Aoyama

Inside Kunning Palace, the Empress was still drinking alone.

She sat at the table, sipping her drink slowly.

As agreed, Xu Xi would return to Kunning Palace to report that Bai Li was safe after sending Bai Li out of Xuanwu Gate. She could only sleep peacefully after Xu Xi told her in person that Bai Li had left the palace.

But before she could see Xu Xi, she was greeted by Wu Xiu and Xie Fanwei.

The Empress turned to see Wu Xiu hurrying towards her, while the Jie Fan Guards behind Wu Xiu did not enter Kunning Palace, but dispersed around the palace, surrounding it completely.

Wu Xiu stood alone outside the threshold of the main hall, lifted the hem of his official robe and knelt down: "Your subject Wu Xiu pays respects to Your Majesty the Empress."

The Empress did not allow Wu Xiu to rise, but said calmly, "Lord Wu has been very courteous, so you must have something important to discuss with me?"

Wu Xiu knelt on the ground: "Your Majesty, I received intelligence that someone was trying to help Zhu Baili escape from the palace. I went to Jingyang Palace to check just now and heard that Your Majesty invited her to Kunning Palace... I was afraid that the villains would cause trouble in Kunning Palace to kidnap Baili, so I came to check immediately. Seeing that Your Majesty is unharmed, I am relieved."

The Empress smiled and asked, "And then?"

Wu Xiulang said loudly, "This woman is the descendant of a disgraced official. His Majesty ordered her to cultivate Taoism in Jingyang Palace, hoping that she would accumulate merit and virtue and resolve her own burdens. According to His Majesty's decree, this woman should stay in Jingyang Palace for a long time and should not stay in Kunning Palace any longer. Please hand over this woman, Your Highness, and I will take her back to Jingyang Palace immediately."

The Empress was not angry. Instead, she smiled and said, "Since it is His Majesty's decree, then take her back to Jingyang Palace. However, Lord Wu, please wait a moment. I accidentally spilled some wine on her just now, and she is changing clothes in the West Warm Pavilion. Once she is ready, would it be alright for you to take her away?"

Wu Xiu knelt on the ground, replying without raising his head: "Your subject obeys the decree."

Time passed slowly, and the Empress calmly drank to buy time. The longer she could delay Wu Xiu, the more chances the white carp had to survive.

But Wu Xiu didn't urge him. He knelt outside the vermilion threshold with a calm and composed demeanor, his back and waist not trembling at all, as if victory was in his grasp.

The Empress became suspicious, wondering where Wu Xiusheng's plan came from.

Gradually, the sound of hurried footsteps filled the air outside the palace, and the Forbidden City awoke. People carrying lanterns moved back and forth along the palace paths, remaining silent. These people never entered the Kunning Palace, deliberately avoiding everything within its walls.

The Empress couldn't help but look outside the palace, hoping to see if Xu Xi had returned, but she waited and waited without seeing him. Only the pale moonlight and the golden glazed tile roof shone outside.

Was it because Xu Xi saw that the guards were blocking the Kunning Palace and dared not approach it?

Or did something unexpected happen?

The Empress's heart sank to the bottom.

Just then, the voice of a young eunuch striking a drum rang out from outside the palace: "Bei Chen is in the right position!"

It's midnight.

Chaotic footsteps sounded outside Kunning Palace; many people had arrived.

The empress slowly raised her wine cup to her lips to conceal her expression.

Wu Xiu suddenly said, "Your Majesty, please take care of your health and refrain from drinking too much."

The Queen ignored her and continued to raise her cup.

But Wu Xiu changed the subject: "Your Majesty, I could have stayed a little longer, but no matter how long it goes on, you won't be able to send the person you want to send off, and what's meant to happen will happen."

The Empress's hand, which was raising its cup, froze in mid-air: "What does Lord Wu mean by this?"

The next moment, Consort Xue appeared at the entrance of Kunning Palace with a group of maids and eunuchs. Tonight, she was dressed in a nine-bird pheasant robe and a nine-bird pheasant crown, as if she were attending a grand ceremony that she had been waiting for for many years.

When the Empress saw the person behind Consort Xue, she suddenly stood up, and her wine cup fell to the ground and shattered into white porcelain.

She was shocked to see that behind Consort Xue, two short, stocky old women were escorting Bai Li, who was supposed to leave, and a young eunuch was carrying the dying Xu Xi.

how come?
Shouldn't the white carp have left the palace before 9:45 PM? How did it end up in Consort Xue's hands? Why was Consort Xue dressed in such finery, as if she had planned this all along?

If Bai Li was intercepted at Xuanwu Gate, why did Consort Xue delay until midnight to see her?
What exactly happened during that one hour?
When Consort Xue came before the Empress, the peony dotted with rouge on her brow was exceptionally bright red.

She asked with a smile, "I heard that you invited this woman to Kunning Palace, but how did she get captured at Xuanwu Gate? I didn't expect that this woman, who was cultivating in Jingyang Palace, actually became a high-ranking official. It took quite a bit of effort to capture her."

The Queen took a deep breath: "Release her."

"As you command," Consort Xue said, raising her hand slightly, and the old woman released Bai Li.

When Bai Li came to her side, the Empress immediately grasped her wrist and pulled her behind her for protection.

Consort Xue smiled nonchalantly: "Empress, you are still protecting this daughter of a disgraced official even now. You are truly beautiful and kind-hearted. Of course, as the head of the six palaces, you can protect whomever you want in this harem... However, there are other matters to attend to tonight. We can only sleep peacefully after these matters are settled."

The Empress gripped Bai Li's wrist tightly and asked calmly, "What is it?"

Consort Xue said calmly, "This woman colluded with Xu Xi, the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Wardrobe, and impersonated Wang Wenbiao, the head of the Imperial Wardrobe, in an attempt to escape the palace. She and Xu Xi have been found, but Wang Wenbiao is still nowhere to be found. He must still be hiding in the palace. We need to search there. We have searched all other places, but he is not there. Only Your Majesty's Kunning Palace remains."

The next moment, Wu Xiu gave Xie Fanwei a wink, and Xie Fanwei swarmed forward.

Aunt Yuan Jin stepped in front of the threshold and said coldly, "You want to search Kunning Palace? Let's see who dares to do that. Don't they all want to live?"

"Aunt Yuan Jin, are you going to defy the imperial decree?" Consort Xue slowly took out a folded ochre-yellow document from her sleeve: "By order of His Majesty, search the palace and find Wang Wenbiao!"

The Empress stood there, stunned. No wonder Consort Xue didn't appear until midnight; it turned out that after catching the white carp, she hadn't come to Kunning Palace rashly, but instead went to Renshou Palace to request an imperial decree. Seeing the Empress standing there dumbfounded, Consort Xue took the initiative to step over the high, vermilion threshold and placed the ochre-yellow edict from Emperor Ning in her hands: "Your Majesty, please take a look."

The Empress released Bai Li, lowered her eyes and remained silent for a long time. Consort Xue did not urge her either. Now that the Emperor's edict was in hand, no one could disobey or obstruct it. Victory was assured.

After a long while, the Empress suddenly said softly, "He actually allowed you to search my palace."

Consort Xue was taken aback, as if she thought she had misheard: "What did Your Majesty say?"

The Empress pulled Bai Li aside and whispered, "Search."

Bai Li watched as the Empress's profile was bathed in a silvery glow by the moonlight, her eyelashes trembling slightly.

At this moment, the Jiefan Guards rushed into Kunning Palace. Aunt Yuan Jin turned to the Empress and said, "Your Majesty, you must not. You should go and explain this matter to His Majesty."

The Empress gently shook her head: "Let them search."

Aunt Yuan Jin hesitated for a moment, but eventually made way for her.

The guards rushed into Kunning Palace, and before half an incense stick's time had passed, someone shouted loudly in the West Warm Pavilion: "Found it!"

The Empress turned her head and saw that the guards were escorting a man whose face was covered in blood out of the West Warm Pavilion. The man had a cut between his eyebrows, as if he had a third eye, from which blood was flowing.

Consort Xue looked at the man, who was covered in blood, and said with disgust, "How did he get into this state? Clean his face."

Jie Fanwei wiped the blood off the man's face, but the Empress subconsciously exchanged a glance with Aunt Yuan Jin, because this man was not Wang Wenbiao, nor did he resemble Bai Li by eight points.

But in that West Warm Pavilion, where only Wang Wenbiao was hiding, everything had changed. Aunt Yuan Jin wanted to examine him, but before she could even reach Jie Fanwei, she saw Wang Wenbiao vomit a mouthful of black blood and immediately stop breathing.

Committed suicide?
Dead soldier?

At this moment, a guard looked at Wu Xiu and said, "Sir, I have seen Wang Wenbiao before, but this man looks completely different from Wang Wenbiao. He is not Wang Wenbiao."

Consort Xue feigned surprise and asked, "Isn't it the head eunuch of the Imperial Wardrobe, Wang Wenbiao? How come there are other men in Her Majesty's Kunning Palace?"

Aunt Yuan Jin's expression changed; something was wrong!

Consort Xue said slowly and deliberately, "If this person is not Wang Wenbiao, then which eunuch from which department or office could he be? Has anyone seen him before?"

Jie Fanwei clasped his hands and said, "Your Highness, I have never seen you before."

Consort Xue was even more surprised: "Could it be a man from outside the palace? Examine him."

Aunt Yuan Jin was about to stop them, but the Empress stopped her, saying in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, there's a trap. We can't let them examine me like this!"

The Queen said softly, "It's too late. He still knows what I care about most, just like he did back then... Let them be."

Aunt Yuan Jin stood there, stunned.

……

……

Consort Xue gave Wu Xiu a wink, and Wu Xiu waved lightly at Xie Fanwei: "Take her to a secluded place for a physical examination, lest she offend the noble lady's eyes."

Jie Fanwei carried the man's body to the West Warm Pavilion, pulled down his pants, and then exclaimed in shock, "This...this person wasn't cleaned up!"

Consort Xue covered her mouth, looking at the Empress in disbelief: "Sister actually hid a man in Kunning Palace!"

The Empress showed no panic or surprise, but smiled and said, "I finally understand. No wonder it was such a coincidence that you were able to find someone who looked eight parts like Bai Li. No wonder you intercepted Bai Li at Xuanwu Gate. No wonder Lord Wu Xiu was so confident of victory. It turns out you came here for me from the very beginning."

This is a game.

The Empress once said that with the Hu family as her backing, as long as she didn't disgrace the imperial family's dignity or violate ancestral laws, no one could do anything to her. Her opponents knew this, so they prepared a deadly trap for her.

When someone discovered that the Empress was searching for someone in the common people who resembled the white carp, they guessed what the Empress was up to and quietly laid the groundwork, waiting for the truth to be revealed tonight.

Tonight, the Empress herself walked in every step. Wu Xiu and the others knew where Bai Li was, but they pretended not to know and went to Jingyang Palace, searching step by step all the way to Kunning Palace. They did every step very thoroughly. Even if someone knew that this was a trap they had set for the Empress, they would not be able to find any evidence against them.

Once everything was settled, Consort Xue went to Renshou Palace to obtain the imperial edict.

The only thing the Empress and Aunt Yuan Jin couldn't understand was how Wang Wenbiao, a castrated eunuch, could transform into a man who hadn't been castrated. Was it disguise? But what kind of disguise could fake a person's physique, let alone disguise an uncastrated man as a castrated eunuch?

The Empress turned around and touched Bai Li's cheek: "I'm sorry, I'm the one who dragged you into this, I couldn't see you out."

The white carp cried and said, "No, no."

The Empress whispered again, "When they captured you just now, did they hurt you?"

Bai Li quickly shook her head: "No."

The Empress hummed in agreement and turned to look at Wu Xiu: "You are not qualified to deal with me. I want to see His Majesty."

Wu Xiu left, but returned a moment later, bowing and saying, "Your Majesty, His Majesty is resting." (End of Chapter)