Chapter 800 - 230: Red Silk Dares Not Advance, Jade Palace Ablaze, Retreating Unscathed

Chapter 800: Chapter 230: Red Silk Dares Not Advance, Jade Palace Ablaze, Retreating Unscathed

These people each perform secret orders, commuting between the deep palace and the Imperial Capital.

Their countless footsteps are like somber notes pressed on piano keys, weaving a symphony of conspiracy as a surging undercurrent.

Two hours later...

Results gathered around the Emperor.

The lifestyle record stated "the Emperor suffers from severe headaches" and "the Emperor sometimes experiences hallucinations"...

Ji Hu glanced through, recognizing many medicines he’d indeed taken, and he indeed had severe headaches at times.

As for hallucinations, in his own memory, they were real events. However, looking at this now... a profound dread and self-doubt rose within him.

The Imperial Physician recalled ten years ago when the Emperor, still a boy, returned from the Jade Heart Pool and collapsed with a headache, and he mentioned the matter of "palace maids buying kites".

Numerous facts had already converged before Ji Hu.

Ji Hu abruptly stood, unsheathing his sword wildly, shouting, "Fake! You are all deceiving me! Fake! It’s all fake!"

Yet, the Imperial Physician, the Lifestyle Official, palace maids, and guards trembled, kneeling and pleading, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger."

Ji Hu waved the sword, staggered and fell, then clumsily got up, pulling out a porcelain bottle from his robe. He then slightly poured out some boiling blood from the bottle, which was Fourth Grade Blood, left to him by Gao Kaiping.

Gao Kaiping had said that if necessary, it could be used to test if anyone nearby was an Evil Ghost.

He stained his fingertips with blood, then smeared it one by one on those kneeling before him.

He fervently hoped the "Evil Ghost" would appear.

But it did not.

Everyone was normal.

Ji Hu, disheartened, clapped his hands, signaling everyone to leave.

In an instant, the crowd dissipated.

Ji Hu sat on the eve of dawn.

He had to make a decision.

The kite inscribed with "Self-improvement" in his father’s handwriting, was it just his hallucination?

If not, then in this Imperial Palace, no one could simultaneously persuade so many palace maids, Imperial Physician, Lifestyle Official, especially in a domain still under his mother’s control, and a number of these people were personally arranged by her.

Unless these people were no longer themselves but had been replaced.

But just now, he had already proven with Fourth Grade Blood that this possibility did not exist.

At this moment, aside from the facts before him, Ji Hu could think of nothing else.

"Yu Chang."

He called out silently.

The Red-clothed Little Ghost manifested.

Ji Hu asked, "Where is Xie Wei?"

Yu Chang replied, "The Jade Heart Pool has already been transformed into the Jade Palace by that one, she is within the palace."

Ji Hu said, "Bring her to see me."

Yu Chang replied, "The Imperial City Guard has been assembled by the Empress Dowager, and there are many Dark Guards around her; the Jade Palace is filled with numerous secret paths, I am concerned..."

Ji Hu said, "Then enlist Grand Tutor Gao, Gao Kaiping, have them act with you!

Bring Xie Wei, alive, to me!

There are many things I must ask her personally!"

Yu Chang respectfully acknowledged with "Yes," then vanished into the shadows with a mocking laugh.

...

...

As the first ray of sunshine pierced the horizon and fell upon the deep palace, a tumult arose from afar.

A great fire rose.

The clamor of clashing weapons and armor reverberated everywhere.

The Emperor sat despondently on the stone steps of the Dragon Roar Hall.

His confidants occasionally returned to inform him of the outside situation.

Gao Kaiping, who should have already headed south to resist the Barbarians, led the Flying Bear Army back and was now attacking the Jade Palace, clashing with the Imperial City Guard.

The Imperial City Guard, established by the Empress Dowager as her private soldiers, received substantial resources and was not easily defeated.

But their opponents were Gao Kaiping and the Flying Bear Army, thus it was an unwinnable battle.

In the shadows, numerous corpses were being cast out, either from the Dark Guards or the Dragon Guards.

The Dark Guards were the Empress Dowager’s children.

The Dragon Guards were formed by the Emperor himself.

The Dragon Guards were few in number, following a path of quality over quantity, led by Yu Chang.

But now they were directly confronting the Dark Guards.

The officials attending court were trembling, but a robust, ordinary-looking man appeared at the palace gate to reassure them.

This robust man was none other than the original Marshal of the Hidden Dragon Path — Ying Shanxing.

It is said the Jade Capital originally belonged to Ying Shanxing, and he naturally recognized all the officials here.

Though devoid of official status at this moment, his appearance brought much relief to the officials.

...

Within the Jade Palace.

Xie Wei was thoroughly panicked.

She never anticipated disaster from within.

Defense lines outside fell one after another; both the Imperial City Guard and Dark Guards were swiftly perishing.

But the "Thirty Thousand Hanzhou Iron Cavalry" she most relied upon had been dispatched overnight.

She intended to swallow the land of Yan and Zhao, achieving unity, then turn to deal with the Southern Land.

In her view, the four states of Qi, Chu, Han, and Wei were not easy prey; surely they wouldn’t crumble instantly under the Southern Barbarians’ attack.

By then, even if she couldn’t reap the profits like a fisherman, she could at least assess the situation clearly and remedy accordingly.

"Damn it! Damn it!"

"Which fool taught Hu’Er to do this!"

Once battle began, dispatching the army to ally hastily, and then what?

Later they remain a disorganized group, a loose pile of sand; each hoping for the other’s army to advance first, resulting in every military force lacking combat power.

"Clearly, the opportunity to swallow Yan and Zhao was within reach! So close! Why must someone seize my power while I’ve sent troops to battle?"

Xie Wei was furious beyond measure.

In the distance, the sound of a collapsing beam reached her ears. As she looked out, she saw raging flames consuming another corner of a palace.

Beneath it, the Flying Bear Army was fighting against the Imperial City Guard.