Chapter 159

Chapter 159: No Respect for Law

While Emperor Chong Sheng spoke with Sheng Zhi Wan inside the main tent, a palace eunuch had already led everyone back to the travel palace.

Qi Shu Xian originally wanted to stay and wait for Sheng Zhi Wan, but Emperor Chong Sheng had spoken, and Qi Shu Xian did not dare insist. Qi Shu Xian could only return with a head full of doubts.

Did Sheng Zhi Wan truly know medicine?

The more Qi Shu Xian thought about it, the more frightened Qi Shu Xian became.

In the past, Qi Shu Xian had caught a chill while studying. The house physician could never cure it, and Qi Shu Xian was left with a blocked nose for a long time. But the prescription Sheng Zhi Wan gave had cured it in only two months.

Then there was Mother’s illness. When Qi Shu Xian went to Cang Nan, Mother really had been gravely ill, weak and listless all day. Yet when Qi Shu Xian returned, Mother looked bright and energetic. Mother was still frail, but Mother’s voice carried strength.

Everyone believed it was Imperial Physician Song’s medicine that worked.

But Qi Shu Xian later found out that Mother still took the same medicine after Qi Shu Xian returned. Why did it not work as well then as it had before?

Qi Shu Xian also heard that after Mother finished taking the medicine, Sheng Zhi Wan would massage and press Mother’s body for a long time…

And that day, when Qi Shu Xian’s arm had been injured by Sheng Zhi Wan, Sheng Zhi Wan knew acupoints so well…

The more Qi Shu Xian thought, the more shocked Qi Shu Xian became.

But if Sheng Zhi Wan truly knew medicine, why had Sheng Zhi Wan never told Qi Shu Xian?

“Heir Apparent, the Princess saved Northern Di’s prince. Do you think… what will the Princess ask His Majesty for?” Meng Yang looked worried.

Would Sheng Zhi Wan ask Emperor Chong Sheng to force Qi Shu Xian to divorce Meng Yang?

Qi Shu Xian looked at Meng Yang and understood Meng Yang’s thoughts at a glance. Qi Shu Xian frowned and said coldly, “Don’t worry. Zhi Wan is not that kind of woman. If Zhi Wan truly wanted to deal with you, Zhi Wan wouldn’t have let you live peacefully until now.”

Sheng Zhi Wan was a Princess with a noble identity. If Sheng Zhi Wan truly wanted to deal with Meng Yang, Sheng Zhi Wan had countless methods. But Sheng Zhi Wan did not, because Sheng Zhi Wan disdained it.

When Qi Shu Xian realized that, panic suddenly rose in Qi Shu Xian.

Qi Shu Xian thought of the day Sheng Zhi Wan mentioned mutual divorce. Could it be that Sheng Zhi Wan was asking His Majesty to allow a divorce?

No. Impossible…

Qi Shu Xian pressed his thin lips together.

In Sheng Kingdom, divorce was harsh on women. Even if Sheng Zhi Wan was a Princess, what kind of man could Sheng Zhi Wan marry after a divorce? Someone better than Qi Shu Xian?

Why would anyone want Sheng Zhi Wan? A woman who had already been married was something even a man with a little pride would not touch!

Thinking that way, Qi Shu Xian finally felt a bit steadier.

Meng Yang saw Qi Shu Xian’s expression grow darker. Meng Yang bit her lip and defended herself. “Is Heir Apparent blaming me for saying the wrong thing? I didn’t expect the Princess to hear. I only didn’t want that Young Master Shang Er to look down on Heir Apparent. I wanted him to know that Heir Apparent had also hunted a red fox!”

As Meng Yang spoke, tears started falling hard.

Then Meng Yang suddenly clutched her belly, her face turning deathly pale.

When Qi Shu Xian brought Meng Yang back to the Duke manor, Meng Yang was already three months pregnant.

Now another three months had passed, and Meng Yang’s belly was six months along.

Meng Yang ran around carrying such a belly, and her emotions rose and fell. It was already hard enough for the child to hold on this long.

Seeing Meng Yang in pain, Qi Shu Xian panicked too. Qi Shu Xian instinctively wanted to shout for someone outside, but then Qi Shu Xian remembered this was the travel palace.

There were palace eunuchs outside, but… could Qi Shu Xian call palace eunuchs to serve a concubine?

Qi Shu Xian thought of the two maids Sheng Zhi Wan brought and hurried out.

Liu Shang and An Zhi were laying the bed for Sheng Zhi Wan.

They had already asked the palace eunuch about what happened at the drill ground today. Their Princess had saved someone, and then His Majesty kept their Princess behind to summon her alone. Their Princess had to be exhausted.

Cold and tired, after An Zhi finished setting the bed, An Zhi was about to leave with Liu Shang to go receive Sheng Zhi Wan.

But the moment they opened the door, they saw Qi Shu Xian step out of the small room next door.

“Do you two know medicine?” Qi Shu Xian demanded.

Liu Shang froze. An Zhi shook her head. “No.”

“Aren’t you Zhi Wan’s maids?” Qi Shu Xian looked annoyed. “Zhi Wan knows medicine. You stayed by Zhi Wan’s side. Did you learn nothing at all?”

An Zhi asked, “Heir Apparent, what happened?”

“Meng Yang has belly pain.” Qi Shu Xian said, “I am a man, so it’s not convenient for me to care for her. You two go take a look. I’ll go find an imperial physician.”

Qi Shu Xian stepped away at once.

“Heir Apparent!” An Zhi felt displeased. “Liu Shang and I were about to go receive the Princess. I’m afraid we can’t care for Concubine Meng. Heir Apparent should ask a palace eunuch instead.”

An Zhi was not going to go serve Meng Yang. First, An Zhi did not want to. Second, An Zhi feared trouble.

Meng Yang had schemed against the Princess before. This time, Meng Yang might repeat the same trick. Who knew if Meng Yang’s belly pain was real or fake? It was best to stay far away.

Qi Shu Xian had already stepped out of the annex courtyard. Hearing that, Qi Shu Xian stopped and turned sharply.

An Zhi repeated firmly, “Heir Apparent should still ask a palace eunuch to serve Concubine Meng. We are the Princess’s people. If something happens to Concubine Meng, we can’t afford that responsibility.”

An Zhi signaled Liu Shang, and the two started walking toward the annex courtyard gate.

“Stop!” Qi Shu Xian was furious. A maid dared to refuse her master’s order?

An Zhi stood respectfully. “Does Heir Apparent have any other instructions? If not, we still need to go to the drill ground to receive the Princess.”

“Someone will send her back.” Qi Shu Xian said. “Even if you go now, you won’t see her. Go look after Concubine Meng first. Don’t worry, you don’t need to do anything. Just stand by and watch.”

Because they were Sheng Zhi Wan’s maids, Qi Shu Xian was willing to give them a little face.

But An Zhi did not accept it at all.

“Heir Apparent should still ask a palace eunuch.” An Zhi said. “We really can’t.”

An Zhi thought of how Lai Fu had died miserably because of Meng Yang and the man in front of her. An Zhi had already used all her strength to stop herself from cursing them out.

And they still wanted An Zhi to go serve Meng Yang? What a joke.

The annex courtyard was dim, and they stood at the doorway. Firelight from outside cast a bright glow across An Zhi’s eyes, and it made An Zhi’s contempt and disgust painfully clear.

Qi Shu Xian’s anger flared.

A maid dared to look at Qi Shu Xian with that kind of eyes?

Qi Shu Xian raised his hand-

“Pa!”

A sharp slap landed hard on Qi Shu Xian’s arm.

Liu Shang yanked An Zhi behind her.

Qi Shu Xian never expected Liu Shang to know martial arts. Caught off guard, Qi Shu Xian took that strike and felt his arm go sore and numb.

Qi Shu Xian’s anger only grew.

Two maids, and both so bold. Today, Qi Shu Xian would “teach” them properly for Zhi Wan.

Qi Shu Xian attacked, and Liu Shang could not not fight back.

The back-and-forth quickly caused a commotion, and it soon alarmed Duke Qi and Madam Tao.

Duke Qi rushed out in a robe. When Duke Qi saw the scene, Duke Qi was horrified and thought thieves had broken into the annex courtyard.

Madam Tao had sharp eyes and quickly reminded Duke Qi that those were the Princess’s maids.

“Maid?” Duke Qi grew even angrier than if thieves had truly come in. “Where is Shu Xian’s wife? She still isn’t back? She can’t even discipline a maid!”

Duke Qi’s face darkened with rage. “Today she even went to show off by saving the Fourth Prince. Does she not understand that men and women should not touch? What kind of high-born noble lady learns medicine? Even if she learned it, it should be for her own family. Yet she treated poison for a young man!”

If His Majesty had not been present, and if that man were not Northern Di’s Fourth Prince, Duke Qi would have already summoned Sheng Zhi Wan to scold her.

But now even Sheng Zhi Wan’s maids dared to strike Duke Qi’s son?

This was turning the rules upside down.

“Outrageous!” Duke Qi strode forward. “Truly outrageous. No respect for law, no respect for Heaven. A few women- they won’t follow even a shred of ancestral rules and propriety?”

Liu Shang still understood respect for elders. When Liu Shang saw Duke Qi, Liu Shang pulled back her hands.

But Duke Qi lifted his foot-