freenovelworld Chapter 339 Begging Madam Gu to Save the Emperor
Chapter 339 Begging Madam Gu to Save the Emperor
Behind the artificial hill.
After confirming that there was no one else around, Ma Fuhai lowered his voice and spoke urgently.
"Madam Gu, the Emperor... the Emperor is seriously ill!"
His voice trembled slightly, and his eyes were filled with fear and unease.
"Nowadays, His Majesty is often delirious, and even when he is awake, he is confused and only recognizes Consort Ming."
"The imperial physicians in the Imperial Hospital couldn't figure out the cause no matter how hard they tried, and could only say that he was overwhelmed by worry and exhausted."
He paused, his voice lower, almost a whisper, carrying an ominous suspicion.
"But to this old servant, it doesn't seem like... not at all, it seems more like poisoning..."
"Nowadays, in this palace, from top to bottom, Prince Su and Consort Ming practically control everything."
A hint of unease flashed in Ma Fuhai's eyes. "This old servant has served His Majesty for most of his life. If... if a new emperor ascends the throne in the future..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but the implication was clear.
Once Prince Su ascends the throne, this former emperor's trusted eunuch will not have a good end; at best, he will be purged from the palace.
He suddenly bowed deeply to Chu Ruohan, his posture extremely low, almost to the point of kneeling.
"Madam Gu, this old servant begs... I beg you to save the Emperor!"
"It can be considered... saving this old servant's worthless life!"
Chu Ruohan helped him up, but did not immediately agree, instead scrutinizing him with a serious expression.
She pointed to Dr. Qian, who had been silent beside her.
"We risked entering the palace precisely for this purpose."
"This Doctor Qian is highly skilled; perhaps he can find the root cause of the Emperor's illness."
"However, the Emperor's bedchamber is heavily guarded now. How can we get close?"
A glint of light flashed in Ma Fuhai's eyes, as if he had grasped a lifeline while drowning.
"Don't worry, Madam Gu."
"This old servant has his own way of getting you and Doctor Qian into His Majesty's bedchamber without anyone noticing."
Ma Fuhai led the three through a hidden path.
This is a secret passage that the emperor specially built when he was young, and only a few trusted servants knew about it.
"When the emperor was young, he liked to travel incognito, so he ordered people to dig this passage."
Ma Fuhai explained in a low voice, while carefully pushing open a hidden door that seemed to blend into the wall.
Chu Ruohan protected her bulging belly and followed Ma Fuhai's steps, trying her best not to make any noise.
Gu Cheng'an and Doctor Qian followed closely behind, their expressions vigilant, ready to deal with any possible accidents at any time.
After passing through this narrow, dark passage, we arrived at a seemingly ordinary wall.
Ma Fuhai gently pushed an inconspicuous brick on the wall, and the wall silently slid inward, revealing the interior of the emperor's bedroom.
"Madam Gu, this is the Emperor's bedroom."
Ma Fuhai cautiously peeked inside the hall to observe the situation. After confirming that no one was there, he waved for them to enter.
Inside the spacious and magnificent bedchamber, only a few palace lanterns burned dimly, and the air was filled with the scent of medicine mixed with sandalwood.
The emperor lay on the large bed carved with dragons and phoenixes, his face haggard and his breathing weak, as if a gust of wind could blow him away.
Doctor Qian dared not delay and immediately went forward to check on the emperor's condition.
He carefully examined the emperor's pulse, pupils, and complexion, and then lifted the emperor's eyelids to observe for a moment.
"How is it?" Chu Ruohan asked anxiously.
Doctor Qian frowned and shook his head gravely: "His Majesty's symptoms are very strange; they are not the usual signs of poisoning."
He paused, then lowered his voice even further: "Based on my many years of experience treating patients, Your Majesty's condition does not seem to be due to poisoning."
"It's more like... being bewitched."
"Gu?" Ma Fuhai was so shocked he almost cried out, and quickly covered his mouth.
Chu Ruohan was also shocked; she hadn't expected such a conclusion.
The use of Gu poison was always a taboo in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, and was mostly a secret art of the southern barbarian lands. To be able to use such poison in the imperial palace, one can only imagine how much courage and skill it would take.
Doctor Qian took out silver needles from his medicine box, and just as he was about to administer acupuncture to the emperor, the emperor on the bed suddenly opened his eyes.
"Who goes there? How dare you sneak into my bedchamber? Do you intend to assassinate me?" The emperor's voice was weak. "Guards! Guards, come quickly!"
Seeing this, Gu Cheng'an quickly stepped forward and struck the emperor on the back of the neck with a palm strike.
The clarity that had not yet faded from the emperor's eyes vanished instantly, and he fell back into a coma.
"Your Majesty!" Ma Fuhai exclaimed in shock, his face turning deathly pale.
"It's nothing, he's just dizzy," Gu Cheng'an explained in a low voice, his tone tinged with tension. "If we let him keep shouting, we'll all die here."
Ma Fuhai clutched his chest, still shaken.
"If the Emperor were sober, he would surely take your life!"
Just then, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the palace, clearly the emperor's shouts had alerted the guards.
Chu Ruohan's heart tightened, and she hurriedly signaled everyone to take cover.
Almost at the same moment they hid, the door to the bedchamber was pushed open, and Consort Ming, dressed in pink, slowly walked in.
"Your Majesty?" Consort Ming's voice was gentle and concerned. "Were you calling for someone just now?"
Ma Fuhai quickly emerged from the shadows and bowed respectfully: "Your Majesty, the Emperor seems to have had a nightmare and has fallen asleep again."
Consort Ming looked at the Emperor with suspicion, then at Ma Fuhai.
"I clearly heard His Majesty call 'Someone come here' just now."
"It was this old servant who came to visit His Majesty, and may have disturbed the Emperor's dream," Ma Fuhai explained cautiously.
Consort Ming's gaze swept around the bedchamber, while Chu Ruohan held her breath, not daring to make the slightest sound.
"It seems you're not the only one in this hall?" Consort Ming suddenly spoke, her voice no longer gentle, but instead sharp.
Chu Ruohan's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately made a decision: "Take her down!" she commanded in a low voice.
Upon hearing this, Gu Cheng'an suddenly darted out from the shadows and pounced on Consort Ming with the speed of the wind.
However, to everyone's surprise, Consort Ming calmly dodged to the side, easily avoiding Gu Cheng'an's attack.
"Hmph, there are assassins in the palace!"
Mingfei sneered, her slender hand whistling as it aimed straight for Gu Cheng'an's throat.
Gu Cheng'an barely dodged it, and in his shock, he couldn't help but gasp.
"She knows kung fu!"
Upon seeing this, Ma Fuhai, who was standing nearby, quickly ran to the palace gate, closed it, and locked it.
"His Majesty wants Consort Ming to accompany him, so don't come in and disturb him," he shouted to the guards outside the door.
Inside the palace, Consort Ming and Gu Cheng'an had already exchanged several blows, their movements as swift as lightning as they leaped and tumbled through the bedchamber.
Consort Ming's martial arts skills far exceeded Gu Cheng'an's expectations, and he gradually fell into a disadvantageous position...