This news greatly shocked Shen Wan.

It's been so long since there's been any news about her becoming a princess, so when it does come out, it's always so explosive.

Since the founding of the Great Chu Dynasty, not a single member of the royal family or nobility has shaved their head.

The disappearance of Prince Cheng had already sparked countless speculations, and the fact that Princess Cheng had shaved her head would only fuel further conjectures.

However, Shen Wan and Xie Jingyan could understand Princess Cheng's actions, and in fact, this was the best possible outcome for her.

Although King Cheng has been cold-hearted and even ruthless towards his wife, as long as she remains his wife, she will have to bear the consequences of all the crimes he has committed.

Cuckolding the emperor, illegally mining iron ore, colluding with Xiliang, and any one of these offenses would be enough to warrant the execution of the entire Chengwang family.

The laws of the court dictated that Princess Cheng could not remain uninvolved, even if she knew nothing about it.

Not only Princess Seong, but also Crown Prince Seong.

Princess Consort Cheng had already done her best to protect her two children within her power. She had no choice but to ask the Empress Dowager to marry Princess Yong'an away from the Prince Cheng's residence, so that the crime would not extend to the married daughter and Princess Yong'an would not be implicated.

Princess Cheng was cruelly thrown into a well to silence her. If it weren't for her two children, she probably would have wanted to die right then and there.

Shaving her head was a way of protecting herself, and also the best revenge she could take against King Cheng as his consort.

If the King of Cheng gets into trouble in the future, it won't implicate her. She can stay in Jingci Nunnery with peace of mind, and Princess Yong'an can visit her from time to time.

Shen Wan felt deeply sorry for Princess Cheng. She looked at Xie Jingyan and asked, "What about Prince Cheng?"

The poor Crown Prince Cheng was sickly since birth, rarely leaving his home. He had finally recovered and was able to live like a normal person, but he was implicated by Prince Cheng. No matter how magnanimous the emperor was, he could not punish Prince Cheng and leave the title for the Crown Prince Cheng to inherit.

Xie Jingyan sighed, "If the Crown Prince of Cheng were still in the Cheng Prince's residence, the Princess Consort of Cheng would not have gone to Jingci Nunnery."

...

Shou Kang Palace.

When the news that Princess Cheng had shaved her head at Jingci Nunnery reached the Empress Dowager's ears, she was furious.

Our bodies and hair are gifts from our parents, and shaving our hair is an act of filial impiety. She is the Princess Consort of Cheng, yet she did such a thing without even a word of warning. Where does she place the dignity of Prince Cheng and the royal family?!

If you don't want those three thousand strands of hair, why not just give up your life too!

The Empress Dowager was so angry that she could barely breathe.

Granny Zhao quickly helped the Empress Dowager to calm her down. Wasn't Princess Cheng supposed to be seriously ill and not have many days left to live? The Empress Dowager was afraid that she wouldn't live to see Princess Yong'an get married, so she hastily married Princess Yong'an off to fulfill Princess Cheng's last wish. But since Princess Yong'an got married, Princess Cheng not only didn't die, but with Prince Cheng's disappearance, her illness actually got better, and she was even able to go to Jingci Nunnery.

All the Empress Dowager's pity and heartache for Princess Cheng vanished the moment she learned that Princess Cheng had shaved her head.

The Empress Dowager was so angry that her lips trembled. "The royal family cannot tolerate such a disgraceful act! Grant her a white silk ribbon!"

The Empress Dowager was furious, and Zhao Mama dared not offer any further advice.

Princess Cheng should have known that the Empress Dowager would not allow such a thing to happen, yet she still did it. Wasn't she just courting death?

Granny Zhao led her people out of the palace to Jingci Nunnery.

She had only been gone for a quarter of an hour when Granny Zhao returned, bringing back the white silk ribbon.

The Empress Dowager, displeased, said, "I sent you to Jingci Nunnery, what are you doing back here?!"

Granny Zhao said, "The Emperor won't allow it..."

The Empress Dowager frowned. "Would the Emperor care about this?"

Zhao Mama said, "Eunuch Yuan stopped me and said that Princess Cheng was a pitiful person and asked the Empress Dowager to give her a way out."

She was ordered by the Empress Dowager to execute Princess Cheng. Without the Emperor's approval, even if Eunuch Yuan had a lot of courage, he wouldn't dare to stop her.

This must be the Emperor's will.

In fact, the Emperor did not explicitly tell the Empress Dowager to give Princess Cheng a way out.

When news of Princess Cheng's renunciation of her vows at Jingci Nunnery reached the Emperor's ears, he said nothing. However, Eunuch Yuan remarked, "The Empress Dowager probably won't approve of Princess Cheng's renunciation..."

The Emperor sneered, "Princess Consort Cheng's life is less important to the Empress Dowager than Prince Cheng's reputation!"

These words revealed a deep dissatisfaction with the Empress Dowager. Yuan Gonggong happened to know that the Empress Dowager had ordered Zhao Mama to execute Princess Cheng, so he stopped Zhao Mama and said these words.

Zhao Mama thought it was the Emperor's will, so she took the white silk and returned to Shou Kang Palace.

The Empress Dowager said, "Why would the Emperor feel sorry for Princess Cheng?"

The Emperor couldn't control Prince Cheng and let him seduce Empress Song. Instead of blaming Princess Cheng, he even felt sorry for her.

Zhao Mama said, "This servant also found it strange, so I asked Eunuch Yuan, but he didn't say anything, he just told me to ask Princess Cheng..."

"Then I'll go ask her!"

The Empress Dowager's temper has become increasingly irritable lately.

Granny Zhao put down the white silk and went to Jingci Nunnery with the palace maids.

Without her long, flowing hair, it took Granny Zhao a while to believe that the person kneeling on the prayer mat and striking the wooden fish was Princess Cheng.

She had just met Princess Cheng a few days ago.

How come she didn't realize at all that Princess Cheng had such thoughts?

Princess Cheng struck the wooden fish as she spoke, "Since you've been ordered to kill me, then just do it."

Granny Zhao looked at Princess Cheng and said, "Since you know the Empress Dowager won't allow you to do this, why do you insist on doing it..."

"So that after my death I will not be buried with King Cheng."

The voice was cold, but it conveyed a sense of determination.

Granny Zhao was startled. "Does the Princess Consort hate Prince Cheng that much?"

Princess Cheng laughed, "Was Empress Song really banished to the Cold Palace because she attempted to assassinate the Emperor?"

Granny Zhao said, "I dare not say more about this matter."

Princess Cheng smiled mockingly. "There's no need for you to say more. I know this better than you do."

Granny Zhao looked at Princess Cheng and asked, "How could the Princess possibly know about this?"

Princess Cheng gave a self-deprecating laugh, "How would I know? It was because I accidentally stumbled upon this sordid affair that I almost lost my life outside Changchun Palace!"

Granny Zhao was so shocked she couldn't process it.

Granny Zhao never dreamed that Princess Cheng's fall into the well outside Changchun Palace was because she accidentally stumbled upon Prince Cheng and Empress Song's affair, and was subsequently silenced by Prince Cheng...

No wonder Princess Cheng bypassed Prince Cheng and spent a fortune to ask her to help the Empress Dowager grant Princess Yong'an a marriage.

It turns out that from that day on, Princess Cheng had lost all hope in Prince Cheng.

Princess Cheng was prepared to die.

Seeing that Granny Zhao hadn't made a move yet, Princess Cheng even urged, "Aren't you going to do it?"

Granny Zhao felt sorry for Princess Cheng. She said, "The Empress Dowager originally wanted to execute you, but the Emperor gave you a way out and made the Empress Dowager withdraw the white silk."

Princess Cheng opened her tightly closed eyes, and tears glistened in them.

She never expected that Prince Cheng would commit such a wrong act. She shaved her head and trampled on the royal family's dignity. Even the Empress Dowager could not tolerate her, yet the Emperor was still willing to give her, Prince Cheng's bedmate, a way out.

Zhao Mama didn't say anything more, curtsied, and returned to the palace to report.

Zhao Mama did not hide anything from the Empress Dowager and reported everything to her. Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager felt a chill run down her spine.