chapter 119

Eventually, Situ Yun was driven to a drastic alternative by Su Shuilian and the others. He had to go save Long Xi Yue, whose future could be robbed by some random stranger otherwise.

As for Liang En Zai, he finished his breakfast in two or three bites. Then, he silently walked out; no one knew where he was heading.

“En Zai… He’s strange these days. It’s not quite true that he doesn’t care about Xi Yue.” Feng Cai Yun lifted her chin, looking at Liang En Zai disappearing, mumbling.

“It’s his way of showing concern. You women only think about catching the embroidered ball to save Long Xi Yue, and what would happen afterward?” Liang Xuan Jing said faintly. Although Liang En Zai wasn’t his biological son, living together for seventeen years, he understood his son more than his real parents.

Had he not known Liang En Zai’s true feelings, he would have agreed with his daughter’s proposal.

“After that?” Feng Cai Yun and Su Shuilian exchanged looks as they didn’t understand what the Elder Wangye meant.

“Sigh, you should get more input before spontaneously acting! The Emperor only said that Long Xi Yue would throw the ball instead of the Princess. He didn’t say if she was throwing for herself. It’s not hard to know what His Majesty is thinking! If the one who catches the ball is a well-educated, well merited man, the princess will marry him. And if the one who catches the ball can’t be more ordinary, or with a crooked personality; a person the Princess wouldn’t bat an eye at, they would make Long Xi Yue his bride.

“Heavens!”

“Impossible!”

Feng Cai Yun and Su Shuilian both exclaimed incredulously.

Then, what should they do!?

Everybody turned towards Situ Yun one more time.

“Sigh, what I wanted to say was if you want to save her, why don’t we just rescue her and take her away? Why do we need to catch the ball?” Situ Yun wiped his face, sighing begrudgingly.

“But Doctor Ouyang…”

“He’s only in imperial prison, right? Just go and save him. Why overcomplicate things?” Situ Yun glumly looked at Lin Si Yao. His beautiful sister was not aware, but was it true that his uncle wasn’t either? No, he was just enjoying the show. No matter what, in Lin Si Yao’s mind, as long as the one in trouble wasn’t the beautiful sister or the twins, nobody else mattered to him. Sigh! It was his own calamity for having such an uncle!

“I thought about it, but the palace isn’t an ordinary place. There are so many imperial guards, visible and invisible. If we fail, not only Doctor Ouyang, but Long Xi Yue will also…” Liang Xuan Jing shook his head reluctantly. He had considered this method when he was informed of Ouyang Xun’s imprisonment. However, no one would dare to take such risks, especially the ones who lived in the imperial city.

“Father, something happened in the palace.” Liang En Zai had returned. Leaning against the pillar in front of the dining room. His face held an unreadable expression.

He looked… to be rejoicing… Su Shuilian thought.

—

Someone had rescued Ouyang Xun?

Who could it be?

Everybody exchanged looks.

They did have the same idea, but it was still just an idea. Who had rescued Ouyang Xun before they could take any action?

Liang Xuan Jing walked around the dining room. He lifted head, his bright eyes gazing at Liang En Zai, “Are you sure it wasn’t you?”

“No,” Liang En Zai answered with open eyes. He actually had that thought, but his rationale told him otherwise.

“So Xi Yue…”

“Disappeared.” Liang En Zai admired his cup of tea, preventing people from discovering the emotion at the bottom of his eyes.

“Disappeared? Then…” Liang Xuan Jing paused for a while, “Let me go to the palace.”

“Father, the imperial palace is sealed now. People can get out but not get in.” Liang En Zai called after Liang Xuan Jing, who was on his way out.

“Sealed?” Liang Xuan Jing frowned, thinking. He guessed, “Could it be the Blood Union…”

“I don’t know. Father, has Doctor Ouyang saved anybody from Blood Union’s Imperial Family?” Liang En Zai, looking at the glass in his hand, asked slowly.

“How could it be! Ouyang Xun is…” Liang Xuan Jing waved his hand at Liang En Zai’s unreasonable question. However, his hand froze in midair.

Ouyang Xun… Blood Union… Heavens! Ouyang Xun was from Blood Union, wasn’t he? That year, when the Third Prince wasn’t convinced when the eldest Prince got the throne, he had poisoned the other with the Fiery Silkworm. At that time, Ouyang Xun was a refugee from the Blood Union. He volunteered to go into the imperial palace and cured the current Emperor. Otherwise, Da Hui Empire would have had another ruler.

And, from that day onward, Ouyang Xun was kept in the imperial palace. People knew him as an imperial doctor, but actually, he was there just in case the Emperor was poisoned again.

Afterward, Ouyang Xun had never mentioned the Blood Union. And now, after twelve years, people had almost forgotten that Ouyang Xun was actually from Blood Union.

“If the Blood Union saved Ouyang Xun and Long Xi Yue, why would the Emperor seal the imperial palace?” Liang Xuan Jing was at a loss upon realization, “En Zai, who told you this?”

“Xia ‘Er,” Liang En Zai answered. At Liang Xuan Jing’s confused gaze, he explained, “He went to the imperial palace to see the Empress Dowager. It was at the same time the imperial edict was delivered to Hua Rui Building. That’s how he knows of this news.”

“Then there shouldn’t be any wrong information.” Liang Xuan Jing could not stop fidgeting before he stood up again. “No… I still have to go there and see.”

“Lord…” Feng Cai Yun hurried to pull Liang Xuan Jing’s sleeve when he still wanted to go to the imperial palace on such an occasion. “My Lord, En Zai said that the imperial palace is sealed now, why do you…”

“You don’t know, I…”

“Father, I’m going with you.” Liang En Zai got up.

“En Zai!” Feng Cai Yun looked at Liang En Zai in disbelief. Not only did he not dissuade him from going, he wanted to come along . Was he crazy?

“Don’t worry mother, I’ll protect him.” Liang En Zai said before Feng Cai Yun had the chance to rebuttal.

“Xu’er, your father…” Feng Cai Yun was anxious and at a loss for words. She didn’t know what to do. If what they had assumed was true, going to the palace now wasn’t different from shoving the sheep into the wolf’s mouth.

“Father… A Yao…” Although Su Shuilian didn’t understand what they were talking about, she only knew that Doctor Ouyang and Xi Yue were rescued. However, from Feng Cai Yun’s reactions, she too became nervous. Su Shuilian turned around, asking for help from Lin Si Yao, who always stood silently by her side.

“I’m going too.” Lin Si Yao nodded to Su Shuilian. If her father and brother were going, he had no reason to stay idle.

“But…” Su Shuilian hurried to hold the hems of his shirt. She wanted his help, but she didn’t mean he had to go as well. She just needed him to think of a method to prevent the other two from going.

“It’s okay,” Lin Si Yao smiled, comforting her. Liang Xuan Jing and Liang En Zai had shown that they wouldn’t give up until they figured it out. And now, if he asked them not to go, it would be as if he disdained their sense of responsibility as officials. When the imperial family was in trouble, how could they just stand and stare?

“Sigh, now what?” Feng Cai Yun watched the other three leaving. She couldn’t help but sigh, “This is why I’ve always told them to stay away from the matters pertaining to the imperial family…”

—

At mao-shi (5am – 7am), on the sixth of the third lunar month, the twelfth year of Feng Qing Dynasty; the fiftieth birthday of Da Hui Empire’s Emperor. The day the Third Princess would choose her husband by throwing an embroidered ball at Feng Cheng – the imperial city. However, the city was not bustling with a lively atmosphere, instead it seemed as if a massive, black storm cloud had covered the entire city in a deadly silence.

Two hours ago, an urgent announcement was spread out from Da Hui’s imperial palace. The Emperor’s birthday ceremony, the parade, and even the Third Princess’s Fuma choosing at Swan Pavilion were canceled altogether. Three urgent announcements were made continuously. They astounded the people who were already gathering on the streets.

Under the control of the armed guards from Feng Chang’s office, people respectfully left the main road orderly, returning to their homes… until the central square of the imperial city, An Bao Street, An You Street, and even the Swan Pavilion… were empty. With the exception of the armed guards patrolling around.

—

“Anything? Still no way to enter?” Liang Xuan Jing saw Liang En Zai approaching and asked hurriedly.

“Mhm. The walls are sealed everywhere. All the gates were closed an hour ago.” Liang En Zai said in a frown.

“This…” Liang Xuan Jing was bewildered listening to his son. He couldn’t get himself together even after a long time. The palace was sealed on all four sides… All the gates were closed… No one was allowed to get in or get out… no one…

The Emperor would never make such an order! Absolute never!

No matter what, I have to enter.” Liang Xuan Jing muttered determinedly. If not, he would never know the truth. If all of this was the Emperor’s order, and breaking in meant he broke imperial order, he would bear all the result. It was still better than doing nothing at all.

“Father…” Liang En Zai wanted to persuade him to rethink his rash decision, afterall, nobody knew what was going on inside. If it was a challenge the man in the palace had set up for the aristocrats and the other officials, whomever dared to break in, would be jailed directly.

However, looking at Liang Xuan Jing’s worried face, Liang En Zai swallowed all of his advice. He understood what a man his father was! He was a straightforward man who didn’t like scheming and plotting. He would use the most direct way to solve his doubts.

Furthermore, what his father concerned the most was the people of Da Hui Empire. If Blood Union had actually infiltrated the imperial palace, if not stopped in time, it meant Da Hui would have to face another perpetual war, like what happened one hundred years ago.

After some consideration, Liang En Zai sighed, “Father, I’ll go.”

“You’re not allowed to go!” Liang Xuan Jing hissed.

“But father…” Liang En Zai looked at Liang Xuan Jing’s resolute face. “You don’t know martial arts, even if you go…” It was just in vain. The guards would capture him after several steps.

“What about having no martial art? I’m not going there to fight!” Liang Xuan Jing rolled his eyes. Although he knew his son didn’t disdain him, he just showed his concern to him, his words just did not hit right.

“…” Liang En Zai didn’t know if he should cry or smile. He winked at Lin Si Yao who was standing quietly by Liang Xuan Jing, signaling him to take his father away. Otherwise, the guards would suspect him as a thief climbing over the wall and arrest him.

“I’ll go.” Lin Si Yao’s short response came unexpectedly, immediately after he (LSY) disappeared.

“Son…” Liang Xuan Jing carefully looked at Liang En Zai. “My son-in-law…” had such excellent martial arts? He couldn’t even see how the other climbed the wall.

“Father, we should go home and wait for his news.” Liang En Zai retracted his gaze, as he replied to Liang Xuan Jing. Although he used to want to ask for Lin Si Yao’s help, it wasn’t today. Sigh, this time, his sister would drown him with her tears.

Lin Si Yao had only just accompanied him here. And now, he entered the palace instead of them… Hopefully Lin Si Yao will return soon.