The imperial physician lowered his head, refusing to look at her expression. He was extremely displeased. It was just a small cut, at most a slight pain. How could it hurt so terribly? This number one beauty of Qingyan was truly delicate!
Lei Hong frowned slightly as he looked at the problematic dagger. Ying Xue was the first to bleed, and the dagger was replaced with a normal one. If it was switched back in public, it would definitely arouse suspicion. How could he secretly plot against Shen Lixue?
He glanced up at Shen Lixue, only to see her eyes half-closed, slightly turned towards him. Even her smiling gaze was fixed on him, her eyes as clear as glass, instantly discerning everything.
Lei Hong was suddenly startled, as if she had spied on his secret.
Shen Lixue gave a silent, cold laugh. That dagger was indeed suspicious!
When she received the dagger, she noticed that the blade was darker than the body of the dagger, which aroused her suspicion. So she deliberately talked to Physician Wang and Shen Minghui to stall for time and secretly observe everyone in the room.
Lei Hong's gaze kept lingering on her dagger, whether intentionally or unintentionally. She then tentatively asked Shen Yingxue to drip blood first. Sure enough, he couldn't hold back and hurriedly changed the dagger.
The doctor made a perfect incision, small yet drawing a lot of blood. In no time, a small bowl was filled with blood. He quickly applied medicine to Shen Yingxue, bandaged the wound, and the maids helped her sit down to drink a blood-nourishing medicine.
Shen Yelei walked over slowly. He was a child, outspoken and arrogant, and looked down on everyone. When his hand was cut, he was in pain and cursed, "You damn doctor, do you even know how to cut your hand to draw blood? It hurts like hell!"
Physician Wang's old face flushed red and then turned pale. He had practiced medicine in the palace for many years and cured countless serious illnesses. Although he was often reprimanded, he had never been insulted and cursed like this before.
"Ye Lei, don't be rude!" Shen Minghui glared at him and rebuked him in a deep voice.
"I'm stating the facts!" Shen Yelei said arrogantly, displaying the arrogance and domineering nature of the eldest son of the Prime Minister's mansion: "Look at my little hand, it's not big to begin with, yet he cut such a big gash in it, how could it not hurt?"
Turning his gaze to Physician Wang, Shen Yelei said arrogantly, "Incompetent doctor, you'd better do your best. If you can't cure my father's illness, I'll make you pay!"
Doctor Wang's face was grim, and he didn't speak. His large hand, which was squeezing blood, suddenly tightened, causing Shen Yelei to howl in pain: "You stupid quack doctor, be gentle! You're killing me! I'll make you pay with your life!"
"Ye Lei, shut up!" Shen Minghui shouted angrily, his face dark. Doctor Wang had come to treat him, and his son was being rude and scolding him. It was too much.
"Fine, I won't say!" Shen Yelei pouted, his little head slightly raised, his nostrils pointing to the sky, exuding arrogance.
His mother said that he was the eldest son of the Prime Minister's family and the future head of the Prime Minister's family. She said that he must cultivate the aura of the head of the Prime Minister's family from a young age to intimidate others. He has been working hard in this direction and has intimidated many people with his domineering aura.
Shen Yelei's lips curled up slightly, smugly thinking that when he grew up and became the head of the Prime Minister's mansion, he would definitely be no worse than his father.
Seeing that Shen Yelei had finished drawing blood and was applying medicine, Shen Minghui's gaze fell on Shen Lixue, his face still gloomy: "Have you thought this through?"
Shen Lixue raised an eyebrow: "For the sake of that one million taels of gold, I'll reluctantly agree to give you an extra quarter of my blood!"
Shen Minghui's tightly furrowed brows relaxed: "Excellent!" This saved him the time of threatening and bribing.
Shen Caiyun's lips moved, and the words of objection were on the tip of her tongue, but she didn't say them. Shen Lixue was not one to suffer losses. She must have had her own purpose and calculations for agreeing to give more blood to Shen Minghui. She would definitely not suffer losses by giving more blood as well.
"Yingxue, Yelei, are your wounds any better?" Lei Hong walked over to the small table, paused, and then slowly stepped forward, looking at Shen Yingxue and Shen Yelei with concern.
Shen Lixue raised an eyebrow, slowly walked to the table, and looked at the sharp dagger gleaming with cold light on the porcelain bowl. Her smile was bright and dazzling. Under Lei Hong's gloomy and expectant gaze, she slowly picked up the dagger, slowly raised it, and suddenly slashed it hard at her small hand.
"Swoosh!" The dagger's blade slashed deftly, drawing blood. However, the dagger didn't cut Shen Lixue's hand, but rather Shen Minghui's arm. Crimson blood seeped from the wound, staining the white sleeves of his undergarment.
"Shen Lixue, what are you doing?" Shen Minghui covered his wound and shouted angrily, his face so black it could drip ink.
"I'm sorry, I wanted to make the wound deeper, but I raised the dagger too high and accidentally cut Prime Minister Shen!" Shen Lixue said innocently, and a few drops of blood from the dagger were dripped into Shen Yelei's blood bowl without being noticed. Her cold gaze quietly turned to Lei Hong.
Lei Hong was shocked, his expression changed drastically, and he quickly stood up, took a few steps to Shen Minghui, and stuffed a pill into his mouth: "This is a specially made pill from the Grand Commandant's Mansion. It promotes blood circulation, nourishes the heart and protects the liver. Minghui is weak and has lost blood, so it is most suitable for him to take it..."
"Thank you!" Shen Minghui swallowed the pill and stared coldly at Shen Lixue. This rebellious woman was his nemesis. Wherever she was, he was bound to be unlucky!
"No need to be polite!" Lei Hong forced a smile, his expression stiff. Everything tonight was orchestrated by him. His real purpose was to get rid of Shen Lixue. Donating blood to Shen Minghui for treatment was just a pretext to indirectly bring Shen Yingxue, Shen Yelei, and Shen Caiyun to be witnesses.
The four siblings donated blood at the same time, but only Shen Lixue died. There must be something wrong with her. Others may suspect something, but no evidence or reason can be found.
But now, the dagger has accidentally injured Shen Minghui, and he is the one who has been hit. The pills can only temporarily suppress the symptoms and cannot completely cure the problem. What should we do if he finds out?
"Huh, what's with the blood in the bowl?" Shen Lixue exclaimed in surprise, feigning ignorance, drawing everyone's attention.
In the white porcelain bowl containing the blood, a few drops of blood floated up and down, like foreign objects drifting into the blood, completely unmixed with the surrounding blood.
Shen Minghui was taken aback, his heart filled with shock. He lowered his voice and asked, "Whose blood were those drops?"
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Shen Lixue slowly raised the dagger. A thin stream of blood flowed down the sharp, smooth blade, finally stopping at the tip and slowly gathering into a drop of blood, which quietly dripped into the blood bowl. Floating and sinking, it formed its own world, completely unmixed with the surrounding blood.
Lei Hong's expression changed drastically in an instant. Yingxue and Ye Lei's blood were incompatible with Shen Minghui's: "This is impossible! Someone must have tampered with it!"
Shen Yingxue glared at Shen Lixue hatefully, gritting her teeth: "Father, when Sister Lixue first came to the Prime Minister's residence, our blood was mixed. That despicable person is utterly shameless. He tampered with the blood and tried to sow discord between us!"
“Shen Yingxue, the porcelain bowl and the dagger were prepared by the Prime Minister’s residence. The blood was dripped from your body with the help of Physician Wang. In full view of everyone, what tricks could I possibly have played?”
Shen Lixue retorted, a mocking smile flashing in her cold eyes. She knew that Shen Yelei was not Shen Minghui's biological son, but she hadn't expected that Shen Yingxue's blood was also incompatible with Shen Minghui's. Lei Yarong, Lei Yarong, you've cuckolded Shen Minghui more than once...
Shen Yingxue glared hatefully at Shen Lixue, her eyes flashing with a cold light that seemed to want to devour her alive: "You, Shen Lixue, are incredibly capable. You were able to rise from a country bumpkin to become the Princess of Qingyan in one step, so of course you can also tamper with blood in full view of everyone..."
Shen Lixue sneered: "It's very simple to find out who is right and who is wrong. Miss Yingxue, Young Master Yelei's wounds haven't healed yet, so we can bleed again!"
"The princess's suggestion is good!" Lei Hong's eyelids darkened. It was possible that something on the dagger was affecting the blood's fusion, so they needed to get Shen Minghui's blood from another place.
"Someone, fetch some clean water... no, I will fetch clean water myself!" Shen Minghui strode out of the room with a livid face. The sight of blood mixed together was shocking. He dared not trust anyone easily anymore.
Shen Yingxue glared at Shen Lixue and pulled Shen Yelei to follow closely behind. They were the noble legitimate children of the Prime Minister's mansion. Without Shen Lixue's interference, their blood would definitely blend with their father's.
Lei Hong and Physician Wang hurriedly followed.
Shen Lixue walked slowly behind, and Shen Caiyun followed her pace. After looking around to make sure no one was watching, she lowered her voice and asked, "Sister, have you tampered with the blood?"
"No!" Shen Lixue shook her head: "With so many eyes watching, I couldn't possibly do anything!"
Shen Caiyun's eyes sparkled. She had been watching Shen Lixue closely and saw that Shen Lixue had raised the dagger and skillfully cut Shen Minghui, but she hadn't seen her do anything wrong.
Shen Lixue spoke in a very serious tone, without the slightest perfunctoriness or concealment. Heh, it seems that the noble legitimate daughter and legitimate son really are bastards.