"Send the Second Prince back to the Dragon and Phoenix Palace and ask the imperial physician to take good care of him." Jiang Yu glanced at Consort Rong, who was already unsteady on her feet, and a mocking look appeared on her lips.
[He usually boasts about how much he dotes on those three ungrateful brats, but just now he didn't say a single word to plead for Gu Qingfeng.]
If the ladies and attendants who had just been dismissed still harbored some resentment, now that they saw even Gu Qingfeng had been knocked unconscious, they had no more complaints and felt that Jiang Yu had already shown them mercy.
They even strangely felt that Jiang Yu was handling things skillfully, since their own child had acted that way on the instructions of the Second Prince, and it was only right that the Second Prince was severely punished now.
"Gu Qingyao, if I remember correctly, you were also involved?"
Jiang Yu's words jolted Gu Qingyao awake, and tears welled up in her eyes immediately. She grabbed Rongfei and Gu Qingling's sleeves tightly and wouldn't let go.
[A princess of a nation, of noble birth, yet she is ignorant and incompetent, instead learning the scheming and plotting of those ladies in the inner quarters, and even then, she has produced a hodgepodge; it's shameful to even mention it.]
Gu Qingyao was on the verge of collapse, shaking her head repeatedly, "I didn't..."
The image of Gu Qingyan's death, which she had witnessed after her own death in her previous life, kept replaying in Jiang Yu's mind, and a hint of ruthlessness appeared in her eyes as she looked at Gu Qingyao.
She truly died once, and after her death, her body was left to rot in the wilderness, never even being buried in an imperial mausoleum.
Jiang Yu couldn't help but close her eyes. Gu Qingyao was her only daughter. She pitied the hardships women faced in life and desperately tried to protect Gu Qingyao's reputation. She was too foolish to think that blood ties would bind them together, never expecting that in the end she would be betrayed and abandoned by everyone.
"The Emperor has arrived!"
Cen Hai's voice sounded like heavenly music to Consort Rong and Gu Qingyao. Gu Qingyao immediately ran over and hugged Gu Heng, "Father, Consort Rong and I were bullied so badly."
What a lying princess she is, she's only demeaning herself.
Everyone present frowned again. How could this legitimate princess have been taught to be so petty and naive, lying in front of so many people?
"Isn't it inappropriate for the Empress to bully people so openly?" Gu Heng paused when he saw the disapproving look on Princess Yu's face. "My aunt is here too."
"Your Majesty, the Empress was instructing the princes and princesses, not bullying them as the princess claimed."
Gu Heng smelled the blood in the air, and Cen Hai immediately stepped forward to find out what had happened.
"Yao'er, how could you speak to your brother like that?" Gu Heng first pretended to say a few words to Gu Qingyao, and then looked at Jiang Yu, "However, the Empress's punishment is a bit too harsh. Qingfeng has never been punished like this since birth. As for Yao'er, let's just let it go."
Consort Rong looked at Gu Heng with gratitude. The group stood opposite Jiang Yu, looking more like a family connected by blood.
"I never knew I'd become the villain." Jiang Yu smiled, making Gu Heng somewhat dazed. "Your Majesty, you've managed the Prince Yu's residence so well. All the children in the Prince Yu's residence are well-educated and reasonable, which I greatly admire."
"It would be better to send the princess to Prince Yu's residence and have her aunt teach her for a while, so as to prevent the royal family from tarnishing its reputation in the future."
"Father, Consort Rong, I don't want to leave you..." Gu Qingyao cried as she spoke, "Brother, please plead for me."
Gu Heng was in an awkward position. Jiang Yu had put Princess Yu on a pedestal, and if he didn't respond, wouldn't he be embarrassing the Yu Prince's Mansion in public?
“In that case, we will follow the Empress’s advice and send the princess to Prince Yu’s residence for a month.” Gu Heng deliberately took Rongfei’s hand in public. “Rong’er is not feeling well, so I will accompany her back to Lingxi Palace first.”
Jiang Yu smiled and respectfully saw Gu Heng off, but just as Gu Qingling was about to turn and leave, she suddenly spoke up, "Your Highness, won't you go to the Dragon and Phoenix Palace for a visit?"
The obvious mockery stung Gu Qingling, and Jiang Yu also looked at this eldest son, who was actually the most selfish and ruthless. In this matter, he completely absolved himself and preserved the Crown Prince's good name.
"It was the Empress Dowager who issued the decree to carry out the execution. Why doesn't the Empress Dowager go and see my second brother?"
Gu Qingling's gaze was somewhat gloomy. Jiang Yu had punished both Gu Qingfeng and Gu Qingyao, but had not made a move against him. This almost caused the usually calm Gu Qingling to lose his composure.
Gu Qingling probably intended to return to Lingxi Palace and then embellish today's events to tell Gu Heng, thereby consolidating the position of Lingxi Palace and the Crown Prince.
With his scheme exposed, Gu Qingling's expression was far from pleasant. "Since Mother is unwilling to go with us, then I will go to the Dragon and Phoenix Palace to see my second brother first."
Seeing this, everyone took their leave, and Zhaoning Palace returned to peace. Jiang Yu, feeling somewhat exhausted, nestled on a recliner and closed her eyes to doze off.
A moment later, a rustling sound arose, and Jiang Yu felt her hand being grasped. "Mother, I was wrong."
"Didn't I tell you to go to Master Meng for tutoring today?" A warm current flowed through Jiang Yu's heart, silently soothing the small wounds in her heart.
"I was worried about you, Mother." Gu Qingyan knelt on Jiang Yu's lap. "I shouldn't have kept it from you, Mother, and made you worry about me."
For his sake, the Empress Dowager reprimanded the secret guards who were protecting him in the shadows, and punished Gu Qingfeng and Gu Qingyao, almost completely breaking ties with Lingxi Palace.
[Gu Qingfeng is very concerned about his reputation. After being beaten by me, he didn't dare to provoke Ayan for a long time. As for Gu Qingyao, with her personality, she would only suffer a lot if she went to Prince Yu's mansion.]
"Ayan, don't be afraid if anyone bullies you." Jiang Yu sat up straight and reached out to stroke Gu Changyan's face. "You are still young and need me to protect you."
"When you grow up, if anyone hits you, you can hit them back at me."
"Won't this cause trouble for Mother?" A tear rolled down Gu Changyan's cheek, then quickly fell to the ground and disappeared.
Without his parents' protection, he knew from a young age that to survive in the palace, he had to learn to endure. Now that he was fortunate enough to have his mother's favor, how could he bear to cause trouble for her?
"You are my child, Jiang Yu's child, the third prince born of the Empress of Daqing. The Dingyuan Marquis's family, with its illustrious military achievements, is your maternal family. Ayan, what do you have to fear?"
Jiang Yu felt Gu Qingyan's back tense and patted it lightly, saying, "In this life, I will protect you."
She had given her heart to the wrong person and paid the price with her life. She was blessed by God and had the opportunity to be reborn. For her, Ayan was the salvation after her rebirth.
"Your child will also protect Mother."
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