Chapter 11: Thoughtful Rhetoric
"Congratulations, Prince! Congratulations, Madam!"
The servants of Hongmeng Court knelt on the ground in a large crowd.
"Madame Qin, reward."
Chu Ruohan sat upright on a chair in the main hall with a faint smile on her lips.
No matter what, Gu Junze being named the Crown Prince was a great joyous occasion. As long as he was still alive, he would be the legitimate heir to the Anyang Marquisate.
Chu Ruohan's status naturally rose as well.
The servants accepted the rewards and shouted their thanks again in unison. The entire Hongmeng Courtyard was immersed in a festive atmosphere.
On the other side, Gu Cheng'an was lying on the bed with a flushed face, eyes closed, and a high fever. He had lost a lot of weight due to the tossing and turning over in the past two days.
Doctor Hu sat beside the bed, concentrating and taking his pulse. After a moment, his brows furrowed slightly and he said, "The Second Young Master's illness is indeed difficult to treat. He needs some strong medicine."
After saying this, he picked up his pen and quickly wrote a prescription and handed it to the maid beside him.
Upon seeing this, the Marquis of Anyang hurried forward and bowed, saying, "Thank you, Doctor Hu, for your trouble."
When Doctor Hu stood up to say goodbye, Marquis Anyang personally saw him off to the door.
When Marquis Anyang returned to the house, Mother Gu could no longer suppress her anger. Marquis Anyang had promised her that the position of Crown Prince would be left to Gu Cheng'an.
She grabbed the sleeve of the Marquis of Anyang and asked anxiously, "My Lord, why did the Emperor suddenly issue an order?"
Marquis Anyang's face darkened, and he angrily said, "It's all Cheng'an's fault. The marriage exchange angered the emperor, and he severely reprimanded me, saying that I didn't manage my family well."
"The Emperor felt sorry for Junze and directly issued an edict to confer the title of Crown Prince."
When Mother Gu heard this, she was so angry that her teeth were itching. It was obvious that Cheng'an was the one who suffered the loss. She married a good daughter-in-law, but the paralytic got the advantage.
She gnashed her teeth and said, "How did the palace know about this? It's all that little whore's fault. If it weren't for her, how could so many incidents have arisen?"
The hatred in Gu's mother's eyes seemed to be turning into reality, and she wished she could eat Du Ruoling alive.
Marquis Anyang looked at Mother Gu and sighed softly, "Do you really think you can deceive the palace about the marriage exchange? Now that the imperial decree has been issued, it is a foregone conclusion that Junze will become the Crown Prince."
After hearing what Marquis Anyang said, Mother Gu still felt resentful and muttered, "The future Marquis Anyang is a paraplegic. Who knows how those people in the Earl's Mansion will laugh at me behind my back."
Marquis Anyang snorted coldly, "If you have the guts, go to the palace and confront the Emperor. Let's see how many heads you have. For now, let's first find a way to cure Cheng'an."
After saying this, Marquis Anyang flicked his sleeves and left.
After being married for many years, Mother Gu naturally knew the weak spot in Marquis Anyang's heart.
He started out as an unpopular bastard in the Earl's Mansion and climbed up step by step to his current position. He was so honored that those people had to rely on him.
Naturally, he could not listen to or tolerate anything that would damage the reputation of Marquis Anyang.
And she only needs to plant a nail in his heart...
Mother Gu looked at Marquis Anyang's departing back, and the resentment in her heart grew stronger.
So what about the position of the crown prince?
No matter what means are used, that paralytic must not be allowed to inherit the title.
The next Marquis of Anyang must have crawled out of her belly. She is the permanent mistress of this mansion...
The night was as dark as ink, slowly dyeing the sky.
Gu Junze sat quietly in front of the desk, his posture upright. The flickering candlelight on the desk illuminated his handsome face, making it look even more profound.
Ying Qing hurried into the study, walked to the desk, and knelt on one knee, "Master, I found it."
"There's something strange about the fusion of the scents of ink and incense. Upon closer inspection, I've discovered this poison is incredibly subtle, and wouldn't be noticeable if exposed to ink or incense alone."
"When the two energies intersect within the body, a chronic toxin is produced, causing paralysis and weakness in the leg muscles. Over time, this depletes Qi and blood, putting one's life in jeopardy. I have also explored whether there is a method to detoxify, but have yet to find any results."
Gu Junze raised his eyes slightly, a hint of coldness flashed in his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure and tapped lightly with his fingers on the table.
He never liked anyone to wait on him while he wrote.
The person who poisoned him was really meticulous and observed him so closely that he came up with such a covert method.
If it weren't for Chu Ruohan, he probably wouldn't have noticed it until his death.
She was just a woman in the inner chamber, how did she know that?
After a moment, he slowly spoke, "Have you found out who did it?"
Ying Qing lowered his head even lower, a hint of annoyance in his tone, "I'm ashamed to say that I haven't yet found the mastermind behind this. The ink and incense came from unusual sources, and it seems someone tampered with them to get them into the mansion."
Gu Junze nodded slightly: "Thank you for your help. This matter needs to be investigated as soon as possible. Everything should be kept as usual. We must not alert the enemy."
"Yes." After Ying Qing took the order and left, Gu Junze sat alone in the study, lost in thought.
Although he was born with a disability, he was able to run and jump when he was young. In order to strengthen his physique, his mother hired a martial arts master for him.
When his mother passed away, he knelt in the mourning hall for a whole night and could never stand up again.
The only person who could do such a cruel thing to him is that person, but he still has doubts in his heart?
At that time, the woman had not yet entered the house. The entire mansion was filled with people brought out of the palace by Princess Anyang. How did she get in and poison him without anyone noticing?
Also, this poison is very secretive, where did she get it from?
It would be fine if it was just an ordinary doctor, but even the imperial physicians in the palace couldn't detect it over the years. Or...
The numbness in his legs came from time to time, making him feel uneasy. In this deep courtyard, conspiracies and tricks were hard to guard against, but he would never sit still and wait for death.
Chu Ruohan was just about to go to bed when Gu Junze came. She hurriedly put on her clothes, having a premonition of what he was going to do.
Gu Junze stared at her with scrutiny in his eyes and asked, "How did you know that ink and incense are poisonous?"
It seems that Gu Junze has already found out everything.
Chu Ruohan had already prepared her words and said calmly, "Although our Chu family is a merchant family, we are involved in all walks of life in the capital. Most of the supplies needed by various noble families are related to the Chu family."
"It was by chance that I noticed something fishy about this matter. This family secret had nothing to do with me, but somehow, you and I became husband and wife."
Chu Ruohan looked directly into Gu Junze's eyes, trying to make her expression appear sincere and calm.
Gu Junze narrowed his eyes slightly, and his eyes seemed to say that this set of rhetoric was treating him like a child.
Chu Ruohan knew very well that she couldn't fool Gu Junze with just these two sentences, so she knelt down and bowed.
"Since I've married you, I'm one with you, sharing both our joys and sorrows. Life is tough for women in this world, and all I want is a safe place to stay."
"And now my husband is my support," Chu Ruohan's eyes were more determined, "If my husband believes in me, I will definitely protect Hongmeng Courtyard and not even a fly will be able to fly in."
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