Chapter 377

Hu Xiaotian said: "I'm afraid Talented Person won't let today's matter rest."

Ji Feihua laughed: "You're worried she'll act against you? She clearly knows you're from the Zajia, she absolutely wouldn't dare act rashly." He spoke with full confidence, revealing an unbearable arrogance.

Hu Xiaotian said: "I'm afraid Talented Person wants to drive me away."

Ji Feihua said: "Endure for a few days first; the Zajia guarantees such days won't last long."

Hu Xiaotian's heart gave a start; could Ji Feihua have already decided to act against Talented Person? If so, Talented Person's situation in the palace would be dangerous. Hu Xiaotian's feelings were still somewhat conflicted: on one hand he wanted to leave the Moonlight Palace soon; on the other, he also worried about Talented Person, not because he had developed any special feelings for her, but mainly because Talented Person resembled Le Yao extremely, and until now he could not completely distinguish Talented Person from Le Yao.

Returning to the Moonlight Palace, Talented Person's demeanor was somewhat unexpected to him; originally Hu Xiaotian thought there would be a sudden storm, but Talented Person did not confront him about today's incident, merely sighing softly: "From now on, don't come to this Moonlight Palace; I will report this to the Empress."

Hu Xiaotian feigned ignorance: "Why does Talented Person want me to leave?"

Talented Person said: "Since you're an understanding person, there's no need to speak so clearly; the Moonlight Palace is small and cannot accommodate you, Grand Eunuch Hu, this great bodhisattva."

Hu Xiaotian said: "I, Xiao Tian, have no intention of harming Talented Person, and today's matter is certainly not something I can control."

Talented Person said: "Lord Ji can control it." This sentence made clear the relationship between Hu Xiaotian and Ji Feihua.

Hu Xiaotian, hearing her speak to this extent, saw no need to explain. He bowed deeply to Talented Person and said: "If I have offended Talented Person's eyes, then I will leave; my loyal heart is ready in two ways, as long as Talented Person gives a command..."

"I won't trouble you." Talented Person said this in an unyielding tone.

Hu Xiaotian nodded; everyone had seen his actions today, and if he claimed he and Ji Feihua hadn't conspired, no one would believe it. Just as Hu Xiaotian was preparing to leave, suddenly a cry came from behind: "Qiu Yan has met with an accident!"

Upon hearing this, they were startled. Without pausing to continue talking, they rushed toward the sound, only to see palace maid Qiu Yan lying on the ground, foaming at the mouth, limbs convulsing. Before anyone could approach her, Qiu Yan kicked out her legs and breathed her last.

Hu Xiaotian stepped forward, felt her carotid artery, checked her breathing, then lifted her eyelids. Her pupils were dilated, no breath or heartbeat; Qiu Yan was dead. Although this was not the first murder case in the Moonlight Palace, her death came without any warning.

Hu Xiaotian raised his head; the first to discover Qiu Yan's mishap was Wang Ren. In fact, only he was present then. Wang Ren, frightened pale, waved his hands and said: "I saw her like that when I arrived; it has nothing to do with anyone." In such a situation, everyone's first thought is to clear themselves.

When Qiu Yan met with mishap, Baobao was outside, Hu Xiaotian and Talented Person were speaking, and Wutong was not far away; the three could testify for each other, only Wang Ren's account is unclear. After saying that, Wang Ren fell to his knees with a thud: "Talented Person, I and Qiu Yan have always been on good terms. We are like sworn siblings; how could I harm him?"

Talented Person bit her lip; as the saying goes, misfortunes never come singly, the troubles in the Moonlight Palace keep coming one after another. She steadied herself and said: "Little Beard, go summon the guards."

Hu Xiaotian thought, just now you were trying to drive me away, but now it's changed; of course he wouldn't abandon his post at such a time—first, it wouldn't be proper; second, with his curiosity he couldn't bear to leave.

Hu Xiaotian had just stepped out of the Moonlight Palace when he saw a group of people walking toward him, their leader none other than the head of the palace guards, Mu Rongzhan.

Mu Rongzhan is forty-five; what first draws attention is his head of white hair, his eyebrows also white, his pupils flashing with an eerie light, his complexion as pale as paper. Hu Xiaotian immediately recognized that this famed commander of the palace guards is an albino. Although Hu Xiaotian has been in the palace for a while, he had only heard of Mu Rongzhan by name, never met him; it is said that Mu Rongzhan personally oversees the defense of Ethereal Mist Mountain and rarely appears in public.

Having heard of Mu Rongzhan many times from others, Hu Xiaotian could recognize him at first sight. Since Mu Rongzhan had come in person, Hu Xiaotian naturally didn't need to report to the guards; he stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and said: "Hu Xiaotian of the Bureau of Imperial Gardens pays his respects, Sir Mu Rongzhan!"

Mu Rongzhan stopped, his gray eyes fixed on Hu Xiaotian, his face devoid of expression; he was always a man of few words. He slightly nodded and said: "You are Hu Xiaotian."

"Yes!" Hu Xiaotian straightened up; although Mu Rongzhan calls the shots among the palace guards, he isn't responsible for managing Hu Xiaotian, so Hu Xiaotian only needed to perform the courtesy; there was no need to wait for him to tell him to rise.

Mu Rongzhan said: "You look hurried; where are you headed?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "I am precisely going to report to you, Sir Mu Rongzhan!"

"What happened?" Mu Rongzhan's white brows knitted tightly. He is extremely alert; just from Hu Xiaotian's words he already sensed something out of the ordinary.

Hu Xiaotian lowered his voice: "Another murder has occurred in the Moonlight Palace!"

Mu Rongzhan's eyes flashed, two sharp rays of cold light shot out, making Hu Xiaotian's heart tighten; being near him gave an indescribable sense of pressure, and Hu Xiaotian instinctively felt that Mu Rongzhan's ability was extraordinary.

Mu Rongzhan didn't say more, lowering his voice: "Lead the way for me."

Hu Xiaotian led Mu Rongzhan and his group into the Moonlight Palace.

Talented Person also hadn't expected him to return so quickly, and that he would actually bring the head of the palace guards, Mu Rongzhan.

After paying his respects to Talented Person, Mu Rongzhan approached Qiu Yan's corpse, lifted his robe, took out a pair of deerskin gloves from his waist pouch, half‑squatted, and carefully examined Qiu Yan's body. Not long after, he found something at the back of her neck, then took a small pair of tweezers from the pouch and gently extracted a needle as fine as a hair, made of ox hair.

Talented Person seemed unable to bear watching and turned away.

A guard opened the wooden box for evidence, Mu Rongzhan placed the silver needle inside, stood up, removed the deerskin gloves, and said: "Take the body away." His piercing gaze fixed on Hu Xiaotian as he asked: "Who discovered the body first?"

Hu Xiaotian looked at Wang Ren; Wang Ren startled, involuntarily stepped back, waving his hands repeatedly: "I… I have nothing to do with this…"

"Take him back for a thorough interrogation!"

"Yes!" the accompanying guards replied loudly.

Wang Ren fell to his knees: "Talented Person, Talented Person…"

Talented Person bit her cherry lip but ultimately said nothing.

Mu Rongzhan's purpose in coming was not the murder of Qiu Yan; he paid his respects to Talented Person and said: "Your humble servant, acting on the Emperor's orders, has come specially to take Wutong away for investigation."

Talented Person's expression darkened; just now Ji Feihua had wanted to take Wutong away, she had tried to protect him, but she hadn't expected that in the end she still couldn't keep him. She nodded and said: "All right, please, Commander Mu Rongzhan, don't make things difficult for them."

A faint smile appeared on Mu Rongzhan's stern face: "Talented Person, rest assured; I always follow regulations and never bend the law for personal gain." This amounted to telling Talented Person plainly that he would show no favoritism because of her status.

Faced with the situation, Talented Person could do nothing but watch helplessly as Mu Rongzhan took the two away; now in the Moonlight Palace, two have died unnaturally, two have been taken by Mu Rongzhan. Beside Talented Person remain only Hu Xiaotian and Baobao, precisely the two she had successively tried to drive away.

Recalling her own words just now about driving Hu Xiaotian away, Talented Person couldn't help sighing, slowly sat down in the chair, her face showing a desolate, heart‑broken look.

Hu Xiaotian gave Baobao a glance; Baobao slipped out quietly. Hu Xiaotian bowed to Talented Person and said: "Talented Person, don't worry; as the saying goes, the clear will clear themselves; the Emperor's affairs have nothing to do with you."

Talented Person said: "Now that everyone has left, why are you still staying here? Aren't you afraid of being implicated by this palace?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "I am not someone who fears trouble."

Talented Person said meaningfully: "If you dare to cause trouble, how could you be afraid of it?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "There are things even Talented Person cannot control, let alone a petty person like me."

"Bold!" Talented Person flew into a rage, her willow eyebrows standing erect, her phoenix eyes wide open as she stared at Hu Xiaotian. Hu Xiaotian showed no fear at all, and respectfully said: "Before I leave, I wish to advise Talented Person: it's wise to prepare early for some matters, for throughout history there have never been a lack of cases where confessions were extracted under torture."

Talented Person said: "The affairs of this palace need no input from you."

Hu Xiaotian bowed deeply to him, then turned and left.

Talented Person watched Hu Xiaotian's retreating back, bit her cherry lip, and just before he was about to step out of the door she finally called out: "Hold your step!"

Hu Xiaotian had his back to Talented Person, the corner of his mouth curling in a satisfied smile; Talented Person's situation is now extremely unfavorable, it seems that even before him she has no choice but to yield, even though she is the adopted daughter of Wen Chenghuan, in this palace she has no close kin, and her sole confidant Wutong has also been taken by Mu Rongzhan; one could say she now has no one in the imperial palace she can trust.

Hu Xiaotian slowly turned around: "Talented Person, is there anything else you wish to order?"

Talented Person said: "Just now were you hinting that someone intends to subject Wutong to severe interrogation under torture?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "Talented Person, I was merely speaking offhand, out of concern for you; I guarantee I harbor no intention to harm Talented Person, but others are hard to say. In fact, given Talented Person's status and background, there's no need for a petty person like me to worry—Grand Preceptor Wen is a pillar of the state, a favorite in the Emperor's presence, and the Empress is like a sister to you." (To be continued~^~)