Mingxi understood clearly in her heart that what Bai Zhiwei hated the most was how Duchess Gao’s house had, under the name of the family, brought Liu Xiangyue and her son back to the capital, causing Bai Zhiwei to lose face.
Add to that their longstanding grudges—in the previous life, the Madam and her son had worked hand in hand to suppress her, leaving her alone and wronged.
In this life, Gao Zhan had wavered constantly between his mother and Bai Zhiwei, and later even his relationship with Bai Zhiwei broke down, intensifying the conflict between mother- and daughter-in-law.
Now that things had come to this end, Mingxi couldn’t say she felt pleased or regretful. There was only one thing to say: you reap what you sow.
After the Duchess brutal death, Gao Zhan, furious, nearly hacked Bai Zhiwei to death in one stroke. Duke and Duchess Zhen fainted or rushed to the mansion to demand justice for their daughter.
But they didn’t expect the imperial guards to bar the door—he couldn’t get in.
News of Bai Zhiwei killing her mother-in-law and the deposed crown prince meeting with Gao Zhan in secret rocked the entire capital.
“The deposed crown prince was escorted back to the palace in custody. Duke Wei was ordered to confiscate his private army. Gao Zhan volunteered to lead the way, hoping to atone for his crimes.”
This was entirely in character for Gao Zhan, who always knew how to read the tides. His actions came as no surprise to Mingxi.
She looked at Qi He and asked, “Where is Wangye?”
“Wangye is currently under orders to clean up Duke Gao’s household.”
Mingxi was slightly surprised but then nodded. Once Duke Wei returned to the capital with the confiscated troops, the matter should come to a close.
It hadn’t turned into the large-scale upheaval of the previous life. This time, they had decisively crushed the deposed crown prince—their plan had been flawless.
After Qi He left, Mingxi sat by the window, staring at the sky. At that moment, her feelings were beyond words.
In her past life, she had died full of resentment. In this life, she walked carefully every step, protecting the ones she cared about, pushing back against those who sought to harm her, and doing her best to support those who could become her allies.
Buddha says: let go, and all is complete.
She never agreed with that before. How could one let go of deep hatred and suffering as painful as a thousand cuts? She couldn’t let go.
But after being reborn and seeing her family and friends alive and well, she understood the difference between what mattered and what didn’t. If one held on too tightly, one could end up like Bai Zhiwei.
The difference was that she had learned early on how to let go, so she ended up gaining far more than she lost.
Thinking of this, Duan Mingxi couldn’t help shedding tears, but then wiped them away and smiled.
Xiao Muchen was busy for several days straight. He couldn’t even return home at night and slept at the Ministry of War, working through the nights to investigate everything Gao Zhan had done for the deposed crown prince over the years. They found a hidden chamber in Gao Zhan’s study, containing records of all his covert dealings—including evidence of Bai Zhiwei’s secret meetings with the deposed crown prince.
Mingxi no longer cared. Bai Zhiwei was a selfish, self-serving woman. She only wanted to benefit from others. When she couldn’t get what she wanted from Gao Zhan, she would naturally find another target.
In the past life, if she had insisted on marrying Gao Zhan, he wouldn’t have married her anyway. Bai Zhiwei had always been two-faced—keeping Gao Zhan on a string while also courting favor with Duke Wei’s family.
Wanting everything—how could the world ever grant such fortune?
Bai Zhiwei didn’t die, but she was seriously injured by Gao Zhan’s sword.
Duke Zhen wanted to take his daughter home to recover, but the evidence found in the secret chamber led to Bai Zhiwei being imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice’s dungeon.
Duchess Zhen cried and pleaded for her daughter everywhere, nearly to the point of collapsing from grief.
She even went to Donghua Palace, trying to force Bai Shixi to plead with the empress on her sister’s behalf.
Did she not know Bai Shixi was under house arrest?
Disobeying a royal decree and leaving Donghua Palace—what fate did she think awaited Bai Shixi?
But the duchess didn’t care or didn’t want to think about it. All she wanted was to save Bai Zhiwei, even at the cost of throwing her other daughter into the fire.
Bai Shixi firmly refused, leaving her only one line: “Since you’ve ignored my life time and again, from now on, our ties as mother and daughter are severed. I will never see you again.”
Duchess Zhen cursed Bai Shixi bitterly, but Bai Shixi never responded.
When Mingxi heard this, she didn’t know what to say. Duchess Zhen treated Bai Shixi the same way Madam Jiang treated her.
She hadn’t seen Madam Jiang in a long time.
And Madam Jiang had never come to see her. Though they were mother and daughter, they were no closer than strangers.
As for Duan Huirou… If she hadn’t been implicated and forced to marry Jin Wang, things might not be the way they were now.
Even after being reborn, Duan Mingxi knew she couldn’t control everything. She could only move with the tides, choosing the best path forward whenever she could.
Xiao Muchen didn’t return to the manor for five days. His beard was thick, his eyes dark, and after several sleepless nights, even his steps were unsteady.
Mingxi quickly welcomed him in, had hot water sent for a bath and clean clothes, then ordered the kitchen to prepare a meal.
After he’d eaten, they finally had a quiet moment to talk.
Mingxi looked at him. “How did it get to this? The Ministry of Personnel and Ministry of War shouldn’t treat you like a beast of burden.”
Hearing the concern in her voice, Xiao Muchen smiled, then sighed. “It wasn’t just Gao Zhan’s study. We also uncovered the entire foundation of the deposed crown prince. Inside a secret chamber dug through the tunnel was every piece of evidence of the prince’s collusion with court officials over the years.”
Mingxi listened quietly, not the least surprised.
What good could come of a man like the deposed prince? In the previous life, he used her silver, then turned around and backed Gao Zhan in divorcing her. He was even more heartless than those who burned bridges after crossing them.
This kind of person—no matter how many lifetimes—would always follow his true nature.
“This time, he’s truly beyond redemption,” Mingxi said quietly.
Xiao Muchen gave a slight nod, then looked at Mingxi. The two of them met each other’s gaze, and for a long time, neither spoke.
Perhaps it was because this day had been long anticipated, and now that it had finally come, there were no words that could express it better than silence.
When Madam Xu arrived in the capital, Mingxi personally went to the city gate to receive her. That same day, the Emperor issued a new punishment for the deposed crown prince—stripping him of his status, reducing him to a commoner, and sending him to be imprisoned at the imperial mausoleum for life.
The deposed crown prince’s family would accompany him.
Upon hearing the news, Mingxi first sent Madam Xu back home, then immediately boarded a carriage to find Xiao Muchen.
Stripped of his title, exiled to the imperial tombs, imprisoned for life.
In such cold weather, even adults could hardly bear it—let alone two children.
Xie Muhua had only given birth two months ago; how could she endure such hardship?
She had to think of a way to keep them behind.
“How is it?” Mingxi asked the moment she saw Xiao Muchen. “Can we keep them here? Even if we just delay until spring, that would help.”
By then, the weather would be warmer, and the children would be a bit older. The journey wouldn’t be so harsh.
When Xiao Muchen ascended the throne in the future, they could use the pretext of a general amnesty to bring Bai Shixi and the others back to the capital.
Xiao Muchen shook his head, looked at Mingxi, and sighed. “Royal Father is furious right now. Even when the empress was made to kneel barefoot in nothing but a thin robe outside the Chongzheng Hall in the dead of winter, he didn’t soften.”
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