Chapter 107 Abandonment 2

Xiao Fengyi closed her eyes wearily, and when she opened them again, the last trace of tenderness for her daughter had vanished, leaving only a sense of weighing the options.

Pei Mingyue has become a useless piece; we can't let her drag us down any further.

"That's enough. You must have suffered a lot while you were by Mingyue's side. From today onwards, you don't need to go back."

Bai Qing suddenly raised her head, her eyes bursting with joy. These words made her feel a great weight lifted off her shoulders!

"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty! Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty!"

Xiao Fengyi stopped looking at her and turned her gaze to the standing nanny, Gui:

"Granny Gui, go to the Princess's residence yourself. Tell the Second Princess that it was me who spoke—"

"During her confinement, she should reflect on her actions. If she makes another mistake and causes trouble... even I cannot protect her. Let her know what she's doing!"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Granny Gui bowed her head in agreement, her aged face expressionless, and turned to leave.

Bai Qing was taken away by a palace maid to be settled.

Only Xiao Fengyi remained in the hall.

She walked back to her desk, looked at the painting "Still Waters Run Deep," remained silent for a moment, then reached out, crumpled the Xuan paper into a ball, and threw it into the wastebasket beside her.

Giving up on Pei Mingyue is like throwing away a piece of waste paper.

For the sake of the Xiao family, so that her sons could sit in that position…

Pei Mingyue, this daughter, has become a burden that must be cut off.

Gui Mama, accompanied by two meek and obedient eunuchs, stepped into the deathly silent Second Princess's residence.

The once luxurious palace now shows signs of decay.

The doors to the inner sanctuary were tightly shut, and faint sounds of things being smashed and sobbing could be heard from inside.

Granny Gui signaled to the palace maids guarding the gate to open the palace door.

"Squeak—"

As the door opened, light poured in, illuminating the chaotic scene inside the hall.

Broken porcelain shards, torn gauze curtains, overturned furniture... Amidst the mess, Pei Mingyue curled up on the cold floor tiles, her hair disheveled, her eyes bloodshot, and her face streaked with tears. Where was the dignity of a princess from the imperial family?

Hearing the noise, she suddenly raised her head, her eyes fixed on Granny Gui at the door, as if grasping at a last straw: "Granny! Did Mother send you? Did Mother send you to rescue me?! I knew it! Mother wouldn't abandon me!"

Granny Gui looked at her expressionlessly, her voice cold: "Her Majesty the Empress said that she hopes that Second Princess Pei Mingyue will reflect on her mistakes, restrain herself and return to propriety during her confinement! If she goes astray again, disregards the imperial instructions, and causes trouble, even Her Majesty the Empress will find it difficult to protect her! I hope you... will take good care of yourself!"

There was no comfort, no redemption.

Only cold warnings and cuts!

The four words "Take care of yourself" were like four poisoned daggers, stabbing Pei Mingyue's heart hard!

"No--!!"

Pei Mingyue let out a piercing scream, scrambled to her feet, and lunged at Granny Gui like a madwoman, screaming, "It's fake! It's fake! Mother wouldn't do this to me! I'm her only daughter! She won't abandon me! I want to see Mother! Let me see Mother—!"

Granny Gui remained motionless, her cloudy old eyes showing no emotion whatsoever.

Two accompanying eunuchs stepped forward and easily grabbed Pei Mingyue, pinning her to the spot.

Only then did Granny Gui step forward, looking down at Pei Mingyue from her elevated position:

"Your Highness, Her Majesty also asked this old servant to pass on a message to you."

"Her Majesty said that Miss Bai Qing has returned to Fengzao Palace. In the future, Your Highness will need a capable person to guide you, so you must be even more careful with your words and actions, and lest you make a mistake again."

boom--!

It was like being struck by lightning!

Bai Qing... was taken away?!

Although she had a bad temper and sometimes hit her, she never thought that Bai Qing would leave her!

Bai Qing was the smartest person around her...

The Empress Dowager... not only completely abandoned her, but also took away the last person who might help her!

This is tantamount to severing all her arms, turning her into a helpless madwoman in this magnificent prison!

Pei Mingyue's roar caught in her throat. She felt as if all her bones had been removed, and her body went limp and collapsed. She was only able to fall to the ground completely because two eunuchs were supporting her.

The last glimmer of light in those eyes was completely extinguished.

Granny Gui looked at her and a hint of mockery flashed in her eyes.

A princess who behaves like this is truly reaping what she sowed.

"The message has been delivered; this old servant takes his leave."

She bowed slightly, and led the eunuch out of the room.

Inside the room, Pei Mingyue laughed dreamily.

On the same day, he was first abandoned by his father, and then by his mother.

What heavenly law did Pei Mingyue break to deserve such severe punishment?

So what if I offended Xie Sangning!

She couldn't understand it, she really couldn't understand it, what right did Xie Sangning have!

Her eyes were filled with tears, but even more so with resentment and malice, a resentment that was no longer directed solely at Xie Sangning.

——

Nanjing has never been one to keep secrets.

The news that the Second Princess Pei Mingyue had been severely punished by the Emperor again spread like wildfire throughout Jinling, even though there was no official announcement or gongs.

As everyone knows, the Second Princess was punished again for offending Xie Sangning, and her perception of Xie Sangning has changed once more.

"Have you heard? The Second Princess has fallen again! And it was that Princess Jianing who fell for her again!"

"Tsk tsk, a year's salary deduction, plus another six months of house arrest! This time they've really stirred up a hornet's nest!"

"Indeed! Forcibly breaking into the General's Mansion and even trying to kidnap the County Princess? Tsk, what audacity... The Emperor is truly enraged this time!"

"I heard that he even made a harsh statement at the end, saying that if there's a next time, he'll be directly... demoted to a commoner?"

"Hiss... Good heavens! That's a legitimate princess! Just how capable is this Princess Jianing?"

"Who cares how capable she is? Just remember this: in Jinling City, you'd rather offend the King of Hell than offend this lady!"

When this news reached Xie Wulu's ears, it made his eyes light up.

At this moment, Xie Wulu was wrapped in a tattered cotton quilt that smelled of rancidity, huddled on a cold pile of straw, shivering from the cold. The high spirits of the newly appointed Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) of the past had long since been worn away without a trace.

The message came from next door. The woodshed was poorly soundproofed, but from this vantage point, one could hear the conversations in the teahouse lobby. Xie Wulu, having nothing else to do, sat here listening for information and trying to find a way out for himself.

A tremendous opportunity!!

Pei Mingyue must hate Xie Sangning to the core now, but she's become a mad dog with all its claws and teeth ripped out!

They are canaries trapped in a magnificent cage, isolated and helpless!

What is she lacking?

We're short-handed! We're short-brains!

She especially lacks a vicious dog that can help her kill Xie Sangning!

And what about Xie Wulu?

What else does he have?

Fame and fortune? Long gone! Reputation? Like rotten mud in a stinking ditch! All he had left was a bellyful of overwhelming hatred for Xie Sangning and a worthless life!

"Great...very good!"

Xie Wulu clenched his fists tightly. "Second Princess...you need me! You need an even bigger mad dog to tear Xie Sangning apart for you!"

I'll seek refuge with Pei Mingyue!

Anyone who can become the Second Princess's person, even if it's just as lowly as a dog, will have money and resources!

No more freezing and starving to death in this dilapidated woodshed! There's no way out!

More importantly... he can use Pei Mingyue to take revenge on Xie Sangning!

Let her taste the bitterness of being disgraced and falling into the dust!

Once this thought arose, he could no longer sit still!