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

Empress Ma paused in her steps.

She stared at the kneeling eunuch below, reporting the matter, and asked, "Didn't you search properly? How could a perfectly healthy person just disappear?"

The eunuch was terrified and couldn't speak for a long time.

Cailan, who served the princess closely, said, "Your Majesty, the princess went out late last night. I wanted to go with her, but she said she was fine on her own. She hasn't returned since."

Empress Ma was so angry upon hearing this that she was breathless and it took her a long time to come to her senses.

She coldly addressed the crowd: "Keep the news under wraps. Don't let anyone know. Search for the princess secretly, especially not to the Emperor or the Empress Dowager."

Suddenly, a mocking voice rang out.

"Is there something the Empress cannot tell me?"

The one speaking was the emperor.

Empress Ma looked at the palace servants behind her in disbelief.

The emperor arrived, and they didn't even warn her?

Empress Ma felt a chill run down her spine.

In the past, when His Majesty suspected someone of disloyalty, he would scrutinize them with this look. He never imagined that she would be looked at like that by him today.

Empress Ma felt a pang of pain in her heart, knelt on the ground, and truthfully reported, "Your Majesty, the Second Princess, Nangong Moli, has gone missing. I had considered concealing this from Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager, but I thought that since she had already caused trouble once before, if she were to cause trouble again, she would likely have no place in the palace. I love my daughter dearly. I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness."

The Emperor glared at the Empress with exasperation, and roared, "Foolish! The Second Princess has gone missing, and instead of finding her as quickly as possible, you're secretly searching for her. What if Jasmine is in danger now? What will you do then?"

Empress Ma felt a pang of heartache.

"Yes."

In no time, the news spread throughout the entire palace.

Inside the Shou Kang Palace.

The Empress Dowager was somewhat taken aback when she learned of this.

"The death of the Empress's maid is not surprising, but what's wrong with Nangong Moli? What happened to that girl? Granny Gui, have Nangong Yue come to see me."

"Yes."

Soon after, Nangong Yue arrived.

The Empress Dowager sat in the head seat, looking at her grandson with increasing affection.

The Empress Dowager asked kindly, "Ninth Prince, have you fully recovered from your injuries?"

Nangong Yue felt a warmth in her heart and looked at the Empress Dowager, respectfully saying, "No, Grandmother. I occasionally fall ill."

The Empress Dowager said in a choked voice, "Ninth Prince, you have suffered so much."

Nangong Yue said to the Empress Dowager, "Your grandson is fine. But Your Majesty, please take care of your health."

The Empress Dowager smiled broadly upon hearing this.

"You're still as well-behaved and adorable as you were when you were little. I have something to ask you. Do you know that your second elder sister has gone missing?"

After the Empress Dowager finished speaking, Nangong Yue pondered for a long time before finally speaking.

"I understand."

The Empress Dowager's gaze fell on Nangong Yue again, and she asked, "Then do you know who took her away?"

After these words were spoken, the surroundings fell silent.

Everyone stared intently at Nangong Yue, awaiting his answer.

"I don't know. Maybe she's just being willful and hiding away?"

The Empress Dowager stopped asking and said, "I have always liked harmony among my children and grandchildren, but I also know that sometimes things don't go as planned."

Nangong Yue said, "Grandmother is right. If there is nothing else, I need to go back and take care of the Princess."

"Go then. You silly child. Oh, and take with you the jade ruyi that I bestowed upon the Ninth Princess."

Upon hearing this, Granny Gui looked at the Empress Dowager in shock.

The Empress Dowager nodded almost imperceptibly to Granny Gui and said, "That's right. It's the one by my bedside."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The Peace Jade Ruyi is entirely emerald green, made from a rare imperial green jadeite.

Nangong Yue returned to the side hall with the jade ruyi.

He had just returned when he discovered that Chu Xunzhen had already woken up.

He reached out and touched Chu Xunzhen's forehead, asking, "Sister, how are you feeling now?"

Chu Xunzhen leaned against the headboard and smiled faintly, "I'm much better. Your Highness, don't worry."

"By the way, Your Highness, I see that Grandmother's health has improved considerably, but I still feel uneasy. I previously refined a bottle of Gu-Clearing Pills in the manor. If Grandmother has Gu worms in her body, taking the Gu-Clearing Pills can kill most of them. If she doesn't have any Gu worms in her body, taking this medicine will make the Gu worms retreat. Your Highness, please give this to Grandmother for me, and tell her to take one pill every day."

Upon hearing this, Nangong Yue was about to speak when suddenly, a series of disordered footsteps approached.

The visitor was none other than Physician Li.

"Master, how are you?"

Nangong Yue's eyes lit up when she saw Physician Li.

Isn't this the best candidate to deliver the medicine?

Chu Xunzhen shook her head and chuckled, "Elder Li, please don't call me that anymore, it makes me feel embarrassed. Just call me Princess Consort."

Upon hearing this, Old Man Li was so frightened that he immediately knelt down on the ground, facing Chu Xunzhen.

"Is there something I did wrong, Master? Tell me, I'll change. Please don't expel me from the sect."

Chu Xunzhen was both amused and exasperated, and quickly waved his hand, saying, "Elder Li, you're overthinking it. You are, after all, an elder; how could I possibly accept your bow?"

Upon hearing this, Old Man Li smiled and said, "Master, in medicine, age and seniority are not distinguished; the most accomplished comes first. You are my master."

Chu Xunzhen couldn't persuade him otherwise, so she simply gave up.

"Xiao Li, you go and take good care of the Empress Dowager's pulse. The Prince and I are going back to the Prince's residence."

"Master, rest assured. Your disciple will do everything in his power to treat the Empress Dowager."

After handing the Cleansing Pill to Physician Li, Nangong Yue helped Chu Xunzhen bid farewell to everyone in the palace.

As Nangong Yue passed by Fengyi Palace, she happened to see the Empress, who was furious and enraged.

The Empress also noticed Chu Xunzhen and Nangong Yue.

She suddenly remembered the way Nangong Yue smiled at her yesterday.

She then thought of how he had asked her yesterday for the three nannies who had harmed Chu Xunzhen.

In just one night, all the palace maids and nannies who stood behind her yesterday were dead. And all of this might have been Nangong Yueqian's doing.

The empress's face turned deathly pale.

Could it be that he has people planted in the palace?

Nangong Yue gave Empress Ma a harmless smile, but Empress Ma felt a chill run down her spine.

Half an hour later.

The carriage finally drove from the palace gate to the front of the Prince's Mansion.

Nangong Yue carried Chu Xunzhen as they disembarked from the carriage.

Chu Xunzhen blushed and said softly to Nangong Yue, "Your Highness, I can walk by myself."

"I know."

After Nangong Yue finished speaking, she continued to hold her and said, "Your Highness, I want to get down and walk by myself."

"Okay, I understand."

Nangong Yue held Chu Xunzhen's hand even tighter.

Seeing that she couldn't persuade him, Chu Xunzhen could only let him carry her into the palace.

Everyone in the Prince's mansion chuckled and whispered amongst themselves upon seeing this scene.

"Another day of watching the prince and princess show their affection."

"When will we be able to have a sweet love like that of a prince and princess?"

"Who says the prince doesn't like the princess? I think the princess is the prince's destiny."

.......

Chu Xunzhen was carried to the bed, but Nangong Yue refused to let go and held her tightly.

His voice was soft and tender: "Sister, do you know how terrified I was? Just thinking about what would have happened if Nangong Moli had succeeded last night has driven me crazy."

Nangong Yue's pupils were filled with tears, her bloodshot eyes brimming with lingering fear.

Chu Xunzhen hugged him, her voice gentle: "It's alright, Your Highness, I'm here. I'm perfectly fine here. She couldn't hurt me last night."

Chu Xunzhen looked at Nangong Yue and said, "When I left just now, I heard them say that all of the Empress's palace maids died last night?"

"Yes, I killed them all. Princess Jasmine is currently in the royal palace's death row."

Chu Xun knew that he had sent someone to take Nangong Moli away last night, and thought he just intended to teach her a lesson. Who knew that he would actually bring his second elder sister back.

"Your Highness, please serve the meal. I'm hungry. Oh, by the way, the Second Princess was poisoned by me; here's the antidote. She's giving it to you."

Upon hearing this, Nangong Yue smiled and said, "I'm very happy that you trust me so much, sister."

Suddenly, Anshun rushed in to report.

"Your Highness, we've found Granny Hua. She's at the Third Prince's residence."

Chu Xunzhen was somewhat surprised to hear this: "She was captured by Nangong You?"

"No, she betrayed the royal palace and the princess."

When Anshun's father-in-law said this, his eyes were red, clearly unable to accept this blow.

"Impossible," Chu Xunzhen said coldly.

Anyone could betray her, but how could someone who has watched her grow up, who has followed her since she was a little girl, possibly betray her?

"Eunuch Anshun, either she's being controlled, or there's someone nearby she can't defeat, and she's just saying this to get you to leave quickly."

An Shun was stunned as Chu Xunzhen finished speaking.

Nangong Yue glanced at Chu Xunzhen, stroked her hair, and said with a smile, "I'll go to the Third Prince's residence and bring back Granny Hua."

"I'll go too."

After Chu Xunzhen finished speaking, Nangong Yue shook her head and said, "No."

The thought of Nangong You's gaze towards Chu Xunzhen made him want to gouge out his eyes.

Nangong You actually dared to covet his sister.

Chu Xunzhen looked at Nangong Yue and said, "Your Highness, Granny Hua is very important to me. I want to go see her myself."

Nangong Yue nodded and said, "I understand. So I'll go and bring her back on my sister's behalf. Eunuch Anshun will come with me. My sister, please rest and recover at home."

The two had only been out for a short time when a scout came to report.

Nangong You brought Granny Hua to the Ping'an Marquis's residence.

Chu Xunzhen pondered for a moment, then asked Eunuch Ankang to contact Anshun and inform them that Granny Hua was not at the Third Prince's residence, but at the Ping'an Marquis's residence.

"Let's go! Let's go to the Marquis of Ping'an's residence to see my good second brother," Chu Xunzhen said to Chunxi.

"Yes, Your Highness."

As Chunxi spoke, she helped Chu Xunzhen change into a moon-white brocade dress, making her look like a mountain spirit, breathtakingly beautiful.

The two left the palace and boarded the carriage.

In less than a quarter of an hour, they arrived at the gate of the Marquis of Ping'an's residence.

The gate of the Marquis's mansion used to be magnificent and had two stone lions. Now the stone lions are gone, and two pine and cypress trees have taken their place.

They had barely entered the Marquis's residence when they heard Chu Mingli's earth-shattering roar.

He roared, vented his anger, and cursed everyone.

Chu Xunzhen paused, turned around, and walked straight into Chu Mingli's courtyard.

As soon as he pushed open the door and entered, Chu Xunzhen's pupils contracted sharply upon seeing the scene inside the room, and his heart trembled.