The Grand Secretary’s Pampered Wife

Special Thanks to these patrons for their support!

S T E L L A R C L O U D

[Celeste S.] [Christine G.-L.]

O R A N G E S T A R

[Fazzienaz] [K.Rom] [Reece P.] [Suong D.] [Ziana K.-P.]

Y E L L O W S T A R

[Chlaudette P.] [Gwyneth T.] [Manon] [Passerby] [Xena]

G O L D S T A R

[Lord_Wolve] [Nanashi D. Y.] [Nevy] [Roxanne C.]

R A I N B O W S T A R

[Allie] [BritnaeM] [Debra W] [Kiiayame] [Peggy F.]

T H E S U N

[Ava C.] [Caroline] [Galetron] [Kaylee3150] [kuroneko_chan] [Lily J.]

[Malinkat] [Michelle K.] [onepiece] [Scorpion Princess] [Smurfinbatik] [Sophia W.]

Also, many thanks to everyone who bought me coffee (*≧∀≦*)

Lianʼer brought a cloth and wiped away the water stains on the table. ”Princess, these past few days, you seem unsettled. Did something happen?”

”Nothing, itʼs fine.” Princess Ningʼan said.

The Bixia Palace was well protected by the Emperor, and Lianʼer hadnʼt heard any chaotic rumors from outside. She only thought her mistress was troubled because of Huangfu Xian.

She consoled, ”Donʼt worry about the young master. Heʼs just throwing a little tantrum. When he grows up a bit more, heʼll understand and be more respectful towards the princess.”

Princess Ningʼan said, ”Lianʼer, if one day you were taken away, would you betray me?”

Lianʼer solemnly replied, ”Of course not! Lianʼerʼs life was saved by the princess. Without the princess, there would be no Lianʼer. Lianʼer will never betray the princess!”

”Yes, your life is mine. How could you betray me?” Princess Ningʼan regained her usual composure and smiled, ”Go to the small kitchen and see how the soup for the Empress Dowager is coming along.”

Lianʼer went to the small kitchen and returned with a food box in her hand, ”Itʼs ready.”

Princess Ningʼan took the food box and went to Renshou Palace.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Heng was also there.

Princess Ningʼan looked at Xiao Heng in the study of Empress Dowager Zhuang.

Empress Dowager Zhuang said, ”He is the Liulang Aijia mentioned to you before. You havenʼt met yet, right?”

Princess Ningʼan was stupefied for a moment, then smiled faintly, ”Ah, yes, we havenʼt met.”

Xiao Heng stood up, bowed slightly, and greeted, ”Princess Ningʼan.”

Princess Ningʼan nodded in acknowledgment.

Empress Dowager Zhuang sighed to Princess Ningʼan, ”Didnʼt Aijia tell you not to cook anymore?”

Princess Ningʼan smiled as she brought the food box over and placed it on the table, ”This is the soup cooked by the cook from the Bixia Palace.”

Empress Dowager Zhuang signaled for Eunuch Qin to take it over.

”Let me do it.” Eunuch Qin took the food box from Princess Ningʼan and brought out the soup.

Princess Ningʼan smiled, ”Then, Iʼll take my leave. Iʼll come to pay my respects to imperial mother again tomorrow.”

After Princess Ningʼan stepped out of the study, she heard Empress Dowager Zhuang say to Xiao Heng, ”Continue speaking.”

Xiao Heng responded, ”Thatʼs all, those are the rumors circulating among the common people.”

Empress Dowager Zhuang said, ”To quell the rumors, we need the witness to speak. Is the witness awake?”

Xiao Heng replied, ”Sheʼs awake.”

Empress Dowager Zhuang asked, ”Didnʼt she suffer from the Seven-Days Drunken? How did she wake up so quickly?”

Xiao Heng answered, ”JiaoJiao had an antidote in her hands. She woke up in the morning but could only speak in the afternoon.”

Empress Dowager Zhuang inquired, ”Did she reveal the mastermind behind it?”

Xiao Heng shook his head, ”Not yet, she refuses to say.”

”Have you used torture?”

”We have. Weʼve used all the tortures available, but her lips remain tightly sealed.”

Empress Dowager Zhuang snorted, ”If the hard methods donʼt work, then use the soft ones. If the soft ones fail, use deceit. I donʼt believe that everyone in the Heavenly Music House is stubborn. Go and bribe someone, make her poison Hua Xiyao under the guise of visiting, saying itʼs a snack given to her by that Young Owner. Hua Xiyao wonʼt fail to understand.”

”Princess, your handkerchief...” In the courtyard, a young palace maid spoke to the absent-minded Princess Ningʼan.

Princess Ningʼan lowered her gaze to the torn handkerchief in her hand and smiled gently, ”It got scratched by a branch. Iʼm just thinking about how to fix it.”

After Princess Ningʼan left the courtyard, Xiao Heng completely pushed open the window that had a small crack, which was barely noticeable unless one looked closely.

He watched her disappear at the entrance of Renshou Palace, softly saying, ”Thank you, Grandaunt.”

Princess Ningʼan didnʼt immediately return to the Bixia Palace after leaving the Renshou Palace; instead, she went to the imperial study.

”Ningʼan, come and sit.” The Emperor put down the memorandum in his hand. After not holding court for many days, there was a pile of official business accumulated. Added to that was the investigation into the murder case involving Ningʼan and others and the Heavenly Music House, which left him quite overwhelmed.

Princess Ningʼan approached the Emperor.

Eunuch Wei brought a small stool and placed it beside the Emperor.

Princess Ningʼan sat down gracefully, looking at the Emperor gently. ”Am I disturbing imperial brother?”

The Emperor smiled, ”No, please sit. Zhen has said you can come whenever you want. You will never be a disturbance to Zhen.”

Princess Ningʼan remembered, ”I recall that when we were children, imperial brother often said the same. As an imperial prince, imperial brother had heavy studies. Every time I went to find imperial brother, he was always studying.”

The Emperor sighed with emotion, ”Zhen was not favored by imperial father. If Zhen didn’t strive to impress him with studies, Zhen feared that imperial father would forget that he had this son.”

Princess Ningʼan turned to him, full of admiration. ”But ultimately, imperial brother stabilized the throne.”

”That was thanks to imperial mother.” Mentioning Empress Dowager Zhuang, the Emperor felt a pang of emotion. ”You probably don’t know, during the years you were away, Zhen and imperial mother went through a lot.”

Though the Emperor despised Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing, he couldnʼt bear to see Ningʼan hurt, so he didnʼt disclose the crimes instigated by Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing against Empress Dowager Zhuang. But now, brought up suddenly, he couldnʼt help but talk about it.

”... Zhen was drugged, causing Zhen to be estranged from imperial mother, and as a result, Zhen did many things that hurt her. Looking back now, imperial mother helped Zhen ascend to the throne, and yet Zhen treated her like this... She must have been very sad.”

Princess Ningʼan said softly, ”Now that misunderstandings have been cleared, imperial brother shouldnʼt blame himself for the past.”

The Emperor felt ashamed, ”Zhen always blamed imperial mother for meddling in state affairs, but if not for that, the country might have fallen into the hands of Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing and the remnants of the previous dynasty long ago.”

Princess Ningʼan lowered her head.

The Emperor said earnestly, ”Ningʼan, that woman is not worthy of being your mother. You should only have imperial mother in your heart; she is the one who truly loves and protects you.”

Princess Ningʼan smiled, ”Ningʼan knows, Ningʼan will be filial to imperial mother, and also to imperial brother.”

The Emperor smiled with relief.

Princess Ningʼanʼs gaze shifted, ”By the way, imperial brother, I saw Lord Xiao in imperial motherʼs palace just now.”

The Emperor thought for a moment, ”Liulang?”

There werenʼt many male outsiders allowed into Empress Dowager Zhuangʼs chamber, and the only one surnamed Xiao was Xiao Liulang.

Princess Ningʼan nodded, ”Yes, imperial mother calls him Liulang. It seems Lord Xiao also came for the Ministry of Justiceʼs case, but I didnʼt catch what he specifically said.”

The Emperor recalled, ”Indeed, there was such a thing. He also came to the imperial study earlier and said that the suspect from the Heavenly Music House case had awakened.”

”Is really awake?” Princess Ningʼan asked.

”Hmm?” The Emperor looked at Princess Ningʼan strangely.

”This matter concerns the reputation of the imperial family, so I’m paying special attention to it. I hope I havenʼt overstepped?”

The Emperor chuckled, ”How could you?”

”Thatʼs good then.” Ningʼan smiled with relief. ”From the dossier, it seems she was drugged with something called Seven-Days Drunken, which supposedly causes a person to be in a coma for seven days.”

At the mention of this, the Emperor laughed, ”With our little miracle physician around, none of these are difficult.”

Princess Ningʼan glanced at the memorandums on the table and asked casually, ”Has she confessed?”

The Emperor said, ”Sheʼs still being interrogated.”

Princess Ningʼan tapped her nose lightly with a handkerchief, ”Imperial brother, should we have someone go check on her?”

The Emperor pondered for a moment before saying, ”Thatʼs a good idea.”

This time, the Emperor sent Eunuch He.

Eunuch He had never been exposed before Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing, but the Emperor didnʼt avoid mentioning him in front of Princess Ningʼan. Perhaps it was because Ningʼan had suffered hardships on the border, which increased his trust and affection for her.

Eunuch He returned quickly while Princess Ningʼan was still in the imperial study.

He reported, ”Reporting back to Your Majesty, the suspect named Hua Xiyao has indeed awakened. Minister Xing personally interrogated her, but she refuses to say anything and doesnʼt eat or drink. It seems she intends to starve herself to death.”

”Does the Heavenly Music House know sheʼs awake?”

It was Princess Ningʼan who asked that question.

She seemed to be showing particular interest in the case.

Raz P.ʼs Thoughts

To read advance GSPW chapters! Updates 7x a week (daily).

You can read up to 30 advance chapters in our patreon so you should go check it out. ^^

No patreon but want to support us? Then,

OR if you canʼt support us in money, you can always support us emotionally -just hope into . Hehehe~