"The princess goes out almost every day, setting off before dawn and sometimes not returning until the dead of night. If this isn't a secret rendezvous... then what is she doing?"
Bai Qing sat up, his gaze towards the maid already cold.
"Then, Madam Jin, how do you think this matter should be handled?" Bai Qing asked.
Lady Jin was unaware of His Majesty's attitude and dared not speak of drowning at the moment: "Although the princess is not virtuous, she is still a noblewoman, and I dare not make any rash judgments."
"Your Majesty, what do you think?" Bai Qing asked again.
Empress Jin coughed twice: "Your Majesty, such a disgraceful incident has occurred among the imperial concubines. It is my dereliction of duty as Empress that has done this."
“She is of royal blood, so naturally her life cannot be taken. But we cannot let other princesses or noblewomen follow suit, would that damage the reputation of the royal family? It would be better to strip her of her royal status and demote her to a commoner. Only strict laws can serve as a warning to the noblewomen of the upper class and encourage ordinary women to follow suit, to live in harmony with their husbands and to respect their parents-in-law.”
After listening, Bai Qing asked Madam Jin, "What does Madam Jin think of this approach?"
Madam Jin was not actually satisfied, but she could only nod: "This humble woman thinks Your Majesty's handling of the matter is extremely fair."
Bai Qing sneered. He didn't see or care about the situation of commoner women, but he was unhappy that his princess was inferior to her husband's family. Didn't that mean that his majesty as emperor was not deep enough?
"But I disagree."
Both Madam Jin and the Empress were somewhat puzzled.
Bai Qing, however, had already looked at Bai Yan: "Do you really often come back in the middle of the night?"
Bai Yan touched her nose, seemingly a little embarrassed: "It happens occasionally."
Bai Qing looked displeased. Just as Madam Jin thought His Majesty was angry and about to teach this shameless princess a lesson, she heard him say, "You child, you must do everything in moderation. You are a girl, how can you compare to a man's robust physique? What if you hurt yourself?"
Bai Yan smiled sweetly at her father, "Your subject understands. Thank you for your concern, Father. From now on, your subject will only go out during the day and return home at night."
Bai Yan and Bai Qing, father and daughter, naturally understood what the other meant, but the others did not.
Madam Jin sat on the ground in utter shock and couldn't help but say, "Your Majesty... the Jin family has been loyal ministers for generations, how could you possibly deceive the Jin family to this extent? Doesn't Your Majesty fear the criticism of the people?"
Empress Jin, standing to the side, couldn't help but ask, "Your Majesty, is this perhaps—"
"Your Majesty, the person has been brought in!" Before Lady Jin could finish speaking, Liu Jin'an, who was bound hand and foot and gagged, was brought in.
When he lay on the ground and saw the emperor in front of him, he was so moved that tears welled up in his eyes, and he struggled incessantly.
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