Chapter 702: As If It Were Right Beside My Ear

"Stage?" Xiao Ningyuan didn't understand, "Isn't the stage also in the Shuiyun Pavilion?"

Eunuch Cheng stood up and gestured on the stone wall: "The Shuiyun Pavilion is His Majesty's place for holding banquets to admire lotuses, so its stage is the most elaborate in the palace."

Lu Qi asked, "How else can a stage be elaborate?"

Eunuch Cheng spread his two hands up and down: "Ordinary stages are single‑layered."

"At most they dig a few pits beneath the platform so performers can pop up from below, or hang a rope to suspend a 'fairy' performance."

"But the one in the Shuiyun Pavilion is three‑layered."

"Three layers?" Lu Qi was startled for a moment.

"Yes," Eunuch Cheng nodded, his finger continuing to trace on the stone wall, "the lowest layer is a winch."

"When the winch turns, the platform below can rise, and the 'fairy' above can descend."

"The middle is the main stage, the usual place for opera performances."

"The topmost is the sky well, where celestial soldiers and generals can fly down from."

"Between the three layers are hidden ladders and passages, so performers go up and down without ever appearing on the open surface."

Xiao Er's eyes changed as he listened: "What about the dock? Since the Shuiyun Pavilion is surrounded by water on all sides, the troupe must come and go—surely they can't use that Nine‑turn Stone Bridge either?"

"Definitely not, otherwise they'd run into the palace nobles," Eunuch Cheng laughed, "The dock is tiny, right behind the stage, with a narrow corridor in the middle that leads straight to the winch chamber on the lowest level."

"Brilliant!" Feng Zhou exclaimed sincerely, "It's truly marvelous!"

Everyone turned to look at him, and Lu Qi asked, "Did you think of how to enter the Shuiyun Pavilion?"

Feng Zhou was taken aback: "No, I meant the stage's design is really clever!"

The others: "……"

What a bookworm!

Xiao Er turned back, looking at Eunuch Cheng: "So, as long as we can reach behind the stage, we can slip in from there."

"Without crossing the bridge, avoiding the Guard's eyes?"

Eunuch Cheng nodded: "If the stage remains as it was, theoretically it should be possible."

"The stage is the highest point in the Shuiyun Pavilion, perfectly blocking the rear."

"They've also hauled away the boats, so likely no one will notice an empty stage."

Chen Hao frowned: "But how can we get there?"

Xiao Er and Lu Qi exchanged glances and both gave a faint smile.

Tuan Tuan's eyes lit up: "Uncle Xiao Er, Uncle Lu Qi, have you found a way?"

Xiao Er said, "Those wooden stakes."

"Exactly, Miss," Lu Qi replied, "With my and Xiao Ran's lightness skill, stepping on the stakes to cross is a breeze."

Xiao Ran clapped his hands and laughed: "Now that's truly brilliant!"

"They drove the stakes to set up a net to stop anyone from entering from the water, never expecting they'd become our stepping stones!"

Tuan Tuan hugged Eunuch Cheng tightly: "Grandpa, you're so kind!"

"Little Princess said that," Eunuch Cheng beamed, "I've never served in the palace in vain all my life."

That night of the next day, Xiao Er carried Tuan Tuan and, together with Lu Qi, arrived at the edge of Taiye Pool.

The water surface glimmered with dim scales under the moonlight.

On the Nine‑turn Stone Bridge, every five steps a Imperial Guard stood, waist‑sheathed with a sword, motionless.

Several lanterns hung high on the railings, lighting the whole bridge as bright as day.

Not even a cat could slip across the bridge unnoticed.

The three glanced at each other and slipped silently along the shore.

After a while, Xiao Er stopped, pointing at a shadowed structure in the pool's center: "Just that tall building—if we go from here, it should be behind the stage."

Lu Qi squinted, staring at the uneven wooden stakes on the water's surface.

Near the shore they were sparse, becoming denser toward the Shuiyun Pavilion; about half a foot of each stake protruded above the water.

The three fixed their gaze on the opposite bank, finally discerning the pattern: every moment a squad of Guards patrolled along the water's edge.

When a squad of Guards had just passed the opposite bank, Lu Qi said, "I'll go first; you step on where I land. If anything goes wrong, you immediately withdraw the Miss."

Xiao Er twisted his brow: "What are you saying?"

"Exactly!" Tuan Tuan reached out and tapped Lu Qi, "Uncle Lu, we wouldn't abandon you!"

Lu Qi smiled and silently stepped onto the first stake.

He floated lightly onto the stake's top.

Then he stepped onto the second, the third…

Xiao Er inhaled deeply, hoisting Tuan Tuan on his back: "Miss, hold tight."

"Mm." Tuan Tuan's arms wrapped tightly around his neck.

Xiao Er pointed his toe and leapt upward.

He stepped precisely, one by one, onto the stakes where Lu Qi had landed, without any deviation.

Suddenly the stake under Lu Qi wobbled; he immediately jumped onto the adjacent stake, glanced back at Xiao Er, and pointed at his feet.

Xiao Er nodded and avoided the shaking stake.

Soon, Lu Qi landed steadily on the ground of the Shuiyun Pavilion.

A moment later, Xiao Er arrived with a steady thump, the two exchanged a glance and swiftly slipped into the shadows behind the stage.

Behind the stage was a narrow corridor, its ceiling hung with several palace lanterns coated in dust.

Passing through the corridor, a wooden door stood ahead; Lu Qi gave it a gentle push, and the wooden door creaked open.

The three slipped inside.

Behind the door was a small room, with several wooden crates stacked in the corner, and beside the crates lay some props used on the stage.

In the center of the room's floor lay a thick wooden plank, its edge inlaid with an iron ring.

Lu Qi crouched, gripped the iron ring, and heaved upward.

"Click." The plank sprang up, revealing a pitch-black hole below, from which a cool, damp draft rose.

"The winch room." Lu Qi whispered.

He lightly jumped in, Xiao Er followed close behind with Tuan Tuan on his back, and gently closed the wooden plank overhead.

In the small room, a huge wooden winch took up most of the space, thick hemp rope as thick as a child's arm coiled around it.

At the farthest end of the room, a narrow wooden staircase just wide enough for two people to pass side by side wound upward.

"A secret staircase!" Lu Qi hurried over and stepped up, with Xiao Er close behind him.

They quickly climbed to the top of the stage and looked down.

Before the stage was an open field, at its far end stood a large waterside pavilion where the Emperor held his banquet.

Farther off, a dozen or so houses could be vaguely seen, some windows glowing with candlelight.

Seeing the pavilion was too far, Xiao Er pointed to a nearby large tree, Lu Qi nodded, and the two leapt onto it.

The next moment.

"Chirp—chirp chirp chirp—"

"Flap—"

Countless birds burst from the trees in fright, the sound of their wings flapping especially piercing in the quiet night.

Birds from all directions screeched as they took flight, circling endlessly in the air and emitting sharp cries.

Lu Qi's face changed, he turned and pointed at the stage to Xiao Er, and the three of them darted back to the stage, running along the secret staircase to the winch room.

The Imperial Guard on the bridge all looked up:

"What's going on?"

"Why are all the birds startled?"

"Quick! Search the island!"

Dozens of Imperial Guard lifted the lanterns on the bridge rail, ran across the Nine‑Curve Stone Bridge, and surged toward the Water Cloud Pavilion.

The patrolling Imperial Guard, hearing the noise, also rushed over, their footsteps drawing nearer.

Tuan Tuan's little face was scrunched tight, pressed against Xiao Er's back.

The three ran into the winch room and stood silently in the corner.

"Go check the stage!"

"Damn it, pay attention!"

Footsteps entered the stage, growing louder, as if right beside the ear.