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

"Shut up!" Nangong Yue said coldly.

Chu Xun was somewhat surprised.

She thought that Nangong Yue would send someone to investigate.

"Cousin, I'm not having this. It was her, Chu Xunzhen, who killed Xingyuan. Not only do you not hold her accountable, you won't even detain her for questioning. Cousin, how can you face our three children?"

Nangong Xinghe looked at Chen Lian, who was being held captive, and said, "Auntie is innocent. My sister was harmed and developed a rash; it has nothing to do with Auntie."

Nangong Yue glanced at Nangong Xinghe, and the coldness in his gaze made him shrink back in fear.

Chen Lianxin was dragged away.

Chu Xunzhen looked at Nangong Yue curiously and asked, "Your Highness, how do you know I didn't harm Xingyuan?"

Nangong Yue shook her head and said, "I don't know, but I trust your character."

Chu Xunzhen was taken aback.

A warm current flowed through my heart.

She was deeply moved by this unconditional trust and favoritism.

Chu Xunzhen walked over to Nangong Xingyuan and examined her.

"It's an allergic reaction that caused the rash."

She could treat it; it wasn't too serious. However, seeing that Nangong Yue had already sent the royal physician, she decided not to do it herself.

Nangong Yue said to Anshun, "Investigate whether Chen Lianxin was responsible."

"Yes."

An hour later, Nangong Xingyuan's rash finally subsided, and Chu Xunzhen breathed a sigh of relief.

Although she hadn't spent much time with the little girl, she couldn't forget the words, "Auntie is pretty, Auntie smells nice."

"Chunxi, has Granny Hua returned yet?"

"Not yet," Chunxi replied. "Your Majesty, today was too dangerous. If you hadn't had so many people with you, you might have really been tricked by Chen Lianxin."

"Nine times out of ten, it was all orchestrated by her to frame Xingyuan in order to harm me. But other possibilities cannot be ruled out."

Chu Xunzhen thought for a moment, and then used the Gu worm to send a message to Granny Hua.

Inside the woodshed.

Chen Lianxin was shivering from the cold.

She hugged her legs with both arms, her eyes filled with hatred.

She just couldn't understand why her cousin trusted Chu Xunzhen so much.

Now, how can she get out of this mess?

Late at night, Granny Hua returned.

Following Chu Xunzhen's instructions, she passed by the woodshed.

A tiny bewitching worm crawled towards the woodshed.

While asleep, Chen Lianxin felt a sharp pain in her foot. Looking down, she saw that a black, soft-bodied worm had bitten her foot.

"Is this a Gu worm?"

Chen Lianxin was startled and was about to use her best skills when she realized that she did not have the talisman for targeting Gu worms with her.

"Oh no! The Gu worm has entered the body."

late at night.

An Shun looked at the Ninth Prince respectfully and said, "It has been investigated and found out that it was Miss Chen who did it. Her purpose was to frame the Princess Consort and cause Your Highness to dislike her."

Nangong Yue's gaze was gloomy.

Anshun continued, "By the way, it seems that Miss Chen has been infected with a mind-controlling poison."

Nangong Yue sat at her desk, looked at the bright moon outside the window, sighed deeply, and went to the door of the woodshed.

"Open the door."

His voice was cold.

The door lock clattered to the ground.

Chen Lianxin looked up and saw Nangong Yue standing in front of the door.

Her eyes lit up with immense joy, and she was about to rush towards Nangong Yue, but the next moment, blood spurted from the corner of her mouth.

"cousin!"

A heart-wrenching scream rang out, and Chen Lianxin was about to throw herself onto Nangong Yue.

Nangong Yue flicked her long sleeves, blocking her view: "Enough, Lianxin. You are the disciple of the Heavenly Sect Master, why test me in such a way?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Lianxin gave a bitter smile and wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth: "Cousin, please forgive me? I'll never dare to do it again."

"Why did you have to hurt Xingyuan? She's so young, and she trusts you so much."

Chen Lianxin's eyes were twisted with madness: "Cousin, you know I love you. Why do you want to marry Chu Xunzhen? If you need a woman, Lianxin can help you."

Nangong Yue coldly said, "Considering that you have healed me for many years, you will not die today. Guards, give you thirty lashes as a warning to others."

With that, Nangong Yue strode away.

late at night.

Granny Hua reported to Chu Xunzhen that Chen Lianxin had been punished with a whipping by Nangong Yue.

"Your Majesty, Chen Lianxin is ruthless; she even treats children as tools. Now, her status is special—she's not only His Highness's cousin but also the one who treats him daily. Even if she's wrong, His Highness probably won't kill her."

"It's alright." Chu Xunzhen shook his head and chuckled. "This woman's methods are really low-class. She's nothing to fear."

Chunxi suddenly spoke up: "Miss, tomorrow is the return visit gift day. Should we bring any gifts back?"

As Chunxi was speaking, she saw Anshun walking over with a list.

"Your Highness, this is what His Highness asked me to give you. Is this enough for your homecoming tomorrow?"

Chu Xunzhen glanced at the list, which contained ten large boxes. The boxes were filled with calligraphy and paintings by famous artists, valuable antiques, and even rare ornaments.

"That's not enough, let's pick out two more boxes of fruit and snacks."

Day three.

After getting up, Chu Xunzhen carefully dressed herself up, preparing to return to her parents' home alone.

Nangong Yue was the ninth prince, and a prince who had been granted the title of king, so he needed to enter the palace every day. Naturally, she couldn't force him to accompany her on her homecoming visit.

Inside the side room at this moment.

Nangong Yue sat up from the couch. His clothes were half-undone, and his eyes were still misty.

Last night, he took the initiative to confess to Chu Xunzhen that he had punished Chen Lianxin and released her.

Chu Xunzhen had anticipated this long ago.

She didn't care.

That woman is brainless; she actually tampered with Star Wish's food, causing her to break out in a rash.

Such despicable methods are truly appalling.

"Your Highness, Chen Lianxin is your cousin, and I won't hold it against her. But if there's a next time, I won't show any mercy."

Nangong Yue grasped Chu Xunzhen's hand, feeling both grateful and excited.

How could he not understand this principle?

However, Chen Lianxin had been treating him all along, and moreover, Chen Lianxin's mother was his savior.

"Your Highness, are you not required to attend court today?"

Nangong Yue shook her head and said, "I'll accompany my sister back to her parents' home today."

Seeing Chu Xunzhen put on a purple gauze dress with gold trim, Nangong Yue changed into a black robe.

Anshun stood outside the side room waiting, inexplicably excited.

This is because His Highness's illness has not recurred for three days.

Before meeting Chu Xunzhen, Nangong Yue's illness was entirely suppressed by Chen Lianxin's treatment. But after meeting Chu Xunzhen, his lucid moments increased whenever he was near her.

The two boarded the carriage and set off.

Chu Xunzhen's carriage had just arrived in front of the Ping'an Marquis's residence when he saw that the carriages on the opposite street had also stopped.

That turned out to be the Gu family's carriage.

Gu Changfeng got off the carriage, and Chu Wanrou wanted to get off as well, but found that Gu Changfeng was stunned and had no intention of helping her.

She followed Gu Changfeng's gaze and saw Chu Xunzhen's carriage.

Nangong Yue was dressed in a long black robe, and he looked very dignified.

At this moment, he was standing in front of the carriage door, lifting the curtain and helping Chu Xunzhen down from the carriage.

The two held hands, intimately connected.

Gu Changfeng looked somewhat annoyed.

"Husband." Chu Wanrou looked at Gu Changfeng with a hint of sadness in her eyes.

Gu Changfeng then came to his senses, reached out, and helped Chu Wanrou up.

Chu Wanrou got off the carriage and her eyes fell on the Marquis's carriage. She was so angry that her eyes almost popped out.

"So many return gifts? More than ten loads of them?"

A passerby was shocked and shouted.

Other passersby also turned to look.

"My God, it's true. The Ninth Prince is so good to the Ninth Princess."

"Look! Why are there so few return gifts at the Marquis's residence?"

Chu Xunzhen looked over and, upon seeing the box of gifts for returning to the bride's family, gave a cold laugh.

Chu Wanrou wished she could disappear into a crack in the ground.

Chu Zhanpeng came out early to greet them, but to his surprise, the Ninth Prince and Gu Changfeng arrived earlier than expected.

"Greetings, Ninth Prince."

Chu Zhanpeng addressed Nangong Yue respectfully.

He looked at Nangong Yue, his eyes full of calculation.

News came from the palace that the Ninth Prince had not fallen ill for several days and might have already recovered.

"Ninth Prince's Consort."

Chu Zhanpeng glanced at Chu Xunzhen, his lips twitching slightly as he revealed a fatherly smile.

"Lord Gu, Rou'er, you've arrived too."

Chu Zhanpeng smiled slightly, but his smile froze when he saw the gifts behind them.

Although she recovered quickly, Chu Wanrou still noticed.

Chu Xunzhen said to the servants, "Bring in all the gifts for the bride's return visit."

As he spoke, several servants hurriedly ran to the back of the carriage and carried the gifts into the Marquis of Ping'an's residence.

Li Yi reluctantly came out.

Seeing so many gifts for returning the bride's parents, she showed no sign of a smile, but stood stiffly in place, lost in thought.

"Mother, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

As soon as Chu Wanrou finished speaking, it seemed to touch the most painful corner of Li Yi's heart. Suddenly, her eyes widened and she roared, "It has nothing to do with you!"

Chu Wanrou was so frightened by his fierce words that her eyes turned red.

Chu Zhanpeng's face darkened, and he almost reached out to strangle Li Yi, this disgraceful bastard.

He said coldly, "Madam is not feeling well, so go and rest. Don't frighten the children."

"yes."

After Li Yi left, Chu Wanrou became increasingly puzzled, feeling that her mother's attitude today was truly strange.

Gu Changfeng naturally realized that he had brought too little as a return gift.

He said to Chu Zhanpeng, "Father-in-law, I left in a hurry today, so I didn't bring many gifts. Please don't take offense."

Chu Zhanpeng scoffed inwardly, but smiled gently on the surface: "It's alright."

He was about to invite the Ninth Prince and Chu Xunzhen to dine, but he saw that they were heading towards the Chrysanthemum Courtyard, leaving only two loads of gifts behind.

"What's going on? That's not the direction of the warehouse. What are they doing there?"

Chu Zhanpeng said angrily.

Chu Mingyuan, who had been standing silently by and watching everything, finally spoke up: "Father, these two sets of gifts for the return visit are yours. As for the rest, they are for Zhenzhen to take to Juyuan for her adoptive parents."

"What?"

Chu Zhanpeng was so angry he felt like his lungs were about to explode.

He was about to chase after her, but Chu Mingyuan blocked his way, saying, "Father only gave Zhenzhen such a small dowry. How can we expect her to give a larger return gift?"

Chu Zhanpeng's expression changed slightly, and he coldly snorted, "But I am her biological father."

Chu Mingyuan spoke again, saying, "When she got married, did you prepare a sufficient dowry for her? You even invited you and your mother to sit in the main hall during their wedding ceremony. But you chose Rou'er, and until that day ended, you didn't think about her at all."

Chu Zhanpeng was heartbroken.

Gu Changfeng was also in a bad mood.

He stared intently at Chu Xunzhen's back, at her hand supporting Nangong Yue, in disbelief.

How could a woman who has been reborn betray him and remarry?

Suddenly, a joyful voice rang out.

"Rou'er, you're back?"