Yu Yanfeng flung the person he was holding to the ground and knelt before the hall, speaking gravely, “Your Majesty, when I went to apprehend the eunuchs who frightened Lady Xuan, I found no missing servants in the imperial kitchen, nor anyone absent from their duties. Realizing something was amiss, I immediately ordered the palace gates sealed. These two were hiding among the inner court attendants, attempting to sneak out through Luhua Gate using a cart meant for transporting grain and vegetables.”
“When they saw me leading men toward them, they couldn’t escape and tried to take their own lives. I was caught off guard, and one of them died, but I brought the other back.”
The person thrown to the ground had a dislocated jaw, his arms and legs twisted unnaturally, his face contorted in agony.
Among the two corpses nearby, one, dressed in eunuch clothing like him, appeared to have been poisoned, with dark blood oozing from his eyes, ears, mouth, and nose, his face already rigid and ashen. The other, dressed as a palace maid, was strikingly beautiful but had a gaping wound on her head, blood soaking her body, her unblinking eyes staring in a ghastly manner.
Yu Yanfeng pointed at the maid. “Tanxia, from the Empress Dowager’s palace, was found dead in the Imperial Garden. I had her body brought back. I’ve also detained all the guards patrolling outside Zichen Hall tonight for Your Majesty to deal with!”
The guards, stripped of their armor, knelt with pale faces, pressed down by those behind them.
Cui Lin’s heart sank when he saw the writhing eunuch on the ground, nearly cursing “useless” aloud.
Weren’t they supposed to have escaped the palace early, taking their own lives if anything went wrong? How had they been caught?!
Before Cui Lin could react, Xiao Yan suddenly stepped forward, planting his foot on the writhing man. As the man grimaced in pain, Xiao Yan’s expression remained indifferent.
“Facial hair, a coarse voice, and calluses on the hands—signs of a martial artist.”
His foot shifted downward, landing between the man’s legs.
The man, in excruciating pain, frantically scooted back, and if his jaw hadn’t been dislocated, he likely would have screamed.
Attendant Feng, seeing this, roared, “Your Majesty, this man is not a palace eunuch!”
Some older men, castrated later in life or incompletely, might grow facial hair. However, the palace conducted regular inspections, and such men, wary of offending their masters, kept their faces meticulously clean. Moreover, palace eunuchs were forbidden from practicing martial arts, and this man’s reaction—clearly terrified of Xiao Yan’s actions—showed he wasn’t a true eunuch, who would have no reason to fear such a move.
Attendant Feng bellowed, “Who are you, daring to impersonate a palace eunuch?!”
The hall’s occupants paled: this man wasn’t a eunuch?
Xiao Yan kicked the man’s jaw, and as he gasped in pain, his hoarse cries suddenly turned shrill.
Realizing his voice had returned and his disguise was exposed, the man tried to bite his tongue, but Xiao Yan swiftly grabbed his jaw.
Forced to keep his mouth open, blood seeped from it. He stared in terror at Xiao Yan, who leaned over him and gave an abrupt smile.
“Did you really think biting your tongue would let you die?”
Xiao Yan’s grip was like iron, as if he could crush the man’s facial bones.
“There are countless ways to torment someone in this world, and I happen to be an expert in them. Even if you bit off your tongue, I’d ensure you lived.”
“Think you can frame me and Deputy Commander Yu and then die easily? Not a chance.”
With a soft scoff, Xiao Yan stomped on the man’s broken leg. The man, who had seemed resolute in facing death, convulsed in agony.
He struggled to scream, but Xiao Yan held his jaw tightly shut. In excruciating pain, his eyes bulged, his body spasming, his face twisted grotesquely.
“Who sent you to infiltrate the palace?”
The man closed his eyes, trembling but silent.
Xiao Yan sneered, “Quite the backbone.”
He drew the sword from Yu Yanfeng’s waist and, with a swift *slash*, severed the man’s arm.
As blood sprayed, the man’s eyes shot open, his face flushed red, pupils bloodshot with pain. The severed hand flew through the air, landing directly on the kneeling Lady Xuan.
“Aaahhh—!”
Lady Xuan’s face stung, blood splattering her as the hand rolled off. She nearly leapt up, frantically brushing it away, crawling backward in panic as her screams threatened to deafen the nearby officials and noblewomen.
“My apologies for dirtying Lady Xuan’s clothes,” Xiao Yan said gently. “But fear not, Lady Xuan. This man, who dared impersonate a palace eunuch and harm you, deserves to be hacked to pieces.”
Lady Xuan: “…”
Her screams cut off abruptly. She stared at Xiao Yan in terror, trembling as she met his smiling face.
She felt that “hacked to pieces” was directed at her.
Cui Lin, seeing things go awry, shouted, “Xiao Yan, you’re too brazen! His Majesty hasn’t spoken, yet you dare harm someone in his presence?!”
Xiao Yan turned his head. “This traitor, impersonating a palace eunuch and committing violence, I’m merely questioning. Why is Minister Cui so anxious?”
“You!”
Cui Lin saw Emperor An glance at him, the surrounding gazes turning suspicious. He knew he couldn’t let Xiao Yan keep talking or let the conversation veer off course.
Suppressing his rage, Cui Lin stepped forward, knelt before Emperor An, and said, “Your Majesty, I don’t mean to say this man shouldn’t be questioned, but Xiao Yan shouldn’t use such methods in public. Lady Xuan was already caught up in this palace incident by chance, and now she’s being terrified like this.”
“Those unaware might suspect Supervisor Xiao is trying to silence them, preventing them from saying something they shouldn’t.”
Hearing Cui Lin’s accusations, Xiao Yan noticed Lady Xuan’s pale face seeming to recover, as if emboldened by Cui Lin’s words. He scoffed softly, “I didn’t know Minister Cui was so protective of the fairer sex.”
His gaze swept over Lady Xuan’s face. “But it’s understandable. Lady Xuan, widowed for years, still retains her youthful charm. It’s only natural for Minister Cui to show some concern…”
“Xiao Yan!”
Cui Lin’s face froze, and Lady Xuan’s expression faltered in panic.
How did he know?!
Lady Xuan instinctively wanted to look at Cui Lin but forced herself to suppress the urge.
The hall’s occupants thought Xiao Yan was speaking carelessly. Qian Baokun, seeing Emperor An’s face turn grim, feared Xiao Yan’s words might tarnish the Empress Dowager’s reputation.
Though he also sensed something off about Cui Lin’s actions, Qian Baokun steeled himself to change the subject.
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You can read ahead to chapterr 470 (100+ extra chapters) here
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