The Aloof Lord's Mysterious Wife
Chapter 38: This is Gift to the Future Queen

Chapter 38: This is Gift to the Future Queen

Mammy Zhang just strained her old waist a moment ago, in excruciating pain.

Witnessing the miserable state of Li Zhengming and Lord of Qingguo, she felt a chill run through her body, trembling incessantly.

As soon as the Black-armored Guards approached, Mammy Zhang shouted, "The Noble Imperial Concubine is aware! It was she who discovered the formula for the Eternal Youth Pill while perusing ancient texts!"

Noble Imperial Concubine Li angrily retorted, "You insolent slave, how dare you slander this palace!"

Fearless, Mammy Zhang persisted.

With this revelation, the Li family’s fate was sealed.

"Your Majesty, every word I speak is true. I beseech your discernment," she prostrated herself on the ground.

At her age, she couldn’t withstand severe torture.

Ye Chengbo looked at Noble Imperial Concubine in astonishment, his body swaying.

Emperor Muwu closed his eyes, his voice suddenly filled with years of weariness.

"Detain all those involved in this case in the dungeon, awaiting punishment. As for the Noble Imperial Concubine... demote her to a commoner and exile her to the Cold Palace."

"Your Majesty!" Consort Li cried out, tightly clutching Emperor Muwu’s sleeve.

"Your Majesty, I did all this for you..." Emperor Muwu’s brow twitched, his voice cold.

"You did it for your own greed for favor! I was blind to have favored you all these years."

Tomorrow, the ministers would lecture him in court.

Having favored Noble Imperial Concubine Li for so many years, this incident would be a stain on his reign as emperor.

Waving his hand, he urged the Feather Guards to quickly take heraway.

Noble Imperial Concubine Li continued to cry out, so the Feather Guards stuffed a cloth into her mouth to prevent her from disturbing the imperial entourage.

Lord of Qingguo and Li Zhengming were also to be taken to the dungeon, and even the unconscious Li Miaorong couldn’t escape.

Although the patrons of the Feng Yue Pavilion had enjoyed a good show, they felt uneasy knowing it involved the secrets of the imperial family.

Emperor Muwu felt troubled and restless, no longer concerned about the Chu siblings’ matter.

He summoned Ye Siheng to the study to inquire further about the details of the case.

As the crowd dispersed, Qing Feng stopped Nanli, asking her to wait for a moment.

"The Prince has something important to discuss with Miss Chu."

"Then, Big Brother and Xiao Sister should leave the palace first," Nanli suggested.

Xiao Wanyi had just woken up and needed more rest, and Chu Ye didn’t refuse either.

Nanli waited at the nearby octagonal glass pavilion.

Soon, Ye Siheng arrived.

The pavilion had steps, and Nanli naturally descended them, approaching him.

"Prince, you’re truly remarkable. You found the Noble Imperial Concubine so quickly," Nanli praised.

Ye Siheng looked up at her.

Her eyebrows and eyes were curved, her gaze clear and spirited. Throughout his life, he had received many compliments, but only when he heard her praise did his heart beat a little faster, even his ears felt a bit warm.

He lowered his gaze and said, "Li Zhengming meeting Lord of Qingguo late at night, this wasn’t difficult to investigate. This case owes much to you. If you hadn’t discovered the clues about the Purple Cloud Cauldron, I wouldn’t have been able to follow the trail."

Who would have thought that Lord of Qingguo and his sister would kill so many women in their pursuit of eternal beauty, concocting such a pill?

Lord of Qingguo had many assassins under his command, and only a powerful minister like him could control Zhou Sheng and send people to annihilate the Ling Jian Sect.

As for Li Zhengkui, it seemed he had heard the wind and fled long ago, leaving no trace.

Nanli’s face didn’t show any joy as she said, "It’s a pity we discovered it too late. Many women have already lost their lives."

Ye Siheng’s eyes dimmed slightly. "It’s my failure to notice it earlier."

Qing Feng couldn’t help but interject, "The Prince has been stationed in the Northern Border all this time. How could he have had the time to concern himself with the affairs of the imperial harem? Please don’t blame yourself, Prince."

"Yes, this matter is entirely the fault of the Li family," Nanli added.

It was all because Noble Imperial Concubine couldn’t accept the natural process of aging.

Even if she wanted to maintain the Li family’s favor, the Emperor only had two imperial princes, and Noble Imperial Concubine was the mother of the second prince.

Her honor and prestige would never diminish.

It was her insatiable greed that led her to harm so many lives.

"By the way, when searching the Beifeng Temple, I found this," Ye Siheng said, taking out a small bronze incense burner.

There was a sealed talisman affixed to it.

It was a sealing talisman.

Nanli extended her hand and discovered the bronze furnace, chillingly cold, emanating a resentment that could almost freeze one’s hand.

"How could the prince carry such an object with him?" Nanli furrowed her brows and remarked, "It would damage his own soul."

"I possess a strong aura, capable of suppressing it," Ye Siheng replied.

"Li Zhengming mentioned that this is the accumulated resentment of those unfortunate maidens, purchased at a high price. Hence, he sealed it inside."

Nanli’s expression darkened.

Formidable resentment could be lethal, and someone willing to pay a hefty sum for it surely had no good intentions.

"Resentment serves various purposes, the most direct..." Nanli paused, gently tracing the patterns on the bronze furnace, her voice turning icy, "The most direct is nurturing various malevolent entities. Does Li Zhengming know who this person is?"

Like that wooden carving, or Aunt Chen’s jade pendant.

Ye Siheng shook his head. "Li Zhengming mentioned that this person possesses profound Taoist skills, making it impossible to discern their appearance. However, over the years, this person has acquired a substantial amount of resentment."

These young girls met tragic ends, and by utilizing their resentment, an entire village could be plagued and meet a sudden demise.

This person has gathered so much resentment, indicating that their intentions are more than just nurturing malevolent entities.

Nanli felt that this matter was of great significance and shared her concerns with Ye Siheng, briefly mentioning the recent bizarre incidents at the Anyang Marquis Mansion.

Ye Siheng was astonished, never expecting that the Chu family had encountered so many troubles recently.

"Do you suspect it’s the same person?" he asked.

Nanli took out a cloth bag and poured out the jade pendant and the malevolent wooden object.

She swiftly formed seals, slightly transforming the malevolent aura on them, and that aura, like a gust of wind, drifted back into the bronze furnace.

Her eyes narrowed. "Indeed, it is the same person."

Ye Siheng felt a sense of unease.

"This person has spent so much thought, but what is their purpose?" Nanli said, "The lingering souls are nearing their expiration date. I should soon discover the reason."

She had been waiting for Master Zhiguang all this time.

Ye Siheng didn’t fully comprehend, but seeing that she had her own plans, he refrained from asking further.

Instead, Nanli inquired, "Prince, has your jade pendant shown any reaction?"

Ye Siheng’s expression faded slightly. "None. It’s possible that it was cursed by an enemy from a foreign country."

"If one were to curse using their own resentment, anyone with a bit of Taoist skill could detect it. This is a low-level curse," Nanli analyzed.

"However, if the curse was cast using your hair and blood, even I wouldn’t be able to discern it. Perhaps the enemy is finding it difficult to obtain such items from you, Prince. It might be worth investigating among those close to you."

Ye Siheng nodded.

Qing Feng also took note attentively.

As the day grew late, Ye Siheng escorted Nanli out of the palace.

Upon arriving at the Anyang Marquis Mansion, Nanli seemed to recall something and pulled out a golden token, the one Ye Siheng had given her earlier.

"Return this to the prince," Nanli said.

Ye Siheng’s gaze sharpened.

Qing Feng glanced at the expressions of the two and hurriedly interjected, "Miss Chu, the prince intended to give you this item, he has no intention of taking it back."

"This won’t do. My father said this item can mobilize the Forbidden Army," Nanli thought it was merely for convenience during her travels.

In any case, Chu Hanlin wanted her to return it as soon as possible.

Ye Siheng’s hand touched his own knee, his gaze fixed on Nanli, "This item was a gift from me to the future princess."