Chapter 42: Caught in the Act

One night was enough for Zhu Xu to learn more and to steel his resolve to eliminate Madam Ke!

Cao Wenzhao and Cao Huachun both stood before Zhu Xu, their faces grim with readiness.

Zhu Xu suddenly turned his head, looked at Yao Qingqing and said, "Sister Qingqing, go cook us something to eat."

Yao Qingqing knew they had matters to discuss, so she softly acknowledged and withdrew inside.

Zhu Xu turned to look at Cao Huachun and Cao Wenzhao and said, "Old Cao, send someone to notify Ni Wenhuan to join with the others in submitting a memorial to the Emperor, impeaching that old witch on ten counts of crime, demanding she be sent to the Laundry Bureau — make sure they emphasize the Laundry Bureau several times over, and it must reach the Imperial Study directly after one incense stick's time."

"Yes, Your Highness." Cao Wenzhao immediately acknowledged and turned to make arrangements.

After speaking, Zhu Xu turned to Cao Huachun and said, "Little Cao, I recall you have a few disciples in the Laundry Bureau — can any of them be of use?"

Cao Huachun thought for a moment and said, "Your Highness, there is one who can be trusted."

Zhu Xu nodded and said, "Good, give this bottle of medicine to him. I'll tell you what to do when the time comes." Saying this, Zhu Xu drew a bottle of medicine from his bosom and handed it to Cao Huachun.

Cao Huachun took it and placed it in his bosom, saying, "Yes, Your Highness."

After speaking, Zhu Xu picked up the book beside him and flipped through it, saying, "Alright, then let's wait."

Meanwhile, in the Imperial Study, Zhu Youxiao had been busy all night and had finally managed to apply the paint to what he had carved the previous night. He examined it for a good while, stretched, and looked up at the several drowsy eunuch attendants below. He smiled slightly and said, "Have today's memorials arrived?"

One of the attendant eunuchs snapped to attention and immediately bowed, saying, "Reporting to Your Majesty, not yet."

Zhu Youxiao nodded with satisfaction, thought for a moment, and said with a smile, "Good, then let's go for a stroll."

Hearing this, the attendant eunuch hastily said, "Yes, Your Majesty." All the attendants knew what the Emperor meant by these words — he was going to Xian'an Palace, to Madam Ke's place.

Zhu Youxiao turned to go into the warm chamber to change clothes, and a young eunuch outside the door quietly slipped away.

The young eunuch had not gone far when he happened to meet Ai'er, the maidservant attending Empress Zhang.

Seeing her, the young eunuch hastily said, "Ai'er, quickly inform the Old Ancestor that His Majesty is about to arrive — prepare to receive him."

Ai'er, dressed in a flowery green plaid skirt, looked at the young eunuch and said with a pursed smile, "Alright, I understand. Coincidentally, I've made some food — I'll give it to you."

The young eunuch's face immediately broke into fawning smiles, and he said in a delicate, coquettish tone, "Sister Ai'er really does care for me. You don't know — I've been on duty all night and I'm starving."

Ai'er covered her mouth with her hand and giggled, quite coquettishly. The young eunuch paid no attention to that, his mind entirely on the food.

Ai'er glanced at him, looked around on all sides, and seeing no one, pressed a handkerchief tightly over the young eunuch's mouth.

The young eunuch's eyes flew wide open. He tried to struggle, but collapsed unconscious.

Ai'er looked front and back, left and right once more, then silently dragged him into a nearby room, closed the door, drew out a dagger, and stabbed him several times through the heart. Only when she was certain he was dead did she stop with a cold, ruthless expression.

She looked at the corpse on the ground, madness filling her eyes, and said, "If we succeed today, then I killed him. If we fail, I'll report to the Old Ancestor that everything was the conspiracy of the Empress and Prince Hui, and that this man was also killed by Prince Hui."

Pfft—

She drove the blood-red dagger into her own shoulder. Enduring the pain, she poured a large packet of knockout powder into her mouth, then collapsed to the ground as well.

"The weather is rather nice today."

Zhu Youxiao had stayed up all night — his face was pale and his eyes sunken, but his spirits were remarkably high as he stretched his arms and said with a smile.

Two attendant eunuchs followed at a moderate distance behind him, naturally not daring to interject.

Zhu Youxiao knew the way well and needed no announcement. Since he also wanted to stretch his legs a bit, he strolled along the whole way.

"Hey, have you heard? Vice Minister Wang's concubine outside the household is said to have secretly kept a handsome young scholar..."

Just as Zhu Youxiao passed through a doorway, a palace maid's low laughter came from around the corner not far ahead.

Anyone would be curious about matters of men and women — the Emperor was no exception. He smiled slightly, slowed his pace, and pricked up his ears.

"Of course — if she can't get enough at home, she naturally goes outside to eat. She's neither wife nor concubine, so when she goes out, someone always reports it. If not for the personal maidservant informing on her, who would ever know..."

"Hehe, can't get enough at home, you little slut..."

"Heh, that's true. The household guards tightly, but it's all done without ghost or god knowing..."

"No, I heard that the concubine opened a secret chamber inside the wall at the head of the bed. The scholar listens from the bed, and he even says Vice Minister Wang is useless..."

"Yes, Vice Minister Wang once saw her with her clothes in disarray and thought she was pleasuring herself thinking of him..."

Zhu Youxiao couldn't help but laugh at what he heard. With his hands clasped behind his back, he leisurely walked past the group.

The maidservants saw him and fell silent as cicadas in winter, dropping to their knees with a thud: "Your Majesty, forgive us..."

But Zhu Youxiao paid them no heed and strode past, heading straight for Xian'an Palace.

Xian'an Palace was where Madam Ke resided. To conceal the fact that she had long since returned to the palace, few people were stationed there. When Zhu Youxiao arrived before the palace, two maidservants' faces changed at once. They both knelt and cried out in loud, urgent voices: "We pay our respects to Your Majesty."

Zhu Youxiao looked at their faces and couldn't help but laugh: "What, am I so frightening today?"

After laughing, he paid it no mind and strode inside.

The two maidservants were frightened out of their wits. One of them shouted, "Old Ancestor, His Majesty is here — come out quickly to receive him!"

Zhu Youxiao frowned, glanced at the two maidservants, and strode even faster inside.

"Your Majesty, you've come."

Madam Ke inside was in great disarray, hastily adjusting her clothes as she came out to greet him, forcing herself to stay calm.

Zhu Youxiao's face instantly turned grim. Madam Ke's face was flushed, her clothes disheveled, and there was a bite mark on her fair neck — and that smell, he knew it all too well.

His gaze passed directly over Madam Ke to look at the bed. There, the mosquito net was in disarray, bulging lumpily, as if hiding something.

"Get out of the way!" Zhu Youxiao flew into a rage in an instant. He shoved Madam Ke aside and strode toward the bed.

Madam Ke's face changed drastically. She hurried after him, saying urgently, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, what are you looking for? I'll find it for you..."

Zhu Youxiao ripped aside the mosquito net. His body swayed, bloodshot veins flooding his eyes, his face twisted in fury as if he wanted to devour someone!

There in the mosquito net, four handsome youths of sixteen or seventeen were hiding, all pressed naked together, the hidden door not yet opened.

In an instant, the maidservants' conversation echoed in his ears.

"Can't get enough at home, can't get enough at home..."

"Bitch!"

Zhu Youxiao roared and slapped Madam Ke across the face.

The blow was delivered in fury, and Madam Ke was knocked to the ground. Four bloody welts on her face soon swelled up.

Zhu Youxiao glared at Madam Ke, his chest heaving, teeth clenched, his gaze cold and terrifying.

Madam Ke was frightened, collapsing limp to the ground, unable to utter a single word.