He never expected that this ghost fetus would actually come true on Liao Qianqian herself, and it happened right in his Duke of Protectorate Mansion!
The child that Jiang Shu had miscarried not long ago because of Liao Qianqian and Xia Zhiyu was exactly eight months old!
This should have been an unfortunate omen for Jiang Shu and the Yongding Marquisate!
Not only Hao Ren, but even Liao Qianqian herself had never thought of this.
She knew the horror of the ghost fetus better than anyone else.
Jiang Shu's ghost fetus disappeared for no reason that day. She just thought that Jiang Shu was lucky and had a long life, but she didn't expect that the ghost fetus had quietly lived in her body without her realizing it!
This is no coincidence!
Liao Qianqian is racking her brains but can't figure out who has such superb skills!
Perhaps she was angered by Xia Zhiyu's continuous humiliation, or perhaps she was resentful of her for being pregnant with Hao Ren's child. She decided to use the dishonorable means she used before to let Xia Zhiyu experience the pain of being tortured by the ghost fetus and the feeling of being worse than death. Therefore, she carefully refined a medicine that could induce the ghost fetus.
Unexpectedly, things are unpredictable. Xia Zhiyu accidentally spilled the medicine on Liao Qianqian herself, triggering the evil fetus hidden in her body.
Thus, this extremely strange drama was staged before our eyes.
Even Ji Cheng, who had seen many dirty things in the world, couldn't help but frown at this moment.
"What on earth just happened?"
Ji Cheng covered his mouth and nose with a handkerchief, turned his head away from the horrific scene, and questioned the Jinyiwei who had previously searched Mojuyuan. He clearly remembered that when they found the baby bone powder from Liao Qianqian, nothing had shown such strange signs. How could such a drastic change happen in the blink of an eye?
The eyes of the Jinyiwei turned to Xia Zhiyu and recounted what she had done in Moju Garden.
Xia Zhiyu was terrified at the moment, secretly thanking herself for not having eaten the evil thing Liao Qianqian had brewed. Looking at the horrific creature before her, neither human nor ghost, she felt a lingering fear.
"That wasn't me, I didn't do anything! She made that bowl of pregnancy-preserving medicine herself, it has nothing to do with me!" Xia Zhiyu's voice trembled, and he was eager to clear himself of suspicion.
In the eyes of the Jinyiwei, Xia Zhiyu was eager to draw a clear line.
She just wanted to avoid these strange and mysterious things as if avoiding the plague!
Even the experienced Jinyiwei, in their handling of countless cases, had never encountered such a bizarre situation. "Sir, what should we do now?"
Ji Cheng frowned slightly and said thoughtfully, "First, safely return the evidence to the palace, and then report the unusual situation in the Duke of Huguo's mansion to His Majesty truthfully."
He turned and walked out of Liao Qianqian's courtyard. Before leaving, he glanced at Hao Ren and said, "Duke Protector of the Country, why don't you ask the doctor in the mansion to diagnose my concubine first?"
At this moment, Hao Ren's eyes were fixed on the ghostly fetus in Liao Qianqian's belly, and he only wanted to escape as quickly as possible.
Xia Zhiyu gradually regained his composure, leaning into Hao Ren's embrace, gently comforting him: "Cousin, Sister Liao's experience is truly her own fault. We can't do anything about it. I just hope the Emperor won't let the scandal she caused affect our Duke's Mansion."
"Hao Ren, save me, please go find..."
Liao Qianqian's only thought at this moment was Cheng Lang, the man who always stayed by her side and relieved her loneliness. She had learned many of her skills from him.
However, at this moment, Hao Ren was completely unable to hear what she said. His eyes were fixed on Liao Qianqian's belly like iron nails.
At this moment, the hand that stretched out from the belly suddenly stabbed out again!
"ah!!!"
Liao Qianqian's heart-wrenching and discordant wail suddenly stopped and turned into an extremely sharp scream, piercing the silent night sky.
Her dress had been torn to pieces, blood gushed out of the wound like a fountain, and a baby covered in dark purple slowly slipped out of her belly.
The baby, without legs, seemed to be floating above Liao Qianqian's belly. He stretched out his arms lazily, then tilted his head, his eyes sweeping innocently over the crowd. His features revealed an expression that seemed to be both crying and laughing, his large, dark eyes incredibly lively, yet without a trace of white in them!
"Waaaaa, a monster!"
Xia Zhiyu suddenly pushed Hao Ren away, turned around and ran away.
"Hahaha……"
The ghost fetus let out a clear, melodious laugh, like a silver bell. It bit off the umbilical cord connecting it to Liao Qianqian and drifted slowly toward the crowd at the door. The evil spirit surrounding it was like a storm, nearly breaking through the sky.
Ji Cheng quickly drew out the Embroidered Spring Sword from his waist, staring at this unusual ghost fetus in surprise, and felt a strong sense of danger.
Hao Ren also remembered what Liao Qianqian had said, that once the ghost fetus appeared in the world, it would immediately start a killing spree and would not let anyone go no matter who it saw!
"Run away! The ghost baby has appeared and we are all doomed!"
…
At the same time, deep inside the palace.
There was silence in the imperial study.
"Your Majesty! Urgent report from the Imperial Observatory! Something big has happened!"
In the imperial study, the incense in the golden lion beast furnace slowly rose.
Outside, the Imperial Guards were frantically searching the Yongding Marquis's and Huguo Duke's mansions, and the atmosphere was extremely tense. However, the emperor and his ministers, at the center of this storm, appeared unusually calm.
In the quiet morning hours, the Emperor and Yongding Marquis Jiang Dinglian sat at an exquisite table, leisurely sipping tea. Black and white chess pieces intertwined, weaving a tranquil scene, as if silently depicting their tacit understanding and rivalry. Everything seemed peaceful, as if the world were free of worries.
To the side, the senior eunuch Ying Shuo stood respectfully, his body slightly bent by age, always maintaining a humble posture, like an arrow bent to be released, always ready to refill the tea for the two masters. He held the freshly brewed tea in both hands and placed it on the table with great care, afraid to make the slightest sound, revealing his inner caution and vigilance.
"To serve the emperor is like serving a tiger" was a saying that Ying Shuo deeply understood. Although the noise from the outside world continued to reach his ears, he remained motionless like an ancient pine tree standing in the wind.
He knew that the more times like this, the more he couldn't relax.
His gaze drifted involuntarily to the window, where sunlight shone brightly on the resplendent palace roof. Through the hazy curtains, he could see the palace's masters patrolling the corridors like dragons, safeguarding the peace of the imperial palace.
The emperor's voice gently broke the silence: "Marquis Yongding, it seems that your mind is not on the chessboard."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Dinglian glanced sideways at the chessboard, his brow furrowing slightly, a hint of impatience evident. He responded in the casual tone common at court meetings, "Your Majesty, I come from a military background, and I'm not particularly skilled in the art of chess. If you truly desire a match, why not summon my eldest son, Jiang Jinzhao? His chess skills are so remarkable that even the headmaster of Bailu Academy has praised them highly."
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