Chapter 282

Liu Yuzhang furrowed his brows and said, "Who is it?"

Ji Feihua said, "Yesterday afternoon, Eunuch Wei brought people to the Bureau of Imperial Gardens to visit Eunuch Liu, but for some reason he never returned and we have had no news of him since."

Liu Yuzhang was taken aback, then shook his head and said, "Our miscellaneous household has never seen any Eunuch Wei."

Ji Feihua said, "That's strange—how could two grown men like Eunuch Wei and his companions just vanish into thin air?"

Liu Yuzhang heard this and angrily said, "Ji Feihua, what do you mean? Are you suggesting that I hid Wei Hualin?"

Ji Feihua chuckled, "Eunuch Liu, there's no need to get angry; I'm just looking for someone. If you haven't seen him, you haven't seen him." He glanced at Liu Yuzhang's leg, then shifted his gaze to Hu Xiaotian's face by the bed and asked, "Have you seen Eunuch Wei?"

Hu Xiaotian shook his head: "No, I've never seen him."

Liu Yuzhang coldly said, "Ji Feihua, do I need to remind you that this is the Bureau of Imperial Gardens?"

"Eunuch Liu, the Bureau of Imperial Gardens is part of the imperial palace; surely I am allowed to be here?" Ji Feihua's words were soft yet firm, and he clearly did not show respect for this hardworking senior eunuch before him.

Liu Yuzhang snapped, "Since when does the Bureau of Imperial Gardens fall under your Directorate of Eunuchs? Should I drag you before the emperor to settle this?"

Ji Feihua covered his mouth with his sleeve and let out a strange, grating laugh; his alluring eyes flashed with a cold, blade-like light as he fixed on Liu Yuzhang: "Eunuch Liu, if you want to go to the emperor to argue, fine—let's go! Come, summon Eunuch Liu!" The two eunuchs behind him strode forward and headed straight for Liu Yuzhang's bed.

Seeing this, Hu Xiaotian panicked. Even ignoring Liu Yuzhang's broken left leg, at his age he couldn't withstand such rough treatment. Hu Xiaotian hurriedly stepped in front of Liu Yuzhang and shouted, "I dare any of you to come near!"

Ji Feihua slowly settled into the master's chair, not even glancing at Hu Xiaotian, and spoke with a sarcastic tone: "Eunuch Liu certainly knows how to discipline his subordinates. Your little eunuchs can't even tell rank from status—what boldness!"

Hu Xiaotian stood protectively in front of Liu Yuzhang, thinking, "Ji Feihua is utterly arrogant. After all, Eunuch Liu personally raised the current emperor to adulthood. Even though the Bureau of Imperial Gardens ranks lower than the Directorate of Eunuchs, Liu Yuzhang's status is no less than Ji Feihua's, and his seniority likely surpasses his by far. Yet Ji Feihua brazenly comes to the Bureau demanding people, pressing aggressively, showing no regard for Eunuch Liu at all."

Liu Yuzhang snapped, "Xiaotian, move aside—I want to see which of them dares to lay a hand on me!"

Ji Feihua slowly shook his head and said, "Eunuch Liu, you've misunderstood. You are venerable and highly favored by the emperor; who in the imperial city would dare to seize you? It was clearly you who wanted to go to the emperor to argue."

At that moment, the resting junior eunuchs in the Bureau of Imperial Gardens heard the commotion and came out one after another. Seeing the scene before them, they were startled, unsure what had happened.

Ji Feihua had merely been blustering. He whispered a few words to his subordinates, and a eunuch went out shouting, "Listen up, everyone—has anyone seen Wei Hualin, Eunuch Wei?"

The junior eunuchs exchanged glances; Wei Hualin had indeed come to the Bureau of Imperial Gardens yesterday, and a few had seen him, but no one dared speak of it then. As for Wei Hualin entering the wine cellar, hardly anyone saw him, since the cellar is secluded and the junior eunuchs rarely go there; at that time only Shi Xuedong was guarding the door for Hu Xiaotian, and he would never betray Hu Xiaotian.

Ji Feihua said, "Eunuch Liu, if I didn't have solid information I wouldn't have come to you looking for someone. If you insist Wei Hualin isn't here, may I conduct a thorough search?"

Liu Yuzhang slowly nodded and said, "After all this, you still want to search the Bureau of Imperial Gardens, Ji Feihua—when did the Directorate of Eunuchs gain such authority? Fine, fine, fine—I'll let you search. Xiaotian, take them and search; open every door and let them comb through everything."

Hu Xiaotian nodded, and Ji Feihua gestured to his deputy Li Yan, who divided more than ten eunuchs into three teams and began searching the Bureau of Imperial Gardens.

Hu Xiaotian had already turned Wei Hualin and his men into water (i. e., killed them), yet he still felt uneasy; Ji Feihua's party came with ill intent, surely having received some news, but they certainly never imagined Wei Hualin would die at his hands.

Although Liu Yuzhang exchanged a few words of resistance with Ji Feihua, he ultimately backed down; it was clear that Ji Feihua wielded extraordinary influence in the imperial palace and likely enjoyed even greater favor before the emperor.

Li Yan's group searched for nearly half an hour before finally checking the storeroom and wine cellar; by then the sky was fully light.

Hu Xiaotian opened the wine cellar, his anxiety mounting as he wondered whether he had missed something while cleaning up. He suddenly recalled that if any trace remained, it would be the pear-blossom needles fired by the "Seven Seven" device—hundreds or thousands of steel needles had been launched, and it was impossible to guarantee every one struck Wei Hualin; if one or two missed and hit a wine barrel or fell to the ground, that would be trouble. Hu Xiaotian silently cursed himself, realizing that even the most careful plan can have a single oversight.

As he and his group were about to enter the wine cellar, a voice suddenly called out, "Eunuch Quan has arrived!"

Hu Xiaotian's heart jolted, then a surge of delight rose—Quan De'an had actually appeared at this critical moment; it seemed the situation would be easily resolved, and he surely hadn't come by chance; his presence here might have been specifically for Ji Feihua.

Quan De'an was accompanied by only a junior eunuch, his shoulders hunched as he slowly entered the Bureau of Imperial Gardens' courtyard, coughing continually. This frail old man looked as if a gust of autumn wind could topple him, yet when he stepped into the courtyard everyone froze and turned their gaze toward him.

Liu Yuzhang heard the coughing and remained seated on the bed, while Eunuch Ji Feihua, who had been sitting upright in the master's chair, could no longer stay seated; his smile faded, and before Quan De'an even entered the room, Ji Feihua went out to meet him.

A red sun rose slowly from the eastern sky, rosy clouds like brocade, shimmering with light; the golden roofs reflected splendid brilliance, and the imperial city bathed in morning light appeared incomparably majestic and grand.

Walking in the vibrant morning light, Quan De'an still gave off an air of deep solemnity; his arrival seemed to weigh on everyone's hearts, making their expressions grow more reverent. Though many powerful eunuchs serve in the imperial palace, few have saved the emperor's life, and only one has earned great merit in securing the emperor's succession—that one is Quan De'an. Although he withdrew from court after the emperor's accession, spending most of his time working at the Cheng'en Mansion, his influence within the palace endures.

Although Ji Feihua dared to be disrespectful toward Eunuch Liu, he did not dare act so arrogantly in the presence of Quan De'an. He went out to greet him, and in the morning light his handsome, almost feminine face shone like the dawn, radiant and striking. He clasped his hands and said respectfully, "I was unaware of Eunuch Quan's arrival and failed to welcome you properly; I hope you will forgive me." His deference stems from the fact that Quan De'an originally brought him into the palace; although his rank now equals Quan De'an's, he still shows outward respect before this unfathomable senior.

Quan De'an's right hand pressed against his lips, he coughed hard twice before saying: "Lord Ji, why are you here so early?"

Ji Feihua said with a beaming smile: "I have come specially to visit Lord Liu."

Quan De'an nodded, glanced at Ji Feihua's retinue, and said softly: "Do we really need such a show of force just to check on a sickness?" He stepped slowly into the room; Ji Feihua gave a glance, and everyone immediately halted their further actions, awaiting his orders.

The little eunuch who had followed Quan De'an placed the tonics beside Liu Yuzhang's bed; Liu Yuzhang, seeing Quan De'an arrive, hastily bowed, and Quan De'an stepped forward to support his shoulders, saying, "Old brother, please rest." Quan De'an and Liu Yuzhang had both previously served as personal attendants beside Long Yelin and were well acquainted, but their temperaments were completely different: Liu Yuzhang had no ambition, was content with the status quo, thought only of serving his master well, never involved himself in political affairs, always stayed out of contention, and thus had no special standing within the palace; Quan De'an, however, is the Superintendent of the Directorate of Rites, one of the most powerful figures among the eunuchs of Huangcheng, fond of power and acting decisively, but after the Emperor ascended the throne he has become much more low-key, spending most of his time outside Huangcheng and coming to the palace only when summoned to pay his respects.

Although he came today ostensibly to visit Liu Yuzhang, even Liu Yuzhang himself doesn't realize that, despite having served together for many years, he and Quan De'an are temperamentally incompatible; Liu Yuzhang thinks Quan De'an is too deep and scheming, had warned Long Yelin to guard against him, and usually keeps his distance out of respect. Quan De'an shows him courtesy on the surface, but in private they have little interaction.

Hu Xiaotian understands that Quan De'an's visit is probably not for Liu Yuzhang; eight or nine out of ten it's aimed at him, aimed at the Imperial Gardens Bureau's wine cellar. Although Quan De'an showed no intention of doing anything when they met yesterday, given his current predicament, Quan De'an will surely not stand by idly; he went to great lengths to send himself into the palace, so he must have some ulterior motive. The changes in the Imperial Gardens Bureau affect not only him but also his future plans, and Quan De'an's appearance this time is unavoidable.

Two updates delivered, I'm away from home, the updates are scheduled posts; I can only return home tomorrow, and this pitiful stock of drafts is about to run out. (To be continued…)