Chapter 67: As dirty as the decadent past.
The Jin Dynasty Palace, inside the Emperor's bedroom.
Li Yulan slowly entered the hall. Night-shining pearls illuminated every corner of the palace, their radiance reflecting off the golden beads flowing across the walls. Wanyan Shuo, already elderly, rested leisurely in the arms of a beautiful woman. Someone fanned him, someone peeled fruit, and someone else massaged his legs. A glance revealed the attendants, both men and women, all incredibly handsome, but their eyes were mostly empty, like those of delicate dolls.
Li Yulan lowered his eyes: "Your Majesty, I am here."
Wanyan Shuo smiled and patted the empty space beside him. It was actually just a tiny gap right next to him. "Haha, Yu Lan, I've been waiting for you for a long time. I haven't seen you for a few days, and I miss you so much!"
Li Yulan's brows furrowed slightly, but when he raised his head, a smile spread across his eyes. With his usual bewitching cunning, he walked over to Wanyan Shuo and sat down submissively in the small space. "Even though I've been away from Your Majesty for so long, I haven't forgotten your teachings."
He deliberately softened his voice, with a barely perceptible hint of stickiness.
Wanyan Shuo seemed to be enjoying it immensely, laughing heartily. His cloudy eyes wandered over Li Yulan, "Good, good! You're worthy of being brought up by me. Come, I'll reward you tonight!"
"As you command, Your Majesty." Li Yulan lowered his eyebrows and looked pleasant. As he bent down, the strands of black hair draped over his shoulders slid down his neck smoothly and fell beside the jade pillow wrapped in gold silk satin, becoming entangled with the embroidery on Wanyan Shuo's clothes.
His bony fingers stretched forward, and his well-trimmed nails shone with a warm light under the candlelight and the night pearls, like fine jade.
"Yu Lan," Wanyan Shuo's voice echoed in the hall, with a heart-wrenching calmness, "You have met A Zheng, right?"
Li Yulan's fingers froze in mid-air.
The next moment, his wrist was suddenly grabbed by an old but extremely powerful hand.
…
A figure quickly shuttled through the rain curtain.
The wind and rain lashed my face with a chilling knife-like slash, the whistling wind past my ears like the roar of a ferocious beast. Even colder than the rain were Lou Wanqiao's eyes. She was like a ghost in the dark night, one with the wind and rain. Her toes tapped lightly on the slippery glazed tiles, landing silently, only the rain trickling down her tight-fitting nightgown, creating a small splash.
Be quick.
Faster.
In the night, the Jin Dynasty palace was like a ferocious beast with its mouth wide open, which could tear people apart and eat them if they were not careful.
Those outside the palace had already begun to move, and she needed to hurry and clear the palace as much as possible. Whether it was those who witnessed their encounter with Wanyan Zhe or the guards currently assigned to the emperor's chambers, they all needed to be dealt with swiftly. Wanyan Zhe hadn't returned to the palace for a long time, and his men were bound to have noticed. It was only a matter of time before they were found, and these were problems that needed to be resolved as soon as possible. Without a leader, the situation would become even more chaotic. This was the time Li Yulan had staked her life on, and she couldn't afford to waste it.
Heavy rain pounded against the back of the Embroidered Spring Blade. Lou Wanqiao leaped from the eaves and landed behind a group of guards. Raindrops dripped down the tip of the blade. She walked forward step by step, the tip of the blade scratching sparks on the ground, like an Asura walking out of hell. The people behind her heard the sound and turned around.
The Embroidered Spring Knife slashed a cold arc of light in the rainy night, its blade slicing through the rain and also slicing the throat of the leading guard. Warm blood spurted out, instantly diluted by the heavy rain.
"An assassin has broken in, be alert!!"
The leading guard shouted, and was met with an oncoming sharp blade.
…
Lou Wanqiao breathed a sigh of relief. The rain could no longer wash away the bloodstains on the ground, but fortunately, everyone around him had been dealt with.
Right in front of us is Wanyan Zhe's Eastern Palace. If the information is correct, the tiger talisman and the token are both kept inside.
She rushed in with a knife in hand, quickly dispatched the remaining guards, and searched the hall. This place was huge, and finding things was no easy task, but she was extremely fast and had great destructive power, so she didn't have to worry about being discovered, which greatly increased her efficiency.
The tiger talisman and the token were both hidden in the pillow. Lou Wanqiao took them and put them in his arms, then continued to search along the bookcase. Suddenly, his fingertips felt a unique touch.
Lou Wanqiao's eyes narrowed and he slowly exerted force with his fingers.
A long, narrow and dark secret passage opened in front of her.
Lou Wanqiao glanced behind him and walked in quickly.
The secret room was dark and without any light, but fortunately her night vision was extremely strong, and her hearing and smell senses were all mobilized to the maximum, not missing a single sound.
She heard breathing.
Faint, but intermittent.
Lou Wanqiao pushed open an iron door, his eyes darkening.
Hanging on the walls were portraits of various figures, both men and women, all naked, with deep, crisscrossing wounds covering their bodies.
There were many torture instruments in the room, some of which were stained with blood, but other than that, the rest of the room was clean and tidy.
And she was very familiar with the face that appeared most in the portrait.
It was Li Yulan in various postures.
Looking inside, there were five or six people locked in the fence. They were half-naked, revealing scars on their bodies, exactly the same as those on Li Yulan.
No one moved despite hearing the noise. Their eyes were dull, with only the occasional blink and the rise and fall of their chests proving that they were different from dead objects.
Lou Wanqiao turned his head away and couldn't help but retching.
Disgusting, so disgusting.
The royal families of Jin and Li are both disgusting in their own ways.
For the first time, she realized so clearly that Li Yulan had just escaped from the tiger's lair and fallen into the wolf's mouth. In fact, there was no essential difference between the two, and both were probably dead ends.
The only difference is his firm belief in order to survive.
She cut the chains and completely destroyed the iron gate, and then continued walking down without stopping.
The further I walked, the more I could feel the coolness and wind blowing across my cheeks. I must have reached the exit.
As the raindrops fell on her cheeks, she saw the sculpture standing before her.
It was a ferocious beast, but Lou Wanqiao couldn't identify what kind it was. It had a green face and fangs, and looked ferocious and fierce. Just looking at it was creepy.
Lou Wanqiao looked around, his eyes fixed on one place, and his pupils suddenly shrank.
The more she investigated, the more she discovered. Unlike the treacherous undercurrents of Dali, a far more bloody and brutal conspiracy was brewing in the capital of the Jin Kingdom.
This is the racecourse of the Crown Prince of Jin.
And those imprisoned in the stables were people huddled in pain.
…
The rain continued to fall, and the bright warmth inside the palace formed a sharp contrast with the violent storm outside.
Wanyan Shuo seemed to have sensed something, looked up at the window, and said with a nostalgic tone: "Alan, I used to be very optimistic about you."
No one responded, and the only sounds around were the beauty fanning herself and pounding her legs.
"But you seem different from what I imagined... But that's okay. I love to personally sharpen the claws of my beloved pets. Since you're always so restless, why don't you stay by my side from now on?" Wanyan Shuo sighed softly. "It's a coincidence that my little Mingzi disappeared a few days ago, so I have a place for you... Ah Lan, don't run around from now on. A good horse is one that stays by its master's side. If you run away... you might get bit by a mad dog and get sick, and then even dare to bite your master when you come back."
His cheeks were full of traces of time, there was a layer of silver at his temples, and fine lines spread at the corners of his eyes.
"It's a pity, I was quite optimistic about Zhe'er... Alas, I really want him to inherit the throne. After all, he is most like me, and what he does is most to my liking. He knows what I like and can always work out new things to play with..." Wanyan Shuo sighed softly again and bit off a small, crystal clear fruit that was handed to his mouth.
Still no one answered.
"Alas, look at my memory... I forgot you can't speak now." Wanyan Shuo pretended to wipe the non-existent tears from the corners of his eyes, but his eyes were filled with bloodthirsty excitement. "Come, bring me my golden knife. I want to do it myself... and teach him a lesson."
The palace maid obediently brought a tray made of exquisite jade, covered with a layer of silk. A golden dagger lay quietly on the silk, complementing the jade.
The excitement in his eyes was almost uncontrollable. He held the dagger in both hands, wiped it carefully with silk, and held the dagger high to look at the reflected light through the light of the night pearl.
"Alan, I've imagined a scene like this before...it's truly beautiful." He turned his head away with an infatuated look in his eyes. "Don't blame me for being cruel. You were the one who seduced me first. I'm only giving you what you've always wanted...you should be grateful and serve me for the rest of your life."
He became more and more excited as he spoke, an abnormal blush appearing on his face. The dagger in his hand waved in the air, cutting through the luxurious fabric.
"Yu Lan!" Wanyan Shuo's gaze fixed on a certain point, and he jerked his head. "When the Jin dynasty crushes the Li Kingdom, I will then appoint you as my concubine."
In an instant, a sharp blade pierced through the hair and pierced deeply into the wall, and spider-web-like cracks spread along the wall bit by bit.
He looked out the window vigilantly, pulled the beauty in front of him, and shouted, "Protect the emperor! There's an assassin, protect the emperor!"
It was quiet outside the palace, with only the sound of raindrops hitting the roof.
"Where are the guards? Where are the guards?!" Wanyan Shuo was shocked and terrified. He grabbed another palace servant and pushed him out fiercely, "Go, go and see what's going on!"
The palace maid ran out tremblingly and disappeared in a moment, and never ran back into the palace.
"Waste, a bunch of waste!" Wanyan Shuo smashed the jade plate in anger. "Yu Lan... Yes, Yu Lan, Yu Lan can protect me."
"Is this all the Jin Emperor has done?" a cold voice echoed in the hall, tinged with contempt and sarcasm. "When you did those things, did you ever consider the retribution you would face?"
"Retribution? What retribution?" Wanyan Shuo stepped back, looking around. "I am the emperor, the son of destiny, the king! How can there be retribution for someone who has been given the destiny? Everything I do has always been in accordance with the destiny!"
"Is that so?" The voice seemed to carry a hint of regret. "It's a pity for those people you killed, but you'll have to face them soon... Figure out how to atone for your sins."
He suddenly raised his eyes and saw a long sword coming through the air.
Wanyan Shuo quickly hid behind the palace maid, and the long sword changed direction, leaving a bloody mark on his arm.
"Who are you?" He was still in shock, panting. "What do you want? A high position, generous salary, gold, silver and jewelry..."
"What a shame," the boy said angrily, "What I want most right now is your life."
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