Lightning flashed across the night sky, and the raindrops grew heavier. Aunt Hu, the Empress Dowager's most trusted henchman, with her high, prominent cheekbones, looked like an ugly demon when the lightning struck.
"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager instructed that Your Majesty and the Princess must be invited to Yinian Palace together."
Having been by Kou Ning'an's side for a long time, the old nanny had also picked up her bewitching aura. She smiled at Gan Lin and said in a very respectful but not arrogant manner, "Your Majesty, please step aside. This old servant will go in to greet the princess."
Gan Lin never confronted these servants, or rather, before Gan Qiongying entered the palace this time, Gan Lin was a pushover that anyone could bully.
But at this moment, he stood with his hands behind his back in front of the side hall of the Bixi Palace, looking down at Aunt Hu, the old nanny who had repeatedly obeyed the Empress Dowager's orders to supervise him drinking the nourishing soup. Her face was full of cruel coldness.
"Is Aunt Hu getting old?" Gan Lin said. "Can't she hear me? I said I will go."
Aunt Hu was used to being arrogant, and she dared not disobey the Empress Dowager's orders.
He turned and winked at the two eunuchs behind him, signaling them to bypass the emperor and enter the palace.
As the two eunuchs walked past Gan Lin from the left and right, attempting to open the door, Gan Lin finally moved. He grabbed one of the eunuchs by the collar and threw him down the steps.
He then raised his leg and kicked another eunuch to the ground.
These eunuchs, who served the Empress Dowager closely, had no tongues and could not make sounds.
Then Gan Lin strode down the steps, walked up to Aunt Hu, and grabbed her by the neck.
Aunt Hu was instantly rendered speechless. Gan Lin's grip was extremely heavy, and Aunt Hu quickly rolled her eyes, but Gan Lin's face remained expressionless.
Aunt Hu made a loud sound from her throat, but it was suppressed by the thunder and could not be heard at all.
When Aunt Hu and her men saw this, they tried to rush forward, but were directly subdued by Eunuch Li and his men.
Gan Lin continued to increase the pressure on his hand, intending to strangle Aunt Hu in his palm without any hesitation, and without even saying a word to Aunt Hu.
Lightning flashed across the sky like a silver snake, illuminating his now damp, emaciated, and deathly pale face.
His eyes were lowered, looking so cold and indifferent. He looked at Aunt Hu with focused eyes, but there was none of the humiliation and hatred he felt from being watched by her drinking poison. Instead, he looked at her as if she were watching prey struggling in vain in the jaws of a beast.
Gan Lin tilted his head slightly, his eyes showing neither pity for the impending loss of life nor the terror of killing someone.
There was no ruthlessness or hostility; it was as if this matter was as ordinary as eating and drinking.
Aunt Hu quickly softened in his hands. Eunuch Li, with a complicated expression, ordered several of the Empress Dowager's palace servants to be held down tightly to prevent them from making a sound.
Aunt Hu's struggles weakened, and she looked at Gan Lin's bulging eyes, bloodshot and filled with fear and pain that seemed to flow out along with the rain.
The only sounds in the courtyard were the rumbling thunder and the pattering rain.
No one dared to make a sound and disturb the people sleeping inside.
Until Aunt Hu collapsed softly to the ground.
Gan Lin then stopped, put his fist to his lips, and coughed twice.
They gave Eunuch Li a look, and then quickly dragged Aunt Hu out.
Aunt Hu did not die. As she was being dragged, her head kept hitting the ground, and she opened her eyes in excruciating pain.
Her eyes were bloodshot, her hair was disheveled, and she was breathing heavily, letting out a wild, hissing sound.
She was dragged onto the palace road.
When she was pulled up, Gan Lin was already sitting in a palanquin, with a cloak draped over his shoulders, and was being carried to her.
He held a handkerchief in his hand, on which a speck of red floated.
As always, Gan Lin spoke gently to Aunt Hu, "Please lead the way, Aunt. The Empress Dowager must be getting impatient."
When Aunt Hu heard his voice, she froze as if struck by lightning.
She staggered back several steps, nearly falling to the ground again, but was caught by Gan Lin's men, who even straightened her hairpin.
Aunt Hu looked up at Gan Lin. The night was dark, and the wind and rain were raging. Gan Lin leaned against the palanquin, looking frail, pale, and fragile.
But Aunt Hu seemed to see a vengeful ghost in the world.
She opened her mouth, and tears of shock rolled down her cheeks.
She really thought she was dead!
Then she suddenly realized that the emperor in front of her was not the person he usually appeared to be.
She must inform the Empress Dowager as soon as possible!
Aunt Hu turned and ran away, no longer caring about Princess Duanrong.
Gan Lin wiped his mouth and threw away the blood-stained handkerchief.
He just coughed up another mouthful of blood, this time not black, but bright red, caused by overwork and lack of rest.
He said to Eunuch Li, "Go to the Yinian Hall."
"Your Majesty!" Eunuch Li knelt on the wet, muddy ground, trying to dissuade him, "Your Majesty, it would be better not to go, at least not tonight!"
The Empress Dowager doesn't know how she intends to humiliate and poison His Majesty, whose health is currently too poor to withstand it.
Gan Lin didn't speak, but just quietly looked at Eunuch Li.
Raindrops streamed down the canopy of the palanquin and landed on Gan Lin's face.
Gan Lin suddenly said to Eunuch Li, "If you dare to speak nonsense to the princess again, you will no longer need to stay by my side."
Upon hearing this, Eunuch Li trembled and dared not utter another word.
He was loyal to the emperor. And only to the emperor. He genuinely hoped to get through the night and that Princess Duanrong might have another way out when she woke up tomorrow.
However, Gan Lin always spoke with unwavering resolve, and if he dared to say anything more, he would never be able to get close to Gan Lin again.
Therefore, Eunuch Li had no choice but to suppress his worries and grief, and ordered the palace servants to set off. As he had done countless times before, he could only helplessly watch as the emperor stepped into that den of dragons and tigers.
The night rain was gentle and the thunder was deafening.
Gan Qiongying sat and looked towards the door for a while, but heard nothing but thunder.
She thought she was dreaming, then she was hallucinating, yawned, and lay back down.
When I close my eyes and feel drowsy, just about to fall asleep.
Gan Qiongying suddenly sat up in shock, and without even putting on her shoes, she ran straight to the door leading from the inner room to the main hall of the Bixi Palace, pushed open the door, and rushed into the main hall.
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