Chapter 437 - 431_1
"Princess, the Third Princess has arrived."
"I am aware. You may leave. Since Princess Yongle is a distinguished guest, I will go to the palace gate to welcome her myself." When the Fourth Princess heard that Princess Yongle was visiting, she wasn’t surprised. On the day Lin Yue entered the palace, she had gone looking for trouble. It was normal for the Third Princess to suspect her, but what of mere suspicion? Without evidence, at most she could vent her frustration on her and do nothing more. After all, even if the Emperor and Empress Dowager no longer favored her, she was still a princess, and they could not be too overt in their treatment of her. So what if she had to endure some covert friction? She would bide her time, for one day, she would claim her retribution.
"Anhui pays her respects to Third Sister. I had no idea Third Sister would take the pleasure of visiting me today. Please come in quickly. It has been too long since I’ve had a good chat with my sister, and today we must catch up properly." The Fourth Princess said with a beaming smile, looking every bit the affectionate sister to the Third Princess, her facade flawless, showing no trace of the arrogance she displayed towards Lin Yue that day.
"Anhui, you need not bother with such formalities. All this talk of sisters – even though we are father’s daughters, we are not that close. There’s no need for superficial acts. I am here today for only one reason, hoping you can answer me truthfully. Otherwise, should I discover you’ve dared to deceive me, do not blame me for being unkind!"
Princess Yongle watched the Fourth Princess with a cold gaze. What she despised most was this two-faced charade of the Fourth Princess. When the late Emperor was alive, she had been reprimanded and punished more than once because of the Fourth Princess’s pretenses. Her visit today was certainly not for the sake of closeness. She spoke directly, seeing no need to spare the Fourth Princess’s feelings or thoughts anymore.
The Fourth Princess almost couldn’t maintain her smile upon hearing Princess Yongle’s blunt words, a flash of icy chill passing through her eyes. But she quickly recovered, as these years taught her the art of forbearance more than anything.
"With such a formidable presence, what exactly is the matter, Third Sister? As long as it is within my knowledge, I will withhold nothing and spare no detail. How could I dare deceive you, Third Sister? Please, feel free to ask," Anhui said sincerely, her expression calm and straightforward without a trace of resentment towards Princess Yongle nor any hint of guilt or discomfort.
If only Princess Yongle had not suffered at the hands of the Fourth Princess before, knowing well this half-sister’s talent for acting, she might have believed the Fourth Princess’s words.
"Fourth Princess, why are you pretending ignorance about why I came to find you? Others may not know your true colors, but I do. Acting will get you nowhere with me. I ask you plain and simple, where did you take Yueyue?"