Cold-faced Empress

In the courtyard, Madam Ji and Ji Xiangrong, their heads shaved and bound hand and foot, knelt on the dark blue stone slab, weeping bitterly and in unbearable pain.

The interrogator was Fang Zhi, and Fang Zhi's methods were much gentler than Mo Canglan's.

Although Madam Ji and Ji Xiangrong did not suffer physical trauma, they were subjected to mental torture. As respected ladies and young women, having their heads shaved was tantamount to losing face, and they would be judged for the rest of their lives because of it.

"Bang bang bang."

There was a knock on the door, and Fu Siying, who was a light sleeper, immediately opened her eyes: "Who is it?"

"Miss Fu, Mrs. Fu and Young Master Fu have come to see you."

Upon hearing this, Fu Siying immediately woke up Yunzhi, who was still fast asleep beside her. The two tidied themselves up a bit and opened the door to welcome their mother and younger brother in.

The arrival of Li and Rong Chen was simply to bring Fu Siying the news that the Ji family was the culprit. Madam Ji and Ji Xiangrong were imprisoned and would not be released for at least ten years.

Upon hearing that Madam Ji and Ji Xiangrong had both been shaved bald, Fu Siying laughed out loud: "Hehehe, what a great idea."

Madam Li sighed, "Originally, Prince Mu agreed that the Ji family could give away all their wealth in exchange for Madam Ji and Miss Ji becoming nuns in a temple, thus avoiding imprisonment. But..."

But in the end, Master Ji couldn't bear to part with it.

Fu Siying sneered: "Merchants value profit more than sentiment."

She was smiling when her expression suddenly changed. Mo Canglan appeared outside the door, silently watching her.

Immediately, Fu Siying pursed her lips and looked away, maintaining an indifferent expression.

Madam Li gave her a warning look, reminding her not to overdo it, and then left with Yun Zhi and Rong Chen, leaving Fu Siying and Mo Canglan alone in the room.

Mo Canglan entered the house, and surprisingly, no servants followed him in to set up the stove.

Pingcheng was damp and chilly; he should have been even less tolerant of it. But she noticed that he wasn't dressed as warmly as usual, and he wasn't carrying a hand warmer.

“Your mother told you everything,” he said.

Fu Siying remained silent, but her heart was pounding.

"This matter is over; forget about what's past."

His gentle and mild attitude sent chills down Fu Siying's spine. She couldn't believe he could tolerate his princess being impure. How could he possibly tolerate it?

She believed he was only making a big show of going to Pingcheng to handle the matter personally in order to save face.

I imagine that once he returns to the capital, he will rightfully ask the Emperor to annul the engagement.

After thinking for a moment, Fu Siying said, "Thank you for finding the culprit for me."

A simple thank you, utterly bland, like a simple meal. Mo Canglan sat across the table, seeing her expressionless face and only offering a perfunctory reply, and inexplicably felt annoyed.

He disliked her nonchalant attitude, which lacked any of her usual flamboyance.

After a moment of silence, he suddenly said, "The bandits lied. You are actually safe and sound and have not suffered any misfortune."

These words struck her like a thunderbolt, freezing her in place. She turned to look at Mo Canglan in astonishment. Seeing his calm expression, she couldn't help but tremble slightly, realizing that the calmer he was, the more terrifying her fate would be.

"I……"

His gaze was reassuring: "It's all a misunderstanding by Pingcheng officials. All officials have been dismissed and investigated, and the Bai family has all changed their stories. Soon, the entire city of Pingcheng will know that this is a mistake. You can rest assured that everything will be false. You are still you, and you have never changed."

Fu Siying stared at him blankly, speechless.

What does he mean...?

“You,” she couldn’t help but swallow, “what exactly are you…” Was you bluffing her, or were you trying to scare her?

Seeing that she seemed too shocked to speak for a long time, Mo Canglan lowered his eyes for a moment, then slowly reached out his hand to her.

Fu Siying didn't dare to move, watching helplessly as he grabbed her hand and then held it tightly.

“Return to the capital tomorrow and forget all the rumors,” he said again. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of everything.”

Fu Siying lowered her head, staring intently at their clasped hands. His hands were so cold, yet strangely warmed her. The coldness was biting, but the warmth penetrated her heart.

If she had truly suffered misery, and he treated her this way, she would surely be deeply moved and moved to tears. However…

When she looked up and saw his serious expression, she became even more frightened.