Beast World: The Crazy Female Is Chased by Five Beast Husbands - Chapter 23

“Yes, we must go and demand an explanation!”

The other elders chimed in agreement.

The Grand Elder remained silent, his head lowered.

Seeing that the Third Elder and the others were determined to confront the truth, the Second Elder anxiously turned his gaze back to the Grand Elder.

“Grand Elder, should we really not intervene?”

“What if this provokes the Phoenix Emperor’s displeasure?”

At best, they were merely elders of the clan, holding no real authority.

Rushing into such questioning could easily lead to trouble.

After a moment of contemplation, the Grand Elder finally spoke in a measured tone, “The Phoenix Emperor is not unreasonable. The Third Elder and the others merely wish to ask it shouldn’t be an issue. After all, the difficulty in producing heirs is a significant matter for the Phoenix Clan. The Emperor should understand.”

–

Xihe Palace

“My child, what in the world is going on?”

Upon hearing the news, Hua Shan was so distressed that he couldn’t even eat his midday meal. He immediately summoned Li Xuanyue from Fenghe Palace.

“How is it that your mother never mentioned to me that you might struggle to bear children?”

Hua Shan tightly grasped Li Xuanyue’s hand, pressing for answers.

Though he hadn’t openly involved himself in the recent clan affairs, Li Feng had been visiting his chambers every night to confide in him.

Initially, he hadn’t fully approved of Li Xuanyue dismissing the attendants and consorts from her palace.

But since it was her own decision, he, as her father, had chosen to respect it.

He reasoned that his daughter had grown up she had her own independent thoughts and ways of handling matters.

As a father, he should step back and not cling too tightly, lest he suffocate her.

Yet he never imagined that, in his absence, rumors would spread about Li Xuanyue’s supposed infertility.

How could he not be frantic?

“Is someone deliberately stabbing you in the back?” Hua Shan pressed further.

No matter what, he refused to believe that Li Xuanyue would have difficulty bearing children.

His daughter he knew her best.

She had always been full of vitality. Though she had been unwell recently and taken some medicine, that alone couldn’t affect her fertility.

How could such rumors have spread?

Before Li Xuanyue could explain, however, Xiao Ce suddenly entered the hall.

He glanced up at Hua Shan, who sat above.

“Your Highness, the Phoenix Emperor has sent someone.”

“They request Princess Xuanyue’s presence at Zhonghe Palace.”

He bowed his head, speaking with deference yet hesitation.

As for why Li Xuanyue was being summoned everyone already knew. It had to be about the heir issue.

Moreover, when Hua Shan had sent his own people to fetch Li Xuanyue earlier, he had already heard that the clan elders had gone to confront Li Feng.

No doubt, Li Feng was now summoning Li Xuanyue to demand an explanation from the elders.

“Come, I’ll go with you.”

Fearing the elders might give Li Xuanyue a hard time, Hua Shan took her hand and stood.

With him present, those old fools wouldn’t dare push her too far.

“No need, Father.”

Hua Shan’s concern made Li Xuanyue’s heart ache.

She was already grown yet she was still causing her father such worry.

She truly wasn’t a good daughter.

“I can handle this myself.”

Li Xuanyue said firmly, “Just stay in Xihe Hall and wait for good news from your child.”

If Hua Shan were to intervene, the clan elders would undoubtedly harbor resentment in their hearts.

To prevent them from mistakenly believing she had Hua Shan’s protection and causing trouble behind her back,

Li Xuanyue chose to go alone.

–

Meanwhile, in Zhonghe Hall, several elders were engaged in heated arguments with Li Feng over the matter of heirs.

No matter how Li Feng explained or pleaded with them, they all believed the rumors circulating outside weren’t groundless.

They unanimously concluded that Li Xuanyue would face difficulties in bearing heirs.

This angered Li Feng to the point of wanting to curse.

If these old fools were so certain, why bother asking her in the first place?

It seemed utterly redundant.

The more Li Feng thought about it, the more irritated she became. So while the elders were passionately debating, she directly sent someone to summon Li Xuanyue.

Once concrete evidence was laid before them, she’d see what excuses they could possibly make.

Li Feng’s subtle gesture of signaling her trusted aide to summon someone didn’t escape Li Qinghe’s notice.

Though puzzled, Li Qinghe maintained the respectful demeanor of a subject toward her sovereign.

“Imperial Mother, while Elder Sister’s situation is indeed shocking, as the elders have said without substantial proof, who would dare spread such bold rumors?”

Li Qinghe stepped forward righteously, suggesting, “In my humble opinion, why not summon Physician Fang?”

“As the physician who regularly examines Elder Sister, his testimony could resolve all doubts.”

Physician Fang had been bribed by Li Qinghe three years prior.

He had never failed her in any task she assigned.

This situation appeared no different to Li Qinghe.

She had orchestrated this elaborate scheme, even mobilizing the elders, confident it would ruin Li Xuanyue.

Had she known Physician Fang had already been discovered by Li Xuanyue,

she wouldn’t have spoken so confidently before Li Feng.

Li Feng had never closely observed her second daughter before.

Seeing her kneeling so upright in the hall today, she’d almost mistaken her for some elder’s granddaughter.

Only when Li Qinghe referred to herself as “your child” did Li Feng remember she had another daughter besides Li Xuanyue.

This daughter had been confined to the cold palace years ago with Noble Consort Zhao.

It wasn’t until three years ago, when Li Xuanyue pleaded for Li Qinghe’s release,

that father and daughter emerged from Taihe Hall.

Yet in these three years, even after Noble Consort Zhao’s release, Li Feng had never visited his chambers, let alone checked on this daughter.

Were it not for Li Xuanyue occasionally mentioning Li Qinghe’s name,

Li Feng might have completely forgotten her existence.

Now, seeing her so conspicuously, Li Feng felt an instinctive dislike for this daughter.

Something about her seemingly defensive words for Li Xuanyue reeked of calculation.

Like three months ago during the wedding night without concrete evidence, maids had claimed Li Xuanyue went mad.

“Qinghe, are you familiar with Physician Fang?”

Li Feng suddenly asked, though her motives remained unclear.

Li Qinghe’s head jerked up in alarm, her heart skipping a beat.

Has the Empress Dowager discovered something?

“This Imperial Physician Fang was assigned to Xuan Yue by your father. We must obtain your father’s permission before summoning him for questioning.”