Rebirth: So what if my husband is a little crazy? He loves me.

Chapter 14 Pressure from the Crown Prince

Back home, Gu Chang'an stayed with Shen Li until after dinner. Only then did Shen Li persuade her to go to the study. After all, she was over thirty years old and had experienced the execution of her entire family. Killing someone wouldn't frighten her.

She sent someone to inform Lin Wan'er that she would visit another day, while she herself practiced the zither in her room, which was also a way of conveying some kind of message.

Ying'er walked in from outside the courtyard and knew that Shen Li was still a little frightened when she heard the sound of the zither. This was because Shen Li was not good at the zither among the four arts of music, chess, calligraphy and painting. She would usually play the zither when she was in a bad mood.

When I'm in a particularly good mood, I paint.

She didn't suspect anything. After all, it was the first time she had seen something like this, so it was understandable that she was afraid; it would be strange if she wasn't.

"Miss, the Crown Prince's concubine has sent a maid from the palace to visit you. She's waiting outside the courtyard." She announced as she walked into the inner room.

Shen Li stopped plucking the strings. In her previous life, this visit had not happened, but she was not surprised that someone from the Eastern Palace had come. No matter what the pretext was, the real purpose was the same.

"Please." She stood up and adjusted the clothes she had just changed into.

Soon, an elderly nanny entered and bowed to Shen Li: "Madam Gu, my master learned that you were frightened today, so he specially ordered me to prepare ginseng soup and send it to you."

As she spoke, a palace maid came in carrying a food box and placed it on the table.

"Thank you, Consort. Aunt, you must be tired from your journey. Please have a seat." Shen Li remained seated without getting up.

The emperor valued the Shen family, and she was also known as a talented woman. Therefore, on the day of her marriage, she was granted the title of a fourth-rank imperial consort, a rank far above that of palace maids.

"Greetings, Madam Gu. The Consort instructed me to make sure you drink the soup before I feel at ease. Please drink it while it's hot, Madam Gu." The old woman opened the food box and took out a bowl of soup.

Shen Li raised her eyelids slightly, but her expression was unreadable.

Lianqiao took the silver needles, but Shen Li quickly stopped her, thanked her, and then drank the bowl of ginseng soup that had already gone cold.

Forsythia and peony exchanged a glance, their brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.

What does the Crown Prince mean by this? He doesn't serve cold soup; he should at least heat it up.

The old woman then put away the bowl with satisfaction and said, "Madam Gu, please rest assured. His Highness has invited the imperial physician to treat Lord Shen, and he should recover soon."

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness."

"It's good to see that Madam Gu is in good spirits. Then this servant will go back to report now."

"Ying'er, see them off for me." Shen Li spoke slowly, watching the two leave with a slightly cold gaze.

Lianqiao and Shaoyao were both anxious. After everyone left, Shaoyao said, "Miss, why didn't you let us test the soup for poison? What if someone with malicious intent tampered with it?"

“Testing something given by the Crown Prince for poison is a grave offense, punishable by death.” Shen Li sat down again.

"What if it's poisonous?" Peony didn't even dare to think about it.

"She wanted me to know that when the ruler commands the subject to die, the subject has no choice but to die." Shen Li's voice grew softer and softer.

This isn't a visit; it's clearly an attempt to exert pressure.

This time it's ginseng soup, but who knows what it will be next time.

The fact that the imperial physician could cure my father's illness also meant he could take his life—this was an obvious implication.

In the previous life, Liu Ling's body would have already been thrown out of the Dali Temple by this time, but now there is no movement from the Dali Temple, and the Crown Prince is obviously not satisfied with Shen Li's efficiency.

Moreover, she may have been getting quite close to Gu Chang'an recently, so Ying'er couldn't possibly not pass on the news.

This is a warning to her.

Doing good work will be rewarded, but doing nothing will not prevent you from escaping unscathed.

This Consort Zhou is truly wasting her talents as a Noble Consort. With her skill in managing people, she should at least be an Empress.

She was far more suitable to be empress than Lin Wan'er, a woman from a powerful family. As far as she knew, although Lin Wan'er was skilled in strategy, it was only battlefield strategy, and she did not like the ways of the inner court.

It's unknown what she ultimately did to the Empress, or whether she ever managed to defeat Consort Zhou.

In her previous life, she died too young and didn't get to compete with these people. They really thought they were invincible.

Daring to threaten her family members, they must be asking for their own demise.

She narrowed her eyes and said, "Go to the study."