Demoting my wife to a concubine? After being reborn, I turned around and married into the imperial f

Chu Xunzhen remained calm and composed, neither humble nor arrogant.

"Does Miss Chen have any evidence for her words? If not, it is a frame-up."

Chen Lianxin sneered, "How could a merchant's daughter who just returned from the countryside possibly possess such poetic talent?"

Upon hearing this, Chu Xunzhen shook her head: "So Miss Chen is questioning me, the Princess Consort? Miss Chen, you are just a commoner. You should bow to me, the Princess Consort. I have always been lenient with you because you are His Highness's cousin. But now I see that although you grew up in the capital, you are still a good-for-nothing. Ordinary people know about propriety and shame, but you slander me, the Princess Consort, in public without any evidence."

Nangong Qing's gaze was icy as he stared at Chu Xunzhen, saying, "What Lianxin said makes a lot of sense. Ninth Princess Consort, you need to prove your innocence. Otherwise, how will you silence the gossip?"

Chu Xunzhen scoffed, "Miss Chen, why don't you prove yourself first? Just because you doubt my poetic talent, does that mean I have to prove it myself?"

"If I were to suspect that any of these young masters or ladies are not of that noblewoman's blood, would they also have to perform a blood test on the spot to prove their kinship to me?"

After Chu Xunzhen finished speaking, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.

"The Ninth Princess Consort is right. We can't expect the other party to prove everything just because we suspect something, can we?"

"Yes, without any evidence or evidence, it's just baseless accusation and a frame-up."

"The Ninth Princess Consort did indeed compose a poem on the spot. If you want to know if she is truly a gifted writer, you can give her another question to test her."

"Why should I? If I have to prove myself just because someone questions me, then I'd have to prove myself every single day."

......

The young ladies and gentlemen were buzzing with discussion.

Chen Lianxin's gaze was chilling, and she sneered, "You simply don't have the knowledge, otherwise why don't you dare to prove your innocence?"

"Chen Lianxin, how dare you, a mere commoner, shout at this princess? Guards, seize her!"

As soon as Chu Xunzhen finished speaking, six eunuchs stepped out from behind him.

Nangong Qing's eyes widened suddenly.

She gripped the armrests of the wheelchair tightly, staring intently at Chu Xunzhen, looking as if she wanted to devour her whole.

She turned her head sharply to look at Chu Xunzhen and said, "Your Majesty, my daughter only questioned the Princess Consort's talent and had no intention of disrespecting the Ninth Princess Consort. I beg Your Majesty to do justice for my daughter."

Empress Ma's right hand, which was resting on the golden nanmu chair, suddenly tightened.

She looked coldly at Chu Xunzhen and said, "Ninth Princess Consort, you are indeed a talented poet. In that case, why don't you compose another poem, on the theme of 'Longing'? If you succeed, I will reward you with a gold phoenix hairpin. If you cannot compose a poem, the Second Princess's hot spring villa will have to be returned."

Instead of offering her own proof, Empress Ma had Chu Xunzhen compose a poem, hoping to prove her talent.

Chen Lianxin gave Chu Xunzhen a cold smile.

She couldn't wait to see this good show.

Chu Xun was about to refuse, but Nangong Yue slammed her hand on the table.

"Mother, I object. It's fine to ask the Ninth Princess to compose a poem. But why should she be deprived of the hot spring villa she won just because she can't compose one on the theme of 'longing'? This hot spring villa is what the Princess just won back. Even if she can't compose a poem, the punishment shouldn't be losing the hot spring villa."

Empress Ma slightly lifted her eyelids and looked down at him, saying, "Then, Ninth Prince, what do you mean?"

Upon hearing this, Nangong Yue's gaze suddenly fell on Chen Lianxin: "If the Ninth Princess composes a new poem that fits the theme, Chen Lianxin, you will kneel down, kowtow to the Ninth Princess to admit your mistake, and also say a sentence in public."

Upon hearing this, everyone showed a hint of doubt.

Even Chen Lianxin was not surprised.

Her eyes were filled with grievance, her face flushed with anger, and she stared at Nangong Yue, asking, "What did you say?"

"I, a woman who grew up in the capital, am no match for a merchant who has returned from the countryside."

Upon hearing this, Chen Lianxin's gaze turned aggrieved and angry, and in an instant, her beautiful eyes filled with tears.

"Cousin, how could you say that about me?"

Chen Lianxin's face turned ugly, and she roared in anger, feeling that this was an insult to her.

She believed she was better than Chu Xunzhen in every way.

For her to say those words in front of everyone would be tantamount to making her lose face in the elite circles.

Nangong Qing's face was grim as he wiped away Chen Lianxin's tears, saying to the Ninth Prince, "Yue'er, Lianxin is your cousin. How could you bully her like this?"

Nangong Yue's expression was icy: "The Ninth Princess Consort is also my wife. Why didn't you speak when Chen Lianxin questioned her?"

Nangong Qing clutched his chest, staring intently at Nangong Yue.

"Don't make things difficult for my mother, Lianxin agrees," Chen Lianxin said coldly, staring intently at Chu Xunzhen. "Please compose a poem."

She had made up her mind that unless Chu Xunzhen produced an exceptionally good poem later, she would call it a bad poem.

Chu Xunzhen glanced at Nangong Yue, giving him a comforting look, and said: "Flowers fall like frost in the courtyard, countless stars drift like lonely souls. If you ask where to find the way, ten thousand miles will eventually lead back to your old home."

Everyone was dumbfounded.

The poem praising peonies that had just been so powerful had already captivated the audience, but this one was even more desolate and majestic, reaching the pinnacle of grandeur.

They were thinking of their loved ones, the fun they had in their boudoir, and the carefree days of their childhood. But the Ninth Princess's longing was the longing of an old general on the frontier, the sorrow of a stranger far from home yearning for his homeland.

Petals fall like frost, stars twinkle like souls; soldiers on the frontier yearn for their homeland, even though they are thousands of miles apart, their hearts long to return home.

"good!"

Outside the Imperial Garden, a voice rang out in admiration.

Everyone looked in the direction from which the sound came, and there stood the current emperor.

The emperor looked at Chu Xunzhen with admiration and said solemnly, "Ninth Prince, you have married a good wife."

Upon hearing this, Chen Lianxin turned pale.

Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.

This simple sentence proves that Chu Xunzhen has gained the approval of the current emperor.

"Thank you, Father Emperor."

Nangong Yue bows.

The crowd then came to their senses, stood up, and bowed to the emperor.

"No need for formalities. Today is a flower-viewing and poetry banquet hosted by the princess. Today, I am not the emperor, but a scholar."

The emperor laughed heartily, as if recalling the glorious days of his youth when he and his close friends composed poems and practiced archery.

"The Ninth Princess's poem is exquisite. Empress, why don't you give her this prize?"

As soon as the emperor finished speaking, Empress Ma immediately removed the phoenix hairpin from her temple and personally placed it in Chu Xunzhen's hair bun.

Chen Lianxin's face looked unpleasant.

She stared at the talented men and women around her.

But no one is a fool.

Chu Xunzhen's poem is extremely charming.

They asked themselves if they could write again, but they could not capture this desolate yet beautiful homesickness.

Chu Xunzhen immediately looked at Chen Lianxin and said, "You lost."

Chen Lianxin's face turned pale.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say that Chu Xunzhen must have memorized a lot of poems. But these poems were clearly excellent.

If it were to actually be released, it would certainly be recorded.

In other words, these verses were indeed conceived by Chu Xunzhen in front of everyone.

Nangong Yue's gaze was unfriendly. She walked to Chu Xunzhen's side, took her hand, and said, "Your Highness, you've worked hard."

Chen Lianxin's face turned pale and then flushed.

She wanted to escape, but after glancing at her mother's stern gaze and then at the empress sitting upright and aloof in the distance, looking at her with a hint of disdain, she realized that she was a woman who had been looking down at her.

With a thud, Chen Lianxin knelt down.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness, but I, a woman raised in the capital, am no match for you, a merchant who has returned from the countryside."

With that, she stood up and ran out.

Nangong Qing's face turned deathly pale as he pleaded guilty to the Emperor and Empress: "My daughter has been neglected in her upbringing and has become so willful. I beg Your Majesty and Empress to punish her."

Upon hearing this, the emperor gave Nangong Qing a deep look and said, "It's alright. This is true nature."

The emperor's leniency brought tears to Nangong Qing's eyes.

The wrinkles at the corners of her eyes seemed to smooth out in an instant, and her panicked heart finally settled.

Princess Nangong Moli ordered someone to bring over the land deed for the hot spring villa.

"Congratulations, Ninth Princess Consort, on acquiring the hot spring villa."

Nangong Moli smiled as she looked at Chu Xunzhen.

Chu Xunzhen accepted the land deed for the hot spring villa, a smile in his eyes: "Today's victory is entirely due to the princess's good fortune."

Upon hearing this, Nangong Moli looked at Chu Xunzhen with even greater satisfaction.

Chu Xunzhen returned to her seat, and the flower appreciation and poetry gathering continued.

Nangong Qing quietly withdrew.

Chu Xunzhen gave the eunuch behind her a look, and the eunuch Shouyi quietly left.

The men's section.

Gu Changfeng stared intently at Chu Xunzhen, incredulous.

Is she still his wife?

In her past life, Chu Xunzhen was clearly a beautiful but illiterate woman who couldn't read or write.

Only Rou'er could understand the poems he wrote in his study.

Isn't Chu Xun really just interested in money? She sits there all day doing accounts, acting like a merchant, not a true noblewoman.

But those two poems were indeed written by Chu Xunzhen.

She actually has poetic talent.

Gu Changfeng couldn't hold back any longer and walked up to Chu Xunzhen.

His brows were almost furrowed into a deep frown.

"Chu Xunzhen, when did you learn to write poetry?"

Nangong Yue stepped in front of Chu Xunzhen and said, "If Lord Gu is so interested in investigating how my princess can compose poetry, why not think about how to prepare for His Majesty's wrath?"

Gu Changfeng instantly regained his senses.

He stared intently at Nangong Yue and asked, "What do you mean?"

Nangong Yue scoffed, "Lord Gu is the newly appointed commander of the Five Cities Garrison. Breaking into my residence and ransacking it—such despicable behavior! I'd like to see how you explain this to my father!"

The emperor has indeed just received Nangong Yue's memorial impeaching Gu Changfeng.

At this moment, his gaze towards Gu Changfeng was extremely cold.

waste!

It wasn't that she was angry that he broke into the Ninth Prince's mansion, but rather that he hadn't found anything after breaking in.

They're as stupid as pigs.

Gu Changfeng turned and left.

It wasn't the morning court session, and the emperor showed no intention of punishing him.

But he still had to go back and try to make amends.

Just then, Liu Xiangning rushed over.

I don't know if Xiao Qinghan did it on purpose.

He actually spotted the direction Liu Xiangning was rushing towards, as if he were in a trance, unable to control his body, and crashed straight into her.

Chu Xunzhen's eyes narrowed, and he reached out his right hand to wrap his arms around Liu Xiangning's waist.

Xiao Qinghan's expression changed drastically.