After thinking seriously for a moment, Linlin said, "If I were a prince, I would plead for my father before the Emperor."
The Prince of Jin's gaze was calm and deep. "Why?"
"Because this is what the Emperor wants to see."
The Prince of Jin was inwardly impressed; indeed, this was the child he had chosen!
The Emperor, having lost face, will surely be furious; but will he abandon Tang Mingfan and his son because of this?
The answer is obvious.
The emperor was caught in a dilemma: he wouldn't give up, but he also couldn't let the matter go unpunished. How should he proceed?
At this point, if the Prince of Jin wanted to please the Emperor, he had to adopt a superior attitude and do what was right for him.
Thus, the Emperor gave the Tang Family a light punishment and comforted the aggrieved Prince of Jin, and the matter was considered closed.
Personal matters of children can never compare to the affairs of the nation; Prince of Jin understood the emperor's mindset very well.
Now, Linlin has figured it out too.
Linlin, however, seemed uncertain, looking at Prince of Jin with her obsidian-black eyes. "Your Highness, am I right?"
"Yes," said the Prince of Jin.
Linlin thought to himself that his aunt's efforts had been in vain, and so had his.
Even if they do nothing, the prince won't let this matter spiral out of control.
"Do you feel like you got hit for nothing?"
"No," Linlin somewhat embarrassed. "It was my own fault for being so stupid and threatening the prince. I deserved to be beaten."
How could anyone not like this humble and sensible child?
I really don't know how someone like Tang Zhuyun could give birth to such a child.
"Your Highness, thank you," Linlin said earnestly. "I will keep your secret as my own and help you when I grow up."
The Prince of Jin patted his head and said, "Let's get past this hurdle first."
How exactly the Emperor will "punish them lightly" is a sword hanging over the Tang Family's heads.
As for Tang Zhuyun, seeing Prince of Jin leading Linlin into the palace, she wanted to chase after them, but alas... her aunt wouldn't allow it.
Having been away from home for so long, and then forced to run all the way by the Prince of Jin, I'm starting to feel exhausted.
She had to go home first. Her pants were indeed a little dirty, but thankfully it didn't show through her skirt, otherwise it would have been too embarrassing.
After changing her clothes, Meng Yulan came to her anxiously. "A-Yun, how is it?"
She has caused so much trouble for the Tang Family; her guilt is beyond words.
Tang Zhuyun herself was also anxious and upset. She was anxious because she didn't know the situation of her father and brothers, and upset because Linlin had been beaten up by the dog prince.
However, she didn't show it in front of Meng Yulan, saying, "The Prince of Jin has already gone to the palace to plead for leniency. Let's wait for news at home."
Meng Yulan sat down weakly. Her skin, which was already as white as snow, became even paler, and even her lips turned white.
"Sister Meng, it's alright," Tang Zhuyun comforted her, and also comforted herself. "Since Prince of Jin has relented, the Emperor will most likely give him a minor punishment as a warning."
Her father was in poor health and had gained the emperor's favor, so the punishment would likely fall on Tang Baixin in the end.
It's all for his sake to get married, so let him be punished.
Meng Yulan didn't speak, her hand unconsciously tightening its grip on the chair armrest.
Judging from her appearance, Tang Zhuyun knew that she was in a state of turmoil, but she was worried about the three men in her family and her lower abdomen was aching, so she leaned back in her chair and didn't say anything.
"Girl, madam is here." Luzhu stood at the door and said in a panic.
It was Madam Meng arrived.
The incident occurred when Meng Yulan was attending court in the early morning. Now, the sun is setting and dusk is approaching, so she has arrived quite early.
Meng Yulan glanced at Tang Zhuyun and said, "A-Yun, please step aside for now. My mother probably has something to say to me."
Tang Zhuyun nodded, got up, and went to the inner room.
Separated only by a curtain, the voices of the mother and daughter outside could be heard clearly.
Tang Zhuyun thought that Madam Meng might scold Meng Yulan, but she never expected that Madam Meng would actually persuade Meng Yulan to commit suicide.
"... My son, it's not that your mother doesn't love you, but things have come to this. Only if you die can people forget about you and Lord Tang, and think that you were strong-willed because you were betrayed by Jiang Beihan... If you don't die, the reputation of our family and the Tang Residence will be completely ruined."
"Go. Your elder brother is still the heir apparent. If you live, how will he save face? What about his title? And what about your mother? How can I face your father?"
"Is this her own mother?" Tang Zhuyun was utterly furious.
Meng Yulan smiled and asked, "Mother, did my father send you?"
Madam Meng nodded, tears streaming down her face.
"So, back then, when it was my turn to write to Jiang Beihan, did my father also know about it?"
"That, that was Mother..." Madam Meng lowered her head, not daring to look into her daughter's eyes, "But Mother did it for your own good! Back then, no one could have imagined that the Marquis of Wuyang's Residence would one day be restored..."
"You never expected that using Yingxue would backfire, making Jiang Beihan hate the Duke's Mansion so much." Meng Yulan said softly, her gaze falling on the three-foot-long white silk ribbon. Her next words were mocking, "Mother, you know I don't want to implicate the Tang Family, but you still want me to die in the Tang Family. Isn't that repaying kindness with enmity?"
The truth is so ridiculous; even if they wanted her to die, they wanted her to die outside, so as not to defile the Duke's mansion.
She was the legitimate daughter of the Duke's mansion, a model of noble ladies in the capital, but overnight, she became a disgrace hated by everyone.
"Yulan, you..."
Meng Yulan sneered and tilted her head slightly, revealing her long, slender, and fair neck. "Mother gave me this life, and if she wants to take it away, she can take it herself. I've already died once; the King of Hell won't take me, so I won't go and die again."
Tang Zhuyun almost wanted to applaud Meng Yulan.
Such a ducal mansion, such cold-hearted parents—it's better to be rid of them.
Throughout the entire ordeal, Madam Meng showed no compassion for her daughter's plight, constantly emphasizing the reputation of the Duke's mansion and the future of the heir apparent.
She doesn't care about Meng Yulan, so why should Meng Yulan care about them?
Madam Meng was naturally unwilling to give up and tried her best to persuade Meng Yulan.
Meng Yulan finally stopped talking and just stared at her coldly.
Finally, Madam Meng lost her temper and slammed her hand on the table, shouting, "If you don't listen to me, do you think you'll have anywhere to go in the future? Do you think the Tang Family will take you in for the rest of your life?"
"I won't cling to the Tang Family," Meng Yulan said. "I'm leaving now, and you won't have to worry about me anymore. I hate that you changed my fate, and I hate even more that you can now act as if nothing happened, righteously forcing me to die. Mother, this is my last word. From now on, you will no longer have me as your daughter!"
She knelt down and kowtowed three times to Madam Meng, and when she stood up again, her gaze was resolute.
"Lüzhu, let's go."
She didn't know where to go, but she couldn't drag the Tang Family down with her any further.
All she was waiting for was news that the Tang Family Zi'an. Now that she was being entangled with Madam Meng, she decided to leave.
"Seize her!" Madam Meng's voice hardened, "Since you don't want to be respectable, then I'll do it for you! You all, send this disgrace on her way!"
"Who dares!" Tang Baixin returned.