After hearing the Fourteenth Prince's heartfelt words, Zhu Wanqing knew that his mind was made up. Only then did I let out my pent-up grievances and sadness, and said dejectedly, "Guards! Tie them all up!"

The Fourteenth Prince gave a calm, bitter laugh, then turned his back, unwilling to face Zhu Wanqing any longer. Zhu Wanqing glanced at him reluctantly before leaving the cave without looking back.

After the cave returned to silence, the Fourteenth Prince remained silent. The Seventeenth Prince, feeling guilty, moved closer to the Fourteenth Prince and said, "Fourteenth Brother, it's all my fault for dragging you into this..."

The Fourteenth Master chuckled and said nonchalantly, "What are you talking about implicating me? If I hadn't been so blinded by greed, you wouldn't have come to this deserted island jungle to suffer! In the end, it's me who dragged you down..."

Meanwhile, Zhu Wanqing immediately convened a meeting of the hall masters. Zhu Wanqing remained stern-faced and sullen. The hall masters were even more indignant, unleashing a torrent of resentment and curses at the Fourteenth Prince.

Zhu Wanqing frowned slightly, subconsciously touching her belly; the baby was still moving. A gentle, motherly smile suddenly appeared on her face, but she immediately reverted to her cold demeanor.

The yellow-robed hall master, who was standing to the side, was the first to notice Zhu Wanqing's thoughts and asked with slight concern, "Sect Leader, are you alright?"

Everyone fell silent, looking at Zhu Wanqing with heartache. It was too late to say anything more; Zhu Wanqing was the one most hurt. As women themselves, everyone knew how distressed Zhu Wanqing was, especially since she was pregnant.

Zhu Wanqing forced a bitter smile, her face pale, but she still managed to say, "I misjudged you, so I can't blame anyone else!"

The black-clad leader stepped forward angrily, stamping his foot and shouting, "He should have been killed then and there! I hate heartless men like him the most! The leader treated him so well, yet he was ungrateful and even dared to plot against the leader..."

The black-clad leader's words reignited everyone's anger, and the blue-clad leader also said indignantly, "Yes, killing them is too lenient. If you ask me, people like them should just be forgotten..."

Zhu Wanqing looked at the people below discussing amongst themselves, feeling a splitting headache and hearing a cacophony in her ears. She clutched her forehead in discomfort.

The Purple-Clad Hall Master, being the most composed, stepped forward upon seeing Zhu Wanqing's distress, saying, "Alright, sisters, this isn't the time to discuss this. Since the Fourteenth Prince has already made contact with the outside world, the Thirteenth Prince, having failed to wait for their return, will inevitably launch a forced attack on the island. With our current strength, it's utterly futile..."

Zhu Wanqing raised her head and cast an admiring glance at the Purple-Clad Hall Master, which was exactly what Zhu Wanqing was worried about most.

The leader of the Green-Clad Hall stepped forward hastily, waving his hands and shouting, "We have two princes of the Qing Dynasty in our hands. Do you think they don't care at all?"

Everyone nodded in agreement. The purple-robed hall master sighed and said, "Taking the prince hostage is just a delaying tactic. We can't just hide on this island forever, can we?"

The green-robed leader thought for a moment, bowed to Zhu Wanqing, and said excitedly, "Master, why don't we use the two princes as bargaining chips to coerce that dog emperor into paying to ransom them... Right now, the White Lotus Sect is expanding, and all departments and halls are in dire need of money. We simply can't keep up with our current business!" He then added, "This way, we can buy ourselves some time to arrange the follow-up matters!"

After hearing the Green-Clad Hall Master's plan, the other hall masters nodded in approval and even began discussing the details. Zhu Wanqing, however, fell into deep thought, remaining silent...