Chapter 1182
The Unfavored Princess 4
Having gone through so much, the client thought she wouldn't be moved, and that in the royal family, one shouldn't have any hope for family ties.
But after they were recognized as relatives, the Empress Dowager treated her extremely well.
As the Empress Dowager's own daughter, she witnessed the other party's loving motherly side and was enjoying this affection.
Thinking about it carefully, even with Liu Qiang, she had never experienced such warmth.
And then there's Emperor Yuan Cheng, who used to be indifferent to her, but this time he's her own brother. He's always gentle with her, and even indulges her.
She had never been treated with such tenderness before. Even though in her memory these two men were serious and indifferent, she still felt a glimmer of hope at this moment.
Besides, these were her blood relatives.
Their past actions are understandable; the root of it all lies in the fact that Liu Qiang switched her with another woman years ago. It's perfectly normal for them to hate Liu Qiang and her daughter. In this vortex of power, there is no right or wrong, only victory or defeat. Victory is right, defeat is wrong.
She eventually succumbed to their warmth and gradually accepted them.
Actually, her falling ill after learning the truth was part of her plan.
Since there was nothing left for her here, she saw no need to stay any longer. Even if she didn't live long, she longed for a period of time where she could be free. The old man she had helped years ago had left her a pill that could allow her to fake her death; she had originally intended to use it to escape.
Just as they were about to succeed, the Empress Dowager came to claim kinship, and the plan naturally could not continue.
She thought her suffering was over and was gradually letting go of the past, constantly convincing herself that the root of all her misery lay with Liu Qiang, and that she couldn't blame her biological mother and brother. She was already lucky to have such an ending.
All they did was to vent their anger for her.
However, she did not forget the suffering she endured at the Marquis of Guangde's residence.
Before the Empress Dowager could speak, Marquis Guangde took the initiative to bring Jiang Lijun into the palace.
Jiang Lijun's face was bruised and swollen; he had clearly been beaten.
Marquis Guangde looked disappointed and said that he had been on the border for many years and never expected such a thing to happen. He scolded Jiang Lijun for being careless and failing to take good care of the princess, which caused her to fall ill. He had already given him a lesson and now handed the matter over to the Empress Dowager.
Both sides were actually aware of many of these things.
Due to various interests at stake, the Empress Dowager could not possibly have actually punished the only son of the Marquis of Guangde; in fact, she tacitly approved many of the things she did.
In her opinion, now that she has backing him up, the Guangde Marquis's family will definitely treat the client well. Changing to a different consort might not be so good.
Therefore, she did not choose to investigate further, but simply told Jiang Lijun to be more careful in the future and to treat clients better.
Hearing this finally brought the client, who was immersed in warmth, back to reality.
She's in the royal family. So what if the Empress Dowager dotes on her and her brother, the Emperor, indulges her?
They made this decision without even asking her, which suggests that there were too many issues involved, and they didn't want to break ties with Marquis Guangde.
However, she had no desire to live with Jiang Lijun anymore.
She didn't initially expect Jiang Lijun to be severely punished, but she understood the implications.
But now that she's become the so-called most noble and favored princess, she still doesn't even have a free person.
Is this really pampering?
Her passionate heart cooled instantly.
But she was still unwilling to give up, or rather, she still held onto a sliver of hope.
She didn't demand severe punishment for Jiang Lijun; she just wanted to divorce him. Yes, divorce him.
Everyone knows that Jiang Lijun deliberately mistreated her, and the princess's decision to divorce him was not excessive at all.
After the Marquis of Guangde and his entourage left, the client expressed her thoughts, but the Empress Dowager and the Emperor remained silent. The Empress Dowager spoke to her gently as always, saying that Jiang Lijun would not dare to bully her again, and that a different consort might not be as good as Jiang Lijun.
Clearly, this is an excuse.
She might be more receptive if the Empress Dowager told her the truth directly.
Didn't you say you loved her? Why lie? And even pretend it was for her own good?
Fortunately, she had grown accustomed to having no one to rely on, and to the indifference of the Empress Dowager and the Emperor. The transition from hope to despair was short, and she could accept it.
But she still didn't want to continue living with Jiang Lijun. Even if she couldn't divorce him, she wanted a divorce.
However, when she proposed a divorce, the Empress Dowager still acted as if it was for her own good, holding her hand and saying that there was no rush, and she could take her time to consider it and see. During this period, she did not want to return to the Guangde Marquis's residence, so she stayed in the palace. Once her residence was completed, she could go there to live.
The client, however, was not one to procrastinate. Since the Empress Dowager wouldn't listen, she decided to talk to Jiang Lijun.
She knew there was something fishy going on between Jiang Lijun and Li Gufang.
Even in front of her, Jiang Lijun didn't hide much.
She encountered Li Gufang quite often at the Marquis of Guangde's residence. When facing her, he wasn't as arrogant as she had imagined; in fact, he was quite polite, and occasionally, he would greet her with a smile.
Therefore, there was no conflict between her and Li Gufang.
She never even considered Li Gufang as an enemy.
But she knew that Jiang Lijun cared deeply for Li Gufang, more than he usually did, though she didn't know the specific reasons. Given her current status, if she proposed a divorce, Jiang Lijun would definitely agree, because he had Li Gufang as his Achilles' heel.
He could have the protection of the Marquis of Guangde, but Li Gufang could not; their relationship could not be made public.
Even if she didn't really intend to harm Li Gufang, Jiang Lijun would still be wary.
She succeeded. Jiang Lijun agreed to the matter, went to the Empress Dowager to apologize, saying that he was not worthy of the princess and requested to step down. Of course, on the surface, it was still a divorce.
After the client gained the freedom she desired, her feelings for her family cooled, and she stopped caring about the matter, the Empress Dowager and the Emperor became dissatisfied with her.
She knew that if things continued like this, even if they had once cared about her, they would only become colder and colder towards her.
But she doesn't care.
Anyway, she's not going to live long, so what hardship could compare to the suffering she's already endured? She has nothing to be afraid of anymore.
Just when she thought she could finally live a peaceful life, the Liang Kingdom took the initiative to provoke conflict, and the situation suddenly became tense.
In reality, the two countries have never been at peace and have always had friction. Whenever there is an opportunity, the Liang Kingdom will find a way to provoke them.
This time, Marquis Guangde led the expedition as the commander-in-chief and also brought Jiang Lijun with him.
Jiang Lijun knew that because of the princess's matter, the Empress Dowager and the Emperor were definitely dissatisfied with the Guangde Marquis's Mansion. Even if they had indulged him in the past, how could the Emperor and the Empress Dowager be wrong?
If this battle can be successfully navigated, it will be beneficial to the Marquis of Guangde's household.
Among the people Jiang Lijun brought was Li Gufang.
The fact that Marquis Guangde tolerated Jiang Lijun bringing Li Gufang along shows that Li Gufang has demonstrated intelligence and wisdom, and may have unexpected benefits.
The client was ignorant of the war.
Having experienced the internal strife of the Great Wilderness tribes, she understood the bitterness of displacement and naturally hoped that the Chu Kingdom would prevail. (End of Chapter)