Chapter 397 - 389: Birth Father
Lin Youning was shocked by what she had just heard. She had already vaguely guessed her identity before the nanny in front of her spoke, but she never dared to believe it.
What truly stunned her was that her biological father was still alive.
This was what left her in shock.
"I know this is hard for you to accept all at once, but the Eldest Prince has already sent people to keep an eye on the young master. For the sake of your safety, the young master decided to let me come back and tell you everything, so I could stay by your side in case of any unforeseen circumstances and seek the Holy Emperor’s help." Nanny Wang poured out everything in her heart, feeling somewhat relieved, "Your temperament is just like Madam’s back then. It’s just a pity that Madam passed away early. Back then, Prince wouldn’t let Madam go out to work for others, even though Prince wanted to continue making jewelry for others. Madam stopped him, fearing that the Prime Minister’s Mansion would find them afterward. Although life was hard then, Madam and Prince were very happy. During all those years in the palace, I never saw Prince smile until Madam’s passing. Prince locked himself in his room for three days."
"After coming out of the room, Prince said he had wronged Madam and that he was the one who caused her harm. I understand that Prince always felt that if it weren’t for being with him, Madam wouldn’t have lived such a hard life and wouldn’t have died an early death losing her beloved daughter."
Nanny Wang wiped her tears, "When you were born, you were so adorable, with a plum blossom birthmark on your shoulder. It’s hereditary. Our Princess came from a foreigner lineage, and all the women in the family have this plum blossom birthmark. When you were born, Prince held you in his arms, reluctant to let go, saying he couldn’t look enough, and said that he’d finally had a family in this lifetime."
"Later on, you went missing, Prince searched everywhere, while comforting Madam. But after not finding her whereabouts, Madam’s health declined day by day, and she just passed away like that."
"A good family fell apart just like that." Nanny Wang cried out loud.
Lin Youning couldn’t help but shed tears along with her. Although she had never seen her father and mother, at that moment, hearing Nanny Wang talk about these things, she only felt as though it was all happening right before her eyes. Thinking of how her birth mother died from heartbreak due to her loss, her father also left home afterward.
"You are pregnant now; make sure not to harm your body. Although I am saddened by these stories, over the years, whenever I think of them, I can’t help but feel sorrowful. I also don’t know where Prince has gone. Now the Eldest Prince has set his sights on you and the young master. People from the Royal Family always act ruthlessly; you need to be on guard." Nanny Wang said as she wiped her tears and tried to console.
Lin Youning nodded, "Nanny, don’t be sad either. If Father knew you were like this, he wouldn’t feel at ease, either."
"Alas, Prince was heartbroken back then, probably losing his soul, so much so that he saw through everything. I fear he may have even forgotten who he is by now; otherwise, how could there be no news at all all these years? It’s not that I haven’t tried to inquire over the years, but when the young master found out, he told me not to look anymore. He said that we’d find Father after finding you, as this would give him an answer." Nanny Wang sighed, "Back then, because the young master wanted to enter the academy, Madam went out to work and ended up losing you. This matter has always made the young master feel guilty, even if neither Prince nor Madam ever blamed him. I know the young master feels burdened; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been searching for you all these years."
"My brother has worked hard; I’ve heard from my sister-in-law that my brother spends more than half of the allowance he receives each year to look for me, making our family life tight." Lin Youning felt a pang of sorrow thinking about it.
Nanny Wang said with resentment, "The young master told me as well, and I can see clearly it was the Lin Mansion who stole you, but we just can’t find proof. If not for the lure of riches and honors, they wouldn’t have spoken the truth of the matter. Who knows how many more years the young master would have sought you? In any case, it’s Heaven’s blessing that you resemble Madam so closely."
Lin Youning nodded, "Nanny, does the Eldest Prince know that we are the children of Prince Shou? Is that why he’s targeting us? But what’s the advantage of going after us for him?"
"The Eldest Prince only knows that through the young master he can find Prince, as back then, Prince gave the young master a Jade Pendant. Later, someone offered clues about your whereabouts in exchange for the jade pendant around the young master’s waist. Reluctantly, the young master gave it up to find you, unaware that person was a fraud who ran off with the young master’s jade pendant. God knows how, but the Eldest Prince ended up seeing the pendant, and after inquiring, found out it came from the young master. All I know is that the Eldest Prince is also on the hunt for Prince." Nanny Wang’s expression turned stern, "According to the young master, the Holy Emperor is also searching for Prince, but now it’s the Eldest Prince conducting a private search. It must mean something else is at play. I wonder if there’s been any movement in the Capital?"
Lin Youning didn’t hide anything from Nanny Wang, and shared the story of her poisoning. Upon hearing that, Nanny Wang’s expression changed drastically, "This kind of poison is commonly used in the palace. Some consorts deceitfully claimed pregnancy to gain the emperor’s favor, and when discovered, the emperor’s wrath was great. Now it’s used on you, but it doesn’t seem like they want to make you fake a pregnancy. As you say, it’s likely they knew about your pregnancy and gave you this poison."
Lin Youning nodded, "The Marquis and I have already thought of this, but we don’t understand Eldest Prince’s motive, or whether it’s simply the intention of the Dong Mansion."
"I think the Eldest Prince’s actions might be to lure out the young master, or perhaps draw the young master back to the Capital, or could be a test." Nanny Wang knew quite a lot and had a grasp of the palace affairs, "The Eldest Prince is continually searching for Prince; even Wang Er from the young master’s side has been captured. By going after you, the Eldest Prince is surely seeking to attract the young master’s attention to see how he reacts. If the young master harbors any secrets, there will be action for sure, and in this way, the Eldest Prince can determine with certainty what the young master knows."
Her face grew grimmer as she spoke, "The person the Eldest Prince is after is Prince, and yet, even though so many years have passed, even if the Holy Emperor wanted to find Prince, it shouldn’t warrant this level of nervousness from the Eldest Prince."
When talking about these, the frown on Nanny Wang’s face remained, and she said no more, while Lin Youning didn’t disturb her either, understanding well that Nanny Wang was analyzing the root of the matter.