Throughout the entire incident, until the case was closed, Jiang Yuanling did not offer any defense of herself or attempt to seek leniency.

He knew the whole truth when Eunuch Wang came with an imperial edict to tell him that from now on he would spend the rest of his life in the Crown Prince's residence.

His always upright and straight body swayed twice.

His shoulders slumped, and Jiang Yuanling's lips were now covered with patches of bluish stubble from the past few days of neglect.

Su Wanting knelt beside him, holding the bright yellow imperial edict in her hands. "Get up. His Majesty's decision not to kill us is already an extraordinary act of mercy."

"Did you already know this?"

Su Wanting: "...Yes, I already knew."

"Then why didn't you tell me?!" Jiang Yuanling's voice was hoarse, unlike her usual rough tone.

They finally pulled him up from the ground. The once high and mighty Crown Prince's eyes were red. His entire being was filled with grievance and confusion.

"What's the point of telling you?"

Even Su Wanting, her childhood sweetheart, had never seen her crown prince brother in such a state. A sudden pang of sadness welled up in her eyes, and tears welled up in them.

As the two looked at each other with tearful eyes, Xu Nian and Gu Zhan walked out of the courtyard.

"Niannian, what are you doing here? No, how did you get in?"

The emperor's order to confine them to their quarters was practically a form of imprisonment. Not only were they forbidden from coming in or leaving, but outsiders, aside from servants who brought them food and clothing, were also prohibited from visiting them, even by those with whom they had close relationships.

Xu Nian and the others walked out of the courtyard, which suggests they took an unusual route.

Sure enough, the married girl hadn't lost her lively nature. She waved the talisman in her hand, and upon closer inspection, it was a magic circle that she couldn't understand.

Noticing her confusion, Xu Nian explained, "This is a teleportation array. I left one in your room when I came to the Crown Prince's residence before. I used that to get here today."

"you……"

Gu Zhan: "Your Highness, whether you knew about this matter or not, the final result is the same; it's all fate. Now, the Emperor, out of consideration for past relations and thinking that your ignorance is no excuse, has let you off the hook. It's best not to pursue this further."

He led the person aside and had him sit at a table in the front hall.

A year ago, in the same place, Jiang Yuanling advised him to make a clean break. He should find an opportunity to annul Su Wanting's engagement.

Now, the tables have turned. He's the one acting as the lobbyist now.

"The Crown Princess was secretly summoned to the Princess's residence by my wife that day, and it was about this matter." Gu Zhan was also there that day, but he was outside the door. "She probably pretended not to know in order to protect you. Otherwise, she would be eager to give the person behind the scenes a handle to use against you."

Jiang Yuanling seemed to have heard him but didn't seem to, "The person behind it all, is it the Fifth Brother?"

"Forget it, it doesn't matter who it is now. I'm just afraid that Wan Ting will make some kind of deal with Lao Wu for my sake. That child's personality has gone astray, and she's really not easy to get along with."

He was never a very ambitious person; his efforts to hold onto the position of crown prince were only because he had lost his mother, the Empress, and for Su Wanting.

Now everything is back to zero, but I suddenly feel a great sense of relief.

Xu Nian and Su Wanting walked in side by side. "Do you think I'm dead? Why do you have to do business with that two-faced Jiang Yuanche of all people?"

"The Crown Princess asked Nian'er to deliver something to someone. Don't worry, it has nothing to do with the Fifth Prince." Gu Zhan looked at his wife, his cold eyes softening. "We came today to tell you both this. The days of confinement and isolation from the world will not last long."

Jiang Yuanling was initially puzzled, but then something occurred to her, "If it were him, it might actually be possible."

While some people are resolving their inner conflicts, others are going crazy over their soon-to-be-lost wealth and glory.

Liu Qingmei clung to the doorframe of her courtyard, her knuckles turning white from the force. "I don't want to! I don't want to go to the nunnery! I am the eldest daughter of the Minister's mansion, who dares to touch me?! You have no right to touch me!"

"Master, Mei'er is still so young. She was just confused for a moment and was misled. She didn't mean to do anything wrong, so please forgive her this time."

Lady Liu wept bitterly as she recounted her story.

She knelt on the bluestone pavement, her back straight.

Liu Ru'an stood there, letting the lady grasp his hem, without flinching. His face remained unmoved. "Madam! If it weren't for our pampering, how could Qingmei have developed such a temperament?! She trespassed into the Bright Hall and behaved disrespectfully before it. Where does she place the lives of my Liu family?!"

"You said she was young, and now she's married. I don't expect her to do anything for the family, I just want her to live a peaceful life. But look at her now, if it weren't for me... do you think she'd still be alive?!"

He probably never regretted it as much as he did today, and he felt that girls should be pampered.

Liu Ru'an never imagined that a single mistake would raise his daughter to be like this. He could no longer let her run wild. If he didn't send Liu Qingmei away when he took up his post in Pingjin, who knew what other trouble his family would cause!

"I did nothing wrong! Father, I didn't know. I really didn't know this would cost me my head! I just... I just wanted to get justice for myself, what did I do wrong?! Your Majesty, Your Majesty didn't punish me! Father, please, don't send me away! I don't want to go!"

"Master, please spare Mei'er for the sake of all the suffering she has endured at the Third Prince's residence."

"Enough!" Liu Ruan turned around. "Knock the young lady unconscious and take her away!"

If Minister Liu had a way, why would he be willing to send his daughter to a nunnery?

"Mei'er! My Mei'er! No, you can't take her away! Mei'er!" No matter how much Madam Liu struggled, she could only watch helplessly as Liu Qingmei was carried out of the courtyard.

The concubines hiding in the shadows exchanged glances, their eyes filled with schadenfreude.

Little did they know, the next second they would be the ones unable to laugh.

Once the carriage outside had driven away, Madam Liu's shoulders were finally released. Her hair was disheveled, making her look like a shrew from the marketplace. Her former dignity and composure were completely gone.

She rushed in front of Liu Ru'an and shoved him, crying, "Master, why?! Why are you so heartless?!"

"lady!"

Seeing this, the steward quickly stepped forward to pull the man away. But Liu Ru'an stopped him, taking out a letter of divorce from his sleeve. "I have already instructed the steward to arrange homes for the concubines in my household. This is yours. After you take me to Pingjin, you should return to Jiangnan. Your maternal family will treat you well."

"What... what do you mean by this?"

"Madam, Miss's fate was saved by Master in exchange for his official position. He requested to be demoted and go to Pingjin Prefecture to serve as an official, and he will be leaving the day after tomorrow."

In the housekeeper's eyes, Madam Liu was not pitiful.

From the moment she taught the young Liu Qingmei that commoners were lowly and allowed her to bully her sisters, everything seemed to be beginning to show signs of a future.

Everything is just a cycle of cause and effect.