After being sentenced to death, she came to her senses.

Fang Xiaoran has no intention of recalling Qinglan after she was driven away.

The betrayal in her past life left a thorn in her heart, but since Qinglan hadn't done anything outrageous in this life, she couldn't do anything to her.

We can't punish her now just because of what might happen in the future.

Fang Xiaoran couldn't do this, so Gu Yuqing's decision to drive her away was an opportunity.

"Princess, Qinglan requests an audience. She says she knows she was wrong and begs for your forgiveness..." Ziju entered the room and pleaded softly.

Although she had many grievances against Qinglan, they had served Fang Xiaoran together, so she naturally couldn't bear to see her suffer.

Fang Xiaoran calmly handed a list to Ziju and said, "Go to the storeroom and take out all the items on the list, as well as the silver, and give them to her. This is enough for her to live a comfortable and worry-free life for the rest of her days."

It was clear that Fang Xiaoran had made up her mind not to give Qinglan any more important positions. This left Ziju speechless. In her eyes, although Fang Xiaoran was ruthless and decisive, she was always lenient with her own people. Qinglan must have done something that Fang Xiaoran could not tolerate to be treated this way.

Knowing Fang Xiaoran's temperament, Ziju stopped mentioning the matter, silently put away the list, and walked towards the warehouse.

Those around Fang Xiaoran had no objections to Qinglan's matter. They knew Fang Xiaoran's character and sympathized with Qinglan. However, Fang Xiaoran's orders were absolute and no one could disobey them.

As for the servants of the Marquis's mansion, they were filled with unease, thinking that if this man was willing to drive away even his own personal maid, wouldn't he be even more unscrupulous towards them? After what happened last time, no one dared to gossip anymore.

At this moment, Qinglan was still pacing outside the mansion gate, feeling extremely uneasy. She thought that Gu Yuqing was just giving her a minor punishment and that her young lady would call her back once her anger subsided, but she didn't expect that there would be no movement from behind until now.

Qinglan even went to the princess's mansion, but the people there still wouldn't let her in, which made Qinglan realize that she might have made a big mistake this time.

Fang Xiaoran had finally married into the Marquis's mansion, and her life was becoming more and more promising. How could Qinglan be willing to give up like this?

As Qinglan was filled with worry, Ziju arrived gracefully with her entourage.

Upon seeing Ziju, Qinglan immediately rushed forward, threw herself into her arms, and burst into tears, "Ziju, we've served the princess for so many years. Even if we haven't done anything great, we've certainly put in the hard work. The princess won't abandon me, will she?"

Seeing her pitiful appearance, Ziju felt sorry for her. "The princess won't abandon us. That's why she specially asked me to bring these things and silver, and ordered me to personally deliver them to you."

"What do you mean?" Qinglan realized something was wrong and stared blankly at Ziju, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Your relationship with the princess and her servant is over. From now on, you are free to go wherever you want. These things can guarantee you a life of wealth and honor. Take them with you when you leave."

Ziju's voice was very soft, like a feather drifting by, yet it felt like thousands of sharp thorns piercing Qinglan's heart. She could no longer control herself, and tears streamed down her face. "The bond between mistress and servant is over... For the sake of her son-in-law, she is so heartless? How ridiculous, how utterly ridiculous."

"Qinglan, watch your words." Ziju had initially felt quite sympathetic towards Qinglan's plight, but upon hearing this, her expression changed immediately, and her voice rose several decibels.

Qinglan grew even angrier. She roared, "You and I have served her for so long, and she drove me away without even asking what happened. Today it's me, tomorrow it will be you. Ziju, aren't you afraid of following such a mistress? I've seen through her. She has no heart at all. No wonder she's not well-liked in the Fang family."

"Shut up! You know very well what kind of person the princess is. If you make a mistake, you will naturally be punished. Neither you nor I will be an exception." Ziju's face was cold, and the sisterly affection from before was gone.

"Who caused you to be sold to a brothel and lose your virginity? It was because of her! Don't you hate her? If it weren't for her, you would still be a virgin and could have married in style. But now, who would want you? You can only spend your life with her, groveling and begging in front of her."

"Qinglan, I was initially very sympathetic to you, but after hearing your words, I suddenly feel that it was right for the son-in-law to send you away. You are not suitable to stay by the princess's side. Take your things and leave. Don't tarnish the princess's kindness to you."

Qinglan's words made Ziju unable to bear it any longer, but she still forcibly suppressed her anger. No matter what, they had come this far together, and their bond of sharing joys and sorrows was genuine.

Ziju took a deep breath, her voice slightly cold, "You, go."

"Fine, very well!" Qinglan became hysterical, laughing maniacally. "You'll regret driving me away! I'll see what benefits you get from following her in the future!"

"Show them out," Ziju said coldly, turning and leaving under Qinglan's venomous gaze, Qinglan's curses echoing in her ears, "You'll regret this, you'll definitely regret this!"

When she returned to Qingxin Residence to report the matter, Ziju did not tell Fang Xiao about Qinglan's madness, but Fang Xiao had already guessed it. She took the medicinal herbs with a calm expression and smiled, "Is she very angry, even cursing me, but she still obediently took back the things I gave her?"

Upon hearing this, Ziju was taken aback, somewhat surprised. "You... guessed it?"

"It's not a guess, but rather that I know her too well," Fang Xiaoran said with a gentle smile.

Ziju grew increasingly worried. Thinking of Qinglan's earlier behavior, she frowned. "With her temperament, she might cause trouble."

"It's alright, she can't cause any trouble." Fang Xiaoran said calmly.

With Qinglan's matter settled, Fang Xiaoran didn't care whether she would live out the rest of her life in peace or continue to cause trouble.

Recently, while trying to treat Mo Wen, she also maneuvered around the Marquis's residence, intentionally getting close to Jiang Yuke.

It wasn't that she needed to win this person over, but rather it was a return gift for Jiang Yuke's hair-wrapped ornament, and she wanted to find out exactly where Jiang Yuke's hair-wrapped ornament came from.

Asking directly wouldn't yield any results, so Fang Xiaoran secretly sent people to investigate the matter while also approaching Jiang Yuke every now and then, occasionally flicking a trace of poison from her fingertip or letting out a faint fragrance from her sleeve—all of which were highly potent poisons she had specially concocted.

When it comes to using drugs, no one can rival her.

She had specifically studied the antidote for the "Blue Silk Entanglement" poison and modified it to make the poison even more insidious and difficult to cure.

This poison can remain dormant for up to ten years, which Jiang Yuke naturally couldn't detect. By the time she did, it was too late for even a miracle.

Since the other party had poisoned her, how could she let them get away with it?

Inside the Peony Pavilion at the Liu Mansion.

Winter has passed and spring has arrived. The snow in front of the courtyard has melted, and tender buds are just beginning to sprout on the branches, bringing a sense of vitality.

Madam Liu sat leaning against the railing, while Liu Ruyan respectfully brought her a cup of hot tea. "Mother, it's chilly in early spring, be careful not to catch a cold."

"So what if I catch a cold? It's nothing compared to the decline of the household." Madam Liu shook her head slightly and sighed silently.

The Liu family is indeed declining day by day. The downfall of Consort Ning also signifies the collapse of their backing. Liu Ruyan's fingertips trembled slightly, and the water in the teacup rippled gently, reflecting a fleeting dark glint in her eyes.

"Mother need not worry. Even if Consort Ning falls, there are others to take her place. The Liu family is powerful, so how could they be affected by just one person?"

“The Gu family has already severed ties with the Shang family. Do you know what that means? Consort Ning has been abandoned, and the Liu family is not like the Gu family, which has two marquises in one family.”

Madam Liu clenched her handkerchief tightly, her knuckles turning white. "Our Liu family is ultimately no match for them; we will only become sacrifices."

“Mother, since Consort Ning has lost power, let’s find someone else to rely on. The Liu family is not entirely without options even after leaving the Shang and Gu families.” At this moment, Liu Ruyan suddenly spoke up.

Upon hearing this, Madam Liu's eyes flickered slightly. "Who are you referring to?"

"Prince Duan."