It was still pitch black outside. The servants carried lanterns to light the way for the Marquis and Xu Rao. After arriving at the stables, a carriage had already been prepared. Once inside, Xu Rao took out several items from his bosom and said to the Marquis, "Father, this is a sleeping potion made by Zhao Ci himself. It works very well. Take two packets with you. In case of any trouble, just tear open the packets and throw them out. And this is a dagger that Xu Di had someone make. Keep it in your boots. It can also be used for self-defense in case of any unexpected events."
The Marquis looked at his son with some helplessness and said, "Third son, how come I never noticed how clever you are before?"
Xu Rao said nonchalantly, "We've encountered a lot of danger before. After experiencing more, we've realized that no matter what, the most important thing is to protect yourself and survive. As long as you're alive, there's hope. Don't underestimate these things; you never know when you might really need them to save your life."
The Marquis shook his head, and Xu Rao did not try to persuade him further. Instead, she stuffed the items into the Marquis's sleeves. The sleeves of the court robes were quite wide, and the inner sleeve belts could hold a lot of things. Seeing that Xu Rao was serious, the Marquis did not say no again. He thought that the items were not big and would not take up much space, so he granted Xu Rao's wish.
Inside the palace, neither the Marquis nor Xu Rao were in the mood to speak. Xu Rao sat leaning against the carriage, only hearing the persistent, monotonous, and distant sound of the carriage wheels pressing against the bluestone road, which made Xu Rao's heart sink.
Before long, they arrived at the palace gate. Xu Rao jumped down from the carriage and helped the Marquis down. They saw that several carriages were already parked where the Grand Court Assembly carriages were parked. Judging from the lanterns hanging on the carriages, some belonged to the Feng family, some to the Fu family, and some to the royal family. Only then did Xu Rao realize that the palace should be safe now.
A eunuch led the Marquis and Xu Rao into the palace gate. The eastern sky had taken on a different color, a purple that was somewhere between dark blue and dark green. A faint smell of blood lingered in the chilly air. Xu Rao looked around and saw soldiers in armor and with swords at their waists standing along the road.
Apart from the sound of their footsteps on the ground, there was no other noise. Xu Rao felt a little anxious. He didn't know what was going on inside that brightly lit room. He was just going in like this, not knowing whether the child was alive or dead. Xu Rao's steps faltered. He didn't want to go in. He even felt a little resentful towards Emperor Liang Cheng. It was all because he had failed to educate his son properly that his son had done such a thing.
The Marquis probably noticed that Xu Rao's steps were a little unsteady behind him. He glanced down at him as he walked, and Xu Rao quickly took a deep breath and adjusted his pace to keep up with the Marquis.
The door to the Imperial Study was tightly closed. After the Marquis and Xu Rao arrived, a young eunuch opened the door. The Marquis strode in with his head held high, while Xu Rao habitually nodded to the young eunuch who had opened the door for him. The young eunuch bowed and then stepped aside.
Xu Rao entered the Imperial Study, but the wooden door behind him was closed again. Xu Rao turned slightly to look at the gold coin door behind him, and seeing the Marquis walk forward, he quickly followed behind him.
The room was brightly lit, and several heavily armored, solemn-faced guards stood on both sides, each carrying a sword. Xu Rao could tell from the color of their armor that these were Emperor Liang Cheng's personal guards, all handpicked from the best. There was no one sitting behind the imperial desk. Xu Rao looked around and saw Emperor Liang Cheng sitting with his head bowed on the steps in front of the imperial desk, his expression unreadable.
Chen Wufu stood to one side, holding a whisk. When he saw Marquis Yongning and Xu Rao enter, he whispered something to Emperor Liang Cheng. Emperor Liang Cheng looked up, and Marquis Yongning and Xu Rao bowed.
Emperor Liang waved his hand, and Xu Rao then noticed that Prime Minister Feng, Prime Minister Fu, and several elders of the royal family were standing behind a curtain on one side of Emperor Liang, while two people bound with ropes lay on either side of the imperial desk.
Marquis Yongning led Xu Rao to Prime Minister Feng and the others. The closer Xu Rao got, the stronger the smell of blood became. He was puzzled when he heard Emperor Liang Cheng say, "Marquis Yongning, you and your son should go inside and see what's going on. Your son Xu Di is injured and his wound is being bandaged."
Upon hearing this, Xu Rao felt as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over her head, making her feel icy cold all over, and her teeth chattered uncontrollably.
Marquis Yongning wasn't in much better shape either. He held his forehead and staggered. Chen Wufu quickly helped him up, and Xu Rao, suppressing his fear, rushed forward to support him. Chen Wufu whispered, "Your son is fine; it's just a common arrow wound."
Marquis Yongning gritted his teeth and walked into the inner room. This inner room was where the eunuchs who served Emperor Liangcheng usually boiled water and served snacks. The other inner room was where Emperor Liangcheng rested. Therefore, there was a stove in this room. At this moment, the water in the copper kettle on the stove was boiling, and as it boiled, gusts of steam rose up.
Xu Di, pale-faced, lay on a low couch. When he saw Marquis Yongning and Xu Rao approaching, he tried to get up, but Marquis Yongning quickly stepped forward to stop him and carefully examined Xu Di by the light of the room.
Xu Di's wound was on his chest. The arrowhead had been pulled out, and the wound was wrapped with white bandages, but blood seeped out, staining the bandages with a bloody hue.
Xu Rao leaned closer and asked in a low voice, "How did you get hurt? How could you be so careless?"
Xu Di shook his head and said, "Father, let's talk about it in detail when we get home." After saying that, he looked outside. Xu Rao knew that this was because there were some things that couldn't be said casually within the palace.
Outside, they heard Emperor Liang Cheng say with a pained expression, "I consider myself a loving father, covering for you time and time again. But what about you? Put your hands on your conscience and tell me, how can you face your father?"
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