Chapter 3
Chapter Summary: Meeting.
Xie Xuan leaned out to look at the wind and snow outside, then turned to Xie Yi and instructed him, "Xie Yi, go and bring Jueying out."
"Yes." Xie Yi replied and ran out.
Li Wei sighed with some worry and said, "Such a change has occurred in the palace. Although I heard that the Empress Dowager is alright and will recover after a period of rest, the palace will not have a day of peace until the assassin is caught. Xuan'er, please be careful and take care of yourself."
"Don't worry, Mother, I understand," Xie Xuan replied with a smile.
Xie Ying looked at Xie Xuan and said with concern, "It's snowing heavily outside, please put on another layer of clothing."
"No need, thank you, elder sister," Xie Xuan replied.
Before Xie Xuan could finish speaking, Xie Ying walked up to him, took off his white fox fur cloak, and handed it to him.
"Sister?" Xie Xuan looked up at Xie Ying.
Xie Ying didn't speak, but simply raised the hand holding the white fox fur cloak, gesturing for Xie Xuan to take it. Xie Xuan did as he was told, reaching out to take it and putting it on. The white fox fur cloak still carried a trace of warmth, making it very cozy.
"Young Master!" Xie Yi called from outside, "The horses are ready."
Xie Xuan looked at Xie Jin and greeted him, "Father, I'll be going now. It's still early, you should go back to sleep."
Xie Jin nodded slightly, then replied in a deep voice, "Go."
"We have only been back in the capital for a short time, and His Majesty has entrusted you with this important task. You must not let His Majesty down."
"I understand," Xie Xuan replied.
Xie Xuan went out and, together with Xie Yi, mounted their horses and headed towards the palace. Xie Yi followed behind Xie Xuan, only vaguely seeing the white fox fur draped over his body, which, along with his tied-up hair, was being ruffled by the wind.
"Who goes there?" The guards at the palace gate shouted alertly as the two horses approached. With such a major incident occurring in the palace, the slightest mishap could be fatal.
Xie Xuan reined in his horse, slowing it down considerably. As he rode up to the man, Xie Xuan pulled out the waist badge from his belt: "General Xie Xuan! Entering the palace by His Majesty's decree!"
After carefully examining the waist token, the man quickly waved to the guards behind him, then knelt down, held up the token with both hands, and returned it to Xie Xuan: "This humble servant greets Lord Xie."
The people around them also knelt down.
Xie Xuan sat on his horse, waiting for the palace gates to open. As soon as the gates opened a crack, Xie Xuan rode through.
When they arrived at the entrance of Cining Palace, they saw Han Qingzhou.
"Xie Xuan!" Han Qingzhou stepped forward and gently called out to Xie Xuan.
"How is the Empress Dowager?" Xie Xuan asked directly.
"I heard from the palace maid that he just took his medicine and has already rested."
Xie Xuan lowered his voice: "What exactly happened tonight?"
"Lu Fuge has been beaten to death, and all the guards of Cining Palace have been imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison for interrogation. According to news from the Heavenly Prison, the guards all say that they have been on duty in shifts without any slackening, and they don't know how the assassin got in."
Xie Xuan smirked: "You believe that? Lu Fuge has already been beaten to death. If they give in, their fate will be even worse than Lu Fuge's. It might even implicate their entire family."
"You mean..." Han Qingzhou suddenly realized, glanced around warily, and said softly, "They're colluding to give the same story."
"Not necessarily. If it were collusion, their stories wouldn't be so consistent. Under the severe torture in the imperial prison, someone would surely confess. There might be other mistakes or omissions. After all, if it were really as they say, with each shift lasting and without the slightest slackening, how could the assassin have entered the Empress Dowager's bedchamber?"
Han Qingzhou frowned again, and said with some worry, "Lord Zhou, this task is probably going to be difficult. After the Empress Dowager was injured, Lu Fuge led his men to search the entire palace, but they couldn't find a trace of the assassin. Although the palace is now sealed off, with no one allowed to leave, the imperial kitchen will be sealed off as soon as it gets light. It's almost 1-3 AM now, and the seal will only last until 5-7 AM at most, which is less than an hour."
"The assassination attempt on the Empress Dowager is no small matter. If the assassin is not apprehended quickly, the people of the capital will surely be abuzz with gossip. Then our Sixteen Guards of the Southern Court will become the laughingstock of the entire capital, not to mention the Empress Dowager's temperament..."
At this point, Han Qingzhou sighed deeply. They stood under the lantern, and Xie Xuan watched as a cloud of white mist slowly dissipated into the air.
After pausing for a moment, he reached out and patted Han Qingzhou on the shoulder, saying, "You take your men and help Lord Zhou search. I'll take care of things here."
"Okay," Han Qingzhou replied.
After Han Qingzhou finished speaking, she left with her entourage. Xie Xuan stood beneath the palace gate, glancing up at the plaque of Cining Palace. Back in the imperial palace, he had only ever accompanied Qi Jin, rarely visiting the inner palace, much less Cining Palace. However, Xie Xuan still vaguely remembered this plaque. The characters on it seemed unchanged, still the same as when he was a child.
"Have someone gather intelligence on Lord Zhou's situation and report back at daybreak," Xie Xuan instructed.
"yes."
Xie Xuan glanced at it, then stepped inside. The snow was heavy tonight, and without sweeping overnight, it had accumulated into a thick layer. The snow in the Cining Palace courtyard was covered with messy footprints, leaving the ground in a chaotic mess.
"Thank you, sir!"
Ayu was waiting by the corridor when she heard the noise. She lifted her eyelids and looked over, only to see Xie Xuan standing in front of the palace gate. Perhaps he had come in a hurry, for he hadn't changed into armor. He was dressed in casual clothes, with a white fox fur cloak over his shoulders. His hair, which had been tied up, was blowing in the wind, making him tall, handsome, and elegant. The dim light from the lanterns under the corridor shone on him, making him seem like a celestial being descended to earth.
"I'll keep watch," Xie Xuan replied.
After Xie Xuan finished speaking, A Yu came to her senses and hurriedly stood up to greet Xie Xuan, saying, "This servant greets Lord Xie."
"Get up."
"This servant will go find a cushion for you, sir," Ayu said, getting up as she spoke.
"No need, it's just my duty. Thank you," Xie Xuan replied, standing under the eaves.
Ayu paused in her act of getting up, then sat back down on the mat.
When Yu Jing woke up again, it was already broad daylight. The curtains were not completely closed, and the sunlight outside shone through the gaps, streaking and dazzling. Yu Jing raised her left hand and reached out with some difficulty to pull back the curtains.
"Ayu," Yu Jing called out tentatively.
"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager." Ayu immediately responded, pushed open the door and came in. As she got closer, she noticed that Shenghua had lifted the curtain with one hand. She quickly went over to help Shenghua sit up and lean against the soft pillows.
Ayu came in from outside, carrying some of the chill from outside. The charcoal fire inside the hall was burning brightly, making it a bit stuffy. Yu Jing took the opportunity to say, "Go and open the window to let some fresh air in."
"Okay." Ayu responded and went to do it, then went out to fetch water for washing up.
Fortunately, she had injured her right hand, and Ayu helped her; otherwise, she really wouldn't have known what any of the many basins and jars of water in front of her were for. After washing up, Ayu brought in breakfast.
Xie Xuan stood at the entrance of the bedchamber, watching the palace servants come and go. It was already broad daylight; perhaps Sheng Hua had been injured in the assassination attempt last night, which explained why she was up so late today.
"My lord." The guard trotted over and bowed.
"How is it?" Xie Xuan asked, a hint of anticipation in his heart.
"The assassin has not been found yet," the guard replied after a moment's hesitation.
Xie Xuan unconsciously rubbed his fingers together and said, "I understand, you can go now."
As soon as Xie Xuan finished speaking, the door to the sleeping quarters opened. Xie Xuan turned around and saw A Yu carrying out a plate of food that had been used.
It seems the only loophole is Sheng Hua. Only Sheng Hua has been in contact with the assassin, so perhaps she can provide some clues.
"Your Majesty, I wish to see the Empress Dowager. Please trouble Miss Ayu to convey my request," Xie Xuan said.
When Ayu heard him say that, she hesitated for a moment, glanced at the door that had just been closed, handed the food plate in her hand to the maid beside her, and then replied, "Please wait a moment, sir."
Thank you.
"Creak." The door reopened, and perhaps because the window was slightly ajar, the chill wasn't as noticeable. Yu Jing leaned against the soft pillows on the tatami mat, her mind a complete mess. Sleeping at night was fine; she didn't think about anything. But now that she was awake, so many things bothered her.
"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager," Ayu's voice rang out in the hall, "Lord Xie Xuan requests an audience outside the door."
Hearing Xie Xuan's name, Yu Jing's heart skipped a beat. She had learned last night that Qi Jin had transferred Xie Xuan to guard Cining Palace, but she hadn't expected to see Xie Xuan again so soon.
"Let him in," Yu Jing replied, trying to keep her voice calm. Although they had met last night, Xie Xuan was unaware of her existence. Today, however, they were meeting in person.
Yu Jing was a little nervous. She could hear every little sound outside very clearly. A series of steady footsteps grew closer and closer. Yu Jing couldn't help but turn her head to look through the gauze curtain. Xie Xuan was standing a little distance away, wearing a white fox fur cloak. He was tall and straight, and she couldn't see his face clearly, but she had seen him last night, so she could imagine who he was.
"Your humble servant greets Your Majesty the Empress Dowager." Xie Xuan knelt down and bowed.
"Get up," Yu Jing responded softly, her voice still sounding somewhat weak.
Xie Xuan was not very familiar with this Empress Dowager. When he left the capital, she was still the late Emperor's Consort Shu. He served as the Crown Prince's tutor in the palace and had never seen her. He had only heard that Consort Shu had red lips and a fair face, and was tall and graceful, very beautiful.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Xie Xuan straightened up and replied.
As soon as he looked up, he saw the wind blowing through the window lift a corner of the gauze curtain, and through that corner, Xie Xuan saw Sheng Hua.
She had crescent-shaped eyebrows, phoenix eyes, a high-bridged nose, and long hair cascading down her back. Her face was deathly pale, devoid of any color. Yet, even this couldn't conceal her beauty. Apart from the faint air of authority and sharpness emanating from her eyes, she bore no resemblance whatsoever to an empress dowager.
Xie Xuan was somewhat taken aback, and hurriedly lowered his brows. He had long heard that the Empress Dowager favored young and beautiful women in her harem, whose looks were no less than Qi Jin's. He had initially thought it was just a rumor spread to flatter the Empress Dowager. Unexpectedly, there was some truth to it.
"What brings you here, my lord?" Yu Jing asked, her heart pounding with anxiety, though she forced herself to remain calm.
"Your Majesty, I would like to ask..." Xie Xuan was interrupted by A Yu's voice from outside before he could finish speaking.
"Your Majesty, Lord Su requests an audience."
Upon hearing this, both Yu Jing and Xie Xuan frowned.
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