Chapter 105: Ice Jade

"Yi He, you need to think this through clearly. You no longer have the Prince's protection; you will surely face retaliation from the Western Depot again. Going to the Imperial Palace to take the Ice Jade is tantamount to walking into a trap!" Ye Wuming reminded Chen Yi He.

"I want the Ice Jade." Chen Yi He's steps had never been so resolute.

"What do you have to trade with the Emperor?"

"Heavenly Mechanism Sword." Chen Yi He had originally intended to head straight for the Imperial Palace without looking back, but suddenly he thought of Qiu Yichen, stopped his steps, turned, and thanked Qiu Yichen, saying, "Thank you for saving my life."

"Hehe, no need to thank me." Qiu Yichen was a bit surprised; he didn't expect that at this critical moment, Chen Yi He would still think of him.

"Of course, if you have anything, tell me after I obtain the Ice Jade." Having said that, Chen Yi He summoned a horse and rode toward the Imperial Palace.

Chen Yi He's going to the Imperial Palace this time is undoubtedly a suicide mission.

Qiu Yichen rode up to catch up with Chen Yi He and said to him, "If you rashly go to the Imperial Palace, that is indeed a suicidal act; Eunuch Zhang's strength is not comparable to that of Huang Zong and others. As far as I know, the Ice Jade is also in the Imperial Mausoleum; the imperial family, whenever someone is buried, uses Ice Jade as a burial accompaniment to preserve the corpse from decay. Rather than go to your death, it would be better to try to steal the Ice Jade from the mausoleum."

Chen Yi He lowered his head to gaze at Long Yue, who was asleep in his arms; sorrow welled up, and he couldn't help but burst into tears.

"Like this: I will lure out Eunuch Zhang, and you go to the Imperial Mausoleum to steal the Ice Jade."

"Why do you keep helping me over and over..."

"It's a favor; you always have to repay it." Hehe... Qiu Yichen laughed.

……

Beneath the towering walls of the Imperial Palace, Chen Yi He was insignificant.

The capital has inner and outer walls; the outer wall encloses the entire capital, while the inner wall is the Imperial Palace wall, guarding the imperial family generation after generation.

The Imperial Palace guards who defended the city surrounded Chen Yi He in a circle, eyeing warily this young man covered in blood, dazed and dispirited.

"Who are you? How dare you act insolently before the Imperial Palace gate!"

"Chen Yi He."

The guards looked at one another—some doubtful, some astonished, some recognizing Chen Yi He—"You're the one being hunted by the Western Depot!"

"Exactly."

"Well said—heaven has a road you refuse to take, hell has no gate you insist on entering! Brothers, seize him!"

Chen Yi He stood still, not moving; before dozens of guards could even approach him, his true qi forced them to retreat continually, dropping weapons and armor, tumbling over. "I have urgent business to see the Emperor! Hurry and relay the message!"

"Quickly go report!"

Inside the Imperial Palace Hall, Emperor Zhou Wenhuang, Eunuch Zhang, and Zhou Ke were discussing important matters.

"Hehe, Prince, you've just arrived and they're already chasing after you!" Eunuch Zhang said with a laugh.

Zhou Ke frowned, speaking displeasedly, "Is he here to throw away his life?"

Emperor Zhou Wenhuang instead laughed, "Hehe, I'm afraid it's not that simple."

"Please, Your Highness, permit this old servant to act within the Imperial Palace and present Chen Yi He's head to the Prince as a gift!" Eunuch Zhang requested.

Zhou Ke glared fiercely at Eunuch Zhang, "The Heavenly Mechanism Sword is still in his hand."

"That's truly a double blessing! Hahaha!"

"I approve."

As Emperor Zhou Wenhuang's words fell, Eunuch Zhang strode out of the hall, "Having worn out iron shoes to find nothing, the prize comes without effort! You brat, you actually sought death yourself—don't blame me for being impolite!"

By the time Eunuch Zhang reached the gate of the wall, he discovered that aside from a dozen or so guards still unconscious on the ground, there was no sign of Chen Yi He. "Where is he?!"

Eunuch Zhang grabbed the collar of the guard captain, shook him awake, and asked, "Where is Chen Yi He?"

"He ran, he got away..."

"Where did he run to!" Eunuch Zhang was truly exasperated; after walking such a distance, he was told the person had fled, and his composure collapsed.

"Whoosh!" A pebble sliced through the air, pointing straight at Eunuch Zhang.

Eunuch Zhang did not dodge; the pebble spontaneously shattered before him, turning into powder, while his exquisite internal energy constantly protected him.

Eunuch Zhang immediately gave chase in the direction the pebble had come from.

That person immediately turned around and ran in the opposite direction of the Imperial Palace.

The distance was too great; Eunuch Zhang assumed that person was Chen Yi He.

Actually, that person was Qiu Yichen; he had swapped clothes with Chen Yi He and then came to cause a disturbance before the Imperial Palace gate, precisely to lure Eunuch Zhang out.

At the same time, Chen Yi He, carrying Long Yue, had already sneaked silently into the rear mausoleum of the Imperial Palace.

The sacred Imperial Mausoleum, with blossoms scattering and vitality abounding, had not a trace of lifelessness.

On the stepping path, one could still feel the softness of the soil, the ground covered in fallen flowers; a light sniff brought fragrance on the breeze.

The birds in the trees were still softly chirping; Chen Yi He's arrival did not disturb their tranquility.

Here, perhaps, is the deceased's best resting place.

The Imperial Mausoleum is the resting place of generations of emperors and favored consorts.

Here are divided two to three hundred tombs, large and small; each is exquisite and distinct, displaying the deceased's former disposition and character.

"Qiu Yichen said before, not every tomb can use the Ice Jade..." Chen Yi He was searching, "It must be one of the more noble tombs here—an emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty who achieved fame or a deeply favored consort... in the central rear mausoleum!"

Chen Yi He had to seize the time; Qiu Yichen was stalling for him, and he could not fail to consider Qiu Yichen's safety.

Moreover, if Eunuch Zhang returned to the Imperial Palace, with his strength he would soon discover Chen Yi He.

Each tomb stands three to four meters high, sealed with hard marble; ordinary people cannot open it, and if bombarded with tremendous force, the whole tomb would collapse. However, its top has a gap, appearing to be a marble-made coffin lid.

Chen Yi He, holding Long Yue, arrived at the center of the Imperial Mausoleum; the two central tombs, judging by the inscriptions on their steles, are the burial places of the founding emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty and the first empress.

Chen Yi He gently set Long Yue down, then leapt high, preparing to push aside the marble coffin lid atop the tomb, "Empress, forgive me!" But when he struck with his palm, the massive stone did not budge at all.

Chen Yi He stared in astonishment at his reddened palm; in this world there actually existed a stone he could not move! He turned his palm over, and the Heavenly Mechanism Sword flew into his hand of its own accord.

"Whoosh!" The Heavenly Mechanism Sword descended in a single stroke; under the impetus of its sword qi, the coffin lid slowly shifted open.

A beam of sunlight shone into the mausoleum.

In that sunlight, Chen Yi He saw a light even more brilliant than it.

The Empress's corpse lay there; she was so beautiful, her complexion rosy, her features sharp, appearing clean and dignified, truly the bearing of a mother of a nation.

She is already dead.

No one knows what she looked like a thousand years ago.

A crystal-clear pearl sits on the Empress's hair bun.

That is Ice Jade. The legendary Ice Jade.

It can preserve a corpse for a thousand years without decay, ten thousand years without rotting.