zChapter 1022 - Cannot Kill (2/2)
Indeed, an entire room had been emptied out. Even the large chests containing jewels had disappeared. Wu Ying was so distressed that he nearly passed out. At the same time, he felt that this situation was filled with mystery. Exactly what sort of person could take away so many things? And even do it without anyone noticing?
Wu Ying was dazed. Standing in place, he did not know what to do; however, someone brought up a bold idea, saying: “Could it be… His Majesty? In the past, Zhang Yuan was the one favored by His Majesty. We are all very clear on just how favored he is. This servant always felt that His Majesty suddenly sending Zhang Yuan to the department of guilty servants was a little strange. Eunuch Wu, say, could His Majesty be feeling regret after the fact but cannot neglect Imperial Concubine Yuan Shu, thus he helped Zhang Yuan tidy up these things and took them away? His Majesty does have hidden guards at his side, and those hidden guards can do things without us noticing.”
With him saying this, Wu Ying also became startled. It was possible! This analysis was reasonable, but if this really was done by the Emperor… he needed to find a chance to tell Imperial Concubine Yuan Shu. The eighth prince would need to act accordingly to protect himself.
Life in the palace was filled with boredom, especially for those in the imperial harem. Aside from visiting Jing Ci Palace every morning to pay respects to the Empress, they had nothing else to do. Now, things were great. There was an additional mission of currying favor with Imperial Concubine Yuan Shu, but today, Imperial Concubine Yuan Shu slept during the morning. At noon, she was called over by the Emperor. They had no chance to curry favor with her, thus they all went to the imperial garden to admire the wintersweet.
It had to be said that the members of the imperial harem going into the yards was very normal, but it just so happened that the Emperor did not call for Zirui. That child remained on his own in the palace, thus he said to the palace maid taking care of him, Yue Rong: “How about we go out and walk around a bit. Thinking about it, the members of the imperial harem won’t be going out on such a cold day. Let’s go out for a bit. It’s truly too boring inside.”
Yue Rong sighed. In the end, he was still young. Staying in the room the entire time would leave him bored. She nodded but was still a little bit worried, thus she reminded him: “We can go, but we cannot go for too long. At most, we can go for one hour before coming back. Is that alright? If His Majesty sends for you, it would not be good for nobody to be here. Also, this courtyard is filled with eyes keeping watch. As soon as we leave for this walk, word will quickly spread, and it’s possible that it will be used by someone. The people in the palace are all sharp, and we must remain vigilant.”
Zirui nodded, “I know. We’ll go quickly and return quickly. I don’t know how much longer I will be kept in the Imperial Palace, and I need to get some fresh air.”
Yue Rong could not dissuade him, thus she helped him put on a coat then added a cloak. She then greeted the servants outside and told them to immediately send someone to the imperial garden if the Emperor sent for them. Only then did she take Zirui out of the courtyard.
Speaking of, Zirui did not really want to go and play in the imperial garden. That was a place for girls to enjoy. He was a boy. What would he go and look at wintersweet for? He just wanted to leave that courtyard and experience the atmosphere in the Imperial Palace. He wanted to see what sort of changes had occurred since Imperial Concubine Yuan Shu and the eighth prince became favored.
With these sorts of thoughts in mind, he was led to the garden by Yue Rong. Along the way, he carefully observed his surroundings, and he was able to notice that there were many more imperial guards on patrol. Also, the imperial guards were not all wearing the same uniform. There was also a group that had clearly been brought in from somewhere else. They were not people that originally existed in the central region. Most importantly, when the people on patrol saw him, they would all cast investigative glances at him. Although they did not say anything, there was a clear look of rejection.
Zirui was cautious along the way. Even after arriving at the garden, he had no desire to look at the wintersweet. Instead, he looked at the members of the imperial harem that were gathered together and frowned. He quietly said to Yue Rong: “Sister Yue Rong, it seems that I was wrong. There are still people who wish to come out on such a cold day. Since they are here, it would not be good for Zirui to go any further. Let’s go back.”
Yue Rong saw that he was so understanding and felt very comforted, thus she nodded and began to lead Zirui back; however, there was a member of the imperial harem with sharp eyes who saw them, and she let out a very exaggerated scream: “Oh! Who is that? How could a boy appear in the imperial garden?”
This shout caused all of her sisters to become startled, as they all turned their heads in the direction of Zirui. These people were all members of Imperial Concubine Yuan Shu’s faction, and they were all clear on the situation behind Zirui entering the palace. Seeing this young boy, even if they did not usually remember what Zirui looked like, they could guess his identity. Once this identity was recognized, all kinds of wicked ideas began to circulate through the minds of these women. One of them did not even think and rushed to shout in the direction that Zirui was departing in: “Who is that up ahead? Stop!”
Yue Rong felt her head swell. She had been in the palace for too long, and she understood what it meant when a member of the imperial harem used this tone. She could not help but hold Zirui’s hand a little tighter and quietly reminded him: “Young master, you must be careful in handling this. They are all people siding with Imperial Concubine Yuan Shu.”
Zirui nodded and turned around, very politely performing a salute. He then let go of Yue Rong’s hand and stepped forward, stopping three to four paces away from the members of the imperial harem. He then swept his robe and kneeled on the ground before saying: “This lowly citizen, Feng Zirui, greets Your Highnesses. For this disruption, I hope that Your Highnesses will forgive me.”