her murderer.

At any cost.

The entire harem was extremely apprehensive, no one daring to stir up the Emperor’s anger at such a time.

The Empress had been faulted several times in his presence; others could merely expect worse.

A newly entered, still favored concubine rashly decided to visit Splendid Palace to comfort the Emperor, only to be carried out horizontally.

She was beaten almost to death.

She died a few days after being sent back.

The incident served as a warning to the entire harem to be absolutely quiet.

The Emperor did not leave the Splendid Palace from the day Concubine Jin died until the end of the seven-day mourning period.

The Emperor, who was typically diligent and invested in state affairs, disregarded everything, did not meet any officials, barely ate or slept, and stayed by the side of Concubine Jin’s memorial tablet..