"Do you have anything to say?"

"I'll give you a chance." Mo Qian looked at Pei Shangxuan and Zhang Wanniang with a cold expression.

"What does the princess mean by this?"

"My sister saw me come home drunk and was worried, so she came to visit me," Pei Shangxuan said, trying to remain calm. His voice was firm and resonant.

“Princess, I was in a moment of panic and lost my composure. Please forgive me,” Zhang Wanniang said immediately.

Both of them were gambling. Mo Qian and the others had just arrived at the door and hadn't heard the previous conversation. As for their intimate behavior earlier, they could just say it was because of their deep sibling bond.

However, if it were Mo Qian at this moment, she would naturally not be fooled.

"You think I'm still as easy to fool as before? You really have guts! You actually dared to try and fool me!"

"Sister? I think 'love sister' is more like it!" Mo Qian said coldly.

Jinzhu and Hongxiu, standing to the side, were already red with anger, but because Moqian had not given the order, they did not step forward to tear Zhang Wanniang's mouth apart.

He also glared angrily at Pei Shangxuan, who was standing to the side.

"Princess! Be careful what you say!" Pei Shangxuan's eyes narrowed sharply after hearing Mo Qian's words, then he tried his best to control his expression and remain calm.

Zhang Wanniang, however, did not possess Pei Shangxuan's composure. Her face showed a hint of panic, and she repeatedly retorted.

"Princess, I am not!"

"Stop making excuses! I've been here for a while now. I heard your conversation at the door, and Zhang Wanniang kept calling out 'Pei Lang.' Was that a lie?!" Mo Qian shouted angrily.

Upon hearing Mo Qian's words, Pei Shangxuan's face showed a hint of defeat, and his complexion turned pale.

Zhang Wanniang was so frightened that she sat down on the ground.

"How does the princess wish to deal with this?"

"Presumably, the princess already knew about this matter when she asked the emperor to dismiss me from my post."

Pei Shangxuan, now regaining his senses, finally understood why the princess had removed him from his official position.

"Princess, I don't want to die, please spare me, I won't do it again!" Zhang Wanniang pleaded hurriedly, her face still showing a hint of fear.

He feared that the princess, in her rage, would order his execution!

"Wanniang, don't beg her anymore, it's no use. Since the princess has wasted so much effort, she won't let us go." Pei Shangxuan looked at Zhang Wanniang with a pained expression.

"You're right, I'm not going to let you off so easily."

"You dare to mock me, you must have been prepared for your schemes to be exposed," Mo Qian said calmly.

"Guards, take these two to the Osmanthus Courtyard, and from this day forward, seal the Osmanthus Courtyard off from the outside," Mo Qian coldly ordered.

"Yes, Your Highness." Upon hearing the princess's instructions, the servants entered from outside and then subdued Pei Shangxuan and Zhang Wanniang.

Compared to Pei Shangxuan's resignation, Zhang Wanniang looked resistant and wanted to break free from the servant's control.

"Let go! Don't touch me!"

However, the servants who were usually polite and courteous to Zhang Wan Niang were cold and indifferent in front of the princess, showing no warmth whatsoever.

Then, the two were taken away.

Watching the two figures disappear into the distance, a deep glint flashed in Mo Qian's eyes.

She hadn't planned to deal with the two of them today; she had come to watch the show, but she hadn't expected them to be so arrogant and disregard the occasion, which gave her leverage over them.

However, resolving this sooner will bring peace of mind.

As for the Osmanthus Courtyard, it was a relatively secluded courtyard within the mansion.

As early as after learning about the original owner's memories, Mo Qian planned to make Pei Shangxuan and Zhang Wanniang experience the suffering that the original owner had endured in the previous life.

"Princess, those two are truly despicable!"

"How dare they deceive the princess! The princess is too kind. They should be punished!" Hongxiu said indignantly.

“Princess, it’s not appropriate to put the prince consort under house arrest so hastily. I’m afraid you might be impeached,” Jinzhu said with a worried expression.

"It doesn't matter. Pei Shangxuan is currently a nobody and insignificant. Even if outsiders know about this, it doesn't matter."

"As for not killing the person outright, it's naturally a slow and painful process." Mo Qian's face was indifferent, and a cold smile curled at the corner of her mouth.

"Let's go back." After that, Mo Qian and the others left.

On the other side,

After the servants escorted Pei Shangxuan and Zhang Wanniang back to the Osmanthus Courtyard, they immediately sealed the courtyard gate.

Zhang Wanniang, who was pushed into the courtyard, looked very unwell, and then staggered to Pei Shangxuan's side.

"Pei Lang, what should we do now?"

"If the princess finds out what we've been hiding from her, she certainly won't let us off easily."

"Are we going to die?" The voice was filled with panic.

"Don't worry, since the princess didn't punish us at the beginning, she certainly won't be in a hurry to take our lives."

Seeing Zhang Wanniang's panicked expression, Pei Shangxuan felt a pang of heartache and offered words of comfort.

“Pei Lang, it’s all my fault. If only I hadn’t gone to your courtyard, the princess wouldn’t have found out.”

"Then they won't lock us up anymore," Zhang Wanniang said with a mournful face.

"It's not your fault. The princess must have already sensed it, which is why she asked the emperor to dismiss me from my post."

"As for today, it's just an excuse," Pei Shangxuan said, looking bewildered.

"Pei Lang, what should we do? Are we just going to be locked up in this dilapidated courtyard forever?!"

"I don't want to!" Zhang Wanniang said, her face full of resistance.

His face also showed a hint of fear about the future.

Let's just take it one step at a time.

"It's fortunate that the princess didn't take our lives directly."

"As for the future, we'll talk about that later," Pei Shangxuan then said.

"Let's go inside and find a place to rest."

"Yes, Pei Lang."

Then, the two walked into the Osmanthus Courtyard.

However, because the Osmanthus Courtyard is located far from the main courtyard, the servants usually do not pass by here.

This has led to the area becoming somewhat desolate.

"Puff puff!" After Pei Shangxuan pushed open the door, a cloud of dust rose up.

"Pei Lang, how could there be such a simple dwelling in the Princess's residence!"

"And it looks like no one has been here for a long time," Zhang Wanniang exclaimed in surprise after seeing the decorations in the room.

"Yes, it's been a long time." Pei Shangxuan wiped the table with his hand and replied after seeing the thick layer of dust on his hand.

"How can anyone live here in such a dirty and messy place!" Zhang Wanniang said with a look of disgust.

"Let's make do for now. I'll tidy up the bed first." Then, Pei Shangxuan found a piece of silk cloth in the room and carefully wiped it.

"Yes, Mr. Pei."

Zhang Wanniang, standing to the side, showed no intention of helping.

By the time Pei Shangxuan finished packing, it was already late at night.

Pei Shangxuan and Zhang Wanniang embraced each other. Although they were both lying down, they were not sleepy at all, only filled with anxiety about the future.