The wet nurse cried out in surprise, and her tense neck and shoulders relaxed a lot at once.

Because Gu Zhiyan had been having a fever, the wet nurse and another maid took turns to keep watch last night and she hardly slept at all. At this moment, there was a deep dark shadow in the eye sockets under her eyes.

Shen Wan also breathed a sigh of relief, and finally felt a little relieved.

"The Yang Qi is still flowing, don't touch the golden needles." Chu Qianchen warned the nurse and stood up. The next sentence he said was to Shen Wan, "Let's go out first."

Chu Qianchen knew that Gu Zhiyan's condition had not been controlled yet. Now this was just temporary suppression to let her fever go down. After all, high fever and convulsions might cause intellectual impairment in the child, just like the third princess.

Shen Wan took another deep look at Gu Zhiyan lying on the beauty couch, then walked out of the green gauze cabinet with Chu Qianchen. Shen and Lady Mu, the Duke's wife, followed, leaving only the wet nurse and the head maid to take care of Gu Zhiyan, who still had five golden needles inserted into her body.

When everyone returned to the warm room, Chu Qianchen sat down and called out "Auntie". He wanted to ask about the illness in detail, but he saw Shen Wan taking a purse from Aunt Rong and then handing it to Chu Qianchen personally.

"Sister Chen, look at this..." Shen Wan said, looking into her eyes.

Chu Qianchen took out half a piece of crumpled talisman paper from his pouch.

To her, this talisman paper looked very familiar.

This is the talisman paper of Wuwei Temple.

Previously, after she learned that the talisman paper Chu Qianhuang requested had controlled Gu Zhiyan's absence disorder, she had taken Gu Zhiyan's pulse. At that time, there was nothing wrong with Gu Zhiyan's pulse.

Later, she also asked Jiang Yuan to go to Wuwei Temple, but there was nothing special about the talisman paper he got.

Chu Qianchen held the half piece of talisman paper in his hand through a frosty white handkerchief, looked at it carefully, and soon discovered that the talisman paper was not just crumpled, it should have been soaked in some liquid and then dried.

Chu Qianchen's eyes flashed, and he put the half piece of talisman paper to his nose and sniffed it.

Internal talismans are usually written with smoke ink, and pine smoke ink is often the best. Each family has its own recipe for pine smoke ink. For example, the pine smoke ink of Wuwei Temple is the top-grade black jade pine smoke ink. Different from the pine smoke ink used by ordinary people, the pine smoke ink in Taoist temples often adds some special materials. For example, the pine smoke ink on this talisman paper is added with cinnabar, musk, borneol, pearls, etc.

Taoism has Taoist doctors. The King of Medicine Sun Simiao is a Taoist doctor. He has a wide range of medical knowledge. Chu Qianchen doesn’t know much about Taoist medicine. He just guessed that the reason why talisman paper can cure diseases is actually related to the talisman ink used.

However, the half piece of talisman paper in her hand should not fall into the category of "Taoist medicine".

Chu Qianchen sniffed again and found a smell on the talisman paper that did not belong to paper or talisman ink. It was vague and seemed to be there. What was that smell?

She closed her eyes and savored the smell for a while, but couldn't figure out what it was.

Assuming that this smell belongs to a "medicine", then it should be this medicine that has an effect on Gu Zhiyan's illness, and it is also this medicine that has made her condition relapse more severely.

It is possible.

Many medicinal herbs, including aconite and centipede, are poisonous, so doctors must consider repeatedly when prescribing medicine, or learn from the experience of their predecessors. These herbs can be medicines that cure diseases and save lives, but they can also be poisonous enough to kill people.

"Bring a bowl of water and a pair of scissors." Chu Qianchen ordered.

So, Lady Mu, the Duke's wife, told the maid to do it, and hesitated to say more.

Chu Qianchen could see what his grandmother wanted to ask, so he said bluntly: "This talisman paper should have been soaked in a very concentrated medicinal juice."

Shen Wan was not surprised. She pursed her lips, her eyes filled with sadness and her face looked pale.

Shen stared blankly at the half piece of talisman paper, and her pupils shrank slightly as she remembered something.

Soon, the maid returned with a glass of water in a white porcelain cup, and also brought back an extra pot of water.

Chu Qianchen picked up the scissors and carefully cut the talisman paper, dividing it into two parts, one part with the words written in talisman ink, and the other part was blank talisman paper. She soaked the latter in the cup of water.

The others were all puzzled, but no one questioned them. They all knew that Chu Qianchen had her reasons for doing so.

The room was as silent as a graveyard. It was Shen who broke the silence first: "Awan, was this talisman paper given by Chu Qianhuang?"

Shen's voice was hoarse. She remembered that Chu Qianhuang had asked Gu Zhiyan for talisman water, so she had to make this guess.

Upon hearing this, Lady Mu, Duke of Mu's face changed and she looked at Shen Wan with disbelief.

Shen Wan showed a smile that was uglier than crying, and said in a hoarse voice: "She gave it to me."

Shen's face turned pale, and her heart tightened when she thought about what Chu Qianchen had just said, that the talisman paper was soaked in medicinal juice.

Chu Qianhuang was the daughter she raised with her own hands. She knew that this child was selfish and had a crooked personality. Not only was she short-sighted, but she would do anything to achieve her goals. She would even use her brother Chu Yunyi and instigate him to take risks.

But even so, Shen still held a glimmer of hope in her heart, hoping that this child was not that bad...

Shen Wan took two deep breaths and started from the time in August when Gu Zhiyan was stimulated and her symptoms relapsed. After she used the talisman water that Chu Qianhuang had asked for, her absence disorder began to improve. However, perhaps because she was frightened, she still had nightmares and fever every now and then.

As she spoke, Shen Wan showed some shame, looking at the wife of Duke Mu, "At that time, the Prince's Mansion was in chaos, and those people were making a lot of noise, so I didn't dare to come back..."

Lady Mu patted Shen Wan's hand lovingly, meaning that she knew the difficulties of her daughter and son-in-law and told her not to worry. After all, who in this world can live as they please? Even the emperor is subject to many restrictions of rules, etiquette and laws.

Rong Mama handed Shen Wan tea. Shen Wan drank two sips of warm tea to moisten her throat before continuing, "After that, Chu Qianhuang would send talisman paper to the Prince's Mansion every once in a while, saying that she had specially gone to Wuwei Temple to ask for it."

"Every time Qi Niang used the magic water, her condition would improve greatly. In fact, in the past few months, I also asked some famous doctors in Beijing to see Qi Niang, and they all said that there was nothing wrong with her."

It was precisely because of this that Shen Wan felt at ease to continue using the talisman water on Gu Zhiyan.

"But since last month, Qi Niang's condition has not been right. She has more nightmares at night and wakes up many times a night. After waking up from a nightmare, she becomes manic and then she has a fever again."

"The doctor and the imperial physician all said that it was a child's external infection or something like that. The fever-reducing prescriptions they prescribed were almost the same. At first, these prescriptions were effective in reducing fever, but gradually, the decoctions and medicines were no longer effective. Only the talisman water given by Chu Qianhuang could reduce Qi Niang's fever and let her sleep well at night."

"But this time, Qi Niang's fever is even worse than before. The high fever won't go away. Last night, she had a seizure for the first time, and her limbs were twitching violently..."

When talking about what happened yesterday, Shen Wan's body couldn't stop shaking, her red eyes began to fill with tears again, and her voice choked.

Everyone can feel her heartache and helplessness as a mother.

Shen: “!!!”

Shen's right hand suddenly clenched into a fist, her nails digging into her palm, and her face turned even paler.

She was not a fool. Even if Shen Wan did not clearly point out what Chu Qianhuang had done, she naturally understood it and had already guessed the truth that was about to be revealed.

Chu Qianhuang actually took advantage of Gu Zhiyan's amnesia and cruelly attacked her little cousin who had been close to her since childhood.

Shen's disappointment with Chu Qianhuang was beyond words, and her heart felt as if it was pierced by thousands of arrows.

"What on earth does she want to do..." Shen said to herself in a trembling voice.

The wife of Duke Mu also frowned, and the wrinkles between her brows became much deeper, making her look several years older.

She also felt that Chu Qianhuang must have some ulterior motive, just like what her eldest daughter had said before, Chu Qianhuang instigated Chu Yunyi to rescue the emperor in order to preserve the title of Marquis Yongding's Mansion. Chu Qianhuang wanted to preserve the honor of the Marquis' Mansion.

So, what exactly did Chu Qianhuang intend to get from the Prince's Mansion this time? ! Facing the complicated looks from her mother and elder sister, Shen Wan said frankly without hiding anything: "She said that she wanted to send the third princess to Nanhao and asked the prince to help her join the wedding procession."

When Shen Wan said the last sentence, she spoke very slowly.

"..." Shen and Lady Mu were also shocked.

They could never have imagined that Chu Qianhuang would do such a thing in order to go to Hao Kingdom, and Shen Wan thought about it all night but still couldn't figure out why Chu Qianhuang was so obsessed with going to Hao Kingdom.

Chu Qianhuang knew very well that Gu Zhiyan had been in poor health since childhood. Since Gu Zhiyan was born, Chu Qianhuang has loved this cousin very much and often played with her. Gu Zhiyan has always liked this cousin very much.

Chu Qianhuang actually threw away all the feelings they had for so many years just to go to Hao Kingdom.

Shen felt a dull pain in her chest as if it was run over by a carriage. She clenched her hands in her sleeves tighter, then slowly let go.

The child she raised from childhood to adulthood not only turned out to be wrong, but also turned into a heartless evil ghost!

Shen felt exhausted and leaned back against the chair.

Shen Wan was also exhausted and looked even more haggard. She continued, "Yesterday Chu Qianhuang came to the Prince's Mansion to find me and gave me this talisman paper, asking me to consider her request carefully, and then left."

"Qiniang had a high fever yesterday, and then she had convulsions. I was afraid for her... I really had no other choice, so I tore the talisman paper in half, soaked one half in water for Qiniang to drink, and kept the other half on purpose."

"After the effect of this half piece of talisman paper wore off, Qi Niang started to have a fever again."

As she spoke, Shen Wan staggered back two steps, sat down, and panted. She looked in the direction of the green gauze cabinet, and her beautiful face seemed to express a thousand words.

The wife of Duke Mu and her daughter did not notice that Chu Qianchen's lips moved and he silently recited "Haoguo".

There was no surprise on her face. She had long guessed that Chu Qianhuang seemed to want to go to Nanhao. For this reason, she was extremely obsessed with the position of the princess's tutor. She even tricked Chu Yunyi into saving the princess, ultimately for this.

What Chu Qianchen didn't expect was that Chu Qianhuang would start with Gu Zhiyan...

In other words, from the moment Chu Qianhuang was deprived of her position as the princess's study companion on the ninth day of October, she started to take action.

Chu Qianchen lowered her eyes and looked at the talisman paper soaked in clear water. The water reflected in her eyes, making her eyes look unusually deep.

After a brief pause, Shen Wan continued, "Qiniang's symptoms are getting worse and worse. I really can't hold on any longer. I'm afraid that next time she...she..."

Shen Wan was almost speechless. She pressed the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, raised her face again, and said firmly: "Although I have made a mess of my life, first I was stupid enough to let Qi Niang be kidnapped, and then I gave Chu Qianhuang an opportunity..."

Shen Wan also reflected on this. If she had not been so hesitant, if she had been willing to listen to Chu Qianchen from the beginning, Gu Zhiyan might not have become what she is now.

It is said that mediocre doctors mislead people, but an incompetent mother like her is also harming her daughter! Thinking of Gu Zhiyan, Shen Wan straightened her back again, "Mom, sister, I have made mistakes step by step, but I am also the daughter raised by the Shen family, I can't make any more mistakes."

"I will not compromise with Chu Qianhuang, nor will I be threatened by anyone."

Shen Wan's voice was hoarse at first, but gradually it became clearer and more powerful, and her last sentence was resounding.

"..."Mrs. Muguogong's wife bumped her elbow into the fruit plate on the coffee table in an unruly manner.

Several fist-sized oranges on the fruit plate fell to the ground and rolled along the mirror-smooth surface.

Lady Mu, Duke of Mu, wanted to say something but stopped herself, and finally let out a long and heavy sigh, feeling even more sad.

She understood that Shen Wan was not acting on impulse.

Once she divorced Prince Jing, no matter who she interacted with, it would not affect Prince Jing.

Those people in the Prince's Mansion could not go to the Emperor and Empress to report her.

Although the decision had been made, Shen Wan did not feel at all settled. Her heart was heavy and her thoughts could not help but turn to her husband.

Thinking back to when they first met in Shun Wang Mansion eleven years ago, he deliberately dropped a basket of flowers from the second floor of the Water Pavilion, which startled her; thinking back to when they first spoke in Yunting Pavilion, when the prince and his sister of Rui Wang invited her to play pot-tossing with Princess Baohe who were traveling with them;

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Thinking back to when he formally came to the Duke's Mansion to ask for marriage from his parents, she was actually hiding behind the screen and watching secretly;

Thinking of the day of their wedding, when he and she walked forward holding the same red lotus, she vowed in her heart to hold his hand and grow old together; …

They have been married for nine years, and during these nine years there are countless memories, the ups and downs, joys and sorrows, those memories swallowed her up like a tsunami and a violent storm.

After her daughter got into trouble last year, she really hated him.

However, as they had been married for so many years, she knew very well how he treated her. Her mother also advised her that after all, the Mei incident was an absurd thing he did before their marriage, and he had never concealed it before the two families got married. He had told her clearly about it, and asked her not to let his past trouble her, lest it bring pain to her loved ones and joy to her enemies.

So, she tried to forgive and tried to let go, as long as her daughter could get better.

But now, Shen Wan can no longer hold on.

For the sake of their daughter, they had no choice but to divorce.

In life, we must ultimately make trade-offs and decisions.

Chu Qianchen no longer paid attention to what they said afterwards. His eyes were fixed on the cup of water soaked with the talisman paper.

The tip of her nose moved, and she used scissors to take out the blank talisman paper soaked in it, then picked up the white porcelain cup and sniffed it again.

Without the interference of pine soot ink and talisman paper, the smell emitted from the clear water is much cleaner and clearer, and there is a very faint smell of herbs in the clear water.

interesting.

Chu Qianchen curled his lips with interest.

"Sister Chen..." Shen was about to ask her when she saw Chu Qianchen lower her head and take a sip of the cup.

Lady Mu: "..."

Shen: “…”

Shen Wan: “…”

The three members of the Shen family were all stunned, not just shocked, but also frightened.

"Sister Chen!" Shen called again, with a completely different tone from the previous time.

Although they still didn't know what kind of medicine Chu Qianhuang had soaked in the talisman paper, but looking at Gu Zhiyan's current condition, they knew it was definitely not a good thing. Shen was afraid that Chu Qianchen would get sick after taking it.

Lady Mu, the Duke's wife, and Shen Wan's hearts were in their throats.

Chu Qianchen raised his head and comforted Shen: "Mom, it's okay."

"This isn't a drop of deadly poison that can seal your throat. This amount won't be a problem."

Chu Qianchen's eyes were sparkling, and his every move exuded a kind of calmness and confidence.

What she said was based on facts. Judging from Gu Zhiyan's symptoms over the past two months, even if the talisman water was a poison, it was a chronic poison, and it would only take effect when the dosage reached a certain level. Therefore, Chu Qianhuang spent more than a month to make Gu Zhiyan dependent on the effects of the talisman paper.

The three Shen family members looked at each other and felt that what Chu Qianchen said made sense.

However, before they could breathe a sigh of relief, Chu Qianchen raised the cup again. This time, she tilted her head back slightly and drank it all in one gulp.

Shen: “!!!”

Shen felt as if her throat was strangled and she couldn't speak.

The wife of Duke Mu also had a complicated expression. This child was smart, courageous, careful, and patient. She possessed many qualities that a successful person should possess. If she were a boy, the Chu family would surely rise in this generation.

Chu Qianchen leisurely turned the empty cup in his hand, and his thoughts turned with it.

She is certainly not willful or reckless.

She first smelled it, then took a sip, but she couldn't tell what it was. The "medicine" that Chu Qianhuang used to soak the talisman paper was different from any herb she knew.

This aroused her curiosity and competitiveness.

Chu Qianchen smiled at Shen and the others, "In ancient times, Shennong tasted hundreds of herbs."

"..." Amber looked at Chu Qianchen with difficulty, remembering that she once accidentally heard the prince say that the princess was adventurous.

The prince really understands the princess! Amber sighed in her heart.

Shen felt that she was about to have a heart attack because of Chu Qianchen. Her chest rose and fell rapidly for a few times, and finally exploded, scolding Chu Qianchen: "You kid, you usually scold your two brothers in a set way, and you even said that Brother Yi is so bold, but you don't know how to lead by example yourself!"

"You are so reckless. Aren't you afraid that the three of us will worry?"

"Qiniang is still lying in there. If you also fall down, how will your aunt face you..."

“…”

Shen scolded Chu Qianchen without warning, and neither Lady Mu nor Shen Wan dared to persuade her.

To be honest, Lady Mu felt that this was not a bad idea. Ever since the eldest daughter recognized her biological daughter, the relationship between mother and daughter had always been a little too polite. Especially the eldest daughter felt sorry for her granddaughter, so she obeyed her in everything and didn't dare to say a harsh word.

Now seeing Chu Qianchen lowering his head after being scolded by Shen, Lady Mu found it interesting.

When Duke Mu, who had just finished court, came in, he happened to see the eldest daughter teaching her granddaughter, and a look of surprise appeared on his face.

Shen Wan called out "Dad", and only then did Shen notice Duke Mu. She closed her mouth with an embarrassed look on her face.

Following Duke Mu in came a man who was less than thirty years old. He wore a leather hat with seven seams decorated with colorful jade beads and a bright red gauze robe. It was none other than Prince Jing, Gu Jin.

In just a few breaths, the atmosphere in the room changed several times. Everyone's eyes were on Gu Jin, and the atmosphere became slightly awkward.

"..." Shen Wan's face looked a little bad. She looked away, not wanting to look at him.

"Awan!" Gu Jin took a step forward eagerly, and Shen Wan subconsciously stood up and took two steps back.

Gu Jinjunyi's face was filled with helplessness, and he said hurriedly, "Awan, don't move, listen to me."

"I have just resigned from my title to the Emperor."

He uttered a shocking statement, which was like a thunder in the sky, shocking Shen Wan, Shen Shi and the wife of Duke Mu. Amber and Madam Rong were so shocked that they almost dropped their jaws.

"..." Shen Wan looked at Gu Jin in disbelief, only to see Duke Mu beside her nodding slightly, as if to say that what Gu Jin said was true.

Gu Jin took two more steps forward, and this time, Shen Wan forgot to move.

Gu Jin continued: "Awan, I don't want a divorce."

"I don't want this title anymore. Whoever wants it can take it."

"After we resign, we will separate and the three of us will move out."

Gu Jin spoke faster and faster, becoming more and more determined, staring at Shen Wan with burning eyes, as if he was afraid that Shen Wan would run away at the next moment.

"Let's not get divorced, okay?"

Shen Wan: “…”

Shen Wan blinked slowly, and then blinked again.

Surprise, joy, sadness, grievance...all intertwined into one.

She had been feeling heavy-hearted, and now it was as if she had found an outlet to vent.

She suddenly moved, took two steps forward, hugged Gu Jin's waist, and burst into tears uncontrollably.

These past two days, she seemed to be crying all the time for which she hadn't cried in all these years. She felt aggrieved, yet relieved at the same time. This contradictory emotion was difficult to describe.

(End of this chapter)