Chapter 45
The lingering roar of the Golden Palace, like a tangible blood mist, had yet to completely dissipate between the icy Panlong pillars. Gu Linzhi's figure, nailed to the imperial steps like a blood-stained monument, suddenly swayed under the horrified gaze of all.
The wound beneath his ribs, forcibly sealed by the golden needles and then completely ruptured by the overwhelming emotion and power, burst like a dam of poisonous blood. The dark blue blood instantly soaked his black robe, dripping along the hem onto the gleaming gold bricks, creating a small, shocking pool of dark blue. A far more overbearing and chilling numbness, mixed with a searing pain that burned through his heart and bones, surged through his body like an uncontrolled dragon of ice and fire, surging through his meridians!
Gu Linzhi's face paled with visible speed, his lips instantly draining of all color. He clenched his teeth, his gums clacking with the effort, veins bulging on his forehead as he tried to use the ashwood short spear to support his shaky body. But the coldness and weakness that penetrated his bones felt like countless cold hands, dragging him towards a bottomless abyss of darkness. His vision began to shake violently and blur. The magnificent hall, the terrified faces of the officials, Cao Wushang's resentful and hideous face... everything was like an ink painting immersed in water, rapidly smearing and disintegrating.
The last thing he saw was the young emperor on the throne, who was trembling with fear and tears, and the undisguised ecstasy and murderous intent that suddenly burst out in Cao Wushang's eyes!
"Ugh..." A muffled groan, suppressed to the extreme, finally broke through his throat. Gu Linzhi could no longer hold on. His fingers, tightly gripping the short spear, suddenly loosened. His tall body fell forward heavily like a chopped flagpole, filled with unwillingness and overwhelming anger!
"Bang!"
His heavy body slammed against the cold golden steps with a heart-pounding thud. The damaged black iron token slipped from his loosened grasp, bumping against the smooth golden bricks and rolling a few steps away with a clear, lonely sound before finally coming to rest beside the pool of dark blue poisonous blood.
Dead silence.
Like an icy tide, it instantly flooded the throne room, which had just been filled with roars and accusations.
All the officials stood frozen in place, as if under a spell. They stared in amazement at the dark figure that had suddenly collapsed from the imperial steps, at the slowly expanding pool of dark blue poisonous blood, and at the broken token lying quietly in the pool of blood. A huge shock and fear gripped everyone, and even their breath seemed to be frozen.
Only Cao was unharmed.
In that moment of dead silence, the resentful, ferocious expression on Cao Wushang's face faded as quickly as a face-changing expression, replaced by a complex mask of "shock and anger," "concern," and "awe." A hint of cold satisfaction at a successful scheme flashed across his narrow eyes, then quickly turned into grief and anxiety.
"Protect the emperor! Protect the emperor!" Cao Wushang's shrill voice was the first to pierce the dead silence, filled with just the right amount of panic. He rushed forward a few steps, not rushing towards the fallen Gu Linzhi, but blocking the young emperor Zhao Yan, who was almost paralyzed in fear on the throne, with his arms outstretched, assuming a gesture of loyalty and courage, sworn to protect him until his death.
"Your Majesty is frightened! Your Majesty is frightened!" he kept saying, his voice trembling, as if filled with fear. Then, he turned his head abruptly, his gaze like a poisoned ice spike, piercing the Jinyiwei and palace guards outside the palace, who were still intimidated and at a loss as to what to do. He roared, "What are you all standing there for?! Gu Linzhi's disrespectful behavior in the palace, disturbing the emperor's presence, is already a serious crime! Now he has suddenly fallen ill, defiling the Golden Palace! Hurry and carry him away! Keep him under strict guard! Await your punishment!"
"And him!" Cao Wushang pointed his finger fiercely at Feng Mingyuan, who was still kneeling at the steps, holding the blood-written account book, his face as pale as a stone statue. His voice was full of resentment, "Capture this lunatic who framed loyal officials and spread false rumors to confuse the people! Throw him into the imperial prison! Torture him severely and find out who is behind this!"
This order, like an amnesty, instantly awakened the frozen guards. Several ferocious Jinyiwei rushed up the golden steps and roughly lifted Gu Linzhi, who lay unconscious and breathing weakly. Others pounced on Feng Mingyuan, unceremoniously snatching the blood-written letter and account books he held aloft, then twisted his arms behind his back, pinning him down.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! The evidence is irrefutable! Every word I say is true, Your Majesty!" Feng Mingyuan screamed shrilly and unwillingly, as if awakened from a nightmare. He struggled, trying to look at the young emperor on the throne. But the tiny figure was completely blocked by Cao Wushang and the panicked eunuchs. All he could see was the corner of the bright yellow robe and a corner of the trembling dragon throne.
Cao Wushang didn't even glance at the struggling Feng Mingyuan. He simply glanced at the bloody letter and account book he had snatched away. A cold, stern look flashed in his eyes, and he immediately winked at his trusted eunuch. The eunuch immediately stepped forward and snatched the bloodstained papers into his sleeves, almost as if snatching them away.
"Dismiss the court! Dismiss the court immediately!" Cao Wushang did not give anyone time to react. He supported (almost held) the young emperor Zhao Yan, who was limp and crying breathlessly, and hurriedly went behind the screen in the back hall, surrounded by a group of eunuchs and guards, and disappeared from everyone's sight.
The entire hall was left utterly stunned, staring at each other in bewilderment, as if the civil and military officials had just been pulled out of icy water. The pool of poisonous blue blood on the gold bricks stung everyone's eyes like a huge, cold mockery.
---
In the deepest recesses of the Imperial Prison, the air was as stagnant as jelly, thick with the lingering scent of blood, decaying flesh, and despair. Drops of water oozed from the cold stone walls, dripping onto the damp, filthy straw with a monotonous, heart-wrenching "tick-tick." Here, in a corner where sunlight never reached, only torches ignited by cheap grease, cast flickering, ghostly shadows.
Gu Linzhi was roughly thrown into the corner of a cramped cell. Cold shackles bound his wrists and ankles, the rough iron rings rubbing against his flesh, oozing blood. He remained unconscious, his face pale with a strange, dark blue hue. His lips were chapped, and his breathing was weak and rapid, each breath carrying a rumbling sound like a bellows. Though the wound beneath his ribs was concealed by his tattered prison uniform, the dark blue poison mark still seeped through the fabric, emitting a chilling aura.
I don't know how much time passed. Maybe an hour or two, maybe longer.
The heavy, spiked iron door of the cell was slowly pushed open with a teeth-grinding creaking sound.
A young eunuch, dressed in low-ranking eunuch clothing, with a pale face and evasive eyes, walked in cautiously, head lowered, carrying a rough wooden tray. On the tray was a bowl of turbid, sour-smelling porridge and a small dish of black pickles whose ingredients were unknown.
The young eunuch's footsteps were light, as if he feared disturbing anything. He placed the tray on the cold ground beside Gu Linzhi, his movements stiff. He didn't leave immediately, but glanced nervously back at the dark corridor. After confirming that no one was around, he quickly pulled a small, unmarked, coarse porcelain bottle from his sleeve, uncorked it, and quickly poured a small amount of the colorless, odorless liquid inside into the bowl of sour porridge!
His hands were shaking so badly that a few drops of liquid splashed onto the straw and disappeared in an instant.
After doing all this, he withdrew his hand as if scalded, stuffing the porcelain bottle back into his sleeve. His face turned even paler, and his breathing became rapid. He didn't dare look at Gu Linzhi, who was unconscious on the ground. He lowered his head, staggered out of the cell as if avoiding the plague, and slammed the iron door shut.
"Bang!"
The sound of the iron door being locked echoed in the silent prison, which was particularly harsh.
Inside the cell, a dead silence returned, broken only by the crackling of torches and the sound of dripping water. The bowl of spoiled porridge, with ingredients added to it, lay quietly beside Gu Linzhi's face, emitting the scent of death.
Time passed slowly in cold despair.
Sudden--
Gu Linzhi's body twitched ever so slightly. His eyelashes trembled beneath his furrowed brows, as if he were being pulled back to consciousness from a deep coma by some extreme pain.
Chaos...darkness...cold...
The poison was like ten thousand years of black ice, freezing the blood, and like the fire of hell, burning the five internal organs...
Fragments of consciousness float in endless pain...
The roar of the Golden Palace... the cold touch of the Black Iron Order... Cao Wushang's venomous gaze... Feng Mingyuan's shrill cry...
Just as my consciousness was about to sink again—
An extremely weak, yet extremely clear warning, like the stimulation of an ice needle, pierced into his chaotic perception without any warning!
That bowl of stale porridge so close at hand! Inside it... there was something extra! An extremely sinister, completely different from the violent blasts of the poisonous feather red and blue spider saliva, yet even more deadly, a cold aura was faintly emanating!
Poison! A deadly poison that kills instantly!
Someone wants to take advantage of his coma and put an end to him once and for all!
The instinct for survival, stimulated by this deadly threat, overwhelmed the erosion of the poison and the extreme weakness of the body! Gu Linzhi suddenly opened his eyes!
His vision was blurred and blood-red, and he could only barely see. He gritted his teeth and used the last bit of strength he had left, earned by burning his life, to violently swing his shackled right arm!
"Clang!" Amid the sound of iron chains colliding, his arm swept fiercely towards the bowl of deadly poisonous porridge!
The rough ceramic bowl was swept away and hit the cold stone wall opposite, shattering with a "crack" sound! The rotten porridge mixed with poison splattered everywhere!
Almost at the same time the pottery bowl shattered!
The heavy iron door of the cell was pushed open again!
This time, the one who came in was no longer the cowering eunuch, but two Ti cavalrymen dressed in the uniforms of the Imperial City Division, with expressionless faces and empty eyes! They had obviously been guarding nearby and heard the movement inside!
Their gazes instantly locked on the shattered bowl of porridge and the splattered dirt on the floor, then on Gu Linzhi, who struggled to hold his upper body upright, his eyes as ferocious and cold as a dying beast. Without hesitation or words, like puppets receiving an order, they simultaneously drew their swords, their sharp blades gleaming coldly in the firelight as they advanced step by step towards the helpless prisoner in the corner!
Finish off! If poisoning doesn't work, then force it! Leave no one alive!
Gu Linzhi leaned against the cold stone wall, panting violently, each breath carrying a tearing pain and the heavy smell of blood. He stared at the approaching blade, his eyes devoid of fear, only a sense of madness and mockery, a sense of being repeatedly trampled upon, ultimately reduced to pure, cold despair. The shackles restricted his movements, the poison eroded his strength, and he was powerless to resist.
Just as the two blades were about to fall and tear him apart completely—
“Whoosh! Whoosh!”
Two piercing whistles, so subtle that they were almost drowned out by the crackling sound of the torches, like the sighs of death, suddenly shot out from an extremely hidden and narrow gap in the iron bars on the top of the cell for ventilation without any warning!
Fast! Cruel! Tricky!
“Puff! Puff!”
Two extremely slight sounds of a sharp blade entering flesh!
The two Imperial City Siti cavalrymen's forward movement suddenly froze! A tiny, almost invisible spot of blood appeared between their brows! The last bit of empty light in their eyes instantly died out. Their bodies swayed, and without a sound, they fell heavily to the ground, their swords clanging to the ground.
The cell fell into deathly silence once again. There were only two rapidly freezing bodies and a prisoner in the corner, gasping for breath with a look of uncertainty in his eyes.
Gu Linzhi raised his head abruptly, his eyes fixed on the narrow ventilation grille on the top of the cell. It was pitch black outside, and he could not see anything.
Who is it?!
In the deepest reaches of this Imperial Prison, who could use such a precise and terrifying method to instantly kill two Imperial City Siti Riders?!
Is he an enemy? Is he a friend?!
Yet, there was no answer. Only the cold, death-filled silence that enveloped him like a thick shroud. The darkness behind the ventilation grille was suffocatingly silent.
Gu Linzhi leaned against the wall, feeling the poison in his body revolting even more fiercely from the previous outbreak. The cold and burning pain were like two giant pythons, tightly wrapped around his heart. He knew that he didn't have much time. Whether it was the bowl of poisonous porridge or the poisonous feather red in his body, it was enough to kill him.
He slowly closed his eyes, no longer looking at the permeable iron bars, nor paying attention to the corpse on the ground. All his energy and will were used to resist the torture of ice and fire in his body, maintaining the little flame of life that was about to be extinguished.
I don't know how much time has passed. Maybe just a moment, maybe it's as long as eternity.
From the depths of the corridor outside the cell, a flurry of hurried and chaotic footsteps could be heard, mixed with anxious whispers and arguments.
“…Hurry! Go and check it out! We can’t let him die! Something happened to Feng Mingyuan!” A low, panic-filled voice could be heard faintly.
"Eunuch Cao has ordered that we must obtain his signed confession..." another voice argued, but with the same uneasiness.
The footsteps were getting closer and closer, heading towards the cell.
Gu Linzhi's tightly closed eyelashes trembled slightly. Did Feng Mingyuan...get into trouble? Sign a confession?
Just as the footsteps outside were about to reach the door—
"boom--!!!"
A deafening explosion suddenly erupted from the southeast of the Imperial Prison without warning. The sound was muffled yet penetrating, shaking the entire prison's floor and walls violently. The torches on the walls flickered wildly, nearly going out. Dust fell from the ceiling!
"What's going on?!"
"Where did the explosion happen?!"
"Is it a powder magazine?!"
The corridor outside instantly descended into panic and chaos! Footsteps, exclamations, and the clashing of weapons all mixed together! The voices that had originally been heading towards the cell suddenly stopped, and instead rushed towards the direction of the explosion!
Inside the cell, Gu Linzhi's eyes snapped open! Explosion?! At this time? At this place?!
Is it a coincidence? Or...
His gaze once again shot towards the breathable iron grille on the top of the cell!
This time, with the flickering light of the torches below, he could see very clearly that a tiny, pale purple petal with finely serrated edges was silently and slowly falling from the gap in the iron bars, as if it had been blown off by the wind or precisely delivered by the blast of an explosion.
The petals spun lightly, and finally, they landed quietly on the cold and damp ground between the two corpses of the Imperial City Sitiqi.
Wisteria petals!
Gu Linzhi's pupils suddenly shrank to the size of needles! His heart felt like it was being gripped tightly by an icy hand!
Ningxiang Garden! Su Wanwan! Purple Owl!
All of this… the poisoning, the rescue, the explosion, the petals… was it all arranged by her?! What on earth was she trying to do?! Save him? Or use him to stir up even greater chaos?!
Countless questions and icy chill, like the gloomy wind from the depths of the imperial prison, instantly filled his chest.
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