◇ Chapter 92 (92) A long-planned encounter (Part 2)
At this time, they simply couldn't leave the palace. Bo Kang was more thoughtful than others. Yan Chengxi was one of the most successful martial arts students among them, so it was unlikely that he had an accident.
He had a bad feeling in his heart. Yan Chengxi had not been seen for several days. The next time they saw Yan Chengxi was a few days later, when the eunuchs were carrying out the bodies of the deceased palace maids and eunuchs who had been registered in the palace.
According to palace rules, the bodies of deceased palace maids should be returned to their families, but there were also many palace maids who had no relatives or were sentenced to death, so their bodies would be sent to tombs in the suburbs for burial.
It happened to be Bo Kang's shift that day. Seeing the wooden cart carrying the corpse being pushed out of the palace gate, Bo Kang didn't care at first, but when he saw the dark patched robes exposed under the white cloth, his eyes widened: "You, stop!"
The eunuchs pushing the carts exchanged glances. "What are your orders, sir? We were ordered to move the body of the palace maid out of the palace. If we keep it here for too long, we might bring bad luck to you, sir."
Bai Kang stepped forward and pulled off the white cloth. A familiar face appeared before him, and the guards on patrol with him were shocked: "It's really Brother Yan!"
"He's a palace guard, how could he..." Bai Kang's expression remained impassive, but his fingers unconsciously loosened. The young eunuch replied, "We don't know. These matters are all recorded by Chief Eunuch Wu. We have to return to the palace before curfew, so we'll take our leave now."
With that, the young eunuch hurried away, pushing the cart. This was a strange matter. How could a guard, unlike ordinary palace servants, die so quietly and be buried with the eunuchs? On their way back from their shift change, Chief Steward Wu happened to be leading his men to the wing room. Seeing Bai Kang, he smiled flatteringly and said, "Guard Bai, Guard Yan has some belongings that we're not sure what to do with. You and Guard Yan have always been good friends, so you'll need to handle these things."
Looking at the few thin banknotes in the box and the letter personally addressed to him by his younger sister, Bai Kang was silent. Just as Wu was about to leave, Bai Kang stopped him and asked, "How did he die?"
"Guard Yan suddenly fell seriously ill, and a few days ago, an imperial physician was summoned to see him. I have already reported this to Your Majesty, but no one from Guard Yan's family has come to claim his body."
Sudden serious illness.
Yan Chengxi had always been in good health. How could he suddenly fall ill without them knowing? Bai Kang was puzzled, but Wu, the chief steward, was reassuring, saying that if he truly had any questions, he could simply check the records at the Imperial Hospital. Wu wasn't familiar with them, but Bai Kang had heard that he was fair and impartial, so there was no need for him to lie. He didn't ask any further questions, simply saying he would help Yan Chengxi mail the letter.
He hadn't forgotten it, and on his next day off, he remembered to take Yan Chengxi's belongings with him and leave the palace. Guards were allowed to return home on their days off, but he had managed to buy a house in the capital, relying on his own savings and the money he brought from home. He didn't even have enough money to hire a servant.
Taking his own letter and Yan Chengxi's letter, Bai Kang went to the post station. When he was about to send them out, he suddenly felt something was wrong when he held the two envelopes.
The handwriting on Yan Chengxi's letter was a little too dark.
The ink had dried and felt hard, an unusual ink stain. He seemed to sense something, lifted the envelope, and sniffed it.
There is a faint smell of blood.
"Young man, are you still sending it?" the posthouse messenger urged. Bai Kang made a gesture and opened the letter.
The letter inside was stained with blood. The content was not much, just a few words of reluctance and advice to the younger sister, and the last sentence: "Someone wants to harm me, don't avenge me, and don't set foot in the capital in this life."
Yan Chengxi was murdered.
After returning to the palace, Bai Kang asked a familiar imperial physician for the records from that time. Normally, the records of the Imperial Hospital could not be shown to anyone, but Qin, the imperial physician, was kind and, considering their friendship, secretly showed him Yan Chengxi's pulse. It was indeed a sudden cold that had caused his death overnight. It was a coincidence, but it was unmistakable.
When he went out for a drink with Chang Yuzhu, Bai Kang kept talking about this matter. Chang Yuzhu didn't understand what was going on and suggested, "This kind of thing is normal in the palace."
Bai Kang looked at him. Chang Yuzhu drank and said, "Maybe he accidentally offended someone. I don't know him, but since you two have a good relationship..."
After saying this, he glanced at Bai Kang. Bai Kang looked casual, but in fact he was very old-fashioned. People like them were the easiest to offend.
"Impossible." Bo Kang denied. "He is the son of General Hu Ben. Who would dare to harm him?"
"Then I am still the grandson of the Duke." Chang Yuzhu drank another glass of wine and said in a vulgar tone.
Bai Kang fell silent, drinking silently. After a long while, he finally said, "I want to help him."
Chang Yuzhu subconsciously wanted to say that they had a really good relationship, but he held back the words. His face flushed, and he only asked, "Why bother? Bai Kang, you know this kind of thing is very common."
"It's not common in my hometown." Bo Kang's voice was low and steady, and he simply stated, "If not for others, I have to save my own life."
Bai Kang thought he'd have to wait a few years, but he didn't expect the opportunity to come so quickly. The new emperor was still young, and besides reviewing memorials every day, he also had to attend classes in the study and the martial arts arena. However, the young emperor's academic knowledge was mediocre, and his martial arts skills were not good either. On the few occasions he patrolled the martial arts arena, he would always see the master scolding the young emperor, saying that His Majesty was naughty, which gave the Empress Dowager a headache.
The little emperor's life didn't seem to be easy either.
Every time Bai Kang passed by, he would think this. One day, while on duty during a horseback archery lesson, the horse suddenly broke free from its reins, throwing the young emperor to the ground. While no one around reacted, Bai Kang acted decisively, leaping forward to catch the young emperor and taming the horse.
The people around him were terrified, but the little emperor didn't react at all. Even when he was caught, his face remained expressionless. When Bai Kang knelt on one knee to salute while leading his horse, he looked at Bai Kang and smiled grimly: "Who are you?"
"I am the inner palace guard, Bo Kang."
The young emperor looked at him, silent. Silence spread, and the young emperor changed the subject: "The Grand Tutor's martial arts skills are even worse than a sixth-rank guard. Let him save me first."
"Your Majesty's riding skills are not very good, you need more practice!"
Strangely, the teacher showed no sign of apologizing and instead began to reprimand His Majesty. Bo Kang was taken aback, but the young emperor showed no sign of blaming him. He lazily said, "I'm sorry to have been frightened. Let's end the lesson here for today."
"Your Majesty!" the master said unhappily, "You have neglected your practice and failed the efforts of this old minister and the Empress Dowager!"
"Then go and complain to the Queen Mother." The little emperor waved his hand, got on the imperial sedan chair, and returned to the imperial study. The chief eunuch looked at Bo Kang and said, "Why don't you follow me?"
Bai Kang woke up as if from a dream and hurried to follow. This was his first time entering the imperial study. The little emperor sat on the dragon throne and said to Bai Kang calmly, "Kneel down."
Before Bai Kang could move, a serving eunuch immediately pinned him to the ground. Bai Kang did not resist, nor did he dare to. The little emperor continued, "Raise your head and look at me."
Bo Kang looked up.
This was the first time he had seen the young emperor's face, the first time he had looked directly into his eyes. It was too childish, nothing like the emperor he had imagined. His round eyes were like glass beads, clear and bright, a light brown hue, yet with a somewhat complex expression. If it weren't for the ill-fitting dragon robe he wore, which didn't quite suit his appearance, Bo Kang might have suspected the person on the throne was his neighbor's little sister.
"You're the first to charge forward when the horses are startled. You're quite courageous," the little emperor snorted in a nonsensical way. "Your name is Bo Kang? Xiao Wenzi, you go tell him."
After that, the chief eunuch beside the young emperor said, "Your Majesty, someone in the palace has reported seeing Guard Bai lingering around the martial arts field and the palace gates more than once in recent days. Furthermore, I've discovered that someone has pricked the horse's leg with needles, which is why it's constantly frightened."
Borrowing a horse to harm someone was an old trick, but it worked every time. Furthermore, everyone in the palace knew that the young emperor attended his daily riding and archery lessons at the martial arts arena, so anyone with ulterior motives could easily harm him.
After all, everyone knew that the person currently sitting on the throne was nothing more than a mascot. Seizing power from a mascot was a simple matter.
"Send it to the Ministry of Punishment," the young emperor waved his hand. Bo Kang was completely out of his mind. As the eunuch approached, he subconsciously said, "I went to the martial arts arena because I admire Your Majesty! I want to be close to Your Majesty!"
Hearing this, the little emperor waved his hand to stop them, his expression a little strange: "You, respect me?"
Bai Kang nodded. His words weren't entirely false; they were genuinely loyal. The young emperor's eyes shifted, their gaze resting on Bai Kang's face, as if to confirm the truth. Bai Kang showed no fear; the young emperor chuckled softly, "Little Wenzi, all the palace maids in the martial arts arena today will receive twenty strokes of the cane. The Grand Tutor will receive thirty strokes of the cane."
Xiao Wenzi looked troubled. The young emperor glared at him and said sternly, "They failed to protect me properly. Can't I even punish them?"
Xiao Wenzi then withdrew. The young emperor looked at Bo Kang again, his expression changed, and he said with a smile, "You are the first person to say that you admire me. Interesting. From today on, you will serve in front of the emperor."
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