The princess was ordained by Heaven.

Madam Xia's complex emotions and reluctance were choked back by her words.

She slammed her hand on the table next to her in exasperation: "You're so stupid!"

She didn't expect that even now, Xia Wan still wouldn't recognize the situation and would remain stubbornly ignorant.

For a moment, she wondered if the problem wasn't with her and her husband's parenting, but with Xia Wan's brain.

How could she be so stupid?

"Just pretend I'm confused. Mother, please tell your daughter, okay? I'm begging you!"

Madam Xia hardened her heart and said coldly, "Your Zelang is dead."

"Dead... dead?"

Xia Wan looked ashen-faced, as if she had suffered a huge blow.

"The fourth prince is also dead."

However, Xia Wan did not pay attention to these words, as she was still immersed in the shock and grief of her lover's death.

"Mother, you're lying to me, aren't you?"

She tried to find evidence that Mrs. Xia was lying, but of course, it was in vain.

Madam Xia repeated, "He's dead, Jize is dead."

"How could it be, how could it be..."

Xia Wan murmured to herself several times, her eyes growing dimmer and dimmer, until finally they held a death wish.

Madam Xia felt a deep sadness in her heart. She fumbled in her purse and took out a porcelain bottle: "Do you want to go with him?"

The bottle contains a deadly poison that can kill without pain.

This was originally intended to be secretly added to Xia Wan's tea, but now, Madam Xia has changed her mind.

Xia Wan snatched the porcelain bottle as if she had obtained a precious jade.

She suddenly stood up, knelt heavily in front of Madam Xia, and kowtowed gratefully.

Madam Xia was moved, and her suppressed maternal love was about to break free of her reason, but Xia Wan knew very well how to stab her own family in the back.

"Thank you for your kindness, Mother! I'm going to be with Zelang now. He must be very lonely walking the road to the underworld alone."

With a smile, she readily poured the poison down her throat.

Until her last breath, the person she cherished most was not her parents who gave her life and raised her, nor her sisters who grew up with her, nor even the fourth prince whose life she had ruined; it was still her Zelang.

Madam Xia stared blankly at the smile on her daughter's face, feeling momentarily dazed.

Is this really her daughter?

With trembling hands, she checked Xia Wan's pulse.

She died peacefully, and could even be considered to have gotten what she wanted.

But that's precisely why it seems so absurd.

She lost all strength and collapsed in front of Xia Wan's body, finally unable to hold back her tears.

The ministers watching the celestial canopy reacted in various ways.

Those officials who had previously been close to the Fourth Prince were caught off guard by the news of his death, but they were all good actors and managed to pretend to be indifferent and unaware.

The other ministers were puzzled: Could it be that Jize was capable of using witchcraft?

What kind of Gu is so powerful? Should they go back and have their pulses checked? I wonder if the doctor can detect the Gu worm.

The Third Prince muttered, "It's just bad luck for Lord Xia and his wife to have run into such a piece of char siu. It's like a ghost from a past life has come to collect a debt."

[Tsk tsk, Jize is truly a master of brainwashing. Of course, the foundation laid by those seditious books deserves much credit. Suddenly, I think the Minister of Revenue's suggestion isn't entirely unreasonable. Burning books and people should make them realize that these seditious books are untouchable, right?]

After the surprise visit to their children's homes, the ministers were shocked to discover the seditious writings.

I have no time to sympathize with Lord Xia, I should sympathize with myself!

Minister Fang, emboldened, seized the opportunity and immediately reiterated his suggestion to burn books and people.

Xu, the official in charge of the Ministry of Works, hurriedly retorted: "Most children are rebellious. If we are too radical, they might become even more unruly in private!"

【Oh, so you're feeling sorry for her now? Feel sorry for her all you want, but once your daughter runs off with that brat from the Brown Kingdom, you'll never have the chance to feel sorry for her again!】

Lord Xu was immediately filled with fear.

At this moment, he had already projected Xia Wan's face from the sky onto his own daughter.

The thought of his lovely, beautiful daughter being abducted by a traitor from the Brown Kingdom, even to the point of dying for him, makes him feel breathless.

No, no, no, he absolutely will not allow it!

His attitude changed abruptly, and he gritted his teeth and decided that if he couldn't reason with him, he would resort to force!

The ministers argued about the matter again, with one side insisting on strict laws to deter others, while the other insisted on peaceful education and subtle influence.

A group of people argued back and forth, and no one could convince the others, vividly illustrating the saying "everyone has their own reasons."

Finally, Qin Duzhi weakly suggested, "Why not try a two-pronged approach?"

The Fengqin Hall fell silent instantly.

Liao Hongsheng straightened his hair and muttered an excuse to himself: "I've been eating too much gossip and it's made me stupid."

Zheng Xun couldn't stop laughing after watching the whole spectacle.

[The argument's over, I'm getting bored, let's watch something else.]

The courtiers, who had been expecting some juicy gossip, immediately perked up.

Within the canopy of the sky, a gentle and refined young man, as dignified as a jade tablet, slowly walked through the bamboo forest.

A gentle breeze rustled the bamboo leaves, and he, dressed in a blue robe, with a faint smile, looked like a young master straight out of an ancient book.

[You possessed a quality of gold and jade, yet you were shattered in the end—a tragedy indeed. This was Xu Zhen… truly a pity.]

In the past, the appearance of anyone in the sky was a sign that something bad was about to happen. Hearing Zheng Xun's regretful tone, Xu Zhen's grandfather, Xu Ru, was so anxious that he almost stroked his beard until sparks flew.

But Zheng Xun admired it for a while, and then he just turned off the canopy... turned it off...

Yes, it's fine to look at beautiful women, but we should respect their privacy. It's enough to just enjoy the view.

Xu Ru, who almost died of a heart attack because she couldn't catch her breath: ...

The emperor's face was as black as charcoal.

Does she even realize she's only ten years old? Ten years old! Still a child who hasn't grown up yet!

And this Xu Zhen, he's practically a femme fatale, all looks and no substance...

But halfway through his rant, he remembered Xu Zhen's later contributions to the Great Yong Dynasty, and he suddenly fell silent.

The elderly father, deeply concerned, immediately addressed Zheng Xun, asking, "Yuanjia, what are your thoughts on this matter?"

Zheng Xun: ...

The matter has already been discussed, what opinion could she possibly have? She has absolutely nothing to say.

"Your subject believes that the suggestions of the ministers are very comprehensive."

The emperor wasn't trying to force her to say anything; he just gave her a deep look and let her go.

Zheng Xun rolled his eyes.

Sigh, my father is unpredictable and has a mental illness; as his daughter, all I can do is be patient with him.

Suddenly, a burst of laughter erupted from somewhere, as if a switch had been flipped, and bursts of laughter joined together.

emperor:……

He felt his imperial majesty turn to ashes at that moment.

The prince covered his lips with his sleeve, but the corners of his mouth, hidden below, were almost stretched to the sky in a wide grin.

However, he didn't hide it well; he could conceal his smile, but his muffled laughter would sneak out of his mouth.

Meanwhile, Zheng Xun was looking for excitement.

The gossip system seems to have become a bit smarter, with another section added. The content is generated and recommended based on the gossip she wants to hear at this moment. Xu Zhen's live stream was discovered in this section, and she clicked on it to experiment.

Unexpectedly, the system thought she was a big fan of Sai. Could she really be that kind of person?