After listening to Granny Wei's report, Lanqin remained silent.
Seeing that Lanqin remained silent with a sullen face, Gao Xiyue mustered her courage, raised her head, and looked directly at Lanqin, saying, "Your Majesty, Xiyue knows that she has done something wrong, but I do not regret it. I have never provoked anyone since I was a child, but if I am bullied, I will definitely retaliate."
Lanqin felt that Gao Xiyue was somewhat similar to herself back then, but thinking about what she had experienced over the years, she was worried for this woman who was about to step into the backyard.
“You do have a bit of pride,” Lanqin said.
Gao Xiyue didn't understand what Lanqin meant, so she knelt on the ground and didn't dare to say a word.
When Zeng Xiwen saw that Gao Xiyue had indeed touched her phone on her clothes, she couldn't help but complain to Lan Qin.
“Your Majesty, you see she has confessed. Now we have caught her red-handed. She was the one who sprinkled perfume powder on my clothes. Please punish her, Your Majesty,” Zeng Xiwen said.
Gao Xiyue couldn't help but retort, "That's what you deserve. Who told you to bully people?"
Then she knelt before Lanqin and said, "This humble girl is willing to accept any punishment, only begging Your Majesty not to send me home."
Su Lufu also knelt on the ground to plead for Gao Xiyue: "Your Majesty, all of this is because of me. Gao Xiyue did all this for my sake. Please, Your Majesty, have mercy and punish me instead."
Gao Xiyue looked at Su Lufu with emotion.
Seeing how close they were, Lanqin couldn't help but think of herself back then, but she couldn't act recklessly just because they were on good terms.
Lanqin said, "All three of you are wrong about this."
Lanqin did not take sides and commented on what the three of them had done one by one. She said that Zeng Xiwen was arrogant and resorted to petty tricks, which was not like the granddaughter of a first-rank official and was really unworthy of her status. This made Zeng Xiwen cry.
Gao Xiyue felt a little smug when she saw Lanqin criticize Miss Zeng. But Lanqin changed the subject and began to criticize her for being too vengeful and too outgoing, unlike a young lady from a prestigious family. Gao Xiyue didn't expect Lanqin to criticize her, but she couldn't argue back, so she clenched her teeth in grievance.
Then, Lanqin spoke of Su Lufu, saying that she was relatively better-natured, but too weak-willed. Su Lufu lowered her head, not daring to utter a sound.
As Lanqin spoke these words, she was also thinking about betrothing Miss Gao and Miss Su to Hongli as princesses. She wondered if they would still be as close as sisters they were today. After all, she had been in the harem for so many years, and she had seen so many women who were originally as close as sisters end up fighting to the death for their husbands' favor, never to speak to each other again.
Lanqin sighed; their future was now entirely up to fate.
Lanqin waved her hand and said, "Granny Wei, take them away! When you get back, have them copy the Heart Sutra fifty times to calm their minds. Remember, this only needs to happen once. I will not pursue this matter because you are still young. But if it happens again, no one can save you."
Upon hearing that Lanqin's punishment was merely copying scriptures, Gao Xiyue felt a huge weight lifted from her heart. Even fifty or a hundred copies were far better than being sent home. The three of them knelt on the ground, profusely thanking her and promising never to do it again.
Lanqin said to Baoqin, "Baoqin, help me back. I'm a little tired."
Baoqin helped Lanqin up, ignored the kneeling crowd, and left.
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