CHAPTER 343: CHAPTER 343

The sudden spurt of blood left everyone in a panic. Unlike before, when only traces of blood were mixed in with the medicine, this time, black blood gushed out in large mouthfuls, creating a terrifying scene!

Yet, there was no sign that the consumed porridge was being vomited out, which indicated that the black blood was not coming from the stomach or intestines.

"Protect the Crown Prince! Seize them!" Amid the chaos, a eunuch shrieked.

Chen Muxue and her group were only momentarily disrupted. When Chen Muxue was cooking the porridge, everyone was watching. Except for Huo Lian’s addition of Heart-soothing Grass, all the ingredients used were from the Eastern Palace’s own kitchen...

Thinking of this, Huo Lian suddenly turned his gaze to the reflective iron pot behind Chen Muxue. He was reminded of the day in the storeroom when the Heart-soothing Grass withered instantly at Chen Muxue’s touch...

"Cough, cough, cough!" the Crown Prince was somewhat anxious, sensing his condition. Clearly, this discomfort was not because of the bowl of porridge. He wanted to stop the palace attendants, but in the midst of his anxiety and sudden illness, he couldn’t speak, and even struggled to breathe.

The feeling of his ailment was all too familiar. This time, it was erupting just like before, perhaps even more violently, but it really had nothing to do with that bowl of porridge!

He could even sense the warmth in his stomach trying to do something, but the power of a bowl of porridge was so insignificant. It could only alleviate his discomfort a little, without making a significant change.

Watching Chen Muxue and the others being encircled by palace attendants, half wary, half compliant, the Crown Prince’s vision blurred. Yet, he pushed through the impending faintness, coughing up the rising black blood. With his last strength, he said, "It’s not them..."

"Bang!"

Perhaps due to the overwhelming confusion, the Crown Prince unexpectedly fell off the bed, and no one had time to catch him. He hit the floor solidly, his pale face smeared with black blood, clearly having lost consciousness.

His appearance made Cen Lizhui and others instinctively use their Spiritual Power to probe the Crown Prince’s life force. That faint life force was like a pitiful oil lamp in a violent storm, on the verge of being extinguished at any moment.

"Crown Prince? Brother!" The Second Prince rushed forward to lift the Crown Prince back onto the bed. The soiled clothing was the least of his worries. Using his sleeve, he wiped the black blood splattered on the Crown Prince’s face. He only breathed a sigh of relief upon detecting the faint breath of the Crown Prince, his eyes reddening as he exhaled.

"You all..." The Second Prince turned to scan the crowd, finally resting his gaze on Chen Muxue.

Seeing this, Cen Lizhui stepped forward to block his view. "Just now, the Second Prince Consort was also in the kitchen."

"I was indeed watching closely. Miss Chen did not add anything suspicious," Yan Luan said as well.

The Second Prince’s gaze was complex, shifting multiple times. Recalling the Crown Prince’s last words before fainting, he sighed. "Considering the Crown Prince’s recent words, it likely wasn’t you who did it, was it? The Crown Prince has been ill for so long; he knows his own body best. If he says it’s not, then it’s not."

Regarding the Crown Prince’s condition, the Second Prince could somewhat understand. But facing the Crown Prince, he couldn’t help viewing him as a patient... His body was just too fragile!

"I’m afraid you’ll have to stay a little longer, until..."

"He’s right! You assassins dared to poison my brother; you’ll stay in the palace!"

Everyone looked towards the door, where the Crown Prince’s full-blood brother, the Fifth Prince, had appeared.