lcionline Chapter 333 He was on the defensive, while Gu Chengyan pressed him relentlessly.
Chapter 333 He was on the defensive, while Gu Chengyan pressed him relentlessly.
As soon as he finished speaking, a shadow guard appeared silently at the door.
"General, our scouts report that the lady escaped from the imperial prison, but was attacked in the south of the city and her carriage overturned."
Gu Junze's expression changed drastically: "Where is he?!"
"His whereabouts are unknown; only the broken carriage and the dead coachman were found at the scene."
Gu Junze slammed his hand on the table and stood up abruptly: "Go to the south of the city to search! We must find Madam!"
The shadow guard obeyed and left, while Gu Junze clenched his fists, veins bulging.
“Plan ahead.”
He said in a deep voice, his eyes revealing a murderous intent, "Tonight, we will spare no effort to rescue Han'er."
As night deepened, in the Daming Hall of the Imperial Palace, Prince Su knelt before the dragon throne, his expression filled with grief.
"Father, my heart is breaking at the murder of my mother. I beg you to investigate and bring justice to her!"
The emperor, pale-faced, leaned back on his dragon throne, his voice weak: "I have ordered a thorough investigation into this case. If Madam Gu truly harbors malicious intent, she will not be spared lightly."
Prince Su raised his head, a calculating glint in his eyes: "Father, I have just received news that Chu Ruohan has escaped from the imperial prison, which further proves that she has something to hide!"
The emperor frowned slightly: "How dare someone break into the prison?"
Prince Su said in a deep voice, "The Imperial Guards have already surrounded the General's Mansion, and Gu Junze is probably involved as well."
"This couple is ambitious and plotting a rebellion!"
The emperor closed his eyes, seemingly tormented by a sharp pain.
After a long silence, she weakly asked, "Gu Junze... what evidence do you have?"
Upon seeing this, a triumphant smile flashed in Prince Su's eyes.
"Father, you are unwell and should rest. This is a major case, and I will personally oversee its handling to bring justice to Mother!"
The emperor waved his hand weakly, signaling him to step down.
Prince Su left the main hall, a cold smile playing on his lips.
In the corridor, a palace servant appeared silently beside him.
"Master, should we send people to continue searching for Chu Ruohan's whereabouts?"
Prince Su snorted coldly: "No need, she can't get far."
A cruel glint flashed in his eyes. "Gu Junze is the key. If we take care of him tonight, everything will be over."
The palace servants obeyed and left. Prince Su stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the capital city in the night, his eyes filled with ambition and scheming.
In the countryside, in a dense forest.
Chu Ruohan leaned against a large tree, panting heavily.
Her skirt was torn, and she had several abrasions on her face.
"But she couldn't care less about that; waves of abdominal pain came over her, causing cold sweat to break out on her forehead."
"Madam, you don't look well," Yuling said with concern. "Would you like to rest for a bit?"
Chu Ruohan shook her head: "No, we have to keep going." She gritted her teeth and endured the pain, barely managing to straighten up.
Yu Ling: "Young Madam, there's a small village not far ahead; perhaps we can find some help there."
Chu Ruohan nodded, but stumbled and almost fell when she took her next step.
Yu Ling quickly helped her up: "Young Madam!"
Chu Ruohan's face was as pale as paper: "It's no use... the baby..."
She felt a warm liquid flowing down her thigh.
Looking down, she saw that her skirt was stained with blood.
"No!" Chu Ruohan grabbed Yuling's arm in terror. "I can't lose this child!"
Yu Ling panicked: "Young Madam, don't be afraid, I...I...I'll take you to find a doctor!"
She helped Chu Ruohan, and the two of them staggered toward the village.
They walked through the edge of the woods and saw a few faint lights.
It was a dilapidated little village, with low houses that looked lifeless.
The two found the village's only doctor, an old man with gray hair, whose clinic was so simple that it only had a few chairs and a pile of medicine cabinets.
The old man took Chu Ruohan's pulse, his brows furrowing more and more deeply.
“The situation is very bad,” he sighed. “The pregnancy has been threatened and she has lost a lot of blood. I don’t have all the medicines I need here, and I’m missing a few that can help with pregnancy.”
Chu Ruohan grabbed the old man's arm, her voice hoarse: "Doctor, please, you must save my child!"
The old man shook his head: "I'll do my best. I'll prescribe some medicine first. You must rest in bed and not move around anymore."
Chu Ruohan was placed in a simple woodshed, where the wooden plank bed covered with straw was hard and cold.
She lay there, but the pain in her abdomen did not subside at all; in fact, it seemed to be getting worse.
She could feel her life force slowly slipping away, not only her own, but also that of the child in her womb.
Fear overwhelmed her like a tidal wave, but she forced herself to stay awake.
She can't die here, and she can't let anything happen to the child.
Yu Ling used a rag dampened with water to carefully wipe the cold sweat from Chu Ruohan's forehead, her eyes filled with anxiety and helplessness.
"Young Madam, please hang in there a little longer. The old doctor has already gone to find the medicinal herbs."
Chu Ruohan nodded reluctantly, but felt the pain in her abdomen intensify, as if being cut by a knife.
Outside the window, the night was as dark as ink, with only a few stars twinkling.
Suddenly, there was a rush of footsteps outside the door.
Yu Ling stood up alertly, gripping a small knife tightly in her hand, ready to protect Chu Ruohan at any moment.
The door was suddenly pushed open, and Song Ruyan appeared in the doorway, her clothes disheveled and her face bearing several streaks of blood.
"Yu Ling! Young Madam!" She strode into the room, her expression shifting from tension to shock.
"The pursuers have been shaken off. Young Madam... what's wrong...?"
When Song Ruyan saw Chu Ruohan's pale face and the bloodstains on the bed sheet, she was shocked.
Yu Ling was extremely anxious; seeing her was like seeing a savior.
"The doctors in this village are completely incompetent, and the medicinal herbs are also incomplete."
"Yuling, you stay here and take good care of Madam."
"Where are you going?" Yu Ling asked in surprise.
"Let's go find Doctor Qian!" Song Ruyan said firmly. "Doctor Qian was already waiting at Shuiyue Nunnery, which is only ten miles away from here."
"I'll go and invite him over; he'll definitely have a way to save his wife and children!"
Chu Ruohan, still worried, added, "Be careful..."
“Okay,” Song Ruyan said solemnly, “I’ll be right back. You all stay hidden and don’t make a sound.”
“I have already checked all the escape routes behind the woodshed. If anything happens, Yuling can lead you to escape through the back window.”