Chapter 62 - 2#
Jingzhe couldn’t understand, nor could he figure it out.
Even after leaving the Imperial Guard Office and separating from Rong Jiu, Jingzhe still felt that Rong Jiu’s words were completely baffling.
Is it good for Emperor Jingyuan to let the Empress Dowager cause him trouble?
Jingzhe scratched his head and looked at the sky in confusion.
“Are you crazy or am I crazy?” Jingzhe muttered softly, “Rong Jiu has really gone mad…”
However, after watching the interrogation for a while, Jingzhe had to admit that he had gained something.
At least, he could tell from Wei Haidong’s questioning that Li Dong’s death was not just an ordinary silencing.
There was something else hidden in it.
The poison found on Li Dong’s body was not from the palace.
This meant that the poison came from outside the palace.
Thinking of this, Jingzhe’s heart skipped a beat. Outside the palace?
Could it be related to those people who assassinated him?
Just as Jingzhe was thinking wildly, he suddenly saw a figure flashing past not far ahead.
That figure looked familiar.
Jingzhe paused and immediately followed.
He was agile, and because he often ran around in the palace, he was very familiar with the terrain here. He took a shortcut and soon saw the figure again.
It was a little eunuch.
Looking at his clothes, he seemed to be from the internal servant department.
Jingzhe frowned. What was a eunuch from the internal servant department doing here sneaking around?
He quietly followed behind, watching the little eunuch look around and then slip into a secluded corner.
Jingzhe waited for a while before carefully approaching.
He heard a low voice.
“…Is everything done?”
“Don’t worry, it’s done cleanly. No one will find out.”
“That’s good. Master said, during this time, we must be careful. The people from Qianming Palace are watching closely.”
“I know. By the way, how is that matter going?”
“Don’t ask if you shouldn’t ask.”
“Yes, yes…”
The conversation stopped abruptly. Then, footsteps were heard leaving.
Jingzhe hid in the shadows, not daring to breathe loudly.
It wasn’t until the two people had gone far that he walked out from the hiding place.
His face was solemn.
Master?
Who was this “Master”?
And what was “that matter”?
Jingzhe felt that he seemed to have inadvertently touched upon some secret.
He thought for a moment and decided to tell Rong Jiu about this matter.
Although Rong Jiu was sometimes crazy, he was the only person Jingzhe could trust in this palace.
Moreover, Rong Jiu was Emperor Jingyuan’s close minister. Perhaps he would know something.
Jingzhe turned and walked towards the direction of Qianming Palace.
However, halfway there, he stopped again.
He remembered the unpleasantness with Rong Jiu just now.
Going to find him now, wouldn’t it seem like he was bowing his head?
Jingzhe hesitated.
“Forget it, important matters are important.” Jingzhe gritted his teeth, “I’m doing this for his own good. If something really happens, he won’t be able to escape either.”
Convincing himself, Jingzhe continued to walk towards Qianming Palace.
When he arrived at the gate of Qianming Palace, he was stopped by the guards.
“Who goes there? This is the forbidden area of the palace, no trespassing.”
Jingzhe quickly put on a smiling face: “Big brother guard, I am looking for Lord Rong Jiu. Can you please pass a message?”
The guard looked him up and down and said coldly, “Lord Rong is not here.”
“Not here?” Jingzhe was stunned, “Where did he go?”
“How would I know the whereabouts of the lord? You’d better leave quickly.”
The guard waved his hand impatiently, signaling Jingzhe to leave.
Jingzhe had no choice but to turn and leave.
He walked aimlessly in the palace, thinking about where Rong Jiu might have gone.
Could he have gone back to the Imperial Guard Office?
Or did he go to handle some errand for the Emperor?
Just as Jingzhe was puzzled, he suddenly heard a familiar voice.
“Jingzhe?”
Jingzhe turned his head and saw Mingyu standing not far away, looking at him with surprise.
“Mingyu?” Jingzhe was also surprised, “Why are you here?”
Mingyu walked over and whispered, “I just came out of Qianming Palace. Why are you here? Didn’t you say you wouldn’t come?”
Jingzhe scratched his head awkwardly: “I… I have something to find Rong Jiu.”
“Looking for Lord Rong?” Mingyu was stunned for a moment, then showed a somewhat subtle expression, “He… seems to be with His Majesty.”
“With His Majesty?” Jingzhe’s heart tightened, “What are they doing?”
Mingyu looked around and whispered, “I don’t know either. But today His Majesty’s mood seems not very good. You’d better not go in and provoke him.”
Jingzhe nodded: “I know. Thank you, Mingyu.”
Mingyu sighed: “In this palace, everyone is walking on thin ice. Jingzhe, you must be careful.”
“I will.”
After bidding farewell to Mingyu, Jingzhe felt even more heavy-hearted.
Emperor Jingyuan was in a bad mood?
Rong Jiu was with him?
Would Rong Jiu be implicated?
Jingzhe couldn’t help but worry.
He found a place near Qianming Palace and sat down, deciding to wait here for Rong Jiu to come out.
Time passed bit by bit. The sky gradually darkened.
The wind at night was a bit cold. Jingzhe wrapped his clothes tighter and shrank into a ball.
He didn’t know how long he had waited. Just when he was about to fall asleep, he suddenly heard the sound of the palace gate opening.
Jingzhe suddenly woke up and looked up.
He saw a figure walking out from the palace gate.
It was Rong Jiu.
He looked a bit tired, and his face was even paler in the moonlight.
Jingzhe quickly stood up and ran over.
“Rong Jiu!”
Hearing the voice, Rong Jiu stopped and looked over.
Seeing Jingzhe, a trace of surprise flashed in his eyes: “Why are you here?”
“I… I was waiting for you.” Jingzhe ran to him, panting slightly, “I have something to tell you.”
Rong Jiu looked at him, his eyes softened slightly: “What is it?”
Jingzhe looked around and whispered, “Let’s find a place to talk.”
Rong Jiu nodded: “Okay.”
The two came to a secluded pavilion.
Jingzhe told Rong Jiu exactly what he had seen and heard just now.
After listening, Rong Jiu fell silent.
After a long time, he said slowly, “I know.”
“You know?” Jingzhe was surprised, “You know who they are?”
Rong Jiu nodded: “Those are the Empress Dowager’s people.”
“The Empress Dowager’s people?” Jingzhe exclaimed, “What do they want to do?”
“They want to create chaos.” Rong Jiu sneered, “The Empress Dowager can’t sit still anymore. She wants to use the chaos to achieve her goal.”
“What goal?”
“To force the Emperor to abdicate.”
Jingzhe gasped. Force the Emperor to abdicate?
This was a rebellion!
“Does His Majesty know?” Jingzhe asked hurriedly.
“Of course he knows.” Rong Jiu said lightly, “Everything is under His Majesty’s control.”
Jingzhe looked at Rong Jiu and suddenly felt that this man was unfathomable.
“Then… what should we do?”
“Just watch the show.” A strange smile appeared on Rong Jiu’s lips, “A good show is about to begin.”
Jingzhe looked at Rong Jiu’s smile and felt a chill on his back.
He suddenly realized that perhaps from the beginning, he had been involved in a huge conspiracy.
And he was just an insignificant pawn in this conspiracy.
But looking at the person in front of him, Jingzhe felt a hint of warmth in his heart.
At least, he was not alone.
“Rong Jiu,” Jingzhe whispered, “No matter what happens, you must protect yourself.”
Rong Jiu looked at him, the indifference in his eyes gradually fading, replaced by a touch of tenderness that was hard to detect.
“Don’t worry,” he reached out and gently stroked Jingzhe’s hair, “I won’t die.”
“Because I still have you.”
These words were like a warm current flowing into Jingzhe’s heart, dispelling the fear and uneasiness in his heart.
He looked at Rong Jiu and smiled heavily.
“En!”
The night was deep.
The moon hung high in the sky, casting a cold light.
In this deep palace, countless secrets and conspiracies were quietly brewing.
But at this moment, in this small pavilion, there was a rare warmth and tranquility.
Jingzhe and Rong Jiu sat side by side, looking at the moon in the sky, speechless for a long time.
They knew that the road ahead would be even more difficult and dangerous.
But as long as they had each other, they were fearless.
…
The next day.
News came from the palace again.
A fire broke out in Cining Palace last night.
The fire was huge and burned for a whole night before it was extinguished.
It is said that the Empress Dowager was frightened and fell ill.
When Jingzhe heard the news, he was sweeping the floor in the Palace Sanitation Department.
He stopped his movements and looked in the direction of Cining Palace, feeling complex.
Fire?
Was it an accident, or man-made?
Thinking of what Rong Jiu said last night, Jingzhe had a vague answer in his heart.
This might be the “good show” Rong Jiu mentioned.
It’s just that this opening was too fierce.
“Jingzhe, what are you dazing for?” A little eunuch next to him patted him, “Work quickly, or the manager will scold again later.”
Jingzhe came back to his senses and smiled: “Okay, I’m sweeping now.”
He lowered his head and continued to sweep the floor, but his thoughts had already flown far away.
The undercurrents in the palace were surging, and everyone was involuntarily involved.
He didn’t know what his fate would be.
But he knew he had to live.
Live to see the final outcome.
Live to… be with that person.
Jingzhe gripped the broom in his hand tightly, a firm light flashing in his eyes.
No matter how difficult the road ahead was, he would go on.
Until the end.
At this moment, a hurried footstep came from outside.
“Jingzhe! Jingzhe!”
It was Zheng Hong’s voice.
Jingzhe raised his head and saw Zheng Hong running in panting.
“What happened? Why are you in such a panic?” Jingzhe asked.
Zheng Hong swallowed his saliva and said intermittently, “Something big… something big happened!”
“What big thing?”
“Consort… Consort Xian died!”
“What?!”
Jingzhe’s broom fell to the ground with a clatter.
Consort Xian died?
How could this be?
Consort Xian had always been low-key and never participated in harem disputes. How could she suddenly die?
“How did she die?” Jingzhe asked urgently.
“Suicide.” Zheng Hong lowered his voice, “It is said that she hanged herself in her palace.”
Suicide?
Jingzhe couldn’t believe his ears.
Why would a good person commit suicide?
There must be something fishy in this!
Jingzhe’s intuition told him that this matter was definitely not that simple.
Perhaps, it was related to the fire in Cining Palace.
“Did anyone else know?” Jingzhe asked.
“Everyone in the palace knows.” Zheng Hong said, “Now everyone is panicking, afraid that they will be implicated.”
Jingzhe frowned tightly.
The death of Consort Xian would definitely cause a huge uproar.
The situation in the palace would become even more chaotic.
He had to find Rong Jiu immediately.
He had to know what exactly happened.
“Zheng Hong, help me cover for a while, I have to go out.”
“Ah? Where are you going at this time?” Zheng Hong said worriedly, “It’s chaotic outside now, it’s dangerous to run around.”
“Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”
Jingzhe patted Zheng Hong’s shoulder, turned and ran out.
He ran all the way, rushing towards the Imperial Guard Office.
He prayed in his heart that Rong Jiu must be there.
When he arrived at the Imperial Guard Office breathlessly, he was told that Rong Jiu had gone to the scene of Consort Xian’s death.
Jingzhe didn’t stop and immediately rushed to Consort Xian’s palace.
When he arrived, the place was already surrounded by guards.
Jingzhe saw Rong Jiu at a glance.
He was standing in the courtyard, examining something with his head down.
His expression was focused and serious, completely unaffected by the noisy environment around him.
Jingzhe wanted to go over, but was stopped by the guards.
“Stop! No one is allowed to approach!”
Jingzhe shouted anxiously: “Rong Jiu!”
Hearing the voice, Rong Jiu raised his head.
Seeing Jingzhe, he frowned slightly, then walked over.
“Why did you come?” Rong Jiu asked in a low voice.
“I heard Consort Xian died, so I came to see.” Jingzhe looked at him, “How is it? Did you find anything?”
Rong Jiu’s eyes were deep: “It wasn’t suicide.”
“Not suicide?” Jingzhe was shocked, “Then it was…”
“Homicide.” Rong Jiu said coldly, “Someone killed her and then forged the scene of suicide.”
“Who? Who would be so cruel?”
“That’s what we need to find out.”
Rong Jiu looked at the palace not far away, a chill flashing in his eyes.
“The water in this palace is getting deeper and deeper.”
Jingzhe looked at Rong Jiu’s side face and felt a chill in his heart.
He knew a new storm was coming.
And this time, it might be even more violent than before.
Are they ready?
Jingzhe didn’t know.
He only knew that no matter what, he would stand with Rong Jiu.
Facing all the unknowns and dangers together.