"Princess Quan had died?" Feng Ning wrote in the paper and showed it Xiao Lu, who came in while panting.

Xiao Lu nodded her head rigorously. "This servant had just heard a lot of people talking about it, Your Highness. First Princess, Princess Quan had died in the second year of her marriage. There's no statement about the cause yet, but it's said that she's murdered by a servant."

Killed by a servant?

Feng Ning's lips twitched. Just how bad was her relationship with her servant could be to the point that she would be killed?

The servants were not like they were ordinary servants. To be more polite, they were called servants but in truth, they were more like slaves that were bought with money. Their lives and death was in the hands of their employer.

In normal situation, they would never dare to do anything against their employer no matter what the situation was.

But now, Feng Ning was listening that her first sister had died because of a servant.

"Attend me."

Xiao Yu waved her hand and Xiao Mu also moved quickly to help Feng Ning to dress up. In fact, they were also very shocked about this matter that they didn't know what they were supposed to do.

On the other hand, Xiao Lu quickly ordered the other servants to take down anything with bright color. It was only filial piety to show the respect for the death to mourn for a period of time.

Since the other party who died was her sister, Feng Ning would need to mourn for at least three months.

Naturally, she could mourn for more time.

But she would not do something like that when she was not close to Feng Quan and the latter had even wanted to harm her when she was still young. Feng Ning was not that kind to purposely made her life harder just because of the death of someone not close to her.

Though, she had to put on an appearance.

Before long, Feng Ning had reached the main hall. She could see her younger sister's carriage, so she knew that Feng Zhu Liu was also here.

Sound of cries could be heard from inside.

"What exactly happened?" Feng Zhu Liu asked as she looked at her tearful mother. Even though she knew that her mother was acting, she decided to follow. As a smart girl, she knew very well that it would be better for her to act well or she wouldn't end well.

Lin Xie Ya wiped the tear from the corner of her eyes. "Your first sister, Feng Quan had died this morning. She's stabbed with a knife and drained out of blood."

Feng Ning had just entered when she heard that. She instantly thought of the day when she saw her parent's body in her original world. Tears instantly poured out like waterfall from her eyes.

Beside her, Xiao Yu was stunned by Feng Ning's sudden display of act, but she quickly followed suit. If her master is sad, she naturally had to be sad as well.

'When did Her Highness learn how to act so well?'

Even though Feng Ning was not close to Feng Quan, she could cry at will like this. It was indeed not easy to do. Her body shook a bit as if she was trembling and when she curtsied, it looked like she was holding back a lot.

"I have sent some people to investigate." Prime Minister Feng's expression was not too good.

He was close to Second Young Master Ping because the latter worked under him. Just a few days ago, he had a good meal with the other party and they talked a lot.

But now, his daughter had died in Second Young Master Ping's Residence?

No matter what other people said, he definitely had to get an answer for this sudden incident or he would have lost all faces in front of other people.

"Please do that! Feng Quan is my beloved daughter. How could I bear to see her end like this?" Lin Xie Ya bawled.

Only Feng Hao Shui was looking with a blank expression. He still remembered Feng Quan since he often bullied her older sister, but he didn't expect this piece of news either.

He was already 10 years by now and it has been two years since the last time he saw Feng Quan.

'Since when did Mother care for Eldest Sister?'

While Feng Hao Shui was confused, Feng Ning looked at the people who came out of Ping Family Residence. She understood very well the reason why her mother was acting this time and purposely walked towards her mother's direction and stood there.

She silently wiped her tear but there was no voice came out of her throat. Yet, the sight of her crying so pitifully like this was more heartbreaking compared to the act from her mother and youngest sister.

"Prime Minister Feng, this one believes that my son is not in the wrong. There might be something else that happened inside that caused the death of Her Highness!" One of the men said with pleading tone.

Prime Minister Feng looked at the man coldly. "Even so, Feng Quan is my daughter. We have to investigate this matter to the very root! I'll not let those who dare to harm my daughter escape!"

"Yes, Prime Minister."

The men could only agree.

At the side, Feng Ning watched as more and more people walked in and out, giving report here and there. She sat at the side, with her wet handkerchief. At this time, she wondered just how much longer should she act as if she was a grieving younger sister.

'Life is so hard.'

Those who lived in this period of time all could definitely win Oscar prize just based on their acting skills. The best acting skill could invoke empathy and brought their audience into the scene and it was what Feng Ning could see from the people here.

Even the servants were all good at pretending.

She simply watched as they pointed at someone to be the scapegoat in order to ease the relationship between Prime Minister Feng and Second Young Master Ping.

How could it be possible for the two of them to fall out just because of a woman?

It was nothing more than an act to appease both party and show that they were a caring parent.

Feng Ning wanted to scoff.

Hasn't it always been said that married daughters were like thrown water? Why would they care for someone who had been married away for their own benefit?

And when Feng Ning saw Princess Feng Quan's corpse, she was sure that whatever she thought before was true. It didn't look like Feng Quan had been living well during the time she was staying in Ping Family Residence.

She was so skinny.

If not because of the makeup, Feng Ning guessed that she must have looked so pale that one would think of her as a ghost.

'To be stupid and ignorant is never an excuse.'

Feng Ning glanced at her mother and father who were still acting as if they were grieving and silently lowered her head. She was sure that if something happened to her, those hypocritical people would definitely act like this again.

But they would not actually care for her.

What was the use of showing the care for someone who had passed away?

The burial was very grand and there were a lot of offerings that were left in front of the plate.

But Feng Ning felt that it was even more hypocritical.

If they truly cared for Feng Quan, they should have cared for her when she was still alive instead of when she had already dead like this. No matter how grand, how much money they spent for burial, no matter how much they acted as caring parent, it didn't erase the fact that they had neglected their first daughter for 11 years of her life.

11 because Feng Quan was still cared for by Lin Xie Ya during the first five years before any of the other siblings were born.

After all, if there were no other children, the only child of Lin Xie Ya would be Feng Quan. It was because of this that she still took care of her own child well.

But after she had gotten another daughter, Lin Xie Ya was tired of playing another mother and chose to throw away Feng Ning instead. Thanks to that, Feng Ning was completely neglected.

Feng Zhu Liu could be said to be the most fortunate. Because she was the twins of Feng Hao Shui, Lin Xie Ya still took care of the two of them as the twins often played together. But despite being twins, the two of them had started to have cracks in their relationship now that they had reached 10 years old.

'Living a life is nothing more than an act.'

Would they even show their real self to someone?

Feng Ning doubted that heavily.

...

The three months after Feng Quan's death, the entire nation was mourning. How could they not mourn when the one passed away was part of the Imperial Family? No matter how much they hated it, they would have to follow this rule.

Those who wanted to get married had to postpone the dates. Those who had already prepared banquet would have to cancel it.

For three months, it was very quiet.

Feng Ning also felt that it was quite nice to not have to hear the servants busy for some kind of events that Lin Xie Ya participated in. She quietly had her lessons inside her residence.

And after three months, Feng Ning received an unexpected offer from her Master.