Eunuchs and palace maids carried water basins, scrubbing the bloodstains from the floor.
Recalling the events of the first half of the night, everyone was still filled with trepidation. Imperial guards loaded the bodies onto carts, covered them with white sheets, and transported them out of the palace to their respective residences.
For a time, the capital was engulfed by heartbroken cries.
The news of Ji Jinmo leading the Demon Hunting Army into the palace spread like wildfire. The Black Armored Army, previously unseen, appeared in the public eye behind Ji Hong.
Two days later, at a teahouse.
Liu Cheng swayed his head to the music, his pet mynah fluttering restlessly in its cage. Wang Qiancheng leaned back lazily in his chair, utterly uninterested in the lilting melodies drifting up from downstairs. He gazed out the window at the distant rooftop of Huancai Pavilion, a section of which was visible.
“Have you heard?”
The illegitimate son of the second branch of the Jin Yang Marquis’s mansion first glanced around, then cupped his hand to his mouth, whispering his question.
“Heard what?” Wang Qiancheng withdrew his gaze, turning to look at him.
“The reason why the Regent led troops to attack the Imperial City.”
Liu Cheng’s eyes snapped open. With evident interest, he turned and asked, “Tell me, what have you heard?”
“Don’t tell anyone else!” he cautioned, then, his face alight with excitement, he began recounting what he’d heard. “I was passing by the study that day and overheard my uncle talking to his son, Qin Qianyu. That’s how I learned the inside story. Turns out, the reason the Regent mobilized troops to surround the palace was because he believed the Empress Dowager was holding the Princess Consort captive.”
“It was all a fit of rage for a beauty!”
“Just for that?” Wang Qiancheng was skeptical.
Liu Cheng chuckled, “Would our Regent of Linyuan be so blinded by lust?”
Seeing their disbelief, the illegitimate son of the Jin Yang Marquis grew impatient. “It’s true! You know how close my uncle’s wife is to the Empress Dowager. Could the news from the palace be false?”
Liu Cheng frowned, finding his words to have some merit. Wang Qiancheng, however, said, “Perhaps you misheard. Besides, the words coming from the Empress Dowager’s side…”
He didn’t elaborate, but the implication was clear.
Were the Empress Dowager’s words necessarily true? Not necessarily!
“You…”
The other man glared. Although the Empress Dowager had no direct connection to their second branch, her ties to the Jin Yang Marquis’s mansion meant she was connected to them.
“Brother Wang, look, who is that!”
Just as he was about to retort, Liu Cheng’s voice cut in, forcing him to reluctantly fall silent.
Wang Qiancheng followed Liu Cheng’s gaze and immediately spotted the figure who had just entered the teahouse. His expression darkened instantly.
Liu Cheng then remembered that Wang Qiancheng had been forced onto a death-defying stage by the very same person.
He patted his forehead. In his excitement, he’d forgotten the animosity between the two. However, Wang Qiancheng was about to become their Liu family’s son-in-law, and Feng Luan was their family’s savior. It was better to resolve conflicts than to let them fester. He decided then and there to mediate their dispute to prevent future troubles.
“Brother Wang, that person is our Liu family’s savior. Some things are best left in the past!”
Having followed Liu Wanjun around for some time, Liu Cheng had matured somewhat through his exposure. But Wang Qiancheng felt he had merely learned to wear a mask.
Wang Qiancheng remained silent for a moment, not responding.
Liu Cheng, however, had already risen and was heading downstairs to invite the newcomer.
Seeing Liu Cheng suddenly appear before her, Nan Shiying was slightly taken aback. She followed his gaze upstairs and immediately spotted Wang Qiancheng, whose complexion had darkened considerably. A smile touched her lips.
Liu Cheng’s scalp tingled; he suddenly regretted his impulsive action. But now that it had come to this, he could only steel himself and invite the person up.
Liu Cheng introduced, “This is Master Qin’s nephew from the Jin Yang Marquis’s mansion, Qin Mo.”
“Qin Mo, this is Feng Luan!”
“Feng Luan? Feng Luan, the direct disciple of the Medicine King Valley?” Qin Mo’s eyes lit up, his face breaking into a wide smile.
Nan Shiying nodded at Qin Mo and then turned to Wang Qiancheng, “Long time no see. Brother Wang, you’re still as defiant as ever!”
Upon hearing this, Wang Qiancheng looked up sharply, his face now as dark as the bottom of a well. Were it not for the lingering fear from that day, Wang Qiancheng would have overturned the table.
Seeing Wang Qiancheng’s expression, Liu Cheng stepped in as a peacemaker, fearing the two would erupt into conflict again.
Qin Mo looked from Feng Luan to Wang Qiancheng, his eyes twinkling with curiosity.
These two seemed to have a grudge!
Just then, a waiter’s voice came from downstairs, “Young Master Liu, this way please!”
Liu Ling, accompanied by several scions of noble families, ascended the stairs. The private room on the second floor of the teahouse was semi-open, with镂空 (lòu kōng – hollowed-out) pearwood carved doors dividing the space. This arrangement allowed the guests on the second floor to clearly see the performance on the stage below, as the stage itself was on the first floor.
The moment Liu Ling stepped onto the second floor, he saw the person he hated so much he dreamed of killing him!
“Feng… Luan!”
A growl filled with gnashed teeth resounded throughout the teahouse. Nan Shiying turned, saw Liu Ling’s face contorted with rage, and a smile of recognition spread across her face. She raised a hand in greeting, “Yo, long time no see!”
“I’ll see your grandma’s leg!”
Liu Ling grabbed a nearby chair and charged forward without preamble, raising the chair and smashing it down.
Nan Shiying shoved Liu Cheng, who stood frozen and unreacting, aside. Then, she took a step to the right, effortlessly evading Liu Ling’s attack.
With a *thud*, the chair smashed onto the table, shattering it into pieces. Wood splinters flew in all directions. A sharp, cone-shaped piece of wood instantly pierced the heart of the mynah bird.
Qin Mo, unfortunately, suffered a sliced face.
“Liu Ling!”
Liu Cheng regained his footing and, seeing his bird dead in its cage, glared with wide, angry eyes. Qin Mo clutched his face, blood trickling through his fingers. He gritted his teeth, inhaling sharply with pain, and also looked at Liu Ling with indignant fury.
Wang Qiancheng, however, casually brushed down his sleeves, his arms crossed and resting to the side, his attitude one of detached indifference.
Liu Ling, at this moment, had no time to concern himself with Liu Cheng. All his attention was fixed on Nan Shiying, his cold, sharp gaze conveying a desire to devour her flesh and drink her blood!
He would never forget the humiliation she had inflicted upon him in his life!
Nan Shiying flicked away the dust that had settled on her sleeves, looking at Liu Ling with a gaze of displeased reproach. She glanced at the mynah bird lying in its pool of blood and sighed with feigned pity.
“You know, why can’t you learn your lesson!”
Nan Shiying shook her head regretfully. She detached the iron hook from the birdcage and smiled at Liu Ling.