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

Nangong Yue hugged Chu Xunzhen and checked her body: "Sister, I won't let anything happen to you."

As he spoke, he gently channeled his inner energy into her.

Chu Xunzhen was in a daze and held Nangong Yue tightly.

Her voice was sweet and charming: "Your Highness, I want to..."

Nangong Yue no longer held back, her voice soft: "As you wish, sister."

As the night passed, the effects of the medicine on Chu Xunzhen's body subsided.

She had just woken up when she found herself already dressed and in a carriage.

"Sister, you're awake?"

Chu Xunzhen asked in confusion, "Where are we?"

She had already remembered what happened last night.

Fortunately, Nangong Yue came, otherwise she would have been gone.

Seeing his pale face, Chu Xunzhen asked, "Where is Chen Yuan?"

"Chen Yuan is asleep. My strength has greatly diminished. However, I am still cultivating my inner strength. I will definitely protect my sister."

Chu Xunzhen looked at him and touched her empty palm.

Her face was as pale as paper.

"Little White is gone."

Nangong Yue gently patted Chu Xunzhen's back and said, "Sister, don't worry. I will definitely help you recreate your own natal Gu worm."

The two arrived at the Prince's residence.

Chu Xunzhen returned to her room to rest.

Nangong Yue walked in carrying a medicine cauldron.

"Sister, this medicine cauldron contains hundreds of poisonous creatures. After thirty days, the Gu worms will be successfully raised. You can raise them yourself, and then new natal Gu worms will be born."

Chu Xunzhen took the small cauldron and asked, "And what about you?"

"Shenyuan needs time to recover," Nangong Yue continued. "His Majesty has summoned me urgently. I must go to the palace."

"Your Highness, please be careful."

Nangong Yue glanced at Chu Xunzhen reluctantly, then turned and led Eunuch Ankang into the palace.

Granny Hua knelt down in front of Chu Xunzhen and said, "I'm sorry to have worried you, Your Highness. It's all my fault."

Chu Xunzhen quickly helped her up and said, "This is not your fault. Blame Nangong You for being despicable and shameless."

Chu Xunzhen looked at Granny Hua's arm with satisfaction and said, "Although it's healed, you still can't lift heavy objects for now."

Tears welled up in Granny Hua's eyes as she said, "Thank you, Your Highness, for searching for me day and night."

Granny Hua already knows what has happened during this time.

Chu Xunzhen looked at her and said, "The old nanny treats me like my own sister, so why should we be so polite?"

Chunxi, who was working nearby, also hugged Granny Hua and said, "You have no idea how much I've lost my appetite lately. Granny, you're finally back."

Granny Hua was also very happy to see Chunxi.

I haven't been able to hear Chunxi chattering in my ear for a while now, and I'm really not used to it.

The north wind howled.

All the secret guards in the Prince's mansion were replaced.

The security at the entire palace is now more than twice as tight as before.

Chu Xunzhen, wearing a cloak, walked into the death row and immediately saw Eunuch Anshun, who was tied to a pillar with disheveled hair.

Hearing footsteps, Eunuch Anshun opened his eyes and said, "Your Highness the Princess has arrived? Have you come to see this old servant?"

Chu Xunzhen looked at Anshun and sighed, "Back then, Granny Hua saved your sister. We cured her, but before she left, she stole our Gu worms and poisoned us. If we hadn't killed her that day, Granny Hua and I would both have died."

Anshun gave a bitter smile: "Even if I know the truth, she is still my sister. I cannot let this opportunity pass without seeking revenge."

"I just want to tell you that we didn't intentionally kill your sister. She was greedy and wanted to have everything for herself."

Upon hearing this, Eunuch Anshun shook his head and chuckled, "It's not important anymore. Your Highness, please grant this servant a quick death."

Chu Xunzhen looked at Eunuch Anshun, somewhat troubled.

"Only the prince can deal with you; I cannot overstep my bounds."

Eunuch Anshun gave a wry smile: "I've put the Princess in a difficult position."

Chu Xunzhen sighed and turned to leave.

Just as she was recuperating in the mansion, Eunuch Cao arrived.

"Princess Ninth Prince, His Majesty summons you to the palace for an audience."

"Please wait a moment, sir." Chu Xunzhen went to change her clothes.

A quarter of an hour later, Chu Xunzhen, dressed in a light purple embroidered dress, boarded a carriage that led into the palace.

Upon arriving at the Imperial Study, she saw the furious Empress Ma, Nangong You lying on the couch, Chu Zhanpeng and his wife standing to the side, and Nangong Yue.

Chu Xunzhen looked at the Emperor sitting on the throne and said, "Daughter-in-law Chu Xunzhen greets Father Emperor."

The emperor sat at the head of the table, looked at Chu Xunzhen who was bowing, nodded and said, "The Ninth Princess Consort has arrived. No need for formalities."

Empress Ma, dressed in a bright yellow palace gown, her eyes filled with murderous intent, said: "Ninth Prince's Consort, why did you harm my son? As the Ninth Prince's Consort, you coveted your brother and went mad, injuring people. Do you know your crime?"

Nangong Yue spoke up: "Mother, what makes you say that? What does the Third Prince's sudden impotence have to do with the Ninth Princess Consort? Are you implying that if the Third Prince is injured or in pain in the future, you will blame it all on my Princess Consort?"

Empress Ma sneered: "Ninth Prince, I know you protect the Ninth Princess, but the Ninth Princess went to the Ping'an Marquis's residence yesterday. Everyone saw that the Third Prince was at the Ping'an Marquis's residence. The person who hurt people is either the Ninth Princess or the Ping'an Marquis's couple."

Upon hearing this, Chu Zhanpeng and Li Yi were so frightened that they knelt on the ground.

Chu Zhanpeng glanced at Chu Xunzhen discreetly, then burst into tears, saying, "Your Majesty, it was the Ninth Princess who harmed the Third Prince. She has experts in Gu magic under her command, and she herself is skilled in using poison. She even knows the ethereal Taoist priest of Baiyun Temple."

Upon hearing this, the emperor's expression remained unchanged.

His voice was calm: "Ninth Princess Consort, what do you have to say?"

"Your Majesty, this is utter nonsense. According to Lord Chu's logic, the entire world is but dust, and all the people are Father's subjects. So, if the people of the Gu Sect commit crimes, is it also Father's fault?"

Li Yi spoke up, "Your Majesty, I personally witnessed the Ninth Princess poisoning the Third Prince. I am Chu Xunzhen's biological mother. Even though we have severed ties, I cannot watch the Ninth Princess go astray. I beg Your Majesty to consider the Ninth Princess's dedication to the people and to show leniency."

Nangong Yue's face was pale.

He was about to speak when Chu Xunzhen tugged at his sleeve and asked, "May I ask, Madam Hou, how did I, the Princess Consort, poison the Third Prince?"

Li Yi remained calm and said, "I am not familiar with the methods of poisoning, but I have seen you loosen the Third Prince's belt and stuff powder into his undergarments."

Chu Xunzhen's expression remained unchanged; instead, she smiled and said, "Since Lady Hou witnessed it with her own eyes, why didn't you stop it at the time? Were you deliberately watching me, the Princess Consort, harm the Third Prince and doing nothing about it?"

Empress Ma's eyes were ferocious as she suddenly looked at Li Yi.

Li Yi was so frightened that his face turned pale.

"Your Majesty, when I saw it, the Ninth Princess had already started tampering with it. I was terrified at the time, thinking that the Ninth Princess was having an affair with the Third Prince, so I didn't dare to say anything. Today, I heard from the imperial physician that the Third Prince was poisoned, so I remembered to tell everyone. As for what the powder poured into the Third Prince's inner garment was for, I don't know."

Chu Xunzhen looked at Li Yi, then glanced at the expressionless Chu Zhanpeng. She understood that in the end, the Ping'an Marquis's Mansion still chose to stand on Nangong You's pirate ship.

The emperor slammed his hand on the table, looked at Chu Xunzhen, and asked, "Ninth Princess Consort, how do you explain this?"

Chu Xunzhen suddenly knelt on the ground and said, "If someone wants to condemn someone, they can always find a pretext. Father, I am also very saddened by my third brother's injury. My third brother was injured at the Marquis of Ping'an's residence, and I was merely a guest there. The Marquis and his wife are afraid of taking responsibility, so they deliberately said that it was their daughter-in-law who did it. They are deceiving Father. I beg Father to see the truth."

Nangong You, his face pale, pointed at Chu Xunzhen and roared, "Chu Xunzhen, don't pretend to be innocent! I saw it with my own eyes, you harmed me. Do you think you can get away with it by denying it? My father will definitely stand up for me."

Empress Ma comforted Nangong You, her eyes blazing with fury as she stared intently at Chu Xunzhen. Then she turned to His Majesty and said, "Your Majesty, the Ninth Princess Consort has acted perversely and harmed the Prince. According to the law, she should be severely punished with one hundred strokes of the cane and imprisoned in the Imperial Prison."

Nangong Yue suddenly spoke up: "No, Father, there are many suspicious points in this matter. We cannot conclude that the Ninth Princess is guilty based solely on a few words. In addition, the Third Prince was injured at the Ping'an Marquis's residence. The Ping'an Marquis's residence failed in its duty and failed to protect the Third Prince. I suggest that we first determine the guilt of the Marquis of Chu and his wife."

As Nangong Yue finished speaking, Chu Zhanpeng turned pale and felt terrified.

Li Yi was so frightened that he trembled with fear.

Having been drawn into the struggle between the princes, how could they possibly survive today?

Chu Zhanpeng knelt on the ground, his head pounding heavily against the earth, and said, "Your Majesty, I am guilty. I failed to protect the Third Prince. Please punish me."

He glared angrily at Chu Xunzhen.

It's all because of this rebellious daughter. If she had admitted it, why would he, at his age, need to kneel here?

The Third Prince spoke up: "Father, Marquis Chu and his wife are utterly loyal. The Ninth Princess's plot to harm me was truly impossible to prevent. I beg Father to show leniency towards Marquis Chu and his wife."

Chu Zhanpeng was secretly delighted.

As expected of his good daughter, Chu Wanrou is truly amazing.

Suddenly, Eunuch Cao's long, drawn-out voice rang out from outside the Imperial Study.

"The Imperial Advisor has arrived."

The Imperial Advisor wore a moon-white robe, exuding an air of otherworldly elegance and appearing extremely aloof.

Chu Xunzhen gave a cold laugh as he watched him walk in.

"Imperial Preceptor, you've come to the Imperial Study so suddenly, is there something important?"

The Imperial Advisor looked at the Emperor and said, "In the northwest, Mars has appeared. A demon has appeared in our Great Ning. If the demon is not eliminated, the royal family will be affected one after another."

The emperor's eyes flickered, and he asked, "Then, according to the Grand Preceptor, who is Mars?"

Chu Xunzhen looked at the Imperial Advisor, who suddenly pointed at her and said, "After observing the celestial phenomena and calculating day and night, I have determined that Mars is none other than the Ninth Prince's Consort, Chu Xunzhen."

All eyes suddenly fell on Chu Xunzhen.

The Third Prince, Nangong You, looked horrified and said, "It's actually the Ninth Princess Consort? No wonder I felt uneasy whenever she was near me. Marquis Ping'an and the Ninth Princess Consort were father and daughter, and Marquis Li Yi and the Ninth Princess Consort were mother and daughter, yet they all severed ties. This must be due to the lonely fate I have inhabited on Mars."

Nangong Yue stared at Nangong You. If looks could kill, Nangong You would have been tortured to death a million times over.

The emperor's gaze suddenly fell on Chu Xunzhen, and he said, "Ninth Princess Consort, what else do you have to say?"