The two guards had been wearing expressions of disdain, but the moment they heard the voice, their faces turned deathly pale. They dropped to their knees with a thud and shouted in unison,
“Long live His Majesty! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor forever!”
Xin Long glanced at Rui’an and almost burst out laughing.
The eunuch’s bright yellow robes, once immaculate, were now covered in dust and soot, making him look utterly bedraggled.
His naturally plump, fair face had turned black with grime. His hair had been singed, leaving a bald patch on the left side of his head.
His narrow eyes were bloodshot, with swollen bags beneath them, as though he hadn’t slept for days.
Although he still held the imperial decree in both hands, his back was slightly hunched, and the imposing confidence he once carried had completely vanished.
Xin Long nearly laughed out loud. She quickly lowered her head, her shoulders trembling as she fought to hold it in.
Looks like Rui’an spent the entire night putting out fires.
Unfortunately for him, everything had burned to ashes. Not only had he failed to confiscate the Xiao family’s property, but his own fortune had gone up in flames as well.
A classic case of trying to steal a chicken only to lose the rice.
Thinking of her masterpiece from the previous night, Xin Long couldn’t help feeling secretly pleased.
At this moment, Rui’an was indeed in an absolutely terrible mood.
After serving as a eunuch for more than ten years, he had accumulated an unimaginable fortune, only to see it all reduced to ashes overnight. The loss was like a knife twisting in his heart.
What angered him even more was that the Emperor had originally promised to let him confiscate the Xiao family’s estate. But because Xin Long had never planted the Imperial Jade Seal there, he had no excuse to proceed and had been forced to leave empty-handed.
And now?
Everything belonging to the Duke Dingguo’s residence had ended up benefiting that corrupt Prime Minister Yan instead.
The more he thought about it, the darker his expression became.
Raising the imperial decree, Rui’an announced in his shrill voice,
“By the Mandate of Heaven, His Majesty decrees:
Former Princess Xin Long and her husband, Xiao Jinghe, are guilty of treason through collusion with the enemy. Effective immediately, her royal title is revoked, and she is reduced to the status of a commoner. She shall be exiled together with the Xiao family.
By Imperial Decree!”
His sharp voice echoed through the Cold Palace.
The two guards immediately kowtowed.
“We receive the imperial decree.”
Xin Long was still wary that Rui’an might harbor improper intentions toward her.
She suddenly lifted her head, putting on a look of utter disbelief. Rushing toward him, she grabbed his sleeve and cried loudly,
“Eunuch Rui’an! What’s the meaning of this? How could I possibly have colluded with the enemy? Someone must have framed me! His Majesty would never strip me of my title! I don’t believe it! Eunuch Rui’an, I want to see His Majesty!”
She shook his sleeve so violently that it nearly tore apart the official robe, which already had several burn holes in it.
“Eunuch Rui’an, why would His Majesty treat me like this? I’ve always been loyal to him! What have I done wrong?”
The violent shaking nearly knocked Rui’an off balance.
With obvious disgust, he flung her hand away.
“You insolent commoner! How dare you address me by name! Kneel and receive the decree!”
Behind his back, Xin Long rolled her eyes.
Ignoring his reprimand, she continued crying,
“I don’t believe it! His Majesty would never do this to me! I want to see him! I want to ask him in person!”
She deliberately raised her voice, as though she wanted everyone in the imperial palace to hear.
“How dare you! The imperial decree has already been issued! This is not for you to question!” Rui’an shouted.
“I refuse to accept it! I want to see His Majesty!”
Xin Long stubbornly persisted, tears streaming down her face like pear blossoms in the rain, looking pitiful beyond words.
Truthfully, she wasn’t particularly afraid of Rui’an.
Even if he actually tried something against her, she had plenty of ways to kill him and escape unharmed.
Besides, remaining in the capital under her current identity would only make life inconvenient.
She might as well leave, assume a new name, and live somewhere else. The supplies stored in her space were more than enough for her to enjoy a life of luxury for the rest of her days.
“Enough with the crying! What a disgrace!” Rui’an impatiently rubbed the sleeve she had nearly torn off.
He had already been in a foul mood, and she was only making it worse.
The Xiao estate had burned to the ground, leaving him without a single coin to pocket. The thought made his insides twist with pain.
Before, he had still lusted after Xin Long’s beauty.
Now, all he could think about was the mountain of treasure that had been reduced to ashes.
Beauty no longer held any appeal.
“Someone! Bring this commoner’s clothes and have her change into them!” Rui’an ordered shrilly, his tone dripping with contempt.
Two stout palace matrons immediately stepped forward.
One carried a set of coarse hemp clothing.
The wrinkled garment was a dingy gray, as though it had been soaked in filthy water, and gave off a strong musty odor.
The other matron looked Xin Long up and down with unconcealed scorn and gloating.
“Pardon us, Princess… ah, Miss Xin Long,” the matron said in a mocking tone, deliberately emphasizing Miss Xin Long, making sure everyone knew she had fallen from an exalted princess to nothing more than a prisoner.
The two women roughly grabbed her sleeves, preparing to strip off her luxurious robes.
Xin Long put on a lifeless expression.
She lowered her eyes weakly, her long lashes trembling as they concealed the cold glint flashing through them.
“There’s no need to trouble yourselves. I’ll change by myself.”
Her voice was hoarse, filled with stubborn pride, as though she had finally accepted her cruel fate.
Taking the coarse clothes from the matron, she slowly turned around and shuffled toward the dilapidated room deep within the Cold Palace.
The two matrons exchanged disdainful looks.
“Still putting on airs. Even now she’s acting like royalty,” one muttered quietly.
“Exactly. Doesn’t she realize what she is now? Just another prisoner. She still thinks she’s some precious imperial princess.”
The room in the Cold Palace was dark and damp.
The air was thick with mildew.
Cobwebs in the corners swayed gently in the breeze, while dead branches and withered leaves littered the floor.
After entering, Xin Long shut the worn wooden door behind her, cutting off the matrons’ whispering outside.
She looked down at the coarse clothing in her hands and frowned.
Who knew where these clothes had come from?
They were covered in patches, reeked of mold, and were as rough as sandpaper—so coarse they felt capable of scraping the skin raw.
With obvious disgust, Xin Long tossed the outfit onto the broken wooden table before disappearing into her space.
After rummaging through her wardrobe, she changed into a soft, comfortable set of underclothes before putting the coarse prison garments on over them.
Standing before the mirror inside her space, she tidied her slightly messy hair.
Then she vigorously rubbed her eyes until they turned red and filled with tears.
Only after finishing did she take a deep breath and step back outside.
Her head was lowered.
Her eyes were red.
Fresh tear tracks still clung to her face.
She looked like someone who had suffered immense injustice yet stubbornly refused to break down completely.
“Let’s go,” Xin Long said hoarsely, looking at Rui’an with quiet resentment.
“Since my imperial brother has cast me aside without mercy, I have no choice but to leave.”
“I only hope… that one day he’ll remember the good I’ve done for him… and perhaps come visit me in Lingnan.”