All the ancestors in the capital begged me to be a substitute

Early the next morning, it was dawn, and in the silent palace, a woman's mournful cries could be heard in the distance.

Kunning Palace.

The emperor looked at the basins of blood and water being brought out from the side hall, his expression gloomy to the end.

"How? Can the fetus be saved?"

The imperial doctor knelt down and said, "The humble minister is incompetent. The fetus in Madam Shen's belly is no longer here."

Behind the screen, Shen Yuyao sobbed loudly.

The emperor looked at the queen and asked angrily: "What's going on? We were fine yesterday, so why are we like this today?"

The queen's face was full of sorrow, "It turned out to be a good thing. Yesterday, Yao Niang found out about Leng Gong Xuan Pinghou's affair. She was so angry that she went to find the princess to argue. The two had a dispute... I didn't expect that they would move as soon as they came back. Fetal air.”

Hearing the queen mention Shen Lingxi, the emperor's face became even more ugly.

"Where's Shen Ji?" He shouted outside, "Get in here!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Ji was carried into the palace on a spring stool.

Seeing his appearance, the emperor became even more angry, "You really gave birth to a good daughter!"

Shen Ji looked disgusted.

He quickly glanced at the queen next to him and said to the emperor, "Back to the emperor, I have already written a divorce letter with Shen Lingxi. She is not my biological daughter. Chen's daughter died in infancy after she was born that year. Shen Lingxi Lingxi pretended to be my daughter and deceived my mother. When my mother passed away, she gave her most of the family property..."

This was the first time the emperor heard such a thing, and he thought it was very ridiculous.

"How could you, the dignified Marquis Xuanping, be fooled around by a little girl with no identity or background? Don't you think it's ridiculous?"

Shen Ji hesitated for a few moments, then seemed to muster the courage to report: "Back to the emperor, that girl was adopted by Shen Shiyao and Cheng Ying. Shen Shiyao and his father have a friendship, and he saved my father on the battlefield. My mother is very grateful to him. I often tell my ministers that without Shen Shiyao, our Xuanping Marquis Mansion would not have existed."

"Later, after my mother passed away, I learned about Shen Lingxi's identity. Thinking of what my mother said before she was alive, I decided not to pursue it... What's more, at that time, she and His Highness the Crown Prince were in love with each other and promised each other for life, so... …”

"Cheng Ying?" The emperor said in shock: "Is that the female general from the previous dynasty, Cheng Ying?"

"Exactly." Shen Ji lowered his eyes and replied: "I heard that Shen Shiyao resigned on the grounds of a hidden illness in order to marry Cheng Ying. Shen Lingxi was the one who was brought back to Wangxian Village when Cheng Ying was alive. Chen I have always suspected that her abilities...may be related to the former imperial master."

The emperor looked surprised, "Didn't Shen Lingxi learn the puppetry technique?"

This is what Chu Yan said in front of him.

"I originally thought it was..." Shen Ji paused, "But later I overheard Wu Zuo say that those corpses that had been defrauded did not have any traces of mechanisms embedded in them... I guessed that they were... The same evil method used by the previous imperial master. Yesterday, the charred corpse that was deceived on the ruins of Leng Palace was the same."

The emperor's pupils were shocked.

Seeing this, Shen Ji added fuel to the fire: "Not only is she good at evil arts, but she is also proficient in the art of Qihuang. If not, how could His Highness the King of Wei... be easily seen through by her at that time? Wei Chen is only worried now that she Whether the pill given to the emperor at the beginning was harmful or not, what if..."

Shen Ji hasn't finished speaking yet——

Suddenly, Aunt Liu came in hurriedly with someone from outside, "Your Majesty, Madam, something serious has happened. Cheng Meiren, Qi Meiren, Hui Bin, and Zhou Zhaoyi all have unbearable abdominal pain and are red. The imperial doctor said that the fetus cannot be saved." Got it!"

*
On the ruins of Leng Palace, Su Xian and several Taoist priests set up the formation all night long. The formations for displaying incense tables, Taoist flags, yellow paper, cinnabar and various magical instruments were already in place.

Shen Lingxi sat in the shed next to the ruins, resting her eyes on her hands and falling asleep.

Liu Meiren and her two concubines sat next to her. While sipping the melon seeds offered by Shen Lingxi, she looked at Mu Huaijie in the distance, "He is really interesting. He was on this magic circle in the middle of the night. If it floats away, he won't be afraid that Su Xian will lock it up and take it away. Other Taoist priests don't have that ability, and Su Xian is not an ordinary person."

"I'm probably scouting the formation for his master. I'm afraid Lingxi will try to trick him again... Didn't he get hit last time? If it hadn't been for that piece of Mingyang Jade, he would have died long ago." A concubine covered her lips and whispered.

Another concubine chuckled, "This is called being a thief with a guilty conscience."

Mu Huaijie saw them talking and laughing from a distance, so he floated over from the magic circle and pricked up his ears calmly.

Liu Mei and the two concubines looked at each other and fell silent.

At this moment, there was a sudden commotion in the distance.

"Lingxi, Lingxi." Liu Meiren sat up straight and called Shen Lingxi, "That father of yours is here again."

Shen Lingxi opened her eyes, looked at Shen Ji who was being carried on a spring stool, but was coming menacingly, and stood up.

Mu Huaijie was shocked.

"It's Sheng Kun, it must be Sheng Kun." He told Shen Lingxi: "Sheng Kun really can't hold himself back and is going to attack you. If you see the emperor later, you should do as I told you before , just force Sheng Kun out of the emperor, and everything will be over."

Liu Mei and the two concubines were so frightened that they hid behind them when they heard Sheng Kun's name.

Shen Lingxi, on the other hand, solemnly thanked Mu Huaijie in a low voice, her tone full of trust in him.

Mu Huaijie took in all their expressions, and a trace of pride flashed in his eyes.

While talking, the inner guard had already carried Shen Ji and walked to Shen Lingxi.

Shen Lingxi looked at him with a half-smile but not a smile, "Marquis Xuanping is indeed the most trusted by the emperor. Even if he is so ill, he cannot rest."

"Shen Lingxi, your good days are over."

Shen Ji sneered, raised his hand and ordered to the inner guard behind him: "Tie up this evil girl and the evil Taoist Su Xian who are causing harm to the country, and take them to the Qinzheng Palace. The Emperor will personally interrogate them in front of all the civil and military officials!"

*
Half an hour later, Shen Lingxi and Su Xian were tied up with their hands by the inner guards and brought to the Qinzheng Hall.

It happened to be the time to go to court, and all the civil and military officials stood respectfully on both sides.

Chu Yan was dressed in court uniform and stood at the head of the officials.

Seeing Shen Lingxi being tied in, his face darkened and he walked towards her——

"Prince." The emperor said solemnly, "She is not the daughter of Marquis Xuanping, but a witch from the previous dynasty. You were deceived by her."

When Shen Lingxi heard this, she turned her head and looked at Shen Ji in surprise.

Shen Ji silently raised his chin towards her with a sneer on his lips.

Chu Yan's eyes darkened slightly, and without stopping, he walked up to Shen Lingxi, untied the ropes around her wrists, and then turned to the emperor and said: "No matter who she is, she is the princess whom I am marrying. Although I don’t know who is slandering my wife in front of the emperor, I can guarantee it with the head on my neck. She is definitely not a witch from the previous dynasty, and she has never deceived me.”

The emperor stood up and asked angrily: "I said she is a witch, so of course I have proof. Do you want to disobey me by defending her like this?"

This was the first time that the emperor reprimanded the prince so powerfully in front of the ministers in the court hall.

Although the officials didn't know what happened, they all felt the tense atmosphere.

Nowadays, everyone in the civil and military dynasties knows that this princess is the person who is the most important to the prince.

If the emperor wanted to kill the crown prince, then the prince... Everyone did not dare to think deeply, and could not help but hold their breath and look at Chu Yan.

"I dare not." Chu Yan bowed and said: "I know that the emperor has always enforced strict laws. Although I am protecting my wife, I am also protecting the emperor's reputation. I also ask the emperor not to listen to other people's words, so as not to wrongly accuse a good person. "

"A good person?" The emperor sneered and pointed at Shen Ji, "Ask her father, Marquis Xuan Ping, if she is a good person!"

When Shen Ji heard this, he immediately repeated what he had just said to the emperor in Kunning Palace in front of the courtiers.

Finally, he said: "This woman was adopted by Cheng Ying, the missing female general of the previous dynasty. Everyone knows that Cheng Ying had a close personal relationship with the former imperial advisor. This woman is also well versed in witchcraft and can control corpses. She must be the same." Got Sheng Kun’s true biography.”

Everyone in the capital doesn't know that Shen Lingxi is the legitimate daughter of Marquis Xuanping.

Now Xuanpinghou personally came out to identify whether she was a remnant of the previous dynasty or a witch.

This news is nothing short of explosive.

Shen Lingxi frowned slightly.

When her soul returned to this body, Old Shen's wife Cheng Ying had died of illness many years ago.

She knew nothing about the past of Mr. Shen and his wife.

If Cheng Ying is really related to Sheng Kun, it makes sense why her body was adopted by Mr. Shen and his wife.

However, Aweng would never deceive her, and he would always treat her wholeheartedly.

Shen Lingxi believed that Aweng did not know about this.

As for Cheng Ying...she had also heard sporadic stories about her grandmother from the villagers in Wangxian Village.

All I know is that she is a woman with a very explosive temper, who is extremely powerful, but is also very warm-hearted and kind. She treats her silly granddaughter as her own and loves her very much.

Shen Lingxi found it hard to believe that such a person would be involved with Sheng Kun.

There must be some reasons for this that are not known to outsiders.

However, no matter why Cheng Ying adopted her in the first place, Sheng Kun now used Shen Ji's mouth to reveal the identity of Mr. Shen and his wife.

It can be seen that Sheng Kun handed her over to Cheng Ying and made Aweng believe that she was the legitimate daughter of the Xuanping Hou Mansion.

It must be that one day he can use Shen Ji to do something.

After all, when she was Yun Xi, Sheng Kun played Emperor Rui around and asked him to raise her like a canary. He never allowed her to have too much contact with the outside world. He also elevated her to the altar and became a canary. A caged bird that doesn't understand the world and doesn't eat fireworks.

In the end, Emperor Ru was able to easily believe that by killing her as a human sacrifice, he would be able to curse the Chu royal family, and Sheng Kun was also indispensable for this.

At this moment, Sheng Kun just replaced Emperor Ru with Shen Ji.

He was probably convinced that it was Shen Lingxi's fate to be stabbed in the back by her scumbag father.

Chu Yan looked at Shen Ji coldly. If glances could kill, Shen Ji would have been cut to pieces by his gaze.

"How could I have heard that before she died, Mrs. Xuanpinghou beat him up with her own hands in front of the clan members? In the divorce letter, Xuanpinghou also admitted that he was sorry for his original wife and treated him as a concubine. He broke off the relationship with the Crown Princess only because he was the legitimate heir and felt ashamed of himself. Did Marquis Xuanping forget what was written in black and white on the paper?" He said coldly.

Under Chu Yan's gaze, Shen Ji's back was covered in cold sweat.

But now, he can only advance and cannot retreat.

"That was all done by Shen Lingxi by controlling my mother's body and forcing me to do it."

As Shen Ji spoke, he was afraid that Chu Yan would say something else, so he hurriedly said to the emperor: "Your Majesty, the internal guards saw with their own eyes last night that Shen Lingxi was wearing a black robe and walking through the palaces doing magic. Cheng Meiren, Qi Meiren, Hui Meiren, The concubine and Zhou Zhaoyi's four miscarriages one after another early this morning must have been her deliberate act."

As soon as these words came out, everyone present looked shocked.

It turned out that after King Wei's incident, all the concubines in the harem were happy one after another, which made the whole court feel like the clouds were clearing.

But overnight, these tires were all gone.

Even if it is placed in ordinary people's homes, it is difficult to accept.

What's more, it's Tianjia...

Shen Lingxi's eyes moved slightly when she heard the word "sliding tire".

She thought of the pills Shen Yuyao stuffed into her hand yesterday...

Chu Yan: "Your Majesty, my wife and Su Xian entered the palace yesterday. Did they follow the order of the empress or did Eunuch Cao personally come to the East Palace to invite them? What a coincidence that something like this happened last night. I suspect that someone did this. Bureau, want to harm my wife."

As soon as he finished speaking, he heard a voice coming from the side of the hall, "What does the prince mean, is this palace setting up a trap to harm the prince?"

Everyone turned around and saw the queen, wearing a crown of nine dragons and nine phoenixes, wearing Zhai clothes and makeup, appearing in front of the screen beside the Qinzheng Hall.

The harem of the Zhou Dynasty was not allowed to interfere in politics.

Since the founding of the dynasty, there has never been a precedent for a queen to go to court.

All the civil and military officials in the court looked at the queen with a bit of doubt.

The queen walked to the bottom of the steps, saluted the emperor, then turned around and explained to the ministers: "I am here today because the case involves the concubines in the harem. The emperor specially ordered me to attend, and also to give some advice to the harem concubines. The victimized concubine will give an explanation."

She said, raising her eyes to look at Shen Lingxi, "Princess, last night's ritual ceremony was indeed the result of my invitation to you and Su Xian to come into the palace to redeem the souls of the dead."

"But since you entered the palace, first the scorched corpses that were burned to death have been faked one after another, and then the concubine's miscarriage occurred. Even your sister Shen Yuyao's belly, and my nephew's posthumous child, were also lost in the relationship between you and me. She had a tire slip during the argument. How should you explain this?"

At this point, the Queen's tone was particularly sad, "I really don't want to believe that you are the kind of person Xuan Pinghou said, but these evidences make it really hard for me to believe that you are innocent."

Chu Yan's eyes suddenly turned cold, and he was about to speak——

Shen Lingxi gently tugged on his sleeve to stop his movement.

She took a step forward and looked directly at the Queen, "As far as I know, these four empresses and Mrs. Shen are all more than three months pregnant. Since the empress said that they all had miscarriages because of what I did, then why not Please, Madam, order someone to bring up those fallen fetuses for me to take a look at."

"I don't have any other skills, but I have some skills in autopsy. A fetus that is more than three months old has begun to take on a human shape. Even if it is a poor person, it can be examined."

"As long as we can find out that those who slipped and died suddenly died in good condition, then I'll leave my life to your disposal, okay?"

The queen's face froze.

"Tires are filthy things. How could they be brought up to the court? You are just fooling around." She scolded in a deep voice.

Shen Lingxi looked at her with a half-smile but not a smile, "If the queen can't get out the fetus, it means that these concubines, including Mrs. Shen, don't have fetuses at all. Queen, do you think they have any fetuses in their stomachs?" What if there’s no fetus?”

(End of this chapter)