Chapter 904: A Million Times for You (266)
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
An Xiaoning had vanished without a trace by the time Granny Sun crawled up.
At this moment, An Xiaoning was loitering around a lake.
She stood by the lake and stared at her reflection in the water.
She was very young, and her features had yet to completely develop.
However, the collagen in her face was still visible and she looked extremely radiant and youthful.
At this very moment, Xiang Li hurriedly called her name and scurried toward her. “Hua Jin, what are you doing here? Granny Sun is ordering the guards to nab you right now. How did you have the audacity to hit Granny Sun? She’s the Princess Consort’s nanny. Are you out of your mind?”
“I’ve already hit her anyway. Where’s His Highness?” said An Xiaoning, not showing a tinge of fear at all.
Dumbfounded, Xiang Li said, “Hua Jin, His Highness is not going to defend you.”
“I’m not thinking of having him defend me. I’m asking you, where is he?”
Was the prince Jin Qingyan or not?
That was what she wanted to know.
“The Princess Consort has already been alarmed about you hitting Granny Sun. She and His Highness are both waiting for Granny Sun to catch you for punishment. You were beaten up so badly the previous time, I reckon the Princess Consort is going to beat you to your death this time,” Xiang Li said anxiously.
“Is His Highness Xi Houling?”
Covering her mouth in astonishment, Xiang Li exclaimed, “You must be out of your mind! How could you dare to spell out His Highness’ full name? Do you really not want to live anymore?”
An Xiaoning chuckled mysteriously and said, “Don’t worry, I won’t die. Bring me there, I’m going right now.”
Xiang Li’s jaw dropped, and her eyes widened in shock. How could she still laugh when she was on the brink of death?
Of course, she had no idea what An Xiaoning was thinking.
In our previous lifetime, Jin Qingyan had been waiting to see me even after his death. How could I possibly die so easily in the palace…
An Xiaoning headed straight to where he was.
Along the way, she was cursing and swearing at him in her head. How dare he marry another woman? Men may have been allowed to have a few wives millenniums ago, but…
She wished she could pinch him to death.
An Xiaoning sent herself into the lion’s den while Xiang Li led the way.
Granny Sun flew into a rage upon the sight of An Xiaoning sauntering in.
“Princess Consort, that wretched la.s.s is here!” she exclaimed angrily.
Anxiety was written all over Xiang Li’s face as she held her breath and stood by the side quietly.
An Xiaoning continued to walk toward them, keeping her eyes fixed on the man approaching. She did not even bother taking a look at what the Princess Consort looked like.
She had once seen him inside the coffin in the cave on Mount Yihua. She could not help but feel shocked and surprised to see him again.
He was wearing a long, white robe that revealed a collar near the rims and had his jet-black hair draped around his shoulders, a band holding it loosely in place. He had a tall and slender frame and was standing gracefully.
He was still as handsome as ever, and An Xiaoning could not tell the emotions hidden beneath his long, narrow eyes. His gorgeous lips were pressed gently together, and he appeared calm and composed.
An Xiaoning could not get used to the way he was looking at her at this very moment.
However, her foul mood was instantly lifted.
“Outrageous! Not only did you not kneel when you saw His Highness and the Princess Consort, you even have the audacity to stare at His Highness that way!” Granny Sun hollered haughtily, feeling much more confident now that she had the support of her masters.
She raised her hand and tried to slap An Xiaoning, who quickly grabbed her wrist to stop her.
An Xiaoning grabbed her wrist with her slender hand and retorted, “You were the one who hit me first, that’s why I retaliated. I have parents too, how could you hit me like that?”
Granny Sun’s anger knew no limits. She looked at the Princess Consort, who had been remaining quiet, and said, “Princess Consort, this la.s.s is getting more and more brazen. Seems like we didn’t punish her severely enough the previous time.”
For the very first time, An Xiaoning looked at the woman standing beside Jin Qingyan.
Her face was small and oval-shaped, and she had a pair of beautiful eyes paired with a b.u.t.ton nose and small lips.
She was wearing a long, pink dress that hung perfectly on her slender frame, and she had one hand on her tiny waist.
The beautiful princess consort had a sullen expression on her face, and she did not try and hide the anger and displeasure in her eyes at all.
An Xiaoning looked her in the eye fearlessly and watched as she yelled, “You’ve committed a mistake time and time again. Don’t blame me for refusing to give you any more chances. Bring her out to be executed!”
Happiness was written all over Granny Sun’s face, though she soon contained her joy due to the fact that Xi Houling was present as well.
An Xiaoning thought that Jin Qingyan would try and stop her. To her astonishment, he did not!
He really did not!
This does not fit the description of his incarnate form his previous lifetime!
He remained still and composed while watching her get dragged away.
He did not move an inch at all.
Realizing that she was about to be dragged out of the door, An Xiaoning yelled, “Brother Ling!”
An Xiaoning had yelled his name involuntarily.
She, too, was dumbfounded when she heard herself.
Indeed, history wouldn’t change according to the way she felt now.
Everything had already been set in stone centuries ago, and the events in her dream would play out accordingly.
“Hold up. Bring her here,” said Jin Qingyan.
Hence, An Xiaoning was brought back inside.
She had initially planned to retaliate if she were to be pinned onto a bench and receive a beating.
Anger and disgruntlement was written all over the Princess Consort’s face.
An Xiaoning thought that he called her back to save her and spare her from execution.
However, she was again astounded.
He c.o.c.ked his head toward the side to look at his princess consort and said leisurely, “We would be too kind to her by beating her to death. How about I have her tongue cut off first, milady?”
“Good idea, Your Highness. Such a shameless maid like her deserves more pain than death. Bring her away and do as His Highness instructed.”
An Xiaoning was flabbergasted upon hearing their conversation.
She could not believe that Jin Qingyan had said that.
The people dragging her away this time were no longer ordinary servants and, instead, were Jin Qingyan’s top bodyguards. An Xiaoning tried to struggle, but she was obviously no match for the skilled bodyguards.
An Xiaoning had met those bodyguards before in Mount Yihua. They were the spirits who were guarding the coffin inside the cave.
An Xiaoning was thus taken away.
There were no knives present for her tongue to be cut off, however.
Although it was a punishment chamber, the men did not touch her at all when they were inside. Instead, one of them said in a mellow voice, “Miss Jin, you were too reckless. How could you address His Highness that way in front of the Princess Consort? His Highness is now put in a spot. I’m sure you know how powerful and authoritative the Princess Consort is. His Highness instructed us to send you out secretly to a safe place for a few days, yet you couldn’t hold yourself back.”
An Xiaoning had a moment of epiphany and immediately said, “I really thought he would cut my tongue off and kill me…”
“Why would he… Miss Jin, please cooperate with us and let out a loud shriek. We’ll be placing a metal sheet beneath your clothes and pretend to punish you.”
“Alright…”
The bunch of people who were waiting to see a good show began gossiping and remarking incessantly the moment they heard the shrieks of agony coming from inside.