After being jilted, the entire neighboring village was filled with deep regret.

Chapter 499 Going Down a Path to Darkness

The commoner Xu was in no better shape than Zhao Wanyi. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he began to go berserk, shouting, "I refuse to accept this! I refuse to accept this! I am the most noble prince of the royal family, why is my father treating me like this? This shouldn't be! This shouldn't be!"

He looked up to the sky and roared with grief and indignation, hating the Empress Dowager for meddling, hating Cen Mingxue's confession, and hating the Emperor for his ruthlessness!
Zhao Wanyi watched this scene coldly and said weakly, "Your Highness, what are you going to do next?"

Shuren Xu suddenly turned around, rushed to Zhao Wanyi, and grabbed her wrist. "Aren't you the eldest daughter of the Zhao family? Doesn't Princess Qingkang value you the most? Go to the Zhao family and beg Grand Tutor Zhao to go to the palace and plead for us."

Zhao Wanyi forcefully broke free from the shackles of the commoner Xu, looking at him mockingly, "Husband, do you know why I was demoted along with you?"

Shuren Xu's face darkened.

Zhao Wanyi, however, began to complain without regard for the consequences, "Because I lied to protect you. Even tigers don't eat their cubs. You treat your own daughter like this, and I have become your accomplice. The Empress Dowager cannot tolerate this, and the Emperor cannot forgive it."

I've ended up in this state all because of you!
Now you want me to drag the entire Zhao family down with me? What are your true intentions?

Shuren Xu grabbed Zhao Wanyi's neck viciously, his face contorted with rage. "Who gave you permission to talk to me like that? Zhao Wanyi, what are you? If it weren't for the Zhao family, do you think I would have married you?"

The Zhao family went to great lengths to marry you to me; wasn't that a gamble? Now we're all in the same boat. Does the Zhao family think they can stay out of it? Dream on!
I'm telling you, you have to go whether you like it or not, otherwise I won't hesitate to drag the Zhao family down with you!

Since he's already in this state, the worst that could happen is death, but Grand Tutor Zhao can't afford to gamble!
"You madman!" Zhao Wanyi was filled with hatred, her fists clenching involuntarily.

When Princess Qingkang's trusted confidante, Granny Dong, arrived, she overheard these words and her face darkened.

"This old servant greets the young master and the young lady." Granny Dong curtsied expressionlessly.

As if she had found a savior, Zhao Wanyi scrambled to hide behind Granny Dong, crying out, "Granny, Murong Xu has gone mad! He's going to harm our Zhao family!"

With a pained expression, Granny Dong turned back and pulled Zhao Wanyi to the front. "Young Miss, the Grand Tutor fainted in the palace last night because of that imperial edict. He has only just regained consciousness. The Emperor..."
The Emperor was truly enraged this time. He not only ignored the Grand Tutor but also made no comment whatsoever, putting the Zhao family in a very precarious situation.

Zhao Wanyi felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar, a chill rising from the depths of her heart and spreading throughout her body. Her voice trembled as she spoke, "So even Grandfather can't help us?"

Dong Mama gripped Zhao Wanyi's hand tightly. "Miss, the Emperor is furious right now. If he finds out that there are still court officials helping the son-in-law, the outcome will be the same as the Cen family. You may not know, but the Cen family was raided, and Cen Yingfan was executed in the autumn."

The master is now in dire straits himself, so he came up with a plan for his son-in-law.

Shuren Xu's cold expression changed slightly upon hearing this. "What method?"

Seeing that he didn't mention the matter at all, Dong Mama was angry and replied indifferently, "The Grand Tutor said that the young master should repent, start anew, and live a good life so that the Emperor can see his sincerity. After a while, when the Emperor is amused by his anger, he will find a way to plead for the young master."

The commoner Xu was furious. "Insolence! What was wrong with what I did? Those who achieve great things do not concern themselves with trifles. I merely did what any person in a position would do. Why should I repent?"

Dong Mama said indifferently, "Young Master, in the royal family there are no fathers and sons, only rulers and subjects. As a subject, your actions were indeed inconsiderate. Putting aside Miss Jing's matter for the moment, the Emperor cannot tolerate the matter of Jinlan Courtyard alone, nor can the Empress Dowager forgive it, can he?"

"Hmph!" The commoner Xu turned his head indignantly, his eyes bloodshot.

Granny Dong stopped trying to persuade him and turned to look at Zhao Wanyi, earnestly instructing her, "Miss, the Princess said that since you've been demoted, you must act like one. You must make your life difficult and let the Empress Dowager and the Emperor know how hard things are for you. Once the Emperor's anger subsides and his heart softens, things will be much easier for the Grand Tutor." Zhao Wanyi's anxious expression gradually disappeared, and she looked at Granny Dong expectantly, "What should I do?"

"The reason why the Empress Dowager and the Emperor are angry with the eldest daughter is nothing more than because of the abused Miss Jing. I heard that the Empress Dowager has settled Consort Li and Miss Jing in a mansion in the south of the city. They are still on the royal register."

When the young lady has time, she can go and visit them, beg Consort Li and Miss Jing for forgiveness, eat vegetarian food and chant Buddhist scriptures, take out her dowry money to do good deeds, and when the dowry is used up, she should find a way to earn money to support herself.

The harder you work, the more forgiving those people in the palace will be. Even if you can't regain your status afterward, the Zhao family's support for the eldest daughter won't displease the Emperor and Empress Dowager. Don't you agree?

Granny Dong explained her words in detail, hoping that Zhao Wanyi and the commoner Xu would listen.

Zhao Wanyi seemed to be deep in thought, but the commoner Xu scoffed at her.

After Dong Mama left, Shuren Xu began to mock Zhao Wanyi, "Grand Tutor Zhao, what a cunning trick you have! You can even say such deceptive things just to protect yourself!"

Zhao Wanyi snapped out of her daze, glanced at Shuren Xu, and said to Qiuju, "Let's go! We'll go back and rest first. You go and inquire about Consort Li and Miss Jing. If they've moved to the south of the city, I'll go and see them."

Shuren Xu wanted to say something more, but seeing that Zhao Wanyi didn't respond at all, he was so angry that his face twisted in anger.

"I'd like to see what good all this fuss will do!"

Early the next morning.

Qiuju went out to buy groceries and inquire about the situation. When she returned, she hurriedly entered Zhao Wanyi's room. "My lady, I have found out that Consort Li and Miss Jing moved to a three-courtyard mansion in the south of the city yesterday morning."

The Empress Dowager also arranged a wet nurse and two personal maids for Miss Jing, and Consort Li also had two palace maids serving her.

Zhao Wanyi looked at the bronze mirror, hesitated for a long time before putting down the exquisite and gorgeous gold hairpin, and instead picked up a simple jade hairpin and put it on her head. "Where is the son-in-law?"

Since we're going to put on an act, she can't be the only one performing.

Besides, Murong Jing's injury was inflicted by the commoner Xu, so what does it have to do with her?
Qiu Ju's face tightened, and she nervously wrung her hands. "Master, the young master left last night and hasn't returned yet."

"What?" Zhao Wanyi turned around abruptly, her eyes wide with anger. "Where did he go?"

Qiuju quickly shook her head, "The son-in-law went out with his trusted confidants, leaving only me and my master in the house."

Zhao Wanyi nearly had a heart attack from anger; the veins on her forehead were bulging. "A hopeless case! Fine! Since he's determined to do it his way, I can't persuade him otherwise. We'll go ourselves!"

Thinking back to when Murong Xu was far away at the border, how much she hoped that he could come back to support her and help her out of her predicament.

Only now does she realize that Murong Xu's return was the beginning of her disaster!