Chapter 39: Chapter 35: Dame!

The Yunyi Country is not a country with slavery, it doesn’t have slave marks, but it does have sin marks.

Sin marks are similar in meaning to slave marks, but while slave marks are used to distinguish slaves, sin marks are used to distinguish criminals.

Anyone branded with a sin mark is not permitted to hold any official or noble title. Even if they marry into nobility, their status remains at the lowest level, even lower than the maids in the household.

In other words, as long as Yin Ling is branded with a sin mark, no matter how much the Duke favors her, she won’t have the right to command any servant.

In a strict sense, anyone in the Duke Mansion could order her around.

“No, no! Empress! Spare me! Princess!! I won’t dare anymore!!!”

“How insolent! In front of the Empress and the Princess, a mere concubine dares to call herself ’I’!”

The nanny beside the Empress rushed up again and gave Yin Ling a few slaps, making Yin Ling’s face visibly swell.

Shen Jingxian couldn’t help but sigh, indeed, nannies are the most formidable fighters in the Imperial Palace.

Little kids shouldn’t learn this, after all, hitting people is not good, but if it’s hitting mistresses or green tea girls, she’s okay with it.

Let the old lady’s… old mother’s old nanny wake you up, you shameless bad thing!

Yin Ling was dragged away.

Throughout Yin Ling’s punishment, Song Yun didn’t make a sound, obediently kneeling there, as if the one being punished wasn’t her biological mother, but someone else.

The Empress looked at Song Yun and frowned, pondering how to deal with Song Yun appropriately, accounting with children wasn’t her style; she usually disciplined the adults directly.

“That woman earlier, is she your mother?”

The Empress originally asked casually, but who knew Song Yun would immediately deny it, “She is not Yun’er’s mother; Yun’er’s mother is the lady of the Duke Mansion.”

Shen Jingxian: ?

Goodness, goodness, such filial duty amazes me.

Song Yun is a concubine-born daughter of the Duke Mansion, so naturally, she should call the main wife of the Duke Mansion the mother. This is quite normal in regular times, but saying it here clearly carries another intent.

She’s using the Duke Mansion to deliberately separate herself from Yin Ling.

A child of such age is already learning to use her biological mother.

The Empress frowned. Looking at Song Yun, this child made her displeased.

Thinking of the situation reported earlier, the Empress had already made up her mind.

“This palace has heard that for a Myriad Child Lotus to bloom well, it must be watered with tears daily; among these, the tears of a maiden are best.”

“The Song family girl cries a lot; this palace thinks that by leaving the care of this flower to you, it will surely bloom well.”

Shen Jingxian nodded repeatedly upon hearing this. Listen, what dignity of an Empress, the way of speaking twists a sentence like ’I’m going to punish you to tears’ into a high-class question like ’My flower needs your tears, can you take care of it?’

Shen Jingxian decided to learn well from the Empress and strive to form high-class questions early.

Ah, no, it’s to be able to craft high-class questions.

The Empress added, “Little girl of the Song family, if you take care of this Myriad Child Lotus for a month, this palace shall let you return to the Duke Mansion, how about it?”

Song Yun had her head bowed, hiding her expression, but there wasn’t a hint of reluctance in her voice; she replied softly, “Yes, Empress.”

“Nanny Zhang, make sure the little Miss Song cries enough tears for the Myriad Child Lotus every day. During this month, even if Song Runzhi comes, he must not take this little girl away.”

“Yes!”

Song Runzhi is the father of the heroine Song Yan, who in the original text was a powerhouse Duke earlier on, causing the heroine much suffering.

But why does it feel like the name of this early-stage boss, when said by the Empress, sounds like a summoned pet that comes and goes at a whim?

Shen Jingxian started to daydream again.

The Empress looked at the Little Princess nestled absentmindedly in her arms and sighed, “My Yi Fen, such a little fool, how could you be schemed against by such a person in the Imperial College?”

Shen Jingxian responded with casual agreement, well, if you put it that way, I can’t help it, I’m just a little fool… just kidding, I’m a big fool.

After watching a grand drama, Shen Jingxian was then hugged by the Empress and taken to play.

The Emperor, seeing that the Empress’s anger mostly dissipated, eagerly tagged along.

Ultimately, Yin Ling was not branded with the sin mark.

Song Runzhi exchanged his hereditary title to save Yin Ling by entering the palace.

If it weren’t considering that this Duke Song still had a legitimate wife, Shen Jingxian almost believed in love again.

The Emperor, retrieving a Duke title, found it of little use and casually drafted a Holy Decree to confer the title onto the Princess.

The idea was made casually, and the Holy Decree was indeed drafted casually, according to the Empress and the Emperor, anything in the world could be given to their precious daughter, let alone a mere title.

But Shen Jingxian adamantly refused to accept it.

It’s a joke, what is this, the heroine’s father’s title.

What did her father do with this title in the original text? Of course, he persecuted the heroine.

And what did her father do in the original text with the Princess status? Of course, persecuted the heroine.

So what happens if she possesses both a Princess status and a Duke title? Of course, persecution times two on the heroine.

And what happens after persecuting the heroine? You die~

Thinking she has unraveled the plot’s conspiracy, Shen Jingxian adamantly refused, her frail body couldn’t bear the fate of two cannon fodders, the fish cried, the water knew it, she cried… the Empress knew it.

Finally, with the Empress’s decision, the Duke title was given to Shen Jingxian as a gift, to be given to anyone she liked.

What the Emperor said: Here’s the title, Yi Fen, you take it to play; if you don’t like it later, give it to whomever you want!

What Shen Jingxian heard: Here is the cannon fodder death buff, you hold it for now, later find a chance to see who’s suitable and pass it on.

Shen Jingxian is a kind person; she couldn’t allow anyone to bear the fate of cannon fodder, including herself!!

After careful consideration, Shen Jingxian decided to give the title to the heroine.

Who can defeat the cannon fodder? The heroine.

We must use magic to defeat magic!

But when Shen Jingxian thought of Song Yan’s character, she knew if she directly threw the title at her, Song Yan would surely be wary and wouldn’t accept it.

She needed to think of a way to unobtrusively send this hot potato title away.

Shen Jingxian wanted someone to discuss this with, glanced at Shi Wang who was smiling elegantly but actually is quite the fool, then turned her gaze away.

Shi Wang wouldn’t work.

Wen Ranchen would! The male lead has always been dependable!

Shen Jingxian immediately went to find Wen Ranchen, who was sitting at a desk caressing the words on a book at that moment.

Upon hearing footsteps, Wen Ranchen precisely looked towards Shen Jingxian and flashed a big smile, which made Shen Jingxian’s heart tremble involuntarily.

This little kid, how did he grow up to be so handsome, could this be a special attraction of the male lead towards the cannon fodder female partner? Shen Jingxian, wake up, he’s a child!!

“Your Highness, don’t run too fast, walk slowly.”

Upon hearing this, Shen Jingxian didn’t know why but slowed her pace down, starting to walk slowly.

Really strange.

She leaned beside Wen Ranchen, as usual, to play with his things. Wen Ranchen knew what the Little Princess was doing but never stopped her, as if to say to the Princess, all my things are yours.

“Brother Chen, I want to give someone something, but if I give it directly, they certainly won’t accept it. How can I discreetly give it away?”

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