Chapter 61 The Truth About the Miscarriage Back Then.
Shen Mi's heart was in turmoil. Her heart pounded in her chest, as if it were about to leap out of her throat.
She dared not look into Gu Zhan's eyes. She knew that Gu Zhan was naturally cautious, and she was afraid that Gu Zhan would see the slightest abnormality in her eyes. So she only stared at Gu Zhan's hand holding the small celadon lotus cup.
Gu Zhan's fingers were long and strong. This hand had held her hand, fed her medicine, held her waist, adjusted her clothes, wiped away her tears, and drawn her eyebrows...
For some reason, she desperately hoped that Gu Zhan could see that the hangover soup contained a drug called "Qianji".
Clearly, back then, Gu Zhan, for the sake of power and to plot against the Prince of Wei, instructed Cai Yun to push her into the water, using their first child as bait. Before that, she desperately hoped to find the truth and kill the person who killed her child. But now, the murderer is sitting in front of her, and has even picked up the bowl of drugged hangover soup. For a moment, she actually didn't want Gu Zhan to drink the hangover soup.
Shen Mi bent her knees forward, trying to stop Gu Zhan.
It was this bending of her knees that caused the gold bracelet hanging from her ankle to touch her skin; the metallic chill traveled through her cloud-patterned stockings, instantly bringing her back to her senses.
Yes, that hand that is now holding the porcelain cup also put this gold bracelet on her ankle not long ago.
Once Gu Zhan drinks this hangover soup, she can finally remove the gold bracelet from her ankle—a bracelet that constantly reminds her that she is now nothing more than a tamed, docile cat—and escape from Gu Zhan's control.
This time it's a poison that will draw Gu Zhan's attention, so he won't have a chance to survive. She no longer needs to worry about Gu Zhan finding her. She can return with Cuiwei to the small courtyard where she lived for four years, and continue to be neighbors with Madam Xu. Yao'er will obediently call her "Mother".
This is incredibly tempting for her right now.
"You can also escape him and live the life you want."
The words that Zhou Fanyin had said when she slipped medicine to her in the side hall of the palace banquet echoed in her ears once again.
wrong.
Zhou Fanyin was imprisoned in Daxiangguo Temple for five years. How could she know that Zhou Fanyin wanted to escape the Eastern Palace and get away from Gu Zhan? Even the Prince of Wei would not know such a thing. Since Gu Zhan brought her back from Runzhou a few months ago, she has only met the Prince of Wei three times. Once was on the day of the Winter Solstice Palace Banquet, when she met the Prince of Wei at the palace gate and Gu Zhan said a few words to her. Another time was a few days ago when she went to Daxiangguo Temple to add eternal lamps for her mother and met Gu Zhan in front of the Buddha Hall. The last time was today.
Moreover, during this time, she and Gu Zhan had done an excellent job of putting on a show. Even she herself was almost convinced that she and Gu Zhan were indeed a "loving couple." It was impossible for Prince Wei to see through the deception, let alone Zhou Fanyin.
As the Princess Consort of Wei, it was perfectly normal for Zhou Fanyin to want the Crown Prince Gu Zhan dead, so she had a reason to give herself the drug. However, she had no reason to give her that bottle of so-called unique sleeping potion.
The sole purpose of giving it to her was to confuse her.
Gu Zhanruo's death may seem like she did avenge the murder of her son, but the real beneficiary was Prince Wei, Gu Shen!
In this way, it was she, the Crown Princess, who poisoned him, and she cannot escape the blame. What a brilliant scheme to kill someone with a borrowed knife.
Time seemed to pass incredibly slowly. By the time Shen Mi came to her senses, Gu Zhan had just seen her leaning forward. He stopped drinking the hangover soup, freed one hand to support her, and the porcelain cup was resting on his lips.
Gu Zhan moved the bowl aside, turned his head to look at Shen Mi, and frowned slightly: "Why can't you stand up? Is it because you were too tired at the palace banquet today?"
Shen Mi slowly shook her head and said, "No, it was just that the gold bracelet on my ankle was a little cold."
Gu Zhan said "Oh," and was about to bring the hangover soup to his lips again.
"Your Highness!" Shen Mi blurted out, trying to stop him.
Gu Zhan sounded puzzled as he asked her, "What's wrong?"
Shen Mi couldn't think of a single excuse for the moment. Just as she was about to fall into Gu Zhan's arms and "accidentally" knock over the bowl of hangover soup, Gu Zhan placed the bowl of hangover soup on the small table next to him.
"It's a bit hot, I'll drink it later."
Shen Mi breathed a sigh of relief, but before she could completely calm down, Gu Zhan suddenly reached out, hooked his arm around her waist, and pulled her into his arms, his hand naturally resting on her lower abdomen.
Her breathing became tense again.
Gu Zhan's lips approached the earlobe of the woman in his arms, and he asked in a concerned tone, "What's wrong with Zhi Niang today? She seems a little nervous?"
Whether it was the warmth of Gu Zhan's breath on the skin behind her ear or his slightly sarcastic probing words, Shen Mi felt a shiver run through her body.
She didn't dodge Gu Zhan's movements, but forced a smile and said, "No, I don't think so."
Shen Mi thought Gu Zhan would continue to probe, but to her surprise, he simply responded with an "Oh" and said, "If Zhi Niang says no, then no."
Shen Mi didn't know how to respond, so she could only remain silent.
Gu Zhan didn't let go of her waist, and suddenly changed the subject, "At the palace banquet today, you looked at Princess Wei for longer than you looked at me."
He said it in a very languid tone, as if it were just something he mentioned casually.
Shen Mi didn't understand what he meant by those words. Was he really just bringing it up unintentionally, or was he testing her?
Therefore, she could only make up an excuse first, saying, "Her seat is right across from mine. I can see her as soon as I look up. And Your Highness is sitting next to me. In such a public place with so many people around, if my eyes are always on Your Highness, wouldn't I be a laughing stock?"
Seeing the woman in his arms slightly turn her head, as if avoiding his movements, Gu Zhan muttered, "Looks like there are still too many people."
Shen Mi didn't hear what he had just said; her mind was in turmoil, and she had no intention of asking or thinking about it.
Gu Zhan tightened his grip on Shen Mi's waist slightly and asked, "Zhi Niang keeps looking at Princess Wei because she's pregnant now?"
That doesn't sound like there's much of a problem with it.
Shen Mi pondered for a moment and then said, "I suppose so."
Gu Zhan chuckled softly, his fingertips gliding over her still flat stomach, and said, "I guessed that Zhi Niang is always worried about the child. It's alright. You and I are now deeply in love. As long as Zhi Niang takes good care of herself, it won't be long before we have a child."
The hall was heated by an underfloor heating system. Shen Mi had just finished bathing and was only wearing a thin nightgown. At this moment, Gu Zhan's fingers brushed across her stomach, causing a ticklish, tingling sensation to rise on her skin.
She tried to brush Gu Zhan's hand away, but he grabbed it and wouldn't let her move an inch.
Gu Zhan gently pinched her fingertips. "Tell me, if there were a child here right now, the birth time would be around September or October of next year. If it's in September, then it would be before my birthday. After tonight, I will be turning thirty. Wouldn't that be a double celebration?"
Shen Mi didn't know why he suddenly brought up the child tonight. Wasn't Gu Zhan usually the one who hated talking about the child the most?
She felt that Gu Zhan was acting strangely tonight, but she couldn't quite put her finger on why. To Gu Zhan's words, she could only give a perfunctory reply: "Your Highness is right."
Gu Zhan didn't end the topic. "Doesn't Zhi Niang like Runyang Land? When this child is born, when she can talk and walk, we'll go to Runyang Land every year, or anywhere you want to go. And Mother, she'll definitely love our child too. But tell me, what should we name this child? Will it be a boy or a girl?" He slipped his fingers between Shen Mi's fingers and sighed softly in her ear. "Never mind, as long as it's your child, I'll love it whether it's a boy or a girl."
Shen Mi's gaze drifted unconsciously, finally settling on the hangover soup that Gu Zhan had just put down on the small table.
The more casually Gu Zhan spoke of trivial matters, the more amplified her unease became.
After a long pause, she only said one sentence: "It's too early to talk about this. Children are something that cannot be forced."
Gu Zhan hummed in agreement. "Zhi Niang is right."
His gaze followed Shen Mi's gaze and fell upon the bowl of hangover soup quietly placed on the small table. Then, he held both of Shen Mi's hands with one hand and picked up the medicine bowl from the side with the other, but he didn't seem to intend to drink it himself.
Shen Mi was almost terrified by his actions.
Then her hand was suddenly released, and Gu Zhan pulled her hand so that it gripped the edge of the bowl.
She looked at Gu Zhan in confusion, but Gu Zhan just looked at her and said, "Zhi Niang, have I ever told you that I don't like drinking hangover soup at all? The taste of hangover soup is a bit bitter."
Shen Mi inexplicably furrowed her brows.
When did Gu Zhan ever say this to her? Back when she was still Consort Shen, he rarely drank in front of her. Even when he was drunk, he would drink the hangover soup that Gu Zhan offered without saying a word. After returning to the East Palace, this seemed to be the first time Gu Zhan had drunk in front of her.
And what did he mean by saying that? Was he perhaps confiding in her?
Before she could speak, Gu Zhan took her hand and made her hold the spoon in the porcelain cup, saying, "But as long as it is fed to me by Zhi Niang, even if it is poison, I will gladly accept it."
When Shen Mi heard him mention the words "the poison that pulls at the mechanism," her hand almost trembled.
Gu Zhan seemed completely oblivious to her actions, simply looking into her eyes and saying, "So, Zhi Niang, would you like to feed me?"
Shen Mi was forced to look into Gu Zhan's eyes. His eyes, which were usually so cold and devoid of any emotion, were now filled with deep affection, and even churning with an intense, almost overwhelming, desire.
She moved her lips, staring at the bowl of hangover soup, and said, "This soup is a bit cold. I'll have someone prepare a fresh bowl."
But Gu Zhan stopped her from getting up, saying, "It's too late, no need to make a fuss. The bowl is still warm, not too cold. Zhi Niang, feed me quickly so we can rest, okay?"
Shen Mi felt a chill run down her spine. Almost instinctively, she threw the bowl away. The hangover soup swished through the air in an arc, and the porcelain cup fell to the ground with a thud.
She didn't look at the porcelain cup on the ground, but bowed to Gu Zhan and said, "Your Highness held my hand for too long, my arm went a little numb, and I couldn't hold it steady."
Gu Zhan stared intently at the girl in his arms, a slight smile playing on his lips. "It's alright."
After he finished speaking, he called Cuiwei, who was guarding outside, to bring a basin of clean water, and also ordered someone to clean up the porcelain cups and soup that had been spilled on the ground.
After Cuiwei left, Gu Zhan took Shen Mi's hand and walked to the copper basin filled with hot water. He held her fingertips and slowly put them into the water, helping her wash her hands little by little, as if he wanted to wash away all the dirt on her hands.
"The hangover soup is sticky on my hands, I don't like it."
Shen Mi's breathing trembled slightly as she let him do as he pleased.
Gu Zhan held her tightly in his arms and suddenly said, "Zhi Niang, didn't you notice that I didn't drink a drop of alcohol tonight?"
His tone trailed off smoothly, but in Shen Mi's heart, it was enough to cause a huge uproar.
She said that Gu Zhan was so close to her just now, but she couldn't smell any alcohol at all, so it turned out he hadn't been drinking at all.
But if he hadn't been drinking, why did he accept the hangover soup she offered so naturally at the beginning? And just now, he even complained that the hangover soup tasted bitter and asked her to feed him the hangover soup.
Gu Zhan took a clean towel from the copper basin and gently wiped the water droplets from her hands. Then he guided her hand to her chest and said, "Zhi Niang, your hand is beating very fast here."
Shen Mi had not yet fully recovered from her thoughts when she heard Gu Zhan say this, and could only reply, "Perhaps it's because Your Highness is a little close to me."
Gu Zhan responded casually, then suddenly untied the silver hairpin that held her hair up, causing her already loose hair to fall loosely over her shoulders.
Shen Mi looked at Gu Zhan with some confusion, "What is Your Highness doing?"
Gu Zhan didn't reply to her, but instead dipped the silver hairpin into the copper basin where he had just washed her hands.
As the silver hairpin gradually sank into the water, its shaft turned black.
Shen Mi stared at Gu Zhan's actions in disbelief, unable to understand when he had discovered it.
Gu Zhan fished the hairpin out of the copper basin, stuffed it into her hand, and told her to hold it before saying, "The hairpin is poisonous. Zhi Niang, you have murdered your husband."
The smile on his face gradually cooled down. "Who gave you the medicine? Who fooled or deceived you?"
Shen Mi was initially relieved that Gu Zhan hadn't drunk the hangover soup, but now it seems he had already discovered it.
Gu Zhan observed her expression, having already taken in all her thoughts. He said, "Are you wondering how I found out? Are you wondering why just a drop of hangover soup on your hand mixed with water is enough to turn a silver hairpin black?"
Shen Mi's lips moved, but she didn't speak.
Because what Gu Zhan asked was indeed what she was thinking.
Gu Zhan looked down at her and said, "You took a long bath tonight because you went to see Yang Ping. From the moment you entered, I became suspicious. When you poured that 'tethering powder,' you must have used a lot of force, so much so that there was white powder stuck in your fingernails. That powder dissolves in water, but even just a tiny bit that accidentally got stuck in your fingernail, dissolved in such a large basin of water, was enough to quickly turn the silver hairpin black. Tell me, if I drank a sip of that much powder that you poured into a bowl of hangover soup, wouldn't I die on the spot?"
Shen Mi found it laughable.
Since this man had already discovered her feelings, he pretended not to know and watched her struggle in front of him. In his eyes, her hesitation and struggle were probably just a joke.
Seeing that she didn't answer, Gu Zhan asked her, "How many times has this happened? How many times have you tried to escape from me? The first time, you mentioned divorce; the second time, you drugged me at Fanlou; the third time, you risked your life to run away with Su Xingjian to Runyang, and four years passed; the fourth time, you clearly promised to return to Bianjing with me, but tried to sneak away; the fifth time, you coaxed and lied to me at the temple fair, taking advantage of the crowd to escape; and this time, you even poisoned me with such a deadly poison." He tightened his grip on Shen Mi's waist. "Am I some kind of monster that makes you want to escape again and again? I really can't understand what I did wrong to you that made you want to kill me?"
Now that the truth has been revealed, she no longer needs to continue playing along with Gu Zhan.
Shen Mi used all her strength to break free from Gu Zhan's embrace and stood two steps away from him.
She looked up at Gu Zhan and said, "So what if I poisoned you? You're good to me, but what you call being good to me is using me as a tool, instructing palace servants to push me into the Taiye Pool, and then using the child I miscarried to frame Princess Wei, in order to achieve your political goals?"
Gu Zhan narrowed his eyes, his gaze fixed on Shen Mi. "Who told you? Zhou Fanyin, Gu Shen, or Yang Ping?"
He said that he couldn't find the palace maid named Caiyun during this period. Could it be that Gu Shen had taken the initiative and already made the palace maid work for him, and then twisted the events of that year to tell Shen Mi?
Or was it because Yang Ping was unwilling to divorce Shen Mi, that he told Shen Mi about the treacherous plan he had presented years ago?
He knew that Shen Mi had returned late today because she had secretly gone to see Yang Ping.
Shen Mi curled her lips into a self-deprecating smile and gently shook her head. "So, His Highness the Crown Prince can feel guilty too? Is it because your shameful deeds have finally been exposed that you're trying to drag everyone involved into this mess?"
Gu Zhan said in a deep voice, "I never instructed any palace servant to push you into the water."
"'Have you ever seen a murderer who doesn't implicate a few people?' Your Highness, do you remember that sentence? After my miscarriage, I went to the Daxiangguo Temple to ask a high monk to perform a ritual for the child. I met the Princess Consort of Wei, who had been expelled from the temple to reflect on her mistakes. The Princess Consort of Wei said that she never pushed me into the water. I was too naive at the time. When I told Your Highness about this, that's what Your Highness said to me." Having been deceived for so many years, the old story was brought up again. The pain of the miscarriage slowly spread from her lower abdomen to her heart. She remembered her helplessness at the bottom of Taiye Pond.
Little did she know that the person who intentionally pushed her was her husband, with whom she shared a bed every night.
"I'll say it again, I never instructed anyone to push you into this mess. I will never deny what I've done, and I will never falsely claim to have done what I didn't." Gu Zhan said, reaching out to grab Shen Mi's forearm.
Shen Mi flung him away, not letting him touch her at all.
"Do you think I haven't tried to convince myself? If I weren't absolutely certain, why would I have waited until today to make my move against you?"
"Explain yourself clearly."
Shen Mi took a deep breath and said, "That day in the Buddha Hall of Daxiangguo Temple, I not only saw Princess Wei, but also Caiyun. You may have forgotten her name, but it doesn't matter. She is the one you instructed to push me into the water. At first, I didn't believe it, but you repeatedly avoided the matter of the child, not even wanting to say a word to the innocent child who lost his life in the pond. I then asked your most trusted uncle, and he told me that what happened back then was indeed your doing." Shen Mi bit her lip, suppressing the urge to cry, and said, "Prince Wei and Princess Wei may have harmed you, but what about Your Highness's uncle? Would he also harm you?"
Gu Zhan listened quietly to her finish speaking, and said to her, "I did have the idea of using that child to frame Gu Shen back then, and I do not deny that. But I never instructed that palace maid named Caiyun to push you. What I did was when Zhou Fanyin was about to push you into the water. I saw it and I had the opportunity to pull you back, but I hesitated and did not stop her."
As Shen Mi listened to his words, she frowned, trying to discern from his expression how much truth and how much falsehood lay in his words.
Gu Zhan continued, "As for why I have repeatedly avoided the matter of that child, it is because I myself do not know how to face that child. In this respect, I do indeed feel guilty. As for the last matter, Yang Ping lied to you. He did it to make you divorce me..."
He suddenly stopped speaking and didn't continue.
"Why? Isn't he your maternal uncle? Why do you want me to divorce you? Do you think my family isn't good enough to be the Crown Princess, that I'm just a figurehead village head, and that my maternal family can't offer you any help?" This time, Shen Mi didn't avoid Gu Zhan's gaze.
Gu Zhan did not want Shen Mi to know that her father and brothers were being attacked and accused of treason. He would handle these matters himself and did not need Shen Mi's involvement. Therefore, he chose to admit it when Shen Mi questioned him.
Shen Mi's eyes were red as she looked at Gu Zhan: "So, according to you, I wouldn't have fallen into Taiye Pool, I wouldn't have miscarried, and I wouldn't have developed this illness. It was all because of your hesitation. And your hesitation was because of your cold-heartedness and selfishness, because of your so-called power, right?"
Gu Zhan's throat tightened, and he said, "Zhi Niang, sitting in the position of Crown Prince, it's impossible for one's methods to be entirely aboveboard."
Shen Mi chuckled, "But your reasons are always so upright and honest."
Gu Zhan felt that familiar, stifling feeling again. "Zhi Niang, we can have more children."
Shen Mi took two steps back to close the distance between them. "Don't mention children to me! I will not have children with someone as heartless and cold-blooded as you."
Upon hearing this, she wondered if it was just her imagination, but she caught a fleeting glimpse of pain in Gu Zhan's eyes.
But the blackened silver hairpin in her hand pulled her thoughts back.
If someone like Gu Zhan knew that his wife harbored thoughts of killing him, would he really let her continue living?
Born into a military family, and already in this predicament, she absolutely did not want to rely on begging and groveling with Gu Zhan to exchange for a chance to live.
Without further ado, she took the hairpin and prepared to stab herself in the heart.
Gu Zhan quickly realized what was happening, grabbed her hand, snatched the hairpin, and threw it on the ground.
He frowned and asked Shen Mi, "What are you doing?"
Shen Mi looked at him and said, "If I were to kill you, would you be able to tolerate it?"
Gu Zhan chuckled softly, pressed his forehead against hers, and said, "Not only can I accept you, but I will also grow old with you."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
