Volume One, Chapter 9: She Had No Choice but to Save Her

Song Jiayin sneered coldly, “What? Is this question so hard to answer? Do you think there’s something wrong with me knowing the truth about my biological father?”

Song Yueyi quickly shook her head. “No, sister, you misunderstood. I just... I didn’t expect you to bring it up.”

“Then tell me now!” Song Jiayin’s voice was resolute and unyielding. “I want to know the truth. If you have even the slightest guilt, then just tell me.”

“Sister, it was when Mother Consort went to the national temple to pray that she met a man along the way. He wept bitterly and revealed your background. Mother Consort, being lowly and powerless, dared not conceal it and so told the Emperor…”

Qiao Nian slowly stood and walked toward the window. Looking out into the pitch-black night, feeling the endless cold wind piercing to the bone, she interrupted Song Yueyi. “You are the princess of the Great Zhou, the only princess now. For the first fifteen years, I enjoyed the splendor and wealth of a princess, but after you returned from the fief and took everything from me, I never hated you because I was an illegitimate child, unworthy of the glory of the Great Zhou royal family. But what I had enjoyed was given by the Great Zhou royal family, not stolen from you. After all, whether you were in the fief or the palace, you were still the Great Zhou princess. Even later, when I was sent to marry into another family, it was a gift from the Great Zhou royal family, unrelated to you!”

“I had thought of finding my biological father, but the Emperor issued an order, and that man was beheaded. After all, to preserve my dignity and maintain that I was still a princess, I was forced to go on that marriage journey. On that road, I realized that Great Zhou had raised me for fifteen years, and I should do something for Great Zhou.”

Song Jiayin turned to look at Song Yueyi. “Why did you take it upon yourself to apologize for all this? I never liked you, so how could I hate you?”

Song Yueyi lowered her eyes to her toes, rubbing a handkerchief nervously, like a child who had done wrong and felt wronged.

Seeing her like this, Song Jiayin thought that if anyone from the Song family saw this, they might say she was bullying her younger sister! Maybe they would even say she was incompetent and took out her frustrations on Song Yueyi!

Thinking this, Song Jiayin sighed deeply.

This fragile, apologetic little sister was the most adept at wielding her vulnerability and sensibility as weapons to attack anyone she wished.

She supposed this was why everyone had sided with Song Yueyi back then.

It was also why she had lost everything overnight.

Back then, she had been a bit willful, proud, and headstrong, so losing everything seemed like a just consequence.

And it wasn’t just about the marriage arrangement.

The misdeeds Song Yueyi committed after returning from the fief were countless.

But every time, everyone blamed her.

Song Yueyi sobbed softly, “Sister, that’s not what I meant. I simply came to visit you and apologize. Seeing you like this, I couldn’t bear it.”

But Song Jiayin said, “I don’t know what you’re worried about. Three years ago, when I was called an illegitimate child, my engagement to Su Lingfeng ended. Then you were granted to marry Su Lingfeng. The Emperor’s decree was absolute. Even the Empress Dowager’s opposition was useless. Besides, Su Lingfeng isn’t a fool. You are the Emperor’s daughter. How could he still be hung up on a fake princess like me?”

“Since you’re here today, I’ll make it clear—I stopped liking Su Lingfeng long ago. There’s no need for you to probe me. If I had any hidden feelings, wouldn’t your Song family have just killed me by now?”

“I didn’t come to test you,” Song Yueyi explained with an innocent look, “Sister, seeing how wronged you feel, I pity you and just want to apologize, hoping you can let go. Of course, I know that’s not easy…”

She just wanted to gauge Song Jiayin’s attitude.

When she was in Nanjing, she learned that Su Lingfeng had gone to the capital, and she was nearly frantic. She feared Su Lingfeng and Song Jiayin might rekindle their old feelings.

After all, before she entered the palace, Song Jiayin and Su Lingfeng had grown up together. Although Su Lingfeng was the son of the Marquis of Anle, he had been raised in the palace, dining, living, and studying alongside princes and princesses.

Song Jiayin was annoyed and reaffirmed, “Think whatever you want. But there’s no chance between Su Lingfeng and me. Since arriving in Nanjing, I only want to see the Emperor and Empress and the Empress Dowager one last time. After all, they raised me for fifteen years. Where I go in the future is up to the Emperor.”

Tears welled in Lin Yueyi’s eyes as she looked at Song Jiayin, stunned and pitiful.

If Song Jing or the Emperor and Empress Dowager saw this, they might order her beaten to death right there!

She really dared not imagine it. She had endured so much suffering these past three years and did not want to be abused or misunderstood any longer. She said, “Please wipe your tears and leave quickly. I’m not bullying you, and don’t use that posture with me. I can’t sleep well here and am very tired. Can you please leave now?”

Song Yueyi, embarrassed at being dismissed so bluntly, blushed deeply. “Alright, I’ll leave first. Sister, please rest well.”

In this situation, Song Yueyi still maintained her manners and bowed. But just as she reached the door, a gust of cold wind howled through, and several ragged men from the Jin Kingdom suddenly appeared, instantly capturing her.

A cold dagger was pressed to her neck. Song Yueyi was terrified and screamed repeatedly, “Who are you? What do you want? Sister, save me!”

One of the Jin men shouted harshly, “Are you a princess of Great Zhou?”

Terrified, Song Yueyi didn’t dare deny it and could only nod tremblingly. “I… am. Let me go quickly, or my royal brother will never forgive you.”

Song Jiayin sighed helplessly, cursing Song Yueyi silently for being such a fool to declare herself a princess at such a moment.

At this moment, Song Yueyi was being kidnapped right outside her door. If anything happened, Song Jiayin would be held responsible.

What worried her even more was that she had been in the Jin Kingdom for three years. If the Song family insisted she had deliberately brought the Jin men to kidnap Song Yueyi, she would have no way to defend herself.

Fearing she might be dragged down to death by this fool, Song Jiayin steeled herself, rushed to the door, and shouted loudly, “I am the Great Zhou Princess Song Jiayin. The one you’re holding is just my maid! Come on, kidnap me! Let go of my maid!”

The ragged men looked astonished, their gazes flickering between Song Yueyi and Song Jiayin.

One of them glanced at Song Yueyi in confusion. “Is what she says true? It doesn’t add up. She’s plainly dressed and pale and thin, but you look plumper. How can a maid be fatter than the princess?”

Song Yueyi bit her lip tightly, and tears streamed down her face as if struck dumb with grief.

A trace of mockery flashed through Song Jiayin’s heart. Why didn’t Song Yueyi claim to be the princess now?

She spotted Song Lin and his men sneaking closer, and the light in Su Lingfeng’s room suddenly went out. Hastily, she said, “I am indeed the princess, Song Jiayin, who was married off three years ago. You should have heard of me. I have lived harshly in the Jin Kingdom, pale and thin. Let go of my maid, and I will go with you!”

Before she finished speaking, a cold arrow whistled past her face…