lcionline Chapter 340 Human hearts are unpredictable; once the desire for power takes hold, it will devour eve
Chapter 340 Human hearts are unpredictable; once the desire for power takes hold, it will devour eve
Doctor Qian stood aside, his eyes fixed on the two combatants, his silver needles already prepared.
He was waiting for an opportunity, an opportunity to strike and defeat the enemy in one fell swoop.
"Watch out for her left hand!" Chu Ruohan suddenly warned.
Upon hearing this, Gu Cheng'an immediately dodged to the right, thus avoiding the palm strike from Consort Ming.
This sudden movement gave Dr. Qian the perfect opportunity.
Three silver needles were accurately inserted into the acupoints on the back of Consort Ming's neck.
Consort Ming froze, disbelief flashing in her eyes, before collapsing limply to the ground.
Gu Cheng'an darted forward and caught Mingfei's falling body, while simultaneously pulling a thin rope from his waist and binding her tightly.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief; the unexpected martial arts expert had finally been subdued.
"Tie it tighter." Chu Ruohan pointed at Consort Ming. "She's skilled in martial arts; don't let her escape."
Gu Cheng'an nodded and tightened the rope again to ensure that Consort Ming could not break free.
Chu Ruohan walked slowly to Mingfei and looked down at her.
Although Mingfei was subdued, her eyes still shone with defiance and arrogance, showing no fear of being captured.
“The Prince of Su is not the real Prince of Su, is he?” Chu Ruohan asked bluntly. “He is Gu Chengyan in disguise.”
A hint of surprise flashed in Consort Ming's eyes, but she quickly regained her composure.
She sneered, "What are you talking about? I don't understand."
“No need to play dumb,” Chu Ruohan said coldly. “We all know the truth. The real Prince Su is long gone. The one sitting on the throne now is an imposter.”
A flicker of emotion crossed Consort Ming's eyes, but she quickly regained her composure.
A mocking smile played on her lips. "You broke into the palace, bound the concubines, and plotted to murder the emperor. These are all capital offenses punishable by the confiscation of your property and the extermination of your entire family."
"Nonsense!" Ma Fuhai's face turned ashen with rage. "It was clearly you who caused the Emperor to fall seriously ill!"
Mingfei remained unmoved, her gaze shifting to Chu Ruohan's protruding belly, her tone growing increasingly contemptuous.
"General Gu's wife is pregnant, yet she has committed such a heinous act. Do you think that even if you escape from prison, you can change anything?"
Chu Ruohan didn't rush to refute, but simply looked at Mingfei quietly, as if observing a trapped beast.
“Qingmo Valley,” Chu Ruohan suddenly spoke.
These two words struck Consort Mingfei's heart like a heavy hammer. Her pupils contracted sharply.
This reaction has confirmed Chu Ruohan's guess.
"You... how do you know about this place?" Mingfei could no longer maintain her confident expression, her voice filled with disbelief.
Chu Ruohan did not answer directly, but continued to press for an answer.
What exactly is hidden in Qingmo Valley? What is Gu Chengyan planning to do?
Mingfei's eyes flickered for a moment, then, as if she had made up her mind, a cold smile returned to her lips.
"I do not know anything."
Her voice regained its composure, and her gaze met Chu Ruohan's firmly.
“You can kill me, but don’t expect to get anything out of me.”
Chu Ruohan gave her a deep look, then turned to Doctor Qian.
"It seems she won't say anything on her own initiative. Let's think of a way to quiet her down. We don't have time to waste here."
Doctor Qian understood, and took out another silver needle, accurately inserting it into the acupoint behind Mingfei's neck under her resentful gaze.
Consort Ming slowly closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
"We can only speculate about Gu Chengyan's plan at the moment." Chu Ruohan turned to look at the emperor on the bed. "But the most important thing is to save the emperor."
Doctor Qian nodded and returned to the emperor's bedside to examine him carefully.
"The Gu poison technique is extremely insidious. If it is not treated in time, I'm afraid His Majesty will not last much longer." Doctor Qian's expression was solemn.
Chu Ruohan looked at the dying emperor on the bed, a resolute glint in her eyes.
No matter what, Gu Chengyan's plot must be stopped. The Emperor cannot die!
Tomorrow is the grand ceremony for Prince Su to appoint the Crown Prince; time is running out…
Doctor Qian opened his medicine box and took out several rare herbs.
"To cure the Gu poison, you must know what kind of Gu it is, or you must have a mother Gu."
"But I can temporarily use medicine to suppress the Gu worms..."
He skillfully ground the medicinal herbs into powder, added a small bottle of clear liquid, mixed it well, and then slowly simmered it over a fire.
The aroma of the medicine gradually filled the air, and Doctor Qian stood cautiously by his side, stirring it occasionally with a silver spoon.
Chu Ruohan looked out the window; the night was already deep.
"Time is running out; the investiture ceremony will be tomorrow."
"If Gu Chengyan ascends to the position of Crown Prince, there will be no room for maneuver in the court."
Ma Fuhai also learned the truth, his hands trembling and his voice hoarse.
"If the false king is allowed to sit on the throne as crown prince, the country will cease to exist!"
Chu Ruohan's gaze was firm as she gently stroked her abdomen.
“We will stop all of this, but right now, waking the Emperor is the most urgent task.”
Dr. Qian finally finished decocting the medicine and carefully poured it into a porcelain bowl.
Gu Cheng'an helped the unconscious emperor up and carefully fed him the medicine.
Upon tasting the medicine, the emperor's body trembled violently, his face changed from ashen to flushed, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
The poison has been suppressed!
Chu Ruohan turned to Ma Fuhai: "Go out and deliver a message saying that the Emperor's condition has improved, but he still needs to rest and cannot see anyone."
Ma Fuhai understood and quietly left the bedroom.
Gu Cheng'an gazed at the emperor's face on the bed, a complex expression flashing in his eyes.
“I never imagined that Chengyan would come to this.”
Chu Ruohan said softly, "Human hearts are unpredictable. Once the desire for power grows, it will devour everything."
The next day, the sky began to lighten with the first light of dawn, and the sun rose.
Gu Chengyan stood in front of the mirror, carefully adjusting the Crown Prince's court robes.
His embroidered robes accentuated his tall and handsome figure.
However, the gloom and fervor in the eyes of the person in the mirror reveal the distortion in their heart.
"Master, we have searched the entire capital, but we still haven't found Chu Ruohan."
The man in black knelt on one knee, his head bowed low, not daring to look directly at his master's gloomy face.
Gu Chengyan suddenly threw the jade pendant in his hand to the ground, and the exquisite jade piece shattered into pieces instantly.
"Useless! They're all useless!"
The man in black pressed his forehead to the ground, trembling all over: "Master, please calm down. It's already dawn. Today is your ceremony to appoint the Crown Prince. We absolutely cannot delay it."
Gu Chengyan took a deep breath, suppressing his anger.
He gave the man in black a cold look. "Keep sending people to search. Find her no matter what!"
"Yes! I obey my orders!"
After the man in black left, Gu Chengyan composed himself and took one last look at his reflection in the mirror.
"A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, there's no room for the slightest mistake," he muttered to himself, a sickly light gleaming in his eyes.
The Crown Prince, dressed in his court robes, opened the door, and a group of guards immediately lined up to greet him.
Sunlight shone on his magnificent robes, making the inlaid gemstones sparkle with dazzling light.
A sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth.
Once he's firmly established as crown prince and imprisoned, that dog of an emperor can abdicate and hand over the throne to a more worthy successor...