The eldest daughter's scheming, the crown prince's exclusive favor to the venomous concubi

As they were talking, Xiao Rou's screams suddenly intensified. When everyone looked over, they saw that Xiao Rou's eyes were bulging, her face was full of pain, and there were Gu worms wriggling under her skin.

Looking down at her lower body, it was covered in blood, suggesting that she had given birth prematurely.

Seeing this scene, Qiu Zhenzhou remained calm and composed, but the old lady was already terrified, her heart pounding. She clutched her chest and was protected by the maid as she retreated. Everyone else also moved away from Qiu Lingyun, looking at her in horror.

Jian Yue looked at Qiu Lingyun. Qiu Lingyun's face was no longer as beautiful as before. Her face was dark, and her eyes were filled with anger. She stared at Jian Yue ferociously. The golden-armored guards immediately stood guard beside Jian Yue to protect her safety.

Seeing this scene, Qiu Lingyun suddenly burst into laughter, seemingly insane. She glared at Jian Yue and said ferociously, "If it weren't for you, I would still be the apple of the Qiu family's eye, and I could still dream of marrying a powerful and wealthy man. But ever since you appeared, I've become a nightmare. Qiu Lingxiu, go to hell."

As she spoke, a large number of Gu worms appeared on her body, trickling out from her sleeves and trouser legs and crawling towards Jian Yue in large numbers. Jian Yue took out a handkerchief and covered her mouth and nose, saying, "Light the fire."

The golden-armored guards outside the gate had already rushed in, burning the ground with their torches. Meanwhile, another golden-armored guard pulled out a bottle from his pocket and threw it directly at Qiu Lingyun.

Instantly, Qiu Lingyu covered her face and screamed in agony. The Gu worms on the ground, having lost their command due to their master's sudden scream, became helpless and agitated. In the end, they all retreated back to Qiu Lingyun's body.

Then, before everyone's eyes, Qiu Lingyu suddenly choked herself, letting out a difficult sob, and fell to the ground, convulsing.

Jian Yue took two steps forward, but was stopped by the golden-armored guards. Jian Yue shook her head, pulled the guards aside, looked at them, and shook her head again, saying, "The Gu worms devour their master. This is the consequence of feeding the Gu with one's own body. Qiu Lingyun, I didn't expect you to be so stupid."

Qiu Lingyun's body convulsed at first, but finally stopped moving. Then, something began to wriggle under her clothes. Eventually, the clothes were corroded, revealing a large number of insects that slowly devoured Qiu Lingyun. The timid woman's legs went weak, and she covered her mouth and fell to the ground, retreating backward.

The room was silent, filled with an atmosphere of fear. No one knew who would be next.

Jiang, Qiu Lingyun's birth mother, had already recovered from her shock. Watching her daughter being devoured by insects, she was consumed by grief and went into a frenzy. She crawled to Qiu Zhenzhou's side on her knees and pleaded with him, "Master, Master, save our woman! Master, please save Yun'er!"

Qiu Zhenzhou stared coldly at Jiang Shi, kicked her away, and said coldly, "A woman who dares to lay a hand on her own father deserves to die."

Jiang felt a chill in her heart and cried out in a low voice, "Qiu Zhenzhou, I was in the prime of my life, but I married you, you heartless beast. You climbed to your current position by relying on my family's power, and now you treat my daughter and me like this. Where is your conscience?"

"Everyone saw it, right? Qiu Zhenzhou is that kind of person. He can abandon anyone to keep his current position. Look at the fate of his legal wife and her daughters, look at his favorite concubine, Xiao Rou, and look at me. Look at that! How can someone like that be worthy of wearing your official hat? You beast!"

As she spoke, Jiang rushed towards Qiu Zhenzhou. The old lady quickly shouted, "What are you standing there for? Guards, take the treasonous Jiang away and beat her to death with sticks!"

Upon hearing this, Madam Jiang suddenly burst into laughter. As the servants of the Qiu family stepped forward to stop her, she shouted, "Treason! What a treason! I, Jiang Chuntao, have lived up to the heavens and earth since joining the Qiu family. Now, my daughter and I have been framed and brought to this state. Qiu Zhenzhou, don't even think about getting away with this. Even if I go to hell, I will drag you down with me."

As she spoke, she suddenly broke free from the servants' restraints and slammed her head against a nearby pillar, immediately bleeding profusely and losing consciousness.

Jian Yue looked over and said, "I never expected Lord Qiu to be so cold-blooded. Didn't this Jiang woman give birth to a son for you?"

Before Qiu Zhenzhou could even speak, a voice suddenly called out from outside, "Mother!"

Qiu Zhenzhou frowned and looked over, only to see that Jiang's son, Qiu Zifan, had rushed in. After seeing Jiang's miserable state, he glared angrily at Jian Yue, and then the Golden Armor Guards surrounded him.

Although Qiu Zifan was an illegitimate son, he was still a child of the Qiu family. Seeing this, the old lady quickly said to Qiu Zifan, "Zifan, what are you doing? Come here, come here."

Qiu Zifan looked at Old Madam Qiu, his eyes filled with sorrow, and said, "Grandmother, my mother has been harmed like this, why don't you arrest the culprit?"

The old lady immediately scolded, "What nonsense are you talking about? It was your sister Lingyun who secretly learned that vicious witchcraft and even tried to harm your father and the Crown Prince's people in front of everyone. Fortunately, Aunt Rou intervened, and your father was spared."

Your mother went mad because your sister was eaten by the Gu worms she raised herself. She wants to kill your father. Don't get involved and cause trouble. Come quickly, lest you anger His Highness the Crown Prince's envoy.

Upon hearing this, Qiu Zifan was stunned and stared blankly at the place the old lady was pointing to. There, apart from some fragments of clothing and some still-smoking, not-quite-dead insects, there was nothing left.

No, she still has hair; that's all Qiu Lingyun has left.

Jian Yue looked at Qiu Zifan and said, "Second Young Master must be very sad! It's understandable. After all, your sister's situation is truly unbelievable. How could a perfectly good young lady, just sixteen years old and waiting to be married, possibly find such a vicious witchcraft?"

"I don't believe she found these books on her own. Someone must have deliberately given them to her. Men, search every courtyard and room of the Qiu residence. I want to see who's getting these things right under the nose of the capital."

As she spoke, Jian Yue looked at Qiu Zhenzhou and sneered, "Lord Qiu's residence is really interesting. I was only here to handle Qiu Lingfeng's matter on behalf of His Highness, but who would have thought that there would be these other things waiting for me."

"If this hadn't been discovered today, would the Qiu family have plotted a rebellion next time and wiped out the entire royal family?"

Upon hearing this, Qiu Zhenzhou's face immediately contorted with grievance, and he solemnly said, "Linglong, you..."

"Stop, Lord Qiu, please don't call people randomly. Everyone knows who I am. I don't recognize the people you're talking about. Don't try to give me any other identity to lessen your crimes, otherwise, I'm not someone to be trifled with."

Upon hearing this, Qiu Zifan suddenly turned to Jian Yue and said, "Since you claim not to know us, then may I ask, what is your relationship with my sixth sister, Qiu Lingxiu? Why do you look so alike? And why are you targeting my Qiu family?"

Jian Yue raised an eyebrow and looked at Qiu Zifan with amusement, saying, "Second Young Master, what are you saying? Do you mean I've come back to avenge her?"

Qiu Zifan retorted, "Isn't that right?"

Jian Yue shook her head and asked in return, "But why should I avenge her? Was her death related to the Qiu family? Did you cause her tragic death?"

Qiu Zifan paused, looking at Jian Yue with a deep gaze. Jian Yue smiled, then turned to Qiu Lingfeng, who was sitting on the ground and had not gotten up, and said, "These things are all your own doing. If you have to blame someone, then blame the Qiu family for being unlucky."

As she spoke, the corners of her lips curled up again, with a dangerous arc. She crouched down and approached Qiu Lingfeng. Qiu Lingfeng was no longer as arrogant as before. After Qiu Lingyun's death, watching Qiu Lingyun slowly disappear, her last nerve had been severed.

As she watched Jian Yue approach, she felt as if she were seeing a ferocious beast, and involuntarily shrank back, filled with fear.

Jian Yue waved her hand, and a golden-armored guard brought over the physician from the Qiu family. Jian Yue looked at the physician and said, "Take his pulse and see how he is."

The physician had never encountered such a large-scale situation before. Trembling, he approached to take Qiu Lingfeng's pulse. Qiu Lingfeng already sensed the approach of death and desperately tried to hide her hands, but was firmly restrained by the golden-armored guards. In the end, after taking her pulse, the physician bowed to Jian Yue and stole a glance at Qiu Zhenzhou.

Seeing this, Jian Yue laughed and said, "Don't look at him. If you're lying, your head will be gone in a heartbeat, and no one can help you."

The physician was immediately frightened and lowered his head, hurriedly saying, "Miss Qiu is more than a month pregnant, but there seems to be something strange in her body, like a Gu worm from the Miao region."

Upon hearing this, Qiu Zhenzhou's expression changed drastically. Did this further prove that Qiu Lingfeng was the mastermind behind the Crown Prince's murder? Was his Qiu family truly doomed?

Seeing Qiu Zhenzhou's expression change, Jian Yue smiled and continued, "Are you sure that's a Gu worm? Have you seen it before?"

The physician nodded and said, "When I was young, I traveled to the Miao region and saw firsthand how the people there manipulated those insects. Therefore, I humbly sought their advice twice. What I say is the truth, and there is absolutely no deception."

Jian Yue stood up, sighed, and said, "Now the truth is out!"

As they were speaking, a golden-armored guard entered from outside the door, handing Jian Yue a yellowed book and several porcelain vases.

Jian Yue took the book and looked at it, then took the bottle, opened it, and poured out its contents.

The object bounced on the ground, then twisted wildly, scaring everyone into shrinking back. After struggling for a while, the object died.

Jian Yue said, "This book was found in Qiu Lingyun's room. As for these porcelain vases, I believe Lord Qiu is familiar with them!"

Qiu Zhenzhou's expression suddenly changed, and he took two steps back, saying, "I don't recognize these things."

Jian Yue smiled and looked at him coldly, saying, "Lord Qiu, if you won't admit it now, do you think the Golden Armor Guards are all fools? Can't you tell whose room is which? This thing isn't an ordinary Gu worm. Qiu Lingyun's mediocre skills are far beyond what she could produce. I wonder how Lord Qiu plans to explain this to us?"