Did the Seventh Prince attend court today?

The woman in front of him looked weak and pitiful, but in reality she was vicious. With just one glance, Cang Shuyue could see what she was planning.

Yet, despite his clumsy acting skills, his good nephew was repeatedly dragged into the mess.

It was because he and his older sister protected him so well that he became so naive and foolish.

He should have hardened his heart and whipped him long ago. If he had, things wouldn't be like this today, and his baby wouldn't have had to risk his life to teach this good-for-nothing nephew a lesson.

His baby is so well-behaved and gentle, delicate and fragile. Just thinking about how his baby might be hurt and can only hide in a corner to secretly wipe away tears makes his heart ache like it's being cut by a knife.

And all of this was caused by this woman in front of me; she deserves to die!

Cang Shuyue's eyebrows and eyes did not move, but a chilling aura erupted from his body. The killing intent in his eyes was almost tangible, and the hand gripping Meng's neck tightened more and more.

Meng's face began to turn bluish-purple, and the arc of her struggle became smaller and smaller. In the end, she could only barely utter a few broken breaths.

"Help...help...me..."

She reached out her hand to the eldest prince, who was the most agreeable and soft-hearted of all.

The eldest prince snapped out of his daze, only to be utterly stunned by the scene before him.

Out of respect for Cang Shuyue, he dared not step forward to dissuade her, but Meng's helpless, trembling hands made him feel reluctant to do so. After a struggle between his conscience and his own, he finally stammered, his lips trembling, "Uncle, please let her go. She spoke recklessly out of grief. Although she was wrong, she doesn't deserve to die..."

The rest of the words were silenced by Cang Shuyue's chilling gaze.

Besides the chill, there was also a deep sense of disappointment.

He said nothing, but the eldest prince understood. A sudden pang of pain shot through his heart, and tears streamed down his face.

A glint of shrewdness flashed in Gu Cheng's eyes as he stepped forward and said, "This woman deserves to die. If it weren't for her, the Seventh Prince wouldn't have been in this predicament. The First Prince said her crime didn't warrant death, but does that mean the Seventh Prince deserves to die?"

As if he had been slapped hard across the face, the eldest prince, pale-faced, hurriedly protested, "That's not what I meant, I just..."

What is he?

He simply couldn't bear to see a poor person die.

But because of his reluctance, his brother's life is now in danger, and this woman not only didn't say a word of thanks, but instead scolded and condemned him. Does such a person really deserve his help?

Even Gu Cheng felt indignant for his seventh brother, yet he was still protecting this woman. If his seventh brother knew, he would surely be heartbroken.

He showed kindness, yet he made his seventh brother suffer the consequences for him. Was it really worth exchanging his seventh brother's life for the life of this completely unrelated and ungrateful woman?

Since the incident, the eldest prince has doubted his own understanding for the first time.

Gu Cheng's ulterior motives were obvious. He wanted to say a few more provocative words, but Cang Shuyue stopped him with a light glance. That glance, though light, made him feel suffocated. He took a few steps back in a panic, not daring to speak again.

Xu Ruohuai instinctively wanted to back away, but thinking of his mission, he could only wipe the cold sweat from his forehead and step forward to persuade him: "Lord Duke, although this woman harbors evil intentions and deserves to die, she is still a human life and should not be treated lightly."

"With so many people watching, if you accidentally kill her, it won't sound good if word gets out. You should hand her over to the authorities."

After saying the last sentence, he was trembling with fear.

The implication is that it is inappropriate to kill someone in front of so many people.

He gestured for Cang Shuyue to look to the side, where the villagers of Xikou Village who hadn't gone far were craning their necks to look in their direction.

Cang Shuyue glanced at Xu Ruohuai, finally letting go and tossing Meng Shi aside like trash.

He wasn't afraid of killing someone and damaging his reputation, but rather worried about ruining his beloved's plans.

The thought that the baby trusted this man surnamed Xu more than himself stirred up a storm of emotions within him. He said coldly, "I don't need you to teach me how to do things. I understand the baby's intentions better than you do."

"Oh yes, yes, yes, yes." Xu Ruohuai hurriedly nodded and bowed in agreement. Although he didn't know who the baby he was talking about was, it was always right to go along with him.

Cang Shuyue's expression softened slightly.

The hand that had been gripping his neck finally loosened, and fresh air rushed into his mouth and nose, causing Meng to cough repeatedly and snot to stream down his face.

She lay on the ground, breathing heavily and greedily, no longer caring about the image she had painstakingly cultivated. However, before she could catch her breath, that voice, which sounded like it came from hell, rang out again.

"Guards, escort her across the river. Isn't she looking for the memorial tablet? Take her across."

"yes!"

Meng's heart sank.

She knew this man wasn't joking; he really intended to send her to the foot of that mountain that could collapse again at any moment.

Seeing Meng's face turn pale and then red, the Pixiu had a sudden idea. It flapped its wings and flew to the mountain behind Xikou Village, where it pushed a rickety rock off the mountain.

The falling stone carried other unstable rocks with it, and the earth-shaking sound was clearly heard on the other side of the river.

The Pixiu clapped its hands triumphantly, "I really gave them a brilliant assist!"

On the opposite bank of the river, upon hearing the commotion from the mountain, Meng's face instantly contorted with terror. Without Cang Shuyue uttering another word, she shed her layers of pretense and rushed forward, crying and begging for mercy: "Spare me! Please spare me! I'll never dare to do it again! I don't want to go find the memorial tablets. I don't care what happens to those things, I don't want to die. Please don't send me there, please!"

Her weeping and kowtowing, begging for mercy, did not escape the eyes of the First Prince. His pupils contracted, and he staggered to his feet, demanding sharply, "So you've been acting all along! You don't care about your husband's memorial tablet at all! Then why did you pretend to be so loyal?! Why did you trick someone into going to their death?!"

Meng shrank back, not daring to look up, and sobbed as she asked, "I just wanted someone to rely on, what did I do wrong?"

"You're not looking for someone to rely on, you're looking to climb the social ladder!" Xu Ruohuai ruthlessly exposed her lie.

The eldest prince felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, shivering with cold.

Is there anything else you don't understand? From beginning to end, Meng was just acting; only he foolishly fell into her trap.

His soft heart became a sword in the hands of outsiders, piercing the person he deeply loved.

Overwhelmed by remorse, the eldest prince roared in agony, pounding his head with his fists. "How could I have caused my brother to die for such a vicious woman! Ahh! Why! Why was I so stupid! Why couldn't I see through her hypocrisy!"

He threw himself on Cang Shuyue, grabbing his clothes and wailing, "Uncle, kill me! I'm so sorry to my seventh brother! I'm so sorry to Father and Mother! It was my stupidity that gave this woman an opportunity! I killed my seventh brother! I don't deserve to live in this world!"

Seeing his grief-stricken and frantic state, Cang Shuyue's jaw tightened. She raised her hand and pressed it against his shoulder, asking each word clearly, "Xiao Yunli, tell me, do you still feel sorry for this woman?"