Knife splashing

Chapter 687: The Royal Palace Pursues the Murderer
The sun has risen and the spring breeze brings a hint of warmth.

However, Luo Mingzi felt cold all over.

He turned his head and looked at the palace gate slowly closing behind him, and couldn't help but think of when he first came to the capital.

At that time, because he was good friends with Li Yan, he learned about Zhao Changsheng's affairs. After he reported it, it attracted attention. Priest Xuan sent an order for transfer, and the emperor personally summoned him, entrusted him with an important task, and specially selected elite troops to investigate Zhao Changsheng.

At that time, he was also full of vigor and vitality.

After all, Chang'an is not the capital, and he is not as good as those direct disciples in Chunyang Palace.

If we can capture Zhao Changsheng, we can protect the country and all our years of hard work will be worthwhile.

Who would have thought that we had only seen the tip of the iceberg.

The more you investigate, the more shocking what is revealed.

Now, the capital city has become a den of demons right under its nose, and he feels powerless.

Putting aside the distracting thoughts in his mind, Luo Mingzi quickened his pace.

After passing the Meridian Gate, Luo Mingzi was led by palace guards to the outside of the Fengtian Gate.

The square behind this gate is vast, with the "Ti'ren Pavilion" in the east and the "Hongyi Pavilion" in the west. Twelve bronze sword bells are hung on the eaves of each pavilion, corresponding to the number of the twenty-four solar terms. Whenever the bell in the Imperial Observatory rings, the sword bell of the corresponding solar term will vibrate to clear the bad luck in the palace.

In the Daxuan Dynasty, the imperial power was greater than the divine power, and the palace was decorated in an exquisite manner that far surpassed any other mysterious sects.

The court had already ended, and Luo Mingzi was the only one standing in the huge square.

After waiting for a long time, the eunuch holding the whisk came quickly and announced the order in a loud voice:

"Master Luo, His Majesty has summoned you to the Jinshen Palace."

"Thank you, father-in-law."

Luo Mingzi lowered his head in response, then followed the eunuch through the Huagai Palace.

Finally, they arrived at the Jinshen Hall.

The layout of the imperial palace strictly complies with the etiquette system, with the front court and the back bedroom, the left ancestral temple and the right altar, and the central axis being symmetrical.

The front dynasty was the government area. The Fengtian Gate that was passed before was where the emperor "held government offices at the gate". The Jinshui River in front of the gate was in the shape of a bow, symbolizing "imperial arrows to suppress evil". The five white marble bridges respectively represent "benevolence, righteousness, courtesy, wisdom and trustworthiness".

After that, there are three main halls on the central axis.

Fengtian Hall means "Fengtian Chengyun" and is the area where the emperor ascended the throne and held grand court meetings.

The central Huagai Hall represents the protection of the Jade Emperor.

The Jinshen Hall in front of us represents the emperor's self-cultivation and moral establishment. It is the place for palace examinations and banquets for vassal kings.

But on the top of the hall, there is a Chiwen holding a sword. It is the magic weapon "Zhenwu Demon-Slaying Sword" presented by Wudang Mountain. With this sword as the core of the formation, plus the incense of the Shenzhou country, not to mention ordinary cultivators, even earthly immortals will be suppressed.

Just as Luo Mingzi was about to go up the stairs, he saw an old Taoist with white beard walking out of the palace gate.

The old Taoist with white beard was dressed in gorgeous clothes, had an immortal look and wore tortoise-shell glasses on his nose. He was none other than Bai Chenshan, the director of the Imperial Observatory.

"I've met senior."

Upon seeing this, Luo Mingzi hurriedly bowed.

Bai Chenshan is one of the best Feng Shui masters in Shenzhou, and his status is not inferior to that of the leaders of major sects.

"Oh, it's Brother Luo."

Bai Chenshan looked obviously tired, and shook his head, "I just came back from Yuzhou and reported to His Majesty on the revision of the calendar."

Then he whispered, "Your Majesty seems to be in a bad mood, you should be careful."

"Thank you, senior."

Luo Mingzi quickly bowed to express his gratitude.

Only after Bai Chenshan left did he step into the hall.

Inside the hall, one can see towering vermilion lacquered pillars, beams painted with golden dragons and imperial seals, and the floor paved with "gold bricks". In the depths of the hall there is a throne carved from golden nanmu, with a rosewood screen behind it and bronze crane incense burners and enamel crane candlesticks on both sides.

Behind the dragon throne, there was originally a hanging scroll called "Imperial Mirror Illustrations", which tells stories about wise rulers in history who governed the country.

But now, it has been replaced by a huge "Map of the Seas of All Nations".

An old man in a yellow robe was looking at the map with his back to him.

He was tall, but his hair was completely white beneath his crown.

"I have met His Majesty!"

Luo Mingzi did not dare to be negligent and bowed respectfully.

The current Emperor Daxuan is named Xiao Qixuan. He has been wise and brave since he was a child. After he grew up, he eliminated the tyranny of his relatives and experienced the royal civil strife. He ascended the throne with untold hardships, and then fought wars in the south and the north to reorganize the government.

This made Daxuan, which had been in decline, regain its heyday.

It can be said that he was a truly wise ruler.

Of course, he also had a bad temper, and countless court officials died at his hands.

"Lord Luo, you are in such a hurry to enter the palace. What did you find out?"

The emperor still didn't look back, but just looked at the sea chart with a magnifying glass.

Luo Mingzi knew the emperor's temper and did not dare to neglect him, so he quickly told him the story.

The emperor paused and turned slowly.

But his face was as thin as if it had been cut by a knife or an axe, his cheekbones were as high as two hanging blades, his brow bones were raised like a sleeping dragon, the ends of his eyebrows slanted into his temples, his pupils were as black as ink dots, and looking at him was like looking at the abyss, making people dare not look directly at him.

Luo Mingzi took a look and quickly lowered his head.

Emperor Xiao Qixuan was tough and overbearing in character. Although he was not a cultivator, he was a martial arts master when he was young. He had experienced the bloody battles on the battlefield and had been in power for many years, so his aura was even more extraordinary.

The only thing is that his face looks a little pale, which shows the look of a person who has not recovered from a long illness.

"Peach Banquet..."

Xiao Qixuan slowly put down the magnifying glass and said in a cold voice: "There have been many emperors who have sought immortality throughout history, and all of them have become notorious. The poor seek wealth and honor, and when they have wealth and honor, they want immortality, which allows those evil-minded sorcerers to take advantage of this opportunity."

"I don't even dare to think about it, but they are eating living people. How is that different from demons?"

"Please find out more about this matter. I cannot afford to lose this person..."

The voice was neither hurried nor slow, but it was filled with murderous intent.

Luo Mingzi felt relieved when he heard this.

His Majesty the Emperor, apart from having a bad temper, has a good reputation.

Because he was afraid of being accused of being intolerant of his meritorious officials and brothers, he was more lenient towards King Ying and King Shu.

Because of the opening of the sea, we discovered how big the world is and our ambitions became renewed.

Obviously, this incident has made him want to kill.

After all, the "Peaches" incident was so horrifying that it could not escape the official history books, and no one knew how the people would interpret it.

"One more thing..."

Luo Mingzi hesitated for a moment, and then told the story of the living Yin Messenger being hunted and the suspected involvement of a master.

He knew that given His Majesty's temperament, once he spoke out, trouble would definitely arise within the Xuanmen.

But if I don’t tell you, how can I repay Li Yan’s painstaking investigation?

"Earth Immortal..."

Emperor Xiao Qixuan's expression turned gloomy. "Well, I already know about this."

"Did Li Yan find out about this?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"He is a famous general. Ask him if he is willing to join the Xuan Priests."

"this…"

Luo Mingzi was a little embarrassed, "I mentioned it before, and Young Master Li said that people from the Jianghu are not used to entering the court."

"Humph, after all, you are just a gangster, not worthy of being on the stage!"

Xiao Qixuan waved his hand and said, "I will make arrangements to investigate this matter."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Luo Mingzi hurriedly bowed and retreated. When he left the hall, his back was already wet.

Xiao Qixuan in the hall looked up at the sky outside the hall and murmured:

"Is it because of the changes in humanity that the Earth Immortal can no longer bear it?"

“If man does not know what Heaven does, how can Heaven know what man does?”

"Come here, please ask all the national masters to come..."

…………After Luo Mingzi returned to the manor, he immediately explained the situation.

"That's good."

Li Yan said in a deep voice: "It seems that the emperor is still confused."

Luo Mingzi smiled bitterly and shook his head, "I think your majesty doesn't want this matter to cause panic among the people and spread rumors. As long as we catch the person, those powerful people will naturally find a way to deal with him. We just need to act according to their plan."

"Ah."

Li Yan nodded and said, "We just discussed it and found a good opportunity."

Luo Mingzi quickly said, "Oh, tell me about it."

Li Yan took the Beijing map, put it on the table, and said, "The incense master of Maitreya in Beijing is Hu Yuanyuan from Wuxiantang. I accepted her commission to kill Wuleji, the criminal hiding in the Yingwang Mansion."

"Because of the incident at the Tianjin Wharf, the Prince of England wanted to appease the people by using the old princess' 80th birthday as a pretext. Many dignitaries from the capital will be there. The Prince of England and the Peach Club are not well connected, so someone must be there. It's a good opportunity for Sister Long to identify them."

"I will proceed as usual, and Hu Yuanyuan will arrange the infiltration. The Taoist priest will take care of the rest."

"Well, it's not difficult."

Luo Mingzi agreed immediately.

His subordinates now include elite officers from the Duwei Division and Xuan Priest Division, so this kind of thing could be a simple matter.

After everyone made a plan, Li Yan returned to the capital first and stayed in the inn arranged by Hu Yuanyuan.

As dusk gradually deepens outside the window, smoke from cooking and the sounds of hawking begin to float in the streets.

Li Yan leaned against the window, his eyes sweeping over the people passing by downstairs, when he suddenly saw a blue cloth carriage rolling over the bluestone slabs and stopping at the door of the inn.

The carriage curtain was lifted, and Hu Yuanyuan flashed out wearing a plain cloak, the silver hairpin in her hair swaying slightly, and the rouge at the corners of her eyes raised like a fox's tail.

Behind her followed a short and fat man, wearing a brocade robe and a jade belt, with a smile on his face, who followed carefully.

"Young Master Li, please wait."

Hu Yuanyuan went upstairs and pushed the door open. She hung a peach charm on the door and began to introduce:

"This is Liu Sanhuai, the manager of Qing'an Hall, and also a brother in the sect."

Qing'an Hall?
Li Yan nodded slightly, "Thank you for your help."

He had heard of the name Qing'antang, which was a famous opera troupe in the capital.

"Meet Mr. Li."

Liu Sanhuai bowed his hands and grinned, "I've heard about how powerful Li Shao is in the Xianyang Arena! Our Qing'an Hall is in need of a martial artist like you to lead the way. The birthday banquet at the Yingwang Mansion will definitely be a great success!"

Li Yan frowned slightly, "I can't sing opera."

"do not worry."

Liu Sanhuai smiled and said, "You are Wang Jianmei, the great martial artist from Cangzhou whom I invited to help. The Ying Palace is very strict in checking, so you need an identity to enter the palace. Then you can find an excuse of being sick to fool people."

Hu Yuanyuan also nodded and said, "Don't worry, Young Master Li, Sanhuai has already made arrangements. Weapons can be hidden in the interlayer of the opera box."

She suddenly lowered her voice and said, "The method that Wuleji practiced requires drinking the blood of a virgin every new moon. The night of the birthday banquet is the perfect time!"

…………

Two days later, the British palace was decorated with lights and there were carriages and horses like dragons in front of the vermilion lacquered gate.

The princess' 80th birthday party was held in the evening, and these convoys had arrived in advance to deliver gifts.

A steward from the palace brought servants to check and count each item one by one.

The carriages and horses carrying boxes from Qing'antang also slowly drove towards the side door.

The side door was also guarded by royal guards.

Manager Liu Sanhuai bowed and handed over his name card:

"I would like to ask you to make some arrangements for the birthday party scheduled by your family."

"Everyone is standing still!"

A scarred lieutenant shouted loudly and led his men to open the boxes and check them carefully.

Li Yan dressed up as a young warrior in blue, leaning against the stage with his arms folded.

He glanced at the gate of the mansion and saw a carving of "The King of England Defeats the Enemy" on the blue brick screen wall.

Ordinary families would at most make some reliefs like the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea, which shows the power of the British royal palace.

Just as they expected, the inspection at the palace was extremely strict.

The soldiers opened the boxes and even searched through them one by one.

When Li Yan saw this, he immediately narrowed his eyes.

He would be searched later, so he hid all the magic tools in the secret compartment of the box, not knowing if he could get away with it.

Seeing this, Liu Sanhuai panicked and quickly stuffed out some loose change.

"It's an unsharpened prop for martial arts. Look at this wooden handle. If it gets messed up, it will be hard for us to clean up later..."

"Go away!"

The captain pushed him away with an angry tone.

Just as he was about to continue the interrogation, he heard a sweet laugh coming from inside the door:
"Commander Wang, grandma is still waiting to watch 'Magu's Birthday Ceremony'!"

But I saw a young girl in gorgeous clothes standing by the door, with a golden hairpin swaying at her temples and a face full of impatience.

The captain immediately put away his knife and apologized with a smile: "Miss Nine, please forgive me. I will let you go now!"

Having said that, they still searched everyone before letting them go.

"Hurry up!"

The girl urged, "There will be many people at night, so I begged my grandmother to sing for us in advance."

"Don't worry, Princess. I will definitely satisfy you."

Liu Sanhuai quickly apologized and sent the girl away.

The opera troupe's motorcade passed through the triple ceremonial gates and arrived at the central courtyard.

The courtyard of the British palace is also of astonishing size. There is a flower bed and pond near the central courtyard, and a brick and wood stage is just behind the pond.

"Be sensible and don't violate the master's taboos!"

Liu Sanhuai scolded, then picked up a bundle of wheat straw and scattered it along the stage.

This is the rule of the opera troupe.

Being part of a theatre troupe is a lowly profession and is considered the lowest class of people, so many people are wary of it.

For example, when performing in other villages, actors were not allowed to enter the village casually, let alone enter other people's houses casually. They usually lived in dilapidated temples and cellars. This was called "the stage was set up in front of the temple, the actors lived in the temple, and were buried behind the temple after death."

Even if the opera box is on someone else's land, people must set off firecrackers when leaving. Some people are more particular and even have to plow the land with a black ox to turn over the land, which is called cleansing the house.

As for performing operas in the hall, they also had to scatter straw around the stage, meaning that the actors were of low status and they were afraid that they would damage the ground and prevent their descendants from becoming officials. Before leaving, the straw had to be gathered and burned.

Qing'an Hall has a great reputation in the capital, but when you arrive at the palace, you have to abide by the rules to avoid disaster.

Li Yan also followed the others to move the boxes, but when he arrived in front of the rockery, he stretched out his hand and flicked the Chu Ling paper man into the gap of the rockery.

Later, we will have to rely on the Chu Ling paper man to investigate.

They had just finished setting up the stage when they saw women pouring out from the second floor of the opposite wing.

But it was the ladies in the palace who wanted to watch the show in advance.

Logically, this was against the rules, and the troupe members didn’t even have time to eat.

But they dared not complain. Liu Sanhuai whispered, "Please bear with me, everyone. Sing first."

Soon, the gongs and drums sounded, and the waterside stage became lively.

"The Yaochi Banquet is about to begin..."

Following a clear singing voice, the female role dressed as Magu appeared on the stage gracefully, stepping on clouds.

She wore a phoenix crown inlaid with kingfisher feathers and a colorful bridal robe. Her sleeves swung like flowing clouds and her fingertips were as light as orchids. She looked like a fairy walking out of a painting.

"Offering peaches to celebrate the Queen Mother's birthday, wishing her a long and blessed life—"

The women upstairs were watching with great interest, but Li Yan lowered his head and hid in the shadows behind the stage.

His eyes were cold and he occasionally glanced towards the second floor.

Next to the women there stood a middle-aged scholar.

It was the escaped Third Master of the Jinghai Gang in Tianjin, Yu Wenhai!

(End of this chapter)