Chapter 716: Chapter 717: Blood Relatives

A heavy, suffocating pressure filled the air, gripping everyone’s hearts!

Anyone could hear the anger in his words!

Fan Chengzhuo, an official of the court, had been secretly afflicted with a poisonous insect. If this hadn’t come to light by chance today, everyone would have remained in the dark!

The thought alone was terrifying!

Especially since... the envoys from Nanhu had yet to arrive in the Capital City, yet the Poisonous Gu Technique had already been used on a minister in the capital!

How could Emperor Muwu not be enraged!?

He feared this vast Capital City had long since become as porous as a sieve!

"Your Majesty, please quell your anger."

Surprisingly, the first to speak was Ye Chutang. With her eyes lowered, her tone remained calm and placid.

"We cannot yet be certain that a poisonous insect is the cause of Mr. Fan’s illness. In my opinion, he requires careful observation."

These words, however, did little to appease Emperor Muwu.

’If it were merely a common poison, how could such a bizarre, blue-black line of blood appear on Fan Chengzhuo’s arm?’

’And in such a short amount of time, all his energy and spirit had been drained, leaving him practically a cripple!’

’Emperor Muwu had long heard of the Southern Hu Gu Technique. Especially with Tuoba Yu currently imprisoned in the palace, and the Nanhu Royal Family now rushing here with all speed...’

’With all these things happening, he couldn’t help but connect the dots!’

’What was especially strange was...’

"Fan Chengzhuo," Emperor Muwu said in a grave voice. "Come forward and answer me."

Fan Chengzhuo was unable to move. Several guards reacted quickly, immediately lifting him and carrying him forward.

Fan Chengzhuo barely managed to kneel, his body slumping forward onto the floor.

"Your... Your Majesty..."

"I ask you," Emperor Muwu said, his patience clearly gone. "You’ve been on sick leave for so long. Did you already know your body would end up like this?"

Fan Chengzhuo’s heart sank.

"T-To answer Your Majesty, I... I initially thought I had just caught a cold. When it wouldn’t go away, I decided to stay home and recuperate. As for... as for this..."

His voice was extremely weak, and as he spoke, he couldn’t stop himself from glancing at his arm.

"I didn’t know about this condition before... I fainted yesterday and only woke up this morning. Perhaps... perhaps it only appeared then..."

It sounded as if even he didn’t know where the blood line had come from.

And naturally, he would know even less about anything related to the "poisonous insect."

"Is that so."

Emperor Muwu, however, did not seem convinced. His aged yet sharp eyes remained fixed on Fan Chengzhuo, as if trying to find a crack in his facade.

"Come to think of it, you haven’t been sick for very long, yet your illness seems exceptionally severe. I recall seeing you last month, and you were full of vigor. In the blink of an eye, you’ve ended up like this. I hear you didn’t even summon an Imperial Physician?"

That last sentence, though spoken casually, struck Fan Chengzhuo’s heart like a heavy hammer!

His face grew even paler as he kowtowed, desperate to defend himself.

"Your Majesty, I beg for your clear judgment! I... I am truly ashamed to be in this state!"

Emperor Muwu remained motionless, as if waiting for an explanation.

Cold sweat beaded on Fan Chengzhuo’s entire body. Every word he spoke seemed to drain all his strength.

"I know I was at fault. Since my demotion, I have suffered sleepless nights. After falling ill, I was consumed by worry, and my health worsened day by day. I dared not trouble others, nor did I summon an Imperial Physician for a diagnosis... That is why I have delayed until today."

His words were not without merit.

To fall from the glorious position of Minister of the Ministry of Justice to a mere fifth-rank official in a single day—he had surely been scorned and shunned by countless people in secret.

’But... it’s one thing not to summon an Imperial Physician, but to not even call a common doctor?’

Emperor Muwu looked at him, his tone softening slightly.

"Your health is what matters most. Why push yourself like this? Even calling a decent doctor would have been better than letting it get to this state."

Fan Chengzhuo lowered his head and coughed a few times, a bitter smile on his lips. "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. To be honest, I never expected to become this gravely ill..."

"Speaking of which, the servants in Mr. Fan’s household are far too negligent," Ye Chutang suddenly interjected. "The day I met Mr. Fan, I wrote him a prescription and urged him to take his medicine faithfully and look after his health. But judging from his condition, it seems the servants in your household have not been looking after you well. Have they not even brewed a single dose of his medicine?"

As Ye Chutang spoke, a faint, cold look entered her eyes.

"Even if Mr. Fan has no family by his side, these servants still receive their monthly silver. They should be doing their jobs. How is it that the moment Mr. Fan falls ill, they start taking advantage of him?"

Before Fan Chengzhuo passed the imperial examinations, he had married a woman from his hometown. This came as a great disappointment to the many prestigious families who had hoped to have him as a son-in-law.

Some had suggested he divorce his wife and remarry into a more prominent family, but he had sternly refused, even throwing the person who suggested it out of his house and cutting off all ties.

The incident became a widely praised story, and everyone said Fan Chengzhuo was a man of deep affection and loyalty.

But when he later sent for his wife to join him in the capital, he learned she was already gravely ill and passed away shortly thereafter.

Fan Chengzhuo was inconsolable and never took another wife or concubine.

As a result, however, his reputation only grew, and his career skyrocketed until he reached the rank of Chief of Staff.

If not for what happened later, he would be even more powerful and influential today.

Fan Chengzhuo’s expression stiffened, and he had to fight the almost uncontrollable urge to look back.

But he managed to suppress it.

Xie Anbai, who had been quiet for some time, suddenly spoke up, his tone nonchalant.

"Second Miss Ye and her family love each other dearly and have supported one another through years of hardship, which is a rare thing indeed. I’m afraid she doesn’t understand that some families think only of harming each other, while some people would even abandon their own parents. As for so-called kin... you’re better off without them."

Those words instantly struck a sensitive nerve with Xie Anjun.

He immediately flew into a rage. "Who are you talking about!?"

Xie Anbai shot him an amused glance. "Why is the Marquis Zhongyong so worked up? I merely said a few words and didn’t mention you by name. What are you so angry about?"

"You—"

Only then did Xie Anjun realize he had lost his composure. His face burned with shame, and he wished he could find a hole to crawl into.

Xie Anbai, however, seemed oblivious to how nasty his words had been. He simply lifted his chin.

"It depends on the people, of course. There are bad relatives, and naturally, there are good ones. See? I think Lord Zheng is quite concerned about Mr. Fan. I hear the two of them are cousins. They may not have seen each other for years, but their bond remains strong. It’s truly touching."

As he said this, he looked as if he had just recalled something, and his expression grew even more sentimental.

"But then again, it was Mr. Fan who first disregarded his own health, intent on coming to the palace to clear Lord Zheng’s name... That level of devotion is even rarer. It truly makes one so envious."

Xie Anbai’s expression as he said this was completely serious, sincere to the point of absurdity.

In truth, he was speaking from the heart.

But to Fan Chengzhuo, his words were a death knell!

Fan Chengzhuo’s lips trembled. "It is only natural between blood relatives... Besides, I know he is innocent. How could I stand by and watch him—"

Emperor Muwu suddenly let out a laugh.

"Even now, you still say he is innocent?"

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