Huh? The Tyrant Cries After My Inner Thoughts Were Exposed!-Chapter 184: Support Me as Crown Princess

Ah Juan didn’t have many Jade Pendants, but the one that was half, and passed through Lin Xizhi’s hands, was that single piece.

Back when at the Liu Family, Lin Xizhi had given it to her. Miaoqing saw it, and remembering a piece like that wasn’t strange, but why would she want to borrow it?

It wasn’t an ordinary Jade Pendant...

Seeing Ah Juan’s reaction, Liu Miaoying worried she was making things difficult, so she said, "If there’s any difficulty, it’s okay not to lend it."

Ah Juan smiled at her and tentatively asked, "It’s not that there’s any difficulty, but why did you think of borrowing that Jade Pendant of mine?"

Liu Miaoying immediately recalled what her father said last night.

"It was my father. He’s looking for a Jade Pendant that looks especially like yours, so he said he wanted to borrow your Jade Pendant to have a look, and said it’s best not to alarm others about this matter."

As she spoke, she glanced around.

Ah Juan was slightly stunned, "Your father already knows the Jade Pendant is with me?"

"Yes." Liu Miaoying nodded, then asked, "Is this Jade Pendant very important? Why do you all seem so tense about it?"

Ah Juan grabbed Liu Miaoying’s hand and led her to her carriage, "This isn’t a place to talk; let’s go somewhere else."

Liu Miaoying felt an inexplicable tension in her heart, vaguely sensing that she was about to encounter something extraordinary, particularly due to Ah Juan’s reaction, reminiscent of her father’s reaction last night.

Upon reaching the Duke Mansion, Ah Juan pulled Liu Miaoying straight into the courtyard, also instructing Dongdong to keep watch at the door, preventing anyone from approaching.

...

Inside the room, a brazier was burning, and Ah Juan took out the half Jade Pendant from the hidden compartment of a jewelry box in the inner room, placing it before Liu Miaoying, "Is it this piece you want to see?" 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Liu Miaoying didn’t avoid Ah Juan, and smoothly pulled out the drawing her father had slipped her last night from her sleeve. Upon unfolding it, the pattern on the drawing was the reverse of the Jade Pendant in front of her; it could fit together to form a complete piece.

Ah Juan looked at it, and seeing that even the pattern existed, it seemed the Chief Secretary was indeed searching for the lost little princess of the past.

She poured a cup of hot tea, and while sipping, she stared at Liu Miaoying, contemplating over the journey back to the Capital about how to reveal her identity to Duke Ping without appearing deliberate. Now, it seemed borrowing the hand of the Liu family would be more appropriate.

Liu Miaoying placed the Jade Pendant back on the table, nodding, "It should be this one. I’ll only borrow it for two days at most and certainly return it to you."

Ah Juan pressed her lips and lowered her eyes, smiling, "No hurry. Do you know why Mr. Liu is looking for this Jade Pendant?"

Liu Miaoying was silent for a moment, "My father said a friend of his is investigating something and said this Jade Pendant is the only clue."

She thought, since borrowing, there was no need to hide it from Ah Juan.

Ah Juan stroked the teacup with her fingertip, [listening to Miaoying’s words, it seemed the Chief Secretary hadn’t told her about any related matters.]

[Indeed, without confirmation, how can it be discussed.]

Liu Miaoying was slightly stunned, "This Jade Pendant... is it very important?"

Ah Juan said with a serious tone, "You must think carefully. Once you hand this Jade Pendant to Mr. Liu, another storm will rise in the Capital, and it might drag your Liu Family into it as well."

Hearing this, Liu Miaoying was puzzled, "Could you explain a bit more clearly?"

She could discern the quality of the Jade Pendant, indicating that its owner was either wealthy or noble, but hearing Ah Juan’s words, it seemed something significant was concealed within.

Ah Juan put down her teacup, poured another cup of hot tea for Liu Miaoying, and asked her, "Do you know that the current Emperor and Empress aren’t without children?"

Liu Miaoying’s pupils slightly contracted as she looked at Ah Juan, "I’ve heard some things but don’t know if they’re true."

"Rumor has it, decades ago, the Empress gave birth to a daughter, raising the Princess outside the palace for health. Due to Mrs. Tao’s jealousy, an assassination was attempted, causing the Princess’s untimely demise. Thus, His Majesty became furious, and the Tao Family declined, with no one holding office to this day."

Ah Juan’s lips curled slightly, "The birth of a daughter is true, Mrs. Tao’s assassination is true, but the early demise of the Princess is false."

Liu Miaoying suddenly gripped the teacup; Ah Juan wouldn’t bring this up for no reason, could it be that the Princess is related to this Jade Pendant, and her father is searching for her whereabouts on behalf of His Majesty?

She suddenly looked towards Ah Juan, the Jade Pendant was with Ah Juan, could it be... impossible, if the Princess were still alive, given the timeline, she would be in her thirties, almost forty now, but Ah Juan is so young.

Unless...

Ah Juan placed another Jade Token on the table, given to her by the Empress a few years ago, "This is the Jade Pendant the Empress gave me, she said it was her keepsake, with which I could freely enter and exit the Imperial Palace. The pattern on the Jade Token matches the Jade Pendant."

At this moment, Liu Miaoying’s mind was in chaos, filled with a tangle of unresolved matters.

Her father, the Jade Pendant, Ah Juan, the Jade Pendant, the Empress, Duke Ping, Xie Xun, all these pointed her thoughts towards a singular truth, but it was too bold, she didn’t dare to think it.

Ah Juan was just Ah Juan, how could she be...

She drank several cups of hot tea, trying to calm herself and think clearly.

Ah Juan simply kept pouring one cup of tea after another, giving her time to calm down and think carefully.

After nearly half an incense stick’s time, Liu Miaoying finally calmed down, "So, Lord let you stay here and the Empress is so fond of you."

No wonder she always found it strange that despite how much Duke Ping liked Ah Juan, allowing her to stay at the Duke Mansion all the time, wasn’t he afraid of others criticizing?

The Empress liked Ah Juan, but the affection was too much, not like ordinary fondness.

Originally, she found it strange that during the journey to Xu State, Xie Xun, despite having no official position, followed, always staying close to Ah Juan, and rushed to shield Ah Juan when encountering refugees and ruffians... Even if Xie Xun was warm-hearted, was there a need to be so cautious?

If Ah Juan were the Empress’s bloodline, then all this would make sense.

Ah Juan slightly furrowed her brows, she hadn’t thought about the Empress’s matters, if Duke Ping had long discovered, did that mean the Empress had known as well?

Previously, although the Empress treated her well, there was always a degree, but even she didn’t notice that at some point, that kind of affection changed in nature, now it seemed more like indulgence and doting.

She picked up the Jade Pendant from the table, spread Liu Miaoying’s hand, and placed it in her hand, "If you had met my birth mother, you would find her appearance is very similar to His Majesty and the Empress."

Liu Miaoying didn’t speak, just looked at Ah Juan, actually without meeting Ah Juan’s birth mother, carefully looking, Ah Juan’s appearance indeed bore a striking resemblance to the Emperor and Empress.

At this moment, she only felt the Jade Pendant in her hand was overwhelmingly heavy; it was no longer an ordinary Jade Pendant. She finally understood the meaning behind Ah Juan’s words earlier.

Currently, the court was at a stalemate between Prince Jing and Prince Han; His Majesty had yet to appoint an Imperial Brother while secretly searching for the Jade Pendant, surely seeking the Princess’s whereabouts. If at this time, Ah Juan restored her identity as a royal female, what would follow was self-evident.

She tightly gripped the Jade Pendant, not believing Ah Juan was merely telling her about the Jade Pendant, her tone slightly heavy, "Ah Juan, what do you want me to do?"

Ah Juan felt relieved immediately, speaking with a smart person was straightforward. Looking at Liu Miaoying in front of her, she softly said, "I want to use the hand of your father, Mr. Liu, to restore my identity, change my surname to Song, and enter the Imperial Family Genealogy."

Liu Miaoying’s expression remained taut, "Is that all?"

Ah Juan’s red lips parted slightly, her voice was cold, "On the day of establishing an heir, support me to become the Crown Princess."