lcionline Chapter 11 The prepared excuse
Chapter 11 The prepared excuse
"Congratulations, Your Highness! Congratulations, Your Highness's Wife!"
The servants of Hongmeng Academy knelt on the ground in a huge crowd.
"Granny Qin, give me a reward."
Chu Ruohan sat upright in a chair in the main hall, a faint smile playing on her lips.
Regardless, Gu Junze being named heir is a joyous occasion. As long as he lives, he is the rightful heir to the Marquis of Anyang's mansion.
Chu Ruohan's status naturally rose accordingly.
The servants accepted the rewards and shouted their thanks in unison once again, immersing the entire Hongmeng Courtyard in a joyous atmosphere.
On the other side, Gu Cheng'an lay on the bed with a flushed face and his eyes closed. He had a persistent high fever and had lost a lot of weight from the ordeal of the past two days.
Physician Hu sat by the bedside, calmly taking the patient's pulse. After a moment, his brows furrowed slightly, and he said, "The Second Young Master's illness is indeed troublesome and requires some strong medicine."
After speaking, he quickly wrote down the prescription and handed it to the maid beside him.
Upon seeing this, Marquis Anyang quickly stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Thank you, Physician Hu, for your trouble."
When Physician Hu got up to take his leave, Marquis Anyang personally saw him to the door.
When Marquis Anyang returned to the house, Gu's mother could no longer contain her resentment. Marquis Anyang had promised her that the position of heir apparent would be reserved for Gu Cheng'an.
She grabbed the sleeve of the Marquis of Anyang and asked urgently, "My lord, why did the Emperor suddenly issue an edict?"
Marquis Anyang's face darkened, and he said angrily, "Isn't this all Cheng'an's doing? The marriage exchange angered the Emperor, who severely reprimanded me, saying that I didn't manage my household properly."
"His Majesty felt sorry for Junze and immediately issued an edict to bestow the title of Heir Apparent upon him."
When Gu's mother heard this, she was furious. It was clearly Cheng'an who suffered a loss. He had brought a perfectly good wife into the family, but that paralyzed man got the better deal.
He gritted his teeth and said, "How did the palace find out? It's all that little harlot's fault! If it weren't for her, none of this trouble would have happened!"
The resentment in Gu's mother's eyes seemed to materialize, as if she wished she could devour Du Ruoling alive.
Looking at Gu's mother's appearance, Marquis Anyang sighed softly: "Do you really think that the marriage exchange can fool the palace? Now that the imperial decree has been issued, it is a foregone conclusion that Junze will become the heir apparent."
Hearing what Marquis Anyang said, Gu's mother was still unwilling and muttered, "The future Marquis Anyang is a cripple. Who knows how the people in the Earl's Mansion will laugh at him behind his back."
Marquis Anyang snorted coldly: "If you have the ability, go to the palace now and argue with the Emperor, and see how many heads you have. The best course of action right now is to find a way to cure Cheng'an."
Having said that, the Marquis of Anyang turned and left.
Having been married for many years, Gu's mother naturally knew the sore spot in Anyang Marquis's heart.
He rose from an unloved illegitimate son in the Earl's mansion to his current position, basking in glory and forcing others to depend on him.
Naturally, he could neither hear nor tolerate anything that might damage the reputation of Marquis Anyang.
All she needed to do was plant a nail in his heart…
As Gu's mother watched the departing figure of Marquis Anyang, her resentment grew even stronger.
What good is the position of heir apparent?
Even if it takes every means, we must never allow that cripple to inherit the title.
The next Marquis of Anyang will surely emerge from her womb; she is the eternal mistress of this Marquis's mansion...
Night fell as dark as ink, slowly staining the sky.
Gu Junze sat quietly at his desk, his posture upright. The candlelight on the desk flickered, illuminating his handsome face and making him appear even more profound.
Yingqing hurriedly entered the study, walked to the desk, and knelt on one knee. "Young Master, I've found out."
"The combination of ink and incense scents is indeed suspicious. Upon careful examination, this poison is extremely insidious; one would not detect it if one came into contact with ink or incense alone on a regular basis."
"When the two energies intertwine in the body, they produce a chronic toxin that causes leg muscle paralysis and weakness. If this continues, the body's vital energy will be depleted, and life will be in danger. I have also searched for a way to detoxify, but so far there have been no results."
Gu Junze slightly raised his eyes, a cold glint flashing in them, but he quickly regained his composure and tapped his fingers lightly on the table.
He never liked having anyone serving him when he was writing.
The person who poisoned him was truly meticulous, observing him closely enough to devise such a covert method.
If it weren't for Chu Ruohan, he probably wouldn't have realized it until his death.
But how could she, a woman confined to the inner quarters, know this?
After a moment, he slowly spoke, "Can you find out who did it?"
Ying Qing lowered his head even further, his tone tinged with regret: "I am ashamed, as we have not yet been able to find out who is behind this. The ink and incense are of unusual origin, as if someone secretly tampered with them to get them into the mansion."
Gu Junze nodded slightly: "Thank you for your trouble. This matter needs to be investigated thoroughly as soon as possible. Everything should remain the same, and we must not alert the enemy."
"Yes." Ying Qing acknowledged the order and left. Gu Junze then sat alone in his study, lost in thought.
Although he was born with a weak constitution, he could run and jump when he was young. In order to improve his physique, his mother even hired a martial arts master for him.
When his mother passed away, he knelt in the mourning hall all night, and then he could no longer stand up.
Only that person could be so cruel to him, but he still had doubts about it.
At that time, the woman had not yet entered the house. The entire household was staffed by people brought from the palace by Anyang. How did she manage to slip in and poison him without anyone noticing?
Furthermore, this poison is very secretive; where did she obtain it from?
Ordinary doctors would be fine, but in recent years, even the imperial physicians in the palace haven't noticed anything. Or is it that...?
The numbness in his legs came from time to time, making him feel uneasy. In this deep mansion, conspiracies and tricks were hard to guard against, but he would never sit idly by and wait for his death.
Just as Chu Ruohan was about to retire for the night, Gu Junze arrived. She hurriedly put on her clothes, already having a premonition of what he wanted to do.
Gu Junze stared at her, his gaze scrutinizing her, and asked, "How did you know that the ink and incense were poisonous?"
It seems that Gu Junze has already investigated thoroughly.
Chu Ruohan had already prepared her explanation and said calmly, "Although my Chu family is a merchant family, we are involved in all walks of life in the capital. Most of the supplies needed by other families are related to the Chu family."
"It was by chance that I realized something was amiss. These family secrets were none of my business, but by some twist of fate, we became husband and wife."
Chu Ruohan looked directly into Gu Junze's eyes, trying her best to appear sincere and open.
Gu Junze narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze seeming to say that this explanation was just to coax him like a child.
Chu Ruohan knew that she couldn't fool Gu Junze with just these two sentences, so she curtsied.
"Now that I have married you, we are one, sharing both honor and disgrace. It is a difficult time for women to live in this world. All I ask for is a safe and secure place to live."
“And now my husband is my support,” Chu Ruohan said with a firm look in her eyes. “If my husband believes in me, I will definitely guard Hongmeng Courtyard well, and not even a fly will be able to get in.”