Shen Yu suddenly felt terrified. It was her order to Bei Qiao to tamper with Liu Deng's tea. Liu Deng summoned a divine physician to examine her, and it seemed that he was determined to have an heir.

That won't do.

If Liu Deng had a child, Ping'er would definitely be targeted, and she and her son would suffer persecution and be forced to wander.

At this moment, a guard reported from outside the door: "Lady Yu, King Liu summons you to the palace; the carriage is already waiting outside."

------

Chen Yu and Bi Yue arrived at the main hall together, bowed to Liu Deng, and took their seats.

But no sooner had Chen Yu sat down than, with a loud bang! Liu Deng slammed his hand on the table, and the teacup immediately fell over, rolled to the ground, and shattered...

Liu Deng, his face grim, glanced sideways at Chen Yu, suppressing his anger, and said, "Mu Chen Yu, I haven't been feeling well lately. Could you come forward and check if there's anything wrong with the tea?"

Shen Yu realized that something was very wrong. Presumably, the divine doctor of the Guli tribe had already found out that there was something wrong with Liu Deng's tea, which was why Liu Deng was so angry.

She pursed her lips, maintaining her elegant and dignified demeanor as she slowly rose and walked steadily to Liu Deng. Turning to the maid beside her, she said, "Put the tea leaves into the cup..."

Bang! Liu Deng slammed his fist on the table again, shouting, "I want you to inspect it yourself, to prevent anyone from tampering with it!"

Shen Yu was startled and had no choice but to squat down. She picked up a teacup from the table and saw Liu Wang's eyes glaring at her with a reddish light. Presumably, Liu Wang had already concluded that she had done something wrong and had not exposed her, perhaps because she was protected by important officials of the court.

She picked up the tea leaves, remaining calm as she slowly withdrew.

As soon as they stepped out of the main hall, Hongyu quickly took out a handkerchief to wipe her hands, which were covered in tea.

Back at the Hundred Herbs Garden, Prince Jing was already waiting in the courtyard.

King Jing rushed forward and urgently inquired, "Your Majesty, have you discovered a problem? If he blames you, I will immediately join forces with General Mu and Prime Minister Qiu to plead for you at the palace."

Shen Yu shook her head, her eyes already brimming with tears. When she opened her mouth, she couldn't help but choke up. "Thank you... for your kindness, Prince Jing. Your Majesty hasn't exposed me yet; you probably just want to warn me."

Regardless of the reason, I was in the wrong first. If Your Majesty punishes me, I beg Prince Jing to take good care of An'er and Ping'er.

King Jing nodded, then frowned and looked worried.

Currently, Liu Deng intends to suppress the Mu family, appointing General Qiu as Prime Minister and even making the Third Young Master Qiu a First-Rank General.

He and Mu Nanfeng were now powerless. He was in charge of teaching Ping'er martial arts, while Mu Nanfeng, a military officer, had become the Vice Minister of Rites? The entire Mu family army had been transferred to the command of Young Master Qiu.

Liu Deng intends to weaken the Mu family's power.

If Mu Chenyu were to be punished, I'm afraid no one would be able to protect her.

Looking at Chen Yu's solitary and thin figure, King Jing felt heartbroken and continued to wait in the courtyard.

Half an hour later, Shenyu came out of the room. Hongyu immediately went to greet her, handed her a piece of paper, and whispered, "Madam, Hongyu has written a confession. Hongyu is willing to take full responsibility for this matter."

Shen Yu looked at Hong Yu in surprise, then opened the confession and saw that Hong Yu actually knew what medicine she had used and how to take it.

Therefore, it can be confirmed that Hongyu was the female assassin who killed King Yan.

Hongyu is highly skilled in martial arts and adept at using poison, so why did she choose to stay by her side as a servant?

She looked at Hongyu and said, "The world is vast, there's always a place for you to shine. I... we owe each other nothing more, you may leave."

thump!

Hongyu knelt down. "Madam," she said, "the reason I stayed is to help you achieve your great goals. I do this to thank you for saving my life."

Despite having experienced many ups and downs, Shen Yu remained straightforward, stating bluntly, "You are ambitious and cunning; how could I dare keep you by my side? Besides, you were once an empress who looked down upon all living beings; how could you be willing to become a servant?"

【Madam!】

Don't call me anymore. I'm willing to change my status to a good one for you, but I beg you to stay away from the Liu family, away from me and the children.

After saying this, Chen Yu turned to leave, but Hong Yu grabbed her leg.

Hongyu looked up, tears streaming down her face. The reason she stayed by Chenyu's side was because... her only relative was An'er.

Back when she was pregnant with An'er, the late emperor intended to pass the throne to Prince Lu. Fearing that Prince Yan's son would be murdered, she bribed two midwives around Shen Yu in advance, giving her own daughter to Shen Yu while raising Shen Yu's son by her side.

In fact, An'er is her daughter, while Kang'er and Ping'er are Chen Yu's sons.

Ironically, Chen Yu was completely unaware.

Coincidentally, An'er and Ping'er have the same birthmark. Perhaps Yan Wang's stand-in is also a descendant of the Liu family, but he is dead and there is no way to find out.

Now, An'er is her only family, how could she bear to leave her?

She released Chen Yu's legs, prostrated herself on the ground, and kowtowed repeatedly, pleading: "Madam, Hongyu is willing to be your servant. If Hongyu betrays you, may she be struck by lightning and fall into the eighteenth level of hell..."

At this moment, King Jing came over and urged, "Lady Yu, please come to the palace quickly. His Majesty has already sent someone to urge you."

Shen Yu slowly walked into the main hall, placed a handkerchief in front of Liu Deng, opened it, and said, "Your Majesty, someone has put a fertility-inhibiting drug in your tea. The drug is not very toxic; after stopping the medication for a month, your body will fully recover."

Can it be determined who did this?

Shen Yu shook her head. "This matter hasn't been investigated yet. Shen Yu will take care of it now."

[No need.] King Liu then ordered, [all the concubines and servants in the harem to be thrown into prison and interrogated severely. If no one confesses by tomorrow, they will all be sold off.]

If anyone again attempts to drug me or interferes in matters of the harem, I will have them beheaded without exception!

Shen Yu secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that King Liu was making an example of her to warn others.

Fortunately, Liu Deng was merciful and did not kill anyone. Besides, it was good that he sold off the concubines in the harem, so that Liu Deng could concentrate on political affairs and attack the Heng King.

Unexpectedly, Liu Deng looked at the Ancient Locust King and asked, "How many beauties did the Ancient Locust King bring to the palace this time?"

Four people.

Liu Deng shook his head, then looked at Eunuch Wei beside him and said, "The harem is empty; let Lord Jia be in charge of selecting palace maids."

Disappointed, Chen Yu quickly knelt down. "Your Majesty, the northern border and the southeastern coast are currently embroiled in war. Prince Heng is overwhelmed with worry. We should prepare for battle and, after some time, march south and capture the capital in one fell swoop..."

Bang!

Liu Deng slammed his hand on the table and stood up, pointing at Chen Yu and scolding her, "You, a woman, shouldn't be at home teaching your children, but instead you're here interfering in politics. Aren't you just a laughingstock?"

Shen Yu realized that her words were inappropriate. She had embarrassed Liu Deng in front of the Ancient Locust King, which was indeed wrong.

She had no choice but to leave.

Unexpectedly, at midnight, Eunuch Wei and his men knocked on the gate of the Hundred Herbs Garden.