Chapter 452: 12.60

"Master Bai… is infertile."

Like thunder came crashing down on him, Huang Shu felt his beautiful world had been shattered in just an hour. He tried taking care of and guarding his beloved, but he was also the one who accidentally ruined his wife's life. 

He didn't take care of Yunyu well in the previous timeline, making him unable to realize that Bai Yunyu might have been poisoned in the same manner in the last timeline, but maybe in a non-lethal dose which made his cinnabar mole gradually disappeared instead of vanishing instantly.

"Go… go find a cure for my wife. I want him to have his cinnabar mole back. I want him to be able to get pregnant again…"

"Begging for your forgiveness, Your Majesty. But that is impossible. This Physician cannot heal someone who had lost their womb…"

"USELESS!" 

Huang Shu kicked the Physician until the man winced in pain. But he soon got back to this kowtow position and begging for Huang Shu's forgiveness again."

Huang Shu's mind was in complete chaos. He glanced at his wife, and he was even more worried about Yunyu. He was afraid that Yunyu would be too heartbroken after knowing that he couldn't bear any children in the future.

"Yunyu, wife… don't worry, okay. I will find a way to heal you. E—Even if you can't get pregnant anymore, we can just adopt a son from the branch family from my other brothers, okay?"

"You will be my only spouse through thick and thin, don't be sad, okay?"

Huang Shu then darted his gaze at the tea again. He gnashed his teeth and stormed outside to call the guards. 

"CALL EVERYONE WHO SERVED MY WIFE IN PALACE OF SERENE HARMONY!" 

The previously calm palace turned upside down when everyone, including the servants, guards, even those who had just visited the Palace of Serene Harmony, were gathered in the garden, prostrating in front of His Majesty Emperor Xianliang, whose expression was grim and scary. 

There were also boxes of tea leaves from the Palace of Serene Harmony's kitchen.

Huang Shu looked down at these people. Although his mind was in chaos right now, he had ordered few other maids from his own palace to help the Imperial Physician clean and take care of Yunyu.

He didn't want any of these people in the Palace of Serene Harmony to touch his wife, knowing that one of them, or maybe more than one, had colluded with someone to poison his wife. 

He was sure there was no wrong in the boxes of tea leaves that he personally stocked for Yunyu. Because of his attentiveness, he gave the boxes of tea leaves directly from his Palace to Yunyu's palace. 

So the quality control should be correct.

His dark gaze darted at the maids and then asked, "Tell me, who served my wife, Master Bai Yunyu today."

More than ten people walked carefully in front. 

"Who served my wife this evening?"

There were only two maids who stayed. Those maids were Meilan and the old maid from before who was heavily bruised. 

Just by seeing the old maid, Huang Shu could faintly guess what happened, but he still tried to maintain his rationality and asked Meilan first.

"You, what did you serve for my wife?"

Meilan's eyes were swollen. She was crying when she wasn't allowed to help Master Bai because she was also accused.

"This servant made a moon cake for Master Bai and served it with tea made by Senior Maid Hu," Meilan answered.

Huang Shu then slowly shifted his gaze at the old maid whose face was heavily bruised. She had no fear in her face as if she was ready to face everything. 

Being stared at by the Emperor, the old lady nodded and said, "This old maid is the one who served the tea for Master Bai, Your Majesty."

Although his heart was in so much pain right now, thinking about Yunyu over and over, he had to clear this before anything worse happened to his wife. 

"You, take the box of tea leaves that you use to serve the tea. Remember, if you dare to lie, then the repercussion will be far worse."

The old maid nodded and took a box of tea leaves.

Emperor Xianliang called the Imperial Physician, and then he brought him alongside the old maid to a separate room. 

Inside the room, Emperor Xianliang ordered the Physician, "You, check the tea leaves."

The Imperial Physician knew what the Emperor wanted. So he opened the box and then took a pinch of dried tea leaves before munching it, then he staggered, his face paled, and he confirmed his suspicion.

"R—Reporting to Your Majesty, this box has a lot of Buyun leaves."

"You, old maid, tell me everything. This will be your only chance of redemption if you have anything to tell."

The old maid closed her eyes. She was hesitating the whole time. Yet, she knew Emperor Xianliang would find out about this sooner or later. This was the only way for her to save her daughter from that woman's clutch. 

"Your Majesty, this old maid asked for one request. I will tell everything after."

"Go on."

"This old maid has a daughter in the Empress Dowager's Palace, her life has always been in danger, and Mistress Empress Dowager has been using her to control this old maid. Please let her leave the palace after this."

Huang Shu took a deep breath. As much as he tried not to suspect someone he knew, it was already crystal clear.

"Yes, but you know your death is inevitable, right? You've killed my child and hurt my wife," Huang Shu said grimly.

"Yes, this old maid is ready for one's death…"

The old maid started telling all the stories, including how Empress Dowager forced her to poison Master Bai Yunyu, or her daughter would be killed or, even worse, raped first by thugs and then killed in front of her eyes. 

Huang Shu's expression changed from anxiety, shock, and then anger. 

The old maid ended her story, "Empress Dowager Aixi has forced this one to kill the baby. This old maid is ready for her death as long as you saved my daughter. Begging Your Majesty's forgiveness…"

Huang Shu slammed the table, his face was red with fury,

"THAT OLD WITCH!" 

Huang Shu had only put Empress Dowager under secret house arrest, thinking that would be enough to stop her. Although he hated his mother for humiliating Yunyu, he still had filial piety for her.

But… this one was a different thing. That monster killed his innocent baby and hurting his wife. 

He even suspected that his mother was also the one behind Yunyu's infertility in the previous timeline. Yet, he foolishly believed that his mother did nothing wrong.

Simply because he didn't care about Yunyu anymore, busy with his big life as the Golden Emperor, thinking it was Yunyu's fault that he couldn't bear a child. Thus, Huang Shu was free to marry again.

But now, everything was clear.

It was his mother's malicious scheme. 

Huang Shu stormed off, heading alone to the Palace of the White Swan, where his mother resided. 

"SHE DARES TO MESS WITH MY WIFE! I WILL KILL THAT OLD WITCH!"