Escape from the Palace (1)

"Clang—clang, tap—tap."

Unlike previous years, it was already deep winter, but the snow was slow to fall, and only the north wind was blowing hard.

It was already past midnight when the sound of gongs and drums rang out in the alley, followed by the night watchman's drawn-out melody, which was then carried away by the wind.

"The weather is dry, be careful with fire!"

Yan Qing quickened her pace, quietly making her way to the dark alley and hiding there.

The night watchman's footsteps drew closer and closer.

Yan Qing held her breath, her heart pounding in the space. The sound of the gong rang out again, gradually fading into the distance, while the watchman's calls echoed from within the palace walls in the distance.

She then picked up her foot and walked out, gripping the cold red wall with both hands, and peering around. The empty alley was only filled with the howling of the cold wind. Yan Qing shivered from the cold and retreated back into the dark alley to wait.

After a while, a sound came from the high wall.

Yan Qing felt a weight on her shoulder as the black cat landed lightly on her, its little head nuzzling her face. Yan Qing's heart felt like winter ice being scorched by fire, melting into water.

With a soft "Mimi," Yan Qing picked it up and gently scratched its chin.

A person and a cat are conversing through purring sounds.

[Are people coming this way?]

We're almost there.

Having received a definite answer from Mimi, Yan Qing put it back on his shoulder and let it jump onto the palace wall and leave.

Then, she revealed a confident smile, carefully walked out of the dark alley, and continued to walk quickly toward the palace gate that was the only way to leave the palace.

Since Yan Qing made up her mind to escape, she began to gather information everywhere. However, because she was sick, she could not make a big show of it and had to resort to the most primitive method.

That is, eavesdropping!

After a whole day of eavesdropping, the information he obtained was very fragmented and of almost no use, leaving Yan Qing somewhat disheartened.

Perhaps seeing that Yan Qing's method was too primitive and inefficient, Cat Number One reappeared.

[Host, your current happiness level can be exchanged for 15 minutes of daily interaction time with your kitten. Would you like that?]

Yan Qing was helpless in the face of such a system.

Why didn't you say so sooner!

The host did not ask.

The voice carried a hint of grievance.

[Don't exchange yet, please provide a list of the available assistance items.]

[Cat #1 received, feedback adopted.]

Yan Qing disregarded everything else and immediately set off to find the little black cat she had met that morning. It was a very affectionate black cat with pure white fur on both sides of its mouth, which looked like it was carrying a butterfly from a distance.

The kitten I'd only seen three or four times this morning is now nowhere to be found.

Just as she was feeling dejected, a dark figure pounced straight into Yan Qing's arms. Due to muscle memory, she immediately started petting it, and the kitten's purring was deafening.

[Cat No. 1, exchange for communication skills for me.]

[Cat No. 1 received, distribution in progress.]

In an instant, a childlike voice appeared in Yan Qing's mind.

[If you like it, you'll pat its head.]

Yan Qing tentatively reached out and scratched the little black cat's head, and sure enough, the voice rang out again.

Feeling comfortable and happy.

Even though Yan Qing was somewhat prepared, she was still shocked at this moment. Her eyes widened and her mouth slightly open as she looked at the kitten frolicking in her arms. This feeling was truly magical.

Time was of the essence, and no matter how happy Yan Qing was, she had to prioritize her business. She took out the cat treat she got from the system and bribed the little black cat.

The little black cat had never seen this before and was a bit wary. It sniffed it a few times, but when Yan Qing tore open the packaging, the fragrance wafted towards it, and it lowered its guard and began to lick it greedily.

Delicious, delicious, delicious...

Seeing that it was eating with great relish, Yan Qing seized the opportunity and started talking to it about the benefits of joining the cat spy program, mentioning cat treats and canned food as well.

With delicious food before him, it was no surprise that the little black cat officially became one of Yan Qing's top generals!

For the next two days, the black cat visited late at night. Fifteen minutes was too short, but the black cat still tried its best to convey a lot of information. Unfortunately, nothing was of use to Yan Qing.

Late on the fourth night, Xuanmao suddenly started acting out a dialogue.

Let's see how the Cheng family protects him this time. Have they dealt with everything cleanly?

The fire burned everything to the ground. Only... one servant escaped.

[Useless trash. If you can't catch him, you'll die in his place. Also, don't tell anyone about this.]

The Cheng family? Yan Qingpu grasped the key point in this passage.

Cheng Changfeng is the grandson of the current Grand General. Some time ago, he had a quarrel with the son of the county magistrate in the capital, and the two even got into a fight. Five days ago, Cheng Changfeng invited him to a restaurant, and within an hour, the restaurant caught fire, and everyone except Cheng Changfeng survived.

After the incident, Magistrate Zhang, his words dripping with grief, pleaded for justice in the imperial court. All the evidence pointed to Cheng Changfeng, leading to impeachment of the Cheng family by the entire court. Cheng Changfeng was immediately imprisoned to await his fate. The Jingzhao Prefecture and the Dali Temple investigated the case for days and would soon provide their results.

Even if General Cheng insists on protecting his young grandson, he may not be able to escape unscathed without concrete evidence to clear Cheng Changfeng of suspicion.

The Cheng family mystery has caused quite a stir. Yan Qing had previously only listened to it as gossip because she had no room to maneuver. But now, with the little black cat's words, things are different.

Yan Qing had an idea and a candidate to take her out of the palace.

King Qi!

Over the past few days, Yan Qing has spent a long time piecing together the undercurrents surging in the imperial court.

The current emperor is in his prime and has five sons: Crown Prince Rong Zhang, Prince Qi Rong Xiao, Prince Ning Rong Xuan, and the third and fourth princes who died young, leaving only these three.

Rong Zhang was the Empress's only son. The second prince, Rong Xiao, and the fifth prince, Rong Xuan, were both born to Consort Shu. All three of them were already of marriageable age.

The Crown Prince and Prince Qi were constantly at odds, creating a division between the two factions in the court, while Rong Xuan stood alone, showing no interest in politics.

Of the three, Rong Xuan is the first one Yan Qing needs to eliminate. Yan Qing's ultimate mission is to improve the happiness of the people in this world. Rong Xuan has no real power but only a reputation, which is of no help to her future actions.

Giving this favor to the Crown Prince and the Prince of Qi would yield greater benefits.

But Yan Congjin was originally the Crown Prince's man, and was just cannon fodder. Now that his personality has suddenly changed, isn't he courting death? Then only Prince Qi is left.

This choice wasn't simply a matter of choosing the best among the worst. Although the Cheng family was supposedly neutral in court, they seemed to subtly favor the Prince of Qi's faction. The Prince of Qi was much more likely to lend a helping hand in this matter than the Crown Prince.

As for why she didn't directly approach the Cheng family, Yan Qing had her reasons. With only this much information, it would be difficult to truly solve the Cheng family's unsolved case. If this lead proved useless, Yan Qing might incur the wrath of the Cheng family.

It would be different if you told the Prince of Qi that Yan Qing was only exchanging clues for her freedom, and whether the case could be solved or not was not directly related to her.

If successful, Yan Qing could gain the trust of the Prince of Qi, and perhaps even receive some favors from the Cheng family.

No, Yan Qing has already achieved his goal of leaving the palace, but he has gained nothing extra.

Tonight, Prince Qi will be visiting Consort Shu and will pass through this road on his way out of the palace, which is also Yan Qing's closest opportunity.

At the final turn, once past this point, she could use the King of Qi's help to leave this palace shrouded in the shadow of death.

Bang--

The sound of their collision was barely perceptible in the quiet night, yet it was like a thunderclap that exploded in Yan Qing's heart, leaving her in a state of panic.

[Cat Number One, who did I bump into?]

Yan Qing lowered her head, her eyes only seeing the luxurious clothes of the person she had collided with.

[Prince Ning, Rong Xuan.]

The system responded quickly.

Yan Qing breathed a sigh of relief; thankfully, it was Rong Xuan she had encountered. If it had been anyone else, her life would have been in grave danger.

She slowly raised her head, and Rong Xuan was looking down at her, his eyes filled with doubt but also gentleness.

He was known throughout the capital for his kindness and gentleness, and never mistreated his servants. Yan Qing's eyes darted around, and he prepared his response in his mind.

"This humble servant, a court official, respectfully greets Your Highness, Prince Ning. I was summoned by Your Highness late at night, and I was anxious, fearing that being late would displease you. That is why I rushed through the palace and offended Your Highness. I deserve to die for this crime and beg Your Highness's forgiveness."

Yan Qing took a few steps back, clasped his hands in front of his chest, knelt down and bowed respectfully to Rong Xuan, explaining the reason for his late-night outing.

The long silence did not bring the expected forgiveness and understanding.

Yan Qing's palms gradually became damp, and beads of sweat slowly slid down her forehead, leaving a wet trail on her cheek before falling onto the blue bricks and disappearing into the night.

A smiling question came from above her head, and Yan Qing felt a tightness in her heart as she sensed him approaching. The pressure on her body felt tangible.

"In the dead of night, who is it that disturbs my peaceful sleep?"

It sounded like she was standing up for Yan Qing, but Rong Xuan's true intentions were hard for her to figure out.

Is this person really that kind?

She could only speak cautiously, "Your Highness is too kind. The Six Departments are meant to serve the nobles, and whatever the nobles ask of us is our mission."

After a soft laugh, Rong Xuan's voice came again, and the temperature dropped sharply.

"Can't say, or dare not say?"

Rong Xuan's change was so sudden that Yan Qing momentarily forgot about etiquette. She looked up in surprise and stared blankly at him.

His sharp features were no longer concealed by a smile, revealing his ruthlessness. Yan Qing realized that the rumored gentleman might be false, because Rong Xuan in front of her was more like a vengeful Yama.

Under the dim moonlight, a chill emanated from within. Cold sweat soaked her inner shirt; Yan Qing felt as if she were holding her breath, watching Rong Xuan continue his actions.

He slowly took out a sharp blade from his sleeve. The cold touch came from the side of his face, and Yan Qing couldn't help but shrink back. But he saw him withdraw his hand and instead lightly slice his sleeve, tearing several layers of fabric apart.

Yan Qing instantly realized that he was trying to frame him for assassination!

Although she didn't know why the other party wanted to kill her, she didn't have time to think about it. Yan Qing straightened up, dropped her pretense, and reached out to grasp Rong Xuan's wrist.

Touching the warm skin, my heart felt as if it had fallen into an ice cave.

"Why is Prince Ning pressing me so hard?"

Rong Xuan was the one pretending to be confused. He pursed his lips slightly, tilted his head to the left, as if he was somewhat puzzled. "On the way out of the palace, Director Yan suddenly appeared, rushing at me with a sharp blade. Fortunately, I dodged in time, and only my sleeve was damaged. Why is Director Yan questioning me now? Why don't we call the palace guards to discuss this?"

Hearing his rambling, Yan Qing was furious and frowned deeply, but she still managed to grasp the key points in Rong Xuan's words.

He knows his own surname!

Yan Qing was 100% certain that when he paid his respects, he only mentioned the official title and did not tell him his name. So how did the other person know?