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When Gu Bei arrived, Murong Jing and the Shangyang Princess had already cut the ropes binding Ye Xiaohan, restoring her freedom.
"Xiao Han!" Gu Bei threw down his weapon and rushed forward to check on her. Only when he confirmed she was unharmed did he feel relieved.
A guard hurried in and reported, "General, the person has escaped! There are no suspicious individuals in the vicinity!"
"Initiate a search; we must capture them!" Gu Bei's anger remained unabated. This incident had crossed the line of his patience, and he would not let it go easily.
Just as the guard was about to take his leave, Ye Xiaohan interrupted him.
"No need," she said, her expression calm as water, yet everyone present could sense the fierce flames burning within her.
Except for the Shangyang Princess, who seemed perpetually oblivious to the situation.
"Why?" she asked incredulously. "Sister Liu... no, Liu Susu did this to you, and you're not angry at all? You don't plan to pursue it?"
Ye Xiaohan's gaze swept over to the Shangyang Princess, icy enough to make her involuntarily shrink her shoulders and quietly hide behind Murong Jing.
Gu Bei, puzzled, asked, "Xiao Han, why not let someone chase after them? Don't worry; they can't get far!"
"No need," Ye Xiaohan replied coldly. "Even if we catch up to them, what then? Can we execute her on the spot? Or can we drag her to the Government Office for questioning?"
She scoffed. "In the end, won't we just have to respectfully send her back to Liu Manor and let her father, the Chancellor, lock her up in a lavish room for a month or so for reflection?"
That was the reality; with Liu Chancellor backing her, they had no way of dealing with Liu Susu.
Gu Bei fell silent. He had been filled with rage moments ago, solely focused on capturing someone. But even if they did catch her, what could they do? He couldn't confront Liu Susu directly; Liu Chancellor held significant power in court. Offending him could lead to a series of adverse consequences.
The emperor's health was failing once again, and it was a crucial time to win people's hearts. He knew that Ye Xiaohan was right; even if Liu Susu did not flee, what could they do if they captured her?
A deep sense of defeat enveloped Gu Bei as he held Ye Xiaohan, unsure of how to comfort her.
"Why can't we?" Only the Shangyang Princess remained oblivious to the complexities of the situation. She was extremely angry at Liu Susu for deceiving her. Leaning out from Murong Jing's shoulder, she exclaimed, "If she can do such things, why can't we capture her? Even Liu Chancellor wouldn't dare to protect her!"
Murong Jing reached out and pushed the Shangyang Princess back down. "Be quiet; this is not a place for you to speak!"
He turned to apologize to Gu Bei and Ye Xiaohan. "For this incident, we cannot escape blame. It's my fault for not keeping an eye on the Princess, allowing her to commit such a heinous act. Although I know that nothing can be done to reverse the situation now, at least let us have a chance to make amends."
"Yes, yes!" The Shangyang Princess timidly stepped out from behind Murong Jing, lowering her head and daring not to look at the two in front of her. Despite only being a few feet apart, she felt a profound chasm between them that seemed insurmountable.
"I... I'm really sorry," the Shangyang Princess said softly. "I didn't know this would happen. At that time, Liu... that woman just wanted to scare you by tying you up and then let you go."
She hurriedly explained, "If I had known she harbored such malicious intentions and secretly plotted something so vile, I would never have agreed!"
Ye Xiaohan's disheveled hair and clothing were clear evidence of Liu Susu's wrongdoing. The Shangyang Princess truly had not anticipated this; having grown up pampered, she had little exposure to the darker sides of life.
She also did not realize that the world was not entirely as she perceived it.
To Ye Xiaohan, this apology sounded nothing short of ridiculous; it was merely mockery.
"Your Highness, do you think that just because you apologized, I will forgive you?" Ye Xiaohan's cold laughter threatened to shatter as anger boiled within her like molten lava.
"Yes, you all are so impressive—either royal relatives or noble offspring. Your lives matter more than ours; losing even a single hair from your heads is more significant than us dying in the streets!"
Ye Xiaohan's eyes were filled with anger, disgust, and a barely perceptible hint of panic and fear.
"You can come up with whatever you want, as long as it makes you happy, even if it means using other people's suffering as your trophy!" Ye Xiaohan unconsciously raised her voice. "Have you ever thought that we are just like you? Once we shed our different identities, we are all living, breathing people!"
People who think for themselves, each struggling to survive.
The Shangyang Princess was startled by the loud reprimand, tears welling up in her eyes as she fought to keep them from falling.
"I didn't mean it that way; I just... I just..." The Shangyang Princess stammered, unable to articulate a reasonable explanation. In the end, she could only repeatedly apologize. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
As a princess, she had grown up under a strict hierarchical system. The education she received was centered around the privileges of the elite; no one had taught her the simple truth that all men are created equal.
Or perhaps, in this world, equality simply did not exist. The oppressors and the oppressed had become accustomed to their roles, treating this inequality as a part of daily life.
However, there are always variables in any situation. For instance, Ye Xiaohan suddenly appearing here, having grown up with modern education.
For her own safety, she could endure a little oppression by gritting her teeth.
But now, everyone could toy with her life as if it were nothing, even repeatedly subjecting her to personal insults. This was something Ye Xiaohan could no longer tolerate.
"If it pleases you, feel free to take my head whenever you want! I'm just an ordinary citizen; how could I possibly resist you?"
Ye Xiaohan unleashed her fury. "But if you're going to harm someone, at least do it with some flair! Is seeing me humiliated and degraded enough to satisfy your twisted hearts?"
These beasts! They merely relied on their family's power to abandon all morality and harm innocent people to satisfy their selfish desires!
Under the almost hysterical roar of Ye Xiaohan, both Murong Jing and Shangyang Princess found themselves lacking sufficient reasons to confront her.
In that moment, they realized that deep down, just as Ye Xiaohan had said, they felt no different.
"I'm sorry!" Although they did not fully grasp the essence of what Ye Xiaohan was expressing, it was not only due to this encounter but also a broader accusation against the world.
It seemed as if Shangyang Princess understood something, yet she still could not fully comprehend it. She instinctively felt that the mistakes she had made were likely far more serious than she had imagined.
"Xiao Han! Calm down!" Gu Bei tightly embraced Ye Xiaohan. Her emotions had spiraled out of control, and he worried that if this continued, she might harm herself.
"Third Prince, Princess, please leave. I will handle this," Gu Bei hurriedly bid them farewell and forcibly took Ye Xiaohan home.
Along the way, Ye Xiaohan struggled incessantly, causing Gu Bei some concern. However, as time passed, Ye Xiaohan gradually quieted down, leaving Gu Bei even more worried in silence.
Earlier, in his eagerness to reach Ye Xiaohan quickly, Gu Bei had ridden on horseback without bringing a carriage. Now, the two of them were squeezed together on the horse's back, and the chilling sensation emanating from Ye Xiaohan made Gu Bei's heart race with fear.
Once they returned to the residence, Ye Xiaohan's expression was calm as if nothing had happened, except for a layer of pallor that resembled frost.
Before Gu Bei could offer her support, Ye Xiaohan had already jumped off the horse and walked back to her room.
The door closed tightly in front of Gu Bei, and there was not a sound from within. He was silently pushed out.
Gu Bei reached for the door but ultimately did not knock. Instead, he sat down at the entrance. Leaning against the door, he quietly gazed up at the pitch-black night sky devoid of stars.
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