Xu tightened her grip on the cup. Her hand, which had been so well-maintained and fair, now revealed blue veins beneath the skin like a spider web.
He laughed loudly, "Xie Xinru, Xie Xinru, you've finally met your match! When you gave me the infertility drug, killed my parents and brothers, and slaughtered my entire Xu family, did you ever imagine that you would die in such a shameful way at the hands of your own man!"
The Third Prince's wife died that very night, having bled almost all of her blood before finally passing away.
Physician Chen and the old doctor were helpless, watching as the blood on the ground increased and the Third Prince's Consort slowly lost her breath.
The chief priest Xie took the body back to the Xie residence.
The next morning, he went to the palace and, in front of all the civil and military officials, tearfully recounted to the old emperor how tragically his daughter had died.
Xie Jijiu, worthy of being the old Jijiu of the Imperial Academy, spoke with tears streaming down his face, his words full of emotion, moving everyone who heard him to tears. The crowd also wiped away their tears, inwardly cursing Zhu Chen as worse than a beast.
Finally, the old chief priest asked the old emperor for an imperial edict granting them a divorce, and Xie Xinru was buried in the Xie family ancestral tomb.
Zhu Chen knelt outside the imperial study for a day and a night, but the old emperor did not see him.
After being helped up by his chief guard and returning to his residence from the palace, Zhu Chen suddenly remembered Madam Xu!
If she hadn't testified that she had personally witnessed Xie Xinru having an affair, how could he have killed Xie Xinru so easily?
Perhaps it was Xu who administered the medicine to Xie Xinru to disrupt her pulse!
Zhu Chen dragged his legs, which were numb from kneeling, to Xu's courtyard.
As usual, Madam Xu dressed appropriately and sat in the courtyard enjoying tea.
Zhu Chen strode over, swept the tea set off the table, and then slapped her hard across the face.
Ms. Xu was slapped so hard that she fell to the ground, and blood immediately spilled from the corner of her mouth.
Zhu Chen pointed at Xu Shi on the ground, like a furious lion: "You wicked woman! You killed Xinru, you vicious woman!"
Madam Xu stood up and looked at Zhu Chen, her voice devoid of any warmth, saying, "Your Highness, you question me the moment you arrive, but why don't you ask me why I slandered Xie Xinru?"
"Isn't it because you're jealous of how much I dote on her!"
"Heh." Madam Xu sneered, "Since I've entered the Third Prince's residence as a mere concubine, I already knew what kind of life I would be living. Besides, I have plenty of money, why should I be jealous of her?"
"She ruined my life, rendering me infertile, and harmed dozens of people in my Xu family. She ground their bones to dust, leaving them not even a complete set of remains!"
“I begged her to let me go home to handle the funeral arrangements for my parents and brothers, but she refused outright! Now that I think about it, she was afraid that I would find out something was wrong, so she didn’t dare to let me go home.”
Madam Xu looked at Zhu Chen and said, "Your Highness, tell me, she has harmed me so much, how can I still respect and protect her!"
Zhu Chen was so frightened that he took a step back and fell heavily onto the stone bench: "Impossible, Xinru would never do such a thing!"
"Does Your Highness really believe that the woman beside you is a gentle and kind woman? I have proof! If I have uttered even half a lie, may my parents and brothers never find peace, and may I, Xu Jing, die a horrible death!"
The oath was so solemn that Zhu Chen collapsed weakly onto the table.
Xinru swore to him the day before yesterday, but he didn't believe her.
After a long while, Zhu Chen stood up and raised his bloodshot eyes: "But that can't cover up the fact that you killed her!"
He sighed. He had to give the Xie family an explanation for this: "Xu, I grant you permission to end your own life. Poison or white silk, you may choose one."
After saying that, he turned to leave.
Madam Xu panicked and grabbed Zhu Chen's sleeve: "Your Highness, I don't want to die, please spare me!"
Zhu Chen shoved Xu Shi away: "You deserve to die! You poisonous woman, you drugged her and caused the imperial physician to misdiagnose her, and then you slandered her for having an affair. If it weren't for you, why would I have dealt her such a severe blow?"
Madam Xu's face paled, and she said in astonishment, "No, I did not drug the Third Prince's Consort. I admit to slandering her for having an affair with a man, but I absolutely did not drug her. The Third Prince's Consort is always wary of me, and she would never eat anything I sent her."
Zhu Chen calmed down. Although the Xu family had money, the people around Xinru were all people she trusted very much, and it was impossible for them to be bribed by the Xu family.
Furthermore, he returned to Shengjing yesterday to bribe those three doctors and get their entire family out of Shengjing; she doesn't have that kind of ability yet.
Who is it? Who would do this to him?!
Zhu Zhi's maternal grandfather was Bu Feizhang?
Or is it Zhu Dan?
Or Zhu Yu?
Madam Xu knelt before Zhu Chen and pleaded, "Your Highness, my father left me a great fortune, and I am willing to give it all to you, as long as you spare my life."
Zhu Chen stood still.
“And another thing!” Madam Xu stood up and took two steps forward, standing behind Zhu Chen. She wanted to grab Zhu Chen’s sleeve, but stopped five steps away from him, her face filled with malice.
"In my opinion, this matter is likely the work of either Prince An or the Fifth Prince. I know you deeply resent both Prince An and the Fifth Prince, and they are close to the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. I am willing to offer my advice for Your Highness's grand ambitions!"
Zhu Chen turned around, his cold eyes fixed on Madam Xu: "What are you going to do?"
Xu stepped forward and whispered a few words in Zhu Chen's ear.
Zhu Chen's expression tightened slightly.
The next day, Zhu Chen still had to go to the First Prince's residence as ordered by the old emperor.
Zhu Zhi was only twenty-nine years old, not yet thirty, but his temples were covered with white hair, and he looked almost exactly like the old emperor.
On the day of the palace coup, he spoke eloquently, recounting what he had witnessed as a child. The old emperor, shocked, could no longer tolerate Zhu Zhi and imprisoned him in the First Prince's residence.
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