The Fourth Prince's wife felt a chill run through her, but outwardly remained calm, pretending to have been appeased, and gave a soft hum: "Very well."
The Fourth Prince secretly breathed a sigh of relief: "Then, I'll take you back to your room to rest."
The Fourth Prince's Consort waved her hand gently: "No need, I'll go back to my room myself. By the way, I'm leaving Gu Qinlian to you. She's the one who caused all this trouble, so you must teach her a lesson for me."
She was still unsure how to deal with her relationship with the Fourth Prince, but she would never let Gu Qinlian, this jinx, go!
Ever since this jinx entered her life, she has been repeatedly humiliated.
She couldn't help but wonder if Gu Qinlian was a pawn sent by one of the Fourth Prince's rivals to sabotage the situation!
She's just a female merchant; since she's displeased, let's just get rid of her.
The Fourth Prince was already burning with rage. He knew that all this trouble was caused by Gu Qinlian, and he replied with a sinister smile, "Don't worry, I will definitely avenge you!"
This incident had a profound impact on him. Although he could not do anything to the Fourth Prince's wife, he had countless ways to punish a merchant's wife.
Thus, Gu Qinlian, imprisoned in the Fourth Prince's residence, fell into despair.
Ever since she was captured by Granny Cen, she had been confined to a secluded courtyard. She was completely unaware of the changes in the outside world, and she didn't know whether the Fourth Prince's Consort believed her story. She could only live in fear and trepidation every day.
When a group of guards stormed through the courtyard gate like fierce demons, Gu Qinlian's heart tightened, and she sensed that something terrible was about to happen.
"Guards! Drag this lowly woman away immediately and subject her to severe punishment!"
Granny Cen's face was cold as she issued a stern order to the guards.
Gu Qinlian was terrified, desperately dodging and shouting, "Don't come any closer! Where is the Fourth Prince's Consort? I need to see her! You can't treat me like this!"
However, the guards were unmoved and quickly subdued her.
Granny Cen stormed forward and slapped Gu Qinlian hard across the face several times.
"You shameless hussy, how dare you mention my Crown Princess! She has already shown more than enough mercy by not taking your life immediately. Alright, take her to the dungeon and give her a proper 'treat'."
This last sentence was addressed to the guards.
The guards immediately dragged Gu Qinlian away. Gu Qinlian was terrified and struggled desperately, pleading, "Please, Fourth Prince's Consort, please let me go..."
Granny Cen sneered, "Don't let her disturb the masters."
The guard immediately took out a filthy handkerchief from his pocket and forced it into Gu Qinlian's mouth.
Gu Qinlian's stomach churned from the stench of the handkerchief, and she almost vomited up several times, but her mouth was tightly sealed, so she could only force herself to swallow the vomit.
While she was suffering terribly and struggling to survive, she was dragged into the dungeon of the Fourth Prince's mansion.
Although the dungeon was not spacious, it terrified everyone in the Fourth Prince's residence. Because without exception, every prisoner who entered it never left alive.
If it were just death, that would be one thing, but the most terrifying thing is that the prisoners here have to wait for the fourth prince to decide when they will die, while they are subjected to inhuman torture.
The longer one spends in the dungeon, the longer one has to endure torture. In comparison, being beheaded with a single sword strike seems incredibly fortunate.
The dungeon was filled with all sorts of torture instruments; just a glance at them was enough to make one's legs go weak.
Gu Qinlian, who was already timid and fearful, collapsed to the ground in despair upon seeing the instruments of torture.
The guards dragged her to the rack like a dead dog, stripped off her winter clothes, and tied her tightly to the rack.
Before she could catch her breath, a guard brandished a whip and lashed her hard across the body.
Instantly, the skin and flesh were torn open, and blood gushed out.
Gu Qinlian was in so much pain that the veins on her body bulged. Her screams were muffled by the handkerchief in her throat, and she could only make muffled whimpers.
Before she could recover from the excruciating pain, the second lash came down immediately.
Gu Qinlian fainted from the excruciating pain.
Standing to the side, Granny Cen coldly scooped up a ladle of water mixed with a special substance and splashed it on Gu Qinlian.
The moment the water touched her wound, it triggered excruciating pain, jolting Gu Qinlian awake from her unconsciousness. She writhed desperately, writhing in agony, wishing only to die immediately.
Granny Cen observed for a while with satisfaction, then threw the water ladle on the ground and said to the guards, "From today onwards, treat her like this every day, spare her dog's life, and await the master's judgment."
"Yes, sir!"
Granny Cen turned around and went to report to the Fourth Prince's Consort.
The Fourth Prince's Consort, with medicine applied to her face, sat back on the soft couch with a gloomy expression.
"Your Highness, that vile woman has been locked in the dungeon. Her life or death is entirely up to you."
The Fourth Prince's wife gritted her teeth and said angrily, "Letting her die is too easy for her. I want to make her wish she were dead!"
Granny Cen immediately comforted her, "Your Highness, please calm down. She's just an insignificant woman; she's not worth getting so angry about. You're pregnant now, so you should take good care of yourself. This is your and the Fourth Prince's first child, and there can be absolutely no mishaps."
A sinister glint flashed in the Fourth Prince's wife's eyes: "Granny, when you get home, tell Father and Mother in detail about the grievances I suffered today. Some people should be shown what we're capable of."
She didn't explicitly say who "some people" was referring to, but Granny Cen already knew.
She hesitated for a moment, then earnestly advised, "My lady, the Fourth Prince is, after all, the pillar of your future. Although his actions today were inappropriate and it was wrong of him to harm you, if the Prince and Princess find out, it will likely push the situation into an even more awkward state. At that time, your relationship with the Fourth Prince will probably be even more precarious. If a husband and wife are estranged, the road ahead will surely be difficult and tortuous."
The Fourth Prince's wife gently stroked her cheek, her tone resolute: "We'll discuss the future later, but right now, I simply can't bear this stifling feeling!"
Moreover, the slap from the Fourth Prince had profoundly influenced many of her future choices. Therefore, she had to tell her parents about it.
She knew she wasn't particularly clever, so she never made decisions on her own.
Granny Cen accepted the order and hurriedly left.
...
In Prince Duan's Mansion.
Gu Qinlan was comfortably reclining on the soft couch, reading a book, when Fuyu rushed in and reported, "Madam, Miss Meiyun requests an audience."
Gu Qinlan put down her book and said calmly, "Let her in."
Soon after, Meiyun was led into the house by Fuyu.
She did not bow, but sat directly on the stool opposite the soft couch.
Gu Qinlan did not hold her behavior against her, but said directly, "Miss Mei, I am extremely grateful for what happened yesterday."
The Fourth Prince and his wife arrived uninvited, and she immediately suspected their intentions. However, summoning a doctor from outside would be too conspicuous, so she hurriedly sent someone to summon Mei Yun.
She was worried that Mei Yun would refuse, but to her surprise, Mei Yun not only agreed, but also cooperated with her tacitly.
Regardless of Mei Yun's motives for offering help, Gu Qinlan believed that gratitude should be expressed promptly.
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