Xu Zhuo kowtowed repeatedly on the ground, begging for mercy, but he was quickly dragged away by several guards around the emperor.

He will die quietly in the eyes of outsiders.

No one will publicize what happened in the Prince's mansion today.

Including Lan Shuang.

At this moment, Lan Shuang's eyes were lifeless, tears streaming down her face. She lowered her head and murmured, "I can't be a nun... I can't be a nun..."

The mistress helped her up from the ground: "Shuang'er, go."

"Mother...you've abandoned me too? You're not going to care about me anymore?"

The mistress sighed and shook her head: "You shouldn't have done something to frame the princess. If His Majesty hadn't been staying at the palace, and if the princess hadn't suddenly fallen ill, would you have labeled her a 'loose woman'?"

"Do you think you're avenging yourself? You're harming the Prince, and the entire Prince's Mansion!"

"His Majesty's punishment of you is not severe at all."

Lan Shuang's face turned ashen. "Mother, I want to be a nun for the rest of my life. I want to live a life of hardship!"

"This is the price you have to pay," the mistress said firmly, leaving no room for negotiation.

"No! No! I don't want to be a nun! I don't want to be a nun!"

She looked around, and seeing that no one was willing to help her, she finally ran to Gu Jiangli and knelt down in front of him.

"Your Highness... Sister-in-law... I know I was wrong, I really know I was wrong, please save me... Please beg the Prince, please beg His Majesty..."

"I promise, from now on I'll stay in my room and won't go anywhere. I'll avoid you wherever you go, okay? I'll never have any bad intentions again, I'll never hurt you or your child again, really, please believe me..."

Prince Yu intervened, blocking Lan Shuang and Gu Jiangli's path. "Lan Shuang, this is all your own fault. What else do you have to complain about? His Majesty's decision not to execute you and Xu Zhuo together is already a favor to the Prince's Mansion!"

"No...no...Brother, I'm your own sister! How can you bear to see me spend my whole life in a dilapidated temple!"

Prince Yu stopped speaking to her and turned to summon two strong servants. "Take Lan Shuang back to her room. Tomorrow morning, send her into the mountains. If she resists, tie her up and send her away."

Lan Shuang struggled, but no matter what she did, she couldn't overpower the two strong men.

As she was being dragged away, she kept begging the emperor for mercy and admitting her mistakes.

Gu Jiangli kept looking at the emperor, his eyes calm and his face expressionless, as still as a stagnant pool.

The emperor seemed to notice her gaze and met her eyes.

Her plan succeeded, but the emperor still couldn't escape her influence.

The two looked at each other, each harboring their own secrets.

As soon as the farce ended, the mistress couldn't wait to speak well of Gu Jiangli:

"Your Highness, it's fortunate that His Majesty upheld justice, otherwise you would have been wronged. From now on, your mother will protect you and never let you suffer any more injustices."

Gu Jiangli held the mistress's hand, creating an image of a happy family.

"With the prince and my mother around, of course I won't be wronged."

The mistress nodded with satisfaction, and her grip on Gu Jiangli's hand tightened.

Now her only hope is the princess. If the princess's baby is a boy, then her mission will be complete.

Prince Yu turned around and said to Gu Jiangli, "Your Highness, so many things have happened, you must be tired. Go back and rest with your mother first. His Majesty and I have some important matters to discuss, and I will come to see you later."

Gu Jiangli very sensibly took her leave. She didn't want to deal with this emperor either. The calmer a person's face and the more smiles they have, the more unspeakable things they are hiding in their heart.

She's that kind of person herself, how could she not know it?

"Without disturbing Your Highness and His Majesty any longer, my mother and I will take our leave now."

After speaking, she and the mistress bowed slightly and walked towards their own courtyard.

Throughout the journey, the mistress was exceptionally warm towards her.

One moment she says she's already picked out clothes for her future grandson, and the next she says she's taken a fancy to a piece of fine jewelry that she wants to give to herself.

This enthusiasm was even greater than when she found out she was pregnant.

The mistress personally escorted her to the door, and only left when the girl said she wanted to rest.

Their departing figures even carried a hint of loneliness and desolation.

Although the mistress said she agreed with the emperor's punishment, she must have felt some reluctance towards Lan Shuang in her heart.

After all, it was a child she carried for ten months, and according to His Majesty, it was born after a difficult childbirth. It's only natural that she was sad.

Lotus walked behind Gu Jiangli and massaged her shoulders, saying, "Your Highness, is it enough to just send that little princess... oh no, Miss Lan Shuang, to become a nun? She is vicious, and I think His Majesty is too soft-hearted and hasn't punished her severely enough."

Gu Jiangli sat in the chair, enjoying the massage from the lotus flower. "She was only thinking about the family fortune, but now she has become a nun who can never leave the mountain gate and has to watch my child inherit the family business. Isn't this worse than death for her?"

Lotus thought for a moment, "That seems to be true."

"Moreover, life in the mountains is nothing like that in the royal palace. She is used to being a pampered young lady, but she will have to eat vegetarian meals with a group of nuns from now on. There will be no one to serve her, and she will have to do all the hard and heavy work herself. Spending the rest of her life like this is already the ultimate torture for her."

Gu Jiangli thought about it now and realized that if she were to suffer this punishment, she would definitely be tormented as well, especially psychologically.

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