The Empress knew that given what her daughter had done, her daughter's life would be like this forever, so she dared not ask the Emperor for mercy again.

She only begged the Emperor to spare her daughter's life, so that she could at least see her again.

You Lanfeng was extremely disappointed and directly announced the imperial decree: "By imperial decree: You Xuewu, the daughter of the Empress, is vicious and morally corrupt. She has repeatedly failed to change her ways and is hereby demoted to a commoner and confined to Yuqing Palace for life. She may not leave unless summoned. Crown Prince You Xueming has failed to be properly instructed. From this day forward, he shall be confined to his quarters for three months and punished by copying the Tao Te Ching one hundred times."

You Xueming accepted the decree and expressed his gratitude: "Thank you, Father Emperor. Long live the Emperor!"

When You Xuewu heard You Lanfeng's words, she could hardly believe her ears. Her father, the emperor, not only refused to save her but also demoted her to a commoner. How could this be?

"Father, I am your daughter! How can you bear to demote me to a commoner?"

You Lanfeng sneered: "You're lucky to be alive. If you dare say another word, I'll send you away right now."

Youxuewu fell silent; staying alive was the priority.

Then You Lanfeng glanced at the Empress and said, "Your Majesty, you should take care of yourself."

After You Lanfeng finished speaking, he led You Bowu out of Yuqing Palace. He still needed to think of a way to express his apology to his junior nephew and how to appease his senior brother's anger.

The Empress watched the Emperor leave and immediately slumped into her chair. If the Emperor could at least punish her, it meant he still cared for her. But now, if he felt even punishing her was pointless, then he had truly given up on her.

The Empress remained slumped in her chair for a long time, until she felt her body stiffen, before finally standing up, smoothing her sleeves, and preparing to return to her palace.

Crown Prince You Xueming also stood up, preparing to return to his confinement. He had been kneeling for so long that he was slightly unsteady when he first stood up.

Seeing that the Crown Prince and Empress Dowager were about to leave, You Xuewu quickly cried out, "Mother, don't go! Father doesn't want me anymore, and you don't want me either? Brother, brother..."

The Empress sighed, "Wu'er, just stay in Yuqing Palace. Your mother will come to see you when she has time."

Whether or not she has the time is up to the Empress. Currently, she is utterly disappointed in this daughter.

You Xueming glanced at her and said, "Take care, Wu'er. I may not be able to see you during my confinement."

You Xuewu looked at the Empress and her brother with a pitiful expression: "Heh, after you leave, will you never come back? Do you also want to abandon me and stop caring about me? Fine, if that's the case, then you don't need to come back. Rather than seeing you suffer, I'd rather live in peace and quiet."

What they just said shows that they have given up on themselves, so what is there left for me to fantasize about?

Rather than pitifully waiting for them to come and see her, she might as well stay quietly by herself. Anyway, she can't get out and is practically a living dead person, so she's of no use to them. What else can she expect from them?

"Wu'er, you... Your mother will ask the maternal family to help you find a renowned doctor. Don't be discouraged. Once this poison is refined, there will surely be an antidote."

You Xuewu sneered, "Even Father has given up, what can Mother do? If Father were willing to write a letter to the Azure Dragon Kingdom, I think for the sake of the greater good, the Emperor of the Azure Dragon Kingdom would definitely have that wretched girl give me the antidote. Father won't even do something this simple, Mother, do you think I still have any hope?"

“Wu’er, you…”

What else could she say? If someone came to kill her daughter for no reason, she would definitely do everything in her power to avenge her. But the root of the problem with Wu'er was herself. Even if she wanted to take revenge, she would have no legitimate reason and would only be courting death.

Even the Emperor was powerless, so what could she do? She only hoped that the young princess was safe and that the Azure Dragon Kingdom wouldn't use this incident to blackmail the Azure Blue Kingdom. Otherwise, given the Emperor's strong sense of right and wrong, it would be difficult for him not to hand Wu'er over.

Alas, it's all my fault for not raising my daughter well, which has led to her current predicament. As her mother, I can't escape the consequences either.

The Empress sighed, "Take good care of Wu'er."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The Empress and the Crown Prince had both left, leaving only You Xuewu sitting in the main hall. Watching their departing figures, a tear rolled down You Xuewu's cheek.

You Xuewu had been pondering what had led to her current predicament. Was it the intrigue and backstabbing within the palace, or the dazzling allure of the outside world? Now, she understood that within the royal family, self-interest trumped everything. She accepted her inferiority, hoping instead to be born into an ordinary family in her next life.

Seeing You Xuewu's tears, her personal maid, Lvyi, felt a pang of pity, after all, she had served her mistress for many years.

"Princess, let me carry you to rest."

You Xuewu nodded, letting Luyi pick her up.

"Greenery, I'm not a princess anymore. Call me by my name. From now on, we'll depend on each other for survival."

Greenie shook her head: "No, Princess, Her Majesty the Empress and His Highness the Crown Prince will definitely come to see you."

You Xuewu smiled in relief: "It doesn't matter anymore, whether you come or not is irrelevant."

The greenery let out a long sigh.