Chapter 14 Rescue
With the banquet about to begin and Lan Wu still not showing any signs of returning, everyone became anxious and turned to look at He Ying.
"Auntie, what should we do? Lanwu hasn't come back yet."
"She can't run fast, we should go out soon, Auntie."
He Ying remained calm and reassured everyone: "It's alright, I'll stay here and watch. If Lan Wu is missing, there will be no one to notice her. You all go ahead."
She appeared completely calm, though she clenched the handkerchief in her hand tightly.
After everyone had left, He Ying suddenly felt weak and fell backward. She couldn't help but reach out to hold onto the table and silently sat down in a chair.
Time passed slowly, and she closed her eyes.
Lan Wu failed three times while climbing the tree, the rough trunk chafing her skin beneath her skirt. But on the fourth attempt, she heard footsteps in the distance, and suddenly she had the strength to climb up with great effort.
The tree is very large with a thick trunk, and there are small bushes around it for cover. Although it is early spring, the leaves are still very green and lush, and it looks like it could hide people.
She deliberately went around to the back of the tree trunk to climb, and on the fourth attempt, she finally climbed up a branch. She persevered and climbed higher. The branches at the top were more forked, making it easier for her to climb. She used the bushes to cover herself.
She was almost completely exhausted. When she leaned her head against the tree trunk, she wanted to fall asleep, but she didn't dare. She could only pinch her leg muscles to stay awake, and vaguely heard the sounds coming from afar.
There seem to be a lot of people.
How can there be so many people?
They drugged her, sent people to guard her route back to the music hall, and what's next? Caught her having a secret rendezvous? And then, by chance, stumbled upon them?
Lan Wu's lips curled into a mocking smile. She had already fallen for this trick before. She was already fooled once, so why would she be tricked a second time?
She closed her eyes and pinched her thigh again, the pain almost numbing her.
However, the sound that seemed to be approaching from afar was the footsteps of a guard with a sword.
She didn't dare to look directly, fearing that someone might be sensitive to her gaze, so she lowered her body and carefully peered out through the gaps in the bushes.
It was indeed the guards looking for someone, and they were probably looking for her.
But isn't it inappropriate to search for her so openly? Shouldn't it be more like we accidentally stumbled upon her?
Lan Wu wiped the sweat from her forehead and glanced around into the distance once more.
The scene in my field of vision was sometimes clear and sometimes blurry, and the area I could see was getting smaller and smaller.
Her eyes were squinting, and she clung to the tree trunk in discomfort. She no longer had the strength to pinch herself, so she could only bite her tongue again.
I managed to open my eyes a little.
Just then, a figure turned slightly to the side, and a sharper, more ruthless gaze looked directly at Lan Wu, who was hidden in the bushes, from several meters away.
Lan Wu couldn't see the emotions in the other person's dark eyes, but she recognized him.
Chu Mingheng stared intently at the tall locust tree, lost in thought. After a moment, he walked towards the base of the tree.
The locust tree was very tall and had a thick trunk. The area under the tree was clean and tidy, except for an incongruous stone lying there.
Chu Mingheng looked up and saw Lan Wu's skirt through the leaves.
"Get down, Your Majesty..."
Before he could finish speaking, a figure fell from above, plummeting straight down as if all the strength had been drained from its body in an instant.
Chen Kang'an waited cautiously two steps behind His Majesty. When he saw something fall, he quickly stepped forward to protect the emperor.
Before he could reach out, he was kicked away by a force and fell to the ground. He hurriedly got up and saw that His Majesty had a girl in his arms.
This...this is Lan Wu!
Chen Kang'an, holding his eunuch hat, subconsciously looked up at the tree trunk and realized that the girl Lan Wu had climbed up the tree.
"Go and summon the imperial physician."
Just as Chu Mingheng reached out, Lan Wu fell down. He caught her steadily with his arm and instinctively hugged her tightly. At the same moment, he noticed the unusual heat emanating from Lan Wu.
When Lan Wu heard Chu Mingheng's voice, she knew she would be alright. She let herself pass out peacefully. The feeling of weightlessness and the scent of familiar embrace, along with a deep sense of drowsiness, plunged her consciousness into endless darkness.
The Imperial Garden was so large, but Chu Mingheng did not take the person to the nearest Luoying Pavilion, but instead took them to Taichen Palace.
On the imperial carriage, Lan Wu playfully wriggled in the emperor's arms, behaving somewhat improperly.
Chu Mingheng could only hold her wrist. When Lan Wu tried to move again, he lowered his head and pinched her cheek with his other hand, whispering a warning: "If you make any more trouble, I will punish you."
This one sentence is worth more than ten thousand.
Noticing that the person in his arms had calmed down, Chu Mingheng took a careful look at Lan Wu without making a sound.
His fingers gently brushed against Lan Wu's lips, rubbing them a few times with his fingertips. After opening her lips, he naturally saw the bite marks on her lips. His eyes were filled with deep thought. He looked at her trembling eyelashes and said nothing more.
Upon arriving at Taichen Palace, Chen Kang'an stepped forward again, naturally not daring to suggest that he carry Miss Lanwu himself. Instead, he brought two palace maids forward and said, "Your Majesty is of noble status, so please let them take Miss Lanwu into the palace."
Chu Mingheng glanced down at Lan Wu in his arms, then carried her down from the imperial carriage and onto the soft couch in the inner palace.
After putting him down, Lan Wu's hand was still clutching his clothes.
At this moment, Lan Wu's face was already flushed. The imperial physician was summoned in and happened to see this scene. He was so frightened that he quickly knelt down and bowed his head in respect.
Chu Mingheng reached out and took Lan Wu's soft hand, placing it beside her. He then called to the imperial physician, "Come and take her pulse."
The imperial physician dared not delay and hurriedly replied, "Yes," before stepping forward to drape a silk handkerchief over the wrist of the young woman on the soft couch.
"This...this young lady has been drugged." The imperial physician's lips trembled as he spoke, afraid of knowing something. "The drug isn't very strong; soaking her in cold water can counteract it—but it's not good for the young lady's health. I'll immediately prepare a prescription, but the effects will be slower. During this time, the young lady might temporarily lose her senses, but that's due to the drug's properties. Just restrain her hands and feet to keep her from moving around."
Lost his mind?
Will you rub against it randomly like you did just now?
Chu Mingheng told the imperial physician to go and prepare the medicine, and then ordered someone to bring a basin of cold water.
Two palace maids stepped forward to wipe the sweat from Lan Wu's body, but as soon as they moved, Lan Wu would dart around like a fleeing kitten, twisting and turning, making it impossible for them to catch her.
The palace servants dared not use brute force, and they were sweating profusely from their own efforts, but Lanwu was even harder to catch.
"Get out, all of you." Chu Mingheng watched for a while, then coldly ordered everyone to leave.
The palace maids hurriedly bowed and retreated. As they exited the inner palace, they clearly heard the sound of tearing fabric. They dared not think about it, or even look at each other, and quickly walked away.
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