Despite his reluctance, Hongshi eventually accepted reality and was released. The day of the Duke of Ying's exile had arrived, and the Empress was waiting early in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, hoping to see the Fourth Prince.
Under the blazing sun, the Empress had been standing outside the Hall of Mental Cultivation for several hours, refusing to go back no matter how much Su Peisheng and the maids tried to persuade her.
Suddenly, the Empress's vision went black, and her body went limp, collapsing into her maid's arms. The maid screamed for help. Seeing something was wrong, Su Peisheng quickly summoned the imperial physician and rushed to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
The Fourth Prince was still reviewing the documents when he saw Su Peisheng in such a hurry and became somewhat displeased: "What's the rush?"
Panting, Su Peisheng hurriedly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the Empress has fainted!" The Fourth Prince was taken aback, put down what he was doing, and frowned as he asked, "Fainted? Has the imperial physician been summoned?"
"The imperial physician is on his way. Would Your Majesty like to go see her?" Su Peisheng asked tentatively. The Fourth Prince, his eyes dark and still angry, waved his hand and said, "No need... I don't want to see her..."
No sooner had she finished speaking than the doors of the Hall of Mental Cultivation were pushed open. "Your Majesty, I beg you..." The Empress, ignoring the palace servants' attempts to stop her, stumbled in. Su Peisheng was shocked and quickly went to stop her: "Your Majesty, you are not well; you should rest first..."
The Fourth Prince stood before them, his face ashen. The Empress could only kneel down at a distance, sobbing and pleading, "Your Majesty, I know the Duke of Ying has committed a heinous crime, but I only wish to see him off... I beg you..."
The Fourth Prince remained silent, while the Empress, clutching her chest in anguish, said, "With his departure, I will never see him again in this lifetime. He was my brother, and I only wish to see him one last time..."
Seeing the Empress crying so heartbrokenly, the Fourth Prince's heart softened. He glanced at her coldly and said, "Go!"
The Empress was overjoyed. Forgetting all about her appearance, she knelt down to express her gratitude, then hurriedly got up and left the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
The Duke of England was being escorted to the city gate in his prison cart when the Queen's carriage arrived just in time. The Queen alighted from her carriage and, seeing the Duke in his prison clothes, felt a pang of heartache.
The two were separated by the prison cart. The Queen gently wiped away her tears and said to the British, "It's good that you can keep your life. It's good that you can keep your life!"
Seeing the Queen's pale face, the Duke of England knew that she had gone to great lengths to get out. They exchanged a glance but said nothing more. The Queen grasped the Duke's hand and said, "Don't worry, I will take good care of Xueying for you. As long as I'm alive, I will never let this child suffer..."
The Duke of England was immediately moved to tears and nodded repeatedly.
"It's all my fault that you've been implicated..." The Empress couldn't help but sob softly. The Duke of England looked around warily and said urgently, "Your Majesty! Don't talk nonsense. This matter has nothing to do with you, understand?" As he spoke, he silently exerted force in his hand. The Empress was startled and looked up to meet the Duke of England's gaze.
"You are the Empress! The Duke of Ying's mansion and Xueying are all entrusted to you..."
The Empress nodded, her voice choked with emotion. The Duke of Ying knew that the Empress was clinging to her position for the sake of the Duke's family. After giving all the instructions, the escorting soldiers began to urge them on. The Empress could only reluctantly let go, watching the Duke of Ying leave with tears in her eyes.
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