Princess Yunyang didn't urge her. She had originally intended to give Anran some pointers. After all, as the wife of the Marquis of Pingyuan, Anran needed more than just kindness, tolerance, and generosity; she also needed to be intelligent and perceptive. Princess Yunyang picked up the famille rose teacup beside her, took a small sip, and remained unhurried.
After a while, a flash of inspiration suddenly appeared in An Ran's mind.
"Could it be that Prince Rui's former subordinates are still using old dirt to threaten the Grand Princess, and the Grand Princess is afraid of being discovered by the Emperor, so she has no choice but to obey them?" An Ran's eyes were excited, but her voice was extremely low. "And the Emperor clearly already knows; he wants to use the Grand Princess to lure out those who have been lying in wait for a long time!"
Princess Yunyang nodded approvingly.
"Good child, it's good that you know it in your heart." Princess Yunyang added, "Mingxiu must be busy these days. If you need anything, just send someone to find me."
Anran quickly thanked her.
After recounting these matters, An Ran noticed the lingering sadness on Princess Yunyang's face and guessed it was related to Jia Niang. An Ran quickly asked with concern, "Regarding Jia Niang... has Madam Wu given her any leeway?"
Princess Yunyang shook her head.
“This person has probably received guidance from a master, and is determined to make a big scene.” Princess Yunyang was not afraid of their making a scene, but she was worried about affecting Jia Niang’s reputation, which is why she was somewhat hesitant. “That Wu Shi was always good at putting on a show. She insisted that she had never abused Jia Niang or coveted the family’s wealth. On the contrary, she spent money and energy raising Jia Niang.”
Even though Princess Yunyang and Tan Lang were respectively the Empress's close confidante and a trusted minister who had served the Emperor since his time as a prince, they had to be increasingly cautious in their words and actions, lest they cause trouble for the Emperor and Empress, especially when those with ulterior motives wanted to take advantage of the situation.
Moreover, Wu's commotion was unusual; perhaps the person who guided them was one of those remnants.
Therefore, Princess Yunyang and Minister Tan dared not act rashly for the time being, and could only order people to investigate the truth while dealing with Madam Wu.
"Then Jia Niang..." To be honest, An Ran was more concerned about Jia Niang's state of mind and situation than about these grudges. "Has Wu Shi affected Jia Niang?"
Jia Niang was a delicate and sensitive child, and An Ran was afraid that these conflicts between adults would hurt her.
Princess Yunyang sighed and said, "Madam Wu did come to make trouble twice. Although I tried to get Jia Niang to avoid it, Jia Niang is a smart girl. She guessed some of it, but she didn't say anything."
Seeing that Jia Niang was becoming more and more well-behaved and sensible, and taking care of her younger siblings like an elder sister, Princess Yunyang felt even more sorry for her.
There were no complaints, no coquettishness; Jia Niang was still too precocious. Princess Yunyang was afraid that she was suppressing her feelings and might make herself sick. But Jia Niang hadn't fully opened up to her yet, so she brought her to An Ran, hoping An Ran could help ask her.
“Jia Niang is close to you, and I thought only you could help me comfort her.” Princess Yunyang’s voice betrayed her disappointment.
When Jia Niang went missing, Princess Yunyang fell seriously ill and nearly died. She had never given up searching for Jia Niang all these years, but eight years had passed; what's done is done. No matter how heartbroken she was, she couldn't bring back those eight years.
In contrast, Anran had helped Jia Niang several times, offering timely assistance and protecting her when she was in danger, even though she herself was injured in the process. As a result, Jia Niang regarded Anran as an older sister who was closer than family, and she was willing to tell her everything.
An Ran quickly comforted her and agreed.
Therefore, Princess Yunyang used the excuse of wanting to see Nian-ge'er to go out herself, and sent Jia-niang to find An-ran.
"Sister, I miss you so much!" Jia Niang saw An Ran and ran over happily to take An Ran's hand, her eyes still full of dependence. "But you don't have time to come see me, I know you're very busy..." Jia Niang's voice was a little aggrieved. She said softly, "But Mother promised to bring me to see you, so it's the same."
An Ran patted her head and said apologetically, "It's my fault, sister. There have been too many messy things these days, and I've neglected our Jia Niang."
Jia Niang shook An Ran's hand sensibly and said obediently, "It's okay, I know that you're thinking of me."
She was as considerate as ever. Anran felt sorry for her and pulled her to sit down on the soft couch, asking softly about her recent situation.
“Heng-ge’er and Yi-jie’er are both good children. They call me sister and are very close to me!” Jia-niang’s eyes shone with a gentle light when she talked about her two younger siblings. “Mother said that I should take care of the two little ones.”
Princess Yunyang probably wanted her to integrate into family life as soon as possible. Knowing that Jia Niang wouldn't be close to her for a while, she handed over two adorable, round children to Jia Niang, hoping to at least make the relationship between the sisters and siblings closer and more harmonious.
“I knew it, Jia Niang is a good child.” An Ran said gently, “You’re a big sister now, you’ll definitely be able to take good care of your younger brothers and sisters.”
Jia Niang lowered her head shyly. After a moment, she looked up, her big eyes looking at An Ran gently. She smiled and said, "Sister, Mother wants you to comfort me, right?"
An Ran was not surprised that Jia Niang would guess Princess Yunyang's intentions, and she did not intend to hide it from Jia Niang.
“That’s right, the princess is worried about you.” An Ran sighed softly and said, “You’re a smart child, so I won’t beat around the bush with you. The princess is very worried about you because of the trouble caused by Madam Wu at her residence.”
Jia Niang blinked her big eyes, which were slightly misty inside. There were some things that had been stuck in her heart for a long time, but she had no one to confide in.
“Sister, I know that Father and Mother treat me very well, even carefully, afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing and hurting me.” Jia Niang said softly, “I understand. I also want to put their minds at ease, but I can’t bring myself to call them Father and Mother.”
Anran remained silent.
Jia Niang had a very happy childhood. Her adoptive parents cherished her like a precious jewel. But suddenly, everything changed. Her home was gone, and the property left to her by her parents was taken away. She lacked love from Wu Shi and suddenly learned that her former parents were not her biological parents...
She was taken to a new home with her parents, younger brother and sister. She had been away for eight years and felt somewhat lost.
She tried her best to adapt slowly, but Wu came to cause trouble, accusing Jia Niang's adoptive parents of owing them money, and saying that they had raised Jia Niang for nothing all these years and should be held accountable. All of this made Jia Niang feel angry and furious, but there was nothing she could do.
As Jia Niang spoke, the misty fog in her eyes turned into watery tears.
“Good child, it’s not your fault.” Anran held Jia Niang in her arms and gently comforted her amidst her soft sobs, “You’ve only been back for a short time, things will get better with time.”
When she was brought back to the Marquis of Nan'an's residence, she was filled with fear and unease. But since she was now a reborn person with some experience, she could still maintain a calm demeanor to deceive people. If she had truly been a thirteen-year-old girl at the time, she would probably have been suppressed and unable to hold her head up in the Marquis's residence.
"The princess and Minister Tan are both good people, you don't need to be too nervous." Getting Jia Niang to completely let down her guard and accept them as her parents will be difficult and will take time. "You don't need to force yourself too much, just let things take their course. Otherwise, they'll feel sorry for you."
Jia Niang nodded obediently.
It was her sister's embrace that made her feel safe. Back at the banquet, her sister had held her and sheltered her behind the table; when the assassin tried to kill her, her sister had pushed her away and stepped forward herself. She had always regretted being so frightened that she had caused her sister's injury.
An Ran coaxed her for a long time before she learned that Jia Niang was still worried about her adoptive parents. She didn't want them to be falsely accused for no reason, but she was alone and powerless, and she didn't dare to ask Princess Yunyang for help.
“Jia Niang, you can try to talk to the princess more about your feelings.” An Ran looked at the fear in Jia Niang’s eyes and said softly, “The princess also wants to know what you think. Don’t be afraid. The fact that you still remember your original parents shows that you are a good child and have never forgotten the kindness of your parents.”
“I imagine the Princess and Minister Tan are very grateful to them. It is because they raised you so well that the Princess was able to meet such a well-behaved and sensible Jia Niang, right?” An Ran stroked Jia Niang’s head, her voice gentle and soothing. “You all share the same thoughts.”
After Anran finished speaking, she remained silent, allowing Jia Niang to think about it quietly.
After pondering for a long time, Jia Niang nodded vigorously and said to An Ran seriously, "Thank you, sister, I understand."
Seeing that she had taken her words to heart, Anran felt both relieved and heartbroken. But only by resolving her inner conflict sooner could Jia Niang truly be happy.