I died tragically in my previous life, and I want to be an empress in my next life

As soon as these words came out, the hall was completely silent. The air seemed to freeze, making one feel suffocated.

The princess's face turned pale in an instant, her eyes filled with anger and despair. She knew she had nowhere to escape, and all her secrets would be revealed to everyone.

Xuanyuan Si felt as if he was struck by lightning at this moment. He stood there with his eyes wide open, staring at the eldest princess in front of him, whom he had always deeply respected.

In his heart, this beautiful and noble aunt has always been a guiding light in his life and one of his closest people.

At this moment, he heard a piece of news that was like a bolt from the blue - the person he had always regarded as his aunt turned out to be his biological mother.

A trace of anger flashed in the emperor's eyes. He stared at the princess closely and spoke with unquestionable majesty, "Princess, I want to ask you, is this true?"

The princess knew that she could no longer hide it. She slowly raised her head, her eyes full of tears, "Your Majesty, Mother, I... I have a secret that I cannot tell you."

The emperor was silent for a moment, then waved his hand, with a hint of fatigue in his voice, "This matter is of great importance, and I need time to investigate it thoroughly. During this period, the eldest princess and Si'er are both confined to the palace and are not allowed to go out."

After the words fell, the whole palace fell into a dead silence. Xuanyuan Si was still in shock at this moment, he couldn't imagine that all this was actually true.

The emperor spoke again, with a hint of severity in his voice, "Before this matter is confirmed, it cannot be spread outside! If anyone dares to leak even a word, I will never forgive him!"

After the emperor finished speaking, he turned away with a sullen face.

Pei Zhiyan, who was sitting in the corner, calmly picked up the wine glass in front of her, drank it all in one gulp, and a faint smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.

Everything that happened today was planned by Pei Zhiyan behind the scenes.

These days, Pei Zhiyan has been investigating the eldest princess and Xuanyuan Si behind the scenes. She discovered that the eldest princess's feelings for Xuanyuan Si went beyond that of an aunt and niece. The eldest princess always puts Xuanyuan Si first, planning every step for him with all her heart.

She remembered that in her previous life, when Xuanyuan Si died of illness, the eldest princess was heartbroken, and not long after, she also passed away quietly.

When Xuanyuan Si was born, the current emperor was still a king in his vassal state. In order to pray for blessings, Xuanyuan Si's biological mother insisted on going up the mountain despite her big belly. Eventually, she encountered bandits, who caused her death in childbirth and left behind a frail and sickly son.

Pei Zhiyan knew about this matter from time to time when she followed Old Madam Lin into the palace to accompany the Queen Mother, and occasionally learned about it from the two of them.

The incident was very strange back then. Why would a woman who was about to give birth suddenly decide to go up the mountain to pray for blessings at this time? Was there someone secretly instigating this, or did she have something she wanted?

At that time, the emperor was still a king in the vassal state, fighting wars in all directions, while the eldest princess, due to the grief of losing her husband, temporarily lived in the Ning Wang Mansion.

Later, Xuanyuan Si's biological mother passed away, and the eldest princess took the frail Xuanyuan Si back to the princess's mansion to take care of him.

She wanted to know the real reason why Concubine Hua went up the mountain, but found that all the personal maids around Concubine Hua were missing. She sent Xiao Lin to the fiefdom of King Ning at that time. Unexpectedly, she uncovered such a big melon one after another.

In a quiet corner deep in the cold palace, the moonlight shines through the mottled window lattices and shines on the two figures.

The eldest princess, the daughter of the royal family who once held great power and was extremely beautiful, now had a sad look on her face and sat quietly on a simple bamboo chair.

Opposite, Xuanyuan Si was kneeling, tears streaming down his face, his eyes empty, as if he had lost all hope.

"Aunt, is this true?" Xuanyuan Si's voice trembled, and every word seemed to be the despair squeezed out from the bottom of his heart. Until this moment, he still found it hard to believe the cruel result, the bad news that pushed him from heaven to hell.

The night wind blew gently, lifting the corners of their clothes. The eldest princess slowly stood up, walked to the window, looked at the starry sky in the distance, and endless emotion surged in her heart.

"Si'er, some things will only make you more painful once you know the truth." The eldest princess' voice was filled with helplessness and sadness.

Xuanyuan Si was silent, he knew that the princess was telling the truth. But he would rather choose pain than be blinded by fate and let his life be filled with regrets.

"Why did you give birth to me?" Xuanyuan Si asked blankly.

Now, he is no longer the noble second prince, but an illegitimate child who cannot see the light of day. This change of identity makes him feel extremely confused and helpless.

The princess turned around and looked at Xuanyuan Si, with complex emotions flashing in her eyes. She walked gently to his side, stretched out her arms and hugged him tightly in her arms.

"I know that this identity will bring you a lot of pain and distress. However, I hope you know that no matter what your identity is, you are the most precious child in my heart."

The princess looked at the moon from afar, her heart was in turmoil, unable to calm down. The past events were like the moonlight, hazy but unforgettable.

Back then, she was a royal, but she also had the thoughts of a young girl. When she was young, she fell in love with a brave and skilled general, and she was overwhelmed by his noble bearing.

However, the interests of the royal family were above everything else. For the emperor's cause, she had to give up her love and marry into the Mansion of Duke Shen, becoming a victim of a political marriage.

Time flies, the prince consort passed away, but the princess still has deep feelings for him. To relax, she came to the Ning Wang Mansion. Unexpectedly, there, she met the general she loved again. He is now a capable general beside Ning Wang, and he is still handsome and elegant.

The reunion of the two seemed like a trick of fate. They could not resist the feelings for each other and could not let go.

However, the eldest princess's identity and widowhood made this relationship extremely complicated. What made her even more sad was that not long after, the general was killed in the battles with Prince Ning.

The princess was heartbroken. She had lost the man she loved deeply and her faith in love. However, at her most desperate moment, she found out that she was pregnant. She wanted to keep the last drop of blood for him, so she decided to take the risk and give birth to the child.

In order to give him a legitimate identity, he had to frame Concubine Hua, who was pregnant at the time. In this way, Xuanyuan Si could grow up under his nose in peace.

It was a pity that he was born with congenital deficiencies and a weak body. She took great pains and spared no expense to find a famous doctor for him, hoping that his disease could be cured so that he could live a healthy and happy life.

Now, what she regretted most was letting him get involved in the royal dispute. If he had not participated in this dispute, perhaps he could have lived a plain life like an ordinary person, enjoying the dignity and glory of the second prince.