Chapter 261: Night Flight

Zhu Ti, upon entering, gave Wei Zhaoyi a look; seeing this, she immediately sent away the attending palace maids.

"Is the Empress not in the palace?" Zhu Ti went up and went straight to the point.

Wei Zhaoyi shook her head: "I don't know; now the inner palace forbids movement. I heard the Empress is ill, and the gates of Weiyang Palace have remained closed for many days."

"When did it start?"

"From... after the news of His Majesty's capture arrived."

Zhu Ti nodded: "Chang'an cannot be held; Anding City has already fallen, and the Xiongnu-Xianbei allied forces will soon besiege Chang'an. You must quickly gather important belongings; after dark I will take you out of the palace. His Highness ordered me to fetch you and take you to Youzhou."

Wei Zhaoyi and the Fifth Princess suddenly panicked: "Are they really going to attack Chang'an?"

"Will Chang'an also fall?"

Zhu Ti shook her head: "How would I know? I must get you out of the palace before I discover Prince You's people arriving in Chang'an,... If the city falls, Wei Zhaoyi and the Princess's status will almost certainly mean death. You'd better obey His Highness's orders."

Upon hearing she could go to Youzhou with her brother, the Fifth Princess felt a brief excitement, but Wei Zhaoyi pulled her back to reality.

"This palace isn't easy to leave; getting in is simple, getting out not necessarily. If you have the ability, just take the Princess out. I—I'll hold off pursuers behind you." Wei Zhaoyi burst into tears; she had never learned any martial arts, and after years of being kept in the palace she could barely run—bringing her along would only be a burden.

The Fifth Princess grabbed Wei Zhaoyi, who was looking for help, and turned to Zhu Ti: "If Auntie doesn't go, neither do I. If I flee and Chang'an is safe later, will they cause trouble for my brother?"

Zhu Ti didn't argue with them, drew the whip from her waist, and said: "Given the current situation, if we don't leave now, even if Chang'an is safe you'll be married off to some Xiongnu or Xianbei tribe! His Highness has ordered me to take you out—both of you, none can be left behind. Don't waste time; just take important belongings. If Wei Zhaoyi doesn't want to go to Youzhou, His Highness said he could also send people to escort her back to Changzhou."

Wei Zhaoyi touched the Fifth Princess's hand: "If I can get out, I'll still follow Xiao Wu."

"Fine, we'll leave as soon as it gets dark; I'll take you to Youzhou."

While packing, the Fifth Princess encountered difficulty again.

She didn't have much wealth, but the many trinkets given by Da Wang were hard to part with, and she also had several live koi.

Zhu Ti glanced around; everything were trinkets from Wanxiang City: "Don't take any; they're worthless."

Fortunately, Da Wang only sent playthings; none of the dowry he'd saved for his older sister was sent to Chang'an.

Zhu Ti helped her collect the few pieces of jewelry Da Wang had given: "These are still worth something; the rest can be left behind—you can buy them anywhere in Youzhou."

Although Wei Zhaoyi's palace isn't very luxurious, its antiquated charm and furnishings, though not particularly valuable, are still far superior to ordinary homes—this gave her an idea.

She asked Wei Zhaoyi: "Your Majesty, where are his treasures kept? I mean, he must have a private treasury, right?"

Wei Zhaoyi didn't understand, but replied: "His Majesty's belongings are all in the storehouse of Han Zhang Palace."

Zhu Ti nodded: "Find me a palace maid's outfit; you two keep packing here."

While waiting for the clothes, Zhu Ti double-checked the location of Han Zhang Palace; Wei Zhaoyi was already dazed.

"Zhu Steward, you……"

Zhu Ti made a gesture to be silent: "You don't need to worry; I'll just go have a look. You should also change into light clothing."

Zhu Chief Steward had long been associated with Da Wang and had truly inherited his teachings.

Better for the palace treasures to go to the old emperor's own son than be looted by the Xiongnu, right?!

Wei Zhaoyi and the Fifth Princess stared in astonishment as Zhu Ti pulled out two boxes of cosmetics, dabbing and adjusting before the mirror; in a moment she transformed from an absolute beauty into an ordinary palace maid.

Then the palace maid leisurely bowed to them, putting on a face of weary disdain, and swaggered out of Yongning Palace—she looked not at all easy to provoke……

"How can you even draw the mouth a little smaller?" She can draw it big, but small?

"Indeed, her face looks flattened……"

Zhu Chief Steward, wearing the palace's standard uniform, proceeded smoothly to the outside of Han Zhang Palace, then climbed over the wall into it.

The Emperor was absent; Han Zhang Palace was sealed, so the normal door was unusable.

The trouble was she didn't know the layout of Han Zhang Palace, so she could only search bit by bit.

Fortunately, the Emperor was away; the whole Han Zhang Palace was deathly quiet, with fewer guards than usual.

Moreover, everyone in the palace was lately panicked, the Empress was absent, leaving no one in charge; the palace attendants grew lax. Now those who could manage affairs in Han Zhang Palace were all outside scheming, which greatly facilitated Zhu Ti.

Upon encountering someone, she knocked them out with a single blow and then hid them.

Fewer and fewer people remained in Han Zhang Palace, and the damaged areas increased.

Zhu Chief Steward didn't understand antiques; she took anything that looked decent, and the main hall where the Emperor resided was soon stripped bare.

Finally, she discovered the Emperor's private treasury in a row of ordinary-looking buildings in front of Han Zhang Palace.

Ningde Emperor didn't know whether he was genuinely refined or pretentious; the warehouse wasn't even called a warehouse, but had a completely unrelated plaque affixed. Still, Zhu Ti noticed the clue from the unusually heavy doors and windows and the extra guards.

She went around to the back, removed a window, and slipped inside. This window was built very high—even a man would find it hard to climb—but for Zhu Ti it was nothing. After she entered, a long time later, the whole row of warehouses retained only a few large racks; the small antique shelves were gone……

She came and left without trace, returning the same way.

The eunuchs guarding the gate were still distracted and lazy; the previously full Emperor's private treasury now had enough space to ride horses in.

When Zhu Ti returned to Yongning Palace, Wei Zhaoyi and the Fifth Princess were restless, pacing back and forth in the hall.

After Zhu Ti left, the two finally realized what she had gone to do!

The two women deep in the palace were terrified—daring to take the Emperor's things?!

Only when they saw Zhu Ti swaggering in through the rear gate of Yongning Palace did they finally relax.

The Fifth Princess was genuinely curious: "You really went to take my father Emperor's things?"

Zhu Ti had no reservations: "If the city falls, the Xiongnu will loot it; if we negotiate peace, we'll compensate the Xiongnu. So it's better to give it to our Prince You—His Highness can raise more troops, and someday repay the Emperor's humiliation and exact revenge."

The Fifth Princess pondered: "That's true. Giving it to my brother is fine. But what about your stuff? Did you just take banknotes? My father Emperor had so many treasures—you didn't take any more?"

Zhu Ti looked no different from when she left; where had she hidden it?

"I took a lot; it's already been moved—we have people outside."

The Fifth Princess was pleased; her brother's strength seemed not bad.

As she was being dragged by Zhu Ti in a desperate run that night, out of breath she asked: "The contacts, the contacts for us? If only the treasures are being fetched, does the sister need not worry?"

Zhu Ti: ……