In the hall, several people had different expressions and no one spoke. For a moment, the only person left in the hall was Zhong Xiu, who was breathing heavily due to nervousness.

After a few breaths, Chu Rui began to laugh. Although he was laughing, anyone with a discerning eye could see that his eyes were filled with tears. He looked extremely sad and heartbroken.

Chu Rui walked slowly to Zhong Xiu's side, staring at her closely, as if he had just met her today. A sneer slowly appeared on his face: "Concubine."

Chu Rui's eyes were cold: "I wonder if the Concubine dares to ask the maid in the palace to check her body?"

Zhong Xiu's face turned pale when he heard this, and he was horrified: "Chu Rui, what are you going to do?"

The eyes of the people present immediately changed when they looked at Zhong Xiu. Chu Rui first said that he and Zhong Xiu had an affair five years ago, and now he asked the nanny to check Zhong Xiu's body. The meaning of his words could not be more obvious.

In all likelihood, Zhong Xiu is no longer a virgin.

Chu Rui smiled at Zhong Xiu with an ambiguous tone, then turned to look at the emperor and said loudly: "Your Majesty, Zhong Xiu has been my man for five years, and not only that..."

Chu Rui paused, a little sad, and then spoke again, with a shocking sentence: "She was pregnant with my child, but she was forced to abort it due to the situation at that time."

"You're talking nonsense!" Zhong Xiu's face changed drastically. He suddenly stood up and pushed Chu Rui to the ground, shouting loudly: "Chu Rui, what are you thinking! I'm already married to the Night King. Even if I lost my virginity, it was because of my husband, not you! Don't talk nonsense!"

Lu Yanluo chuckled, her eyes full of sneers: "Don't say anything careless. Although our prince is not in the capital at the moment, we can't let Concubine Zhong bully the prince like this. Since the day Concubine Zhong entered the mansion, the prince has stayed in my room every night. When has he ever been to Concubine Zhong's room?"

Zhong Xiu could never have imagined that Lu Yanluo would expose on the spot the fact that he had never slept with Chu Xuan. He stood there in a daze and then collapsed to the ground.

The emperor sitting at the top looked at Zhong Xiu with an ambiguous look in his eyes. Although he didn't like his son Chu Xuan very much, and also disliked his daughter-in-law Lu Yanluo, he did have some understanding of their relationship.

Chu Xuan had contradicted him many times because of Lu Yanluo, which was enough to show that Chu Xuan was truly sincere to Lu Yanluo. If it was said that Chu Xuan stopped favoring Zhong Xiu for Lu Yanluo, others might not believe it, but the emperor believed it 100%.

Zhong Xiu held on to the last glimmer of hope and looked at the emperor and Concubine Lin above him, especially Concubine Lin. Zhong Xiu knew that Concubine Lin did not like Zhong Xiu.

It was a pity that the Emperor had already believed what Chu Rui said and was looking at her with a gloomy face, while Imperial Concubine Lin had already seen that her situation was hopeless and had already started to protect herself, with no intention of speaking up for her.

At this moment, Zhong Xiu, who had been arrogant for more than ten years, had to admit that she was really defeated this time, and completely defeated.

Zhong Xiu collapsed to the ground and collapsed. From beginning to end, she never thought that she would end up being defeated by Chu Rui.

The emperor shouted angrily: "Zhong Xiu! How can you be worthy of the Empress Dowager by doing this! You really disappoint me!"

Hearing this, Lu Yanluo thought of the cold-faced but kind-hearted old man. She turned to look at Zhong Xiu and asked coldly, "Zhong Xiu, the Queen Mother adopted you as her adopted daughter and made you a high-ranking princess. What else are you dissatisfied with? You actually have such a sinister mind to curse the Queen Mother with witchcraft!"

Zhong Xiu's sobbing stopped instantly, but she just kept staring at the ground and refused to raise her eyes.

Chu Rui beside him snorted and laughed, circled around Zhong Xiu, looked him up and down, and said, "This is very interesting. Since the princess asked this, I will tell you about it. Five years ago, Princess Showa and I were very close, and it was like a long time since we last met."

Chu Rui and Zhong Xiu met on the Empress Dowager's birthday. At that time, Chu Rui was already a famous handsome man in the capital. He was not only handsome but also talented.

Zhong Xiu was pampered by the Queen Mother since childhood. Her words and actions were all reasonable and measured, and she was tactful in her actions. She also had a beautiful appearance and a noble temperament.

The two fell in love with each other as soon as they met. After the birthday banquet, Chu Rui repeatedly looked for opportunities to visit Zhong Xiu at the princess's mansion, and occasionally gave her some funny little items.

After a few interactions, the two fell in love with each other and got together. It just so happened that Zhong Xiu lived outside the palace, which made it more convenient for the two to meet in private.

But truth cannot be hidden forever, and gradually the empress dowager found out about it. She deliberately went to the princess's mansion when Chu Rui was out of the palace.

Unexpectedly, he actually ran into the two of them whispering to each other there, and the truth was exposed in an instant.

The Queen Mother was furious on the spot, but because she loved Zhong Xiu after all, she did not have the heart to punish them both. She just gave them a verbal reprimand.

But half a month later, Zhong Xiu felt nauseous and retching. She went to see a doctor privately and found out that she was pregnant.

After Zhong Xiu's initial panic, she decisively bought abortion pills and, despite Chu Rui's dissuasion, simply and roughly aborted the child.

But after this incident, Zhong Xiu began to feel uneasy, and the fact that the Queen Mother had discovered her affair with Chu Rui became a major concern for her.

In order to get rid of this great worry, Zhong Xiu heard about witchcraft from somewhere and used it on the Queen Mother. She wanted her to die.

Lu Yanluo was shocked and looked at Zhong Xiu in disbelief: "The Queen Mother loves and pampers you, and even tolerates your adultery with the prince. How can you be so cruel! If the Queen Mother is still alive, she would be so disappointed."

The child I pampered with all my heart turned out to be a wolf cub!

Zhong Xiu suddenly raised her eyes to look at Lu Yanluo and said viciously: "What do you know! She adopted me as her adopted daughter, but she raised me outside the palace. What kind of princess is this! It's all false. Do you think I don't know that she is just trying to show her grace to her family? It's all false kindness and righteousness!"

"How dare you!" Before Lu Yanluo could speak, the emperor sitting in the main seat shouted, "You are so heartless! It's really chilling. The empress dowager loves you, but you can say such slanderous words. You are not worthy of being a human being! From today on, I will strip you of your title of Princess Zhaohe, demote you to a commoner, and put you in prison!"

"No! Your Majesty, I don't want to be demoted to a commoner, I am a princess!" Zhong Xiu struggled and roared unwillingly, but no one had pitied her anymore.

"As for the Prince of Chang'an." The emperor looked at Chu Rui and said slowly, "You are innocent in the witchcraft case, but you had an affair with Zhong Xiu and got pregnant. I cannot pretend that this did not happen. Leave the palace and never come back."

Chu Rui's face was serious. He lifted his robe and knelt down: "Your Majesty, I accept your order."