She was completely unaware that her father actually had such a secret past.
"You may not believe it, but I believe your father will give you an answer," Chu Yunfei said with a faint smile. "However, once the news leaks out, you should be able to imagine the consequences, Miss Liu."
The laws of the Chu State have always protected the rights of an original wife, especially the wife who married the man when he was poor.
A wife of humble origins must not be cast aside.
A wife married before a man achieved success and fame cannot be divorced even after he becomes a high official, nor can she be easily abandoned. Once violated, the punishment ranges from losing one's official position and title to being beaten to death with sticks.
This is also the reason why Chu Yuanzhong does not like his wife but still does not dare to divorce her.
Yet, Imperial Physician Liu happened to have violated this law.
Liu Qingxi felt cold all over, her heart filled with fear and unease.
"This Princess Consort has no grudges against you, so I have no reason to make things difficult for you," Chu Yunfei said, her tone softening slightly. "As long as you are obedient, Miss Liu, I will ensure your Liu family remains safe."
Liu Qingxi was panicked and flustered, her complexion turning deathly pale. "I... I am just a servant acting by order. As for the rest... I know nothing else..."
"Do you think I believe that?" Chu Yunfei smiled playfully. "Actually, it doesn't matter to me whether you tell me or not; I can find out for myself. But I cannot guarantee whether the Liu family will be able to survive."
Liu Qingxi's voice trembled slightly. "What does the Princess Consort want me to say?"
"I just want you to say a few sentences of lies in front of the Noble Consort; there are no more excessive demands," Chu Yunfei said with an indifferent smile. "Compared to the lives of your entire family, this shouldn't be difficult, right?"
Liu Qingxi bit her lip, her heart caught in a dilemma.
She had witnessed the Noble Consort's means of dealing with people—making them wish for death but unable to die. She was even more worried that Chu Yunfei was deliberately fooling her. She had never heard that her father had a wife in his hometown...
"If you don't believe my words, Miss Liu, you may leave now," Chu Yunfei said, rising as if to leave. "Tomorrow morning, the memorial to impeach Imperial Physician Liu will be presented before the Emperor. By then, I fear it will be too late for you to regret it."
"Wait!" Liu Qingxi, terrified, hurriedly called out to stop Chu Yunfei. "I... I agree to the Princess Consort's terms."
Chu Yunfei turned to look at her, her pupils cold and ruthless. "Then please tell me, Miss Liu, what did you add to the medicinal soup you brewed for the Prince last night?"
Liu Qingxi was shocked, her pupils suddenly contracting. "The Princess Consort must be clear! I am just a servant acting by order to brew medicine for the Prince; I dare not do anything else. Even if I were given ten times the courage, I would not dare to plot to harm the Prince—"
Chu Yunfei did not speak, just looking at her in silence. Her gaze was as sharp as a knife, as if she wanted to pierce through Liu Qingxi's internal organs.
Liu Qingxi felt cold all over, a chill creeping up her back from the soles of her feet.
She did not know why Chu Yunfei would ask this, nor did she know what she had discovered. She dared not answer rashly, nor did she dare to deny it easily, so she could only try her best to stall for time.
However, she did not know that the guilty conscience and panic in her eyes had already leaked out everything.
"If you lack sincerity, Miss Liu, I don't think there is any need for us to continue talking," Chu Yunfei said in an indifferent tone. "You may return to report your mission."
Liu Qingxi remained stiffly kneeling on the ground, not daring to move.
She dared to guarantee that if she went into the Palace now and told the Noble Consort everything, the Noble Consort would surely have a hundred ways to deal with Chu Yunfei, making her life worse than death, making her unable to speak, and making her unable to remain the Princess Consort Zhan.
However, she could not be sure if Chu Yunfei had any means of self-preservation.
It was truly ridiculous; the daughter of a Third-Rank Attendant Official, whom she had never taken seriously before, now made her feel terrified.
She even finally realized that Chu Yunfei might be far from as harmless as she appeared on the surface.
What exactly did she want to do?
If what she said was true, the lives of the entire Liu family were in her hands, and even the Noble Consort might not be able to save them.
Having served in the Noble Consort's palace for a few years, Liu Qingxi knew best the Noble Consort's cold and ruthless nature; she wouldn't even frown when discarding a chess piece.
Liu Qingxi tried her best to suppress the panic in her heart. After weighing the options repeatedly, the fear of death finally overcame her loyalty to the Noble Consort.
She compromised.
"The medicine I brewed for the Prince contained pain-relieving ingredients," Liu Qingxi said, bowing her head slowly, her complexion as white as paper. "The Noble Consort said the cane wounds were very painful, and she felt heartache for her son, so she ordered me to secretly add a little opium for pain relief into the medicinal soup."
Opium?
Chu Yunfei's eyes were cold and fierce. "What happens if it is used too much?"
Liu Qingxi dared not hide anything further. "This is an addictive drug. After repeated use, it will form a dependency, and one will never be able to leave it."
Chu Yunfei turned her head, looking calmly at the space behind the screen, her voice so calm it was almost ruthless. "Even after the injuries have healed, he still won't be able to leave it?"
"Yes."
"What will happen if the medicine is stopped?"
"The Prince has a strong will, he will not—"
Chu Yunfei turned back abruptly, her eyes fierce. "I asked you, what will happen if the medicine is stopped?"
"It will... it will make a person irritable, unable to control their temper. The greater the addiction, the more intense the pain, and the more destructive the outbursts will be," Liu Qingxi said, her voice trembling. "Unless the medicine is continued to soothe him."
Chu Yunfei's expression was icy, and between her eyebrows, it seemed as if a layer of frost had gathered. "The Noble Consort is Prince Zhan's biological mother; why would she do this?"
"I... I am of humble status, I am not very clear..."
"Liu Qingxi, saying one sentence is saying it, and saying two is also saying it," Chu Yunfei said in an indifferent voice. "Since I have asked today, you should know that it makes little difference how much you say. If you cooperate with me, not only can I guarantee that your entire family will be safe, but everything you say to me today will not leak out even half a word."
Liu Qingxi's heart was already filled with extreme panic. Hearing this, she could only pour out everything she knew as much as possible. "I once accidentally heard a few sentences. The Noble Consort... the Noble Consort wants Prince Zhan to assist Prince Chen in the struggle for succession, but Prince Zhan has been at the Border Pass for many years and has no interest in court affairs. He does not want to follow the Noble Consort's wishes, which is why the Noble Consort came up with this method."
By the end, she was clearly terrified to the extreme, desperately trying to distance herself from the responsibility. "I... I am just acting by order. I beg the Princess Consort to spare me, I beg the Princess Consort to ask for pardon!"
"You just said that it can make people's irritability worsen," Chu Yunfei said in a deep, cold voice. "Rong Cang has led troops for many years and has long since cultivated a steady temperament. It is impossible for him to easily lose control of his emotions, let alone become irritable for no reason. Can just this bit of medicine make him unable to control himself?"
Liu Qingxi shook her head. "I do not know. I only listen to what the Noble Consort says. I never dared to ask a single question on ordinary days, and even if I had doubts, I could only keep them in my heart. I beg the Princess Consort to investigate clearly; I have said everything I should say, without the slightest concealment."
"I believe you, but..." Chu Yunfei frowned, as if puzzled. "Prince Chen and Prince Zhan are both the Noble Consort's biological sons; why would the Noble Consort treat them so differently?"
Liu Qingxi said with a trembling voice, "I dare not pry too much into the Noble Consort's affairs."
"How many years has your father been in the Imperial Hospital?"
"Twenty... twenty-plus years."
Chu Yunfei's pupils deepened. After a long silence, she said indifferently, "Time your return to the Palace in the evening. When you see the Noble Consort, do you know how to answer?"
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