Chapter 16

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Eternal Peace Palace.

When the Empress Dowager received the report that Ye Xuan had arrived, she was puzzled. Why would the Crown Prince come to the Eternal Peace Palace?

Because of Ye Xuan’s mother, Empress Yu, the Empress Dowager had never liked Ye Xuan, so they had almost no interaction with each other.

The Empress Dowager slowly stood up, and the old servant hurriedly helped her up. The maidservants followed closely behind her as they walked out of the hall.

At this moment, Ye Xuan was standing outside the Eternal Peace Palace with Jin’er and Ping’er. When he saw Empress Dowager He, he bowed. “Greetings, Empress Dowager.”

Empress Dowager He was expressionless. She waved her sleeve lightly and asked, “What business does the Crown Prince have in Eternal Peace Palace?”

Ye Xuan stood straight, and his eyes fell on Empress Dowager He. She was actually a cultivator, and her realm was not low. She also looked very young, graceful, and elegant.

She must have cultivated a cultivation technique that allowed her to retain her youth forever, or she had taken a pill that could maintain her youth permanently.

“Empress Dowager, someone sneaked into the Eastern Palace to assassinate me last night. I caught them by accident and found out that they came from the Eternal Peace Palace. I brought them here to you.”

As his voice fell, Gao Ying brought Jin’er and Ping’er out. Empress Dowager He’s expression changed slightly, and her gaze fell on the two girls. “How dare you, maidservants, to actually dare assassinate the Crown Prince.”

“Since the Crown Prince has caught them, you can deal with them however you want it. There’s no need to send them back to Eternal Peace Palace.”

Ye Xuan asked, “Empress Dowager, aren’t you going to explain why they wanted to assassinate me?”

“Crown Prince, what do you mean? Are you suspecting me?” Empress Dowager He asked.

As she said this, her face turned cold. “Every year, the palace selects many maidservants to enter the palace. How could I know that they have evil intentions?”

This was removing herself completely from the picture.

Did she really not know, or was she just hiding?

Ye Xuan nodded. “Since the Empress Dowager has handed them over to me, I’ll take them back. I don’t know if they can resist the interrogation, but the Eastern Palace’s punishments are ever-changing.”

“I’ve read about a secret technique in an ancient book that can extract a person’s memory. I don’t know if it’s true or not.”

As he finished speaking, his eyes were fixed on Empress Dowager He. He wanted to see the change in her expression. Empress Dowager He was not surprised. “Since you’ve sent them here. They will be executed in Eternal Peace Palace.”

“This way, we can also intimidate the harem and make everyone know their place.”

Ye Xuan said with a smile, “No need. Eternal Peace Palace is the Empress Dowager’s palace. It can’t be stained with blood. Eunuch Gao, take them back.”

Although the Empress Dowager had hidden very well, Ye Xuan was sure that the two women’s assassination had something to do with the Empress Dowager. He already had the answer he wanted, so he naturally wouldn’t leave them in the Eternal Peace Palace.

Empress Dowager He could only watch helplessly as Ye Xuan took the girls away. A sharp killing intent shot out of her eyes. “Li Zhongxian, do it yourself. Don’t leave any flaws.”

Li Zhongxian gestured for the maidservant behind him to step down. “Empress Dowager, this matter is a little tricky. The Crown Prince is not as simple as we think. He’s very meticulous. He should be starting to suspect that you have sent Jin’er and Ping’er to assassinate him.”

“So what if he knows?” the Empress Dowager said. “Would he dare to touch me?”

Li Zhongxian continued, “Empress Dowager, I’ve been sensing the direction of the Eastern Palace for the past few days. There’s a strong aura, but that person is very well hidden. I don’t dare to act rashly.”

“This is my humble opinion, but we should wait and see. I do not believe that the Crown Prince has the ability to extract people’s memories. He was only testing us by saying that just now to see our reaction.”

“If I were to personally go to the Eastern Palace and make the slightest mistake, it will be revealed that we sent the two girls.”

The Empress Dowager pondered for a moment. “Then we’ll wait and see.”

In the eastern Palace.

Ye Xuan knew that Empress Dowager He wanted to get rid of him. Since that was the case, he could only strike first and gain the upper hand. “Gao Ying, who is that old man beside the Empress Dowager?”

Gao Ying replied, “Your Highness. He’s the Empress Dowager’s personal eunuch, and the general manager of the Eternal Peace Palace, Li Zhongxian. He used to serve the retired emperor, but later, he stayed with the Empress Dowager.”

“Do you know what his realm is?” Ye Xuan asked. Just now, outside Eternal Peace Palace, he couldn’t see through Li Zhongxian’s realm, but he was very sure that he was an expert.

“Your Highness, I’ve never seen Eunuch Li in action. I don’t know what realm he is in,” Gao Ying replied.

Ye Xuan nodded. “Bring them in!”

Ling Fusheng led the two ladies into the hall. Ye Xuan said in a deep voice, “I know that it was the Empress Dowager who sent you here. That’s why when you were outside the Eternal Peace Palace, the Empress Dowager chose to give up on you and let me kill you on the spot.”

“But I want to give you a chance, a chance to live. As long as you tell me what you know, you will be the servants of the Eastern Palace, and no one will dare to hurt you.”

“You only have one chance. Make your choice.”

The two women looked at each other. They had seen Jue Ying the expert and knew that if they could stay in the Eastern Palace to serve the Crown Prince, there might really be a chance of survival. After all, the entire Great Xia would fall into the crown prince’s hands in the future.

Jin’er’s voice was weak. “Crown Prince, will you really let us stay in the Eastern Palace.”

Ye Xuan said, “There’s no need to question. I never break my promise.”

“Your Highness, we are here on Eunuch Li’s orders to assassinate you,” Jin’er replied.

Ye Xuan raised his eyebrows. It was just as he had guessed. “Continue. Tell me something I don’t know.”

Jin’er continued, “Your Highness, there are 1,000 people like us in Eternal Peace Palace who are suicide soldiers. They are scattered in every corner of the palace. The scrolls that record their identities are in Eunuch Li’s hands.”

He didn’t expect there to be a thousand suicide soldiers who were living in Xia Palace.

The water in the Xia Palace was unusually deep. Ye Xuan remembered that Emperor Xia had governed the country well and made great efforts to rule it. How could he have turned Xia into a mess in just three years?

The rebels in the court were treacherous, and the suicide soldiers who were living in the palace were cunning.

“What is the Empress Dowager and Li Zhongxian’s purpose in raising so many suicide soldiers?”

Jin’er shook her head. “I don’t know. Three years ago, I joined the suicide soldiers. At that time, there were only 100 people. I vaguely heard Eunuch Li mention the Nine States Alliance.”

Ye Xuan said, “From now on, you’ll stay in the Eastern Palace and be my personal maids.”

Jin’er and Ping’er hurriedly knelt down to thank Ye Xuan for his kindness and swore a blood oath that they would be loyal to Ye Xuan once it was in effect. If they betrayed him, they would die.

Once a blood oath was made, one had to abide by it for life. Otherwise, one would be tainted by karma.

“Eunuch Gao, Commander Ling, there are two pills here. Take them with you.”

The two of them received the pills and quickly thanked him for his kindness.

After a short while, the crowd dispersed, leaving Ye Xuan alone in the hall. His mind was racing. Based on the information he had so far, the forces that wanted to attack him were the Nine States Alliance and Xuantian Sect.

As for the forces behind the Grand Preceptor, Grand Tutor, and the Left Minister, they had yet to surface. This meant that the internal problems were more serious than the external ones. He had to speed up and uproot the people these forces had planted in the imperial capital.

Anyone who wanted to harm him must be killed in the cradle.

Ye Xuan’s heart skipped a beat, and he said in a deep voice, “System, summon Zhang Sanfeng immediately!”

“Ding, congratulations, Master, you have successfully summoned Zhang Sanfeng. He will arrive at Xia Palace in two hours.”