Chapter 395 The Final Blow (First Update)
Also, who exactly is the owner of Xianleju?
Consort Jing?
Gu Jiao didn't tell Eunuch He about Mo Qianxue, and Eunuch He didn't inquire about it either. In his opinion, the "Sister Qianxue" who was mentioned twice was just a courtesan, and it wasn't strange that she was working for the owner of the brothel.
What puzzled him was the whereabouts of the Dragon Shadow Guards.
When did the Dragon Shadow Guards appear at Xianle Residence? Why did they go to the border? How long have they been gone?
After leaving Xianle Residence, he asked three soul-searching questions in one breath.
Gu Jiao recounted the information she had obtained from Hua Xiyao: "It happened more than two months ago. He only appeared once and hasn't come back since. Hua Xiyao doesn't know why he went to the border."
Hua Xiyao is the second eldest sister of Xianleju, and her access to information is limited.
"What are they doing at Xianleju?" Eunuch He asked again.
Gu Jiao shook her head: "I don't know. Hua Xiyao only saw them coming and going here and found that they were carrying a map of the route to the border. Hua Xiyao didn't have a chance to talk to them."
Grandpa He nodded.
He had already been surprised to find out this much, and he wasn't dissatisfied. It was this girl who was the real problem…
He gave Gu Jiao a complicated look: "Is it really okay for a young lady like you to come to places like this all the time?"
Gu Jiao gave him a chuckle-like look: "It's not that I always come to places like this, but are you sure you can get in tonight?"
Grandpa He choked to death!
After harvesting the chives, Gu Jiao took her silver notes and IOUs and boarded the carriage with satisfaction.
Eunuch He then returned to the palace to report back to the emperor.
The emperor was reviewing memorials in his study when he heard Eunuch He's words. He slammed the memorial shut, his brows furrowed as he looked at Eunuch He: "What did you say? The Dragon Shadow Guard has gone to the border?"
Eunuch He: "Your Majesty, yes, they carried a map of the route to the border with them, so they should be heading there."
Emperor: "How long have you been gone?"
Grandpa He: "It's been more than two months."
The emperor seemed thoughtful: "So... this was before I brought her back to the palace..."
This "she" naturally refers to Consort Jing.
Since the Dragon Shadow Guards have been handed over to her, only her orders can send them to the border.
The emperor's gaze turned cold, and his large hands clenched tighter and tighter: "Why did she send the Dragon Shadow Guard to the border... Is she going to kill Ning An?"
Eunuch He opened his mouth: "Your Majesty, even a tiger wouldn't eat its own cubs..."
The emperor said sarcastically, "Ha, even a tiger wouldn't eat its own cubs, so what about her attitude towards me!"
Grandpa He dared not utter a sound.
"The Dragon Shadow Guards have been gone for so long. If they really went to kill Ning An..." The Emperor thought of this possibility, and a layer of cold sweat seeped out from his entire back. He slumped back in his chair, his heart filled with panic!
"Your Majesty..." Eunuch Wei advised from the side, "Haven't we received any bad news from the border yet? Please don't be anxious."
The emperor's face turned deathly pale: "How can I not be anxious? That's Ning'an..."
She was his most beloved younger sister!
The emperor tightened his grip on the armrest, his expression grave. "No," he said, "I cannot sit idly by and wait for my death!"
Eunuch Wei called out, "Your Majesty! Your Majesty, where are you going?"
The emperor ignored Eunuch Wei and rushed out of Huaqing Palace.
"It's all your fault!" Eunuch Wei glared at Eunuch He.
Grandpa He looked completely bewildered: "What does this have to do with me?"
The emperor prayed that Ning'an was still safe. He only had one Dragon Shadow Guard left. Of course, he also had imperial guards and royal secret guards, but they were no match for the Dragon Shadow Guard in a one-on-one fight.
Therefore, he needs enough manpower!
His first thought was of Empress Dowager Zhuang, who also had a group of skilled fighters under her command.
"His Majesty!"
Outside Renshou Palace, two imperial guards bowed to the emperor.
The emperor has become incredibly shameless lately, and even the imperial guards can't stop him. They simply turn a blind eye to his reckless behavior and have no intention of intervening.
The emperor entered Renshou Palace.
The palace servants all bowed in greeting.
"Your Majesty!" Emerald also bowed.
"Where is the Empress Dowager?" the Emperor asked.
“In the bedchamber,” Emerald said.
The emperor felt it inconvenient to force his way into the palace, so he said to Emerald, "Go and announce that I have arrived."
"yes."
Emerald bowed slightly and turned to walk towards Empress Dowager Zhuang's bedroom.
She arrived at the door and announced softly, "Empress Dowager, His Majesty has arrived."
There was no response from inside the sleeping quarters.
Jade raised her voice slightly and called out again, "Empress Dowager, His Majesty has arrived."
There was still no movement inside the bedchamber.
Emerald frowned in confusion and said, "Your Majesty, this servant has come in."
She gently pushed open the half-closed door, lifted her skirt, and stepped across the threshold.
A moment later, a scream echoed from inside the bedchamber—
The emperor's face changed drastically, and he strode into the bedchamber: "What happened?"
Emerald collapsed to the ground, her face pale. In front of her was an overturned brocade box, and next to the box lay the unconscious Eunuch Qin.
"His Majesty?"
Eunuch Wei also arrived. He was stunned by the scene before him, then quickly walked over, squatted down and checked Eunuch Qin's breathing. His expression relaxed slightly, and he said, "He's still breathing. This servant will go and summon the imperial physician."
The emperor nodded, and Eunuch Wei got up and went out, not forgetting to drag the terrified Jade out with him.
The sleeping quarters were empty and eerily quiet.
"Mother."
The emperor looked wary and tried calling out, but there was no response.
The imperial guards of Renshou Palace also heard the commotion and rushed over. Every one of them was filled with shock. Clearly, they had not expected that Empress Dowager Zhuang would disappear without a trace in her bedchamber.
There were few signs of a struggle in the bedroom, only a box that had fallen over and the unconscious Eunuch Qin.
The emperor picked up the box.
He recognized the box; his mother treasured it dearly. When he was little, he often visited his mother's Kunning Palace, and he could touch anything except this box.
Although he was clever, he was still very curious. Once, while his mother was asleep, he secretly looked at the contents of the box.
It's a brand new pair of tiger-head shoes.
They're not really new anymore; the color has faded a bit. They've just never been worn, and they look noticeably different from old shoes.
He once thought that the tiger-head shoes belonged to Ning An, but it was only after a long time that he realized that the shoes were prepared by his mother for her own flesh and blood.
But that child died; he was born dead.
How cruel!
So, was the other party using these shoes to coerce the Empress Dowager into obediently going with him?
This was just the emperor's guess, but when the imperial guards searched the entire Renshou Palace and still couldn't find Empress Dowager Zhuang, the emperor couldn't ignore this possibility.
Under the care of the imperial physician, Eunuch Qin regained consciousness, but unfortunately he couldn't see anything. He then fainted again after experiencing a sharp pain in the back of his neck.
The emperor pondered, "To be able to sneak into Renshou Palace under the noses of so many imperial guards, the person is no ordinary individual, and they came prepared."
Very few people in the entire harem had the opportunity to know about these shoes, and a guess immediately formed in the emperor's mind. He walked toward the nunnery with an icy expression.
The matter had escalated quite a bit, so Eunuch Wei sent someone to summon Eunuch He as well.
When the emperor arrived at the temple, he immediately sensed that something was amiss.
The nunnery was so quiet, just like Empress Dowager Zhuang's sleeping quarters.
The emperor took a step.
Eunuch He stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, this servant will go and take a look first!"
The emperor acquiesced.
After entering the nunnery and wandering around for a while, Eunuch He came out and said, "Your Majesty, Consort Jing and Granny Cai are missing, and everyone else has fainted. We don't know if they were knocked unconscious or drugged."
A dangerous glint flashed in the emperor's eyes, and his fists clenched so tightly they cracked: "Good, very good!"
Eunuch He wasn't as kind to his servants as Eunuch Wei. Why bother calling an imperial physician? A basin of cold water would have been enough.
The young nun named Huian in the nunnery was the first to be awakened by the splashing. Upon waking, she cried out, "Don't kill me! Don't kill me! Your Highness, please don't kill me! I didn't see anything... really..."
"What did you see?" Grandpa He asked, throwing down the bucket he was holding.
Huian's cries stopped abruptly. She glanced at the unfamiliar Eunuch He, then at the dignified Emperor, before rushing forward on her knees to greet him.
But Eunuch Wei wouldn't let her get close to the emperor. He stepped in front of her and shouted, "Insolence!"
Huian was so frightened that she withdrew her hand, tears streaming down her face.
The emperor stepped out from behind Eunuch Wei and looked at her calmly: "What did you see? Tell me honestly, and I won't hurt you."
Huian cried tremblingly, "I...I saw...the Empress Dowager...with a sword...injuring...several...people...and a group of men in black...leaving from here..."
The emperor understood: Consort Jing had a group of skilled fighters under her command, and she led them to break through the encirclement by injuring the guards near the nunnery.
It seems that the Empress Dowager was indeed abducted by her.
I just don't know if they've left the palace.
The emperor said coldly, "Seal off the palace. From this moment on, not a single fly should be let out! Also, order the Imperial Guards to close the city gates and conduct a thorough search of the city..."
Eunuch Wei hesitated and said, "Should we conduct a thorough investigation or..."
The emperor frowned and said, "Investigate secretly."
Eunuch Wei replied, "Yes! Then Your Majesty..."
After thinking it over, the emperor decided to leave the palace himself.
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(End of this chapter)
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