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

"It's just a backlash of bad luck, it's not like I'm dead, what am I afraid of? You were injured because of me. I can't just ignore it."

After Chu Xunzhen finished speaking, the Misty Saintess laughed so hard she bent over backwards.

However, while she was laughing, she suddenly choked.

She clutched her neck, her face turning pale.

"Xiang Ning, quick! Help her catch her breath!"

Liu Xiangning suddenly walked up behind the Ethereal Saintess and slapped her on the back.

The next instant, the ethereal saintess exhaled a breath of stale air. She had recovered completely.

The ethereal Saintess said gratefully to Liu Xiangning, "Thank you."

Liu Xiangning shook her head, helped the Misty Saintess to her feet, and feigned anger: "No need. It's been so many years, has Sister Misty become distant with me?"

As soon as Liu Xiangning finished speaking, the ethereal Saintess's eyes lit up: "Come visit me when you have time. Now that you really have the Ninth Prince, you don't even talk to me anymore."

Chu Xunzhen was embarrassed. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "Quick! Teach me, or I'm afraid you won't live tonight."

The ethereal saintess's expression changed.

I almost choked to death while laughing just now. Who knows what will happen tonight?

She might just die if they leave in a little while.

The ethereal saintess took out the black hair and red paper that Nangong Yue had brought.

She lit a fire with her black hair, then took out a red paper strip and muttered incantations.

Liu Xiangning watched intently.

On the contrary, Chu Xunzhen, out of boredom, even ate a piece of pastry.

"Zhenzhen, take this red slip of paper and repeat after me."

The ethereal saintess roared: "Heaven and Earth bear witness, the Supreme Lord Laozi decrees: the Five Directions and Five Elements, the Sun and the Moon, the universe shifts. Fortune returns!"

Chu Xunzhen recited loudly, and when he reached the phrase "When the fortune returns," the void moved without wind.

The ethereal saintess suddenly proclaimed, "Azure Dragon of the East, White Tiger of the West, Black Tortoise of the North, Vermilion Bird of the South. The Four Divine Beasts of the Four Directions, help me lock in the overwhelming fortune. Fortune returns!"

Chu Xunzhen followed along, his voice reverberating in the void, as if reaching the distant four corners of the earth.

The wisps of fortune slowly flowed back.

The ethereal saintess's voice rang out again: "By the Jade Emperor Haotian, the Taiji gives rise to Yin and Yang, Yin and Yang give rise to the Two Forms, and the Two Forms give rise to the Four Symbols. Today, the ethereal saintess begs the Jade Emperor to descend in his avatar to help me slay the villains and seize my destiny."

Chu Xunzhen silently followed along. At the same time, the Ethereal Saintess stuffed a red paper into Chu Xunzhen's hand, indicating that she should burn it, and silently recited the name of the instigator.

Chu Xunzhen lit the red paper by candlelight and silently recited: Chu Wanrou.

Meanwhile, more than 50 kilometers away from Baiyun Temple, in a mansion on the outskirts of Beijing, Chu Wanrou was coughing up blood repeatedly.

Her once rosy complexion turned pale in an instant. Her once jet-black, lustrous hair turned silver.

"Pfft!"

She coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Nangong You was frightened.

He was about to help Chu Wanrou up when Chu Wanrou's complexion suddenly darkened, and fine lines appeared at the corners of her eyes.

"Ah! A monster!"

Nangong You exclaimed in surprise, shoved Chu Wanrou aside, and fled.

Watching Nangong You's retreating figure, Chu Wanrou's face turned pale and then green, and she couldn't help but curse loudly.

"That idiot Chu Mingli!"

She had previously asked him to hide something in Chu Xunzhen's room, but it was discovered. Later, she could only randomly select one person from those who touched the red paper and black hair to obtain their luck.

As long as the hair and red paper are still there, that person's good fortune will continuously flow to her.

Now, however, fortune is slipping away.

Did that person hire a master to take back their luck? Otherwise, it would have been impossible for that person to succeed in seizing their luck on their own.

Chu Wanrou's luck was rapidly dissipating.

Luck, as if drawn back to the ethereal saintess by a thin thread invisible to the naked eye in the void, seemed to be pulled back to her.

The ethereal saintess's complexion visibly improved. Her previously pale and weak appearance began to change, and she appeared energetic and radiant.

What's most amazing is the silver hair on her head.

As time went by, the silver threads gradually turned back into their original black threads.

"Did it work?"

The ethereal saintess let out a wild laugh. Her long, black dress, cinched at the waist, outlined her graceful figure. At this moment, she seemed to have been reborn.

Seeing the faint signs of recovery, Chu Xunzhen breathed a sigh of relief.

After all, it was Nangong Yue who gave her the hair and the red paper, which caused her luck to be lost.

Now that the ethereal fortune has returned, Chu Xunzhen breathed a sigh of relief.

Liu Xiangning felt more and more that the art of destiny was mysterious and profound.

"Unfortunately, I lack the talent."

Liu Xiangning sighed.

Back then, she ended up in that small village, where everyone was a powerful Gu poison master.

Chu Xunzhen once taught her Gu techniques, but she couldn't learn them. Even the Great Saintess of the Misty Realm tried to teach her the art of Qi Luck, but while others could grasp the basics in at least three days, she still couldn't get started after more than a month.

Later, Liu Xiangning accepted that she didn't have the talent in that area.

She is a martial arts prodigy, easily memorizing moves and even mastering them.

Chu Xunzhen chuckled, "I'm the one who envies your martial arts talent. If I had your foundation in martial arts, I'd rather not use poison."

The ethereal Saintess, unable to bear it any longer, said speechlessly, "Enough! Stop flattering each other. Let's go! Let's go! I'm going to find a few benefactors to have some fun."

Liu Xiangning stared in disbelief.

However, thinking of her trip to the Red Mansion with Chu Xunzhen last time, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she decided that next time she went to the Red Mansion, she would bring Sister Piaomiao along.

Chu Xunzhen and Liu Xiangning rode in sedan chairs and left Baiyun Temple.

Upon seeing Chu Xunzhen, Chunxi visibly became happy.

"Your Highness, Miss Liu, it's wonderful that you've finally come out. I was almost about to lead a group into Baiyun Temple to look for you, judging by the time."

"Chunxi, have you been waiting long? Are you hungry?"

"Let's go down the mountain and go to Zuixianlou."

Chu Xunzhen, Liu Xiangning, and the others entered Zuixianlou, only to find that it was already packed with people.

Just as Chu Xunzhen and his companions were about to leave, a familiar voice suddenly rang out: "Ninth Prince's Consort."

Chu Xunzhen subconsciously looked up at the second floor and saw Zhou Qing there.

"Master Zhou."

"If the Ninth Princess and Miss Liu don't mind, how about sharing a table with me?"

Chu Xunzhen glanced at Liu Xiangning; the two of them were already starving and didn't want to go to any other restaurants.

Although Zhou Qing's location was not a private room, it was surrounded by screens, making it a highly private spot.

Even when he was eating in the lobby on the second floor, he still chose a very nice spot.

"Waiter, bring three more pairs of bowls and chopsticks."

Zhou Qing called out to the waiter on the first floor.

"Chunxi, please sit down too. You must be tired today."

"No, Your Highness. Chunxi can rest on the stool over there."

As she spoke, Chunxi sat down at the small table in the corner.

That small table was a seat specifically prepared for the maids and servants of high-ranking officials and nobles.

"Lord Zhou, judging from your complexion, you seem to be doing quite well lately?"

Chu Xunzhen looked at Zhou Qing in surprise and asked.

Previously, Zhou Qing was grieving for his deceased wife and was in a state of depression, which worried Chu Xunzhen.

Seeing him so radiant now makes me happy for him.

"Thanks to the Ninth Princess's kindness, His Majesty has reinstated me to my original position."

Upon hearing this, Chu Xun was overjoyed.

She suddenly grabbed Liu Xiangning and said, "That's wonderful. The people of Da Ning have a clear sky above them again."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qing waved his hands repeatedly, looking embarrassed: "Princess Ninth, please don't make fun of me. Your Excellency is someone I have admired all my life. I am just a lowly official, doing my best in my duties. How could I possibly deserve the title of Your Excellency?"

Liu Xiangning held a handkerchief, covered her mouth, and chuckled softly. Looking at Zhou Qing, her eyes seemed to gleam: "Lord Zhou, your name has long been known throughout the capital. Even when I was living far away on the border, I heard the people speak highly of you, saying that you are the King of Hell who judges the wicked and the only salvation for the innocent victims."

Zhou Qing was stunned, then gave a bitter laugh: "Miss Liu, please don't make fun of me. I do hate evil and don't want innocent people to be wronged, but human strength is limited. If it weren't for the Princess's help, I'm afraid I would already be the villain in the people's mouths, accused of murdering my wife."

Upon hearing this, Chu Xunzhen said, "Are you afraid, sir? Your wife is gone. Now you still have a son. Do you still dare to oppose that heinous villain? What if he harms your innocent child in retaliation against you?"

"I am afraid." Zhou Qing nodded and said, "I am also a human being, a father, and naturally I am afraid that my child will be harmed. However, fear is not a reason. If you are afraid that my child will be harmed, then you expect me to go against my conscience, which I cannot do."

"Lord Zhou, your son and my son Xingchen are classmates. I will immediately order my guards to look after your son in the palace."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qing was startled and clasped his hands in a fist salute, saying, "Thank you, Your Highness."

"No need for formalities. All wrongful convictions and miscarriages of justice in the capital must be thoroughly investigated. We must ensure that no innocent person is implicated."

"The princess is right."

After the meal, seeing that Liu Xiangning had gone to the restroom, Zhou Qing solemnly said to Chu Xunzhen, "My life was saved by the Princess. In the future, if the Princess has any orders, I am willing to go through fire and water for her."

As he spoke, Zhou Qing was about to kneel on the ground.

Chu Xunzhen quickly helped him up, but as soon as she stretched out her arm, it aggravated the arrow wound on her back, and a pain came from her back.

"The Princess Consort was assassinated in front of the Wan Yao Ge (Ten Thousand Medicines Pavilion), but the Ninth Princess Consort has not come to report to the authorities. Should I investigate and apprehend the perpetrators?"

Upon hearing this, Chu Xunzhen's eyes lit up, and she smiled, having come up with an idea.

"No need. His Highness has already made the decision for me. It's just that I don't like the design of the Marquis of Zhongyi's residence very much."

Chu Xunzhen stopped there, and she didn't care whether Zhou Qing would do it or not, or whether he was willing to help her.

She acts entirely according to her conscience.

Zhou Qing was an upright and honest man, a good official. His rise to power meant that Gu Changfeng was dismissed.

Zhou Qing seemed to be deep in thought.

Liu Xiangning is back.

Chu Xunzhen said to the waiter, "Check, please!"

Zhou Qing quickly stopped her, saying, "Your Highness, Miss Liu, I'll settle this debt."

Chu Xunzhen nodded and said, "Then thank you very much, Lord Zhou."

Liu Xiangning clasped her hands in a fist and said, "Lord Zhou, you've gone to so much trouble. I'll host another banquet for you two another day."

Zhou Qing was both amused and exasperated, and was about to speak when suddenly, a roar exploded in front of the three of them.

"Chu Xunzhen, you really did collude with Zhou Qing! You caused me to lose my position in the Five Cities Garrison, and now you're even dining with Zhou Qing as if no one else is around. You fickle, shameless woman!"

The three of them turned around and faced Gu Changfeng.