"Third Sister, the Crown Prince truly loves you deeply," An Ru said enviously.
"Is that so?" An Ning closed her eyes.
Was it for her, or for the person within her body?
She didn't know.
Just thinking about it caused a dull ache in her heart.
"Ning'er, do you have doubts about this marriage?" Emperor An also noticed An Ning's somber expression.
An Ning opened her eyes and asked, "No, I'm just a little tired."
An Ru smiled and said, "Father Emperor, you don't understand, this is pre-wedding jitters."
Hearing this, Emperor An patted An Ning's hand and said, "Little An Ning, don't be afraid. Even after you marry, the State of An will always be your backing."
An Ning nodded, forcing a smile. "Father Emperor, I know."
Leaving the State of Xue and entering the State of An, An Ning saw the parched land everywhere. She finally understood how astonished her father emperor must have been upon receiving the betrothal gifts from Xue Jingyun. That money was enough to appease the drought-stricken people of An.
Thinking this, An Ning felt a sense of calm. She had never done anything for her father emperor, yet she had received all his affection. It was time for her to do something.
"Princess An Ning, a thousand years, a thousand thousand years..."
An Ning was awakened by the resounding cheers. She opened her eyes to find her father emperor and An Ru no longer in the carriage. She lifted the curtain and saw a sea of heads.
She stood there, stunned, until an elder, trembling, walked over to the carriage and knelt down with a thud.
An Ning quickly jumped out of the carriage, helped the elder up, and said anxiously, "Quickly, get up, what is this for?"
"Princess An Ning, without your sacrifice, our lives would not be possible."
"Princess An Ning, a thousand years, a thousand thousand years!"
The deafening cries echoed through the sky.
An Ning looked into the distance and saw two familiar figures busy not far away. They were none other than her father emperor and An Ru.
"Get up, everyone, get up. You are the people of An, this is what should be done," An Ning helped the elder up.
Seeing the elder in tears, he said, "Thank you, Princess, you are our reborn parents."
After ordering the elder to be settled, An Ning approached An Ru. "Second Sister, why are you attributing all the credit for dispensing porridge to me alone?"
An Ru smiled and said, "Because all this money is your betrothal gift..."
Halfway through, An Ru stuck out her tongue and looked at An Ning cautiously, pleadingly. "Father Emperor told me not to say it, fearing you would be angry, but I think it's necessary to tell you. I know the An Ning I know wouldn't be angry."
"I am angry, very angry..." An Ning gritted her teeth.
An Ru was taken aback. "An Ning..."
"I'm angry that you kept it from me. This is precisely what should have been done."
Hearing this, An Ru smiled and breathed a sigh of relief. "I knew you wouldn't be angry. But Father Emperor feels ashamed, as if he's selling his daughter."
"Nonsense. Father Emperor also cares for the people. The land of An is barren, and even with land, it's not suitable for growing grain. This is a matter of helplessness. Now that we have money, we must first settle the people."
An Ru nodded. "You are right."
"I'm going to find Father Emperor," An Ning walked to Emperor An's side.
Emperor An wiped the sweat from his brow, skillfully pouring rice into the pot. After an hour of work, he felt his strength waning. His hand slipped, and the rice began to spill from the bag. He rushed to catch it, but suddenly two hands caught it.
Emperor An was startled and looked up. Seeing it was An Ning, he was taken aback. "Ning'er, you're awake?"
"Father Emperor, let me help you..."
Hearing this, Emperor An suddenly smiled. "Good..."
Finally, as night approached, everyone had a bowl of porridge.
An Ning also drank her porridge clean. Emperor An looked at his bowl with a solemn expression. After a long while, he said, "Ning'er, Father Emperor must thank you."
An Ning shook her head. "There's no need for thanks. If I were in Father Emperor's position, I would do the same. With so many betrothal gifts, should I not use them? Not at all..."
Emperor An's expression turned somewhat sorrowful. "But the thought of me using your betrothal gifts makes me uncomfortable. Ning'er, I am afraid I will have to break my promise about your ten-mile dowry."
"Father Emperor, you are the Emperor of An, the parent of the people. How can you disregard the lives of the people for my ten-mile dowry?"
"Ning'er, Father Emperor is sorry to you." Emperor An felt very guilty. His little An Ning was so sensible it pained him.
"Father Emperor, I am very happy to be able to do something for the people. I am truly happy. Besides, didn't you and Second Sister push all the credit onto me? That is enough."
"You deserve it," Emperor An said.
"Father Emperor, I pay the money and get the credit. It's very fair."
Emperor An knew that his little An Ning was only saying this to put him at ease, but he had no other choice.
After three days of dispensing porridge, Emperor An, An Ru, and An Ning had lost a lot of weight. Only An Ping, who never left the carriage, remained well-fed.
She refused the porridge, only accepting good food and drink.
"Princess, you stayed in the carriage the entire time. How would the people know you were here?"
An Ping glanced at her palace maid and said coldly, "The money was An Ning's betrothal gift. Father Emperor and An Ru dispensed the porridge, why should I go?"
"But..."
"I didn't contribute money, and I didn't exert myself. It's perfectly normal." An Ping said.
She didn't want to get her skin tanned. Since Father Emperor wanted to give the credit to An Ning, let him have it. She wasn't jealous.
Hearing this, the palace maid shook her head and sighed. After this event, the people knew of Princess An Ning and Princess An Ru, but not of Princess An Ping.
Finally, after ten days, Emperor An left the place, leaving behind a large amount of silver and grain.
On the road, the people sang praises of Emperor An and Princesses An Ning and An Ru.
Afterward, although there was drought along the road, it was much better than before. Less than ten days before An Ning's wedding, they returned to the palace.
At the palace gates, Consort Shu and Consort Gui, along with their attendants, were looking out.
When the carriage stopped and a hand lifted the curtain, Consort Shu was so frightened she almost fainted upon seeing the person descend. Who was this black charcoal?
An Ru ran forward with a grin. "Mother Consort, why are you backing away? It's me, An Ru!"
Consort Shu clutched her chest and looked at An Ru, saying with distress, "An Ru, didn't you go to the State of Xue?"
An Ru nodded and said, "I went to the State of Xue. On the way back from the State of Xue, we encountered the drought in Mingzhou, so I went to dispense porridge."
"You... you, a princess of a kingdom, showing your face to dispense porridge?" Consort Shu almost fainted again.
At this moment, Emperor An also alighted from the carriage. Although much better off than An Ru, he had also darkened considerably.
"My dear consort, An Ru is very brave. She has a heart that loves the people, which is very rare."
Hearing her father emperor's praise, An Ru was very happy. "Mother Consort, you can't scold me."
Consort Shu, suppressing the urge to faint, curtsied and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your praise. I will take An Ru to wash up."