Chapter 642

Chapter Three

“You little thing, you certainly know what’s valuable.” The Empress stared at the little girl with a mixture of amusement and exasperation. For some reason, she felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity toward her.

“Pretty!” Niannian clapped her hands.

“That’s my Imperial Mother’s Golden Phoenix Hairpin, of course it’s pretty!” the Third Prince said proudly.

“Niannian has one too!” Niannian said, then reached up to touch her own head—only to discover that there was nothing there.

“Huh? Where’s Niannian’s hairpin?” She touched her head again, her face full of confusion.

She clearly remembered it being there.

“Big Brother, where’s Niannian’s hairpin?” Niannian blinked her large eyes and gazed innocently at the Third Prince.

She seemed to be implying that he had taken her hairpin.

“You little girl, I didn’t take your hairpin. Why are you asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?” The Third Prince scratched his head.

When he had found the little girl, he hadn’t seen any hairpin on her head.

“Are you sure you didn’t see it? Could it have fallen in the carriage?” The Empress looked at the fine fabric of Niannian’s clothes. The girl clearly wasn’t lying, so she turned to the Third Prince with some uncertainty.

“Imperial Mother, when have I ever lied?” the Third Prince said, looking at the Empress aggrievedly.

“Children don’t lie.” The Empress pointed at Niannian, who was sitting nearby with an adorable expression.

The ​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‍Third Prince looked at Niannian, who was blinking her innocent eyes at him.

For a moment, he began to wonder whether he really had accidentally left her hairpin in the carriage.

“Someone, go check my carriage,” the Third Prince ordered helplessly.

“Niannian’s hairpin is gone.” As soon as the little girl said this, tears welled up in her eyes. Her pitiful appearance tugged at everyone’s heartstrings.

“Your name is Niannian, is that right?” The Empress quickly picked her up and comforted her.

“Mhm, yes. My name is Niannian—the Niannian in ‘never forgetting.’” The little girl spoke with utmost seriousness.

“Where is your family? Shall I have someone take you home?” The Empress thought that if such an adorable child had gone missing, her family must be frantic with worry.

“Niannian doesn’t want to go home. Niannian wants to find Mother.” Niannian shook her head.

“Then where is your mother?” the Empress asked curiously.

“Mother went to a very, very faraway place. She didn’t take Niannian with her.” Niannian pouted unhappily.

The Empress misunderstood her words. Perhaps Niannian’s mother was no longer alive.

She couldn’t recall any noble family in the capital whose former mistress had passed away, leaving behind a daughter this young.

“Empress, Big Brother said he would take me to find Mother. Where is my mother?” Niannian tugged at the Empress’s robes, her face filled with confusion.

“Third Prince, did you tell her that there was a mother in the imperial palace?” The Empress scolded the Third Prince unhappily.

“Imperial Mother, I didn’t say anything wrong. Of course there’s a mother in the imperial palace. Aren’t you my mother?” The Third Prince seemed entirely unconcerned.

“But you can’t just abduct such a small child and bring her here!” The Empress looked at the Third Prince helplessly. She couldn’t help thinking that he had been such a well-behaved child when he was young. How had he become more and more unreliable?

“Imperial Mother, everyone else has a little sister, but I don’t. I only saw that this girl was so pretty, and I couldn’t help myself…” The Third Prince grew slightly awkward as he spoke and rubbed his nose.

He was already thinking that one of these days, he would take her to show off in front of Xu Qingshi. His little sister was much prettier than that ugly little sister of Xu Qingshi’s.

Xu Qingshi had hidden that ugly little sister extremely well, though. After all these years, the Third Prince had never even seen her.

Come to think of it, that Ugly Girl should be five years old by now. He wondered whether she had grown a little prettier.

“What nonsense are you talking about?” The Empress glared unhappily at the Third Prince, thinking that she was already getting on in years. Why would she give birth to another child?

There truly hadn’t been any children born in the imperial palace these past few years.

She was getting old, but surely that didn’t mean the Emperor was old too?

In the Imperial Study, Zhu Jingchen sneezed while reviewing memorials.

“Your Majesty, have you caught a chill?” Eunuch Li asked worriedly.

“I’m fine. Someone must be talking about me.” Zhu Jingchen waved his hand dismissively, wondering whether Xu Heming and Li Zhiwei had encountered another corrupt official somewhere.

After all, Xu Heming cursed him several times in his heart every time that happened.

Zhu Jingchen had long since grown used to it.

“Your Majesty, you must take care of your health,” Eunuch Li urged anxiously.

“I know. Come, let’s go to the Empress’s palace.” With that, Zhu Jingchen rose to his feet.

It seemed that he hadn’t dined with the Empress in quite some time.

Kunning Palace

The Empress was carefully picking food for Niannian.

Her heart had softened completely. She adored such an adorable little girl.

What a pity she didn’t know whose child Niannian was. Otherwise, she would have brought her into the palace to raise her.

“Niannian, in a little while, let your Big Brother take you out of the palace and help you find your way home, all right?” the Empress said gently.

“No. Niannian hasn’t found Mother yet. Niannian doesn’t want to go back.” Niannian shook her head.

She missed her mother. She didn’t want to go home.

“The Emperor has arrived!”

The Empress was about to say more when she saw a figure dressed in bright yellow robes walk in.

“Your Majesty.” The Empress hurriedly rose and bowed to Zhu Jingchen.

“Greetings, Imperial Father.” The Third Prince also quickly bowed to the Emperor, wondering why his father had come.

“Greetings, Imperial Uncle.” Niannian looked at Zhu Jingchen and ran over cheerfully, wrapping her arms around his leg.

She didn’t know why she was supposed to call him “your son.” She was merely copying the Third Prince.

“Oh, isn’t this my Niannian?” Zhu Jingchen hadn’t expected to see Niannian in the Empress’s palace. He happily picked her up.

“Niannian, how did you get into the palace? Did you miss your Imperial Uncle?” Zhu Jingchen asked delightedly.

He had completely forgotten that Niannian had just referred to herself as “your son.”

Zhu Jingchen had coveted this little girl for a long time.

Unfortunately, that fellow Xu Heming kept her under close guard.

He never would have thought that Xu Heming would actually be willing to let her enter the palace this time.

“Your Majesty, you know Niannian?” The Empress was just as surprised that the Emperor knew the little girl.

She wondered whose child this was. How could she be so familiar with the Emperor?

“Imperial Father, whose child is she?” the Third Prince asked curiously.

“Empress, why don’t you tell me whose child she is?” the Emperor asked with a laugh, holding Niannian in his arms as he turned to the Empress.

“Niannian, Prince An’s daughter?” The Empress looked at Niannian. Only then did she connect that familiar feeling with Li Zhiwei and Prince An.

“She is indeed Prince An’s Niannian,” Zhu Jingchen said with a smile.

“If you didn’t know whose child she was, how did she end up in your palace?” Zhu Jingchen asked the Empress, puzzled.

“The Third Prince brought her back. He said he found her on the road.” The Empress looked at the Third Prince, clearly urging him to explain himself.

The Third Prince hadn’t expected that Niannian was actually Xu Qingshi’s Ugly Little Sister.