Second Madam Xie crawled on her knees toward Second Master Xie, her face streaming with tears of regret as she clutched his boots.
"Second Master, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."
A vague sense of foreboding crept into Second Master Xie's heart as he watched her.
"Crown Prince, what in the world is happening?"
Mo Lingwei inclined his head. "To prevent her from being poisoned by Xie Yuanjiu, Shen Ningning asked for my assistance. I had Second Madam Xie moved to a secure location under guard."
"When she arrived, there was still poison in her system, so I summoned an Imperial Physician to examine her thoroughly. The diagnosis led to an unexpected discovery: Second Madam Xie has suffered from a condition for many years that renders her infertile."
"Under questioning, she confessed. As a child, she fell into the water one winter and sustained an injury. A doctor determined long ago that she would be unable to bear children. So, if that is the case, how was Xie Yuanjiu born?"
