Shen Yu quickly shook her head, then suddenly looked at Old Li. Seeing the surprise on Old Li's face, she quickly withdrew her hand and hurriedly poured tea for Old Li.
Oh no, her worst fears have come true.
Ever since she was defiled on August 13th, she has been living in constant fear, lest she become pregnant with the villain's child, and thus she takes her pulse every day.
Recently, with Aunt Bai's arrival in the capital, Liu Yu's imprisonment, and Chen Xiang's loss of virginity, she was overwhelmed with numerous trivial matters and completely forgot about taking her pulse.
Unexpectedly, when Old Li arrived, he diagnosed her with pregnancy.
"Fish, the tea has overflowed."
As soon as Old Li finished speaking, she hurriedly put down the teapot. In her extreme fright, the teapot landed on top of the teacups, then tipped over onto the table, spilling tea all over the surface and then onto the floor with a loud splashing sound…
She grew increasingly embarrassed and finally knelt down, pleading, "Old Li, Yu'er has been bullied by wicked people. Please keep this a secret for Yu'er and don't tell my mother..."
Old Li frowned and whispered a warning: "Things have come to this point, it's up to you to decide whether to stay or leave. But... Ye Hua is gone, to whom should I pass on my life's work?"
After speaking, Old Master Li's face grew even more sorrowful. His only disciple, Bai Yehua, though highly skilled in medicine, was greedy for wealth and fame, and was betrayed in his pursuit of fame and gain. "Alas! Yehua's eagerness for quick success and his many unjust deeds are a consequence of his own actions."
thump thump thump...
After knocking on the door, Cuiwei pushed it open and entered, reporting: "Miss, Princess Li and Imperial Physician Wen have accused you of feigning madness and stealing other people's private items. They have already reported it to the authorities, and the Empress has ordered you to go to the front hall to give a reply."
Chen Yu rose in alarm, exclaiming, "It's over! If the Empress finds out I'm faking madness, how could she let me off so easily?"
------
When Chen Yu arrived at the front gate, a crowd had already gathered, with countless hands pointing at her and whispering, "The eldest daughter of the Mu family is a thief; she actually stole Imperial Physician Wen's private belongings."
"He must be insane."
"He's just insane..."
Shen Yu quickly lowered her head, suppressing a smile. Entering the courtyard, she found it crowded with people, all looking around cautiously, not daring to make a sound. After all, with the Empress present, who would dare to act rashly?
Suddenly, the voice of Imperial Physician Wen came from the hall.
"Your Majesty, please understand that just now by the river, Mu Chenyu tugged at my sleeve and took the opportunity to steal the handkerchief from my sleeve."
"Mother, Yue'er saw it with her own eyes, and everyone else saw it too. The handkerchief is a private item, and besides, Imperial Physician Wen is not yet married. If this handkerchief falls into Chen Yu's hands, wouldn't people laugh at us..."
"Alright! You two, please be quiet for now. When Chen Yu arrives, I will ask her for clarification."
Shen Yu walked into the hall unhurriedly, then carefully knelt behind Imperial Physician Wen and Zhang Yue'er, clutching her long skirt. "Shen Yu greets Your Majesty the Empress."
"Are you not crazy?"
"Mother, Chen Yu was just pretending to be crazy to steal Imperial Physician Wen's handkerchief."
The Empress glared angrily, silencing Zhang Yue'er, and said in a deep voice, "Pretending to be mad is deceiving the emperor and the people. Imperial Physician Wen, immediately examine Chen Yu's pulse to see if she is truly insane."
Shen Yu was not alarmed. Just then, a figure appeared in her peripheral vision.
Old Li slowly walked in and knelt beside her, bowing to the Empress. "Your Majesty, I am a physician invited by Madam Mu, and I have just examined Chen Yu."
"Has Chen Yu really gone mad?"
"Your Majesty, Chen Yu has not truly gone mad."
What? Shen Yu was shocked, her heart leaping into her throat.
Just as she was worried that the Empress would punish her, there was a loud bang as the Empress slammed her hand on the table and said sternly, "Mu Chenyu, as the widow of a general, you actually pretended to be crazy and stole Imperial Physician Wen's handkerchief. What are your intentions? Could it be that you have taken a fancy to Imperial Physician Wen?"
"Your Majesty, although Miss Chenyu is not truly insane, she is not feigning it either. She has simply suffered excessive fright, causing a temporary mental breakdown. I have already administered acupuncture to restore her to normal. If she suffers another fright, a relapse will be difficult to avoid."
Ah… Shen Yu secretly breathed a sigh of relief, resenting Old Master Li: Why didn’t he report to the Empress all at once? He made her so anxious.
Although Elder Li covered for her, Zhang Yue'er did not believe him: "Mother, do not trust this old man. He is Bai Yehua's teacher, so naturally he will favor the Bai family."
"Shut up!" the Empress scolded, then turned to look at Old Li and said in a gentle tone, "Old Li's medical skills are superb and his medical ethics are noble. He would never deceive me. Now that Chen Yu is alright, Old Li, please go and rest."
The Empress was in this state only because Old Master Li had saved her life before. More than twenty years ago, the Empress and the Emperor were still making a living by farming. After giving birth, the Empress fell ill for a long time and was on the verge of death when she was fortunately saved by Old Master Li.
No sooner had Li Lao left the hall than Lord He entered with a historian and an attendant. He bowed to the Empress and then sat down beside her.
Lord He picked up the gavel and said sternly, "Wen Shi has accused Mu Chenyu of theft. I am here to hear the case. Plaintiff, please speak first."
“My lord, Mu Chenyu stole my handkerchief. Princess Li and many guests can testify to this.”
"Oh? What kind of handkerchief is it?"
“A white silk handkerchief with the character ‘实’ embroidered on it.”
"Nothing unusual?"
Wen Yu raised his hand and said, "Because Mu Chenyu pierced my forearm, my handkerchief is soaked with blood, and it's probably not dry yet."
"Is it this handkerchief?"
But then the attendants presented the evidence to Imperial Physician Wen.
Imperial Physician Wen picked up the handkerchief and examined it closely. Although the handkerchief was stained with blood, he recognized it as a token of love from Zhang Yue'er simply by the embroidered character "实" (shi).
There was another reason why he reported the matter to the authorities and sought the handkerchief:
Last night, Chenxiang had snatched this handkerchief, and he had to fight tooth and nail to get it back. Unexpectedly, Chenyu stole it today. Fearing that Chenyu would use the handkerchief as evidence of his plot against Chenxiang, he reported it to the authorities, claiming it was lost at the Mu family residence. As for why the Empress had come, he had no idea.
In reality, it was Hongyu who informed the Empress of her presence. Upon hearing that the mastermind had been found, the Empress rushed over, hoping to find a scapegoat for the Fourth Prince to alleviate the Emperor's worries.
The Empress's trip was also part of Chen Yu and Hong Yu's plan. This was the last resort: to use the tactic of the thief crying "stop thief" to lure the criminals into the trap and expose the mastermind behind the attack on Prince Hong.
Physician Wen was completely unaware of what was happening. He put the handkerchief away and tucked it into his sleeve, then replied to Lord He, "My lord, this handkerchief is indeed Wen Shi's."
*Smack!* The magistrate slammed his gavel and roared, "Wen Shi, how dare you plot to harm Mu Chenxiang!"
Wen Shi felt no fear. He thought to himself that Chen Xiang was dead, the night was pitch black, and there were no witnesses. How could he prove that he had pushed Chen Xiang into the water? Besides, the handkerchief was not left at the scene. Even if Chen Yu stole the handkerchief, there were people who could prove that he had only lost the handkerchief today and that it had nothing to do with Chen Xiang's death.
He wore an arrogant expression, let out a cold snort, narrowed his eyes, and questioned Lord He: "Sir, please do not intimidate me. Do you have any witnesses or evidence?"
He looked at Chen Yu.
Shen Yu stood up, walked to Imperial Physician Wen, and angrily asked, "Wen Shi, take a close look at your handkerchief and see what's missing?"
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