The next morning, before dawn, the Emperor dispatched a large contingent of Imperial Guards to Prince Yi's residence.

At this moment, there were few pedestrians on the streets, and the people of the capital were still asleep, completely unaware that their respected Prince Yi was being watched by the Emperor.

Gu Beiyi had already received the news, so he had made all the necessary preparations.

The leader of the Imperial Guards led his troops into Prince Yi's residence, displaying an extremely arrogant and domineering attitude, showing no regard for Prince Yi and treating him as if he were a prisoner.

"This humble servant greets Your Highness. Long live Your Highness!" The commander of the Imperial Guards knelt down respectfully to pay his respects to Gu Beiyi, but stood up abruptly without receiving a response from Gu Beiyi. His face was cold and filled with murderous intent, and his tone was even more aggressive: "Prince Yi, please kneel down to receive the imperial decree."

Kneel down?

Gu Beiyi's wicked lips curled into a cool smile. "I don't need to kneel when I meet the Emperor, let alone receive an imperial decree! If you want to announce the decree, then announce it; if not, then get out."

The commander of the Imperial Guards knew that Prince Yi was a very cold and ruthless person who would never give him a kind look, even though he was the emperor's man and worked for the emperor.

And he was also very clear that the Emperor could not gain any advantage in Prince Yi's hands, otherwise he would not have been trampled underfoot by Prince Yi.

Everyone knows that Prince Yi does not need to kneel before anyone because of an imperial edict issued by the late emperor before his death. As the supreme ruler, Prince Yi does not need to kneel before anyone, including the emperors of the other three kingdoms.

The current emperor is aware of this decree, which is one of the reasons why he dislikes Gu Beiyi and wants to kill him.

Who made their father pave the way for his newborn brother even on his deathbed? He even ignored the brothers' contributions.

If it weren't for his father appointing him as regent until Gu Beiyi came of age, Gu Beiyi would have already been killed.

The commander of the Imperial Guards, realizing he was no match for Prince Yi, no longer forced the prince to kneel and accept the imperial decree.

Instead, he produced the imperial edict and solemnly proclaimed in a loud voice: "By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Prince Yi embezzled millions of taels of silver and millions of bushels of grain allocated by the court for disaster relief during the snowstorm, causing panic among the people. Countless people have died of starvation, freezing, and disease as a result. The evidence is now conclusive. However, Prince Yi is a prince of my Qingluan Kingdom, of noble status, and his actions are of great importance. Moreover, this matter concerns the reputation of the royal family. Therefore, I have decided to imprison Prince Yi in the Imperial Prison for joint investigation and interrogation by the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review, to restore justice to the people! If Prince Yi disobeys my orders, I hereby order the commander of the Dingding Army to immediately behead him and display his head to the public! So be it!"

My royal brother, are you so eager for me to die? Don't you know that public opinion and the people are on my side?

Are you sure you won't anger the people by doing this? I forgive your foolishness, but you are truly foolish and not worthy to be my opponent at all.

I overestimated you. I thought you would fight alongside me, but I didn't expect you to be so vulnerable.

The leader of the Imperial Guard closed the imperial edict and looked at Gu Beiyi with cold eyes: "Prince Yi, accept the edict!" As long as you accept the edict, you, this great threat, can be eliminated as soon as you ascend the throne, and then you can rest easy.

Gu Beiyi sneered, but he neither accepted the imperial decree nor resisted it, because he had already received the news and made corresponding arrangements.

"I know you are working for the Emperor. Since the Emperor cannot tolerate my brother, I have nothing more to say. I only hope that you will target me alone and not touch my beloved concubine. Otherwise, don't blame me for being disobedient."

If Rong Sheng doesn't get into trouble, everything will be fine.

If something were to happen to the woman he loved, then his good brother... wouldn't be able to keep his cool for long.

The commander of the Imperial Guards quickly said, "Your Highness is overthinking it. The Emperor wants to arrest you, not your family!"

Gu Beiyi scoffed: "Is that so? If something happens to me, my beloved concubine will be safe and sound? I'm not stupid! Go back and tell the Emperor that he can take anything from me, but my beloved concubine cannot be touched in the slightest. I believe my brother knows my abilities very well."

The Imperial Guard leader was drenched in cold sweat, his heart filled with resentment. What did it have to do with us what you two brothers were fighting over? Why should we bear your wrath? We were utterly unlucky.

Having made his point clear, Gu Beiyi stopped pressuring the Imperial Guard leader and followed him out of the Prince's residence, heading towards the prison.

Everyone in Prince Yi's mansion watched as the leader of Prince Yi's Imperial Guards led him away, then calmly went about their business, as if their prince had just gone out to do some errands and would be back soon.

When Rong Sheng opened her eyes, Gu Beiyi was no longer beside her. She touched the blanket beside her with her fair hand, and it was cold. Even a fool could tell that Gu Beiyi had been gone for a long time.

System: "Host, your future husband has been imprisoned by the Emperor."

Throw him into the imperial prison?

Rong Sheng showed no sign of worry, because she was very clear about the current situation. Throwing Gu Beiyi into the imperial prison would be extremely disadvantageous for the emperor.

She believed that Gu Beiyi must have a backup plan, and even if he didn't, so what? He still had her, didn't he?

So Rong Sheng calmly got up, dressed, washed up, and ate, as if none of this had happened.

The entire Prince Yi's residence remained extremely calm and composed.

System: "Aren't you worried?"

"What are you worried about?" Rong Sheng asked, puzzled.

System: Human emotions are truly complex.

Rong Sheng smiled and said, "I believe in Gu Beiyi, I believe in myself, and I believe even more in the eyes of the people!"

Okay, things aren't actually that complicated.

Rong Sheng went out as usual, and arrived at the clinic through a secret passage. He then taught his apprentices his amazing modern medical skills in a humorous and witty way.

The weather outside had changed, but Rong Sheng seemed oblivious, continuing to calmly teach medical skills.

Feng Sijin had already received news of Gu Beiyi's imprisonment, but he did nothing. Instead, he asked, "How is Princess Yi?"

The trusted aide replied, "Remain calm and composed!"

Feng Sijin smiled through her dark eyes, "Truly worthy of being my daughter, she's extraordinary."

If Rong Sheng came to the Feng family in tears seeking his help, he would help her, but his hopes and affection for this daughter would diminish somewhat.

Even though Rong Sheng is his and Mei'er's daughter! Even though Mei'er's shadow can be seen in his precious daughter.

The person involved can remain calm and composed, as if nothing had happened.

However, when the news reached the common people, they were not so calm.

"Slander! Utterly unjust slander! Prince Yi suffered and endured the cold in the North for the sake of all the people there, working tirelessly until his dying breath. He finally managed to calm the people down and ensure they had enough to eat and wear, only to be treated like this upon returning to the capital! Your Majesty, are you blind?"