"Heh, this Nanny Chang is quite something, a real double-dealing spy!" Leng Ruoli scoffed with a cold snort.
"You, what do you mean by that?" Princess Anle asked, bewildered by Leng Ruoli's words.
"Exactly what it means. This Nanny Chang not only maneuvers between you siblings, but she's also Lin Zhenfan's informant."
Leng Ruoli had no intention of keeping it from her.
"What? Do you have any evidence that Nanny Chang is Lin Zhenfan's informant?"
Princess Anle wasn't so easily convinced.
"It doesn't matter if you don't believe me, I'm just reminding you. At the same time, I can also tell you that your poisoning of the Emperor has been exploited by Nanny Chang and your third brother. The drug Nanny Chang gave the Emperor isn't just a common drug to control someone's mind. However, what specific drug Nanny Chang administered to the Emperor can only be known after I find him and examine him."
Leng Ruoli spoke with a calm and chilling tone, devoid of any emotion.
"Impossible, Nanny Chang said the drug given to Father was only to control his mind, to be used by us siblings, and it wouldn't harm his body."
Princess Anle refused to believe Leng Ruoli.
"Enough, I can't be bothered to argue with a naive fool like you. All I want to ask you now is, do you know where Prince Ning has locked up the Emperor and the Empress Dowager?" Leng Ruoli continued.
"Ever since this princess returned from delivering sweet soup to Father this noon, I've been confined to my room. I know nothing of what has happened outside, nor have any servants reported anything to me."
Princess Anle answered truthfully.
"Sigh... Jun Mohan, it seems we've come here for nothing, wasting so much time."
With that, Leng Ruoli and Jun Mohan turned and left Princess Anle's room.
The two then meticulously searched all the places the Emperor and Empress Dowager frequented in the palace, only to find them guarded by Prince Ning's lackeys. They still couldn't find the Emperor or Empress Dowager, nor did they see Prince Ning.
Leng Ruoli and Jun Mohan were disheartened by their fruitless search in the vast imperial palace, yet their hearts were filled with worry for the Emperor and Empress Dowager's safety.
However, at this very moment, in a secret chamber somewhere in the palace, the Emperor and Empress Dowager were suffering.
The Emperor was groggily thrown onto a lounge chair, while the Empress Dowager, though conscious, had her eyes blindfolded and was bound to a chair, her situation also dire.
Just then, Prince Ning slowly approached the Empress Dowager.
"Imperial Grandmother, don't be afraid. These servants are too rough. Your grandson will untie you now." Prince Ning frowned and clicked his tongue, murmuring.
Following that, he carefully helped the Empress Dowager remove the coarse ropes binding her, and then removed the black cloth covering her eyes.
Upon seeing Prince Ning, the Empress Dowager glared fiercely at this Prince Ning, Jun Moxiao.
"Prince Ning, you've locked up both the Emperor and me in this confined secret chamber. Are you certain you intend to rebel?"
"Imperial Grandmother, your grandson has no choice. If I don't do this, there will be no place for me, Jun Moxiao, in the capital."
"Prince Ning, it's not terrible to make mistakes, but it's terrible to continue making them when you know you're wrong."
"Imperial Grandmother, Father has many sons, and I am the most unremarkable one without the support of my maternal clan. If I don't strive for myself, I will never have a chance to ascend to that position."
"Prince Ning, your ambition is too great, and it will only harm you. Moreover, your goal will not succeed. Also, what have you done to your father?"
The Empress Dowager said, casting a glance at the Emperor sleeping on the lounge chair.
"Father has been infected with the Puppet Gu. He will soon become mentally unsound." Prince Ning honestly told the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager was furious upon hearing Prince Ning's words.
"Prince Ning, how could you resort to such despicable methods? Although the Emperor doesn't dote on you like a typical father, he does care for you brothers."
"So what? Although the fourth son is dead, I still have several brothers, and there is only one throne."
"Prince Ning, do you think being an Emperor is so great? Look at how your father has lived for most of his life – he couldn't boldly pursue the woman he loved, had to be with women he disliked, and couldn't share familial bliss like ordinary fathers."
The Empress Dowager tried to reason with Prince Ning, to move him with emotion, but Prince Ning was already possessed by his ambition and couldn't heed her advice.
"Imperial Grandmother, that's because he is useless. Once I ascend to that position, I can choose any woman in the world. Besides, I no longer care for those so-called family affections."
"You..."
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager was about to scold Prince Ning.
But she was interrupted by the Emperor, who suddenly woke up on the lounge chair.
"You scion have already... cough cough..."
The Emperor had barely uttered a few words when he started coughing incessantly, his head pounding as if he wanted to smash it against a wall.
"Haha!"
Hearing this, Prince Ning immediately turned his head to look at the Emperor, chuckled twice, his voice thin and cold with a chilling edge, his gaze also turning sharp.
"Father, I didn't expect you to be so resilient, to be able to resist the Puppet Gu for so long."
"Jun Moxiao, you are rebelling, do you know that?"
The Emperor, enduring the pain, slowly turned over on the lounge chair, facing Prince Ning and angrily rebuking him.
"If I don't rebel, do I have any way to survive? Aren't you the one forcing me into this?"
Prince Ning pointed at the Emperor and retorted with a ferocious expression. The usually gentle and refined Prince Ning had never exposed such an ugly side of himself to the Emperor and Empress Dowager before; today, he could finally reveal his true face without any reservations.
At this moment, the Emperor and Empress Dowager, seeing his true face, were stunned.
They had always thought Prince Qing was ruthless enough, but they never imagined Prince Ning would be even more so.
"Prince Ning, I imprisoned you in jail for such a long time without punishment precisely for you to reflect, yet you dared to attempt rebellion."
The Emperor accused him with a face full of anger.
"Father, you just hadn't thought of how to deal with me, had you? But now you have no chance. I will turn you into my puppet right now."
As Prince Ning spoke, he took a small bamboo flute from his sleeve and brought it to his lips to blow. This small flute was what Nanny Ning had given him earlier that night.
He intended to test the flute's effectiveness.
A moment later, Prince Ning began to blow a discordant tune, which was extremely harsh and unpleasant to the ears of the Emperor and Empress Dowager.
Upon hearing the sound, the Emperor's head immediately split with pain, and he writhed on the bed, screaming repeatedly, finally curling himself into a ball from the agony.