His Rui

The old physician was shocked and covered his mouth with both of his hands.

Xi Ying's eyebrows were raised in surprise. He had actually been unable to believe that there can actually exist a drug that can make people speak the truth and nothing else.

He couldn't help but turn to look at Li Rui with pride-filled eyes.

How much capable she must be in the medicines to make such an excellent drug!

A moment later, he looked at the old physician with a playful smirk and put his sword on his neck again.

"Speak old Man…this Lord suddenly wishes to hear your voice!"

The old physician glared at Xi Ying sharply with his mouth still covered, In response, Xi Ying looked at him so coldly that the old physician didn't dare to look at Xi Ying in the same way again.

"An Ju"

Xi Ying called out and An Ju immediately appeared inside the garden.

"Hold his hands."

The hands from the old physician were removed by An Ju and now he couldn't hide any longer. 

Xi Ying dragged a chair to sit in front of the old physician and An Ju made him kneel in front of Xi Ying. Just at this moment, Xi Ying turned around to look at his wife and asked gently

"Do you want to leave, Rui? I can manage here alone."

He didn't want her to watch anything violent if it disturbed her. Xi Ying had read in the books that this kind of scene can disturb a pregnant woman's mental state.

However, Li Rui shook her head and walked to stand beside Xi Ying.

"No, I want to hear what he will say."

Xi Ying nodded his head softly when he saw that she didn't look disturbed at all. He asked Liu Lan to drag another chair for Li Rui and after his wife was seated, he finally looked at the old physician.

On the other hand, the old physician was unable to believe that Xi Ying could behave so gently with Li Rui.

He almost felt as if he was dreaming. 

However, he soon came out of his trance when Xi Ying held his jaw and made him open his mouth forcefully.

Staring into the old physician's eyes, Xi Ying said coldly.

"This Lord didn't wish to force you into anything seeing your age but you old man …just doesn't seem to know what is good for you or what is bad."

"Hm…now tell me when did you leave the Imperial Palace?"

Xi Ying asked coldly. However, the old physician remained silent. Seeing this, Xi Ying turned to look at Li Rui and asked

"Do you have your dagger?"

Li Rui nodded her head and gave her dagger to Xi Ying.

Xi Ying took the dagger near the physician's tongue and said

"If you don't want to keep your tongue then stay silent for another moment."

The old physician was trembling to see the dagger looming near his tongue so he said immediately

"Seventeen years ago."

"Seventeen years ago…"

Xi Ying repeated the old physician's answer in a whisper. He was satisfied as he already knew the answer to this question. It only meant that the drug was working very well so he continued to ask the old man. 

"Was not it around the time when Noble Consort Shu had died?" 

Sure enough, the old physician's eyes widened for a moment. It was only for a moment and he composed himself very soon. However, it still didn't escape from Xi Ying's eyes. 

"Hm…now tell me why did you leave the Imperial Palace?"

The old physician had already not wanted to answer this question. However, when he saw the sharp end of the dagger approaching his tongue, he opened his mouth unconsciously and started to say

"Noble Consort Shu…I had taken her pulse just a day ago when she had died."

Xi Ying frowned when the old physician stopped speaking after this. He was about to take the dagger near his mouth again when the old physician looked at him genuinely and said

"Young Man…why are trying to know something that would only harm you? Some secrets are good to stay buried. You should understand that. I have been carrying this secret inside my chest for so many years because I also know this thing. What will you get after knowing such a life-threatening secret?"

Xi Ying's eyes flickered and he looked at Li Rui.

Both of them understood that it must not be some simple secret if the old physician was talking like this. Looking back at the old man, Xi Ying said indifferently and lazily.

"You don't need to worry about me. I am very capable of protecting myself."

The old physician however shook his head and looked towards Li Rui.

"If not about yourself then at least think about your wife or children."

Li Rui's eyes went cold when she understood the meaning behind the old physician's words and she couldn't help but say.

"Elder doesn't need to worry about that. I am very capable of protecting myself and my children."

Xi Ying smiled hearing his wife's words and said

"She is right. She can protect you too and I am very capable of protecting my people and my family.  IIf they dared to look at my wife and my children with wrong intent then I will dig their eyes out. So you don't need to worry about that and just tell me the truth."

The old physician sighed seeing Xi Ying's confidence and couldn't help but ask him 

"Are you so great…even greater than the Emperor?"

Xi Ying's eyes sharpened and he said indifferently

"At this moment, yes…I am stronger than even that so-called Emperor."

The old physician looked at Xi Ying with dissatisfaction, He thought that it was Xi Ying who didn't know what was good for him or what was bad.

Thinking this, he sighed and decided to tell him the truth.

"Seventeen years ago, they declared that Noble Consort Shu's health was not well and she was suffering from a disease for a long time. However, I have taken her pulse just a day ago at that time. As my master, who was the assigned Imperial Physician to Noble Consort Shu, was not present in the Imperial Palace at that time so I as his apprentice had to go in his place. She was very healthy." 

"What do you mean to say?"

Xi Ying left the old physician's face and asked him with narrowed eyes. As if knowing the answer to his own question he continued     

"You mean to say that Noble Consort Shu was murdered by someone."