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

Chu Xunzhen was taken aback and asked, "Your Highness, what is it?"

"I have three children." As soon as Nangong Yue spoke, the surroundings fell silent.

Chu Xunzhen looked at Nangong Yue solemnly and asked, "Why doesn't Your Highness marry their mother? Why do you come to me instead? Do you need me to be your shield?"

Upon hearing this, Nangong Yue's face darkened, and she shook her head violently.

"No, sister, you are a treasure in my eyes. I wouldn't even let you be a shield, let alone let you suffer the slightest grievance."

Chu Xunzhen suddenly felt a little puzzled.

"Sister, when my mother gave birth, she gave birth to twins. In the palace, twins were considered unlucky. My mother had no choice but to have my older brother, who was born earlier than me, taken away. My brother grew up among the common people, later joined the army, but died on the battlefield. His wife disappeared, leaving behind three children. My father and mother felt they owed their three children a great debt, so they made me their father."

Upon hearing this, Chu Xunzhen's eyes widened in astonishment.

"So those three children are your elder brother's children, and will be inherited by your legal wife in the future?"

"That's right. Sister, I shouldn't have kept this from you, but I couldn't bring myself to say it. I was afraid you would be unhappy and leave me. The imperial decree hasn't been issued yet. If you regret it, I won't force you. I will go back and beg Father to rescind the order."

As she spoke, Nangong Yue's brows furrowed with sadness, like a small animal about to be abandoned.

"So, if I marry Your Highness, I don't need to have a legitimate son, right? Because Your Highness already has a legitimate son?"

Chu Xunzhen suddenly asked.

"No, all the children you gave birth to, sister, are naturally legitimate sons. If you don't like those three, I will make sure they don't bother you and never appear before you again. When they come of age, I will give them their own residence. Sister, please don't abandon me, okay?"

Her eyes were wet and red-rimmed, and her gaze conveyed innocence and pain.

Nangong Yue suddenly grabbed Chu Xunzhen's hand and handed her a set of keys and receipts.

"This is all of Yue's wealth. Sister, it's all yours, and you can keep it all safe. If Yue ever betrays you, you can take my life."

Chu Xunzhen's eyes darted around, and she smiled, saying, "What if I don't have children?"

Upon hearing this, Nangong Yue tightened her grip on Chu Xunzhen's right arm, saying, "Sister, you can have children if you want, or you can not have children if you don't want to. Yue won't force you. As long as you're willing to marry me, I'll agree to anything."

Chu Xunzhen smiled and spoke again, "Is there anything else Your Highness is hiding from me?"

Nangong Yue noticed someone secretly watching her and shook her head, saying, "No one."

He cannot tell her that he is the leader of the Gu Sect, otherwise those people will know that she is his weakness and will come to take her life.

Chu Xunzhen's gaze fell on Nangong Yue, and she smiled faintly: "Does Your Highness's cousin, Chen Lianxin, also live in your residence?"

"If Sister doesn't like it, Yue will let her leave in a little while."

"That's not necessary," Chu Xunzhen said, shaking his head.

She's not married yet, and she doesn't intend to interfere so domineeringly with who lives in the Nangong Yue residence.

Nangong Yue was secretly heartbroken.

It seems that his sister doesn't feel the same way he does about his sister—that he absolutely must have her.

"Assuming the crow hadn't carried away the imperial decree of marriage that day, were you planning to keep it a secret from me until after I married you?"

Upon hearing this, Nangong Yue gave a bitter smile: "No! I can't let you suffer like this. I plan to give them to my seventh brother for adoption. My seventh brother suffered a serious injury in his early years and has never had any children. He has wanted to adopt, but he hasn't found anyone he likes. Sister, can you forgive me? I really didn't dare to say this before. I was afraid that if I did, you would ignore me."

"Those three children will stay; I want to be their legal mother."

"Thank you, sister."

Nangong Yue's eyebrows relaxed.

The two parted ways.

Back at Juyuan, Chu Xunzhen asked Granny Hua to inquire about the three children.

Granny Hua patted her chest and said, "Don't worry, young lady, this old servant will definitely find out everything clearly and find out the origins of the three children."

She believed Nangong Yue, but she believed even more that the information she found herself was the truth.

In her past life, her sincere heart was met with Gu Changfeng's disloyalty and injustice, and she suffered persecution from the entire Ping'an Marquis's family. Deep down, she no longer dared to believe in the so-called sincerity of men.

Chu Xunzhen smelled the fragrance after taking a nap for several hours.

"Young lady, you're up? His Highness the Ninth Prince sent Eunuch Anshun with some nourishing soup, saying it's good for the liver."

Hearing this, Chu Xunzhen felt a warmth in her heart.

"Let me try it."

Chu Xunzhen took a bite; it was fragrant, refreshing, and left a lingering aftertaste.

Chu Xunzhen had just put down the soup pot when he saw Chunxi, who had just left, running back.

"What's wrong, Chunxi?"

"Miss, something has happened in the backyard. Madam has returned and found the Second Miss and the Second Young Master in an illicit affair."

Upon hearing this, Chu Xunzhen was stunned.

Chu Wanrou is incredibly capable.

First, he went to his eldest brother, but he refused. Then he went to his third brother.

After fighting with his third brother, he went to find the stable boy. After that, he had that kind of thing with his second brother.

"Let's go! Let's see what's going on."

Chu Xunzhen changed into a light purple embroidered brocade dress, took Chunxi's hand, and walked out.

backyard.

A crowd gathered, pointing and whispering.

Chu Mingli, disheveled, knelt on the ground.

Chu Zhanpeng took the long whip and lashed it hard across his body.

Chu Wanrou knelt on the ground, her eyes red-rimmed, holding a handkerchief to half-cover her face and sobbing softly.

"Father, Rou'er was drugged last night, and there was nothing I could do," Chu Mingli said, clutching his throbbing head. "I can't watch Rou'er die."

Last night, he went out to gamble and then met Rou'er at the mansion when he returned.

They went to Chu Mingxuan's courtyard and took away all his porcelain bottles and cauldrons containing Gu poison.

Chu Mingli was supposed to take Chu Wanrou back to the Peony Garden, but Chu Wanrou collapsed to the ground, saying that she had been poisoned.

"You can find her a doctor."

Beside him, Li Yi roared angrily, his body almost swaying.

Her daughter and Mingli actually did such a despicable thing?

How can she face her ancestors?

"Father, Mother, it has nothing to do with Brother Mingli, it's all because of me."

Chu Mingli suddenly stood up, blocking Chu Wanrou's path, and said, "How can you blame Rou'er for this?"

As Chu Mingli spoke, his gaze suddenly fell on Chu Xunzhen, who was watching the show with great interest not far away.

"It was you! You're the one who harmed Rou'er! You drugged her! You vile woman!"

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone present looked at Chu Xunzhen.

In the past, Li Yi would have rushed up and slapped Chu Xunzhen across the face, but at this moment, she just slumped to the ground, wailing in pain.

"Father, Mother, believe me, it's Chu Xunzhen! Third Brother can vouch for me!" Chu Mingli shouted, pointing at Chu Xunzhen with his right hand.

Just then, footsteps could be heard in the distance.

It turned out to be Chu Mingxuan.

He limped over, his face covered in blood.

"Xuan'er, how did you get hurt like this? Who did this?" Li Yi clutched her chest, tears welling in her eyes, and cried out in pain.

A hint of guilt flashed in Chu Mingli's eyes.

Could it be that Chu Mingxuan has been lying on the ground all this time?

The idea had barely surfaced when he realized it was impossible.

With such a large mansion and so many people, how could no one have helped my third brother and taken him back last night?

Chu Mingxuan paused, then sneered. His now-unseen pupils swept around the room, and he opened his mouth, pointing ahead, saying, "Naturally, it was him who did it."