Chapter 78 Chaos, complete chaos
Gu Junze searched around Huaqing Palace but couldn't find Chu Ruohan.
His heart sank, and an ominous premonition spread in his heart.
Gu Junze's voice was cold and hard as he ordered the eunuch beside him, "Go and inform the Queen Mother immediately of the disappearance of the wife of the Crown Prince of Anyang's mansion. Don't omit a single word."
The young eunuch was so frightened that he trembled all over. He quickly agreed and ran towards Huaqing Palace.
Gu Junze looked in the direction where the young eunuch left, his brows furrowed.
He knew very well that the rules in the inner court of the imperial palace were very strict, and if he wanted to search the palace, he had to get the approval of the empress dowager.
The young eunuch walked into the Huaqing Palace trembling with fear, not daring to breathe. He knelt on the ground with a plop, lowered his head, and reported in a trembling voice: "Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, the wife of the Anyang Marquis's son has disappeared..."
When the empress dowager heard this, her face instantly turned ugly. During the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, someone in the deep palace actually dared to attack the officials' wives!
The emperor was also furious. He slammed the table and immediately ordered a full search of the palace to find out the mastermind behind the incident.
As the order to search the palace was passed down, the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet that was originally filled with laughter, singing and dancing was forced to come to an abrupt end.
For a moment, the hall fell into deathly silence. Everyone looked at each other with astonishment and confusion in their eyes, whispering to each other, wondering who was so bold as to attack Chu Ruohan in this deep palace.
The Queen Mother was furious and she glanced coldly at the Queen with sharp eyes, which were full of deep meaning.
The Queen was sitting at the banquet, and she noticed the Queen Mother's sinister gaze directed at her. Her heart suddenly skipped a beat, and she felt a panic.
She subconsciously clenched the handkerchief in her hand. The Queen Mother looked at her like that. Could she be doubting her?
The guards were divided into small teams and, with Huaqing Palace as the center, they checked the rooms, gardens, side halls, and alleys of each palace, but they found no useful clues near Taiye Lake or in the Imperial Garden.
Gu Junze was not idle either. A young eunuch pushed him and followed a team of guards through the palace in the harem.
Wherever he went, he carefully observed the surrounding environment, trying to find Chu Ruohan's trace from some subtle details.
When he came to an abandoned palace, he found that the lock of the palace gate seemed to have been pried open. He had an idea and quickly called the guards to go into the palace to search.
The room was filled with a strong smell of blood. Wei Qiming was lying in a pool of blood, his face as pale as paper, and his life or death was unknown.
Gu Junze's eyes searched the house anxiously, not missing any corner, but he did not see Chu Ruohan.
At that moment, his heart seemed to fall into an endless abyss, and a chill ran up from the soles of his feet.
The guard squatted down and reached out to feel Wei Qiming's breath, finding a faint breath. He immediately shouted out the door, "He's still alive! Someone come quickly! Call the imperial physician..."
It should have been a day of family reunion, joy and peace, but the palace banquet was filled with a depressing atmosphere.
News came that Wei Qiming was injured.
Lady Wei Guogong felt dizzy, because she only had this one son!
Everything went dark before his eyes, his body swayed a few times, and then he fell straight back and fainted.
"Someone come quickly! Go and get the imperial physician." The queen's face turned pale in an instant, and the wine glass in her hand almost slipped.
The hall was suddenly in chaos, and the palace maids and eunuchs quickly helped the person to the side hall.
The queen could no longer sit still. She stood up hastily, bowed to the emperor, and said with a trembling and anxious voice, "Your Majesty, I will go and take a look."
The emperor's face was so gloomy at this time, as if water could drip out of it. A Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet was interrupted by the news that the wife of the Crown Prince of Anyang Marquis's Mansion was missing.
Not long after this, I heard that the prince of the Duke of Wei was injured and his life or death was unknown.
The wife of Duke Wei also fainted.
He suppressed his anger, waved his hand, and said impatiently: "Go!"
"I'm taking my leave." The queen hurriedly knelt down and saluted, lifted up her complicated skirt, and quickly left the hall surrounded by a group of palace maids and eunuchs.
"I'll take my leave." Duke Wei followed the Queen's footsteps and left in a hurry.
The wife of the Duke of Wei fainted due to a momentary attack of anger. She is being cared for by the imperial physician and palace maids, and is not seriously injured for the time being.
The queen rushed to the side hall where Wei Qiming was in a hurry.
As soon as she stepped into the palace, a strong and pungent smell of blood hit her in the face, almost making her vomit.
She looked closely and saw Wei Qiming lying on the bed covered in blood. The blood had already soaked the quilt under him, presenting a glaring crimson color.
His face was as pale as paper, completely bloodless, his lips were chapped and his breath was so weak that it was almost inaudible.
The queen felt her eyes go dark and her legs go weak. If the maid serving beside her had not been quick to reach out and support her, she would have collapsed to the ground.
The nanny said with a worried look on her face, "Your Majesty, please take care of yourself! The prince is a lucky man, and he will be fine."
Duke Wei walked quickly to the bedside, and looking at his son's pale and barely breathing appearance, his hands could not help but tremble.
"My son...how could this happen..." Duke Wei's voice was hoarse and low, filled with endless heartache.
The queen looked at his back and felt that her father seemed to have aged several years in that instant.
She calmed herself down, turned around, and shouted at the group of doctors behind her, "Listen up, all of you! You must do your utmost to save the Crown Prince. If anything happens to him, you will be buried with him!"
The imperial doctors were so frightened that they trembled all over and quickly knelt down to agree. Then they gathered around Wei Qiming in a panic and began to diagnose and treat him busily.
The queen paced back and forth anxiously, twisting the handkerchief tightly in her hands, her heart burning with anxiety.
She only has this one brother, so nothing must happen to him!
Suddenly, the queen seemed to remember something and turned her head sharply.
She fiercely ordered the nanny beside her, "Go, investigate for me! Who is this audacious lunatic who dares to harm the Crown Prince in this palace? I will tear this man into pieces and show no mercy!"
The nanny responded quickly and hurriedly left to arrange for someone to investigate.
The queen stood there, her brows furrowed, a sinister look in her eyes.
However, she had a vague feeling in her heart that this incident was closely related to Chu Ruohan's disappearance.
She asked the palace maid beside her, "Have you found the wife of the Crown Prince of Anyang Marquis's Mansion?"
The maid quickly stepped forward and replied respectfully, "Your Majesty, she hasn't been found yet. The prince of the Marquisate and his guards are still searching."
"Hmph!" The Queen snorted coldly, a cold glint flashing in her eyes. "Once you find her, bring her to me."
"I'd like to ask..."
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