The Jianghu of Feng Qingcheng and Mo Xibei - Chapter 99
However, Mo Xibei quickly realized what he had been feeling was wrong. The area they had just passed was a row of palaces in the Western Six Palaces, primarily inhabited by the emperor's concubines. Even though the emperor's reign was short and he hadn't officially appointed many, these palaces were always occupied, and each one housed a considerable number of people. But today, no matter where they passed, they couldn't hear a sound. Were they all so sound asleep that, apart from slight breathing, they didn't even move an inch? How strange.
So, Mo Xibei gestured to Chu Junfeng, and the two quietly jumped off the roof. Mo Xibei obediently stepped back, knowing the difficulty of opening the door. They randomly entered a side room, where several eunuchs were sprawled out asleep, still holding unfinished wine, and with a considerable amount of leftover food on the table. They looked as if they had fallen asleep while eating. Chu Junfeng gently checked their breathing and then felt the pulse of one of them before softly saying to Mo Xibei, "They're all alive. It seems they've been drugged."
Mo Xibei nodded, and the two of them leaped over the palace wall and jumped into another palace. The situation here was similar to the one before, but the palace maids were already asleep, lying head to head together, their breathing slightly slower than usual. Mo Xibei casually nudged them, but none of them woke up.
"To knock out so many people at once, the workload for one night must be considerable." Mo Xibei sighed. To keep so many people asleep all night, the other side must have invested a lot of manpower. However, if she were to do this job, she would definitely put the sleeping pills in the food. But what dosage would be needed to make people work normally after eating and then fall into a deep sleep at the normal time of sleep? That would be very tricky. Unless one is an expert with extremely profound knowledge of drugs, it would be very difficult to control the dosage.
"Everyone is asleep like they're dead. It seems they really did make their move. Let's go to the emperor's bedchamber." Chu Junfeng smiled bitterly. Mo Xibei might not know about such a drugging technique, but he understood it all too well. Looking across the world, apart from Liu Haiyang, who was known as a divine physician, no one else could be thought to have such abilities.
For a moment, he wanted to back down, to walk away, to not think about it or look at it, and to let everything that was about to happen have nothing to do with him. But how could he pretend that nothing had happened just because he didn't want to think about it or look at it?
He had always thought that Tian Xin only wanted to surpass him and enjoy fame and fortune. But now, he had to admit that he had underestimated Tian Xin. If that was all Tian Xin wanted, he should have given up long ago. But not only did he not give up, he also brought out that person. No, if he had misjudged Tian Xin, then had he also misjudged that person? Wasn't all of this what they had actually wanted?
"What are you standing there for? Let's go." Mo Xibei was also lost in thought. After taking a few steps, he turned back, only to find Chu Junfeng still standing in the same spot. "Or is it that you've thought of something?"
"Northwest," Chu Junfeng said with a wry smile, "If I told you that this matter is more dangerous than you can imagine, what would you do?"
"Just do what needs to be done." Mo Xibei's answer was ambiguous. The night was too dark; although they were only a few steps apart, he couldn't see her face clearly. "Life and death, there are only two outcomes. How will you know if you don't try?" Mo Xibei's voice didn't stop in the darkness.
"Yes, life and death, what joy is there in life and what fear is there in death? Let's go." Chu Junfeng felt a pang of pain in his heart. He quietly raised his hand to his lips and took a few steps to catch up with Mo Xibei.
Volume 3, Chapter 34: Chaos
Unlike the utter silence of the Western Six Palaces, Mo Xibei, standing atop the main hall of the Kunning Palace, could see the Qianqing Palace brightly lit in the distance. Of course, the brightly lit area in the dead of night was not the main hall, but rather the rear warm pavilion where the emperor resided.
Inside the back warm pavilion, not only were the lights on, but there were even figures moving back and forth.
However, Mo Xibei and Chu Junfeng could not go over immediately because the area around Qianqing Palace was almost entirely guarded by soldiers dressed as imperial guards. Furthermore, there was no cover around Qianqing Palace, so even a bird couldn't possibly fly in silently, let alone two grown men.
"This looks like a problem. There aren't usually this many guards here, are there?" Chu Junfeng asked Mo Xibei quietly.
“I usually only go around the East and West Six Palaces, I’ve never been here before,” Mo Xibei shook his head. “But this is the inner court, and there are always concubines coming and going. So many guards are men, how could they stay here every day?”
"Then how do we get in and see what's going on?" Chu Junfeng shifted slightly before speaking. Mo Xibei unintentionally moved closer, a faint fragrance lingering in the air. This close proximity was something he had always looked forward to, but just now, his inner energy had suddenly become chaotic, his blood surging uncontrollably, and he almost fell off the roof of the main hall. "Forced entry isn't out of the question, but we don't know what's inside. Being too reckless might lead to mistakes," Mo Xibei had been thinking, but then suddenly received a hint. "Wait a minute."
After about the time it takes to eat a meal, Mo Xibei returned, now dressed in the uniform of an inner court guard. He carried a set of clothes in one hand and tossed them to Chu Junfeng, indicating that he should put them on.
As Chu Junfeng was getting dressed, he saw Mo Xibei had already flipped over and jumped to the ground. He then threw the things he was carrying in his other hand toward the Qianqing Palace.
Something hit the ground with a muffled thud, then exploded with a loud hiss; such a sound naturally attracted everyone's attention.
The person standing outside the Qianqing Palace remained motionless, glancing slightly to the side but not even turning their head.
However, what happened next made it impossible for them to remain indifferent.
As soon as the explosion subsided and the smoke cleared, several monkeys kept in the palace for amusement somehow broke free and rushed out. They were already upon us, seemingly terrified, pouncing on us, scratching and biting. Behind them, several Western-bred pugs, brought as tribute, also rushed in panic, darting and barking through the human wall of guards.
"The Empress Dowager has arrived! Open the door quickly!" Just then, outside the Yuehua Gate, a eunuch's soft voice called out.
"Stand still!" someone shouted, but it was too late. The pug could be kicked aside easily. But the monkeys were agile and difficult to deal with. As the smoke cleared, the neat formation was disrupted. Someone rushed over and, with a swift stroke, cleaved a monkey in two with a squeak. Seeing the situation was dire, the other monkeys scattered in panic.
"You're all useless! I told you not to move, are you all deaf?" The man who killed the monkeys had an extremely hoarse and unpleasant voice. His shout made everyone tremble involuntarily. "Go and get your 40 lashes later."
“Commander, we haven’t left our original positions. This was all very sudden, and the monkey and dog came in such a strange way. Why are you so angry?” Most of the inner court guards were sons of powerful and wealthy families. These young masters rarely had to work such hard night shifts, and they were already full of resentment. When they heard that the commander, who had only been there for a few days, wanted them to be punished, some of them immediately became dissatisfied.
"Useless trash, can't even handle a monkey, yet talks so much." The man called the commander sneered. "You, take another 40 lashes later, then who has anything to say?"
The crowd, which had been so agitated moments before, fell silent instantly. Everyone straightened their backs again, not daring to look at the wounds inflicted by the monkeys. They all stared straight ahead. Seeing that the intimidation had worked, the commander stomped his foot heavily and quickly turned to walk towards the Moonflower Gate to see why the Empress Dowager had suddenly come to call for the palace gate in the middle of the night.
Meanwhile, in the main hall of Qianqing Palace, Chu Junfeng and Mo Xibei were already lying in wait in the brightly lit rear pavilion. They had changed into guards' uniforms as a precaution, but it seemed the guards stationed here were genuine palace guards, not the notoriously difficult martial arts practitioners – a pleasant surprise. Carefully lifting the colorful glazed tiles, they moved them aside piece by piece, allowing dappled light to filter through the palace walls. The entire process was completely silent. Mo Xibei, watching Chu Junfeng's skillful operation, felt a quiet admiration for a long time.
"Your son greets Your Majesty!" A somewhat languid and weak voice rang out. From Mo Xibei's angle, he couldn't see inside the room, but he could guess that Empress Dowager Jiang must have entered the inner chamber.
"No one's on the second floor." At this moment, Chu Junfeng quietly pulled Mo Xibei, and first slid down from under the eaves, deftly opening a small window and sliding inside.
"No need, it's so late, why isn't the Emperor resting yet?" Empress Dowager Jiang's voice was still elegant, but she couldn't hide her fatigue.
"I haven't finished reading today's memorials yet," the Emperor replied. "Mother, you haven't rested either. It's so late, has something happened?" "Mother was asleep, but I dreamt of your father. He kept telling me he was worried about you, so I woke up with a start and came to check on you. Just now, I heard a commotion among the guards outside. Is something wrong?" Empress Dowager Jiang asked.
"No, son didn't hear anything?" The emperor seemed taken aback, and after a while said, "It's late at night. I'm fine. Mother, you should go back to the palace to rest early."
"No rush, what kind of incense is burning in your room?" Empress Dowager Jiang suddenly asked.
"What else could it be but ambergris incense?" the emperor replied quickly, then called out with a hint of urgency and annoyance, "Empress Dowager!"
Mo Xibei and Chu Junfeng were hiding in a room on the second floor when they heard chaotic footsteps on the first floor, followed by the sound of tearing silk.
"What is this? What are you doing here?... Emperor, your mother told you about alchemy... You... How could you..." Empress Dowager Jiang's voice suddenly rose several decibels, filled with anger.
Volume 3, Chapter 35: The Red Pill (Part 1)
"This humble Taoist greets the Empress Dowager!" A third voice quickly echoed from the inner chambers. It was humble, yet subtly contained an inexplicable arrogance and ruthlessness. Mo Xibei and Chu Junfeng were both stunned, staring at each other in disbelief at hearing such a voice here. Murong Xiu, the Murong family's chief steward, had never appeared again, leading many to believe he was dead. "In the dead of night, a Taoist priest remains in the inner court. Do you have no regard for the laws of the Ming Dynasty?" Empress Dowager Jiang's breathing was rapid; even from the second floor, Mo Xibei could hear it.
"Your Majesty, I am a monk, outside the Three Realms and outside the Five Elements. In my eyes, everywhere and everyone is empty, so I do not feel that I violate the law," Murong Xiu replied leisurely.
"Mother, Master Shao was invited into the palace by your son. The laws of the Ming Dynasty do not say that the emperor is not allowed to keep a Taoist priest in the palace late at night." The emperor's voice already revealed his impatience. "Mother, your son has important matters to attend to. You should return to the palace to rest."
"The Emperor has grown up and has his own opinions on everything. I shouldn't say much, but does the Emperor know that you, with the help of Taoist priests, have been tormenting these palace maids in the dead of night? If this gets out, how will you face the world?" Empress Dowager Jiang's voice softened, with a hint of tears in it, appealing to her emotions.
"The emperor is the Son of Heaven, ruling over the four seas. Now he only needs a little of their menstrual blood to refine elixirs. What's the big deal? Is it worth spreading?" Master Shao interjected.
"Who do you think you are, interrupting me when I'm speaking to the Emperor?" Empress Dowager Jiang roared. "You want a little bit of their menstrual blood? Do you think I'm completely oblivious to what's happening outside the palace? I ask you, what are those palace maids who bled to death and were abandoned in the outskirts of the capital? How did they die? How can there be such dog servants as you around the Emperor?"
"Enough, Empress Dowager!" The Emperor's voice suddenly rose a few decibels. "I understand what you've said, Empress Dowager. Once this batch of pills is finished, I will no longer allow anyone to refine pills in the palace. Now, the pills will be ready soon. I still need to make some preparations with Master Shao to avoid any failure at the last minute. If you don't want to go back to the palace to rest yet, please sit for a while."
Empress Dowager Jiang clutched her chest in anger, but could only watch helplessly as the emperor turned around and sat cross-legged with the Taoist priest beside the alchemy furnace. After a moment, the furnace was opened, the elixir was made, and when it was poured out, it was found to be a pill the size of a longan, each one with a rosy color and glistening under the lamplight.
"The medicine will be most effective when it is fully prepared. I humbly request Your Majesty to take it as soon as possible." Master Shao presented the elixir, while the clever young Taoist boy, who was fanning himself, handed him a cup of water.