Chapter 201 Arresting People
Jiang Huan led her entourage straight to the dressing room in the back hall.
Just as I turned the corner, I saw a figure dressed as a palace maid huddled motionless in the shadows of a corner not far from the dressing room.
Jiang Huan's heart tightened, and she quickly ran over, squatted down, and checked his breathing.
Fortunately, although his breathing was weak, it was still relatively steady.
She gently brushed aside the loose strands of hair from the maid's forehead, and a familiar face came into view—it was the maid who served He Ling.
Jiang Huan's eyes turned cold. Something had indeed happened; they were ruthless.
Without further hesitation, she rushed straight to the dressing room.
But the locker room door was firmly locked, and there seemed to be some noise coming from inside.
Jiang Huan made a quick decision and gave orders to the two guards.
"Break down the door!"
The two guards exchanged a glance. One of them, a burly guard, took a deep breath, took two steps back, and with a sudden burst of strength, slammed his shoulder hard against the heavy door.
Bang--
The door panel shook violently, dust fell in a flurry, and finally a crack was forced open.
However, the door seemed to be blocked from behind by something and was not fully open.
The guard bumped into her again, and Jiang Huan clearly heard a woman's suppressed gasp from inside.
"He Ling!"
Jiang Huan's heart sank, and her anger flared instantly.
She could no longer wait for the guards to break open that small gap; her body reacted before her mind could process it.
She stepped forward, lifted her skirt, and with all her might, kicked the door panel that had already been loosened by the impact.
"Open it for me!"
This kick contained all her emotions. With a crash, the already rickety door, along with the object behind it, was kicked open by Jiang Huan.
The door was wide open, revealing the chaotic scene inside.
Jiang Huan's gaze was sharp as lightning, instantly locking onto the room.
He Ling's clothes were disheveled, her hair was loose, and her forehead was glaringly red and swollen, even oozing blood.
Her eyes were wide with terror, and she staggered toward the door as if a demon was chasing her.
A few steps behind her, a tall figure stood out.
The person had their back to the door, so their face could not be seen.
Jiang Huan's eyes were sharp, and with a wave of her right hand, her wide sleeves drew a cold arc in the air.
"Take him down for me!"
The shout seemed to make the entire changing room tremble, and the aura emanating from the person was awe-inspiring.
The two guards reacted swiftly, drawing their swords and rushing forward to attack the figure.
The man clearly hadn't expected Jiang Huan to arrive so quickly, nor had he anticipated the guards' ferocity.
However, he moved extremely quickly. Just before the guards tackled him, he ducked down and kicked the clothes rack next to him hard.
The heavy clothes rack, along with the clothes on it, came crashing down on the two guards with a whoosh.
The two guards instinctively swung their swords to block and dodge, their movements momentarily halted.
In that split second, the figure, using the force of kicking over the clothes rack, shot through the gap between the two guards at an extremely tricky angle, like an arrow released from a bow.
He kept his head down the whole time, and the dim lighting in the room made it impossible to see his face.
That damn thing runs pretty fast!
But even if the monk can run away, the temple can't. If she catches him using such despicable and vile methods, she'll skin him alive!
Jiang Huan's anger intensified, but she couldn't chase after He Ling at that moment, because He Ling had already stumbled and fallen in front of her.
"Your Majesty, save me..." When He Ling saw Jiang Huan, she was like a drowning person grabbing the last piece of driftwood, her eyes bursting with a strong light of survival.
But under the combined effects of the drug and the shock, she only managed to utter a single indistinct syllable before collapsing limply forward.
Jiang Huan reacted quickly, opening her arms and catching He Ling in one swift motion.
He Ling was burning hot, her body was as soft as a noodle, and the wound on her forehead was still bleeding, a shocking sight.
Jiang Huan's eyes were so cold they could freeze someone, but her mind was being bombarded by a completely different scene.
"Warning! High concentrations of aphrodisiac components detected in host He Ling's body!"
"Brainwave disorder! 90% loss of consciousness, initiating forced life support procedures! Energy extraction... Warning! Energy reserves insufficient!"
"Buzz buzz buzz... Failure! Emergency Plan C activated! Forced activation failed!"
A mechanical yet somewhat panicked voice kept flashing through Jiang Huan's mind, making her temples throb and her vision blur.
"Shut up!"
Jiang Huan couldn't help but let out a low growl.
The world fell silent instantly; the shrill, wailing sound seemed to have been abruptly cut off, as if someone had snapped its neck.
Only a faint crackling sound, like the crackling of an electric current overload, echoed in her mind.
Jiang Huan didn't intend to hide it; she simply pretended to check on He Ling's injuries and took the opportunity to explain.
"I mean, all of you should keep quiet about this and not tell anyone."
She continued to instruct those nearby, "Xiao Zhao, go to the Imperial Hospital immediately and find the imperial physicians. Tell them about the situation here, and be quick."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Xiao Zhao knew the situation was urgent, and without any hesitation, she turned and ran.
Jiang Huan then turned her gaze to the two guards: "You, go and seal off all entrances and exits of this courtyard, and do not allow anyone to leave."
"Your subordinate obeys!" The guard accepted the order and immediately set to work.
Just then, Jiang Huan heard a commotion outside.
"Over there, stop him!"
"Grab him, don't let him get away!"
Soon, Wang Degui's familiar voice rang out at the courtyard gate.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! The thief who escaped from the dressing room has been caught!"
Jiang Huan felt a sense of relief, and then a nameless ghost fire suddenly rose up.
She wanted to see just how audacious this man was.
Holding the unconscious He Ling, the two of them managed to walk to the door.
Then, Wang Degui summoned two more guards from somewhere, who were escorting a person in.
The man lowered his head, trying to avoid the gaze of the crowd.
Even if that face turned to ashes, Jiang Huan would still recognize it.
Prince Mu, Huo Ting.
Huo Ting struggled, trying to break free from the guards' grip, his face so dark it looked like it could drip water.
"How dare you! How dare you touch me, the King?"
"I was investigating suspicious trails and stumbled upon this place by mistake. How could I have entered any changing room? This is utter slander!" He spoke loudly, trying to take the initiative.
Wrongly entered? Hehe.
Jiang Huan sneered inwardly, but before she could expose him, the voice that had been silent for less than two seconds suddenly rang out weakly.
"Beep, a trace amount of Spring Breeze Intoxication powder has been detected in the inner pocket of the left sleeve of the target Huo Ting, with a 99.99% match rate with the toxin components in the host He Ling's body."
"The target's jade pendant had a fresh breakage on its cord, and a trace amount of silk fibers were embedded in the nail crease of its right little finger, which matched the victim He Ling's clothing 100%."
Jiang Huan's eyes instantly sharpened like knives; she was just worried about not having any evidence.
Although the system's voice was annoying, it was like a godsend at this moment.
She stared at Huo Ting, who had been brought before her, her voice not loud, but loud enough for everyone present to hear.
"Slander? Prince Mu is truly a silver-tongued man."
She gently lifted He Ling's drooping hand, revealing a clear tear in He Ling's disheveled cuff.
"When I arrived, I saw He Ling escape from this room with a wound on her forehead and barely breathing. As for you..."
Jiang Huan scoffed, "Prince Mu, could you explain what's in your sleeve? And why is there only half a jade pendant cord left at your waist? And what's under your fingernails? It couldn't have just appeared out of thin air, could it?"
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