Chapter 367 Female Official Rong Zhen
"Where did Lord Wang get his intelligence, so certain that something will happen tonight?"
"Ladies, do we really need intelligence for this matter? Isn't it obvious?"
"The Prince of Xunyang's Mansion, in collusion with Ouyang Lianghan, the Prefect of Jiangzhou, harbored Wang Junzhi, a traitorous accomplice."
"Tomorrow morning, the delegation sent by His Majesty will arrive in Xunyang to thoroughly investigate the events surrounding Li Zhengyan's rebellion. During Li Zhengyan's stay in Xunyang, all officials he came into contact with must be questioned to identify the traitor's accomplices..."
"The Prince of Xunyang's mansion and Ouyang Lianghan are guilty of something, so they might as well be desperate and do something rash. How could they wait for the Luoyang delegation to arrive? They didn't escape the night before last, and they didn't escape last night, so they might as well escape tonight."
"This is the last chance, there's no need to guess, so the two ladies must keep a close watch on us tonight!"
Xiushuifang, located in an ordinary residence on the same street as the Xunyang Prince's Mansion,
It was the dead of night, yet the place was packed with people.
Looking around, there were roughly three groups of people.
Dressed in a crimson official robe and wearing a black gauze hat, Wang Lengran stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the quiet Xunyang Prince's Mansion in the distance, talking eloquently.
Standing alongside him in the corridor were two female officials in colorful robes.
One standing, one sitting.
Seated was a dignified and solemn woman in palace attire, none other than Miaozhen, who had a grudge against Ouyang Rong and the Xunyang Prince's family.
Standing there was a cold-looking girl in palace attire, whose name seemed to be Rong Zhen.
Aside from their age and appearance, the two women were identical in makeup and palace attire, both serving as elegant female officials before the emperor, holding a highly respected position.
Wang Lengran treated them with utmost respect, never daring to overstep his bounds.
Besides them, the corridor was filled with rows of armored soldiers, numbering about three hundred, fully armed and ready to go, lined up in strict discipline, their eyes fixed straight ahead.
If it weren't for the occasional night breeze that lifted the dark red scarves around their necks, they would really look like stone statues.
At this time, no lanterns were lit in the corridor, and no houses in the entire mansion had lights on.
Under the cold moonlight, the chainmail and metal weapons of the soldiers gleamed coldly. It was around dawn, and the metal armor was covered with dewdrops, reflecting the grim atmosphere.
Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that they were wearing items such as bibs around their necks, which were used for night raids and sieges to silence them and move stealthily.
These three hundred armored soldiers of the Zhechong Prefecture stood in formation like giant beasts waiting for their prey in the darkness, waiting silently. No one knew what they had been told today, but they were waiting for their prey with great fanfare.
Leading the team tonight are Sun Yu, the Chief Clerk of the Zhechong Prefecture, and Qin Heng, the Commandant of the Guoyi Prefecture, both senior generals of the Third Zhechong Prefecture of Jiangzhou.
The two stood silently behind Rongzhen, Miaozhen, and Wang Lengran, without uttering a word.
The one who had just spoken to Wang Lengran was the female official Miaozhen, whose expression was indifferent. After listening to Wang Lengran's confident explanation, she glanced at him:
"Lord Wang is indeed a loyal and virtuous official, doing his utmost to share His Majesty's burdens."
"You flatter me, Your Excellency."
Wang smiled coldly, glancing out of the corner of his eye at the aloof palace-dressed girl.
The court lady named Rongzhen did not participate in their conversation.
Wang Lengran even noticed that, since his arrival, this woman and Miaozhen, who was also a female official in colorful robes, had spoken very little. Like her temperament, they were cold and aloof, like a piece of hard, unmelting ice.
However, compared to the female official Miaozhen, Rongzhen felt more unfathomable to him, putting him under immense pressure.
In fact, before he took the initiative to summon the court lady in colorful robes and report the Xunyang Prince's Mansion tonight, Wang Lengran didn't even know of the existence of this cold-looking girl in palace attire.
She only made her appearance quietly tonight.
He had always thought that the only spies the emperor had in Xunyang City were the female officials and palace maids led by Miaozhen, and he also had more dealings with Miaozhen, since she often complained about Ouyang Rong.
But who would have thought that, without anyone noticing, a female official in colorful robes had appeared in the city, secretly monitoring Xunyang City.
This female official named Rongzhen, dressed in colorful robes, was certainly not just someone who supervised the Xunyang Prince's Mansion and Ouyang Lianghan.
Wang Lengran thought to himself... The people under her supervision might include Miaozhen and himself, and even the recent movements of Wei family's guest elder, Boss Li, and others in Xunyang City were all under her watchful eye.
Moreover, Wang Lengran's intuition told him that this aloof palace-dressed girl might have a higher Qi cultivation level than Miaozhen.
That indescribable pressure was unmistakable.
It's hard to say, but he's the legendary sixth-rank Yin-Yang master who observes qi.
Like the golden boy and jade maiden in Taoist mythology, they can reduce the traces of time and keep their appearance young.
Therefore, the exact age of this aloof, palace-dressed girl cannot be determined by comparing her with other women of the same age.
However, maintaining a youthful appearance does not mean being completely ageless. Rather, it is because practitioners of the Yin-Yang School are skilled in storing and absorbing Qi, which slows down the aging process of their appearance by several times.
Regardless, one thing is certain.
Even with the vast resources of the palace, this woman is still a monstrous talent in cultivation; otherwise, how could she have reached the sixth rank at such a young age and maintained her youthful appearance?
It's important to know that the transition from the sixth rank to the fifth rank is a significant dividing line.
Ninth-rank and eighth-rank Qi cultivators are lower-rank Qi cultivators with blue spiritual energy.
Seventh-grade and sixth-grade Qi cultivators are mid-grade Qi cultivators with vermilion spiritual energy.
The fifth and fourth ranks are the most prestigious and superior Qi cultivators.
Further on, there are the legendary Celestials of China.
In this era when myths have been lost, the struggle for power has temporarily ceased, and the divine beings of China have vanished without a trace.
Those who can ride the wind are already top-tier combatants of the world, each a leader in their own right, a renowned grandmaster in the martial arts world, and a pillar of the sects in both the visible and hidden worlds.
For example, in the Yunmeng Sword Marsh Palace, there is the Great Queen, the leader of all swordsmen in the world.
Even the arrogant and domineering Wei clan, who usurped the throne and controlled half of the Great Zhou court for so many years, had only managed to befriend and win over a handful of high-ranking Grandmasters.
Apart from Qiu Shenji, the military strategist who was worshipped with all available resources, the rest were almost all people who were accustomed to living in seclusion and cultivating themselves, or who were attached to their sects and stayed away from the world and imperial power.
The mundane world, especially the supreme imperial power that mortals vie for, seems to be a taboo and a burden to high-level Qi cultivators.
Aside from schools of thought that practice worldly cultivation, such as Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, the military strategist, and the Yin-Yang school, high-level Qi cultivators are all elusive and rarely seen.
Therefore, below the superior-grade Qi cultivators, the sixth-grade Qi cultivators who can leap a hundred feet are considered the pinnacle of the mid-grade Qi cultivators and are already top-tier experts.
With this thought in mind, Wang Lengran glanced at the Xunyang Prince's Mansion in the distance under the night sky and sneered inwardly. With a female official of this rank, how could you possibly escape?
He glanced around at the elite troops lying in ambush inside and outside the corridor, stroked his beard, and smiled.
"Thank you both for your skill in concealing your anger and keeping quiet, otherwise we might have alerted the enemy."
Miaozhen lowered her eyes and remained silent.
Rong Zhen didn't turn her head, but raised her head and looked up at the starry night sky above the Xunyang Prince's Mansion.
Wang Lengran tried to get closer to him by saying:
“Ouyang Lianghan just sneaked into the Prince’s mansion, and the two ladies-in-waiting saw him. This boy is indeed dishonest.”
Miaozhen said softly, "This one thing alone is not enough to warrant a conviction."
Wang Lengran remained unhurried: "Wait a little longer, there's definitely a conspiracy tonight."
Before long, Rongzhen and Miaozhen turned their heads at the same time and looked towards a certain place in the Xunyang Prince's Mansion.
It seemed as if they had noticed something.
Just then, a servant came running in with a message. Wang Lengran glanced at him; he was one of Boss Li's men. After listening to the whispered report, he feigned surprise and said with an air of righteousness:
"Two unfamiliar messengers who entered the city overnight? Ha, ladies, two more thieves have infiltrated. It seems there's something fishy going on at the Xunyang Prince's residence tonight."
He spoke with an air of righteous indignation.
Miaozhen and Rongzhen exchanged a glance, but remained silent, tacitly ignoring the situation.
Without concrete signs and evidence of rebellion, they will not take any initiative to do anything. What happened tonight can simply be recorded truthfully with a red pen.
Listen less, speak less, and guess less; this is the way to survive in the Great Zhou court.
Therefore, the two women ignored both Ouyang Rong, who had just entered the manor overnight, and the two hurried figures who seemed to be delivering a message.
After more than half an hour, Miaozhen and Rongzhen's expressions changed slightly again as they looked towards the distant night.
A moment later, the person keeping watch came to report. After listening, Wang Lengran sneered and said to the two female officials in colorful robes:
“This Xie woman is also an accomplice. Her climbing over the wall this time must have been a secret conspiracy to inform her accomplices.”
Miaozhen glanced at Rongzhen.
The aloof girl remained silent, leaping lightly to stand gracefully on the rooftop under the moonlight, coldly gazing at the nightscape of Xunyang City.
Miaozhen glanced at Wang Lengran: "Don't worry, he can't escape."
Wang Lengran smiled, his eyes crinkling.
Tonight, if Ouyang Lianghan and the Xunyang Prince's family dare to leave Xunyang City, they will be considered to be fleeing and surrendering to the enemy. The evidence is conclusive, and the two female officials in colorful robes will surely take action. As for some minor details and the truth behind it, who knows?
Wang Lengran was secretly pleased. Li Zhengyan's rebellion had made Jiangzhou the front line of public attention, which in turn strengthened Wang Lengran's power.
Not only did the imperial court delegate power and provide support, but the Wei family also contributed manpower and resources. Various voices within the family were temporarily united, and even the guest minister, Boss Li, who was in charge of intelligence work in Jiangnan Province, had to cooperate with Wang Lengran.
That's why things went so smoothly tonight.
Half an hour later, a red figure returned from afar, back to the Prince's Palace.
Rong Zhen glanced in the direction of the West Gate, and then his figure suddenly disappeared.
Wang Lengran didn't ask any more questions, his eyes fixed on the quiet Xunyang Prince's Mansion, as if waiting for something.
Soon, just before dawn, another of Boss Li's men came to report.
After hearing the whisper, Wang coldly suppressed the upturned corners of his mouth, smiled at Miaozhen who had her eyes closed and was waiting for dawn, and said:
"We have captured a traitorous accomplice who was trying to escape. He has confessed everything and told Xunyang Prince Li Xian, Chief Secretary Ouyang Lianghan, and the traitor Wang Junzhi that they are discussing their plan to flee west tonight to escape punishment. They plan to escape through the west gate, go to Shuangfengjian to board a boat, and head west to surrender to the enemy..."
"Your Excellency, was my analysis correct?"
"Um."
The woman in palace attire did not open her eyes, but nodded slightly, and at a moment, she seemed to sigh softly.
Despite the chilly early morning air, Wang Lengran felt unbearably hot and flushed. He loosened the collar of his shirt, which was choking him, and paced back and forth. He turned to look at Generals Qin Heng and Sun Yu and ordered them to form ranks and prepare to apprehend the traitor.
Qin Heng glanced at Wang Lengran, and saw that the old man with deep nasolabial folds on his face, the governor of Jiangzhou, had an undisguised joy.
Just then, a burst of fire suddenly shot up from the direction of the Xunyang Prince's Mansion.
The light was incredibly bright in the darkness, reflected in the eyes of the people who were all ready to go, inside and outside the corridor, like a spark rising in the darkness.
Upon hearing the noise, Wang Lengran's face lit up with joy at first, then he paused, and after realizing what was happening, he muttered to himself in confusion, "What... how did it catch fire?"
The Xunyang Prince's Mansion, which had been quiet in the night, suddenly became noisy. The lights were on, the gates were wide open, and servants ran around fetching water. At the same time, someone shouted that assassins were attacking at night and that the guards of the Xunyang Prince and the Crown Prince were being protected. The shouts in the quiet Xiushui Workshop at dawn were deafening.
Miaozhen suddenly opened her eyes, frowning as she looked her over.
Wang Lengran was filled with suspicion and uncertainty. Shouldn't one escape quietly? What's going on? Are they trying to take advantage of the chaos?
Someone rushed in with a panicked report: "Something terrible has happened! The servants at the Xunyang Prince's residence say that thieves have broken in, set fire to the place, and attempted to assassinate him. The Xunyang Prince has fainted, and the heir apparent is also seriously injured..."
Miaozhen suddenly said, "Hurry, let's go in and save them."
"This...this must be fake, Your Excellency, you can't believe it so easily...how could there be a rebel assassination attempt? It's clearly them colluding with the rebels to try and escape at night."
The unexpected situation caused Wang Lengran to speak rashly:
"Maybe...maybe they just want to lure us out so they can escape in the chaos."
Miao Zhen glanced at Wang Lengran:
"With Rong Zhen here, if they dare to escape, they won't be able to leave the city. Hurry inside; waiting here is useless. We can't miss the chance to rescue them."
“Lord Wang, if the Prince of Xunyang has truly been assassinated, and we are just waiting outside, if His Majesty and the court find out, neither of us can bear the responsibility. We must hurry into the mansion to help.”
Wang Lengran's face was grim.
"Hmph, tonight's events were utterly absurd. You'd better think about how you're going to explain this to His Majesty. I will report to His Majesty the truth about tonight's events..." Miao Zhen's patience ran out, and she ignored him, turning her head to order the armored soldiers to rush to rescue people and put out the fire.
Wang Lengran had no choice but to bite the bullet and follow.
A short while later, Miaozhen led her armored soldiers into the Xunyang Prince's Mansion and, following the direction of the fire and thick smoke, arrived at Juxian Garden.
They immediately saw that outside the burning house, in the open space, Ouyang Rong, Xie Lingjiang, Li Guo'er, and Wei Mei were closely surrounding two figures, one sitting and one lying down.
Prince Xunyang, Li Xian, was unconscious, while Crown Prince Li Fusu was bleeding profusely from his arm, staining his white robes red and his face pale.
Princess Wei Mei and little Princess Li Guo'er were holding their husbands, children, fathers, and brothers and weeping bitterly.
Ouyang Lianghan and Xie's daughter were standing aside, directing the firefighting efforts.
Not far from the group, there were scattered corpses.
When he saw Miaozhen and Wang Lengran rush in with their armored soldiers to "protect" him, Ouyang Rong showed no surprise. Ignoring Qin Heng's figure, he instead began to ridicule and reprimand him:
"Why are you only arriving now, Lord Wang? The Prince is on his deathbed, and you're only just showing up. What have you been doing? This is blatant dereliction of duty! I'm going to impeach you!"
Everyone saw Ouyang Rong's face, stained with blood, yet he exuded righteous indignation.
"Oh, who is this... Lady Historian, what brings you here? Oh, right, she must be obeying His Majesty's orders, keeping watch day and night to protect the Prince's residence in a low-key manner."
He paused, frowned, and began to criticize:
"But how were these traitorous assassins let in? Why didn't they come to the emperor's rescue immediately? Their reaction was so slow..."
“You lot, so careless and derelict in your duties, you are not as quick-witted as your subordinates. I was worried about the prince’s safety and couldn’t sleep, so I came to guard him in the middle of the night.”
Ouyang Rong looked heartbroken.
"..." Xie Lingjiang, Li Guo'er, and Wei Mei glanced sideways.
“…??” Miaozhen, Wang Lengran, and the others.
The woman in palace attire twitched at the corner of her mouth.
Wang Lengran leaned back slightly, looking at the arrogant Ouyang Rong who was pointing his finger at him and cursing, and his right eyelid twitched wildly...
(End of this chapter)
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