The aroma of cooking filled the house: I sent my eldest brother to become the Grand Secretary.

Chapter 332 Pink Birthmark

Just as Granny Cao went in and put down the tea, she reached the door and was about to tell the maid to fetch some more snacks when she noticed that Princess Wanyue hadn't eaten much that evening.

No sooner had I given the order than I heard the sound of a teacup shattering inside.

Not knowing what had happened inside, she rushed in anxiously.

As soon as I entered, I saw the Imperial Concubine and Princess Wanyue surrounding Miss Shen Cao.

Princess Wanyue held Shen Cao's hair in her hands.

Shen Cao had her back to Wan Yue.

Meanwhile, her mistress was staring at Shen Cao's back, seemingly looking at something.

The Imperial Concubine had her back to her, so she couldn't see the Imperial Concubine's expression, but she had served the Imperial Concubine for more than ten years and could tell that her Imperial Concubine was very nervous at this moment.

My whole body was tense.

Shen Shuhua stared at the pink heart-shaped birthmark, her hand trembling as she tried to touch it.

Some of the doubts in her heart seemed to be answered in an instant.

Sixteen years ago, she had just given birth, and the midwife brought her daughter to her side.

She personally placed the Shen family's heirloom jade around the child's neck, being extremely careful as she was afraid of choking him.

This also made her notice the small birthmark on her child's neck; she couldn't be mistaken.

The shape is heart-shaped.

It has the exact same shape as the one on Shen Cao's neck now.

how come?

Wasn't her daughter raised by a wet nurse from a young age?

Before her hand could even touch Shen Cao, she suddenly heard Wan Yue's voice in her ear.

"Mother, what's wrong with you?"

Pulled back to reality by Wan Yue's voice, Shen Shuhua glanced at Shen Cao's retreating figure with a complicated expression before reluctantly shifting her gaze away from the pink birthmark.

"Oh, it's nothing. Mother is just a little curious about what pink birthmarks look like."

"Miss Shen Cao has fair skin, and you really can't tell she has a birthmark if you don't look closely."

After saying that, she went back to her original spot and sat down.

But there was something unspeakable in his gaze as he looked at Shen Cao.

In the Imperial Garden, Zhao Ruhui hadn't walked far when she sat by the pond, teasing the koi in the water.

She was waiting for someone to come to her.

Today's banquet was prepared especially for her; she cannot be away for too long.

Besides, Her Majesty the Empress said that her father, the Emperor, would issue an edict at the banquet today to formally confer upon her the title of Princess Wanming and to grant her a fiefdom.

After the investiture ceremony, she will have a formal rank.

She just needs to wait; someone will definitely come looking for her.

Once she returns and receives the imperial decree, all she needs to do is act coquettishly with her father and mother, and today's events will be over.

Shen Cao was just a commoner, and she didn't believe that her father and mother would be angry with her because of her.

After waiting a while, I heard footsteps.

The footsteps stopped beside her.

"Princess, please come back with me!"

Upon hearing the voice, Zhao Ruhui frowned. "Why is it you?"

"Did Mother send you?"

Granny Zhao nodded.

When she left, the Imperial Concubine did not stop her, which probably meant she tacitly agreed to let her come to see the princess.

"Then tell Mother that I will not apologize to a commoner, and I don't know what grass means to the Shen family."

"Moreover, today's banquet was specially prepared for me. I don't know why my mother insisted on inviting such a commoner."

"Once the imperial decree appointing me is issued, I will definitely teach that Shen Cao a lesson."

Once she becomes a princess, she will have a rank, and dealing with someone like that will be as easy as crushing an ant.

"The Emperor has already left!" Granny Zhao interrupted her.

She even issued an imperial decree bestowing titles upon the emperor, which angered him so much that he left.

"what?"

"Where is the imperial edict of investiture? Why wasn't I allowed to receive it personally?"

She reached out her hand, wanting to ask Granny Zhao for the imperial edict of investiture.

Granny Zhao shook her head. "The Emperor was very angry. After you left, he announced the end of the banquet and did not issue any decree."

"What?" Zhao Ruhui stood up in shock.

"How can the banquet end before the imperial edict appointing me has even been issued?"

Where is my mother?

"The Imperial Concubine has also left."

"No imperial edicts of investiture were issued today."

"Impossible." The Empress had clearly told her that the Emperor had even consulted with her about her fiefdom.

How could there be no imperial decree of investiture?

"Is Father really angry?" She suddenly realized something and asked Zhao Mama.

Zhao Mama nodded, "Yes, the Emperor was so angry that he ignored even the Imperial Concubine and left with Eunuch Li."

Zhao Ruhui was so angry that she kicked her.

Zhao Mama didn't react in time and was kicked so hard that she stumbled and fell to the ground.

She looked up and saw Zhao Ruhui's vicious gaze.

Even though she had raised her from childhood, she was still terrified by her gaze, her back covered in cold sweat.

It's all that bitch Shen Cao's fault. If it weren't for her, Father wouldn't be angry today.

If her father hadn't been angry, she might have already received the imperial decree bestowing her title.

Shen Cao, she remembered this, she would make her pay the price.

"What are you still standing there for? Take me back to Yuehua Palace right now." She is a princess, but without a title, she has no official rank.

Oh right, isn't her mother a favorite of the Emperor? She should go back and ask her mother to remind her father.

After seeing Shen Cao off, Shen Shuhua sat in front of the dressing table in a daze.

Granny Cao was a little worried, because the Imperial Concubine hadn't been like this for a long time since Princess Wanming was found.

"Granny Cao, is Mother asleep?"

Upon hearing Zhao Ruhui's voice, Granny Cao's face lit up with joy.

She hadn't attended the palace banquet and didn't know what had happened there. But when she saw Zhao Ruhui, she just felt that the Imperial Concubine would be happy to see her.

She smiled and said to Zhao Ruhui, "The Imperial Concubine is still waiting for you; she hasn't retired for the night yet."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ruhui knew that her mother still loved her and wouldn't blame her for such a small matter.

This wasn't something they were specifically waiting for her to do.

She cautiously approached Shen Shuhua, squeezed her eyes together, her eyes reddening, and choked out, "Mother, do you not want me anymore?"

Shen Shuhua looked up at Zhao Ruhui when she heard her voice.

She gave her a complicated look, then waved her hand. "Ming'er, come here."

Zhao Ruhui walked over and reached out to take her hand.

Shen Shuhua was taken aback when she was grabbed by the hand. She instinctively wanted to refuse, but in the end she let her hold her hand.

“You did make a mistake today. What your father dislikes most is using one’s status to oppress others.”

"Not only did you use your status to oppress others today, but why didn't you apologize when Mother Consort clearly told you to?"

Zhao Ruhui lowered her head and said softly, "Mother, I didn't know. I didn't know that grass was so important to the Shen family, and so important to you."

“I grew up in the border region. The grass I saw was either wild grass in the fields or grass on people’s heads, used to sell children.”

"The grass I've ever seen is the lowest of the low."

"I really didn't mean to make things difficult for Shen Cao."

"Please don't leave me, okay?"

After saying that, she looked at Shen Shuhua with pitiful eyes.

Hearing her words, Shen Shuhua felt a pang of heartache, especially when she saw the pitiful look in her eyes.

She took out her handkerchief and wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes.

"Ming'er, shall your mother bathe you and sleep with you today?"

Zhao Ruhui was secretly delighted. She knew that as long as she pretended to be pitiful, her mother would definitely forgive her.

She looked delighted and nodded, "Okay."