Chapter 839

A woman being made king? Hu Xiaotian instantly felt it was inconceivable; suddenly a flash of inspiration appeared in his mind. Wasn't Qiqi formerly the Yongyang Princess? Could it be that this lass, during the time I've been away from Dakang, transformed herself and became the Yongyang King? Damn, with this lass's scheming and tactics, it's not impossible—but isn't she Long Yelin's daughter? Back then she was still being hunted by Laohuangdi, and fled in panic under Quan De'an's protection; if I hadn't met them, they probably would have died on Pengyin Mountain. How could they suddenly gain Laohuangdi's heavy trust?

Hu Xiaotian is a bit muddle-headed; why would Laohuangdi enfeoff Qiqi as a prince and entrust her with important duties? But no matter what happened, Qiqi being made Yongyang Prince should be good news for me; after all, I am also her lifesaver. However, that girl Qiqi, though young, is ruthless at heart, and her temperament is changeable, prone to sudden anger. Previously she treated me so-so, but back then I had some use value to her. Now she has transformed into Yongyang Prince; I don't know if her attitude toward me will change.

Xiao Tianmu said, "Third Brother, what are your plans?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "For now I have no plans; first I'll understand the situation before considering returning to the palace to report back."

Xiao Tianmu nodded and said, "Good!"

Hu Xiaotian said, "Any news of Feiyan?"

Xiao Tianmu said, "I haven't seen her appear at all; it's really strange."

Hu Xiaotian couldn't help feeling worried; he whispered, "Second Brother, please send more people to investigate."

Xiao Tianmu said, "Don't worry, I'll inform you immediately if I have any news of her."

Although the Dakang palace has seen changes, it hasn't greatly affected the daily lives of these eunuchs; whoever is master, they need servants—it is the hard labor of thousands of eunuchs and palace maids that maintains the normal operation of this large household.

Shi Xuedong has recently become visibly uneasy; Laohuangdi's successful restoration and return to the throne led him to believe his father could make a comeback, regain his old post as Dakang Minister of Personnel, and he himself could escape the servile life of a eunuch. He imagined returning to his former life as a noble scion, but although a month has passed since the palace upheaval, he has heard no news of his father being reappointed. All signs indicate Laohuangdi intends to maintain the status quo and has no intention of reinstating former officials. Shi Xuedong's heart shifted from initial excitement to anxiety, then to disappointment, and with time it has gradually turned into despair. The reason he hasn't yet reached utter despair is that he still harbors a sliver of hope.

This sliver of hope is his sworn brother Hu Xiaotian; perhaps Hu Xiaotian's return could change everything. Although Hu Xiaotian is also just a eunuch like him, for some reason he always feels Hu Xiaotian possesses some miraculous power.

As a purchaser for the Bureau of Imperial Gardens, daily outings to procure supplies are Shi Xuedong's mandatory duty; since Laohuangdi ascended the throne, he has lost interest in these tasks, so he simply pushes all the work onto Xiao Zhuozi and prefers to sit in a tea house near the market, listening to reliable or unreliable rumors.

Shi Xuedong was pricking up his ears to listen to the neighboring person gossip about Ji Feihua when someone sat down opposite him.

Shi Xuedong startled slightly; although he is a eunuch, he is still a eunuch of some status. What person dares to be so bold as to sit opposite him? He looked up, his eyes widened, then his mouth opened wide, revealing his gums: "It turns out to be..."

Hu Xiaotian, wearing a bamboo hat for shade, raised his index finger and hissed at Shi Xuedong, signaling him not to make a noise to avoid attracting attention.

Shi Xuedong hastily closed his mouth, looked around, assured no one noticed them, then beamed and said, "Brother, when did you return?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "This isn't a place to talk; let's go to the carriage."

Shi Xuedong nodded repeatedly, threw a silver ingot onto the table, followed Hu Xiaotian out, and came to a carriage parked at the door; once they got in, the carriage slowly began moving down the street.

Shi Xuedong, having repressed his feelings for a long time, finally burst out, grabbing Hu Xiaotian's shoulders and exclaiming, "Good brother, you've returned!"

Hu Xiaotian laughed, "After not seeing each other for several months, Elder Brother Dong seems to have gained weight again; after all, living in ease and comfort in the palace, your life must be leisurely and content."

Shi Xuedong bitterly complained, "Brother, as an Envoy of the Marriage Mission you made a splendid figure going to Da Yong, while I in the palace live in constant anxiety and fear; after all is said and done, I'm still just a slave—what leisure and ease can there be?"

Hu Xiaotian quickly turned to the main topic: "Elder Brother Dong, I've heard the palace has recently undergone significant changes."

Shi Xuedong nodded and said, "Indeed." He then told Hu Xiaotian everything he knew about the situation; although Shi Xuedong is inside the palace, the internal information he has is really scarce, which left Hu Xiaotian somewhat disappointed.

Shi Xuedong sighed, "Brother, isn't it strange? Since His Majesty has returned to the throne, why not punish all those officials who once betrayed him? Does he really intend to let bygones be bygones?"

Hu Xiaotian naturally knows Shi Xuedong's concern isn't about when Laohuangdi will settle old scores, but when his father will be reinstated to his former post.

Hu Xiaotian said, "I came today to see Elder Brother, and I also have a request."

Shi Xuedong said, "Just say what you need; we two brothers have nothing to ask or not ask of each other. Back then, if it weren't for you covering for me, I wouldn't have today's stature." Although Shi Xuedong used to be a domineering scion, over a year of palace life has worn down his sharp edges; he has gradually adapted to the role of a eunuch, thinking he'd spend his life serving in the palace, getting by day by day, just surviving. He had already come to terms with his life, but he never expected Laohuangdi's successful restoration, which rekindled his hope of leaving the palace and regaining freedom.

Hu Xiaotian said, "I want you to arrange for me to enter the palace!"

Shi Xuedong laughed, "Brother, you're joking; with your status, why would I need to arrange it?" Then he suddenly realized something and lowered his voice: "Are you trying to enter the palace without alerting anyone?"

Hu Xiaotian nodded and said, "I've heard the palace is now under the Yongyang Prince; I'd like to see her first."

Shi Xuedong said, "That's the Yongyang Princess! She's quite prominent now."

Hu Xiaotian said, "I won't hide it from you; my ability to become a Marriage Envoy and go to Da Yong entirely relied on Ji Feihua's recommendation. Now that Ji Feihua is dead, it's hard to say how the court will treat me."

Only now did Shi Xuedong snap out of the joy of reuniting with Hu Xiaotian after their long separation. Hu Xiaotian was a favorite in Ji Feihua's presence, a well-known fact in the palace. After Ji Feihua's downfall, all her close aides were purged; Hu Xiaotian was fortunate to have been on his mission to Da Yong during this period, otherwise it's hard to say whether he would have been implicated. No wonder Hu Xiaotian, after returning, has hesitated to go before the emperor.

Shi Xuedong said, "Now it's Quan De'an, Eunuch Quan, who's in charge."

Hu Xiaotian said, "I must first see the little princess and find out exactly what her attitude toward me is; if she agrees to speak up for me, everything will naturally be resolved. Before seeing her, I must not let anyone know of my return."

Shi Xuedong said, "Recently, because of Ji Feihua's rebellion, inspections of those entering and leaving the palace have become much stricter; even if I could bring you back to the Bureau of Imperial Gardens' wine cellar, seeing the Yongyang Prince is no easy task—not to mention that every gate in the palace has guards checking, and even her personal attendants are constantly accompanied by bodyguards."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Does she still reside in the Ruxiu Palace?"

Shi Xuedong shook his head and lowered his voice: "She moved! Since Empress Jian hanged herself in the Qingning Palace, she has moved out of the Ruxiu Palace. It's said she disliked the two palaces being too close, and now she resides in the Zilan Palace."

Upon hearing this, Hu Xiaotian exclaimed delightedly, "Could it not be the place where Princess Anping lived before her marriage?"

Shi Xuedong said, "Exactly that place."

Hu Xiaotian's heart leapt with joy—indeed, "whoever wears out iron shoes finds the goal without effort"—as he pondered how to approach Qiqi, the opportunity presented itself. There is a secret passage from the Bureau of Imperial Gardens' wine cellar leading directly to the Zilan Palace; Hu Xiaotian had previously used this passage to rendezvous with Long Xi Yue. He never expected today he could finally put it to use. He put his arm around Shi Xuedong's shoulders and said, "Elder Brother Dong, no matter what, you must help me this time; as long as you bring me to the Bureau of Imperial Gardens' wine cellar, I'll handle the rest."

Shi Xuedong said, "The wine cellar?"

Hu Xiaotian nodded.

Shi Xuedong said, "Just a few days ago. Eunuch Quan had people seal the wine cellar and issued an order: anyone who dares to privately break the seal and enter the wine cellar will be executed without mercy."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Never mind him; you just need to bring me to the place, and I'll take care of the rest. If any problems arise, I'll bear the responsibility; I won't implicate you."

Shi Xuedong hesitated a moment, then nodded and said, "Good!"

Although the Dakang palace's defenses remain tight, they have relaxed somewhat compared to a few days ago, especially for someone like Shi Xuedong, a purchaser for the Bureau of Imperial Gardens; as the weather grows hotter, several carts of fruits and vegetables are sent back to the palace almost daily, and the guards along the way merely perform a symbolic check.

Hu Xiaotian hid inside the fruit-laden cart, smoothly entered the palace and reached the Bureau of Imperial Gardens. Having left the Dakang palace several days ago, returning to familiar ground stirred some affection, but under these circumstances Hu Xiaotian certainly couldn't appear openly, nor could he chat and reminisce with his former subordinates.

Upon arriving at the Bureau of Imperial Gardens, the sky had already darkened; Shi Xuedong found an excuse to dismiss the other young eunuchs, and Hu Xiaotian leapt from the fruit cart and quickly hid in a dark corner.

Shi Xuedong looked around, confirmed no one had noticed, then whispered to him, "The wine cellar has been re-locked and sealed by Eunuch Quan; I have no key, so I can only bring you this far."

In the early morning I uploaded two chapters; many readers complained the update was too late, the afternoon update issue being that Zhangyu has to work in the morning and only has time to type in the afternoon. I stayed up late tonight to finish these two chapters; looking at the Monthly Ticket Ranking, I see I might lose second place. Frankly, I'm really unwilling—I've worked so hard yet still get surpassed. It seems many things in this world are not proportional to effort! All I can do is try my best; brothers and sisters with monthly tickets, please support Zhangyu—perhaps your single monthly ticket can decide the ranking of the Medical Union! (To be continued~^~)