The Imperial Guards searched the palace repeatedly, and all suspicious persons were arrested and taken to the Department of Cautious Punishment.

"Your Highness, the wizard has sent word that things are not peaceful inside or outside the palace lately, so it would be best to avoid contact with you."

Inside the tent, Gu Qingling nodded after listening, "I understand."

"I heard that this search has uncovered quite a few of the dirty deeds from the past." Gu Qingling had been feeling a faint pain in the joints of her hands for the past few days, and a shadow of gloom always lingered between her brows.

"Those matters have nothing to do with Your Highness."

With that, Gu Qingling knew that Xu Dong had already erased all clues.

Meanwhile, the people Gu Lin sent to burn down the Hall of Longevity had already escaped unscathed in the chaos, and even made a detour to the Lingxi Palace along the way.

The Lingxi Palace is now practically a death palace, with no servants to attend to it, only Consort Rong alone, who is acting mad.

Every day, palace servants would casually throw some food into the palace through the gate, and Consort Rong would run out to eat when she was hungry.

A pill was silently placed into Consort Rong's mouth, and the person behind her tightly covered her mouth until it was confirmed that the pill had been completely swallowed.

"This is top-quality medicine; it will prevent you from going crazy."

As Ling Shan spoke, a bloodthirsty smile crept across his lips. With this pill, Consort Rong would regain her senses in just one month, and then...

"If you're smart, then keep playing dumb."

Ling Shan left decisively, knowing that Consort Rong would be of great use to the Emperor and his wife in the future.

Sometimes, feigning madness is more agonizing than genuine madness.

On the other side.

Inside the room, Gu Lin lay motionless, his face deathly pale. If it weren't for the faint breaths he could still feel, he would have been dead.

"Mei Chu, how long can the Lord hold on like this?" Ling Hai rushed back to Daning, and Ling Shan had to stay in the capital, so he could only send other people from Lingxiao Pavilion to Lingshan.

“I’ve used all the available medicines,” Mei Chu said weakly, standing in the courtyard. “But they can only save the master’s life for another month.”

One month... just one month...

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Ling Shan immediately hid in the shadows. Mei Chu paused for a moment, then spoke in a voice as indistinguishable as ever: "Wait a moment, I'm coming."

A man dressed in coarse cloth appeared outside the door. "Excuse me, are you Dr. Mei?"

"That's me." Mei Chu recognized the man and smiled as she invited him in.

As soon as they entered the courtyard, the strong smell of medicine filled their nostrils. Wanji's apprentice, Xiao Liangzi, couldn't help but choke a few times. "Dr. Mei, has there been any result with that ointment from last time?"

"It contains poppies unique to the Di Kingdom, which can cause dependence. If one continues to consume them, death is inevitable."

Xiao Liangzi was surprised to hear this. "Thank you very much, Dr. Mei."

"Brother Huo and I are sworn brothers, and now he has recommended me to Her Majesty. Naturally, I will do everything in my power." Mei Chu changed the subject, "I've heard some rumors during my recent house calls that Her Majesty was accidentally poisoned at the hunting grounds?"

"Your Majesty is well now."

Remembering Wanji's instructions, Xiao Liangzi quickly asked again, "Did Dr. Mei see Mr. Huo?"

Seeing Mei Chu shake his head, Xiao Liangzi sighed in disappointment.

"If you see Mr. Huo, please inform Her Majesty."

"Brother Huo, haven't you been following the Empress all along?" Mei Chu pretended to be completely unaware.

"Mr. Huo had to leave due to other matters." Xiao Liangzi glanced at the sky. "The Empress specifically instructed that after the autumn hunt, the Marquis will invite you to the manor to serve as the physician."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

After Xiao Liangzi left, Mei Chu went into the room and stared at Gu Lin for a long time.

......

"Your Majesty, after the Da Ning army captured Heng County, they actually slowed down their offensive."

Inside the tent, Gu Heng listened to the military reports from below. The already sweltering weather made him even more anxious.

"Has the search of the palace been completed?"

Gu Heng couldn't help but speak up, "It's not appropriate for me and my ministers to stay in this tent to discuss matters forever."

He was the emperor of a country, and having already lost the city, he was forced to hold court here in a humiliating manner. Just thinking about this made him furious.

The officials didn't want to offend Gu Heng, and after a long while, they couldn't come up with a good solution.

The crowd dispersed, leaving only a few princes inside the tent.

"I intend to depart for the palace in three days."

Gu Heng suddenly spoke up, even Gu Qingling looked at him incredulously, "Father, but the matter hasn't been investigated clearly yet..."

"I know that Deng Yu has arrested all the suspicious people in the palace." Gu Heng had clearly run out of patience. "The Imperial Guard can guarantee my safety."

After saying that, Gu Heng turned his gaze to Gu Qingyan, who had been silent all along, and asked, "Yan'er, what do you think?"

"I will follow Father's arrangements."

Gu Heng smiled meaningfully, then turned to Gu Qingling and Gu Qingfeng to discuss the arrangements for three days later.

One hour later.

"Mother."

Gu Qingfeng arrived in front of Jiang Yu in a wheelchair. Jiang Yu waved away the servants and looked at Gu Qingfeng.

"The ointment you've been using contains poppies unique to the Di Kingdom, which is why you can't live without it. If you continue using it, you'll die as thin as skin and bones."

Jiang Yu lifted Gu Qingfeng's trouser leg, "What you call being conscious is not a sign of recovery."

"So the doctor who treated you wasn't a miracle worker."

Gu Qingfeng, Gu Qingling never genuinely wanted you to have a good life.

Gu Qingfeng was stunned, and it took him a long time to process Jiang Yu's words.

[I wonder if Gu Qingling was also deceived by a spy from the Di Kingdom. If so, it's truly a joke.]

"Thank you for the reminder, Mother."

Countless emotions mingled together, ultimately coalescing into just this one sentence.

Given Gu Qingfeng's current level of dependence, it will probably be difficult for him to break the habit.

Watching Gu Qingfeng's departing figure, Jiang Yu thought, "Even a normal person, subjected to repeated persecution, would rise up in resistance..."

Late at night, the drug withdrawal flared up again.

Gu Qingfeng had Mo Wu tie up his hands and feet, and ordered that even if he died here, he should not be given any more medicine.

With a cork in his mouth, large drops of sweat streamed down Gu Qingfeng's face, which was filled with pain.

Even Mo Wu couldn't bear to look directly at it.

"Gu Qingling, I, Gu Qingfeng, will never forgive you in this lifetime!"

The veins on the back of his hand were bulging, and Gu Qingfeng's blood was screaming that simply pulling Gu Qingling down from the position of Crown Prince was not enough, far from enough.

"Second Prince, Second Prince..."

Mo Wu turned around in horror and found that Gu Qingfeng had completely fainted.