243

Chapter 243: Untitled

Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

All the concubines stared at her, aghast… Hadn’t she already reported sick? How did you forget so quickly?

Someone was about to mention it when Jian Xue immediately continued Meng Fuyao’s question as she looked and remarked, “That’s right, I felt as if someone was missing, turns out it was Consort of Virtue that didn’t turn up, perhaps she had… forgotten?”

Meng Fuyao glanced at her and responded with an offhanded “Oh.” Then, she continued drinking her tea and casually placed the cup back down.

The rest of the concubines then attempted to rise slowly and excuse themselves, but Jian Xue remained standing around at the back. Meng Fuyao was sitting down, slowly sipping her tea without looking at her. When the crowd dispersed, Jian Xue suddenly turned around and launched herself before Meng Fuyao’s knees.

Meng Fuyao lowered her eyes and stared at her.

After a while, she smiled.

The new Empress had sure been busy.

Liu Pin and Yang Chongrong had both been dealt with; Liu Pin had yet to come out of Chongxing Palace, and Yang Chongrong was mentally unstable.

The Noble Concubine had been promoted.

Everyone had to do work at the Chongxing Palace every alternate day.

The Noble Consort was bestowed numerous gifts and treasures.

This move naturally came to the Regent King’s attention, and when Xuanyuan Cheng heard about it, he thought, ‘What a vicious girl.’

The visor beside him remarked, “The harem will resort to any means to gain the Emperor’s affection.”

Xuanyuan Cheng thought for a moment and felt that this was the case, yet he couldn’t tell what the new Empress was trying to do. On the one hand, she looked like she was cleaning up the six palaces, yet she let off the most arrogant Consort of Virtue. On the other hand, she looked like she was using her power to gain affection, yet she promoted the Noble Concubine. Xuanyuan Cheng was not a greenhorn in the game of politics, and he was also rather well versed in a woman’s mind.

The visor laughed and said, “Your Highness, you don’t have to worry. After all, Empress Yuwen is your distant relative, and she knows how to behave. Moreover, she is alone here, what can she do?”

Xuanyuan Cheng chuckled. Whatever everything in the imperial court belonged to him anyway. With more than ten years of foundation, how could a mere girl hope to move?

Moreover, if there was anything unsatisfactory about Yuwen Zi… he could still prepare to take her life.

When Meng Fuyao was busy taking care of the harem, Little Seven knocked upon the gates of the outer palace.

A little eunuch yawned as he opened the door and chastised, “Why are you disturbing people this early…” However, when he saw Little Seven, he paused slightly, and a hint of suspicion flashed past his eyes.

Little Seven was wearing a cloak, making the little eunuch even more suspicious as he sized up Little Seven’s outfit, his gaze landing on Zhan Beiye’s black fox fur cape upon his shoulders. Then he glanced at the laborer’s clothing under the luxurious cloak and shook the cloak slightly as he asked, smiling, “Oh, are you here to do odd jobs? It’s not easy to work here, it’s difficult trying to get into the palace.”

Little Seven raised his head and noticed the eunuch eyeing the fur cloak greedily. He thought for a moment, then silently took off the cloak and stuffed it into the little eunuch’s hands.

The eunuch happily received it and, reaching out to pinch Little Seven, he praised, “Little Brother, you’re really obedient. I’m sure you’ll progress far in the future.” Little Seven slapped his hand away, but he wasn’t angry as he said daintily, “I’ll go report your arrival.”

After a while, he returned and said, “Eunuch Li is looking for you.” Then he called out, “Wang Daozi, wake up, there’s work to do.”

Little Seven silently followed him into the courtyard. When Eunuch Li saw him, he pulled his arm delightedly and said, “Come, sign your name here.”

Little Seven pulled his hand back and replied sheepishly, “I don’t know how to write words.” Then, he casually drew a circle and said, “I always draw circles.”

When he was a general, he used circles to sign off any document.

Eunuch Li didn’t seem to mind as he kept the document and told Little Seven to take a bath. After his bath, he handed him a loose robe, and Little Seven had just put it on when Wang Daozi came in carrying a bunch of objects. He glanced at Little Seven and said, “Come with me.”

Little Seven noticed him carrying a bunch of objects, such as white cloths, a wooden axe, and several bottles and boxes. Thinking that he was on the way to work, he followed him into a hut. The hut was empty, and even the windows were tightly sealed with paper. In the middle, there was a bed and some loose rope.

Wang Daozi handed him a bowl of soup and said, “Drink this first.”

The soup was black and slightly smelly, so Little Seven was naturally suspicious about it. He carried a silver needle in his sleeve, which he refused to sell no matter how broke he was. He took it out and carefully tested the soup.

Wang Daozi guffawed loudly. “Ha! There are still people who use silver needles to test the numbing soup!”

No poison. Little Seven was also beginning to feel thirsty and finished the soup in one gulp.

However, the soup was hot and tasted rather strange, as if it was disgusting yet not disgusting, and Little Seven’s body began to feel light as he suddenly felt his head become heavy, and his eyelids started to droop.

His hand slackened, and the spoon fell to the ground as Wang Daozi caught it skillfully. He faintly heard the door open, and several people enter. Wang Daozi took out a gleaming, curved knife and place it over a flame as he instructed, “Take off his clothes and put him on the bed…”

He didn’t know anything that happened after that.

The outer palace gates creaked open slightly.

A little eunuch snuck out suspiciously holding an object wrapped in cloth, a bit of lustrous fur poking out of the seams.

He stroked the cloak happily, thinking that he had struck gold today. When he pawned it later for some silver, he could go gamble.

It was an early winter morning, and there were little passersby, and a thin layer of ice covered the ground. The little eunuch walked along the outer palace walls and carefully avoided the frozen areas. However, his boots had already been worn out, and the soles had become thin and slippery, thus as he walked, he still slipped and fell with a thud.

The bundle flew out of his arms, and the cloak spilled out. The little eunuch panicked and scrambled forward to retrieve it, but up ahead, someone appeared and swiftly picked up the fur cloak.

The little eunuch shouted, “Hey, that’s mine!”

“Yours?” The other party raised his head as a strange expression appeared on his face. “Yours?” He repeated.

“Of course!”

That person reached out a hand and landed a fist on his head. “I dare you to say one more time that it’s yours!”

The blow was like a hammer crashing down, and the little eunuch’s brain rattled. He felt as if his brain had been hammered into his neck as he saw stars in front of him.

“I…”

Ping!

Another blow.

“Say it one more time if you dare?”

The little eunuch started sobbing…’I didn’t mean to say it’s mine… I wanted to say “I won’t say anymore,”…’

The person repeatedly looked at the cape, and impatiently said, “Tell me where you got it.”

The little eunuch was filled with tears as he shrank back and pointed at the personnel in the harem and said, “A lad who wanted to work as an odd jobs eunuch offered it to me in respect…”

“Nonsense!” The person’s voice was so thunderous that the little eunuch nearly wet himself. “What status is he to treat you with respect?”

“What do you mean by status?” The little eunuch was dumbstruck. “What status could a mere peasant have?”

“Peasant?” The person asked suspiciously, “What does he look like?”

The little eunuch stuttered his answer, and the person’s face grew more and more serious. “Little Seven?” He mumbled under his breath.

He raised his head and glanced at the palace walls behind him—Little Seven had been abandoned by his heartless master and spent a long time in the Regent King’s manor before receiving word that his master had already gone to the palace to meet the Empress. He was just thinking how to enter the palace and didn’t want to be seen around with Zhan Beiye’s cape since it was different; even his own clothes had been smothered with charcoal, and nobody was able to recognize it. Hence, it was extremely suspicious to spot a little eunuch holding Zhan Beiye’s cape, so he naturally had to ask only to receive a shocking piece of news—Little Seven had gone to become a eunuch?

Tie Cheng’s mind was whirring nonstop. He naturally knew about Little Seven being banished, and it was understandable that Little Seven wanted to enter the palace. However, the consequences of entering the palace in this way were far too brutal. Nevermind Zhan Beiye, but his master would have nightmares for a lifetime.

‘Silly Little Seven! You’re not atoning for your crimes this way, you’re causing more trouble!’

Tie Cheng immediately grabbed the little eunuch by the head.

“Where is he? Take me to him!”

Moving back to ten days ago, atop a cloud-filled mountain in the divine realm, the pair of master and disciple had been in conversation for over three nights.

The area was filled with fog as a simply-dressed figure knelt silently, not getting up.

A round figure suddenly appeared in front of him in a flash, standing atop the steps in front of him. Tai Yan flicked a finger, and a red light fell onto Zhangsun Wuji’s back as she shouted, “Person under punishment, why are you sleeping! You are going against master’s instructions!”

Zhangsun Wuji was stunned for a moment and raised his head. He was about to say something when Tai Yan suddenly disappeared as another figure appeared noiselessly in the fog.

Zhangsun Wuji lowered his head.

“Wuji, why haven’t you come to your senses?” Supreme Elder’s ancient face was unclear in the fog, and his expression was unreadable.

Zhangsun Wuji remained unmoving, unspeaking. His robe was open, and there was snow on his knees. Delicate snowflakes had also gathered between his eyebrows.

The old man watched him silently, and after a while, he sighed soundlessly. “I once liked that attitude of yours, but now…” He turned around and said, “You may get up.”

“Thank you, Master,” Zhangsun Wuji replied, but did not immediately stand up. The old man did not turn around, but he knew that he was temporarily unable to get up.

The peak of Jade Mountain was of the harshest cold, and normal humans would already lose their lives long ago if they were to kneel there for three days and three nights.

With a swish of his sleeve, natural energy began to circulate again as Zhangsun Wuji slowly stood up, leaning against a pillar behind him for support.

“Why?” The old man’s voice carried a hint of exhaustion.

“My father is unwell,” Zhangsun Wuji replied mildly. “As his son, I have a responsibility to support my father through his illness.”

“The elders have already given into you and allowed you to enter the mundane world, not taking on this position would not stop you from expressing your filial piety in the mundane world. In the future, whether you become emperor or not wouldn’t affect you, so what do you still want?”

“I’ve caused Master to worry, Wuji daren’t disobey.”

“I’ve already reached the Earth Celestial stage after I complete the mundane world tribulation, I will head to the Limitless Realm. If not for the fact that I’ve been fighting Tai Yan for so long, I would already have given you the position much earlier. Now that I’ve managed to convince the elders, you still remain stubborn as such, Wuji, you… Can’t you just listen to your master and take the position earlier?”