CH 60: At the Palace Gates

The newcomer held ill will. Cai Xinghai pushed Zhang Youcai aside and prepared for battle. He asked, “Who are you to dare impede the path of the Emperor! State your name!”

After a brief pause, the figure responded, “Gui Yuehua, Chief Instructor of the Hua manor.”

Cai Xinghai’s heart sank. He had heard this name before; this individual was no ordinary pugilist blade-wielder but a renowned master.

“Gui Yuehua the Ghost Hand,” Cai Xinghai sighed. “You are a famed warrior of the pugilist world. Why have you stooped to the treacherous deed of plotting rebellion and regicide?”

“Some willingly serve as the claws of an imbecilic ruler, while others act righteously on behalf of Heaven’s will. You do not appear to be a common eunuch; why throw your life away for an imbecilic ruler?”

“His Majesty is not an imbecilic ruler,” Zhang Youcai shouted angrily.

Under the moonlight, Han Ruzi caught a glimpse of Gui Yuehua’s general appearance: a man in his thirties, of average build, with a slightly pale complexion and sparse facial hair. He resembled more a down-and-out nobleman than a highly skilled martial artist, and certainly did not live up to the title of “Ghost Hand.”

Gui Yuehua took a step forward, “Where is Your Majesty’s bodyguard? How much longer will he hide in the shadows?”

Han Ruzi gripped the hilt of his sword and asked, “Were you sent by Marquis Junyang?”[1]

“Your Majesty knows the answer but still asks. Please accompany me back to the palace, or else—my orders are to bring either a living or a dead Emperor.”

“Whom does Marquis Junyang serve, the Cui clan or Chunyu Xiao?”

Gui Yuehua took another step forward, “It is of no importance.”

“It is very important. Chunyu Xiao is just using the Cui clan, and he will betray them soon. If Marquis Junyang…”

Gui Yuehua laughed, “Your Majesty, are you trying to persuade me to forget my loyalties and betray my lord?”

As the last word left his mouth, Gui Yuehua’s figure flickered and pounced towards the Emperor.

Cai Xinghai swung his blade to intercept, but before his short blade could move, a fist struck him in the chest. With a loud cry, his plump body was sent flying backward.

Zhang Youcai was shocked but had no time to join the fray.

After throwing the punch that sent Cai Xinghai flying, Gui Yuehua’s speed remained unabated. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of the Emperor, grasping the hand that held the sword. He raised his head to admire the blade under the moonlight and praised, “Truly a precious sword from the palace.”

Han Ruzi did not even have a chance to react. Annoyed, he sternly commanded, “Release Us.”

“Forgive me, Your Majesty,” Gui Yuehua bent down, hoisted the Emperor sideways onto his shoulder, grabbed his leg with one hand, and still gripped the sword-wielding hand with the other. He strode in the direction of the inner palace.

Zhang Youcai realized what was going on and started shouting, “Release His Majesty!” He lowered his head and charged forward. After running seven or eight steps without hitting anything, he stopped and looked around, only to be shocked to find Gui Yuehua already more than a dozen steps away and getting farther.

“Hurry! Whether you are a human or ghost, hurry up and save His Majesty! Any later and…” Zhang Youcai dared not continue.

Carried on someone’s shoulder, Han Ruzi was both ashamed and furious. He struggled with all his might but felt his entire body going numb, unable to muster strength. It was as if a turbid qi was trapped inside him, stagnant and unmoving. He had developed the habit of unconsciously using the reverse breathing technique but doing so now had little effect.

“Huh?” Gui Yuehua was slightly taken aback but did not pay much attention since the Emperor was still under his control.

Gui Yuehua quickly reached a crossroad. If he were alone, he could have easily jumped over the palace wall. But carrying the Emperor, he did not dare be careless. So, he turned north to rendezvous with the blade-wielders who were to meet him.

The ambush arrived silently.

Gui Yuehua was well-prepared. The reason he had come alone to capture the Emperor was to lure out the hidden expert. According to the accounts of the surviving blade-wielders, there were dozens of ambushers. However, Gui Yuehua, a veteran of the pugilist world, had guessed that there was only one opponent. The logic was simple: if the opponents were so skilled, even just one or two more people would have led to the complete annihilation of the blade-wielders.

Gui Yuehua was not only the “Ghost Hand” but also the “Ghost Foot.” One moment, he was striding forward, and the next, he had already kicked a flying hidden weapon back. Simultaneously, he gently set down the Emperor and leaped towards a shadowy corner of the wall.

Han Ruzi’s entire body still felt numb. He wobbled and spun around before finally regaining his footing. He stared intently at the corner, and after a while, he saw two blurry figures clashing at an extremely high speed, producing only faint sounds that were barely audible amidst the whistling wind.

“Ah…” someone cried out, and the two figures vanished, having exchanged only five or six blows.

Han Ruzi was puzzled, looking left and right. He faintly saw a figure to the north, but he couldn’t find the other one no matter how hard he looked.

“Your Majesty!” Zhang Youcai caught up, panting heavily. Not knowing what had happened, he asked in surprise, “Where is Gui Yuehua?”

“He… seems to be injured.”

“How could that be?” Zhang Youcai was even more astonished, lowering his voice and asking, “Was it that… ghost who saved you again?”

“No need to concern ourselves with that, go check on Cai Xinghai.” Han Ruzi became increasingly convinced that the hidden helper must be Meng E, but he did not know why she had remained hidden.

The two turned around and ran back. At first, Han Ruzi could still feel waves of numbness, but after running more than ten steps, his body returned to normal.

Cai Xinghai, strong and robust, had spat out a mouthful of blood but had not died. He was limping towards the Emperor, and as soon as he saw him, he tried to kneel down and apologize. Han Ruzi supported him, saying, “Let’s leave this place quickly.”

Zhang Youcai supported Cai Xinghai’s other arm, and the three of them walked eastward. Cai Xinghai tried several times to persuade the Emperor to leave him behind, but the Emperor just urged him to move faster.

There were more and more forks in the road, and Cai Xinghai only knew the general direction of the Ancestral Temple but was not familiar with the specific path. In order to avoid pursuers, they frequently turned corners, growing more and more anxious.

At some point, after turning an unknown number of corners, the three of them ran headlong into a patrol of city guards.

While chaos ensued inside the palace, the outside maintained a superficial calm. Nothing had changed, and the patrols still had to be carried out. Han Ruzi encountered such a team.

Both the Emperor and his companions were surprised, but the guards were even more shocked. It was unusual for people to be in this area even during the day, let alone in the dead of night. Suddenly encountering three people was truly baffling.

“Who goes there?” One of the guards demanded, as more than a dozen soldiers scattered and aimed their long spears at these “trespassers.”

Cai Xinghai, however, was relieved. As long as they were not those blade-wielders, things would be much easier to handle. He immediately said, “Put down your weapons. We are from the palace.”

Cai Xinghai remained calm and did not immediately mention the word “Emperor.”

The soldiers were puzzled and did not withdraw their weapons, but neither did they attack.

“Who are you? How did palace people end up outside? Don’t you know about the curfew at night?” The leading officer asked.

“Don’t ask so many questions. Take us to see the person in charge of the guards on duty immediately,” Cai Xinghai sternly said.

The soldiers became more and more uncertain. Although it was dark, they could still recognize the attire of the two eunuchs. As for the appearance of the third person, they could not see clearly, but since he was helping the plump eunuch, he was probably a young eunuch from the palace as well.

The officer turned to one of the soldiers and said, “Light the lantern.”

The palace guards usually did not use lanterns when patrolling, but they carried lanterns and flints with them, ready to light them up at any moment for illumination.

“Don’t light it!” Cai Xinghai yelled, not wanting the ordinary soldiers to recognize the Emperor.

The identity of the eunuchs and their condescending tone subdued the soldiers on the other side. The officer raised his hand to signal his subordinates not to light the lantern for now, “Alright, follow me to meet the newly-appointed Captain of the Guards.”

Emperor Han Ruzi was shocked when he heard this, “Would that Hua Bin, the Marquis Junyang?”

“How dare you to call the Captain by his name directly? Who… who are you?” The officer’s confidence was fading, becoming more and more uncertain about the origin of these three people.

Cai Xinghai was also surprised. Gui Yuehua from the Hua manor had just kidnapped the Emperor, and going to see Marquis Junyang would be like throwing oneself into a trap. “Who is the deputy on duty? Take us to see him first.”

“That would be the Captain of the Palace Gates, Liu Kunsheng. He is not far from here. Shall we go see him first?” The officer’s tone softened as well. After all, he was not qualified to meet the Captain of the Guards directly, so it would be better to hand these three people over to the Captain of the Palace Gates.

“Agreed.” Han Ruzi consented, knowing that only a few senior officials were involved in the rebellion plot with the Grand Consort and others. As long as they met a loyal official, matters would be much easier to handle.

The soldiers changed their direction, guarding the three “eunuchs” in the middle, and escorted them to meet their superior. Cai Xinghai breathed a sigh of relief, while Zhang Youcai frequently looked back, fearing that the blade-wielders might catch up again.

The Captain of the Palace Gates was not a high-ranking post, but it bore significant responsibility. Even a minor mistake would be considered a serious crime. Liu Kunsheng had been restless, feeling that the change of the Captain of the Guards during the day was too suspicious. Upon hearing that three mysterious eunuchs had appeared near the Eastern Palace, he was greatly alarmed and immediately stepped out to investigate.

At a glance, he noticed that the youth was not an ordinary person.

Ordinary soldiers guarding the palace might never see the Emperor or the consorts in their lifetime. Liu Kunsheng had seen them a few times, but that was during the reigns of the Martial Emperor and the Graceful Emperor. He did not recognize the current Emperor, but he could nevertheless accurately identify the imperial robes in the darkness.

“You…” Liu Kunsheng, who was over fifty years old and in poor health, was both shocked and frightened. He suddenly fell to the ground.

Despite the pain in his foot, Cai Xinghai quickly stepped forward and helped Liu Kunsheng up, whispering, “Let’s talk inside.”

Liu Kunsheng nodded repeatedly, inviting the three “eunuchs” into the room. To the escorting soldiers, he sternly said, “Stay here, no one is allowed to leave.”

The soldiers obeyed, but they could not help but whisper amongst themselves. In the end, they unanimously concluded that the uninhabited Eastern Palace was haunted again.

There were still a few people in the duty room, whom Liu Kunsheng drove out. Then, he turned around and carefully observed the situation. After a moment, he had no more doubts in his heart, and he knelt down to kowtow, “Your humble servant Liu Kunsheng pays his respects to Your Majesty.”

The room was quite simple, with only a bed and a few stools. A lamp was lit on the table. Han Ruzi did not sit down but held the Founding Emperor’s treasured sword with both hands and said to Liu Kunsheng, “We wish to leave the outer palace, can you help Us?”

Liu Kunsheng raised his head, “This… Your Majesty, leaving the palace is a serious matter. Your humble servant… Your humble servant cannot make this decision…”

“Can’t the Emperor make the decision?” Han Ruzi was anxious in his heart, but did not show it on his face, “Marquis Junyang is a traitor. The imperial edict appointing him Captain of the Guards is false, so he is not qualified to serve as the Captain of the Guard.”

Liu Kunsheng had his guesses and was still greatly surprised when he heard the Emperor speak the truth. After pondering for a moment, he asked, “Your Majesty, is there someone you wish to meet outside the palace?”

“We wish to meet the senior officials outside.” Han Ruzi intended to find Chancellor Yin Wuhai but did not mention it explicitly.

“Has something happened in the Imperial Palace?”

“The Empress Dowager has been kidnapped by traitors. We must gather the officials to rescue her,” Han Ruzi said, knowing that many senior officials were loyal to the Empress Dowager.

Liu Kunsheng steeled his heart and said, “In that case, there is no need to look for the officials outside. Since Your Majesty has already left the inner palace, you can personally remove Marquis Junyang from his position. With Your Majesty’s call, which guard would dare not to obey?”

Han Ruzi thought that this could be a solution and was considering it when a soldier outside announced loudly, “Captain Hua has arrived!”

[1] Marquis Junyang is the father of Hua Huwang, who has been mentioned before. The Marquis was first mentioned in CH 33, where it was said that the Hua clan was a “Marquis clan of heroic pugilists” whose title was granted by the Founding Emperor.