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

"Anshun has led his army away and returned to his residence."

After Nangong Yue finished speaking, the soldiers began to disperse.

Those who had come to watch the spectacle breathed a sigh of relief.

If a real war breaks out, it will likely result in widespread bloodshed and death.

Along the way, Nangong Qing's gaze fell on the two women, and it was unclear what he was thinking.

Chu Xunzhen kindly reminded her, "Madam Nangong, if these two women die like that, you won't be innocent. After all, I now suspect that besides them harming Xingyuan, you were also involved."

Nangong Qing roared, "You're making false accusations!"

Chu Xunzhen suddenly reached out and grasped Nangong Qing's right hand, saying softly, "Madam Nangong, why don't you let Physician Li examine your hand to see if there are any signs of it being pinched by a needle?"

Nangong Qing withdrew her hand, staring intently at Chu Xunzhen, and said, "Your Highness, please don't speak nonsense. I am the Prince's aunt, how could I possibly harm Xingyuan?"

She looked at Nangong Yue, knelt on the ground, and cried, "I can't live anymore. Does Chu Xun, if she's truly a princess, have the right to slander my reputation like this?"

Chu Xunzhen's eyes flickered, and she smiled faintly: "Why is Madam Nangong so nervous? If you didn't do it, Physician Li naturally wouldn't have been able to detect it. If I truly misunderstand you, I will apologize."

Chen Lianxin helped Nangong Qing up and said angrily, "Your Highness, even catching a thief requires evidence. Without evidence, you dare to slander my mother like this? Is this the demeanor of a princess?"

Nangong Yue's face turned cold: "Lianxin, that's enough! Once we arrive at the Prince's residence, I will immediately summon Physician Li."

Nine Palaces.

Old Doctor Li was already waiting.

Chu Xunzhen took Nangong Xingyuan and hugged her tightly.

The little one frowned, with glistening tears still clinging to the corners of his eyes.

"It hurts so much, Yuan Yuan, it hurts so much."

Stroking her thin little face, Chu Xunzhen said softly, "Mother is here. Yuanyuan, don't be afraid, no one can hurt you."

Nangong Yue's cold voice rang out: "Old Physician Li, examine my aunt's hands. Are there any marks left from needle use?"

Nangong Qing stood calmly in place.

She did prick that little beast with a needle, but after so long, where are the marks?

"No need for that." Suddenly, Chu Xunzhen spoke up. "I have a Truth-Telling Pill here. As long as you take it, you will speak the truth for a quarter of an hour. It has no side effects. Madam Nangong, are you willing to take it?"

Chen Lianxin's gaze turned cold as she stared intently at Chu Xunzhen, saying, "Your Highness, my mother is the Prince's aunt. How can you feed her medicine so carelessly? Don't you even know what respect for elders is?"

Chu Xunzhen laughed: "Chen Lianxin, you're just a distant cousin. As for Madam Nangong, she's called my aunt, but in reality, she's just a distant cousin. You saved His Highness, but you didn't save me."

Upon hearing this, Chen Lianxin became furious.

Just as she was about to argue, Chu Xunzhen flicked her right hand, sending the True Word Pill down Nangong Qing's throat.

Caught off guard, Nangong Qing swallowed the pill.

The old imperial physician, Li, exclaimed in astonishment, "Your Highness, is there really such a miraculous pill in this world?"

Upon hearing this, Chu Xunzhen smiled: "Imperial Physician, I'm just trying it out. It's still under investigation."

Chu Xunzhen naturally wouldn't say that this was the True Word Gu worm that Granny Hua had personally given her after she returned to the manor.

On the surface, it looks like a pill, but if you remove the pill's skin, it's actually a Truth-Speaking Gu.

Nangong Qing bent over and tried to gag his throat, but it was no use.

Chu Xunzhen walked up to her and asked, "Did you hurt Nangong Xingyuan?"

Nangong Qing opened his mouth, wanting to say no, but the words that came out were "Yes, I hurt Nangong Xingyuan."

Everyone looked at each other.

Chen Lianxin was so frightened that she sat down on the ground.

Nangong Qing was terrified.

The way she looked at Chu Xunzhen was as if she were looking at a ghost.

She actually has pills that make people tell the truth?

"Why did you hurt Nangong Xingyuan?" Chu Xunzhen asked again.

Nangong Qing's expression was conflicted, and she said in a terrified voice, "Because this little bitch was accidentally whipped by someone from the Heavenly Sect. I hate children. So I vented my anger and added some new wounds to her."

Chu Xunzhen's face hardened, his anger rising, and he asked again, "How did you hurt Nangong Xingyuan?"

Nangong Qing's face turned deathly pale. She covered her mouth, but to her despair, she spoke again: "I'll prick her with silver needles, and I'll slash her back and legs with a knife. I'll make sure there's not a single good piece of flesh on her body."

Everyone's expression changed.

Even Chen Lianxin looked at her mother in disbelief.

"Impossible! Mother, how could you hurt a child like this?"

Nangong Qing coldly replied, "Because this is the Third Prince's intention. The Third Prince wants the Ninth Prince to experience excruciating pain, to make the Ninth Prince even more determined to suppress demons."

Nangong Yue's gaze sharpened, and she asked, "What is your relationship with the current Third Prince?"

"His Highness the Third Prince is my master."

Upon hearing her mother's reply, Chen Lianxin turned pale.

The truth of the matter is now clear.

Those two women from the Heavenly Sect, out of jealousy towards Chen Lianxin, harmed the little princess that Chen Lianxin had brought to the Heavenly Sect.

As for Nangong Qing, he was following the Third Prince's orders to deliberately harm the young princess in order to provoke Nangong Yue and cause his illness to relapse.

Nangong Yue waved her hand, about to order Anshun to throw the two of them out, when she saw Chu Xunzhen walk up to Nangong Qing and say, "Can the Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Lotus really cure the Ninth Prince? Have you and Chen Lianxin truly been trying to heal the Prince all these years?"

Chen Lianxin's face turned pale, and she subconsciously covered Nangong Qing's mouth.

But the next moment, Nangong Qing spoke.

"The snow lotus can indeed alleviate the prince's pain, but it cannot cure it. Lianxin and I said this on purpose to sow discord between the princess and the prince. I will not sincerely treat the prince. Only if the prince continues to need Lianxin can my daughter and I continue to live here."

Upon hearing this, Nangong Yue laughed instead of getting angry, and said to Anshun, "Pack their things and throw them out of the palace."

Nangong Yue turned to her aunt and said, "Nangong Qing, your husband once sacrificed his life to save me. Today, I will spare your life. You and your daughter Lianxin must leave the palace today."

"No!" Nangong Qing and Chen Lianxin screamed as they were dragged out.

Chu Xunzhen took Nangong Xingyuan's small hand and placed her on the bed.

The old physician Li looked at Chu Xunzhen and suddenly asked, "Miss Chu, do you still have those True Word Pills? May I buy one? I'd like to take it back for research."

Upon hearing this, Chu Xunzhen smiled in surprise: "Old Physician Li, that's not a True Word Pill, but a True Word Gu. There's a True Word Gu worm inside the pill. Do you need it?"

The old doctor, Li, was startled.

"Where did the princess get the Gu worms? These things are not for ordinary people to handle. Without sufficient knowledge of Gu worm taming, one might end up as a monster, neither human nor ghost, simply from raising them."

Chu Xunzhen laughed: "Does Doctor Li still want one? I'll give you one for free."

"Yes, I want it," said the old doctor Li quickly. "It's free, I want it."

Chu Xunzhen took out a True Word Pill from his pocket and placed it in the hand of the old physician Li.

The old physician, Li, was shocked.

"Why didn't the princess prepare a brocade box? Isn't she afraid that poisonous insects will crawl into her clothes?"

"I'm not afraid. I grew up in the countryside. If I see an insect, I'll just stomp it to death."

Nine Palaces.

Nangong Qing and Chen Lianxin were kicked out.

The two were pushed out by the maid and fell down the white jade steps.

Nangong Qing said angrily, "Let's go! We'll go find the Third Prince."

Upon hearing this, Chen Lianxin hesitated slightly, "Mother, I don't want to go."

Nangong Qing looked at Chen Lianxin with exasperation and said, "You're still thinking about the Ninth Prince? The Third Prince hasn't been granted a title yet; he might become the Crown Prince once he is. Come on! Follow me to find the Third Prince."

Chen Lianxin was being pulled along by Nangong Qing.

She is not reconciled.

But seeing An Shun standing guard at the door, staring coldly at the two of them, they could only be pulled away by Nangong Qing.

Inside the side room.

Nangong Xingchen tugged at Chu Xunzhen's sleeve and said, "Mother, thank you for standing up for Yuanyuan."

Chu Xunzhen shook her head and said, "This is what a mother should do."

Nangong Xinghe's eyes gleamed with admiration: "Mother, how did you know that besides the people from the Heavenly Sect, my aunt and great-aunt were also among those who hurt Yuanyuan?"

Chu Xunzhen patted his shoulder and said, "Judging from the injuries. Different instruments of torture were used to inflict the injuries, resulting in different marks and patterns."

Nangong Yue sighed, filled with self-reproach: "If it weren't for my sister, Yuanyuan would probably still be in danger."

"Your Highness need not blame yourself. Now that you are feeling better, it is natural that you are busy with court affairs, and it is normal to neglect them. Who would have thought that Nangong Qing, as the aunt of these children, would treat them in this way?"

Once he confirmed that Nangong Xingyuan's condition had stabilized, Chu Xunzhen hurriedly left the palace and went to the Heavenly Prison.

Each criminal's case requires several months of investigation and evidence collection.

Now that so many days have passed, I wonder how Zhou Qing is doing?

Remembering that the Great Saintess had previously told Granny Hua that she would arrive today, she planned to wait here.

As soon as they entered the government office, they heard Gu Changfeng's roar.

"Use torture! I said use torture, didn't you hear me?"

Gu Changfeng slammed the gavel down heavily.

The officers and soldiers, however, looked hesitant.

Chu Xunzhen then saw that the person who was tied up and kneeling on the ground was actually Zhou Qing.

"That's Lord Zhou," a soldier said.

Gu Changfeng scoffed, "The Five Cities Garrison is now under my control, Gu Changfeng. Zhou Qing is a murderer. Shouldn't I use torture? I'll even torture you severely."

Zhou Qing knelt on the ground, staring intently at Gu Changfeng.

He's been thinking about this carefully lately.

If he really did kill his wife, his crime is unforgivable. But what if it wasn't him, but someone else plotted against him?

Then wouldn't his wife have died in vain?

Zhou Qing's voice rang out.

Upon hearing this, Gu Changfeng was first stunned, then laughed heartily: "Zhou Qing, do you think you're still the same Five Cities Garrison Commander you were back then? You sat in my current position, high and mighty, judging the people of my Chongding Marquis's mansion. You never imagined this day would come, did you?"

"Lord Gu, I was drunk that night, and I need to examine my wife's body."

"Shut up! You, a prisoner, dare to touch and insult the dead? Guards, take him to the rack. I want to see if the high and mighty Lord Zhou can withstand over a hundred punishments!"

Upon hearing this, Chu Xunzhen could no longer remain still.

She strode to the front of the hall and coldly questioned, "Gu Changfeng, I, the Princess Consort, am here. How dare you use torture on a prisoner?"