Chapter - 14 (14) (2/2)

”Yes!” Wei Xiaobao replied. In a daze he watched Kangxi's back as he left the Palace of Compassionate and Peaceful, thinking, ”This time you leave, I will be in big trouble. I don't know if I can see you again in the future.” He almost could not hold his desire to cry aloud.

The Empress Dowager drank her tea slowly, while her gaze had never left Wei Xiaobao, sizing him up. She noticed that he was very scared. After a long time she asked, ”The man who is going to Wutai Mountain to sell plain steamed buns, when is he going to return?”

”Your servant does not know,” Wei Xiaobao replied.

”When are you going to see him again?” the Empress Dowager asked.

Wei Xiaobao said whatever came into his head, ”Your servant has agreed to meet him in a month, but it won't be at the Heavenly Bridge anymore.”

”Where is it?” the Empress Dowager asked.

Wei Xiaobao replied, ”He said that when the time comes, he will find a way to notify your servant.”

The Empress Dowager nodded, she said, ”In that case you may stay in the Palace of Compassionate and Peaceful, waiting for his news.” She gently clapped her hands, and from the inner chamber a palace maid appeared.

The palace maid looked like she was thirty five or thirty six years old, very fat, yet her footsteps were very lithe. Her face looked like a full moon, with small eyes and big mouth; she giggled while bowing to pay her respect to the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager said, ”This little eunuch is called Xiao Guizi, he is audacious and is a trouble maker, but I like him very much.”

The palace maid smiled and said, ”Yes, this Xiao Xiongdi looks very clever. Xiao Xiongdi, my name is Liu Yan, but you can just call me Jiejie.”

Wei Xiaobao said in his heart, ”Damn it, you are a fat pig!” But he laughed and said, ”Yes, Liu Yan Jiejie, your name is very appropriate, your figure looks like a willow tree, your steps are light and quick, just like a little swallow [Liu – willow, Yan – swallow].” In front of the Empress Dowager, no other eunuch or palace maid had ever dared to say even half a frivolous word like that, but Wei Xiaobao knew he was doomed anyway; there was no difference whether he said it or not, but even if he did not say it, he would not be spared anyway.

Liu Yan giggled and said, ”Xiao Xiongdi, your mouth is sweet indeed.”

The Empress Dowager said, ”His mouth is sweet, his feet are quick. Liu Yan, think of a way to keep him from running this way and that, wandering and rushing aimlessly around the Palace.”

Liu Yan said, ”Empress Dowager may hand him over to your servant, let me look after him well.”

The Empress Dowager shook her head and said, ”This little monkey is very slippery, you can't continuously keep your eyes on him. I sent Rui Dong to summon him, he smooth-talked him so that that coward ran away. I sent four eunuchs to summon him, he colluded with the Imperial Bodyguards and killed those four eunuchs. I sent four more eunuchs; I don't know what kind of trick he had, unexpectedly Dong Jinkui and the others, four people, were also killed.”

”Tsk, tsk, tsk,” Liu Yan clucked her tongue repeatedly; she laughed and said, ”Aiyo, Xiao Xiongdi, you are too naughty, aren't you too difficult to be dealt with? Empress Dowager, if we chopped both of his legs and just let him lie down nicely, won't we enjoy a lot more of peace and quiet?”

The Empress Dowager sighed and said, ”I'll say it might be the only way.”

Wei Xiaobao sprang up and bolted toward the door. His left leg had just stepped over the threshold, suddenly he felt his scalp tightened, someone pulled his pigtail. His head was jerked backward, his body refused to obey him and he fell flat on his back, there was a severe of pain on the pit of his stomach as a foot stepped on his chest. It was a big and fat foot, wearing red satin shoe embroidered with golden flower; Liu Yan's foot had landed on him. In desperation Wei Xiaobao's mouth rained curses, ”Stinky mother, take your stinky foot off!”

Liu Yan added more force into her foot, a dozen or so ribs in Wei Xiaobao's chest were making random cracking noise, he could not even breathe. He heard Liu Yan said with a laugh, ”Xiao Xiongdi, your pair of feet is very fragrant, I really want to chop them down and have a smell.”

The Empress Dowager said to Liu Yan, ”Let him get up.” Liu Yan lifted her left foot from Wei Xiaobao's chest; inserting her foot underneath Wei Xiaobao's body, she kicked Wei Xiaobao's back that his body shot up. Stretching out her left hand, she grabbed Wei Xiaobao by the back of his collar, lifted him up high in the air, and then put him down heavily on the floor. All along Wei Xiaobao was unable to neither resist nor struggle free, as if he was merely an infant. The curse 'stinky mother' was already on the tip of his tongue, but he was so scared that he swallowed it back into his belly.

Liu Yan said, ”I advise you to answer the Empress Dowager's question nicely.”

Wei Xiaobao said, ”If I answer, I will die, if I don't answer, I will also die; why would I want to answer? At most you will punish me heavier, I am not afraid.”

Liu Yan picked up his left hand; she said with a laugh, ”Xiao Xiongdi, your fingers are slim and long, they look exceptionally good.”

”At most you can cut off my fingers,” Wei Xiaobao said, ”Nothing special about it …” before he finished speaking, he felt severe pain on his finger. ”Ah!” he screamed, as Liu Yan's two fingers held his left-hand forefinger and pinched it hard, that his bone was nearly broken. The fat woman had a smiling, affable face, but they way she made her move was very ruthless, the power of her fingers was even more astonishing, her pinch felt like a pair of iron pliers.

”I don't need you to spare my life,” Wei Xiaobao replied, ”I am determined not to say anything about the book.”

The Empress Dowager frowned slightly, she was actually at a loss of how to deal with this stubborn child. After half a day, she slowly said, ”Liu Yan, if he does not want to talk, you may dig out his two eyeballs.”

Liu Yan laughed and said, ”Very good, I will dig out one eyeball first. Xiao Xiongdi, your eyeballs grew to be very pretty, they are black and round, and can spin and roll around. But after I dig them out, they won't look too pretty anymore.” While saying that, she placed the thumb of her right hand on his right eyelid and pushed it slightly.

Wei Xiaobao felt a stabbing pain on his eyeball, he had no choice but to surrender. ”I surrender, I surrender!” he cried out, ”Don't dig my eyeballs out, I'll talk.”

Liu Yan let off her hand; she said with a smile, ”Now that's a good child. Just talk nicely, the Empress Dowager will love you very much.”

Wei Xiaobao reached up to rub his eye, blinking the hurting eye several times. He closed the other eye, cocked his head and looked at Liu Yan for a moment, and then he shook his head and said, ”It's not right, it's not right!”

”What's not right?” Liu Yan asked, ”Don't put on an act, the Empress Dowager is asking you a question, quickly give her an honest answer.”

”You have damaged my eyeball,” Wei Xiaobao said, ”The things I look at change shapes. I see you as having a human body, but on your neck grew a big fat pig head.”

Liu Yan was not angry; she giggled and said, ”That sounds fun. I must damage your left eyeball too.”

Wei Xiaobao took a step back and said, ”Please excuse me this time, thank you very much.” He shut his left eye and looked at the Empress Dowager, and then he shook his head.

The Empress Dowager thought, ”This little demon looked at Liu Yan with one eye and said a pig's head rested on her neck. Now he looked at me the same way; although his mouth did not say anything, I don't know how he is cursing me in his heart, he must be saying that he saw some animal's head resting on my neck.” She said coldly, ”Liu Yan, you'd better dig his eyeball now, so that he won't look to the east and to the west.”

”Rui Dong gave it to me,” Wei Xiaobao replied, ”He asked me to take a good care of it, to keep it in a very secret place. He said, 'Xiao Guizi Xiongdi, there are a lot of people in the Palace who want to harm you. If in the future you have some unfortunate things happen to you, like taking your eyeballs out or chopping your legs, this book henceforth will not see the light of the day. The person who harms you, although his eyeballs are not blind, he won't see this treasured scripture, so he won't differ from someone whose eyeballs are blind. This is called 'acting for oneself and suffer the consequences'. Empress Dowager, the scripture has a red silk envelope with white border around it. I don't know if it is the one you want.”

Liu Yan pulled Wei Xiaobao's right hand and said with a laugh, ”Xiao Xiongdi, let's go!”

Wei Xiaobao shook her hand away, he said, ”I am a man, you are a woman, what do you want holding and pulling my hand like that?” Liu Yan seemed to hold his palm only gently, who would have thought that it was as if there a very strong suction force from her fingers? Wei Xiaobao's palm was firmly stuck onto her hand, he was unable to shake her hand away.

Liu Yan said with a laugh, ”You are an eunuch, how can you be regarded as a man? Even if you are a real man, you, this little demon, is still too young to be my son.”

”Is that right?” Wei Xiaobao asked, ”You want to be my mother? I think you look exactly like my mother.”

How would Liu Yan know that in a roundabout way, Wei Xiaobao was cursing her as a wh0re? ”Pei!” she spat, and then she laughed and said, ”Your Miss is a virgin, don't talk nonsense!” Pulling his hand, she took him out.

As they reached the long corridor, Wei Xiaobao was frantically trying to find an ingenious way to escape from her clutch. The extremely sharp dagger was inside his right boot, if he could stretch out his right hand, he could pull it out, but as soon as he made a move, she would detect it immediately. This woman's martial art skill was very profound, even if he had a very sharp weapon in his hand, he might not necessarily able to exchange three moves or two styles with her. He muttered under his breath, ”Damn it, where did this fat pig come from? Why didn't Boss Qian deliver a good pig? When he sent that fat pig, I already felt something inauspicious. When the old wh0re fought the old turtle, I am sure this fat sow was not in the Palace of Compassionate and Peaceful yet; otherwise, as soon as she came out to help, the old turtle would die immediately. This sow must have arrived in the Palace within the last couple of days, otherwise, a few days ago the old wh0re would have sent her to kill me, she did not have to personally do the job.” Thinking to this point, he had a sudden idea, he led her eastwards, toward the Upper Study Room next to the Palace of Heavenly Purity. He figured out that all he need to do was to ask Kangxi to save his life. This fat pig had not been in the Palace for too long, she might not necessarily know the pathways around the Palace.

He only took one step to the east, the second step had not been taken, the back of his collar tightened, Liu Yan had seized him. With a giggle she said, ”Good Xiongdi, where are you going?”

”To my room to fetch the scripture of course,” Wei Xiaobao replied.

”Why are you heading toward the Upper Study Room, then?” Liu Yan asked, ”You are thinking of asking His Majesty to save you?”

Wei Xiaobao could not bear not to curse, ”Stinky pig, you know the way around the palace.”

Liu Yan said, ”Other places I might not know, but around the Palace of Heavenly Purity, the Palace of Compassionate and Peaceful, and your, Xiao Xiongdi's dwelling, I can't be wrong.” She exerted her strength to the right, Wei Xiaobao's body was twisted westwards. She said with a laugh, ”Just walk obediently, don't waste other people's time.” Her voice was gentle, but the power with which she twist Wei Xiaobao was really heavy. Wei Xiaobao's neck bones made some cracking noise, he yelled in pain, he thought that his neck bone had been wrenched apart by her.

There were two eunuchs ahead, when they heard his scream, they turned their heads around. Liu Yan said in a low voice, ”The Empress Dowager ordered me to kill you immediately whenever you want to run away or make noise to call people.”

Wei Xiaobao thought that even though he cried for help and alarmed the Emperor, Kangxi would not possibly defy the Empress Dowager's order. Although the Emperor was good to him, in no way would he anger his mother for the sake of a little eunuch. It would be best if they could come across several Imperial Bodyguards, so that he could instigate them to kill Liu Yan. Suddenly he felt a sharp pain on his waist as with her elbow she struck him hard; he heard her saying, ”Thinking of using some trick?”

Wei Xiaobao had no choice but to walk toward his own room. He mused, ”When we get to my room, although I will have two helpers, both Fang Yi and Xiao Junzhu are injured; even if we fight three to one, we still cannot overcome this big fat pig. If she saw any sign of those two girls, I would only deliver those two people's lives in vain.”

When they reached the front door, Wei Xiaobao took out the key to unlock the door. He deliberately bumped the key to the lock, making a loud clinking noise. ”Stinky mother,” he said loudly, ”Big fat pig, you torment me like this, I'll say that there will come a day that you will not die a good death.”

Liu Yan laughed and said, ”You can't even tell if you will die a good death or not, yet you meddle into other people's business.”

'Bang!' Wei Xiaobao shoved open the door, he said, ”Whether I give the scripture to the Empress Dowager or not, you will kill me anyway. Do you think I am a fool, thinking that I will be lucky enough to escape with my life?”

”The Empress Dowager already said she will spare you,” Liu Yan said, ”Most likely she will spare your life, at most she will dig your eyeballs and chop off your legs.”

Wei Xiaobao cursed, ”You think the Empress Dowager is treating you very well? After you kill me, the Empress Dowager will definitely kill you to shut your mouth.” These words seemed to echo the load in Liu Yan's mind. She stared with blank expression for a moment, but then she exerted her strength to give Wei Xiaobao's back a push. Wei Xiaobao could not stand his ground, he crashed into the room. He talked a lot outside the room with the hope that Fang Yi and Xiao Junzhu would hear and know that an extremely ferocious enemy was coming, so that they could withdraw inside the quilt and not dare to breathe too loud.

Liu Yan laughed and said, ”I don't have time to wait for you, get it a little quicker please.” And she pushed heavily on his back again. Wei Xiaobao stumbled several steps into the inner room. Liu Yan followed him in.

Wei Xiaobao took a glance and saw two pairs of women's shoes arranged neatly in front of the bed. It was already dark outside, there was neither lantern nor candle lighted in the room. Having entered the room later, Liu Yan did not immediately see the shoes. ”Not good!” Wei Xiaobao cried out inwardly. Seizing the opportunity he threw himself forward and pushed the two pairs of shoes underneath the bed, while he himself also crawled inside, thinking that perhaps this time he would be able to kill the fat pig the same way he killed Rui Dong. As soon as he was in, he pulled his right leg in so that his right hand could reach and pull the dagger inside his boot. Unexpectedly, his right ankle tightened, it was grabbed by Liu Yan.

”What are you doing?” he heard Liu Yan asked.

”I am getting the book,” Wei Xiaobao replied, ”I keep it under the bed.”

”Alright!” Liu Yan said; thinking that he would not be able to run anywhere from under the bed, she released her grip. Wei Xiaobao shrank his body as small as possible, while pulling the dagger and held it in his hand. ”Take it out!” Liu Yan shouted.

”Uh, there must be some rats in here,” Wei Xiaobao said, ”Aiyo, aiyo, it's really bad, why did they chew the book into pieces?”

”It's useless for you to play any trick in front of me!” Liu Yan said, ”Give me the book!” She stretched out her hand to grab, but she grabbed an empty air, because Wei Xiaobao had withdrawn and leaned against the wall. Liu Yan crawled two chi forward, the upper part of her body was already under the bed, again she stretched out her fingers to grab.

Wei Xiaobao turned around slightly, without making any noise he stabbed the dagger forward. The tip of the dagger had just touched the back of her hand, Liu Yan had already detected it; her reaction was extremely fast and nimble, flipping her right hand over, she grabbed Wei Xiaobao's wrist and squeezed it hard. Wei Xiaobao entirely lost the strength in his hand, and had no choice but to let the dagger dropped.

Liu Yan laughed and said, ”You want to kill me? I'll dig out your eyeballs first.” With her right hand she grabbed his throat, with her left fingers she was about to dig his eyes.

”A snake!” Wei Xiaobao cried out.

Liu Yan was startled. ”What?” she said. Suddenly, ”Ah!” she screamed, the hand grabbing Wei Xiaobao's throat slowly loosened, her body twisted several times, and then she dropped down to the floor.

Wei Xiaobao was startled but happy; quickly he crawled out from under the bed, only to head Mu Jianping said, ”Are ... are you injured?”

Wei Xiaobao lifted the mosquito net open and saw Fang Yi sitting on the bed, holding the sword's hilt with both hands, continuously gasping for breath. The sword blade penetrated the mattress to the bottom of the bed, right up to the hilt. Turned out she heard Wei Xiaobao's desperate situation and thrust the sword down from above the bed, passing through the cotton-padded mattress and the bed frame strung with palm fiber, straight into Liu Yan's back.

Wei Xiaobao kicked Liu Yan's buttocks. Seeing she did not move at all, he was very happy. ”Good ... Good Jiejie,” he said, ”You saved my life.”

Based on Liu Yan's martial art skill, Fang Yi's sneak attack would not easily succeed; but since seeing Wei Xiaobao unlocking the door, Liu Yan had never thought that there was someone else in the room. Moreover, the sword had come from above the mattress, stabbing down, so that she did not have the slightest indication of the incoming attack. By the time she realized it, the sword had already pierced her heart. Even if her martial art skill was ten times stronger, she would still be incapable to evade. But then a real martial art master of her rank would not crawl underneath the bed to grab others. Wei Xiaobao was afraid she had not died completely, he pulled the sword and thrust it through the mattress two more times.

”Who is this wicked woman?” Mu Jianping asked, ”She was quite vicious, she wanted to dig out your eyeballs.”

”She is the old wh0re Empress Dowager's subordinate,” Wei Xiaobao replied. Turning to Fang Yi he asked, ”Is your wound painful?”

With a crease of her eyebrows Fang Yi replied, ”Tolerable!” Actually, she had exerted an enormous effort in thrusting the sword a moment ago that her wound was affected; the pain was so severe that she nearly fainted, beads of perspiration were dripping from her forehead.

Wei Xiaobao said, ”Very soon the old wh0re will send someone else here, we have to think of a way to escape immediately. Um, you two girls change into men's clothing, disguise yourselves as eunuchs, we'll sneak out of the Palace. Good Jiejie, can you walk?”

”I can force myself to,” Fang Yi replied.

Wei Xiaobao took out two sets of his own clothing. ”Put these on,” he said.

Mu Jianping finished changing her clothes and she got out of the bed first. ”What a smart-looking little eunuch,” Wei Xiaobao praised, ”Let me help you with the braid.”

A moment later, Fang Yi also got out of the bed. Her stature was slightly taller than Wei Xiaobao, the clothes she wore was stretched tight, it was not a good-fitting at all. When she looked at the mirror, she could not help laughing.

Mu Jianping said with a laugh, ”I let him helped me with my braid, let me help Shijie with your braid.”

Wei Xiaobao took Mu Jianping's long hair and carelessly braided big pigtail. Mu Jianping looked herself in the mirror and said, ”Aiyo, it's so ugly, I have to redo the braid.”

”We don't have time to redo it right now,” Wei Xiaobao said, ”It's already dark, we can't go out the Palace. When the old wh0re realizes the fat pig is not coming back, she will send someone else to get me. We must find another place to hide, early in the morning tomorrow we will sneak out of the Palace.”

Fang Yi asked, ”Won't the old ... the Empress Dowager send people to investigate all gates of the Palace thoroughly?”

”We have no choice but to take it one step at a time,” Wei Xiaobao replied. He remembered the room where he used to have martial art and wrestling contest with Kangxi was very quiet, he had never seen a third person come over there, thereupon he helped the two girls walking out of his residence.

Mu Jianping's leg was broken, she took the door bolt[47] and used it as a crutch. Fang Yi took a step, but her chest was hurting. Wei Xiaobao wrapped his right arm around her waist, half lifting and half pulling, he helped her walk. Luckily it was already dark outside, plus he picked the most secluded pathway. They came across several eunuchs, but nobody paid them any attention. When they reached the room, all three of them breathed a sigh of relief. Wei Xiaobao turned around and bolted the door, and then helped Fang Yi sitting on a chair. He said in a low voice, ”We must not talk in here, there is a corridor outside, it's not as secluded as my room.”

The night grew darker, at first they could still see each other's facial features, afterwards all they could see was dim silhouette of each other. Mu Jianping did not like the pigtail braided by Wei Xiaobao, she untied it and redid it herself. Fang Yi pulled her own pigtail and rubbed it in her hands and played with it. ”Ah!” suddenly she exclaimed softly.

”What is it?” Wei Xiaobao asked.

”Nothing,” Fang Yi replied, ”I dropped a silver hairpin.”

”Ah,” Mu Jianping said, ”It was me. When I untied your hair, I put that silver hairpin on the table, after I finished braiding your pigtail, I forgot to give that silver hairpin back to you. Oh no, it was a gift from Liu Shige, wasn't it?”

”Only a hairpin, it doesn't really matter,” Fang Yi said.

Although she said it did not matter, Wei Xiaobao could hear the extreme disappointment in her voice; he thought, ”I must be a good person to the end, I'll go quietly and get the hairpin back for her.” But he did not say anything for the time being. After a while, he said, ”I am very hungry, if I have to wait until tomorrow, I am afraid I won't have the strength to walk. I'll go out to find something to eat.”

”Come back quickly,” Mu Jianping said.

”I will,” Wei Xiaobao replied. He went to the door and listened, after making sure there was nobody outside, he opened the door and walked out.

He quickly returned to his room. Afraid that the Empress Dowager might send someone to wait for him, he circled to the back of the room and listened for quite a long time. When he was sure there was nobody inside and outside, he pushed the window open and climbed in. Sure enough, under the moonlight he could see the silver hairpin lying on the table. The workmanship of this silver hairpin was very crude, at most it only worth one or two qian. He thought, ”Liu Yizhou is very poor, he presented Miss Fang with such an ugly gift.” He spat on the hairpin before putting it inside his pocket. From tin cans, wicker baskets, drawers, shelves above the bed, and so on he carelessly took some cakes, pastries and other snacks and stuffed everything into a cardboard box and put it inside his pocket.

He was about to climb out the window when suddenly he saw a pair of red shoes embroidered with golden thread in front of the bed, unexpectedly, there was a foot in each shoe.

Wei Xiaobao jumped up in fright. It was indeed terrifying to see under the dim moonlight a pair of cut off feet wearing a pair of bright-colored red shoes. But he understood immediately: when Liu Yan's body was dissolved by the 'Corpse Transforming Powder', the ground in front of the bed was uneven, the corpse turned into yellow liquid and flowed toward the bottom of the bed, leaving behind a pair of feet that did not melt. He turned around, wanted to kick the pair of feet into the yellow liquid, but the yellow liquid had dried out. His 'Corpse Transforming Powder' was in the bundle by Fang Yi and Mu Jianping's side. Racking his brain, suddenly his childish mind was aroused, ”Damn it, this time laozi leave the Palace and won't see the old wh0re anymore. Laozi will throw these two feet into her room to scare her half dead.” Fetching a long gown, he took the pair of feet complete with the shoes and wrapped everything firmly before he finally climbed out the window and quietly walked toward the Palace of Compassionate and Peaceful.

As he approached the Palace of Compassionate and Peaceful, he did not dare to walk straight into it but circled around the flowering bushes instead. For each step he took, he stopped and listened for a while; thinking, ”If I am not careful, the old wh0re might get me; won't that mean I am walking into a trap?” He was excited, but scared at the same time. Step by step he crept toward the Empress Dowager's personal chamber. His palms were sweating more and more, he mused, ”I'll put these pig hooves on the step stone in front of the door, she will definitely find it tomorrow, it's too dangerous to sneak into the courtyard.”

He quietly took two more steps forward, suddenly he heard a man's voice saying, ”What's wrong with Ah Yan? Why she has not come back by now?”

Wei Xiaobao was greatly surprised, ”How can there be a man in the room?” he thought, ”The voice does not belong to an eunuch. Is it possible that the old wh0re has a lover? Ha ha, laozi must catch these adulterous lovers.” Although in his heart he wanted to 'catch these adulterous lovers', he would not dare to do it, even if he had ten times more courage. But his curiosity was greatly piqued, he was unwilling to simply put down the cutoff feet and leave.

He tiptoed toward the voice for several steps, with each step he carefully lifted up his foot and even more carefully put it down, to guard against stepping on a deadwood and thus make a noise. He heard the man snorted and said, ”Perhaps something has changed. Since you already knew this little demon is very crafty, why did you let Ah Yan went with him alone?”

Wei Xiaobao said in his heart, ”Turns out you are talking about laozi.” He heard the Empress Dowager said, ”Ah Yan's martial art skill is ten times higher than his, she is also very astute, very vigilant in each step she takes, how can she meet with any mishap? Most likely the sutra is kept far away from here, so Ah Yan has to go with that little demon.”

The man said, ”Naturally it is very good if we can get the sutra; otherwise, humph, humph!”

The tone of his voice was very stern, speaking like that to the Empress Dowager was indeed extremely rude. Wei Xiaobao was getting more and more puzzled, ”Who in the world can talk to her like that? Could it be that the Old Emperor is back from Mount Wutai?” Thinking that Emperor Shunzhi was back at the Palace, he was very excited; he thought he was going to see some good action very soon. What he found very strange was that there was not a single palace maid or eunuch around; presumably the Empress Dowager had sent them all away.

He heard the Empress Dowager said, ”You know I have done everything possible. With my capacity right now, I can't personally go back and forth around the Palace with a little eunuch. As soon as I took a step out of the Palace of Compassionate and Peaceful, a large entourage of palace maids and eunuchs will follow me around, how can I manage to get anything done?”

The man said, ”Can't you wait until it was dark to send him out? Or just notify me, let me go with him to fetch the sutra.”

”I do not dare to toil your honorable self,” the Empress Dowager replied, ”We must not reveal any trail of your presence here.”

With a cold laugh the man said, ”Coming across an important matter like this, why do we care? I know, you did not want to notify me for fear I would snatch away your meritorious service.”

”What is there to be snatched away?” the Empress Dowager asked, ”So what if I have meritorious service or not? I only hope to go through one year in peace and security, without any problem.” The tone of her voice was brimming with grudge and hatred.

If it were not for the fact that Wei Xiaobao knew it clearly that it was the Empress Dowager's voice, he would have thought it was an old palace maid complaining because someone was blaming her. The two of them were speaking in very low voices, but Wei Xiaobao was very near, plus there was no other noise in the calm night, hence he was able to hear everything clearly. Hearing those two talking about 'snatching away some meritorious service', he knew the man was definitely not Emperor Shunzhi.

Wei xiaobao could not suppress his curiosity anymore, slowly he crawled to the window and peeked inside from a crack on the window. He had already had enough experience standing outside the window and peeping inside like this at the Lovely Spring Courtyard; he mused, ”Before I was peeping the brothel patrons chasing my mother, tonight I am peeping the old wh0re receiving a patron.”

He saw the Empress Dowager was leaning sideway, sitting on a chair, and a palace maid was pacing back and forth in the room with hands behind her back; other than these, there was no other person inside. ”Where did that man go?” he thought.

He saw the palace maid turned around and said, ”I can't wait, I am going out to look.” As soon as she opened her mouth, Wei Xiaobao jumped in fright, because the palace maid had a male's voice, it was she who had just spoken. From the crack on the window Wei Xiaobao could only see her chest, but not her face.

”I am coming with you,” the Empress Dowager said.

With a cold laugh the palace maid said, ”You don't feel at ease.”

”Why wouldn't I feel at ease?” the Empress Dowager said, ”I suspect Ah Yan is doing something strange, by working together, it will be easy for the two of us to control her.”

”Hm, we can't not guard against that,” the palace maid said, ”Don't let the boat capsize in the gutter. Alright, let's go.”

The Empress Dowager nodded, she walked toward the bedside, lifted the bedding open, and pulled a piece of wooden board. There was a flicker under the candle light, a dagger appeared in her hand. She insert the dagger into its sheath and put it inside her pocket. Wei Xiaobao thought, ”Turns out the old wh0re has such a secret compartment. To guard against assassination, she did not have the dagger inside the sheath, so that with one grab she could make a kill, no need to pull the dagger from its sheath. In such a critical moment, she would not lose precious split seconds.”

He saw the Empress Dowager and the palace maid walked out of the bedroom, unlatched the palace gate, and left the Palace of Compassionate and Peaceful, but the candle in the bedroom was not extinguished. Wei Xiaobao thought, ”I'll put these pig's feet in that secret compartment on her bed, when she returned the dagger, she would grope this pair of pig's hooves. I guarantee she will be scared out of her wits.”

He was greatly delighted. ”I don't know what the fart these books are for,” he thought, ”But everybody seems to regard it so highly. Laozi might as well leading away the goat in passing, so that the old wh0re will be angered to half-dead.” Immediately he took the three sutras and stuffed them inside his pocket. And then he shook Liu Yan's feet from the long gown to let the feet fall into the secret compartment. He put the wooden plank back and replaced the bedding. Kicking the long gown underneath the bed, he was about to turn around and leave when he suddenly heard the creaking noise of the door; someone was pushing the door and coming in.

This time he was really scared out of his wits, he did not expect the Empress Dowager and that palace maid to be back this quickly. Having not enough time to think, he ducked and crawled under the bed, while groaning in his heart. He only hoped that the Empress Dowager had simply forgotten something and came back to get it, and would quickly go out again to look for him, he also hoped that whatever it was that she had forgotten was not kept in the secret compartment under the bedding.

He heard the footsteps were light and quick, one person was entering the room, it was a woman. The woman was wearing a pair of light green shoes, her pants were also light green. Looking at the style of the pants, it seemed to him that she was a palace maid. ”It must be the palace maid who is waiting on the Empress Dowager,” he thought, ”She knows martial art, so she can't be Rui Chu. If she does not leave immediately, I might have to kill her. It will be best if she came to the front of the bed.” Drawing the dagger quietly, he waited for the palace maid to come to the bed. With one thrust up from below, he could stab her lower abdomen, then he could guarantee that she would lose her life without knowing any rhyme nor reason.

He heard the woman was randomly rummaging the chest, she also cut open three more chests on the west and searched around. Wei Xiaobao did not stop cursing her in his belly, ”If you are not leaving, the old wh0re may come back soon. I don't care if you want to deliver your life away, but you might drag Wei Xiaobao along to return to the heaven together; you think you have that much face?”

Failing to find whatever she was looking for, the woman was very anxious, she rummaged the chest even faster. Wei Xiaobao was thinking of surrendering, ”It would be better for me just to toss these sutras to her, so that she would leave in a hurry.”

Right this moment, there were footsteps outside the door, he heard the Empress Dowager said in low voice, ”I say that s1ut Liu Yan took the sutra and left.”

The woman also heard the voice; it was too late for her to escape, she quickly entered the wardrobe and closed the door.

The palace maid with a man's voice said, ”Did you really send Liu Yan to fetch the sutra? How would I know you are not lying to me?”

”What did you say?” the Empress Dowager said angrily, ”Did you say I did not send Liu Yan to fetch the sutra? So what did I send her out for?”

The palace maid said, ”How would I know what trick you are playing? Perhaps you were following Liu Yan closely and killed her.”

The Empress Dowager snorted angrily, she said, ”Aren't you ashamed, being my Shixiong yet say some brainless thing like that? Liu Yan is my Shimei, you think I have such guts to kill her?”

The palace maid coldly said, ”You are indeed brazen, vicious and merciless, what matter you can't do?”

The two of them spoke in very low voice, but in the quiet night every word could be heard clearly. Hearing the Empress Dowager called the palace maid her Shixiong and Liu Yan her Shimei, Wei Xiaobao was even more puzzled. The two of them were talking as they entered the room. As soon as they saw the chests were cut open and various objects scattered over the floor, 'Ah!' they cried out in shock together.

”Someone was here to steal the sutra,” the Empress Dowager shouted. She rushed toward the bed, flipped the bedding over, and pulled the wooden board. Seeing the sutras were gone, she cried out, ”Aiyo!” And then she saw Liu Yan's pair of cutoff feet. ”What is that?” she cried in alarm.

The palace maid reached out and picked the feet. ”These are women's feet,” he said.

The Empress Dowager was scared, ”It's Liu Yan, she ... she has been killed,” she said.

With a cold laugh the palace maid said, ”I wasn't wrong, was I?”

The Empress Dowager was startled and angry at the same time, ”What do you mean you weren't wrong?”

The palace maid said, ”You are the only one in the world who know the secret hiding place of these books. If it was not you who killed Liu Shimei, how can her feet end up here?”

The Empress Dowager angrily said, ”You are still accusing me blindly in here? The sutra thief can't leave too far, let's quickly pursue him.”

”Correct,” the palace maid said, ”Perhaps this person is still in the Palace of Compassionate and Peaceful. You ... are you sure you are not playing trick?”

The Empress Dowager did not reply, she turned around and looked at the wardrobe. Step by step she walked toward it, apparently she began to have suspicion toward the wardrobe.

Wei Xiaobao's heart almost jumped out of his throat; the dagger in her hand reflected the flickering light from the candle, the reflection flitted across the floor, presumably the Empress Dowager was opening the wardrobe door with her left hand, while holding the dagger in her right hand. If the dagger was thrust into the wardrobe, undoubtedly the palace maid inside would not be able to evade.

He saw the Empress Dowager was taking a step closer that she was now less than two chi away from the wardrobe. Suddenly 'crash! bang!' the wardrobe toppled over toward the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager was caught off guard, hastily she leaped backward, quite a few clothing of every color flew out of the wardrobe, some landed and wrapped around her head. The Empress Dowager hastily reached out to grab, a piece of clothing was thrown onto her body, suddenly she screamed pitifully, while a dagger, dripping with blood, appeared from within the clothing. Turned out someone was hiding inside the bundle of clothing. The palace maid inside the wardrobe threw clothing to the Empress Dowager so that she was at a loss, and then with one strike she succeeded in stabbing her.

At first the palace maid with a man's voice seemed to be watching with blank expression on his face, only after hearing the Empress Dowager's miserable scream did he send a palm strike toward the bundle of clothes. Wei Xiaobao saw the bundle of clothes rolled away rapidly, the palace maid wearing green clothes leaped out of the bundle of clothes, with a blood-soaked dagger in her hand she pounced toward the palace maid with a man's voice. The palace maid with a man's voice sent out another palm strike, the palace maid wearing green clothes leaned sideways to evade, and then immediately pounced on the enemy again.

From under the bed, Wei Xiaobao could only see those two persons' four feet. The palace maid with a man's voice was wearing grey pants and black satin shoes. The feet wearing green shoes were swiftly advancing and swiftly retreating, the feet wearing black shoes only occasionally took one step forward, and one step backward. The two people were engaged in an intense battle, but Wei Xiaobao did not hear any clashing of the weapons, obviously the palace maid with a man's voice did not have any weapon. Wei Xiaobao cast a sideways glance toward the Empress Dowager; he saw her lying on the floor, motionless, apparently she had died.

He heard the whooshing noise of the palms. After the fighting had been going on for a while, suddenly he saw the room grew darker; one of the three candles had been blown out by the palm wind. Wei Xiaobao mused, ”As soon as the other two candles are blown out, I am going to dash out in darkness.”

'Whoosh!' another candle was extinguished by the palm wind. The two palace maids were fighting in silence, neither one dared to make the least bit of noise, as if both were afraid of alarming people on the outside. Actually, there were a lot of eunuchs and palace maids in the Palace of Compassionate and Peaceful, the ruckus had been going on for quite a while, somebody should have had come to check early on, but obviously these people were always under the Empress Dowager's strict order, without her summon, nobody dared to come over and spy on her.

Wei Xiaobao heard 'Crack! Crack!' as table and chair's fragments flew everywhere, secretly he was apprehensive, ”This palace maid who talks like a man seems to have a profound martial art, the wind from his palms are everywhere, the table and chair that got hit are smashed.”

Suddenly there was a light shout, followed by a flash of white light, and 'pop'; the palace maid wearing green clothes' weapon flew up from her hand and nailed itself on the roof. And then the two of them fell to the ground, wrestling each other into a tangled heap.

Now Wei Xiaobao could see clearly, the two combatants were unleashing their qin na skills, attacking and defending from each other within an area of several chi wide, each move was extremely dangerous. Wei Xiaobao's knowledge of other type of martial art was very limited, but his training in qin na was quite extensive, he had enough daily sparring with Kangxi. He saw the two palace maids were moving very fast, each attack was ruthless and fierce: gouging the eyes, pounding the chest, twisting the neck, locking the throat, sealing acupoints, cutting off arteries, hooking the wrist, striking with their elbows, not a single move was not attacking the enemy's vital point. Wei Xiaobao was secretly flabbergasted, ”If it were me, I would have cried out 'surrender' long ago!”

Wei Xiaobao's heart was beating in sync with the two people's palms and hands movement, his only thought was, ”Why hasn't that candle gone out yet?” He was fully aware that those people were entangled in a very tight battle, even if he was crawling out from under the bed in full view, walking out the door with grandiose, the two palace maids would have been no more than stunned to a certain degree, nobody would try to stop him; it's just that he could not muster enough courage to do just that.

Suddenly the last candle flickered, a female voice grunted, the candle flickered back to light, he saw the palace maid wearing grey pants was pinning down the palace maid wearing green pants, her right elbow was pressing down the palace maid wearing green pants' throat. The palace maid wearing green clothes' left arm was suppressed by the enemy that it was hard for her to attack, her right hand made repeated attempts to hook, hit, seize and jab, but was always parried by the opponent's left hand. Her throat was crushed by the enemy, she was gasping for breath with difficulty, the movement of her right hand gradually slowed down, both of her legs kicked up frantically, it looks like very soon she was going to be strangled to death by the enemy.

Wei Xiaobao thought, ”As soon as this grey-clothes palace maid strangled the opponent, she would look under the bed to find the sutra. Wei Xiaobao will turn into Wei Sibao[48]!” Without giving himself any time to think, he sprang up from under the bed, raising the dagger in his hand, and thrust it into the palace maid wearing grey clothes' back, and pushed it upward, slicing a very long gash, and then leaped back immediately.

The palace maid wearing grey clothes shouted loudly and sprang up, pouncing on Wei Xiaobao, her hands grabbed Wei Xiaobao's neck and tightened the grip as hard as she could. Clutched by her hands, Wei Xiaobao's tongue stretched out, bursts of blackness appeared in his eyes. The palace maid wearing green clothes flipped over and jumped up, her right palm fell ferociously down on the left side of the palace maid wearing grey clothes' neck, and then using her left hand she grabbed her hair and pulled it backward. Suddenly her hand felt loose, she had pulled the palace maid wearing grey clothes' entire hair away, revealing a bald head. Turned out it was only a wig. Right this moment the palace maid wearing grey clothes' hands came loose, off of Wei Xiaobao neck. Her own neck twisted several turns, and then she fell to the ground in a heap, while blood gushing out of her back, right away her life had left her.

Still gasping for breath, the palace maid wearing green clothes said, ”Thank you Xiao Gong-gong, for saving my life.”

Wei Xiaobao nodded. He was still shaking from fear, while stroking his own neck. With his left hand he pointed to the palace maid wearing grey clothes' bald head and said, ”She … she …”

The palace maid wearing green clothes said, ”This man dressed as a woman and mingled in the Palace.”

Suddenly someone was shouting outside the door, ”Help, there's assassin in here!” The voice was half male, half female, it was a eunuch.

With her right hand the palace maid wearing green clothes seized Wei Xiaobao, broke the window and leaped out. Her left hand waved, 'puff!' followed by a miserable 'ah!', the eunuch was hit by a secret projectile and fell down on the ground.

The palace maid wearing green clothes wrapped her left hand around Wei Xiaobao's waist to lift him up off the ground and take him rushing northward, going passed the Western Three Places and entered the Yang Hua Gate. By this time Wei Xiaobao was quite a lot taller than when he first entered the Palace, he was quite heavier too. This palace maid in green clothes was more or less the same height as he was, and she was slim, but when rushing forward while carrying him, it was as if she was carrying a baby, she did not show that she was expending the slightest effort. ”Good skill!” Wei Xiaobao praised.

The palace maid carried him via a small path winding around the Yuhua Pavilion, Baohua Palace Hall, and arrived at the bank of burning ground by the Fujian Palace[49], before she finally let him down. The burning ground was near the Xi Tie [Western Iron] Gate, it was where the trash and waste from the Palace was incinerated, it was extremely secluded in the evening.

”Xiao Gong-gong,” the palace maid in green clothes asked, ”What's your name?”

”I am Xiao Guizi!” Wei Xiaobao replied.

”Ah!” she exclaimed, ”You are the Xiao Guizi Gong-gong who personally arrested Oboi, the Emperor's most favorite Gong-gong.”

Wei Xiaobao smiled. ”I don't dare!” he said. Although he had seen this palace maid in the Empress Dowager's bedroom, it was such in a rush that he did not have time to look at her carefully. He thought vaguely that she looked around forty years old. ”Jiejie,” he said, ”How must I address you?”

The palace maid hesitated slightly, then said, ”You and I share fortune and calamity together, I can't conceal it from you. My surname is Tao, people in the Palace call me Tao Gong'e. What were you doing under the Empress Dowager's bed?”

Wei Xiaobao said whatever came into his head, ”I am under the Emperor's imperial edict to catch the Empress Dowager's fornication!”

Tao Gong'e was slightly startled. ”Did His Majesty know that palace maid was a man?” she asked.

”His Majesty knew a little bit, but he is not too sure,” Wei Xiaobao replied.

”I … I killed the Empress Dowager,” Tao Gong'e said, ”Very soon the commotion will turn the sky and the earth, the Palace gates will be shut, there will be great search. I must leave the Palace immediately. Gui Gong-gong, we'll meet again someday.”

Wei Xiaobao thought, ”The old wh0re finally went to the netherworld to become a wh0re, now I can live in peace and quiet in the Palace, but if they close the Palace gates and launch a great search, Fang and Mu, two girls will face certain disaster; what shall I do?” A bright idea suddenly occurred, ”Tao Jiejie,” he said, ”I have an idea. I am going to report to His Majesty immediately, I will say that I witnessed that fake palace maid killed the Empress Dowager, but the Empress Dowager had also killed the fake palace maid; the two of them fought until they perished together. The Empress Dowager is dead anyway, she could not testify, you don't have to escape from the Palace.”

Tao Gong'e hesitated for a moment, then she said, ”This idea just might work. But what about that eunuch? Who killed him?”

”I will say it was the fake palace maid who killed him,” Wei Xiaobao said.

”Gui Gong-gong,” Tao Gong'e said, ”This matter is very dangerous. Although His Majesty likes you, he will most probably kill you to shut your mouth.”

Wei Xiaobao shivered. ”His Majesty also wants to kill me?” he asked, ”Why?”

Tao Gong'e said, ”His mother had illicit relation with a man, if the rumor leaks out, how do you think His Majesty would react? Even if you guard your mouth like a closed bottle, each time His Majesty sees you, he would unavoidably feel ashamed. Sooner or later he would have to kill you.”

Wei Xiaobao was scared. ”He … is he that ruthless?” he asked. But in his heart he knew Tao Gong'e was right, he must never say anything about this to the Emperor.

Right this moment, from the south came several sounds of gong, followed by other gongs all around. It was the Palace' alarm system whenever there was fire or some other emergency; immediately all the Palace's Imperial Bodyguards and eunuchs were being dispatched.

”We can't get out now,” Tao Gong'e said, ”You go and pretend to join the hunt for the assassins, I will go back to my room and sleep.” Stretching out her left arm, she wrapped it around Wei Xiaobao's waist and took him off westward, toward the Yinghua Palace Hall, and put him down by the Palace. ”Be careful!” she said in soft voice. Turning around, she disappeared behind a corner.

Wei Xiaobao was worried over Fang Yi and Mu Jianping, hastily he went toward the room where the two of them were hiding. He heard the sound of gongs was getting increasingly urgent, followed by the clamor of people shouting everywhere. Desperately he ran toward the room. ”It's me!” he shouted.

Fang and Mu, two girls were already frightened that their faces were drained of blood. ”What's that gong?” Mu Jianping asked, ”Are they coming to arrest us?”

”Not that,” Wei Xiaobao replied, ”The old wh0re is dead! People are shouting and jumping over everywhere. We'd better return to my room, it's relatively safer there.”

”Return to your room?” Mu Jianping said, ”We … we killed someone there …”

”Don't be afraid,” Wei Xiaobao said, ”They don't know about it. Quickly go!” He bent down to help Fang Yi; grabbing his bundle with his left hand, he rushed outside.

The three of them staggered along as they rushed forward for a while, they saw from a fork on the pathway several Imperial Bodyguards were rushing toward them. The leader raised up his torch and shouted, ”Who's there?”

”It's me,” Wei Xiaobao shouted back, ”You must go quickly to protect His Majesty. Is there a fire[50]?”

The guard recognized Wei Xiaobao, hastily he handed the torch over to the guard beside him. With hands by his side he respectfully said, ”Gui Gong-gong, I heard something bad happened at the Palace of Compassionate and Peaceful.”

”Alright,” Wei Xiaobao said, ”You go first, I'll come soon after.”

The Imperial Bodyguard bowed and said, ”Yes!” Leading his men, he left.

Mu Jianping said, ”They seem to be very afraid of you. And just now I said we were bad.” While saying that, she struck her own chest repeatedly.

Wei Xiaobao wanted to crack some jokes, to toot his own horn, but he was concerned over the disturbance caused by the Empress Dowager's death, he wondered what would the aftermath be, he was panic-stricken and could not think of any joke. Along the way they met another group of Imperial Bodyguards before finally arrived at his own residence. Luckily Fang Yi and Mu Jianping were wearing eunuch attire, plus the Imperial Bodyguards were such in a frantic mode that nobody paid any attention to them.

Wei Xiaobao said, ”The two of you stay here, whatever happens, do not change your clothes.” Putting his bundle into the chest, he left after locking the door behind him, and rushed to the Palace of Heavenly Purity, where Kangxi's personal chamber was located.