Why My Domineering Prince Regretted Filing for Divorce?

Chapter 1137 - 822: What’s Wrong with the Wine Pot? (Part 2)

Panqing said, "It’s like this. Today, Nanny Wu from our Jinyu Garden went to the Food Bureau to fetch the evening meal. When she passed by Chengqing Gate, she saw, saw a palace maid at Prince Qi’s side deliver a wine vessel inside.""A wine vessel?"

Shang Ruyi’s brows knit—today the Crown Prince was hosting a banquet for his two brothers in Chengqian Hall; sending over a wine vessel was nothing rare. But the moment she heard it was someone from Prince Qi’s side who sent the wine vessel in, she immediately sensed something was wrong. She looked again at Panqing: "That wine vessel—what’s the problem with it?"

Panqing glanced around, making sure there was only Shang Ruyi and the close, trusted attendants by her side in the hall. Yet even so, she still lowered her voice again, so low it was almost a mosquito’s buzz, and Shang Ruyi had to lean closer to hear clearly: "Nanny Wu said that wine vessel was carved with a Yin Yang Diagram pattern, and judging from its make, it seemed to be something that had been sealed away in the Imperial Palace for a long time and never used."

Shang Ruyi’s brows tightened even more. "That wine vessel—what exactly is it used for?"

Panqing drew another deep breath before finally steeling herself, saying, "Nanny Wu is an old hand in the palace, she—she’s seen many people and many things. She said that wine vessel can pour out fine wine, but it can also pour out—another kind of wine."

"Another kind of wine?"

Shang Ruyi’s mind had already been unsettled by the waves of restless agitation surging in her belly. At this moment, these three words alone were not enough to snap her fully back to herself. But recalling the half sentence Panqing had said earlier, some rumors she had heard in her youth—of unknown truth—suddenly surfaced in her somewhat chaotic mind.

Rumor had it that the Crown Prince before Chu Yang had died under mysterious circumstances.

It was said he died suddenly and violently after sharing a pot of wine with someone. The strange thing was, the two of them drank from the same pot, yet the person opposite him remained perfectly unharmed.

And the one who drank with him was his own blood brother—Chu Yang, who had already taken his place as Crown Prince!

Could it be that—

Shang Ruyi asked hoarsely, "You mean Prince Qi sent someone to find a wine vessel that can pour out different kinds of wine and send it to Chengqian Hall?"

Panqing said, "Yes!"

"..."

"Nanny Wu saw that wine vessel and came back to tell Madam, and when Madam heard that today the Crown Prince was hosting Prince Qin and Prince Qi at a banquet in Chengqian Hall, she felt something was wrong, so she had this servant hurry over to inform the Princess. She begs the Princess to be extremely careful and by no means fall into someone’s trap."

Shang Ruyi sharply drew in a cold breath.

She thought for a moment and immediately said, "You go back first. Don’t let anyone know you came here today. And tell Lady Chu to set her mind at ease; I will handle this matter myself."

"Yes."

Panqing nodded and quickly rose to leave.

As soon as she left, Tushere anxiously stepped in front of Shang Ruyi. "Princess, what should we do?"

She might not be particularly sharp when it came to human dealings, but she reacted quickly to these kinds of contrivances. Just from hearing Panqing’s words, she had already caught the crux of the matter. Add to that the long-known conflict between the Crown Prince and King Qin, and the fact that Shang Ruyi had been filled with worry over today’s banquet; with a single thought she also understood the significance and purpose of this wine vessel appearing at this time.

Seeing Shang Ruyi’s breathing grow increasingly disordered, Tushere added, "Shall this servant go and invite His Highness back?"

"No."

Shang Ruyi shook her head, then lifted her gaze toward the outside. In just that brief moment, the sky had grown noticeably darker than before. She drew in a deep breath, a glint of cold light flashing in her eyes like a sudden bolt of lightning tearing through overcast skies. "I’ll go myself."

At these words, both Tushere and Chang Wan were startled and immediately stepped forward. "You mustn’t, Princess!"

Tushere went so far as to grab her arm, as though she meant to stop her by sheer persuasion, and said anxiously, "This servant understood Doctor Su’s words just now—Princess, you are going to give birth today. Just now—just now you were clearly already very uncomfortable. Isn’t it almost time? At a moment like this, how can you go to Chengqian Hall?"

Chang Wan hurriedly nodded in agreement. "Princess, your pregnancy is no ordinary matter; we must not be careless. If anything were to happen—this servant and the others could die a thousand deaths and still not be absolved."

Tushere followed, "Even His Highness Prince Qin would never allow the Princess to do such a thing."

Listening to them speaking one after another, their words surging at her like a collapsing mountain, Shang Ruyi couldn’t help but knit her brows. Of course she was not irritated by these two girls’ concern for her; even though Tushere was already bordering on overstepping, she was not so ungrateful. It was just that at this moment, exactly as they feared, from that earlier unease to the current restlessness, by now her belly had truly begun to ache faintly in waves.

Even without having gone through childbirth, she understood that this must be the sign that she was about to give birth.

At such a time, she indeed ought to remain within Qianqiu Palace.

But Yu Wenye was still in Chengqian Hall!

It wasn’t that she doubted Yu Wenye’s ability to protect himself, nor that she lacked faith in his skills. But what he now faced were not the enemies of past battlefields, wielding bright blades and bare spears, but his own brothers of the same blood—namely, that Crown Prince Yu Wenqian who, in Duke Shenwu’s mourning hall, had lost all breath, his entire being as if plunged into Hell, yet also like a ghostly shade of an evil spirit walking out from Hell itself.

Few become Buddhas while many recite the Buddha’s name; recite it long enough, and over the years it turns to a Heart Demon.

In this instant, these words were stamped more clearly in Shang Ruyi’s mind than at any time in the past. She even suddenly understood that line Jiang Yu had murmured softly—

A heart too steeped in Buddha is also a Heart Demon.

He and Yu Wencheng would not let Yu Wenye off so easily!

With this thought, Shang Ruyi lifted her head and, without using much force yet with firm resolve, brushed aside Tushere’s hand. "Come with me!"