The Road to Glory

Chapter 121 Secrets

A golden full moon hung high in the sky, and under the veil of night, the entire royal palace of King Chen resembled a dormant giant beast.

An old matron walked briskly along the palace wall, her hands clasped in front of her, followed by several sturdy eunuchs. Two of them supported Jiang Yu, who had fallen completely unconscious.

As the tree shadows danced, the old matron lightly knocked on the side gate of Jianning Palace. The palace attendants inside opened the door and respectfully allowed the group to enter.

The instructing matron guarding outside the side hall had been waiting for a long time. Just as she craned her neck to look around, she spotted the old matron and her entourage approaching and hurried forward to greet them, directing them to carry Jiang Yu into the hall.

Upon entering the inner chamber, the old matron caught a whiff of the lingering scent of incense. Covering her nose and mouth with a damp handkerchief handed to her by the instructing matron, she surveyed Wen Yu, whose dark hair cascaded like clouds as she lay unconscious on the couch. "I heard that the Liang woman has two highly skilled martial maids by her side. Are you certain they’ve been subdued?" she asked.

The instructing matron chuckled. "Rest assured, elder sister. The incense in the hall had been burning for an hour before the Liang woman arrived. All the clothes for changing had also been soaked in sleeping draught beforehand. Anyone entering this hall would be knocked out within half a moment—even an ox would be rendered unconscious. To avoid any mishaps, before opening the hall door, I ordered another dose of sleeping smoke to be blown inside. The Liang woman brought twelve maids to the palace banquet, and every single one of them has been subdued—not a single one missing. They’re all locked up next door."

Reassured, the old matron glanced at Jiang Yu, whose armor was being stripped off by the young eunuchs. "I’ll leave this to you, then. I must return to report to the Empress Dowager."

The instructing matron escorted her all the way to the hall entrance before finally lowering the damp handkerchief from her nose and mouth. "Take care, elder sister," she said.

Turning back, she saw that Jiang Yu’s armor had been almost completely removed. She ordered the eunuchs to carry Jiang Yu onto the couch where Wen Yu lay and instructed the palace attendants, "Light the aphrodisiac incense."

Just then, the hall door was knocked on again, but there was no announcement from the palace attendants stationed outside. A sudden unease gripped the instructing matron. "What is it?" she demanded sharply.

"Matron, I’ve brought the sobering pills," replied the palace attendant knocking on the door.

The instructing matron let out a sigh of relief, chiding herself for being overly tense tonight.

To ensure that Wen Yu’s martial maids were thoroughly drugged, she had ordered a heavy dose of incense earlier. Similarly, the wine used to subdue Jiang Yu on the Empress Dowager’s orders had contained a strong sleeping draught. Worried that Wen Yu and Jiang Yu might not wake up in time, rendering the aphrodisiac incense useless and jeopardizing the Empress Dowager’s plan to continue the royal bloodline, she had sent for two sobering pills to counteract the effects of the drugs.

Peering through a small hole in the door’s silk screen, the instructing matron confirmed that it was the palace attendant she had dispatched, holding the medicine bottle. Relieved, she opened the door and said, "Why did it take so long? Hand over the—"

The word "me" never left her lips. As she saw the Imperial Guards standing on either side of the door with drawn swords and the icy-faced King Chen, her legs gave way, and she collapsed to her knees, trembling as she stammered, "Y-Your Majesty…"

The palace attendant holding the medicine had long since dropped to her knees, shaking uncontrollably.King Chen strode forward, his face pale from years without sunlight, wearing a smile that sent chills down one's spine. The dark circles beneath his eyes added to his cruel and sinister aura. He looked at the instructing matron, pretending ignorance of their schemes, and said, "The Queen has been changing clothes for quite some time without returning. I came to check on her."

For a moment, the instructing matron found unexpected courage, stubbornly kneeling at the palace entrance to block King Chen's path. Trembling, she pleaded, "You... you cannot enter..."

King Chen laughed coldly as if hearing a joke. "The entire state of Chen belongs to me. Is there any place in this royal palace where I cannot go?"

The matron kowtowed, her voice choked with tears. "Your Majesty knows well that Her Majesty the Empress Dowager has done all this for your sake!"

In an instant, King Chen's smiling face turned grim. He kicked the matron squarely in the chest, sending her sprawling to the ground, and snarled, "Do you truly think I'm unaware of your schemes? For my sake? Or for the Jiang Family?"

As the matron, agitated, attempted to speak further, King Chen coldly issued his command: "Drag out this slave who dares to collude with outsiders and deceive her master!"

The matron was quickly gagged and taken away by the Imperial Guards loyal to King Chen.

The palace maids and eunuchs inside the hall had already panicked upon King Chen's arrival, falling to their knees with a series of thuds. They cried out, "Spare us, Your Majesty! Matron Xing forced us to do this..."

Jiang Yu, who had been stripped of his armor and left only in his undergarments, had not yet been moved to the couch. He lay unconscious on the carpeted floor.

King Chen glanced at Wen Yu, who had collapsed on the couch, then approached Jiang Yu. With a cold smile, he used the tip of his shoe to nudge Jiang Yu's face, finally pressing his sole harshly against Jiang Yu's cheek and grinding down forcefully. "What a loyal subject and dear cousin you are!"

The palace servants pressed their foreheads to the ground in terror, not daring to make a sound.

Maintaining his foot on Jiang Yu's face, King Chen used his sword tip to slice open Jiang Yu's upper garment, moving downward until it paused at the lower abdomen. His smile gradually twisted into madness.

"Your Majesty, you must not!"The deputy commander of the Imperial Guards, loyal to King Chen, swiftly grabbed the sword hilt and advised, 'If you cripple Jiang Yu, Chancellor Jiang will surely become desperate.' If he reveals everything and selects a new ruler from the royal clan, even the Empress Dowager may not be able to protect you. The loss would outweigh the gain..."

These words seemed to drain the venom from King Chen's heart. He allowed the deputy commander to take the sword, tilting his head back with a sound that was neither laugh nor cry.

Seeing this, the deputy commander quickly ordered two Imperial Guards to assist King Chen down and signaled others to promptly drag Jiang Yu away.

He continued advising King Chen, "The Liang woman is your greatest asset. As long as this marital alliance exists, Chancellor Jiang will not dare move against you. As long as the secret remains hidden, veteran ministers like Qi Simiao, Han Wenji, and Sikong Wei will all support you. Your Majesty, regardless of whose child the Liang woman bears, it will be recognized as yours. In the future, you will use this heir to become the joint ruler of both Chen and Liang. Do not let minor impatience ruin grand plans..."

King Chen took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "What about the person I asked you to find?"In no time, a disheveled man with a scabby head and foul odor was brought in. With shifty eyes and a cowering posture, he appeared thoroughly timid, yet his gaze betrayed a cunning laziness and slyness. Kneeling before King Chen, he trembled uncontrollably.

King Chen ordered him to raise his head. The man complied with an ingratiating smile, revealing a set of uneven, yellowed teeth.

King Chen looked upon him with a vicious grin of utmost satisfaction. "The Empress Dowager demands an heir from me, does she not? This man seems perfect. A child born from a woman of Liang—how could the Jiang Family dare disown it?"

His eyes fell upon Wen Yu, who still lay unconscious on the couch in her magnificent golden-orange palace robes. Admiration and bitter resentment surged within him as he murmured, almost madly: "Since I have been reduced to a worthless cripple, my queen should likewise be dragged into the mud. Why should she remain so pristine? After today... you will no longer look down on me..."

The scabby-headed man clearly understood why he had been summoned to the palace. He dared a cautious, stolen glance at the unconscious queen on the couch, and with that single look, felt his heart melt away, utterly captivated. Only the presence of King Chen and the Imperial Guards kept him from staring too brazenly.

Noticing King Chen showed no intention of leaving, the deputy commander of the Imperial Guards urged, "Your Majesty, time is short. The Empress Dowager will arrive soon."

King Chen stared transfixed at Wen Yu’s sleeping form, as if entranced. The thought struck him—since their wedding, he had never once been close to her. This queen, hailed as the greatest beauty of both Chen and Liang, would soon be defiled by a lowly street scoundrel. A wave of unwillingness rose within him.

"Take your men and leave first," he commanded.

The deputy commander was taken aback, then watched as King Chen pointed at the scabby-headed man. "He stays inside."

Understanding the king’s intent, the deputy commander wisely refrained from further advice and led the Imperial Guards out of the hall.

The doors closed once more. In the inner chamber, shrouded by heavy curtains, only a sliver of daylight filtered through the gauze window. Step by step, King Chen approached the couch. Gazing upon that peerless, exquisite face, he felt his blood surge with heat. His feet seemed to tread on cotton, unsteady and light, while his mind swam with dizzying excitement.

Han Yang, the Pearl of Liang—his queen.

At last, he would no longer have to admire her from afar!

Once this pearl was tarnished with filth, she would never again hold her head high before him. Instead, she would bow her head, just like the favored concubine in Xinyu Palace, allowing him to humiliate her at will!

No—deep down, she would always remain the lofty princess of Liang. But what did it matter?

This pearl would shatter piece by piece in his hands, tears welling in her eyes!

The mere thought sent thrills of excitement coursing through King Chen. A tingling sensation shot up his spine, and his breathing grew heavy and ragged.

He hadn’t even used a whip on her yet, nor bound her with red cords. Just the sight of her face alone filled him with immense satisfaction.

The chamber, long unventilated, was stifling. A faint blush had spread across Wen Yu’s pale cheeks. Panting, King Chen reached out with the back of his hand, intending to touch her peony-petal-like skin, when a bone-chilling cold suddenly pressed against his neck.

"Move another inch closer to my princess, and I guarantee your head will roll."A long sword was steadily pressed against King Chen's neck, its blade subtly bearing down.

The heat that had surged to King Chen's head abruptly receded. Fearing the wielder might sever his head, he dared not call for help. As he desperately racked his muddled mind for an escape, an icy voice rang out from directly ahead: "Truly a splendid performance."

King Chen jerked his head up to see Wen Yu propping herself up on a soft pillow and rising from the couch, her movements natural and her expression as cold as ever. He gasped in shock: "You weren't unconscious?"

Wen Yu smoothed the wrinkles on her sleeve and spoke calmly: "The Empress Dowager went to such lengths to set this trap. Had I not played along, wouldn't I have missed this golden opportunity to learn the royal palace's secrets?"

From the moment the dancer "accidentally" spilled wine on her dress while flirting with King Chen, Wen Yu knew things wouldn't be simple.

While twelve maids openly accompanied her to this palace banquet, countless more remained hidden in the shadows.

Wen Yu had played along with the Empress Dowager's people until now simply to uncover her true intentions.

Remembering his earlier conversation with the deputy commander of the Imperial Guards, King Chen's face instantly darkened. Rage overwhelmed his reason as he glared viciously at Wen Yu: "So what if you know? The Imperial Guards are all stationed outside. With one word from me, they could take turns having you tonight—"

Zhao Bai abruptly pressed the blade downward, drawing beads of blood from King Chen's neck. The fear of death finally restored his rationality, cutting off his words. Still, facing Wen Yu, he refused to show weakness and challenged: "Han Yang, would you dare kill me?"

But his earlier outburst had likely alerted the Imperial Guards outside. Soon, the deputy commander's voice came from beyond the hall: "Your Majesty?"

Zhao Bai's expression turned frigid. While warily watching the heavily draped entrance, he threateningly pressed the blade another half-millimeter into King Chen's neck.

Wen Yu said: "Make them leave."

King Chen, believing he held the advantage, attempted to negotiate. But meeting Wen Yu's gaze made his heart lurch.

How to describe the ice in those eyes?

Though their eyes met for only a moment, King Chen felt as if half his body had frozen solid.

Yet their owner showed no trace of emotion.

Under this dual pressure, King Chen could only suppress his fury and roar outward: "Scram! I'm just cursing this whore—you dare actually consider moving?"

Zhao Bai promptly kicked a low table, sending a porcelain vase crashing to the floor as if King Chen had shattered it in rage.

The deputy commander's fearful reply came from outside: "This humble officer wouldn't dare! I only feared the Empress Dowager might come..."

"Then get farther away! Keep watch on the Empress Dowager's movements and report back!" King Chen roared through gritted teeth.

"By your command."

Soon, the clatter of armor echoed outside as the deputy commander apparently led his men away.

King Chen said: "Now will you release—"

Zhao Bai delivered a heavy elbow strike to the back of King Chen's neck. Had he not held back for fear of killing him outright, the blow could have shattered the king's vertebrae.

Based on his insults toward Wen Yu alone, she had reason to execute this tyrant a hundred times over.King Chen's vision went black, and he collapsed limply to the ground, landing beside the scabby-headed man whom Zhao Bai had knocked out earlier.

When Zhao Bai approached Wen Yu again, her expression remained extremely grim: "Princess, this Chen Kingdom... is utterly beyond redemption. How dare they deceive and scheme against you like this! If you give the order, this servant will immediately gather our people to escort you back to Da Liang!"

Just as Wen Yu was about to speak, the hand supporting her on the couch suddenly weakened. Zhao Bai hurried forward to steady her: "Has the effects of the sedative not worn off yet?"

To ascertain whether the Empress Dowager's people had tampered with anything, Wen Yu and the twelve Azure Guard members who entered the hall with her initially refrained from taking the antidote.

After they were drugged unconscious and the instructing matrons had the twelve Azure Guard carried away, the hidden Azure Guard members secretly infiltrated the area and administered Clear Mind Pills—a universal antidote for sedatives—to Wen Yu, Tong Que, and the others.

Having dealt with matters at the Wu Palace and learned of the incident involving Wen Yu, Zhao Bai rushed back and hid on the hall's roof beams to protect Wen Yu at all times.

Now, touching Wen Yu's hand and feeling its scorching heat, Zhao Bai exclaimed anxiously, "Princess, you seem to have developed a high fever..."

The flush on Wen Yu's cheeks had deepened further, and her body felt as if insects were gnawing at it. Realizing what this was, she dug her nails hard into her palm and said, "It's not a fever from illness. We must leave this place first."

After a moment of stunned silence, Zhao Bai recalled the series of venomous schemes in King Chen's palace and understood. Her gaze abruptly shifted to the rekindled incense burner.

Trained in martial arts year-round, Zhao Bai possessed a robust constitution. Coupled with her position hidden on the hall's roof beams and her mastery of the Shadow Guard's stealth breathing techniques, she had inhaled very little of the incense and thus felt no unusual effects until now.

Looking at King Chen and the scabby-headed man lying on the ground, Zhao Bai could not contain her fury.

These filthy, maggot-ridden scum actually dared to use such despicable methods against the princess!

She pulled a handkerchief from her sleeve, poured water from the table's pitcher to dampen it, and handed it to Wen Yu to cover her nose and mouth, preventing further inhalation of the Love Incense.

She then walked to the incense burner, retrieved identical incense from the cabinet below, and stuffed it all into the burner to ignite. Tearing down a gauze curtain and shredding it into strips to use as ropes, she hauled King Chen onto the soft couch and bound him tightly. With the remaining water from the teapot, she splashed the scabby-headed man until he groaned, half-awake.

After completing these tasks, Zhao Bai whistled a birdsong-like signal to alert the Azure Guard hidden outside the hall for support. Then, hoisting Wen Yu onto her back, she pushed open the rear window with one hand and leaped out.

Author's Note: Zhao Bai—Wen Yu's Toxic Stan (brandishing a submachine gun): Die! All of you, die! (▼皿▼#)