Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
Let alone Wang Chong, Cheng Sanyuan and Zhang Que were stunned as well.
They had never met Eunuch Gao before, but there were many legends in the capital of this man’s strength. It had even been mentioned a few times that this man had already surpassed the peak of the Saint Martial realm and reached an unimaginable level.
But this kind of person would also cough blood?
How could this be unless he had exceptionally grave injuries?
More importantly, there were many experts gathered in the Imperial Palace—not just the Imperial Army, but also the servitors of the imperial household. This was the most heavily guarded place in the Great Tang. Besides that, Eunuch Gao was a peerless expert. How could someone possibly injure him?
The two suddenly understood why Little Li had so abruptly fled the Imperial Palace. Anyone who learned this news would not be able to live for very long.
As for Wang Chong, he had never anticipated this development!
“Your Highness, it’s true! This lowly one served Eunuch Gao for several years and would never fail to recognize this scarf!”
As Little Li spoke, he took out a silk scarf that was around half a foot long. It was glossy and smooth, with many intricately woven patterns. One could tell at a glance that this was no ordinary scarf.
And in the center of it was a striking crimson bloodstain.
Wang Chong solemnly took the scarf from Little Li. The moment he set eyes on it, his heart sank. This scarf was a tribute from Shu and was woven from the cocoons of a certain type of silkworm.
The cloudlike designs upon it were naturally formed on the cocoons.
This kind of silk was extremely rare, and there were few successful products. Few people in the Great Tang were allowed to own these objects, and they were all of the King level or above. Wang Chong had once obtained a silk scarf of this kind.
As for the palace, only the most illustrious members of the palace could own such products, and there were probably not very many.
Eunuch Gao was obviously one of these people.
“What did you mean when you said that Eunuch Gao told you to leave?” Wang Chong suddenly said.
Little Li kneeled on the floor and said, “Eunuch Gao showed kindness to this lowly one, so when this lowly one discovered the scarf, he thought of a way to place a message in the snack box asking about Eunuch Gao’s situation. This lowly one later found Eunuch Gao’s reply in the box, but it was only a few words telling this lowly one to escape as quickly as possible. Not long after that, this lowly one realized that someone in the palace was investigating him. This lowly one sensed that something was wrong and so found an opportunity to leave the Imperial Palace.”
Wang Chong silently furrowed his brow. The First Prince had dispatched men and was so brazenly scouring the area. He had clearly realized something and already knew of Little Li’s existence.
After some time, Wang Chong finally spoke.
“Rise. I now understand the situation. I will think of a way to help Eunuch Gao.
“In addition, Sanyuan, handle things here and take Little Li to the King of Foreign Lands Residence. For the time being, we will protect him.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Cheng Sanyuan bowed.
Once he was out of the room, Wang Chong looked up to the sky with furrowed brows. All he saw was darkness, just like it was in his mind.
Wang Chong had believed that finding Little Li would answer many questions, but it turned out that he had only added to his confusion. For Wang Chong, the depths of the Imperial Palace were shrouded in a thick fog.
Far too many things were concealed in this fog.
Just what had happened in the palace in the time he had been gone? Why was Eunuch Gao no longer at Taihe Palace, and who could have injured him, even making him spit out blood?
Wang Chong sensed that there was a scheme going on.
Investigating all of this was his next task.
“Let’s go!”
With a wave of his sleeve, Wang Chong departed the crude alley.
An hour after Wang Chong’s men had gone, another party angrily stormed into the alley and charged into the house. But a few moments later, they charged back out.
“Bastard!”
They all gnashed their teeth as they departed.
A few moments later, flapflap! A carrier pigeon rose into the air, and the Eastern Palace soon learned what had happened in that house in the southern part of the city.
“What? Wang Chong suddenly appeared and took away that minor eunuch?”
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The sight of the name ‘King of Foreign Lands’ immediately enraged the First Prince, and his bellows resounded through the hall.
“A pile of trash! If you can’t even do something small like this, what do I keep you around for?”
The Eastern Palace guards kneeled in the hall, trembling in fear and panic. They had thought that they had found the eunuch’s hiding spot, but they had never imagined that the King of Foreign Lands would get there first and take the eunuch with him.
The King of Foreign Lands’ prestige was ascendant. Who would dare to oppose him?
Moreover, the First Prince had never explained why this eunuch was important. He had only ordered that the eunuch be captured.
“Out! All of you, out!” the First Prince roared.
The guards fearfully left, not daring to tarry.
Once the guards were gone, the First Prince seemed to somewhat calm down.
“Zhu Tong’en, tell me: how much does that eunuch know about the situation? Will his falling into Wang Chong’s hand create a major obstacle in our plan?”
The First Prince quickly turned his head to Zhu Tong’en, fear in his eyes. Catching the minor eunuch was secondary. What he was worried about now was how much information Wang Chong had.
Zhu Tong’en thought for a few moments before giving his analysis.
“Your Highness, be at ease. Going by the eunuch’s hasty escape, he probably doesn’t know much. Even if the King of Foreign Lands has the eunuch, there’s no guarantee that he will be able to get much. More importantly, even if he has his guesses, he has no firm evidence. Thus, it will not have a major effect on our plans in the short term.”
Although his martial arts and scheming abilities were not that formidable, Zhu Tong’en was incredible when it came to analyzing intelligence.
He could always produce the most penetrating of insights from a pile of disorderly information.
This was one of the reasons the First Prince had recruited him.
“Moreover, this place is still the Imperial Palace, Your Highness’s territory. Even if he is a King, he can not move as he pleases. Thus, there is no need for Your Highness to worry for the time being,” Zhu Tong’en concluded.
The First Prince’s complexion visibly improved.
“Reporting!”
Suddenly, a voice came from outside, and one of the First Prince’s personal guards soon came inside.
“Your Highness, we’ve just received word. We’ve captured Master Yinshan!”
Buzz!
When the First Prince heard this, he trembled and looked over, all his worries instantly swept away. His eyes immediately brightened with excitement.
“Great! After so long, we’ve finally captured him. Take me to see him!”
“This subject will withdraw!”
Zhu Tong’en seemed to understand something, and he immediately bowed and withdrew, a hint of worry in his eyes.
Master Yinshan was one of the most renowned diviners in the Great Tang, excelling in astrology and aura viewing. He could see a person’s Dragon Qi.
It was said that Master Yinshan’s mastery of divination allowed him to communicate with ghosts and gods.
However, Master Yinshan had his own eccentricities when it came to divining and viewing auras for others. He would only perform three divinations a year, and if he refused a request, no one could force his hand.
The First Prince’s intent in finding Master Yinshan was obvious!
There were some matters in which a subordinate should not involve themselves.
The First Prince did not care. After returning to his room to change his clothes, he had a bookshelf pushed aside, revealing a secret passage. The First Prince made his way down a spiraling staircase, deep into the earth.
Blazing torches lit the walls, but the surroundings were still dark and gloomy.
Very few people knew that there was a prison deep under the Eastern Palace. This was a secret chamber of the previous Crown Prince that Li Ying had inadvertently discovered and turned into a prison cell.
This place was thirty-some meters beneath the surface. Two Golden Guards flanked Li Ying with torches as he walked up to the cell. The cell’s sole inhabitant was a white-haired elder wearing a black robe with the Yin Yang symbol on its back and front. His hair was disheveled and he was seated cross-legged on the floor. There were two rhino horns and several elephant teeth in his hands, and he was apparently divining something.
If other people were here, they would certainly be stunned, because this was none other than the renowned Master Yinshan. But this was no otherworldly figure. From Master Yinshan’s haggard face, it was apparent that he had been tortured.
“You’re all dismissed!”
With the Golden Guards dismissed, the only ones left were Li Ying and Master Yinshan. It was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.
“Heh, Master Yinshan, we meet again.”
The First Prince walked over and smiled through the bars, exuding politeness.
“I asked you before, but you refused me, and then you left the capital. Now, let me ask you again: do you think that this prince has the Manifestation of the True Dragon?”
The mood in the cell instantly became tense.
Any outsider would have been stunned by these words.
The Manifestation of the True Dragon!
Only the Emperor could be called the True Dragon, and the First Prince was still far from Emperor!