Chapter 30: The General’s Pampered Little Wife 30

Chapter 30: Chapter 30: The General’s Pampered Little Wife 30

Song Yuxi’s urge to confront the Second Prince was suppressed, but it was now absolutely impossible for him to ever again serve the Second Prince with unwavering loyalty.

The men who had been involved with Yue Niang were all secretly executed and their bodies thrown into a mass grave.

As for Yue Niang, the Song Family ultimately decided to keep her.

After all, what if...

What if the child in her belly was a Song?

The Song Family dared not take that gamble.

They would wait for her to give birth and then immediately use a Blood Compatibility Test to determine the child’s parentage.

If the child was of the Song bloodline, they would reluctantly accept it.

If not, the Song Family had no inclination to raise another man’s child.

Xiao Shen learned of this plan, as he had people constantly watching the Song Family’s every move.

In the study, Xiao Shen and his trusted confidant were looking at a packet of purple powder.

This was the sterility medicine taken from the Song Family.

"General, stay away from that medicine!"

The confidant was terrified. Their General had nearly been rendered sterile by this very medicine before. If not for his wife’s intervention, the outcome would have been unimaginable.

"It’s fine. Divide this medicine into three portions. Give one to Consort Song, one to the Second Prince, and one to Mrs. Song. As for Song Yuxi, we’ll give him something even more potent."

The Song Family was ruthless, disloyal, and utterly without virtue. Since they were so eager to see other families left without heirs, let them be the first to taste their own bitter medicine.

"As you command!"

"Oh, and after you’ve administered the medicine to the Second Prince and Consort Song, you’ll need to use someone else to spread the word. Otherwise, how will we get them to fight to the death?"

’Brilliant!’

’As expected of our General, truly brilliant!’

’He’s taking down his enemies with his own hands, yet without shedding a drop of blood.’

The Second Prince was still childless. If he ended up like the Song Family, it would be a truly gratifying sight.

"You are wise, General. This time, the Song Family will surely be crushed beyond any hope of recovery."

A few days later, both Consort Song and the Second Prince began to feel unwell. However, the ordinary Imperial Physicians in the palace were unable to diagnose the cause of their illness.

Meanwhile, Li Wanyu grew more haggard by the day, and the entire Song household was thrown into a panic.

Xiao Shen activated his spies in the palace and in the Song household, having them subtly hint that the poison afflicting them was similar to his own.

This revelation caused an enormous uproar. After all, no one knew better than they did what this poison was all about.

’It would be one thing if something happened to Li Wanyu, but the Second Prince cannot have anything happen to him!’

The Second Prince was burning with anxiety. Throwing all caution to the wind, he immediately dispatched his most trusted personal guards with a troop of elite soldiers to storm the Song Mansion.

Seeing the commotion, the gatekeeper of the Song Mansion scrambled in terror to inform Song Yuxi and Father Song.

The two hurried over, but before they could even speak, the guard leading the troop shouted angrily, "Marquis Song, the Second Prince has ordered us to retrieve the antidote! If you dare to refuse, don’t blame us for what happens next!"

Father Song’s face turned pale as a sheet. He quickly said, "Please, gentlemen, calm down! The Song Family did not administer this poison. I have no idea where the antidote is!"

’Where would we get an antidote? If we really had one, the Song Family wouldn’t be in this state.’

Not all developed poisons have an antidote. The damage to the body is irreversible.

The guard refused to believe him. "Hmph! If not the Song Family, then who could it be? If you don’t hand over the antidote today, no one in the Song Mansion will see another peaceful day!"

With that, the soldiers began to ransack the Song Mansion, turning everything upside down and leaving a total mess in their wake.

The members of the Song Family were frantic with worry but could do nothing.

Just then, word came from the Second Prince’s Mansion that his condition was worsening.

The guards grew even more agitated, their pressure on the Song Family intensifying.

Song Yuxi knew that if they couldn’t resolve this situation quickly, a great disaster would befall the Song Family.

Amidst the chaos, Xiao Shen observed everything from the shadows, a faint, cold smirk playing on his lips.

When the Emperor heard that the Second Prince had led soldiers to storm the Song Mansion and demand an antidote, he was furious.

The next day in the throne room, the Emperor’s face was dark as he stared sternly at the Second Prince.

"You rebellious son! How dare you lead troops to force your way into a minister’s residence? What has become of your decency!" the Emperor roared.

The Second Prince immediately fell to his knees and begged for forgiveness. "Calm your anger, Father. Your son was simply overcome with desperation to find a cure for the poison. It was a last resort."

The Emperor snorted coldly. "Desperation? As a Prince, you are so impulsive and reckless! Where do you place the laws of the land? Even if the Song Family has a thousand faults, their fate should be decided by law. How could you act so lawlessly!"

The assembled ministers were all silent as cicadas in winter, daring not to make a sound.

The Emperor continued, "Have you let all my teachings go in one ear and out the other? With actions like these, what will the people of the world think of the Royal Family’s authority?"

The Second Prince kowtowed repeatedly. "Your son knows his mistake. I am willing to accept my Father’s punishment."

The Emperor’s anger had not yet subsided. "You are sentenced to one month of confinement in your mansion to reflect on your mistakes! If there is ever a repeat of such outrageous behavior, I will not be so lenient!"

With that, the Emperor flicked his sleeves and stormed away, leaving the Second Prince kneeling in the hall, filled with a resentment he had to suppress.

’Only the Song Family has this poison. If they weren’t the ones who poisoned me, I’ll twist my own head off and kick it like a ball!’

Liu Zheng had been attending to the Empress, but he was forcefully summoned away by Consort Song.

When Xiao Shen was poisoned years ago, it was Liu Zheng who had worked day and night to develop an antidote, giving Xiao Shen the sliver of hope for survival he now had.

Although the antidote was not yet perfected, there were at least signs of improvement.

When Liu Zheng arrived at the Second Prince’s Mansion and completed his diagnosis, his expression turned grave.

The Second Prince asked anxiously, "Doctor Liu, is there a cure for the poison I’ve taken?"

Liu Zheng sighed deeply. "Your Highness, this poison is extremely vicious. The antidote requires many rare medicinal ingredients. We are currently missing a Centennial Snow Lotus. Without it, I’m afraid this poison is incurable."

Upon hearing this, the Second Prince looked as if he had been struck by lightning. He roared, "Send men immediately to find this Centennial Snow Lotus, no matter the cost!"

However, the Centennial Snow Lotus was exceedingly rare and could not be found so quickly.

The Second Prince’s condition worsened by the day, and everyone in his mansion sank into deep despair.

Meanwhile, the Song Family was also searching everywhere for a cure, trying to clear their name.

Xiao Shen, however, remained in the shadows, waiting for the situation to develop further so he could deliver the fatal blow to the Song Family.

The sterility medicine wasn’t meant to kill; it was meant to wipe out all future generations.

’If he couldn’t have descendants, what was the point of fighting for the throne?’

Although the Emperor had reprimanded the Second Prince, his concern about the poison had not diminished in the slightest.

First it was Xiao Shen who was poisoned, and now it was Consort Song and the Second Prince.

As for Li Wanyu, no one had reported it, so the Emperor was unaware.

’What if one day this poison was used on the Crown Prince and the others? Wouldn’t his Chen Country be finished?’

The next day in the throne room, the Emperor’s expression was even more solemn.

His gaze swept over the ministers before finally settling on Xiao Shen. "Xiao Aiqing," he began, "I order you and the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review to jointly investigate this poison. You must get to the bottom of this without fail!"

Entrusting this matter to Xiao Shen was the perfect choice. Having been a victim of this very poison, no one was more motivated than him to find the mastermind.

Xiao Shen stepped forward, knelt respectfully, and accepted the decree. "Your subject will not fail to live up to Your Majesty’s trust. I will do everything in my power to uncover the truth."

The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review also hurried forward to accept the decree and express his thanks alongside Xiao Shen.

After the court session ended, Xiao Shen and the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review quickly began to discuss the investigation.

’Whether to strike the Song Family now or to handle this matter differently...’ Xiao Shen had already made his decision.