The Imperial Guards hurriedly withdrew. Two or three minutes later, a middle-aged man clad in red official robes stepped across the threshold and strode inside. He appeared around fifty years old, sporting an elegant long beard on a gaunt face. Stern and unsmiling, his deep, solemn eyes seemed to conceal an ocean of shrewd calculation and authority.
Zheng Wenhan, courtesy name Jinglun, was the younger brother of Empress Dowager Zheng and Zhao Shun's maternal uncle.
Holding a rank of the first order as Grand Academician of Hongtu Hall, he steered the central administration and was the most powerful minister in the Southern Dynasty.
This dignified, reserved middle-aged magnate swept a glance over the dancers performing gracefully in the hall, furrowed his brow, and commanded coldly,
"Withdraw!"
Though his voice was not loud, it sent the dancers scattering like startled birds. Bowing their heads and hunching their backs, they retreated to both sides, so terrified they held their breath.
Maintaining his indolent posture, Zhang Yuanqing called out loudly,
"Ah, Chancellor Zheng is here? Attendants, set up a table and bring wine for the Chancellor."
Zheng Wenhan's face darkened, and he said coldly, "Your Majesty, you have just survived an assassination attempt. Longtu sacrificed his life in the line of duty to keep you safe. His bones are barely cold, yet here you are in the hall, singing and dancing, drinking and revelling. Does this not chill the hearts of your loyal subjects?"
Zhang Yuanqing raised his wine cup, drank deeply, and said displeasedly, "'All under heaven is the King's land; all within its borders are the King's subjects.' The Zheng family is loyal to the imperial house and the Southern Dynasty. Zheng Longtu died for Us, and he died a worthy death."
He struck the pose of a Son of Heaven who took it as a given that others ought to die for him.
Standing off to the side, Brother Red Chicken and Jiang Jingwei put themselves in Zheng Wenhan's shoes for a moment—and instantly felt their fists clench.
Zheng Wenhan's gaze turned sharp. Knowing Zhao Shun's nature all too well, he took a deep breath, reining in the harshness in his eyes, though his tone remained low:
"That assassins lurked within the palace to plot against Your Majesty was Longtu's dereliction of duty. Dying in service for that failure is only natural. But the assassins have not yet been caught, and Your Majesty cannot afford to let your guard down. Tell me in detail what transpired last night after Longtu took you to hide in the side hall."
His tone leaned toward a command, devoid of the slightest reverence.
Zhang Yuanqing remained lazily slouched, though inward tension coiled tight. Putting on an annoyed expression, he said,
"Chancellor Zheng, you truly know how to spoil the mood, disrupting Our refined amusement...
"Last night, Commander Zheng took Us to hide in the side hall. Not long after, rainwater dripped from the roof and transformed into an assassin in black. To protect Us, Commander Zheng moved to intercept him, but who could have foreseen that the assassin was extraordinarily powerful? In just a single move, he sucked Commander Zheng into a withered husk.
"We then rushed out of the side hall to call for help. When We looked back, there was only Commander Zheng's corpse, and the assassin was gone."
Zheng Wenhan narrowed his eyes. "I heard from the Imperial Guards that Your Majesty and Longtu remained in the side hall for a good half a quarter of an hour, yet the assassin killed Longtu in merely one move. Before the assassin appeared, what did Longtu say to Your Majesty?"
*Tsk, laying his cards on the table, are we? If I botch this act, there'll be a massive wave of assassins attacking tonight.* Zhang Yuanqing had anticipated this question. From Zheng Wenhan's perspective, the assassin killed his son Zheng Longtu in an instant, but Zheng Longtu and the emperor had spent a full quarter of an hour in the side hall. During that time, Zheng Longtu—who harbored treacherous intentions to begin with—would have had plenty of opportunity to make his move.
He might well have already exposed the Zheng family's ambitions.
Thoughts raced through Zhang Yuanqing's mind, yet he kept up his sluggish facade:
"Three of Our beauties all sought to assassinate Us. We were exceedingly furious and spent the time in the side hall reprimanding Commander Zheng, whereupon Commander Zheng inquired about intelligence regarding the assassins."
Among the three beauties, only Beauty Wan had been planted by the Zheng family, while the other two were not. It was entirely reasonable for Zheng Longtu to have asked for details about the assassins.
Zheng Wenhan adopted a contemplative look. Through emotional feedback, Zhang Yuanqing could tell that this crafty magnate had not bought it.
Sure enough, Zheng Wenhan asked,
"Does Your Majesty know the origins of those three assassins?"
Feigning recollection, Zhang Yuanqing furrowed his brow.
"Beauty Chu was the first to strike. She muttered something about seeking vengeance for the fallen soldiers. Songstress Wang declared she would rid the world's common folk of this tyrannical ruler. Chancellor Zheng, you tell Us—are We a tyrant?!"
*Avenge the fallen soldiers...* Zheng Wenhan seemed to recall something, and his pupils shrank slightly.
He pondered for a few seconds. Instead of answering Zhang Yuanqing's question, he hastily asked, "Did Beauty Wan say anything?"
Zhang Yuanqing shook his head. "Beauty Wan said nothing at all. She attacked the moment she lunged, nearly stabbing Us to death! Hmph, that wretched woman! After all the favor We bestowed upon her, she actually dared to harbor treachery! We will execute nine generations of her clan!"
Zheng Wenhan's expression remained unchanged, but Zhang Yuanqing clearly sensed a release of tension from his emotions—he was no longer wound up tight.
Evidently, Zheng Wenhan believed his explanation: that Zheng Longtu had indeed spent that quarter of an hour probing for information.
Furthermore, Beauty Wan, planted by the Zheng family, had indeed not given herself away.
Suddenly, Zheng Wenhan asked, "This subject discovered a medicinal pill in the side hall. What was it? Did the assassins leave it behind?"
Zhang Yuanqing had been waiting for this very question. He feigned astonishment: "A pill? What pill? Oh, We remember now! That was an antidote pill Commander Zheng gave Us. It purges all poisons, so one needn't fear the bites of gu insects."
This was to mislead Zheng Wenhan into believing Zheng Longtu had attempted to trick the emperor into swallowing a poison pill.
In any case, Zheng Longtu was dead; dead men tell no tales.
Sensing that Zheng Wenhan's emotions had completely settled, Zhang Yuanqing said impatiently, "Chancellor Zheng, if there is nothing else, take your leave. Do not interrupt Our amusement any longer."
Zheng Wenhan hesitated for a moment, cupped his hands in a bow, turned, and left. As he crossed the threshold, he heard Zhao Shun's hearty laughter ring out behind him:
"My beauties, let the music play on and dance once more!"
*Useless wretch!* Zheng Wenhan sneered inward.
***
Dusk fell.
Brother Red Chicken, having bustled outside for half a day, returned to the Summer Palace. Meanwhile, Consort De and Lady Ya arrived at the Summer Palace under the pretext of "attending the emperor's bed." The group closed the hall doors, lowered the curtains, and conspired in the deepest recesses of the imperial bedchamber.
"I've uncovered the Shenrui Army's background," Brother Red Chicken said. "They really were an army of the Southern Dynasty, but they were wiped out sixteen years ago."
Sitting cross-legged on the soft divan, Zhang Yuanqing scented something unusual. "Being wiped out shouldn't have been enough to redirect their hatred onto the emperor."
"There's definitely a reason for it." Brother Red Chicken pulled over a small stool and sat down. "Twenty-one years ago, the Northern Dynasty amassed an army of a hundred thousand to campaign southward. Just like now, they tore through defenses like dead wood, storming cities and capturing fortresses. In just three months, they pushed their forces to within a hundred li of the Southern Dynasty's capital. Empress Dowager Zheng was still ruling from behind the curtain back then. In a fury, she dismissed over a dozen officials from the Ministry of War in rapid succession and posted notices across every county and prefecture, allowing local gentry to recruit soldiers and buy mounts, and permitting common folk everywhere to mount their own resistance."
"Brilliant!" Brother Red Chicken clapped his hands in admiration. "Once this decree went out, the wealthy gentry began raising and drilling troops to protect themselves, or backing loyal, upright figures to resist the Northern Dynasty's invasion. Displaced refugees who had lost their homes enlisted en masse. A man named Wu Xin rose to prominence against this backdrop, assembling the Shenrui Army.
"This Wu Xin came from a prominent lineage. His clan had produced three provincial graduates and two military generals. By his generation, the family had fallen on hard times, but the family heritage remained. The man managed troops with strict discipline and commanded with godly skill. In the early stages, he accepted donations from local magnates; later, he pledged allegiance to the Southern Dynasty, securing financial and grain support from the imperial court. In just four years, he routed the Northern Dynasty's hundred-thousand-strong host and drove them all the way back to the Northern Territory.
"Back then, most of the Northern Dynasty's elites had perished on the battlefield. Wu Xin wanted to march his army north, wipe out the Northern Dynasty in a single sweep, and end the century-long war between North and South. But the court issued an order to withdraw."
At this point, Brother Red Chicken slapped his thigh in regret. "I always thought this sort of rage-inducing trope only happened in TV dramas. Who knew dungeons had it too?"
"The court either feared Wu Xin would use his troops to establish independent rule and crown himself king, or the state treasury was drained dry and desperately needed recovery," Zhang Yuanqing said, prodding him. "Keep going."
"The imperial court issued twelve imperial edicts in a row commanding Wu Xin to recall his troops and return to the capital, but Wu Xin defied the decrees and pressed on with his northern expedition. So, the court cut off his rations and fodder. As I mentioned earlier, Wu Xin maintained strict discipline and would never plunder commoners. With neither money nor grain, he couldn't continue the northern expedition, yet he refused to retreat in defeat. Thus, he led a retinue of his personal guards back to court, hoping to persuade the government to back his northern campaign." Brother Red Chicken sighed.
"The result? He died in the Capital City. The court claimed he died of illness. His personal guards didn't buy it and caused a public uproar; some were beheaded, some disbanded, and some thrown into prison.
"Before long, the main army left behind in the Northern Territory walked into an ambush by Northern Dynasty forces. Its elites were completely annihilated, and the rest scattered."
"You tell it so cultured, just like a storyteller," Jiang Jingwei remarked in astonishment, thinking to herself that even within the Fire Specialist community, there were refined folks who knew how to turn a phrase.
Brother Red Chicken confessed honestly, "The Ministry of War officials told me all of it. I'm just paraphrasing."
"So their hatred spilled over onto me?" Zhang Yuanqing lamented melodramatically, "We were only an eight- or nine-year-old child back then! What did that have to do with Us?! That was the filthy mess Imperial Mother made!"
"Still acting the part, are you?" Consort De (his aunt) shot him a sideways glare and analyzed, "With the Shenrui Army's elites entirely lost, they had no power to assassinate anyone in the palace. But after the new emperor ascended the throne, his lust for beauty gave them an opening. In that case, the Shenrui Army's combat power is at most Saint level—there won't be any Dominators. Once we endure the seventy-two hours, they won't be a concern."
"No!" Zhang Yuanqing shook his head. "With a plotline this rich and seemingly crying out for justice, according to my years of... repeated experience in high-difficulty dungeons, the Shenrui Army's side plot won't be that simple. This is a Dominator-level Rank-A dungeon. Would one of its main enemy factions only have Saint-level combat strength? That's hardly realistic."
"Then what do you want to do?" Brother Red Chicken and Jiang Jingwei said in unison.
With two mouthpieces speaking up for them, Xie Lingxi and the others were spared from asking.
Zhang Yuanqing pondered for a moment. "Consort Wan followed the Empress Dowager from childhood and was a death warrior personally trained by her. She should know many of the Empress Dowager's secrets. Moreover, she is much older than me; back when the court handled the Shenrui Army, she must have already been old enough to understand things."
Looking at his teammates, he said, "Having successfully fooled Zheng Wenhan today right after an assassination attempt, tonight should be safe. We'll discuss leaving the city tomorrow. Attendant Li, after dinner, summon Consort Wan to attend Our bed."
The Shenrui Army's plotline would be hard to investigate once they left the palace.
Brother Red Chicken bowed with cupped hands. "Yes, Your Majesty!"
***
Having eaten dinner in the Summer Palace, the sky had turned to dusky twilight as lanterns were first lit. Brother Red Chicken led Xie Lingxi and Jiang Jingwei, the two "palace maids," out of the bedchamber, strolling amid magnificent pavilions and palaces that resembled an immortal's realm.
As Brother Red Chicken walked, he suddenly remarked, "Where's Guan Ya, anyway? Where's Guan Ya? She's a Swordsman too—could she be in the military? I haven't seen Sun Miaomiao either..."
Xie Lingxi scrutinized Brother Red Chicken. "Why are you so fixated on Brother Yuanshi's girlfriend? You've brought Guan Ya up several times today."
Brother Red Chicken sneered:
"All we have on this side are women: Jingwei isn't too bright, you and Queen have too little experience with high-difficulty dungeons, Xiao Yuan is a quiet block of wood, and the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter has an eccentric temper. Damn it, I feel thoroughly insecure!
"It would be great if Sun Miaomiao and Guan Ya were in the capital. But Yuanshi's poem has been spreading for so long, yet neither of them has rushed over to meet up."
Jingwei objected unconvinced, "My dad says I'm the smartest one in the family."
"Is your mom a Fire Specialist?" Xie Lingxi asked.
Jingwei shook her head.
"Then clearly, your dad is a scumbag," Xie Lingxi remarked.
Jingwei looked baffled. "Why?"
"Because in your dad's eyes, your mom isn't family," Xie Lingxi said.
Jingwei didn't say a word, walking forward sullenly. More than ten seconds later, she and Brother Red Chicken realized what she meant at the exact same moment and snapped angrily, "You dare mock us Fire Specialists?!"
***
Inside the bedchamber.
Consort Wan glanced at Consort De on the left, then at Lady Ya on the right, and finally looked at Zhang Yuanqing. Despite her burly physique, she performed an elegant imperial consort's salutation:
"Your Majesty, this concubine has arrived to attend your bed."
Zhang Yuanqing said amiably, "Consort Wan is here! Quickly, grant her a seat."
Brother Red Chicken brought over a small stool.
Zhang Yuanqing kicked him flying. "Bring a large armchair!"
Brother Red Chicken dashed to the outer reception room and hauled in a twenty-kilogram carved wooden armchair.
Zhang Yuanqing said pleasantly, "Consort Wan, please be seated. Consort Wan, have you ever heard of the Shenrui Army?"
Consort Wan once again looked at Consort De on the left, then at Lady Ya on the right.
Zhang Yuanqing chuckled. "Speak freely. These two beauties are Our lifelong loves, Our cherished favorites whom We wish to visit every single day."
Xiao Yuan and the Palace Master gave a chilling smirk.
*Does your girlfriend Guan Ya agree with that statement?!* Brother Red Chicken couldn't resist complaining inwardly.
"Your Majesty, why do you suddenly ask about the Shenrui Army?" asked Consort Wan, whose body resembled a small mountain of flesh.
"We have already investigated. Beauty Chu was an assassin planted in the palace by the Shenrui Army," Zhang Yuanqing replied without concealment.
A light dawned on Consort Wan, and she said,
"So that was it. The one the Shenrui Army truly wishes to take revenge on is likely the Empress Dowager. However, as the Empress Dowager resides deep within the inner palace, they had no opportunity, so they made Your Majesty their target of retribution."
*Part of the reason is also that Zhao Shun is so incompetent and corrupt that killing him would benefit the realm and the people!* Zhang Yuanqing thought.
Consort Wan's response confirmed that this death warrior did indeed know a few secrets.
"Actually, the Shenrui Army has weighed heavily on the Empress Dowager's mind for many years. Since Your Majesty asks, I shall speak plainly..." Consort Wan had just reached this point when her expression abruptly changed, and she snapped her head toward the curtain.
Almost simultaneously, Zhang Yuanqing, the Palace Master, Xiao Yuan, Brother Red Chicken, and the three beauties turned their gazes toward the outside of the hall.
In the darkness of the night, heavy, rhythmic footsteps rapidly approached—a large troop of armed soldiers was marching straight toward the imperial bedchamber.
Chapter 852