The carriage wheels came to a stop with a rumble, and after a moment, the curtain was lifted, and the eunuch leading the way waited at the door, respectfully calling out.
Lingyan looked out through the narrow carriage door and could only see a long staircase. Only after getting off the carriage could she catch a glimpse of the entire palace above the staircase.
This isn't the rear hall; it should be the royal palace.
"His Majesty wishes to meet with a few officials first."
Seemingly sensing Lingyan's doubts, the eunuch offered a very appropriate explanation.
Inside the royal palace, the air was filled with sounds of extravagance. Women draped in thin veils danced gracefully, while a middle-aged man dressed in a black robe embroidered with dragons sat at a table, embracing several beautiful women on his left and right, laughing licentiously.
His eyes were dark and swollen, his face was black, and he was thin and bony, clearly having spent the night indulging in wine and women, which had drained his body.
The scene before them was one that none of them had ever seen before.
Ling Yan frowned, her eyes filled with undisguised disgust. Gu Zhong, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes, observing with interest this king who, in the eyes of the demons, showed no concern whatsoever and continued to sing and dance in peace.
"Your Majesty, the demon-slaying masters have arrived."
The eunuch seemed unfazed by the scene before him, speaking in a calm tone.
"Everyone, step back."
Upon hearing what the eunuch said, the man's brows twitched almost imperceptibly, as if he was enduring something. He paused, holding the wine cup to his lips, and seemed to lose interest in the food in front of him for a moment. He waved his hand impatiently and said...
"Here you go!"
The palace servants filed out, leaving only the person who had come to exorcise the demon that night and the king.
"You guys, aren't you afraid of dying?"
His words were full of disdain, clearly indicating that he did not believe that these inexperienced young people were truly capable of resolving matters within the palace.
"Did the king summon us here specifically to question us?"
Finally, Chu Cheng couldn't hold back any longer and asked.
"Ah—it's just routine—a boring routine. You're from the Imperial Preceptor's office? You seem to hold a fairly high position?"
Wang answered nonchalantly, clearly not caring at all. He casually glanced at the iconic uniform of the Imperial Preceptor's Mansion in Chu City and then fired off a barrage of questions.
"The Imperial Preceptor's Mansion would actually send you? Have you offended someone?"
"Your Majesty..."
Chu Cheng felt his blood rushing to his head and was about to explain when he was interrupted.
"Never mind, take them to the Queen. Prepare the carriage, I will go to see Lady Hu tonight."
Wang clearly didn't really want to hear Chu Cheng's answer. He asked the question without needing an answer, then issued the order and stood up unsteadily to leave.
"Please, gentlemen."
The eunuch continued to dutifully lead the way.
"This is the first time I've seen the King like this!"
Chu Cheng's words were filled with barely suppressed anger and disappointment, like a loyal subject discovering for the first time that his lord was incapable of fulfilling his duties.
"It's quite interesting. He doesn't seem like a king at all, but more like a powerless child who can only act recklessly."
Instead, Gu Zhong chuckled and offered a perspective that no one had ever considered before.
"My lord, are the King and Queen not getting along?"
Lingyan was still pondering the king's indifferent attitude towards the queen's palace, so she asked the eunuch in this way.
"Not at all. The King and Queen are naturally a loving couple."
The eunuch refuted her words, but his tone remained flat, like a routine, template answer.
"Then why does His Majesty seem indifferent to the Queen's affairs?"
If they were a loving couple, how could they remain indifferent to each other's perilous situation? Lingyan still questioned her.
"···"
The eunuch did not answer again, but simply lowered his head and hurried away.
"In this palace, isn't the one who has the least control over his own destiny the king?"
Instead, Gu Zhong's reply caused the eunuch's rhythmic steps to falter for a moment, becoming disordered.
Lingyan turned her head and looked at Gu Zhong with some confusion.
"arrive."
Before another magnificent and luxurious palace, the eunuch stopped in his tracks, refusing to take another step forward.
"This old servant will see you off here. Please take care."
After saying this, he seemed to be afraid of something, and quickly turned around and left, even faster than before.
Lingyan looked towards the rear hall, which was rumored to be occupied by demons.
Through the wide-open palace gates, one could see the busy palace maids and servants inside, busy sweeping, tending the lamps, chopping wood and changing water. Everyone was fulfilling their duties, and everything was in perfect order and normal.
Occasionally, palace maids would glance towards the doorway, seemingly puzzled by the group of people standing there, huddled together in twos and threes, whispering amongst themselves.
"The people in this palace were ordered not to leave until the Queen recovered, and they had to take good care of her, so they knew nothing about the rumors outside."
One of the disciples from the Imperial Preceptor's Mansion who came with them explained in a low voice.
"Are you gentlemen here to examine the Queen?"
An older nanny stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and cautiously asked them, her expression filled with expectation, yet also mixed with trepidation and worry, as if she feared that if the Queen did not recover, she would be trapped in this palace for the rest of her life.
"···yes."
Recalling what the disciple had just said, Lingyan knew that this was to avoid causing panic and thus preventing greater changes, so she readily agreed with the old woman's words.
"Sigh... This is the sixth batch already, and it's still no use."
A relieved smile appeared on the old woman's lips, but it quickly turned into a sorrowful one.
"The sixth batch? What about the people who came in before?"
Chu Cheng keenly grasped this number, which was the same one that Senior Brother Lu had told them.
"Those officials... after seeing the Queen, they probably knew there was nothing they could do, so they hurriedly left overnight."
The old woman sighed again, seemingly not finding it at all unreasonable for a doctor to leave overnight when unable to cure the patient.
"Is anyone allowed to enter the Queen's palace now?"
Although everyone in the palace seemed perfectly normal, Gu Zhong vaguely felt that something was amiss.
The eunuchs who escorted him to the door refused to step inside, while the palace gates were wide open and no one was seen entering or escaping—these seemed to be two distinct worlds.
The rear hall, which should have been heavily guarded, was unguarded. They walked in so casually, and no one questioned them. Instead, they were treated with great hospitality.
Indeed, she was warm and hospitable—although the old woman seemed to be worried about the Queen's condition, Gu Zhong felt that her worries were as if they were hidden behind a thick veil, very vague and ethereal.
The question left the old woman frozen in place. A gust of wind blew by, causing the candlelight in her hand to flicker.
In the dim light of the fire, the faces that were once full of sorrow, worry, and joy, the vibrant faces of the rich people, turned into mechanical, expressionless ones for a moment, coldly looking at Gu Zhong, before changing to expressions of surprise.
In that brief moment, if Gu Zhong hadn't been so certain of his ability to see in the dark, he would have doubted whether he was seeing things.
"In order to cure the Queen's illness, didn't His Majesty issue an order that any physician who is confident in their abilities may freely enter and leave the inner palace?"
The old woman asked, somewhat puzzled, her expression finally showing a hint of wariness.
"That's true, I had forgotten about it."
Gu Zhong chuckled and responded to her. Then, some vague memories surfaced in his mind, as if someone had indeed told them about this edict.
Has anyone said that? I don't remember.
Upon hearing this, Ling Yan glanced at Gu Zhong curiously, then took a half-step back, moved closer to Gu Zhong, and whispered in her ear.
Her tone was so firm that Gu Zhong raised an eyebrow in surprise, followed by a knowing glint in his eyes.
"I'm not sure anymore."
Gu Zhong replied, his words still carrying a light and cheerful smile, but his brows were filled with seriousness.
"What's the meaning?"
Ling Yan had been carefully observing Gu Zhong's expression, and upon seeing such a starkly contrasting expression, she immediately became tense.
Is there black mist above the rear hall?
Gu Zhong didn't answer her directly, but instead asked a question. This was what Senior Brother Lu had said: a disciple discovered the strange black mist above the rear hall, and only then did they realize that demons were lurking in the palace.
"Yes, I have!"
Ling Yan raised her head, touched her forehead with her right middle finger, stared at it for a long time, and then answered firmly.
"I can't see."
Gu Zhong's words startled Ling Yan.
"We're in the game—from the moment we stepped through that door."
She stopped, turned around, and looked at the still-open palace gates.
They had clearly only walked a few steps, and in the time it took to exchange a few casual words, they were already a hundred feet away from the palace gate.
In the boundless night, the yellow lanterns hanging on the palace gates swayed gently, casting no shadows on the ground.
At this moment, the thought of walking through that door again brings a feeling of powerlessness, as if even a lifetime would not be enough to reach the other shore.
"Sir, what are you looking at?"
The old woman's face, etched by the vicissitudes of time, suddenly loomed large before Gu Zhong's eyes. Her once kind and gentle wrinkles, illuminated by the candlelight, lost their warmth and became somber and cold.
The palace maids and eunuchs who were busy in the courtyard and corridors were still doing their work, but they all turned their heads to look at Gu Zhong, and they could feel their gazes.
"It's nothing, let's go."
Gu Zhong turned around, his footsteps paving the marble road heavily.
"Gu Zhong, stop dawdling, we still need to examine the Queen."
Even the usually patient Chu Cheng became impatient, while Ling Ying watched her with a gloomy face, without saying a word.
Chu Cheng never called her by her name.