On the evening of the third day, Princess Ziyan arrived gracefully.
As soon as she arrived, she asked impatiently, "Yujing, the three-day deadline has passed. Have you made up your mind yet?"
Bai Yujing frowned slightly, and asked in confusion, "The princess seems to be in dire straits herself, so why bother making things difficult for me again?"
Princess Ziyan's smile faded, and she said in a solemn tone, "I truly did not expect that you would be so skillful, making me a sinner in everyone's eyes in just three days. I am really curious, this courtyard is guarded by Zhang San and Li Si like an iron barrel, how exactly did you manage to pass on the message?"
As Jiang Huaiyu listened to her account, he knew in his heart that the outcome of the matter was already decided.
He scoffed, his tone laced with disdain: "Princess, you should first examine your own actions. While the Prince Hao's mansion is indeed powerful, countless eyes are watching your every move. Have you not considered the potentially serious consequences of your reckless behavior?"
"as a result of?"
Princess Ziyan shrugged, a slight smile playing on her lips. "I'd like to ask you, what exactly is this 'consequence' you speak of?"
Jiang Huaiyu's face immediately darkened, and her tone became stern: "Didn't you come here to release us?"
Princess Ziyan seemed to have heard the most absurd joke in the world. She raised her eyebrows and sneered, "I only remember the three-day agreement with Yujing. If he agrees, you will naturally regain your freedom."
Bai Yujing was also full of doubts and asked incredulously, "Since the matter has already caused such a great uproar, has His Majesty not taken any disciplinary action against the Prince Hao's Mansion?"
Why is she still so arrogant and confident?
Princess Ziyan blinked gently, her tone calm: "My father is safe and sound, what reason does my royal uncle have to blame him?"
"you……"
Bai Yujing gritted her teeth, her voice low and firm: "This is absolutely impossible. His Majesty is wise and mighty. The princess's behavior is contrary to common sense. How could His Majesty stand idly by?"
Princess Ziyan responded casually, "Although I asked you to divorce your wife and marry another, I did discuss it with you after all. If you all agree, what wrong have I done?"
"But you're using the lives of five members of the Bai family as a threat..."
Princess Ziyan interrupted him, her tone cold and arrogant: "What proof do you have? Marriage should be a union between two families. When did I ever say such a thing? Besides, although I confined you to the courtyard, it was to protect you, the top scholar. Did I cause you any harm?"
She sat gracefully in the main seat, a faint smile on her lips, exuding an aura of nobility and solemnity.
"Since everything is as usual, what reason does my royal uncle have to blame me, the princess?"
"You...you're completely distorting the truth!"
Bai Yujing never expected that things would be portrayed in this way. Is the truth really determined solely by her one-sided account?
Jiang Huaiyu listened quietly to their conversation, then suddenly spoke up: "The princess just mentioned that she has become a sinner in everyone's eyes. I'm sure there's a lot of talk about this among the people. Even if His Majesty doesn't punish her, how can the princess withstand the accusations from everyone? Can the Prince Hao's Mansion bear the flattery and infamy of this world?"
While there may be many concerns in the imperial court, the common people are always eager to hear stories of resistance against the powerful. They have an innate sympathy for the weak, and although King Hao was known for his benevolence, the mere fact that he was tainted by corruption inevitably led to accusations against the powerful. This is human nature; it's their subconscious tendency to project their own feelings onto others and to evade responsibility.
Princess Ziyan's mind raced, her brows furrowing slightly, revealing a hint of disgust. She wasn't worried about gaining a bad reputation, but rather the sheer irritation she felt at hearing those vicious words.
"No matter how loud the noise from others is, if there is no solid evidence in their hands, everything will eventually vanish like smoke."
Jiang Huaiyu's eyes were sharp as he looked at Bai Yujing.
Bai Yujing understood immediately and slowly said, "Since the princess is also wary of the danger of having something on us, then if you ask me about my response to the three-day deadline, I will still stick to my original intention and resolutely refuse. Now the entire capital is focused on us, and there are countless eyes watching the Prince Hao's Mansion and the princess. Does the princess really intend to disregard the opinions of the world and take such a ruthless action against my husband and me and the Bai family?"
"How dare you test me!"
Princess Ziyan stood up indignantly, her anger burning, and glared at the two of them with eyes as sharp as swords.
The two men, however, showed no fear and calmly met her gaze.
After a while, Princess Ziyan slowly sat down, a cold smile curving her lips: "It seems that I have indeed underestimated you."
Bai Yujing respectfully cupped her hands in greeting, "Then, Princess, could you please show mercy and spare my life?"
Princess Ziyan raised one eyebrow and chuckled, "I've always had everything I wanted, which makes life incredibly boring. That's why I prefer challenging games. I can't really do anything to you right now, but I won't give up easily either. Yujing, this stalemate might not be so bad."
Bai Yujing's eyes narrowed, and he was about to speak.
Princess Ziyan spoke first: "I know what you want to say. It's nothing more than that your imperial uncle will summon the newly appointed scholars in a few days, and you plan to plead your case before the steps. Let me tell you, Marquis Jingyuan has already impeached my father in court, and your imperial uncle has kept quiet about it. Do you think he will listen to your grievances?"
"Princess, you are of noble status. Why force someone to do something so unreasonable? What benefit would you gain from doing this?"
"The advantage is that it allows me to choose a husband who suits my taste!"
"My heart already belongs to my wife, and I have no other intentions. I cannot obey your command!"
"In that case, let's continue this stalemate."
Bai Yujing was utterly helpless. She snorted coldly and said sharply, "Your Majesty may tolerate the princess for a while, but can you always allow her to coerce loyal officials?"
Princess Ziyan's smile remained unchanged as she said casually, "There's no coercion involved. If my royal uncle brings this up again, I'll say that I'm in love with you and will marry no one but you in this life. If my wish is granted, I'd be willing to share a husband with Sister Jiang. Yujing, think about it, even a princess like me has lowered myself so much, how could my royal uncle possibly refuse my wish?"
After she finished speaking, her expression revealed a completely different thought.
If she were to say these words, people would probably only marvel at her deep affection, and instead blame Bai Yujing and Jiang Huaiyu for their cold-heartedness.
Jiang Huaiyu felt increasingly confused.
In her past life, she was a noblewoman of high rank who had entered the palace to meet high-ranking officials and interacted with many members of the royal family. Yet, she had never met a woman like Princess Ziyan, who would disregard everything for a man. In her previous life, Princess Ziyan seemed to have married into a distant branch of the royal family without much gossip. However, in this life, she has become a huge obstacle in Jiang Huaiyu's heart.
Jiang Huaiyu felt increasingly heavy-hearted, as if she had overlooked a crucial step.
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