Seeing that Lanqin had made up her mind, Baoqin had no choice but to give up, giving Ji Shi a warning glare before stepping aside.
Lady Ji said guiltily, "Your Majesty, although Shui Ling has harmed you and the Prince, she deserves to die. But Shui Ling has truly seen through everything and will never betray Your Majesty again. She will definitely stand up for you and testify against Consort Nian!"
"No, it's not just for me, it's for yourself too! In this harem, wealth and status aren't gained through scheming against others! It's more about sincerity... You all think the Emperor favors me, but you don't see how sincerely I treat him. And what about you? You only care about how to climb higher, how to gain more power, placing all your hopes on vying for favor. Human desires are like a net; once you get something, you want more! If you can't get it, you want to take what belongs to others! Gradually, people's hearts are blackened by self-interest, and you can't see any sincerity. But what the Emperor values and cherishes most is sincerity..."
Lanqin spoke to Madam Ji, but also to herself, reminding herself not to be careless again. Everyone has desires, and these desires can erode their conscience. Lanqin hoped to preserve her true heart intact, but she also needed to become strong enough to protect those she loved, which meant the road ahead would be far from easy…
Lady Ji was moved by Lanqin's words and fell into deep thought, while Lanqin left Zhongcui Palace with Baoqin and Xichun.
On the way to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Baoqin supported Lanqin and said worriedly, "Your Majesty, I know that you have been deeply affected by what happened to the Prince. But I am still worried that a mere member of the Ji family cannot defeat Consort Nian!"
Lanqin remained silent. She knew all too well that the Emperor valued the Nian family's power and wouldn't easily punish Consort Nian. However, Consort Nian had truly struck at Lanqin's weak spot this time. Lanqin was determined to eliminate her to prevent future troubles, and she would leave the rest to the Fourth Prince.
With the Hall of Mental Cultivation right in front of her, Lanqin had never felt this path to be so difficult and arduous. Only when she saw Su Peisheng come out to greet her did Lanqin realize she had no choice but to do it…
When the Fourth Prince learned that Lanqin had gone to Zhongcui Palace, he thought he would personally execute Lady Ji to vent his hatred. However, the moment he saw Lanqin step into Yangxin Hall with a melancholy and confused expression, the Fourth Prince understood everything...
"The Ji family deserved to die. Qin'er, are you going to plead for them?" Fourth Master asked deliberately, staring intently at Lanqin.
Lanqin didn't mince words, meeting the Fourth Prince's gaze directly, and replied, "Your Highness understands. The one who harmed Hongli wasn't Ji Shi. Even if she were dead, Qin'er wouldn't be satisfied..."
The Fourth Prince's brow furrowed, and his lips twitched. He said, "Why do you say that? The palace maids from the Censorate have already confessed that Lady Ji is the murderer. Besides, no evidence has been found in Yikun Palace..."
Lanqin interrupted the Fourth Prince, smiling helplessly, "It seems Your Highness really hopes that the person who harmed Hongli is from the Ji family, and that she will eventually be implicated as the Ji family member, then Your Highness will be relieved..."
The Fourth Prince remained silent, his face grim. Lanqin continued, "It was Consort Nian! My guess was right. Although there's no evidence to prove she did it, I know there's no one else but her..."
With a wave of his hand, the Fourth Prince frightened Su Peisheng into bowing and leading everyone in the Hall of Mental Cultivation out of the room. The Fourth Prince walked down to Lanqin's side, looked at her, and said, "Qin'er, what do you want to do?"
Lanqin smiled and said to the Fourth Prince, "Your Majesty, I only want her to pay the price she deserves! Lady Ji has told me everything, and she will come forward to testify against Consort Nian's actions!"
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