"Just listen to me." The chubby boy stroked his chin and then started to think about something.
Just then, footsteps sounded, and Shen Mingzhuang's heart tightened instinctively. She knew that this must be the eunuch patrol team on night patrol. If she bumped into them while standing here, she might be told that Cixi Palace was haunted the next day.
She wouldn't mind messing with Empress Dowager Yin, but today isn't a good opportunity; let's try another time.
She stepped aside and watched the night patrol pass by, just a step away from her. Only after they had gone far away did she let out a long sigh of relief.
A quarter of an hour later, Shen Mingzhuang stood at the entrance of the Empress Dowager's bedroom and couldn't help but give the chubby boy a thumbs up. With this chubby boy around, everything was much simpler.
The Empress Dowager did not seem to be asleep yet. She was lying on the bed in a bright yellow nightgown, looking at some book. The crane-foot palace lantern next to her illuminated the palace brightly, as if it were daytime.
Taking advantage of the maid's comings and goings, Shen Mingzhuang quietly slipped in, but accidentally bumped the door with a loud bang. Aunt Shuangxi frowned, got up and walked over, giving the maid Qiao'er a stern look, "The Empress Dowager is in the room. You don't know your own strength. If you startle the Empress Dowager, you'll lose your head."
The palace maid named Qiaoxin felt very wronged. She wanted to say that she hadn't done it, but since there were only the two of them, Shuangxi and she were afraid that explaining herself would upset Shuangxi and make her think that she was making excuses. So she had no choice but to swallow her bitterness and say that she understood and would be more careful next time.
Shuangxi nodded, closed the door himself, and then turned back.
"Has nothing really happened at the Hehuan Palace these past few days?"
Yin Rong shifted her gaze from the book in front of her and looked at Shuangxi indifferently. Shuangxi replied, "Your Majesty, it is indeed very quiet. I suppose Consort Ming is busy copying Buddhist scriptures. A thousand scrolls should keep things quiet over there for a while."
Yin Rong nodded, then added after thinking for a moment: "Then after she finishes copying the Buddhist scriptures, please ask her to worship Buddha on my behalf. I get annoyed just looking at her. It would be best if she could live outside the palace, so that she won't be an eyesore."
Hearing this, Shuangxi couldn't help but sigh. In recent years, the Empress Dowager seemed to believe more and more in the supernatural. Last year, Abbess Jinghe of Daci Temple said that the Empress Dowager should not kill any living beings in the next year or two, otherwise she would not be able to get through a hurdle. Therefore, the Empress Dowager has not killed anyone in the past two years.
Because of this, people who were oblivious to their own danger often committed crimes and were only dealt with lightly. As a result, the servants of Cixi Palace gradually became more unruly and seemed to be certain that the Empress Dowager would not kill them.
Shuangxi had served the Empress Dowager for many years and knew how dangerous the things the Empress Dowager was going to do were. The future of these servants, whose lives were tied to the Empress Dowager's, depended entirely on whether the Empress Dowager would succeed.
But now the Empress Dowager has not only become soft-hearted, but has also begun to doubt her, who has been loyal to her for many years. Shuangxi couldn't help but sigh when she thought about it. If the Empress Dowager could stop now, she might still have a chance to live. But if she continues and insists on being the Empress Dowager who rules from behind the curtain, the future will probably be very cruel.
"Your Majesty, my father and mother will be visiting me in the palace the day after tomorrow. I wish to see them. I hope Your Majesty will grant me permission."
The Empress Dowager frowned again upon hearing this. "Can't we just meet and then come back to work? Why does it have to take up a whole day?"
Shuangxi was slightly taken aback, but quickly changed her tune, saying that she had not thought things through and dared not mention the matter again. However, she had also managed to glean some information about the Empress Dowager's attitude towards her from the Empress Dowager's reaction.
"Has the Cold Palace failed to attract the attention of Consort Jin?" Yin Rong suddenly changed the subject, her voice turning colder. Seeing that Shuangxi did not answer immediately, she said in a deep voice, "We must not let our guard down over there at any time. Give me a little more time, and you will no longer have to worry about me."
What could Shuangxi say? Of course, all she could do was agree and then silently step aside.
Shen Mingzhuang, who had been hiding behind the Empress Dowager's bed curtains, was asking the chubby boy how to get into the Empress Dowager's private treasury. The chubby boy pointed to the screen where the Empress Dowager changed clothes and said, "It's behind that, but there are traps there, so you'll have to wait a while."
After saying that, he took out a small porcelain bottle and gave it to her, saying, "Take this and blow on it three times, then put it back."
Shen Mingzhuang had always thought this chubby boy was quite capable, so he did as he was told. After a short while, there was no more talking outside. Shen Mingzhuang went out to see what was going on and found that the Empress Dowager had fallen asleep, while Shuangxi was leaning against the edge of the bed, seemingly having fainted.
Time waits for no one, so Shen Mingzhuang immediately walked behind the screen, followed the little fat boy's instructions, and then stood there waiting for the door to the private vault to open by itself.
She heard the sound of several mechanisms turning, then a few clicks, and the wall in front of her split in two, revealing a small door large enough for one person to pass through.
The machine was arranged according to the principles of Bagua (Eight Trigrams). Listening to it recite a bunch of Kan, Gen, Zhen, and Xun, Shen Mingzhuang felt a little dizzy. Fortunately, she was someone who often memorized lines in her previous life, so she quickly memorized them.
There are several traps in the private vault, but with the chubby guy there, they're all easy to deal with.
When Shen Mingzhuang finally saw the Empress Dowager's private treasury, he was at a loss for words to describe the shock he felt at that moment!
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a mountain of gold and silver. The jade floor tiles and walls are like jade bowls filled with gold and silver ingots, not to mention the boxes and boxes of priceless jade and antique treasures!
Among them were many national treasures passed down through generations. One of them, a jade bracelet that was entirely crimson, caught Shen Mingzhuang's eye. It was such a beautiful bracelet.
"Can you fit all of these in your space?" she asked the chubby boy. She didn't want to leave any of these things to Empress Dowager Yin. She knew that the Empress Dowager relied on these things to win people's hearts and stir up trouble. If she continued to hold onto these things, she was afraid that the people of the world would once again suffer from war and bloodshed!
"Don't worry about that, this is what I'm best at. Let's start moving things now. Those sleeping pills probably won't last long, so we need to hurry."
Shen Mingzhuang responded and immediately began to take action.
It took about half an hour to move so much silver from the ground to the space. Shen Mingzhuang couldn't help but squat down to rest, panting heavily. Suddenly, the little fat boy exclaimed, "Don't make a sound!"
Shen Mingzhuang quickly held his breath, realizing that some danger might be approaching, and his hair stood on end.
"Your aura was too strong just now, which triggered the mechanism. You only have one chance to live. You must jump out of there, or you will be shot and killed by the arrows above."
Shen Mingzhuang was surrounded by darkness; she had no idea what was up there, nor did she care to look!
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