Knife splashing

Chapter 564: Night Visit to the Harem
Stealth assassination in the palace is extremely difficult.

The first thing is the architecture, with high walls and large courtyards, and a wide view. If you go to the imperial palace in the capital, the various corridors outside are almost like a maze.

When the previous dynasty was prosperous, there were jokes about assassins getting lost outside the palace.

Although the Prince of Shu's Palace is not as big as the Imperial Palace, it is arranged in the same way. The courtyard is wide and there are no obstacles. No matter where you run, you will be seen.

Copper vats are buried under the floor tiles of several halls for sound amplification.

Alarm bells are hidden in key places.

The Shu king's personal guards were all experts. The soldiers on patrol and garrison followed the "passing chips on duty system", exchanging dozens of waist badges during each shift.

Now that we have firearms, it is even more troublesome. Once we are discovered and the gong sounds, we will be besieged by muskets within ten breaths.

In addition, palace maids had to carry out "food supervision", and there were even special "tile eunuchs" to monitor any unusual movements on the roof.

In short, it looks majestic and open, but in fact it is dangerous at every step.

There are also many defenses for the Xuanmen monks.

With the help of the Eight Generals of the Outer Altar, Li Yan pushed his escape technique to its limit, completely concealing his figure, and even using the Dragon Snake Plate to conceal his Qi.

In this situation, let alone the patrolling guards, even the more advanced Taoist monks would not be able to find him with their magical powers.

But when he was about to reach the harem, Li Yan felt a tightness on his back, and he stopped, slowly turned around, and looked in the direction of Duanli Gate.

He could feel that there were forces over there watching him, majestic and solemn, with a strong smell of incense, like the vast mountains and rivers, like the stars, the sun and the moon, without emotion, but containing everything...

It is the Shu Palace that worships secular gods!

If I remember correctly, there are two large courtyards in front of Duanli Gate. The left ones are Shanchuan Altar and Sheji Altar, and the right one is Ancestral Temple.

These are national sacrifices.

From the sun, moon and stars to the mountains, rivers and the country, there are also the ancestors of the Daxuan Dynasty and the meritorious officials who entered the Martyrs' Shrine.

The ritual instruments enshrined inside will become national sacred instruments as long as the incense and sacrifice time is sufficient.

Of course, that was in the capital.

The altars of state and religion in mountains and rivers across China are similar to the eyes of an array, with the altar of state and religion in the capital being the main one, and they cannot form a sacred vessel for national sacrifice.

There is only one reason for this to happen.

The King of Shu no longer offered sacrifices to his ancestors.

The palace's temple began to become separated from the capital.

This is a big event. Many wars recorded in history books are directly or indirectly related to it.

During the Shang Dynasty, the ruler of the Ge State did not worship his ancestors and was disrespectful to them. Shang Tang attacked them and won the support of the people of the world...

The Battle of Bachu, this is also one of the reasons...

Is the King of Shu going to rebel completely?
Li Yan was confused but not panicked.

Whether it is a religious sect, a palace or a temple, or a place like the Shu King's Palace, worshiping secular gods is also an important form of protection.

For others, it's a big problem.

But for Li Yan, it was not a problem at all.

He took out the hook from his bosom, and at the same time, he stretched out the middle finger of his left hand, pinched the horizontal line of the middle finger with his index finger and thumb, and bent his ring finger and little finger in the palm of his hand.

This is the Secret of the Heavenly Official, symbolizing the majesty of the Heavenly Emperor.

The heavenly officials evaluated the sins and virtues, and the gods on earth retreated.

In just a moment, those thoughts quickly faded away.

Bell~
The copper bell on the eaves of the ancestral temple of the Prince of Shu's mansion rang softly.

There was a Taoist priest meditating and guarding the temple in the hall. He raised his head slightly when he heard the voice.

"Brother, what's wrong?"

The Taoist priest who was refilling lamp oil at the back turned around and asked.

"Nothing, maybe it's just the strong wind."

The meditating Taoist looked outside and sighed.

Taoist Tianyou came over, also looked outside, and sat down with a worried look on his face, "Brother, is the prince not coming this year?"

The meditating Taoist shook his head slightly, "The prince is not in good health, so we will take care of it, but the money allocated is a bit too much."

"It's not about the money."

Taoist Tianyou was a little anxious, "If this goes on, something bad will happen. How about we send a message to the capital..."

Before he could finish his words, the meditating Taoist gave him a fierce glare.

"Don't meddle in other people's business, saving your life is the most important thing!"

"At a time like this, showing up means death. We are insignificant, and if the sky falls, there is someone taller to hold it up..."

Without mentioning the thoughts of these two Taoists, after Li Yan forced the secular god away, he also came to the outside of the palace wall. He exerted a little force on his body and flew into the air like a raccoon climbing a tree. With the help of the two, he jumped onto the top of the wall.

He crouched down and looked around.

The area of ​​this harem is quite large, occupying half of the Shu Palace. There are two palaces in the center, and six palaces on the east and west sides.

On the westernmost side, there is a whole row of houses and courtyards, which should be where the eunuchs and maids in the palace live and work.

On the northeast side, there is a large garden and a small lake.

It was already evening, the sky was covered with darkness, the moon was dim and the stars were sparse. Compared with the bustling Chengyun Hall in front, this place seemed a bit deserted.

It can even be said that there is no festive atmosphere at all.

The two palaces in the center were pitch black, without even a red lantern hanging, while the two palaces on the east and west sides were somewhat bright and somewhat dark.

Li Yan frowned slightly, somewhat confused.

He only forced the secular god to retreat, which delayed him for a short while, but how come that demon Situ Qian had already disappeared without a trace?

Moreover, there is not even any residual smell.

Li Yan was puzzled when he suddenly looked up and saw a familiar figure. It was the great prince, who was led by his guards and holding a lantern, walking around the palace on the east side.

Swish!
Without any hesitation, Li Yan jumped down immediately.

He moved swiftly, like a swallow skimming the water in the air. He tapped the ground twice and then took off into the air again, landing on the east palace wall.

Blah blah blah!

Torches were burning below and a team of soldiers were patrolling by.

They were leading fierce dogs as big as calves, with straight bodies and obviously well-trained. Among the team, there was a man with slightly bulging temples and a magic rifle on his back.

They should be the Black Collar Guards under the King of Shu.

Li Yan lay on the palace wall, restraining his breath. After the team of soldiers left, he turned over and landed, touching the ground with his toes, and ran silently along the shadow of the palace wall.

He has now reached the peak of Hua Jin, and his control over various forces has become meticulous.

This series of actions was completely unworldly.

Soon, he caught up with the great prince.

The eunuch and the guards led him to the outside of a palace wall, and then they bowed respectfully and said, "Prince, the princess is waiting for you inside."

At this moment, the Grand Duke was already on guard.

He grew up in the Prince of Shu's Mansion and noticed all the anomalies along the way. He began to have doubts and even some regrets.

But now that things have come to this, I can only continue.

Looking at the lights coming out of the palace, the Grand Duke swallowed his saliva, took a step forward, and bowed respectfully through the door, saying, "Mother, I am here to see you."

"come in."

A weak and old female voice was heard from inside the palace.

Hearing this voice, the Duke felt relieved. He pushed the door open carefully and looked up.

There was a copper stove burning in the hall, and it was warm.

The eight gilded palace lanterns were all filled with large tallow candles, the lights were bright, reflecting the red lacquered beams and pillars, and there was a faint scent of sandalwood.

On the rosewood Arhat couch, a woman was reclining. She was wearing a emerald phoenix crown on her head and a scarlet jacket with cloud patterns. She had a crane-like face, white hair, and a kind expression.

It was the Princess of Shu, and there was a maid serving her.

"Mother!"

The eldest prince had not seen his mother for a long time, and he was inexplicably sad. He knelt on the ground with a feeling of grievance and cried bitterly, "I am unfilial and have not been by your side all the time. I hope you will forgive me, mother."

"Yun'er, what are you doing?" Princess Shu shook her head slightly and said softly, "You are now the head of the family. How can you cry and make people laugh at you? Why didn't my grandson come?"

Hearing this, the eldest prince suddenly looked aggrieved, and stood up and saluted, saying, "Mother, it's not that I don't want to come, but I'm blocked every time I enter the palace. How is father...his condition?"

Princess Shu shook her head and said, "I am old and always feel uncomfortable. I have already asked a famous doctor to see me..."

Listening to his babble, the Grand Duke felt a little confused. Could it be that Xiao Jinghong was talking nonsense and was trying to make fun of him?

On the other side, Li Yan rushed into the hall, looked inside through the gap, and his eyes suddenly froze.

The eldest prince thought he was chatting with his mother, but in Li Yan's eyes, it was a different scene:
I saw a paper man sitting on the bed. From the facial features to the clothes, everything was lifelike, and its mouth was opening and closing.

Behind the paper figure, a maid in white was holding a red string with her fingers, and her mouth was opening and closing, making the voice of an old woman.

The paper figurine is charming!

When Li Yan saw it, he was not surprised.

The King of Shu had already embarked on the evil path. A demon like Situ Qian could show up in front of dignitaries with such brazenness.

It is not uncommon for strange things to happen in this palace.

What made him alert was the woman.

In the world's magic, various paper figurine techniques emerge one after another. He is also good at this and has seen that this woman's magic is powerful.

Just a paper man can create such a scene, making people fall into the illusion without knowing it. I'm afraid any secret can be revealed.

Moreover, although this prince is an ordinary person, he has also practiced martial arts and has a blood jade treasure that can ward off evil spirits.

I'm afraid ordinary cultivators will also fall into the trap.

The eldest prince felt more and more aggrieved as he spoke, and even began to blame his mother for not making the decision for him and not allowing him to take the position of crown prince.

The maid who was controlling the paper man was also a little impatient. After responding with a few words, tears of blood suddenly flowed from her eyes and her mouth opened and closed.

But in the eyes of the Grand Duke, it was his mother who shook her head slightly, "Today is the Kitchen God Festival, we will talk about these later, my son must be hungry, there are some sugar melons on the table, eat them and it will be considered as celebrating the festival with mother."

The eldest prince turned his head and saw that on the table there were not only some melon seeds and preserved fruits, but also a plate of freshly steamed sugar melons.

He didn't like sweets in the first place and had never eaten any in Chengyun Palace before.

But the strange thing was that he could actually smell the sweet aroma of malt sugar mixed with sesame, which kept entering his nostrils and made his saliva flow.

The prince couldn't help but pick up one and gently bite it open.

In an instant, the amber sugar shell shattered between the teeth.

But the sweetness was mixed with a rusty smell.

Click!

Suddenly, the blood jade around his waist shattered.

The prince felt a chill in his head, and when he looked at the candy melon in his hand, he saw a thick scarlet liquid dripping through his fingers.

The candles on the table flickered, illuminating the sugar-coated melons.

All I could see were dark red threads wriggling in the cross section.

It was clearly human hair soaked in blood!
"what!"

The eldest prince was startled and the candy melon in his hand fell to the ground.

Looking ahead again, there was no "Queen Mother" at all; it was clearly a paper figure. Although it looked lifelike, it was even more eerie.

A chill rose from his heart, and the prince felt cold all over, his hands and feet became weak, and he ran out in panic.

"Ah~"

The maid in white sighed, "My dear, just be obedient. Life is like a dream, and waking up from a dream may not be a good thing~"

The tone is gentle, with a hint of opera.

It’s someone from the “Ghost Troupe” again!
Li Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, murderous intent arose in his heart.

The woman just shook her hands and red ropes flew out from her sleeves. They were so powerful that they directly wrapped around the neck and limbs of the prince.

The great prince suddenly stood still.

His eyes were full of fear, but he couldn't make any sound. Like a puppet, his body was stiff. He grabbed the remaining candy melon on the table and ate it with a crunching sound, until his mouth was full of blood.

And his eyes gradually became confused.

Having said that, the Grand Duke's shout was eventually heard outside the palace.

The eunuch in charge frowned slightly, came to the door, bowed respectfully and said, "Prince, do you have any instructions?"

The woman was not panicked at all. She raised her head and opened her mouth, and she spoke in the voice of a great prince, "It's okay. I just accidentally broke the jade pendant."

"I will find someone to clean it up right away."

"Go away, don't disturb the conversation between the prince and the queen mother!"

"Yes."

The eunuch in charge of the seal was not angry and quickly retreated.

After seeing this, Li Yan was thoughtful.

It seems that although there are many strange things in the Prince of Shu's Mansion, these eunuchs and guards are still kept in the dark.

Soon, the prince finished eating all the blood sugar melons.

The woman took out the white scroll and gently wiped the blood from his mouth, whispering, "If anyone asks, everything is normal here, nothing was found."

"Well, I didn't find anything."

The Duke's eyes immediately became clear after he said this, but he ignored the strange things around him, turned around and walked out, closing the door as he went, and said, "I have seen the Queen Mother, and will return to Chengyun Palace."

"Yes, the king of the county."

The eunuch in charge of the seal lowered his head, and took him away with the guards.

Li Yan seemed to be thinking about something and suppressed the murderous intent in his heart.

Now is not a good time to take action.

Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly stopped.

But from the shadow of the side door of the hall, a figure slowly walked out. It was Situ Qian dressed as "Zhong Kui".

The other party had no expression on his face and strode towards the hall.

The "Five Ghosts" behind him tumbled and leaped into the darkness, guarding various key positions.

Among them was a ghost, who actually ran towards Li Yan.

As he got closer, Li Yan could see more clearly.

This "little ghost" was clearly a child in disguise, but his body was painted green, his hair was red, and he had a cow horn on his head.

It seemed to have been stitched on the scalp not long ago.

The surrounding area has already become festered.

Before he got close, the evil energy came towards him.

It’s really a crooked way!
Li Yan could see that these were actually evil spirits that possessed the children, causing them to look like ghosts.

At the same time, a voice came from below.

"What went wrong?"

"Hehe, after all, you are a noble man, you must have some treasures to protect yourself, poor me who is all alone..."

"Don't talk nonsense, be careful in everything you do."

"Hehe, what's the point of being careful? The King of Shu only saw us once and then disappeared without a trace. Have you figured out the truth?"

"I can't see clearly. The old eunuch also disappeared at the same time. I'm afraid the King of Shu has already left the palace."

"You said that he regained his youth...did he really find the elixir of immortality?"

"Not sure, this King of Shu might have a big problem..."

The King of Shu is not in the palace? !

When Li Yan heard this, he was a little surprised.

But before he could think about it carefully, he felt a chill in his heart.

The letter in my arms started to heat up...

(End of this chapter)