The Reborn Princess Has Turned Evil

Chapter 223 Princess Laili

Afang was the most protective of Jing Anle, and she immediately said, "Who is that in front of you? Why don't you show yourself when you see Princess Anle?"

The palace servants carrying the sedan chair were terrified and quickly begged for mercy, saying, "Your Highness, please calm down. We were only ordered to carry the sedan chair to Cixi Palace, and we did not know who the noble person inside was!"

No sooner had the palace maid finished speaking than a sweet voice came from inside the sedan chair, "Is that Sister Anle?"

Hmm? Jing Anle had never heard this person's voice before.

A delicate, fair hand emerged from the sedan chair, followed by a beautiful young woman of about fourteen or fifteen years old. She wore a red veil on her head, a ruby ​​forehead ornament, and had a pair of beautiful, large eyes beneath thick eyebrows.

"Who are you?" it was still Afang who asked.

The young girl simply smiled, then jumped down from the sedan chair with a lively demeanor. Only then did Jing Anle notice that the woman was dressed strangely, not in the attire of a woman from the Jing Kingdom, and that her hair was very long, even reaching her calves.

The young woman stared at Jing Anle in the sedan chair, placed her right hand on her left chest, and bowed slightly as if to pay her respects. "Greetings, Princess Anle. I am from the Southern Frontier. My name is Laili, and my mother is Princess Yongping."

The woman who called herself Lai Li spoke fluent Mandarin, without any hint of southern Xinjiang accent.

Jing Anle recalled that half a month ago, Prince Qing and the Empress Dowager wanted Princess Yongping to return to the capital. Now, it seems that the time is almost up.

Jing Anle waved her hand, and the palace servants carrying the sedan chair slowly alighted from the sedan chair.

"So you're my aunt's daughter, Sister Lai Li, no need for such formalities." Jing Anle stood up and walked towards Lai Li step by step, a smile on her lips, appearing quite friendly.

Riley had long heard that Princess Anle was favored, but no one had mentioned how beautiful she was.

Even though Jing Anle was only dressed in a pale yellow wide-sleeved robe, wearing a red-gold openwork begonia crown, and her hair was adorned with a pair of pearl and gemstone hairpins, her attire was simple and light. Yet, her face was ethereal and beautiful, especially her eyes, which were so delicate yet could draw people in and make them fall in love.

Lai Li looked up at Jing Anle as she approached, and couldn't help but feel a little shy. "Sister Anle is so beautiful."

Jing Anle smiled. "Princess Laili is the truly lively and adorable one." Jing Anle glanced at the sedan chair and asked, "Is this Princess's first time entering the palace to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager?"

Lai Li blinked and said, "That's right. My mother often tells me about her life in the inner chambers, and she says that the Empress Dowager is the most honored woman in the harem. So, when I enter the palace, I must first pay my respects to the Empress Dowager."

"Where is Auntie?" Jing Anle looked around and asked curiously.

Lai Li explained, "I was too playful and wanted to go to the palace as soon as possible. My mother and brother will be here in a few days."

Brother? Jing Anle tried hard to recall. As far as she knew, Princess Yongping was several years younger than Emperor Jing and had only given birth to one child. Then…

Seeing Jing Anle hesitate, Lai Li whispered, "I'll tell you in secret, my brother wasn't born to my mother, but to the late princess. He's seven or eight years older than me!" Her eyes were lively, and she still spoke like a child.

But deep down, Jing Anle always felt that Princess Lai Li was not as naive as she appeared.

Jing Anle smiled without saying a word. Instead of responding to Lai Li's words, she changed the subject and said, "In that case, I shouldn't delay any longer. Princess, you should go and pay your respects to the Empress Dowager first, lest she get impatient."

"Then I'll take my leave first." Riley bowed and boarded the sedan chair.

After Lai Li left, A Fang asked in confusion, "Princess, why were you so polite to her?"

Jing Anle said thoughtfully, "After all, she is a princess of the Southern Frontier. We cannot neglect her. Let's go back to the palace first."

Yongfu Palace.

Jing Anle was initially feeling down because she hadn't seen Xiao Heng, but now that she had run into Princess Lai Li on the way, her attention was temporarily diverted.

"Does the princess think there's something fishy about Princess Laili?" Mu Ping asked.

While Lai Li and Jing Anle were talking, Mu Ping had been secretly observing them.

Jing Anle nodded and said, "You noticed it too?"

Afang, looking on with utter confusion, asked curiously, "Princess, Princess Lai Li has only just entered the palace, what's so strange about her?"

“Although Princess Laili comes from the southern border, she seems to know a lot about things in the capital,” Jing Anle calmly analyzed. “Just now, the first time she saw me, she knew my name and was so friendly and generous.”

“That’s right!” Afang exclaimed as if suddenly realizing something. “Southern Xinjiang is remote and a small place. The princess has never met you before.”

Jing Anle frowned and pondered, "Do you all still remember that it was the Empress Dowager who proposed that Princess Yongping return to the capital?"

“The princess is saying that this matter is related to the Empress Dowager,” Afang said.

Mu Ping replied almost without hesitation, "Does the princess suspect that Yongping is colluding with Prince Qing?"

As soon as she said this, Afang's eyes widened, and the air suddenly became quiet.

“Only this makes sense,” Jing Anle said.

Since her rebirth, she has often analyzed the relationships between court officials and imperial relatives. This Princess Yongping was the late emperor's youngest daughter, and her birth mother was Consort Wen. However, Consort Wen was only promoted after giving birth to Princess Yongping; before that, she was merely a Noble Lady. This shows how much the late emperor loved Princess Yongping.

For some unknown reason, the favored Princess Yongping was suddenly married off to the southern border. Even for the sake of national stability, there was no need for the princess to marry in person; a member of the royal family could have simply taken her place. More than thirty years ago, although the Jing Kingdom was embroiled in war, conquering the southern border was a piece of cake. What exactly happened?

"If that's the case, then Princess Yongping's arrival in the capital is likely not for good purposes. We should be careful and on guard." Mu Ping's expression changed slightly.

"In any case, we should be cautious." Jing Anle instructed, "Since Princess Yongping is still on her way, she most likely wants to see Prince Qing before entering the palace. So let's send someone to keep an eye on Princess Yongping's whereabouts and report any abnormalities immediately."

"Mu Ping, tomorrow you go out of the palace and tell your uncle about this. He will know what to do."

"Yes, Princess," Mu Ping nodded.

Jing Anle secretly pondered, sensing an undercurrent surging within the palace. Would the appearance of this Princess Lai Li bring changes to her revenge plan? She decided to remain still for now, preparing for any eventuality.