Chapter 384: Chapter 383: Dying in the Princess’s Place Is Your Honor (Part 3)

After Ah Chen left, Cui Chen said angrily, “She’s gone too far.”

“Even if she holds the identity of the Ninth Princess, she’s been eating and using our family’s resources all these years. How have we wronged her? Now that she’s gained power, she insults people like this?”

His eyes were red with anger. If Cui Yu hadn’t stopped him earlier, he would have rushed forward to curse at her.

“No wonder she’s like that. She’s not really one of the Cui Family. It’s good she’s leaving quickly, so she doesn’t continue to disrupt our peace.”

“Let’s sit down and eat.” Cui Yu said. Now that the main person wasn’t here, he didn’t stop Cui Chen from speaking, letting him vent his frustrations. Ah Chen certainly was becoming more and more outrageous. But knowing she would soon be sent to Bei Qi and wouldn’t have the chance to return, that anger gradually dissipated.

So be it. These days, just pamper her a bit and let her be satisfied. After all, Ah Chen is still his daughter. But with the Emperor present, His Majesty can’t possibly send the most beloved daughter to Bei Qi, so Ah Chen had to be sacrificed. Ah Chen would die for the Emperor, and even if this couldn’t be made public, His Majesty would remember her sacrifice and wouldn’t treat the Cui Family poorly.

So, letting her have her way a bit, what’s the harm?

If it could make her a bit happier, it would be fine.

Ning didn’t say much as she was also one of those in the know. She carried such a huge secret in her heart and had to personally send her daughter to death. Saying it was not painful would be a lie. But there was no choice; Jing’er is a Princess, and their family had the mission of protecting the Princess.

Once this matter was over, everything would get better. Ah Chen’s sacrifice would be worthwhile. Outsiders may not know, but a page in the Cui Family’s genealogy would record her contribution.

Cui Zhao thought Ah Chen was being a bit much, but he was naturally calm and steady. Since neither his father nor mother said much, and she was the Ninth Princess, he didn’t feel it was appropriate to speak up. She wouldn’t stay in the Cui Family for long, anyway. In a few days, she would return to the Capital City. He would just have to bear it for these few days. She always had this kind of temperament, and now that she had regained her noble identity, it would only become more pronounced.

Fortunately, they wouldn’t meet in the future.

Without Cui Chen—no, now she was a Princess of the imperial family and should be called Song Chen. Without Song Chen, the Cui Family would surely be a harmonious and happy place.

Cui Jing ate her meal silently, without saying a word.

Her twin sister had become the Ninth Princess, and she felt a bit conflicted inside, not knowing what to say. The other was domineering, but so what? Besides the Emperor and Consort Li, who dared to control the noble Ninth Princess?

Only, with that temperament, she wondered if the other would cause trouble back in the palace.

Forget it, it wasn’t something the daughter of a seventh-rank County Magistrate should worry about. Good or bad, it was the result of her choices. Without the esteemed Ninth Princess, her parents could have some peace, and she wouldn’t be targeted by the other regularly.

Sometimes she was really annoyed by the Ninth Princess and hoped there would be no more entanglements with their family in the future.

“It’s all cold, how can we eat?” Cui Chen said with a frown, angrily, “Since she’s regained her identity as the Ninth Princess, why hasn’t she left? She should go to the palace to enjoy her life sooner. Does she really think our Cui Family is impressed by her status?”

“Call someone to heat it up.” Ning said, immediately instructing someone to take the dishes away to be reheated. Cold dishes were indeed somewhat hard to swallow. Only, after being reheated, they weren’t as good as before. This table of dishes was prepared for the Ninth Princess’ identity; usually, the Cui Family couldn’t eat so well.

Cui Yu was not a corrupt official, not to the extent of discarding a whole table of delicious food just because they didn’t feel like eating it. The family could only make do and eat it.

Ah Chen was in a separate small courtyard at the moment. Ever since she regained her identity, the Commissioner specifically wanted to stay in this small courtyard. This small courtyard originally belonged to Cui Jing, and she actually had her own small courtyard too. They looked about the same in size at first glance, but seemingly similar was different.

But whether a small courtyard is good or not isn’t judged by size or appearance alone; it’s also about the internal furnishings, which part of the estate it belongs to, and the overall conditions combined.

Even though Cui Yu and his wife gave sufficient reasons, the difference between the two courtyards was actually quite significant.

The Commissioner only knew about the location and the various items and furnishings.

However, Ah Chen could immediately tell that there was also a significant difference in materials used. It’s understandable why the Cui Yu couple behaved that way, after all, Cui Jing was a Princess and needed to be given the best. But, his two sons were never wronged, yet the daughter was the only one wronged. The Commissioner didn’t know Cui Jing was a Princess and just felt she was inferior to Cui Jing in every way, so of course, she had to fight, fight hard.

If she hadn’t fought for herself, she feared she wouldn’t have gotten many things.

When facing people who are easy to push around and reasonable, people are used to not feeling sorry or even considering their feelings, only subconsciously thinking that person is easy to dismiss and can be easily dismissed.

Inside the room, Ah Chen looked at the fresh flowers filling several vases. Although the flowers were beautiful, she saw the Commissioner’s resentment in them. These flowers were all picked from the flower beds in the courtyard, tended to carefully by Cui Jing regularly.

Earlier, upon entering the small courtyard, there were only a few flowers blossoming in the flower beds, seemingly picked almost bare by the Commissioner.

She remembered what Cui Yu said to her before the Commissioner was granted death, “We intended to record your merits in the Cui Family genealogy, but you’ve committed so many wrongs, it’s really… sigh.”

The Commissioner only found it laughable and cursed at that time, “I wish I had never come to the Cui Family.”

By then, she had come to understand, that even if she were obedient, meek, without contention, in the end, when Bei Qi caused trouble, she would still have to die in place of the Princess.

She just wanted to say, why?

Because the Princess is high and mighty, she can randomly send someone to die in her place?

She didn’t think herself lowly. Everyone only has one life; why should the Princess live comfortably while she suffers such torment?

She was unwilling.

What glory, what benefits? She didn’t need them.

If she could, she only wanted to live well.

Why should they send her to death and keep the truth from her, watching her dance like a clown? In the end, when she wanted to resist, to seek revenge, everyone accused her of being ruthless, barbaric, arrogant, and unreasonable.

She just wanted to ask, if Cui Jing went to Bei Qi, could she come back alive?

“Your Highness is tired, do you want to rest?” the maid inside suddenly asked. Today, Your Highness hadn’t mocked the Cui family, something that was indeed a bit unusual for them.

When they first saw Your Highness, they were a bit worried, fearing she might punish people at a moment’s notice.

After a few days of interaction, they realized that although Your Highness looked fierce and had a bit of a temper, what she did was just petty mischief and didn’t make things difficult for the servants. What she instructed them to do was to damage items in this courtyard.

They had come from the palace, having seen scenes of life and death countless times.

Your Highness just had some issues with the Cui family, but treated the servants quite nicely.

“I’ll sit for a while, not resting yet. It’s still early.” Ah Chen said.

She was just thinking about how to fulfill the Commissioner’s wishes.

Replacing Cui Jing and going to Bei Qi could resolve the issues there, but it was too easy for Cui Jing.

Cui Jing had always been too well protected, maintaining that considerate image forever. They all said Cui Jing was unassuming because everything would be automatically presented to her without needing to fight for it.

Even when Bei Qi posed a threat, there were many arranging for someone to die in her place.

Cui Jing didn’t have to consider anything and could naturally remain kind and naive forever.

The other must be sent there; it was what they should endure.

Got it.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep