After getting married, she spent every night alone in her room; when she asked for a divorce, he kne

A huge black pot was poured over him, and Liu Yuansheng instantly felt his breathing become disordered and his head spin.

"I didn't! I didn't add the poisonous herb to Yan'er's pills!" she tried to explain. "I showed the prescription to Doctor Xue at Baicaotang, and the staff who were in charge of dispensing and preparing the medicine can testify to that! My mother's accusation that I poisoned Yan'er is baseless, and I don't accept it!"

"You won't admit it? Faced with the evidence, you have no choice but to admit it!"

Madam Yuan took a pill wrapped in a silk handkerchief from her sleeve and threw it on the ground. "This is the pill we took from Yan'er. Check for yourself if it contains any poisonous herbs!"

Liu Yuansheng hurriedly picked up the pill, crushed it, smelled it under his nose, and then his expression changed.

This pill does indeed contain a significant amount of Gelsemium elegans, but it's not the pill she gave to Yan'er!

"Someone switched the pills I made!"

"The evidence is irrefutable, and you still want to deny it?" Madam Yuan slammed her hand on the table. "Do I have to resort to family discipline before you'll admit your mistake!"

Liu Yuansheng stared in disbelief at Madam Yuan, who sat regally in the high hall, and suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.

She once thought that Yuan was tolerant, kind, and gentle.

Even though she wasn't very close to her, she never made things difficult for her, and they got along fairly well.

Clearly, she misjudged Yuan.

Or rather, she simply didn't understand the Yuan family at all.

Beneath Yuan's dignified exterior, she was actually just like the others in the Prime Minister's mansion—equally repulsive and equally ugly.

They tried every means to splash dirty water on her, attempting to drive her away.

She couldn't understand what she had done wrong to make so many people hate her and want to get rid of her as soon as possible!

A chill ran through her body, which calmed Liu Yuansheng down. She stood up and questioned Madam Yuan, "Mother said I wanted to harm Yan'er, what's your reason?"

"Reason? The reason, of course, is that you couldn't tolerate this child," Madam Yuan said calmly. "You were afraid this child would get in your way, so you took action to eliminate him beforehand, leaving no future trouble!"

Liu Yuansheng's eyes widened.

Did you block her way? What way of hers?

Her path ended long ago after Jiang Zhihuan disappeared without a trace. Now, she no longer cares about the future, only desolation before her.

But Yan'er is different from her.

Yan'er is still young, and he has a father who loves him deeply. His life should be wonderful and brilliant.

She glanced down at the pills in her hand and suddenly realized that Yan'er might have been killed. Without thinking, she ran to Granny Li and took Yan'er in her arms.

Yan'er cried and fussed, but she didn't have time to comfort him. She first checked his stomach, and after confirming that the pill had been removed, she pressed his pulse.

Thankfully, thankfully, Yan'er wasn't actually poisoned.

It seems that the only person the Yuan family wants to get rid of is her.

Liu Yuansheng breathed a sigh of relief and was about to leave with Yan'er in his arms. After all, this place was too dangerous, and who knew if the Yuan family would target him next.

She hurried towards the gate, but was stopped by Madam Yuan. "Stop! Where are you taking Yan'er?"

"I'm going to send Yan'er back to Chenxiang Courtyard," Liu Yuansheng said. "After I personally take Yan'er back, I'll come to Mother to receive the family punishment!"

"No," Madam Yuan said sternly. "You cannot leave until the matter is clarified, and neither can Yan'er."

"We can't leave. Are we going to stay here for the New Year?"

Suddenly, Xiao Jinghan's voice rang out from inside the hall.

Everyone was taken aback upon hearing this and looked towards the door. There they saw Xiao Jinghan, dressed in a silver-patterned robe, walk in with his hands behind his back and stand calmly in front of Liu Yuansheng.

Upon seeing Xiao Jinghan, Liu Yuansheng's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down. She wanted to speak, but didn't know what to say.

Xiao Jinghan glanced at Liu Yuansheng from head to toe, then looked at Yan'er in her arms, and asked, "Why is Yan'er crying so hard?"

Liu Yuansheng suppressed the stench of blood rising in his lungs and was about to reply when Madam Yuan said indifferently, "Jinghan, you've come at the right time. I have something to tell you."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jinghan turned his head and glanced coldly at Madam Yuan, who was sitting on the high hall.

"What is it?" He lifted his robe and sat down to the left of Madam Yuan. "What is it?"

Madam Yuan, her face taut, said slowly, "Today, Daoist Qingxuan came to our residence for a discussion. I thought it was a rare occasion for Daoist Qingxuan to come, so I had a maid bring Yan'er here and asked Daoist Qingxuan to pray for Yan'er. However, Daoist Qingxuan noticed something was wrong with Yan'er. After examining him, he discovered that the pill in his navel contained a large amount of Gelsemium elegans, and this pill was put in by Liu Yuansheng himself."

Yuan spoke slowly and clearly, as if afraid that Xiao Jinghan would not understand. After listening, Xiao Jinghan nodded, his expression becoming serious. "So, Liu Yuansheng poisoned Yan'er, trying to kill her."

"That's right," said Madam Yuan. "I thought this was a big deal, so I planned to ask Yuan Sheng about it first, and then discuss it with you."

"What's there to discuss?" Xiao Jinghan said. "Whoever poisoned Yan'er, just kill them."

After saying that, he looked up at Liu Yuansheng. Liu Yuansheng was glared at by those dark and deep phoenix eyes, and her body swayed violently, almost losing her balance.

Seeing this, Nanny Li rushed out and knelt before Xiao Jinghan, pleading for Liu Yuansheng, "Your Highness, there's absolutely no way the Third Young Mistress could have poisoned the young master! She must have been framed. Your Highness can't just convict the Third Young Mistress based on her own words!"

"With witnesses and physical evidence at our doorstep, how can you still try to protect Liu Yuansheng? Are you colluding with her?" Madam Yuan pressed a handkerchief to her lips, her face grim and gloomy. "Guards, take Nurse Li away."

"Young Master! Young Master! Please don't wrong the Third Young Mistress!"

Li, the wet nurse, was taken away. Madam Yuan pursed her lips and said quietly, "If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes and had irrefutable evidence, I would never have believed that Yuan Sheng would do such a thing. It seems that she made a mistake. She was afraid that you would favor Yan'er and not like the children she would give birth to in the future, so she was in a hurry to get rid of Yan'er, this thorn in her side."

"Yuan Sheng, I'm not trying to criticize you, but you are the legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister's family. How can you not even have this much tolerance? You are Jing Han's legal wife, and the child you give birth to will be Jing Han's eldest son. No matter how much Yan'er is favored, he can never surpass you and your son."

Xiao Jinghan listened quietly, his expression growing increasingly grim. Madam Yuan glanced at him and continued, "Although this Lady Liu is ruthless, she is, after all, the daughter of the Prime Minister. It would be difficult to explain if she died in our residence. Why don't you give her a letter of divorce, tell her the reason from the Prime Minister's residence, and then cut off all contact with her from now on?"

"Are you done?" Xiao Jinghan crossed his legs and looked at Yuan Shi impatiently. "If you're done, then hurry up and carry out the execution?"

Madam Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly. "Execution?"

"Yes, the person who poisoned Yan'er must die," Xiao Jinghan said.

Madam Yuan's eyes flickered, and she sighed, "Since you've made up your mind, I won't try to persuade you anymore. I'll just have to put in some extra effort to explain this to the Old Madam and your father later. Someone come here."

Madam Yuan calmly ordered, "Take Liu Yuansheng away and beat him to death with sticks."

"Yes."

Two maids stepped forward, about to take Liu Yuansheng away to be punished, but Xiao Jinghan raised his hand to stop them. "Wait," he said, "who said they were going to beat Liu Yuansheng to death?"

Madam Yuan was taken aback: "Jinghan, what do you mean? Didn't you say you were going to kill the person who poisoned Yan'er?"

"I said I wanted to kill the person who poisoned Yan'er, but I didn't say I wanted to kill Liu Yuansheng."

Xiao Jinghan said with a half-smile, "Liu Yuansheng didn't poison Yan'er."

"What are you talking about?" Madam Yuan frowned in confusion. "Are you confused? Liu Yuansheng poisoned your son, and you still want to protect her?"

Xiao Jinghan chuckled and said to Madam Yuan with a mocking look, "You keep saying that Liu Yuansheng poisoned Yan'er, and that you have solid evidence, but I already had someone check the pills that Liu Yuansheng gave Yan'er, and there was nothing wrong with them."

Yuan's expression froze.

Xiao Jinghan continued, "Yan'er is my lifeblood. How could I not check the medicine he's going to use? So, that pill containing the Heartbreak Grass came from Yuewu Courtyard. You'd better give me an explanation right away, or I'll reward everyone in Yuewu Courtyard with a Heartbreak Grass."

Upon hearing this, everyone, including the Yuan family, was terrified and turned deathly pale.

Liu Yuansheng held the sleeping Yan'er, her feelings somewhat complicated.

It turns out that Xiao Jinghan doesn't trust her.

Fortunately, Xiao Jinghan did not trust her.

She wasn't disappointed or angry; instead, she was grateful for Xiao Jinghan's foresight. She looked at Madam Yuan, but Madam Yuan's eyes were fixed on Xiao Jinghan. "Jinghan, are you perhaps doubting me?"

Behind the screen behind Madam Yuan, her trusted maid, Zhu Tao, ran out with red eyes and knelt down before her with a thud, saying, "Madam! It's all my fault! When I was preparing the Five Poisons Ointment, I accidentally touched the powder of the Heartbreak Grass. Later, when I was taking care of the young master, I accidentally spilled the Heartbreak Grass powder on him, which caused the pills to be contaminated with the Heartbreak Grass, leading to the subsequent trouble!"

After saying this, she turned around and kowtowed several times to Xiao Jinghan, "This servant deserves to die, but please, Your Highness, consider that this was an unintentional mistake and spare my life!"

Xiao Jinghan stroked the dark jade thumb ring on his thumb, his gaze deep and silent. Madam Yuan hurriedly interjected, "You careless servant, you almost harmed the young master! And you even caused me to wrongly accuse the third young mistress!"

She grabbed the teacup in front of her and smashed it on Zhu Tao, yelling, "Go and get yourself thirty lashes!"

"You think you can save my son's life with thirty strokes of the cane?"

Xiao Jinghan said abruptly.

Yuan's lips twitched slightly, but she forced herself to remain calm and asked, "Jinghan, what do you mean?"

"Kill him," Xiao Jinghan said. "No need to carry him out, just kill him here, so you can hear the noise."