As dusk was about to fall into darkness, Cao Zhi still hadn’t returned. Instead, he had the steward deliver a message, claiming he had been kept in the palace by the Great King to discuss state affairs and conveniently arrange audience matters, asking the guests to wait patiently.
This was naturally meant to pacify Jing Hengbo and the others. Immediately, maidservants began bringing an endless stream of delicious food, including even the famous Fushui wine called Triple-Distilled Brew. The steward personally accompanied them with an extremely attentive attitude.
Though the banquet was no good banquet, Tian Qi laughingly claimed that mission duties prohibited drinking. The steward didn’t insist, and even personally tasted each dish first to demonstrate his clear conscience.
Everyone acted as if their vigilance had completely disappeared, eating with open hearts and hearty laughter. Gradually the atmosphere became harmonious, with everyone calling each other brothers and getting along famously with the several host family members accompanying them.
After a while, the steward said the candlelight was too dim, nearly causing his old dim eyes to mistake bones for meat. He ordered the maidservants to add more candles.
Several more lamps were lit, and faint blue smoke began to drift about.
Several stewards from Cao Zhi’s mansion hastily ate a few more bites, then laughingly said the mansion’s affairs were complicated and they couldn’t leave for too long. They asked the guests to make themselves comfortable – if they wanted wine or food, just give orders at any time.
Everyone appeared to be eating and drinking with great enjoyment, repeatedly thanking them as they saw the stewards out. The main gate closed, sealing all the fragrant warmth inside the room.
When the main gate closed, the enthusiastic smiles of those stewards also turned cold and sinister. They exchanged glances and hurried away.
When the main gate closed, Tian Qi’s grateful smile as he saw off the guests turned mocking. He snorted lightly through his nose and returned to the hall. Those candles that had been added later had already been extinguished. Jing Hengbo casually found several crystal items and placed them at angles in front of the lamplight, refracting the light to appear bright – from outside, one couldn’t tell the candles had been snuffed out.
The entire marquis mansion was particularly quiet, with only the sound of whistling wind. From distant rooftops came faint sounds of cracking tiles, like cats leaping across roof ridges. Night insects chirped by the wall foundations, and within those fragmentary sounds, there was vaguely the sound of thin-soled boots scraping against the ground.
Jing Hengbo sat under the lamp, carefully studying the palace map that Noble Consort Yun had drawn. She wouldn’t obediently wait for any arranged audience – tonight, she would enter the palace.
Tian Qi and the others suddenly laughed: “They’re coming!”
…
“They’re coming?” In the Fushui Royal Palace, the Great King’s bedchamber still had its lights burning. Under the lamplight, Great King Wu Xian of Fushui set down his scroll, his eyes showing some surprise as he looked toward the eunuch who had come to report. “At such a late hour, why does he suddenly request to enter the palace?”
Standing below the hall was an old eunuch with a face like a crab shell, his eyes seemingly closed but not quite closed. When he occasionally opened them, cold light would flash. At this moment his expression was calm as he bowed slightly: “Two months ago we received word from this person saying he wanted to pay respects to the Great King, but then there was no news. This old servant thought something had happened to him and had the Tianluo Army make inquiries, but there was no information. Who knew he would truly be so mysterious, suddenly appearing again.”
The Fushui Great King irritably threw his book down heavily: “Even the Tianluo couldn’t find out – what exactly is this person’s identity? I haven’t been in contact with him for a long time, so why is he suddenly seeking me out again?” After thinking, he said coldly: “Recently both the royal city and the palace have been restless, with frequent incidents. Someone must be causing trouble. The Tianluo Army is becoming more and more like mere decoration!”
The old eunuch stepped back and bowed deeply to show his contrition. The Fushui Great King glanced at him and sighed, thinking he had no reason to blame the Tianluo Army too much. Recent circumstances had been rather strange, and tonight’s visitor was mysterious in his movements. Four years ago he had suddenly appeared, claiming he could help the Fushui royal family cure their bloating disease and improve the royal children’s constitutions, though the risk was great – he needed a group of people to experiment on first, asking if he was willing to try. At that time the Fushui royal family was asking the Medical Sage to solve their health problems, so they let him try as well. This person’s methods were extremely strange and mysterious. Afterward, the Fushui royal family indeed gained different constitutions, but those who served as test subjects met extremely tragic ends, nearly causing a palace coup…
The Fushui Great King’s heart pounded twice, feeling that encountering this person again at such a time boded ill.
After the successful treatment, he had wanted to kill him to silence him, since this was a secret of the Fushui royal family not to be shared with outsiders. But the other party seemed to have anticipated this and disappeared without a word, leaving him unable to track him down. Who would have thought he would suddenly appear again now.
But since he had come, he might as well see him and learn his intentions. Perhaps it was related to those test subjects who had escaped.
The Fushui Great King sat up straight. Though the night was already deep and he had been busy with state affairs all day, he showed no signs of fatigue. On this cool and quiet late summer night, he wore only a thin single robe, even slightly exposing his chest, feeling neither cold nor tired. His body seemed to have inexhaustible energy and heat, and he could even hear the sound of blood surging through his blood vessels, as if he had returned to his youthful prime.
This feeling had existed since that person had helped cure his illness – like an art of rejuvenation, magically restoring health and youth. He had even greatly increased in masculine vigor. In recent years, he had already impregnated ten consorts, who had borne seven sons and two daughters. A prosperous royal lineage was good, but it seemed to bring some troubles as well…
A faint black shadow flashed before his eyes, interrupting Wu Xian’s contemplation. He raised his head and gazed at the man across from him, who was still wearing an unseasonable black cloak in this season.
The man’s face, just like four years ago, was completely hidden within the black cloak, showing only his tall, slender form.
“Has the Great King been well since we last met?” The man gazed at Wu Xian, his eyes seeming to hold faint amusement. “I imagine you certainly have been well, since I already cleared your meridians and supplemented your vital energy back then, achieving an supreme masculine constitution for you.”
Wu Xian raised an eyebrow. He was unwilling to discuss this matter further, so he changed the subject with a laugh: “Your Excellency departed gracefully back then and remained away for four years. Now you suddenly appear – do you have more instruction for this king?”
“Oh.” The man smiled slightly and sat across from Wu Xian. Looking at the thick, impenetrable darkness outside, he said: “I have come to wait.”
“Wait?” Wu Xian raised his eyebrows in surprise.
The cloaked man smiled meaningfully and pointed at the gradually extinguishing lights outside. On this dark and windy night, it looked like perfect weather for murder and arson. “Yes, wait.”
…
Jing Hengbo was also waiting.
Listening carefully to the sounds in the courtyard, judging by the time, Dong Chi’s subordinates should be arriving soon.
Bird calls came from outside the house. Dong Chi opened the window and a masked man immediately leaped in.
“Did you succeed outside?” Without time for pleasantries, Dong Chi asked in a low voice.
“It’s very difficult,” the masked man shook his head. “We brothers circled the royal city several times, but were discovered every time we tried to probe. The Tianluo Army has been very vigilant recently.”
Dong Chi frowned. According to the original plan, his subordinates needed to first create some small disturbances for the royal palace, but currently it seemed unsuccessful.
Jing Hengbo suddenly asked: “Have the royal city and royal palace been rather unstable recently?”
“Yes.” The man also looked puzzled as he said: “It’s said that the guards protecting the royal palace had problems first. Someone caused rebellious disorder and actually set fire to half a palace gate. Though it was discovered and extinguished in time, this triggered a major purge of the royal city’s garrison. It’s said several military commanders and important ministers were affected, with two houses being raided, causing panic among all ministers and commoners. Later there were rumors that people in the palace kept manifesting evil signs. Though these were unsubstantiated rumors, the atmosphere became even tenser. We took the opportunity to create several small disturbances in the outer city. Now even the liveliest night market in the royal city has few visitors.”
As Jing Hengbo listened, a gleam flashed in her eyes – she had originally had Dong Chi’s men create disturbances in the royal city to find an excuse to approach the royal palace. She hadn’t expected Dong Chi’s men to be ineffective, yet someone else was cooperating.
A spark of hope ignited in her heart. Could the person secretly causing trouble possibly be Gong Yin and Yelu Qi?
Judging from the source of the incidents, they should indeed be within the royal palace area.
Tonight would be perfect to test this theory.
After sending away Dong Chi’s former subordinates, the rest remained quietly in the room. They wouldn’t need to wait much longer, because outside the courtyard, the soft sounds of thin-soled boots touching ground could already be heard.
The Cao family’s people had come to kill and silence witnesses.
“Bang.” The door was knocked open. The Cao family guards who had found no movement in the courtyard and thought they had succeeded burst through the door. They had expected to enter and see people lying scattered about after being poisoned, but under the flickering lamplight, they saw faces that were either calm or mocking.
These men were stunned for a moment, then immediately raised their blades and charged – having torn off the mask, there was no reason to retreat.
The sound of clashing swords never rang out. A marquis mansion’s guards weren’t enough for these experts to play with using one finger. Moments later, these men had lost all fighting capability and lay scattered on the ground, staring at Jing Hengbo and the others in alarm.
“I won’t kill you. Let’s play a game,” Jing Hengbo said to them with a smile.
Moments later, the Cao mansion suddenly erupted in clamorous noise. A large group of black-clothed masked men pounced down from the eaves of various courtyards, beginning a massacre of the Cao family.
The Cao mansion immediately burst with terrifying shouts, panicked screams, and sharp cries for help that pierced the air, reaching the ears of neighbors on all sides.
Then someone set fires. Flames burst forth in clusters, like fiery peonies blooming in the night sky.
The area where important ministers lived was not far from the royal city. Neighboring houses all belonged to court officials’ mansions. Every household tightly closed their doors, listening with trembling hearts to the Cao mansion’s sudden calamity.
Somewhere in the Cao mansion seemed to mount resistance. A group of black-clothed masked men charged out from a secluded courtyard in the Cao mansion, closely pursued by a large group.
The leader held a bow on the wall, pursuing with form like flowing clouds and water. The bow and arrows in his hands were like flowing light chasing the moon – with each arrow released, a black-clothed person would scream and tumble from the eaves.
Brilliant blood flowers were embedded in the night scene, congealed and eerie.
Those pursuing experts moved with robes fluttering in the wind across the roof ridges, shouting loudly: “Halt! What scoundrels dare break into official residences and slaughter innocents! Let me show you how Luoyun people destroy enemies!”
That voice carried far, and in the official residences on all sides, officials were quietly hiding in darkness, looking up to observe the battle. Hearing this, they were all stunned, not understanding how Luoyun people had suddenly appeared at the Cao mansion, helping him pursue the mansion invaders.
That group of black-clothed masked men burning and killing in the Cao mansion couldn’t match this group of Luoyun people’s fierce courage. They began to flee, leaping over the roof ridges of surrounding officials’ mansions whose occupants trembled with fear. Whether from panic or poor route choice, they actually fled toward the royal city.
At this time the entire royal city had begun alert status, because the fire that blazed at the Cao mansion in the middle of the night was too conspicuous. Batch after batch of Imperial Guards surged onto the palace walls to strengthen palace defenses.
Prefecture soldiers responsible for city security and troops from the City Management Bureau were rushing toward the Cao mansion. Cao Zhi was also rushing toward his mansion. He hadn’t entered the palace at all, but had been seeking pleasure in a nearby pleasure quarter, spending the night in leisure, thinking his subordinates had surely handled everything properly by now.
He suddenly received news that his home was on fire and under attack, so naturally he had to hurry back. When he left he hadn’t brought many people, and in his haste he made a fatal error – forgetting to request some guards from the Military Commissioner. So now he had only one carriage and ten guards, hurrying through the dark streets.
The carriage wheels rolled forward. The driver was somewhat drowsy, occasionally closing his eyes. In the instant his eyelids opened and closed, he suddenly felt a white light seemed to flash before him, followed by what seemed like a tremor from the carriage door behind.
He quickly opened his eyes wide, but there was no one in front. Looking back at the carriage door, it hung ajar with a beaded curtain swaying slightly behind it, showing nothing suspicious.
Looking again at the ten guards, they appeared completely unaware.
The driver relaxed, thinking he must be seeing things from drowsiness. He turned back to continue driving.
Behind him, within the half-open beaded curtain.
Cao Zhi lay collapsed on the seat, hand covering his throat as thick blood flowed silently through his fingers.
A large gash had been torn in his throat, gaping like a bloody mouth. This wound was torn so savagely that he couldn’t make even half a sound for help.
His eyes bulged wide, retaining traces of shock and disbelief. His other hand reached toward the window as if trying to grasp something, but ultimately could only fall powerlessly.
If one looked carefully, one could see what seemed to be a bit of fine, soft fur between his fingers – like animal fur, glowing faintly in the darkness.
The carriage window was open, and the wind swept in coolly.
That bit of fur drifted lightly upward.
…
When Cao Zhi died in his carriage, that group of masked black-clothed men who had rushed into his mansion and then fled were “desperately fleeing” toward the royal city.
Meanwhile, Jing Hengbo and the others were “courageously” and “relentlessly pursuing.”
The black-clothed men ahead were naturally not real assassins, but those Cao family guards who had come to kill and silence witnesses. Under Pei Shu’s threats, they had no choice but to mask their faces and turn against their own master’s household, burning, killing and looting, playing the role of killers who had entered the Cao mansion at night.
Jing Hengbo and the others were responsible for playing “Luoyun heroes staying at the Cao mansion who acted bravely to help Marquis Cao deal with the killers.”
This chase by the Luoyun heroes was actually not easy. That group of guards forced to run toward the royal city kept trying to secretly contact the approaching capital troops and prefecture soldiers. Tian Qi and the others had to pursue while controlling these people’s routes, not letting them have a chance to call for help from the capital troops before reaching the royal city.
During the pursuit, Jing Hengbo received news of Cao Zhi’s death. Feifei used her big tail to show off her great achievement of tearing open Cao Zhi’s throat with one claw.
Jing Hengbo nodded with satisfaction. She had ordered harassment of the Cao mansion, but the only one she truly wanted dead was Cao Zhi.
Burning the Cao mansion was just to alarm the royal palace. Killing Cao Zhi was to attract the Fushui Great King’s attention.
When a relative’s mansion was looted and the family head killed, the sovereign had to investigate. And the witnesses who pursued the “assassins” all the way would naturally have to be summoned to the palace for questioning.
If there were also assassins in the palace tonight, that would be even better. For his own safety, the Fushui Great King would have no choice but to summon her to the palace in the middle of the night.
Jing Hengbo gazed toward the royal palace square, hoping secretly in her heart.
At this moment, if someone really was creating disturbances within the royal palace, and it wasn’t Dong Chi’s subordinates, then it was most likely Gong Yin and Yelu Qi.
Only they had such wisdom to grasp timing and such telepathic understanding. They would use this opportunity to secretly communicate with her, coordinating from inside and outside. When someone made their move, she could step forward to make contact.
Light of hope flashed in her eyes as she stared intently at the palace walls, longing for bloody sparks to burst forth there as well.
…
Within the royal palace, the Fushui Great King had not yet retired. Beside him, the cloaked man held a cup of wine, quietly gazing at the black night outside.
News of the Cao mansion being burned and looted had already been reported to the palace. Wu Xian frowned and asked the cloaked man: “Is this the news you were waiting for, sir?”
The cloaked man laughed lightly and shook his head: “No. Not only this.”
He slightly curled his fingers as if counting the hours, then suddenly said: “In a moment, if the Great King receives news of assassins approaching the royal palace, please grant me one presumptuous request.”
“What matter?”
The cloaked man turned his head to look toward the direction outside the palace. His half-covered cloak concealed his features, showing only a pair of eyes with cunning gleaming light.
He smiled lightly: “Please allow me to set some small fires and kill some people within the palace.”
When he spoke of setting fires, small flames seemed to ignite in his eyes as well.
Someone was currently killing and setting fires outside the palace, hoping to attract the attention and response of someone inside.
So when he also ignited flames, would it draw both the person outside the palace and the person inside to come fluttering like moths to flame?
…
The royal palace was vast. How many people actually lived in its pavilions and towers, even Zhou Tong, the head eunuch managing palace prohibitions, probably didn’t know.
So even if there were a few extra people, as long as they hid carefully, it would be difficult to discover them quickly.
The Fuyun Palace in the northwest corner of the royal palace housed several unfavored princesses – mostly those whose mothers were of humble birth or had died. They lived quietly in this corner of the palace, leading very desolate lives. The Fushui Great King had many children. These neglected princesses – many he hadn’t seen for years, let alone visited.
With low status and no regard, in the most calculating place that was the palace, they inevitably faced climbing high and stepping low. The princesses naturally were very sensible, usually keeping their doors closed to live their lives. With no one to flatter or court them, it was most peaceful. Over time, it became a forgotten corner of the royal palace.
The night was already deep. Palace lanterns were still moving along the covered walkways. From the movement patterns of these lanterns, the lamp-bearer was coming from the Queen’s Fengyi Palace toward the Great King’s Longpan Palace.
Palace guards who saw this lantern all turned their faces away with familiar indifference, not questioning this person who dared wander the palace at midnight. Because they all knew that only Lady Ye, a female official beside the Queen, possessed this privilege. She was also the Inner Palace Grand Manager and the “companion” of Zhou Tong, the head eunuch who commanded the Tianluo Army with overwhelming power.
So-called “companions” were nominal marriages formed between palace maids and eunuchs to dispel loneliness. Zhou Tong and Lady Ye were different – Zhou Tong had taken a fancy to this most capable chief palace maid beside the Queen. To win over Zhou Tong, the Queen had bestowed her confidant upon him. This was royal grace, so naturally their status was different.
Every night after Lady Ye finished serving the Queen to bed, she would go to Zhou Tong’s quarters to rest. This was known throughout the palace. So only she could move freely through the palace at midnight.
From the Queen’s bedchamber to Zhou Tong’s residence required passing Fuyun Palace. Few people noticed that the palace lantern suddenly disappeared when passing Fuyun Palace.
A quarter hour later, under the flickering lamplight of Fuyun Palace, Qiu Jinfeng moved his hand away from Lady Ye’s wrist pulse and smiled: “The blood hemorrhage has stopped. The rest is just slowly nourishing the body. Let me prescribe another formula for you, madam.”
Lady Ye rose and thanked him gracefully. Qiu Jinfeng smiled modestly and repeatedly said he dared not accept such thanks.
Qiu Jinfeng had been staying in this palace for several days. Many things could be called coincidental opportunities or deliberate arrangements. That day when he, Gong Yin, and Yelu Qi changed disguises and were “captured” by the Tianluo Army, after walking for several days on the road, Gong Yin had somewhat recovered. After Yelu Qi pretended to use Qiu Jinfeng’s prescriptions to cure several Tianluo soldiers’ injuries and gained preferential treatment, his wounds gradually healed. By the time they entered the royal city, Gong Yin and Yelu Qi had recovered considerably. At this point they could have left, but those two refused and directly followed into the palace. The Tianluo Army was to turn the prisoners over to Zhou Tong. Zhou Tong had no time while serving the Emperor, but Lady Ye saw the three men first.
That day Lady Ye appeared flustered, which caught Gong Yin’s attention. After his reminder, Qiu Jinfeng carefully examined Lady Ye and discovered she was actually pregnant.
A palace maid married to a eunuch couldn’t possibly be pregnant. Not only would this be a death sentence if known by the Great King and Queen, Lady Ye feared Zhou Tong even more. Eunuchs were physically deficient and usually psychologically twisted as well. If Zhou Tong learned she had secretly liaised with guards and become pregnant, Lady Ye knew her fate would be a hundred times worse than death.
In her panic, not daring to seek imperial physicians and knowing Zhou Tong had various strange medicines, she had come to find medicine to consume randomly. This resulted in unstoppable bleeding. It was in such desperate circumstances that she encountered the captured Qiu Jinfeng, Gong Yin, and Yelu Qi.
Qiu Jinfeng immediately identified her problem and provided a solution. At this critical moment of life and death, Lady Ye was willing to try anything. She immediately followed Qiu Jinfeng’s requirements, falsely transmitted Zhou Tong’s orders to keep the three men in the palace. Afterward, she never told Zhou Tong about this but quietly transferred the three to the remote Fuyun Palace. The several mistresses of Fuyun Palace were timid and afraid, usually eager to flatter her – how would they dare gossip? Moreover, Fuyun Palace was very quiet, making it the perfect place to hide people.
Lady Ye had been in the palace long, was the Queen’s confidant, and was the companion of the Great King’s trusted eunuch. Her status in the palace was arguably higher than those several princesses. Under her concealment, the men had settled peacefully in Fuyun Palace.
Now Lady Ye’s health was gradually improving, and her mood had brightened considerably. When she rose to take leave, she smiled and said: “The palace has been troubled recently. If you gentlemen have recovered, it would be best to leave early.”
“Naturally.” Qiu Jinfeng said: “My friends’ injuries have also improved greatly. Thanks to your aid, madam. Staying longer would likely cause trouble for both others and ourselves. We’re preparing to leave the palace.”
“That would be best.” Lady Ye smiled sweetly and left Fuyun Palace with graceful steps.
But once she turned around, her expression darkened and she quickened her pace. After leaving Fuyun Palace, two black shadows quietly followed.
“Tonight. This very night.” Lady Ye continued walking without stopping, slowly saying: “If these three men still haven’t left after tonight, kill them.”
“Yes.”
The two shadows hurriedly departed. Lady Ye gazed at the night sky with a mocking smile at the corner of her lips.
She had risked everything to keep these three men to save her own life. Now that her life was saved, keeping them would mean losing it.
The royal city had been unsettled recently. Who could guarantee it wasn’t related to these men? How could she continue harboring them?
She quickened her pace toward Zhou Tong’s quarters, thus failing to notice that behind her, the door of Fuyun Palace wasn’t tightly closed, and a figure flashed past.
Qiu Jinfeng watched her leave with furrowed brows. He rose to find Gong Yin and Yelu Qi to discuss leaving the royal palace quickly. Staying here meant danger at every step – heaven knew what those two were thinking.
He walked out the door where a slender figure stood in the corridor. Qiu Jinfeng recognized this as one of the princesses of this palace, though he didn’t know her title. Since Lady Ye had arranged for him to stay in the north wing of this palace with the understanding that he would have no contact with these princesses, he merely bowed slightly and prepared to go around her.
But that figure suddenly stepped forward and said in a thin voice: “This young master, I have urgent news to convey to you and the other two young masters.”
Qiu Jinfeng stopped, feeling somewhat uncomfortable. He knew that since Gong Yin and Yelu Qi had moved in, though they lived far away and minded their own business with the princesses, there were occasional encounters. Each time they met, the burning gazes those young women fixed on those two made him feel quite invisible.
This feeling was coming again, because though this young woman was speaking to him, her eyes were fixed on the window of the room where Gong Yin and Yelu Qi lived.
“Telling me now would be the same,” Qiu Jinfeng forced a smile.
“No.” The young woman refused quite decisively, still staring at Gong Yin’s quarters as she slowly said: “I have very important news concerning your lives and deaths. But before telling you, I hope you’ll agree to one condition.”