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

Everyone instinctively held their breath.

Chu Wanrou's eyes were red and swollen, and tears dripped from her eyes.

She knew that her older brother would always be on her side.

Even if Chu Xunzhen and his elder brother are connected by blood, so what?

She is a lucky star, a lucky star loved by everyone, and everyone will like her.

Chu Wanrou felt a surge of joy and subconsciously glanced at Chu Xunzhen.

I thought I would see Chu Xunzhen heartbroken, but to my surprise, his expression remained unchanged, as indifferent as ever.

How could this happen?

Shouldn't she be sad and upset?

Chu Mingyuan looked up and stared, waiting for Chu Xunzhen to be rejected by Nangong Yue.

That bitch is cunning and scheming. He absolutely will not allow her to ride roughshod over Rou'er.

Nangong Yue's finger-playing motion abruptly stopped.

He just stared straight at Chu Mingyuan, his eyes looking at him as if he were a fool.

"How laughable, truly laughable. Chu Mingyuan, if your own sister, born of the same mother, isn't qualified to sit before me, then what right do you, a legitimate son of a marquis, have to question me? You, who share the same blood as Chu Xunzhen, are you looking down on your own sister, or on yourself? A legitimate daughter of a marquis isn't qualified, but a mere adopted daughter is? Am I the prince, or are you? Is the position of legitimate son of a marquis no longer enough for you, Chu Mingyuan? Are you planning a rebellion to seize a princely position?"

As soon as Nangong Yue finished speaking, Chu Zhanpeng was so frightened that he almost knelt on the ground.

"I'm innocent, Your Highness!" He turned around and roared angrily at Chu Mingyuan, "You unfilial son, shut your mouth! Kneel down and beg for forgiveness from His Highness!"

Does he think there aren't enough problems in the Marquis's mansion?

"First, the Lady of the Marquis inexplicably whipped me, and now the eldest son of the Marquis's family is showing me contempt. As the son of the true dragon, I can't even decide who gets to sit on a stool. Ankang, tell me, what do they mean by this?"

Nangong Yue's voice was calm, but to Chu Zhanpeng, it sounded like a deadly rope.

Eunuch Anshun glanced at Nangong Yue respectfully, his voice high-pitched: "Your Highness, Eunuch Ankang has entered the palace and has not yet returned. As for who should sit on this stool, it is naturally Your Highness's decision, not that of a mere son of a marquis."

"How dare this mere young master of a marquis's mansion point fingers at me, Your Highness! Guards, drag him away and slap him a hundred times!"

Nangong Yue's tone was childish, but her words caused everyone's expression to change.

The palace eunuchs immediately stepped forward and pressed Chu Mingyuan down.

Chu Wanrou was terrified. Her face turned ashen, and she knelt on the ground.

The others were even more terrified, kneeling on the ground, trembling.

Chu Zhanpeng had never been so panicked before.

"Your Highness, please have mercy! This unfilial son dotes on his sister too much, which is why he is speaking incoherently. Please forgive him."

Chu Zhanpeng was covered in sweat and kept explaining.

Nangong Yue chuckled, her appearance completely unlike her usual childish self.

His lips curled into a sneer, as if he had returned to normal, and he coldly mocked, "My lord, you have quite the air of authority. If I remember correctly, wasn't this adopted daughter of the Marquis's mansion confined to her quarters? It seems the rules of the Marquis's mansion are just for show; the legitimate son and adopted daughter have no manners whatsoever, and it's all in complete chaos."

Chu Zhanpeng was startled and immediately bowed, saying sincerely, "Your Highness, please understand. I was heartbroken for my mother and loved my sister, which is why I spoke nonsense. Ultimately, it is my wife's fault for not teaching them properly. I hereby give him one hundred strokes of the cane and strip him of his stewardship."

Li Yi was forced onto a bench by the servants.

Chu Zhanpeng took matters into his own hands.

Snapped!

The long stick struck him, and Li Yi suddenly screamed in agony.

"Ten strokes."

"Twenty strokes."

"Thirty strokes..."

Li Yi's buttocks were a bloody mess.

Outside Hanshan Courtyard, the sounds of sticks being struck mingled with Li Yi's cries of pain.

Chu Wanrou clutched her handkerchief and wept.

"stop."

Suddenly, Nangong Yue's voice rang out.

Li Yi felt dizzy, and a sense of hope rose within him.

stopped?

Is she able to live?

Before Li Yi could even feel a glimmer of hope, he heard Nangong Yue's voice: "Anshun, wake up Young Master Chu."

"Yes." An Shun sneered, raised his hand and slapped Chu Mingyuan hard across the mouth.

Hey!

Before Chu Mingyuan could react, An Shun slapped him again.

Hey!

Chu Mingyuan's shoulders were held down by the eunuch, forcing him to kneel on the ground. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth, and his teeth were loosened from the beating.

Damn!

How could this be?

His Highness would actually protect that vile woman to such an extent.

His face was pale, his heart was roaring, and his whole body was soaked in sweat.

Noticing the gazes around him, he wished he could disappear into the ground.

Despite his martial prowess, the pain of being slapped made his face turn pale.

Chu Zhanpeng's forehead and back were covered in cold sweat.

He was tired from beating her, but he dared not put down the long staff. This was because Nangong Yue had ordered him to continue the torture.

Li Yi's face turned deathly pale, and he screamed repeatedly.

"Sister, please beg His Highness. Mother is suffering, how can you stand idly by? If you are angry, I am willing to return Brother Changfeng to you."

With tears blurring her vision, Chu Wanrou pleaded desperately with Chu Xunzhen.

"Rou'er, why should we ask her for something?"

Suddenly, a loud and familiar voice interrupted the agonizing screams in the courtyard.

Everyone instinctively turned their heads.

"Your Highness."

"It's Prince Gu."

"Why is Young Master Gu here?"

Gu Changfeng, dressed in a dark blue long robe and gold-embroidered boots, strode in.

"Brother Changfeng?"

Chu Wanrou glanced at Chu Xunzhen subconsciously, her eyes filled with timidity and fear.

"Rou'er, don't be afraid. No one can hurt you today."

Gu Changfeng spoke gently, grasping her hands with both of his, his eyes filled with pity as he looked at her.

In both his past and present lives, Chu Xunzhen had never seen him so anxious.

He always remained expressionless and treated her with utmost respect. She assumed he was naturally aloof, indifferent to romance, and focused solely on matters of state.

Now it seems that it wasn't that he was incapable of feeling emotions or cherishing women, but rather that the woman who could move him was not her.

Chu Xunzhen's expression was cold and stern.

She could accept that he didn't love her, but she absolutely could not accept the humiliation and pain he had caused her.

Even a dog that has been raised for many years knows how to be close to its owner.

Gu Changfeng, a living, breathing human being, was ungrateful, concealed and deceived her, and humiliated and harmed her.

She was determined to make him regret it.

"Your Highness, Changfeng is already aware of what happened today. I am willing to offer the most precious treasure of my Chongding Marquis's mansion to ask Your Highness to pardon the punishment of the Marquis of Ping'an's wife and eldest son."

The treasure of the town?

The dark green jade pendant depicting two dragons playing in the water was presented by the attendant behind Gu Changfeng.

Everyone looked shocked.

This was actually a piece of evergreen jade bestowed by the late emperor.

Seeing this jade is like seeing the late emperor.

Twenty years ago, Marquis Chongding shielded the late emperor from a sword with his own body, sustaining severe poisoning. Grateful for Marquis Chongding's life-saving act, the late emperor bestowed upon him a piece of evergreen jade.

The late emperor once said that as long as the Marquis of Chongding's household does not rebel or betray the Ning Dynasty, possessing this jade can absolve them of one crime.

The Evergreen Jade is the most prized possession of the Chongding Marquis's mansion.

Even when the Chongding Marquis's family was in dire straits and was framed, they never used it. Unexpectedly, today Gu Changfeng was willing to use the Changqing Jade to save Chu Wanrou.

The eunuch behind Nangong Yue immediately knelt down upon seeing Chang Qingyu.

Only Nangong Yue remained seated.

Looking at the jade presented by the eunuch, his indifferent expression turned to terror.

"No, no!"

His eyes reddened, he cried out in surprise, and then, as if struck by a sudden thought, he fainted on the spot.