CHAPTER 82: CHAPTER 81: THE PRINCESS CONSORT IS POSSESSED!

"Zhixi, present the congratulatory gift!"

"Yes, Princess Consort!"

Zhixi presented the box, and in front of everyone, slowly opened it.

A pair of red jade earrings lay quietly in the box.

Upon seeing the red jade earrings, Princess An Nan’s pupils contracted instantly, her eyes shooting out a limitless coldness. She couldn’t control herself and stood up, staring fiercely at the red jade earrings in the box.

"Princess Consort, what’s the matter with you? This pair of red jade earrings seems nice, don’t you like them?" Zhaohua also got up to take a look.

Red jade earrings, only the royal family could afford to buy them.

The gift Yu Nianzhao gave, though not the best, was neither flawed nor perfect.

So why did Princess An Nan react this way?

Princess An Nan clenched her fists, malice and anger intertwined in her eyes. She asked with a forced smile, "I wonder where Princess Consort Su bought these red jade earrings? I had a similar pair with me before, but I don’t know where I lost them; I’ve looked for a long time and couldn’t find them."

Xie Jiarou also glanced at the red jade earrings in surprise, recalling something after a brief delay, and suddenly became anxious.

"How coincidental? This pair of red jade earrings was bought for me by someone from a Persian merchant in Shangjing. If Princess Consort likes them, I can have Zhixi give you the address of the Persian merchant," Yu Nianzhao said with a smile.

"Persian merchant?" Princess An Nan frowned tightly, her eyes filled with doubt.

She stared at the pair of red jade earrings, slowly walked over as if attracted, and involuntarily touched them.

"Ahhhh!"

An eerie wind swept through, all the wind converged together, forming a piercing ghostly howl that exploded by her ear. A ghost silhouette rushed out of the red jade earrings before her, angrily baring its teeth as if wanting to devour her.

"Ah! No, don’t! Don’t cling to me, go away!"

Princess An Nan was caught off guard and was scared into sitting on the ground, her face pale, flailing her arms and yelling incessantly.

"What’s going on?"

Zhaohua and the others only saw Princess An Nan glance at the red jade earrings and suddenly change in temperament, falling to the ground, muttering in bewilderment, and immediately stood up in shock.

"Earlier, Chu Wenxin also went mad for no reason? How is it that Princess An Nan has become like this now too?"

"Could there really be something unclean in the An Nan Royal Mansion?"

"It’s too terrifying, whom is the Princess Consort telling not to cling to her? Are there others we can’t see besides us here?"

"Could it really be haunted?"

"..."

The women whispered among themselves, standing together in fear, worried about being tainted by the sinister forces.

"Mother!" Xie Yunzhe and Xie Jiarou rushed over, anxiously trying to help her up.

Princess An Nan’s gaze was vacant; she stared intently into the air, pushing them both away, gritting her teeth, "Go away, quickly go away, this is my home, my royal mansion, you can never replace me!"

"Princess Consort?" Prince An Nan also noticed the commotion here, waved away the attendants, and quickly walked over.

Falling into Prince An Nan’s embrace, Princess An Nan shivered, and the fierce ghost in her vision seemed to vanish. She nestled in Prince An Nan’s arms, trembling.

"What happened?"

"Princess Consort saw these red jade earrings and suddenly changed drastically in temperament."

"Red jade earrings?"

Prince An Nan frowned and glanced at the red jade earrings in the box, a trace of surprise flashing in his eyes, "Weren’t these the token of affection I gave to the Princess Consort?"

Xie Jiarou quickly said, "Father, it’s not this pair; this is the birthday gift Princess Consort Su sent Mother."

"Princess Consort Su?" Prince An Nan’s scrutinizing gaze focused on Yu Nianzhao, and he said sternly, "There’s something wrong with your red jade earrings!"

Yu Nianzhao calmly replied, "It’s just an ordinary birthday gift, how can there be any problem? I think the Princess Consort is haunted."

"Haunted?"

"How could that be? The An Nan Royal Mansion even has a Buddha hall, how could there be sinister forces?"

"The door is carved with door gods, no sinister forces can enter!"

The An Nan family refused to believe the haunted theory.

Song Caiwei bowed slightly, "Prince, I’m Song Caiwei, daughter of the Minister of Rites, previously there were sinister forces in our home, and it was the Princess Consort who helped drive them away. The Princess Consort is very capable. If she says there are sinister forces in the royal mansion, then there definitely are."

"Minister Song’s daughter?" Prince An Nan was skeptical.

"Prince, I need to go to the Buddha hall to recite scriptures." Princess An Nan grabbed Prince An Nan’s arm and said tremulously.

"Princess Consort is unwell; please feel free, everyone."

Although Prince An Nan was a philanderer, he cherished every flower, holding Princess An Nan by the waist and leaving first.

The other women feared being tainted by sinister forces and hurriedly left the An Nan Royal Mansion.

Pei Yunzhi naturally didn’t want to give up this opportunity, so she proactively walked to Xie Yunzhe’s side, "Yunzhe, the Princess Consort has a blessed virtue, she will surely be fine. I’ll stay here to accompany you."

"No need." Xie Yunzhe was rather cold. He furrowed his brows, saying, "You should go back; I don’t have time to attend to you today."

"It’s alright, I can..."

"Yunzhi, I said, you should go back!" Xie Yunzhe turned his head, looking at her coldly, his words leaving no room for doubt.

Pei Yunzhi’s heart skipped a beat, feeling a bit wronged, her eyes turned red, yet Xie Yunzhe seemed not to notice, remaining cold, so she reluctantly left, turning back with every step.

"Zhaozhao, aren’t you going back? If it involves you..." Ms. Lien worried about Yu Nianzhao, wanting her to leave as well.

"No need to worry about me, Madam Hou." Yu Nianzhao responded coldly, distancing herself.

Ms. Lien was hurt by her distant attitude, and couldn’t help but feel some resentment, "Zhaozhao, I know you’re resentful of Mother, but Mother was also kept in the dark back then. You were swapped, and Mother hurt too, never imagining such a thing would happen to her. Now that mother and daughter are reunited, can’t we let go of prejudice? Even if you abandon others, you shouldn’t abandon Mother."

Yu Nianzhao raised an eyebrow, "The feeling of being stabbed by someone who should be closest, that’s the most lethal. I won’t make this mistake a second time. Madam Hou, please stop telling me more. Your biological daughter is waiting for you to return home."

Ms. Lien’s heart felt piercingly hurt; she forced a bitter smile, supported by Pei Yunzhi, leaving with a hunched back, appearing much older.

Zhixi grumbled, "What’s the use of this belated maternal love coming now?"

She and the Princess Consort shared the same experience, both abandoned by biological parents.

Zhixi felt more sympathy for the Princess Consort; her family had no money, so they sold her, but the wealthy Marquis Wu’an family abandoned their child to keep a fake, which was truly baffling and infuriating.