Pei Luo, along with Dao Yi, immediately entered the palace. However, upon sneaking into the palace, they discovered that there were many more guards, especially in Chengqian Palace, which seemed to have significantly more guards than before.

The three found a safe palace and stayed there until nightfall before attempting to sneak into Chengqian Palace again.

Upon entering Chengqian Palace, the three sensed that there were several times more guards than before, and many more skilled fighters had been added.

The three exchanged a glance and tried to climb onto the roof of the main hall, intending to enter the inner hall using the method they often used before. However, they were discovered by the guards as soon as they stepped onto the roof.

"An assassin!"

Someone shouted, and the Imperial Guards patrolling below immediately ran over.

Meanwhile, the guards who had been stationed around the rooftop swarmed towards Pei Luo and his group.

Pei Luo was startled and immediately pulled the directionally challenged Dao Yi out to lead the way.

Youyi then seized the opportunity to leap into the house.

Only Xuanyuan Peng and Zong Jiu were inside.

Zong Jiu had just heard the shouts of assassins outside and knew that Pei Luo and his group must have arrived. Upon seeing You Yi, he immediately pulled him into the inner hall and asked him to check on Xuan Yuanpeng's condition: "Physician You, you've come at the right time. Please take a look at the Emperor."

Youyi glanced at Xuanyuan Peng, who lay on the bed with a blank stare, like a wooden puppet, and asked with a tense expression, "What's wrong with him?"

Youyi asked a question and then went to the bedside to examine Xuanyuan Peng.

Zong Jiu quickly recounted the situation: "Last night, just before dawn, His Majesty suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, and then his eyes became empty and vacant. Afterwards, he seemed to return to normal and ordered us to strengthen the guards of Chengqian Palace. Now he doesn't even recognize you. Is His Majesty being controlled?"

Youyi channeled his inner energy into Xuanyuan Peng's body, but Xuanyuan Peng remained expressionless and showed no reaction.

If it were before, and the Gu worms were urging Xuan Yuanpeng's body in this way, Xuan Yuanpeng would have screamed in pain long ago.

But now Xuanyuan Peng seems to feel no pain at all. Not only that, Youyi can no longer sense the puppet gu in Xuanyuan Peng's body. It's as if the puppet gu has merged with Xuanyuan Peng's brain.

After a moment, Youyi stopped and frowned, saying, "It seems so. It must be the person who put the Gu in his body that activated the mother Gu, and he's been controlled."

The puppet gu had completely penetrated his mind. At this moment, Xuanyuan Peng was no longer a person, but a puppet of the person who cast the gu.

From now on, he will do whatever the person who cast the spell tells him to do, and he will never think for himself again.

Zong Jiu was greatly alarmed and immediately asked You Yi urgently, "Can Physician You save the Emperor?"

You Yi shook his head: "I can't save him. If I find the person who cast the curse, I can remove it for him, but even then, I can only keep him alive for three days at most."

He regained consciousness after the Gu was removed, but he was dead. That's the viciousness of this puppet Gu!

Upon hearing this, Zong Jiu was instantly at a loss for what to do.

The emperor will die if the curse is lifted, but if it is not lifted, the emperor will be controlled by the third prince again. What should be done?

Hearing the footsteps at the door, You Yi quickly said to Zong Jiu, "The Emperor probably doesn't want to remove the curse now. The only thing you can do is obey him, act according to the situation, and remain unchanged in the face of all changes."

Zong Jiu nodded silently, then looked at You Yi and said, "When His Majesty is sober, his biggest worry is the Dowager Consort and the Prince. Please make sure you take good care of the Dowager Consort and the Prince. The situation in the capital has changed. Please ask the Dowager Consort to send a message to the Prince to return to the capital as soon as possible."

Now even the emperor is under control; if we wait any longer, the capital will surely descend into chaos.

"Okay, I will definitely pass on your message. Please take good care of him."

As soon as You Yi finished speaking, the palace doors were pushed open, and a group of imperial guards rushed in.

Youyi deliberately pushed Zong Jiu aside and jumped out of the window.

"Quickly, give chase!" The Imperial Guards immediately went after Youyi.

Youyi was very good at light footwork, and soon he met up with Pei Luo and Dao Yi. The three of them quickly ran out of the palace.

Unable to catch the person, Jin Lu, the commander of the Imperial Guards, immediately led his men to the main hall.

Who was that person just now?

As soon as Jin Lu entered the main hall, he asked Zong Jiu.

Zong Jiu glanced at Jin Lu, not trusting him. Although the three armies were all the emperor's confidants, given the emperor's current state, he didn't know if they had sided with the second and third princes.

Therefore, in the palace today, he trusts no one except Hang Yuqing.

"There were shouts of assassins outside just now, it must have been assassins," Zong Jiu said, not giving a casual, perfunctory answer.

Jinlu hurriedly looked towards the inner palace: "How is the Emperor? Did the assassin harm him?"

Zong Jiu shook his head: "His Majesty is fine, he was just frightened. He shouldn't cause such a commotion in the future."

Jin Lu glanced into the inner hall and saw that Xuan Yuanpeng seemed to be awake, but was lying motionless on the bed. He frowned and asked, "What's wrong with Your Majesty?"

A hint of sadness flashed in Zong Jiu's eyes, and he looked at Jin Lu and said, "His Majesty's condition has worsened. I urge Lord Jin to guard the palace and protect His Majesty."

"That's for sure," Jin Lu replied, then glanced at Xuan Yuanpeng suspiciously before bowing and retreating.

After Jin Lu left, Zong Jiu closed the palace door and knelt by the bedside again: "Your Majesty, do you still recognize this servant?"

Xuanyuan Peng remained motionless, staring blankly at the top of the tent, his eyes empty and silent.

Upon seeing this, Zong Jiu's eyes instantly reddened again.

Hang Yuqing pushed open the palace door and entered the inner room, hurriedly asking Zong Jiu, "Was it Doctor Luo and the others who just arrived?"

Zong Jiu nodded: "Doctor You just came by. He said that the Emperor is probably being controlled, and the person who cast the Gu has activated the mother Gu."

Hang Yuqing panicked upon hearing this and hurriedly asked, "Then what should we do? Does Doctor You have any solutions?"

Zong Jiu shook his head with red eyes: "Doctor You said that if we remove the curse from the Emperor now, he will only live for three days. If we cannot remove the curse, the Emperor will be controlled like this."

Upon hearing this, Hang Yuqing slumped down beside the bed: "Then what do we do now? Should we inform the Prince and ask him to return to the capital?"

Zong Jiu took a handkerchief and wiped Xuan Yuanpeng's hands, saying, "This servant has already spoken with Physician You and asked the Dowager Consort to write a letter to the Prince, asking him to return to the capital as soon as possible. Given the current situation in the palace, with the Emperor under control, it's best if we don't send any letters out easily. Otherwise, not only will the letter not reach the Prince, but we might also harm him."

Their lives or deaths are unimportant; we must not allow others to use them to frame the prince.

When the Emperor is lucid, the people he cares about most are the Dowager Consort and the Prince. He is determined to protect the Dowager Consort and the Prince for the Emperor's sake.

"Hmm." Hang Yuqing had been the head of the Imperial Medical Academy for so many years, how could he not understand the reasoning behind this?

The two of them stood guard by the bedside. Now that the emperor had been controlled as a puppet, it seemed as if they had suddenly lost all their worries.

Previously, the emperor would cry out in pain and cough, but now it seems that the emperor has no more ailments.

Hang Yuqing no longer needed to administer acupuncture to him, and Zong Jiu no longer needed to feed him medicine.