Ninth Imperial Glorious Phoenix Chapter 760

Chapter 760: Bring the Medicine!

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Yuwen Chu stroked his chin, staring at Mingzhu without speaking. Mingzhu, feeling uneasy under his gaze, remembered his various tactics and grew nervous but stood firm, determinedly saying, "Don’t try to tempt or coerce me! This time, I’m as hard as steel! I won’t be persuaded or forced!"

Yuwen Chu asked calmly, "Is the medicine safe? Will it harm your health?"

Mingzhu breathed a sigh of relief. "Of course not! He assured me."

Yuwen Chu said, "Do you trust his word? Bring me the medicine!"

Mingzhu looked at him warily. "Why?" Was he planning to destroy it?

Yuwen Chu sighed. "Let me have others check it to ensure it's harmless. Many contraceptives can harm the body. What do you think I would do?"

Mingzhu reluctantly handed him a pill, trying to please him. "No, our Highness is the most considerate, gentle, and caring. Of course, you wouldn't destroy the medicine or force me to keep having children, right?"

She was getting the better of him with words. Yuwen Chu glanced at her, carefully put away the pill, and went to wash.

His easygoing response was both expected and a bit unbelievable to Mingzhu. After all, everyone believed in having many children for prosperity, especially someone of Yuwen Chu's status. But she didn’t want her life to be just about having children. Taking it slow, having a child every few years, and raising each one well was the real skill.

Mingzhu happily laid down, and shortly after, Yuwen Chu joined her. They cuddled for a while, and as Mingzhu grew sleepy, she pushed away his restless hand. "It's too late. You have to get up early tomorrow. You’ll be exhausted."

Yuwen Chu unceremoniously exposed her true intentions. "You're thinking you haven’t taken the medicine yet, right?"

Mingzhu pretended to be too tired and fell asleep, ignoring him. However, she heard Yuwen Chu speak leisurely beside her, "If this medicine truly doesn't harm the body and is highly effective, that would be great. Being a monk is no easy task."

"Pfft..." Mingzhu couldn't keep up the act and burst out laughing. She stopped pretending to sleep, smiling as she gently pinched the soft flesh at Yuwen Chu's waist. He sternly said, "Sleep! It's late, and you're disturbing me. I have to get up early tomorrow, and my body won't be able to handle it." With that, he pulled Mingzhu into his arms and closed his eyes to sleep.

Mingzhu smiled to herself for a while before also falling asleep.

The next morning, Mingzhu, bringing gifts, visited the Qi Wang's Mansion and a few old family relatives' houses to deliver invitations. Since Millet was born outside and didn't have a traditional three-day or full-month celebration, many in the family hadn't seen her. After discussing with Yuwen Chu, they decided not to hold a belated ceremony but to invite the family members over for a meal and introduce the child to everyone, making the event lively and strengthening family bonds.

Qi Wangfei was very pleased to see Mingzhu. "I heard you returned and wanted to visit you and the child, but I thought you must be busy after just coming back, so I didn't go."

With the family connection between Qi Wang Mansion and the Fu Mansion, their relationship was naturally closer than before. The two women held hands and chatted for a long time before Mingzhu took her leave. She then visited other senior and noble relatives who welcomed her warmly and praised her, especially the women who commented on her hard work and perseverance, a stark contrast to their previous attitudes before Mingzhu left the capital in search of medical books.

Back then, although they respected her as the daughter of the Fu family and Yuwen Chu's wife, they privately held her in low regard. Now, however, they admired her greatly. As Zheng Momo put it, earning respect and reputation through one's own efforts is entirely different from relying solely on family and husband.

Mingzhu smiled to herself. As the Wusun Princess had said, despite the hardships of her journey, she had gained much. Her daughter was born safely, she found the medical book, and she gained fame and experience. Had she stayed in the capital, it would have taken five years to achieve such results.

At dusk, as they passed the Longsheng Great Eldest Princess's mansion, which was once bustling, it now stood with its gates tightly shut and desolate. Only a gray-clad servant hunched in a corner, bored and staring blankly at the street.

Su Lan softly spoke to Mingzhu about Longsheng Great Eldest Princess's situation. "When the Zhongshan rebel declared rebellion, everyone thought she would do something too, but she didn't. She stayed indoors. When the Great Empress Dowager woke up and you left the capital, she summoned the princess to the palace and scolded her harshly. The princess didn't argue, just knelt and cried, lamenting the late emperor and claiming she had no idea Zhongshan Wang would rebel. Some old ministers, moved by her tears, pleaded for her.

The Great Empress Dowager ordered her to be confined, and she agreed readily. However, once she left the palace, she didn't return home but disguised herself and tried to escape with her eldest and second sons to the north to join the rebel Zhongshan Wang. They were discovered, and her sons were killed on the spot. She went mad with fear and is now confined at home under the watch of Princess Consort Cui, reportedly so insane that she doesn't even recognize him and has been rumored to drink her own urine."

Mingzhu was unimpressed. A woman who could abandon her grandson and younger son, taking only her gold, jewels, and older sons to escape, wouldn't go mad so easily. She likely pretended to be mad to survive. Drinking urine showed she shared the same ruthless nature as Emperor Wen and Zhongshan Wang.

Zheng Momo said, "That woman was arrogant and offended many over the years. Many people want her dead. She's probably feigning madness to avoid disaster. Otherwise, her previous actions alone would have warranted execution by the Great Empress Dowager and His Highness."

"His Highness is aware of this. Let's not discuss it further," Mingzhu commanded the driver to continue. In the capital, one's status could change overnight, especially in such turbulent times. If the Longsheng Great Eldest Princess behaved, she might live to old age. Otherwise, numerous death threats awaited her.

Mingzhu didn't see that shortly after her carriage left, the servant at the Grand Princess's mansion perked up, sneakily opened the side door, and ushered out two people. Both were plainly dressed; the leader was Marquis Huaiyin, Fu Zifei's father, Fu Mingcheng, followed by Princess Consort Cui.

Fu Mingcheng smiled elegantly, "Princess Consort, there's no need to see me off further. Just remember your promise."

Princess Consort Cui looked distressed, "Marquis, please remember your promise too."

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