Rong Jing slowly regained his composure, staring at the distant figure clutching a corpse, his gaze lowering to the blood-stained dagger on the ground.

The blood was flowing out of his own body.

It had been so many years, yet he was injured.

Miao Ci shivered, not daring to speak.

Rong Jing covered his wound, blood seeping drop by drop through his fingers, his voice deep, words devoid of emotion and restraint:

"Take Gu Lan to the dungeon, let her suffer all seventy-two forms of punishment. Make sure she doesn’t die by accident, so when Rong Heng returns to the capital, I want her to die in front of him—"

Finishing this sentence, Rong Jing blacked out and fainted.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Where is the Imperial Physician, why aren’t they here yet!" Miao Ci supported Rong Jing, shouting loudly.

Besides Miao Ci’s Inner Supervision subordinates, Zhang Fengcai also arrived with a group, followed by several short-breathed Imperial Physicians.

Miao Ci quietly moved a few steps back, instinctively glancing at Zhang Fengcai.

Each of them had a squad of Inner Supervision subordinates, but they only surrounded Young Master Gu, hesitant to make a move.

The recent fight between Gu Lan and the three shadows was vividly remembered. Miao Ci subconsciously didn’t want to act first, in case Young Master Gu went on a killing spree, he could minimize his losses.

Zhang Fengcai watched anxiously as the Imperial Physicians attended to Rong Jing, his eyes full of worry.

Feeling Miao Ci’s evasive and hesitant gaze, he spat fiercely, speaking with a dark expression:

"I was just out running an errand for half a day, and the Emperor gets stabbed. When he wakes, I’ll surely find out who failed in their duty to protect him, and peel off their skin."

An insidious fear flashed in Miao Ci’s eyes as he explained in a low voice, "I don’t know why Young Master Gu still had the strength after inhaling the Heart-devouring Incense and being dosed with Soft Muscle Powder overnight..."

Zhang Fengcai, boiling with anger, shouted, "Someone, take Gu Lan down, as per the Holy Decree, and throw her into the dungeon to be punished. Do not spare her, just make sure she doesn’t die!"

Before the Emperor fainted, he had already declared that Gu Lan should endure all the punishments in the dungeon. With Zhang Fengcai’s understanding of Rong Jing, he naturally knew that the Emperor no longer had any reservations. From now on, he would not care about Gu Lan’s life or death.

"Yes!"

Countless overlapping boots appeared before Gu Lan’s eyes. She lowered her gaze, eyes filled with subtle sorrow.

Gu Lan randomly wiped the blood from her hands on her clothes, gently smoothing the scattered strands of hair, then laid her body gently on the ground.

After doing this, she lifted her head, her gaze sharp and direct, looking at the Inner Supervision encircling her.

Her eyes were dark and deep, a chill seeping from them, sharp and calm, devoid of the earlier madness wanting to kill Rong Jing.

The surrounding Inner Supervision hesitated once more, each only daring to draw their swords on her.

"Eunuch Zhang, don’t worry, I just wanted to kill Rong Jing. Now that he’s unconscious, I naturally won’t kill anyone else." She spoke mildly, discarding the sword in her hand.

At this moment, another group hurriedly approached from outside the hall.

"We arrived late to protect the Emperor!" It was Lin He leading a team from Inner Supervision. They heard the commotion and shouted from a distance.

Lin He glanced at the unconscious Emperor being treated by the Imperial Physicians, his eyes inadvertently meeting Gu Lan’s, and only then did he understand that this was the "unexpected event within five days" Gu Lan had mentioned.

Zhang Fengcai, seeing it was Lin He, sighed in relief, "You’re here, Lan Nu didn’t come, did he?"

"Lan Nu heard the commotion and immediately went to the Princess Mansion to inform Princess Ning’an—Eunuch, this person dared to assassinate the Emperor, she should be executed immediately!" Lin He drew his sword, shouting with murderous intent.

Zhang Fengcai sighed, "The Emperor hasn’t ordered her death yet. Take her to the dungeon; after she endures seventy-two punishments, she’ll almost be dead."

Lin He, unwilling, took the rough rope and without hesitation stepped forward, securely binding Gu Lan’s hands behind her back.

Seeing this, Zhang Fengcai’s grim expression finally softened a bit.

Among the four commanders of the Inner Supervision, Lin He and Lan Nu were responsible for external matters, while Zhong Liang and Miao Ci were responsible for palace security. But Lan Nu was Princess Ning’an’s man, Zhong Liang was lustful and obsequious, essentially ineffective, and Miao Ci was more concerned with his own power and status, cowardly and cautious.

After Zhong Liang’s death, Lin He was transferred to help guard the palace.

Zhang Fengcai saw Lin He handling matters; though young, he had some courage and loyalty to the Emperor, making him a talent worth nurturing.