SBCEJM -Chapter 41 The Crown Prince Has Been Afflicted with a Love Gu!

The Imperial Garden returned to silence.

Yet the atmosphere had become even heavier than before.

Xiao Juechen looked at Feng Zexuan with a trace of approving scrutiny in his eyes.

“Minister Feng, today you not only saved Yue’er, but also exposed a parasite corrupting the nation. Your merits are undeniable.”

Feng Zexuan bowed.

“I dare not claim credit.”

Just as the Emperor was about to bestow a marriage decree upon him and the Third Princess, a warm, gentle voice sounded from beyond the moon gate.

“Father Emperor, Mother Empress, your son has arrived late.”

Everyone turned toward the voice.

The newcomer wore a moon-white brocade robe and a jade crown. His posture was tall and straight, his features refined and elegant.

It was none other than the Crown Prince of the dynasty, Xiao Mingxuan.

The moment Feng Zexuan saw him, her breathing stalled and her eyes widened in a daze.

【Holy crap! The Crown Prince! In the flesh! He looks even better than edited photos! Mom, I’m in love!】

The inner voice instantly petrified every guest in the garden.

What was wrong with Scholar Feng?

One moment ago, he was playing the hero saving the princess.

The instant the Crown Prince appeared, he’d already fallen for someone else?

And at that speed too?!

Besides… the Crown Prince was a man!!!

Could it be that Scholar Feng liked both men and women…?

Xiao Mingyue’s face darkened.

She shot “Feng Zekai” a vicious glare.

Crown Prince Xiao Mingxuan paused mid-step, confusion flashing through his exquisite features.

He glanced around, unable to determine where that abrupt voice had come from.

Xiao Juechen coughed heavily.

“Xuan’er, you came at the perfect time.”

Xiao Mingxuan composed himself and stepped forward respectfully.

“Your son greets Father Emperor and Mother Empress.”

His voice was as clear as jade striking stone.

【Oh my god, that voice is way too seductive! My ears are gonna get pregnant! I’m done for, I’ve completely fallen!】

Feng Zexuan had fully activated her exaggerated fangirl mode from her previous life.

The Crown Prince’s body stiffened almost imperceptibly.

Pregnant?

What kind of shameless nonsense was that?!

The way everyone looked at “Feng Zekai” became even stranger.

That settled it!

Scholar Feng really had his eyes on the Crown Prince!

Liu Mengli gave a light cough.

“Minister Feng… what impression do you have of Xuan’er?”

Feng Zexuan hurriedly snapped out of her lovestruck state and put on a serious, professional expression.

“Replying to Your Majesty the Empress, His Highness the Crown Prince is graceful as jade, refined and elegant, truly a dragon among men. This minister admires him deeply.”

The words were flawless.

But paired with those earlier inner thoughts…

They sounded painfully insincere.

Crown Prince Xiao Mingxuan’s gaze landed on Feng Zexuan.

Now he was finally certain—the voice making him flush with embarrassment belonged to this very Minister Feng.

Facing the person directly, shame and absurdity flooded his mind.

He forced himself to respond politely.

“Minister Feng flatters me.”

Just as Feng Zexuan was about to awkwardly salvage the situation, a sharp alarm suddenly exploded in her mind.

【Ding! Major imperial scandal detected!】

【Host! This system has scanned a highly active Gu worm inside the Crown Prince’s body!】

The voice rang clearly in the ears of the Emperor, Empress, Crown Prince, and Third Princess alike.

All four instantly changed expression.

The smile on the Empress’s face froze into icy coldness.

Xiao Mingyue forgot all about jealousy and looked worriedly at her imperial brother.

Feng Zexuan was shocked.

【What kind of Gu worm?!】

The system replied:

【Host, the Crown Prince has been afflicted with the Miao secret art known as the “Love Gu.” This Gu has been lying dormant inside him for many days.】

【Once it fully activates, the victim will fall hopelessly in love with the holder of the “Mother Gu,” remaining utterly devoted unto death and obeying their every command!】

Feng Zexuan’s gossip-loving soul reignited once again.

【Damn! That’s terrifyingly evil!】

【Who did it? The Crown Prince lives in the Eastern Palace under heavy guard—who’s capable of pulling this off? Hurry up and spill it!】

The system wasted no time dropping another earth-shattering revelation.

【The one who planted the Gu is none other than the Third Princess’s biological mother, His Majesty’s favored consort—Consort Shu!】

【Consort Shu has a younger biological sister, Lady Liu, who recently entered the palace.】

【Consort Shu devised this vicious scheme intending to make the Crown Prince “fall in love at first sight” with Lady Liu, causing him to publicly lose all moral restraint and stage a scandal of “a son stealing his father’s woman.”】

【At that point, she could join forces with her maternal family and force the Emperor to depose the Crown Prince, allowing her own biological son—the Third Prince, Xiao Mingrui—to ascend instead!】

【Wowww, one move killing three birds!】

【But plans never keep up with reality. Lady Liu turned out to be an ultimate shut-in who never leaves her quarters, so Consort Shu never found a chance to let her encounter the Crown Prince.】

【As the opportunity slipped away, Consort Shu decided to go all in and plant the Mother Gu inside herself instead!】

【With the initiative in her hands, the moment she approaches the Crown Prince, the Child Gu will react to the Mother Gu’s attraction. The Crown Prince will instantly lose all reason and publicly cling to his own imperial stepmother regardless of ethics or propriety!】

【And today’s flower-viewing banquet in the Imperial Garden, crowded with witnesses, is the perfect stage for her grand performance!】

The sheer amount of information in those inner revelations left everyone who heard them numb with horror.

Xiao Juechen’s face had gone beyond merely dark.

It was black as the bottom of a pot.

Consort Shu!

What a “wonderful” Consort Shu!

He had treated her generously, yet she dared scheme against his son—and against the very foundation of Great Xia itself!

Killing intent burst from Liu Mengli’s eyes.

Born into a military family and decisive by nature, she wanted nothing more than to grab a sword and split that venomous woman in half.

To dare target her Xuan’er—she was courting death!

Xiao Mingyue stared wide-eyed in utter disbelief.

Her mother consort…her own biological mother…

How could she do something like this?

To elevate Third Brother, she was willing to ruin Crown Prince Brother’s entire life?!

Crown Prince Xiao Mingxuan swayed slightly.

No wonder…

No wonder he had recently been suffering from dizziness and restless thoughts.

【Holy crap! Consort Shu is vicious to the core! She even schemes against her own sister! For power, there’s truly nothing she wouldn’t do!】

Feng Zexuan quickly asked:

【System, how do you cure this Love Gu? It sounds insanely troublesome. Don’t tell me there’s no cure?!】

【Host, there are generally two methods to remove the Love Gu.】

【First, kill the person who planted the Gu. Once the Mother Gu dies, the Child Gu naturally dissolves as well.】

【And the second? What’s the second method? Hurry up!】

【Second, the afflicted Crown Prince must marry the person he truly loves and consummate the marriage.】

【Using the purest and most sincere power of mutual love between husband and wife, the Gu poison can be forcefully broken.】

Feng Zexuan was left stunned.

【…That cure is certainly unique.】

【So does the Crown Prince currently have someone he loves? Don’t tell me he doesn’t!】

【Reporting to Host: the Crown Prince’s heart is presently calm as still water. He has no beloved person. Although the Love Gu has already been planted, it has not yet been fully activated by the Mother Gu.】

【So there’s still hope? As long as they quickly find a girl and make the Crown Prince fall in love with her, the Gu can be cured?】

【In theory, yes. But once the Love Gu is fully triggered, the Crown Prince’s mind will be completely controlled, and he will irreversibly fall in love with the Mother Gu holder—Consort Shu.】

【At that point, even immortals won’t be able to save him!】

Xiao Juechen listened to every word of those inner thoughts, his expression growing increasingly grim.

Suppressing the fury in his heart, he turned to his son.

“Xuan’er, has your body been experiencing anything unusual lately?”

Crown Prince Xiao Mingxuan’s face paled slightly, and he dared not conceal the truth.

“Replying to Father Emperor, your son has indeed often felt dizzy and weak lately. At night… I also have strange dreams.”

Empress Liu Mengli immediately pressed further.

“What dreams?”

Struggle and humiliation appeared on the Crown Prince’s face.

“In the dreams… there is always a woman whose face I cannot see clearly. In the dream, I feel an uncontrollable closeness toward her… wanting to approach her, touch her…”

【Oh no! These are early-stage symptoms of the Love Gu’s mental manipulation!】

【Host, there’s no time to lose! Consort Shu and the Crown Prince must be kept apart immediately! Otherwise the Crown Prince is about to publicly perform an ethical disaster!】

“Not good! Consort Shu is heading this way!” someone suddenly shouted.

At that very moment, a eunuch’s shrill announcement tore through the tense atmosphere.

“Consort Shu has arrived——”