Chapter Nine: Li Yue: The Silent Sword
Rong Jiang's figure was like a distant lighthouse; though its light was faint, it at least pointed in one direction—struggle, actively struggle.
Right now, her most pressing need is a relatively safe space, and... truly her own "eyes" and "arms." The Purple Light Palace is now like a dilapidated house leaking from all sides; anyone can come and go freely, even spying on her bedside. The silent appearance of Qi Mu's subordinates in the palace was like a loud alarm bell, making Jiu Ya's heart pound with fear.
The opportunity soon presented itself in an unpleasant way.
One afternoon, a maid serving tea placed a teacup on the small table next to Shang Jiuya with slightly clumsy movements. The bottom of the cup collided with the table, making a slightly jarring sound, and a few drops of slightly hot tea splashed onto the back of Shang Jiuya's hand.
The maid was startled and immediately knelt down to beg for forgiveness, but there was little real fear in her eyes. Shang Jiuya vaguely remembered that the demonic pattern on the hem of her skirt seemed somewhat similar to that of Hanzhu, who had visited last time, suggesting she might be someone from Guan Shanyue's line of work.
Shang Jiuya did not immediately lash out. She simply glanced calmly at the maid and then slowly at the other seemingly submissive palace maids in the hall.
The hall was completely silent. Shang Jiuya remained silent for a good dozen breaths, which made the kneeling maid begin to feel uneasy.
Finally, she spoke, "Can't you even serve a cup of tea properly?"
She sighed softly, her tone filled with weariness and a perfectly measured hint of anger: "I know I'm just a decoration, but is this how you serve a 'decoration'? Or do you think I don't even deserve this little bit of peace and quiet?"
The palace maids standing there all lowered their heads, not daring to meet her gaze.
"That's enough." Shang Jiuya waved her hand and said to the head maid of the inner palace who came in after hearing the noise, "Transfer her to serve in the outer palace. I haven't been feeling well lately and need absolute quiet."
Her words sounded like the capricious demands of a chronically ill person in a fit of irritability, which seemed perfectly reasonable. Promoting an insignificant, lowly palace maid was even more trivial.
The head maid bowed respectfully and replied, "Yes."
After the head maid led the clumsy maid out, Shang Jiuya called out, "Bai Yu."
"This servant is here." Bai Yu immediately stepped forward, bowing her head respectfully. After several days of covert observation and limited information exchange, the fear in her eyes had lessened slightly.
“The servants in this palace seem to be somewhat… unsatisfied.” Shang Jiuya carefully chose her words. “I prefer quiet, but I also need capable people. You have always been meticulous, so I will transfer you to serve in the inner palace from now on. Also, take a look at those maids who do rough work. Are there any who are equally quiet and dutiful? Pick one or two to come in and replace those… clumsy ones.”
Bai Yu immediately understood the deeper meaning: His Majesty was about to begin cleaning the inner palace.
"Yes! This servant obeys!" Bai Yu suppressed her excitement and tried her best to remain calm. "This servant will choose carefully and will not cause Your Majesty any trouble."
The mobilization of a few low-ranking palace maids went largely unnoticed. Bai Yu acted swiftly, and the next day, two new, yet equally timid, faces appeared in the inner palace. Bai Yu secretly reported that these two were palace maids she had observed for a long time, who had also suffered from bullying. They were honest and dutiful, and at least for the time being, there was no obvious master behind them.
The air inside the inner hall seemed a little fresher, but Shang Jiuya knew it was far from enough. The real threat came from the outside, from those "brothers and sisters" who could barge in at will, and from those elders who held real power and could kill her at any moment. She needed a barrier, even if it was just the outermost symbolic one.
Her gaze fell upon the guards standing watch outside the palace.
"I'm so stuffy inside the palace all day, I can't even breathe properly." Two days later, Shang Jiuya instructed Bai Yu, "Accompany me for a walk in the corridor to get some fresh air."
This request was perfectly reasonable. Bai Yu carefully supported her, with two newly arrived palace maids following at a distance.
Shang Jiuya deliberately slowed her pace, seemingly strolling aimlessly along the outer corridor of the Ziguang Palace, but in reality carefully scanning the guards on duty in various places.
Most of the guards had indifferent eyes and stood seemingly upright, yet their posture revealed a formulaic laxity. Their loyalty belonged to the guard commander who had given them their duties, and behind the commander, it was unknown which elder or sibling might be in charge. Occasionally, a few guards with lively eyes would quickly lower their heads when their gaze met hers, but deep within those eyes lay some kind of assessment and calculation.
Shang Jiuya's heart sank lower and lower. Was there really not one... even slightly different?
Just as she was about to give up on the observation, her gaze swept over a relatively remote sentry post and settled on a figure.
He was a rather young-looking demon guard, his posture as upright as a pine tree, maintaining an impeccable bearing even standing in an inconspicuous corner. His face was handsome, yet expressionless. His gaze was calm, fixed straight ahead, as if the outside world's disturbances were irrelevant to him, except for his duty itself.
Shang Jiuya's heart skipped a beat, and she subconsciously slowed her pace, almost stopping in place.
Bai Yu keenly sensed her unusual behavior, followed her gaze, and then quickly took a step closer, whispering, "Your Excellency, that is Li Yue. It is said that... his swordsmanship is excellent, but he is too straightforward and never knows how to flatter his superiors, so he has never been given important positions and has been assigned to the menial tasks of night patrol and fixed sentry posts in various places."
Li Yue...
Shang Jiuya silently memorized the name. Straightforward, incapable of flattery, and not given important responsibilities... these traits, in her eyes at this moment, had become rare "advantages."
Just as she was about to observe a little longer, a sudden commotion arose not far ahead, interrupting her thoughts.
A demon guard captain with an arrogant expression was seen leading two subordinates to stop a low-ranking demon servant. The servant was pushing a cart loaded with ordinary demon charcoal. Suddenly stopped, he trembled with fear.
"Old man! Is this all the charcoal you're supposed to give us this month? Who are you trying to fool!" The arrogant captain kicked the wooden cart, making a loud bang. "Don't you know this batch of charcoal is supposed to be given priority to the Fourth Prince's villa? You lowly bastards dare to embezzle it?"
The old servant was so frightened that he knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly: "No, no! The warehouse... the warehouse said that only this much was allocated... I was just taking what was required..."
"Bullshit!" The captain grabbed the old servant by the collar. "I bet you're the one who stole it halfway through! Men, search him! And impound the cart, make him go back and get it again!"
This is clearly a deliberate attempt to find fault and make things difficult, and they might even be trying to embezzle the already scarce supplies. And the supplies sent to Fourth Brother Ao Li's villa were withheld? This excuse is ridiculously clumsy. Everyone knows that Ao Li is powerful, and the warehouse staff are too busy currying favor with him.
The guards on duty nearby clearly recognized the captain and knew that he was backed by the Fourth Prince Ao Li's forces. They all looked away and pretended not to see him.
The old demon servant's desperate pleas mingled with the captain's sinister laughter, sounding particularly jarring.
Shang Jiuya frowned, a surge of anger rising in her chest. This kind of bullying of the elderly, taking advantage of one's power, is disgusting in any world.
Just as the captain's two henchmen were about to step forward and lay a hand on the old demon servant, the silent figure made a move.
Li Yue stepped out of the patrol post and stood between the old demon servant and the arrogant captain.
“Captain Baron.” Li Yue’s voice, like his eyes, was calm and unwavering, yet exceptionally clear. “Article 4 of Chapter 7 of the Palace Rules states that during peacetime and periods of special martial law, guards have no right to search or detain palace servants or supplies without authorization. If there are any doubts, they should be reported to the guard commander or the relevant steward for verification.”
The arrogant captain, known as Baron, clearly hadn't expected anyone to dare step forward, much less to invoke palace rules to intimidate him. He paused for a moment, then flew into a rage, "Li Yue? Who do you think you are? Daring to meddle in my business? Get out of my way! This kid stole supplies, I'm following the rules!"
"Whether there was theft or not should be determined by evidence, by the supervisor, not by your word, Captain." Li Yue did not back down an inch, his gaze still calm as he looked at Baron. "If there is no evidence, please let us pass, Captain."
"Damn it! You're asking for it!" Baron was completely enraged. In his eyes, for a lowly guard like Li Yue, with no background, to dare to talk back to him was blatant provocation. He suddenly reached out and shoved Li Yue in the chest. "I'm going to detain people and seize goods today, and let's see who dares to stop me!"
Li Yue's figure swayed slightly, but his feet remained rooted to the spot.
“Captain Baron,” his voice deepened, “private duels are forbidden in the palace. If you insist on violating the palace rules, I will have no choice but to report it according to the law.”
"Report it? I'll cripple you first!" Baron roared, actually drawing his sword and slashing at Li Yue.
A murmur of surprise rippled through the crowd, and Bai Yu gripped Shang Jiuya's sleeve tightly in fright.
Shang Jiuya's heart was in her throat; she hadn't expected the conflict to escalate to the point of armed confrontation so quickly.
As the blade was about to fall, a surge of anger mixed with rage rushed to Shang Jiuya's head. She couldn't stand by and watch any longer. Li Yue was in danger because he was upholding the rules and protecting the weak. If she backed down now, the newly ignited flame would be extinguished immediately. Who would dare to serve her in the future? Who would still believe even the slightest bit of her authority as the "Demon Lord"?
In a flash, she abruptly broke free from Bai Yu's grasp, took a step forward, and shouted sharply:
"stop!"
Everyone froze in their tracks.
Baron's knife hovered in mid-air as he looked towards the source of the sound with surprise and uncertainty. Li Yue also turned his head slightly, a hint of astonishment flashing in his eyes.
Shang Jiuya forced herself not to look at the gleaming blade, her gaze fixed on Baron, striving to make her voice carry authority and anger: "Insolence! This is the palace, a place of solemn importance. How dare you engage in armed private combat?! Captain Baron, Guard Li was acting in accordance with palace rules. What wrong have you done? As the captain, you not only disregard the rules but also attempt to resort to private torture. What do you think of palace rules? What do you think of me?!"
Her words were slightly hesitant due to her haste, and she only vaguely remembered the palace rules she quoted, but the unquestionable aura she forced, and her identity as the "Demon Lord," ultimately had some effect.
Baron's expression turned extremely ugly. He could disregard Li Yue, and even secretly despise the Demon Lord, but disrespecting the "Demon Lord" in public, especially when the other party seemed to have grasped at the "palace rules," was a different matter. This could bring unnecessary trouble to the Fourth Prince.
He glared at Li Yue, then gave Shang Jiuya a fierce look before reluctantly sheathing his sword, gritting his teeth as he said, "Your Excellency, please calm down! It was...it was my impulsive act! Since Your Excellency has spoken...hmph, consider yourself lucky!"
He spat at Li Yue, then glared fiercely at the old demon servant who was paralyzed with fear on the ground, before leaving with his two subordinates, cursing and swearing.
A hush fell over the scene. The other guards all lowered their heads, not daring to look any longer. The old demon servant scrambled away, pushing the cart.
Li Yue sheathed his sword, turned around, faced Shang Jiuya, and silently performed a standard salute.
Shang Jiuya stood there with difficulty, her legs feeling so weak she could barely stand, her back already soaked with cold sweat. Heaven knows how much courage she had mustered! She dared not look at Li Yue any longer, only nodding slightly, "Diligent in performing your duties, very good."
After saying that, she gestured for Bai Yu to help her leave, as if she had only done a trivial thing.
But her heart was in turmoil.
Upon returning to the Purple Light Palace, after dismissing everyone around her, Shang Jiuya immediately slumped into a chair, panting heavily, and it took her a long time to calm down.
"Bai Yu," her voice was still a little weak, but her eyes were surprisingly bright, "that Li Yue... you said he shouldn't be given an important position?"
"Yes, Your Majesty." Bai Yu nodded firmly, his eyes still filled with the fear and lingering dread from before. "His martial arts skills are excellent, but because he is too rigid and inflexible, he has offended many superiors."
“Very good…” Shang Jiuya murmured, a thought quickly forming in her mind.
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