Before he knew it, dawn arrived. The sunlight filtered through the window paper and spilled into the luxurious bedroom. There was not a hint of noise to be heard. Only a wisp of incense, which was used to aid in peaceful sleep, wafted up from the gilded incense burner on the dressing table.
Under the effect of the medicine, Ye Jingtang slept soundly. Having not slept the whole night, he opened his eyes when he sensed the light. However, what greeted his eyes was a "ceiling" carved with dragon and phoenix patterns. He initially thought he was sleeping in a small room.
When he sat up to take a closer look, he realized that he was lying in an exquisitely crafted "eight-step bed".
The large bed was made of golden nanmu wood and covered with a thin bright yellow blanket. It was so soft that it wouldn't feel crowded even if four people slept on it...
Outside the bed was a wooden platform, inlaid with a wooden fence. Windows were even installed on both sides, forming a corridor.
On the right side of the corridor was a dressing table, on which there were jewelry boxes and rouge and powder made of colored porcelain. One could say that from getting up to finishing one's makeup, all these activities could be completed without ever setting foot outside the bed.
There was no need to guess who the owner of such an ostentatious lady's embroidery bed was.
Ye Jingtang took a few glances and thought that Dongfang Benben had slept with him. He lowered his head to check his body. He was wearing a white nightgown, and his clothes and saber were gone. There was a pair of indoor shoes on the floor, and the bruise on his chest had faded, and he was already fine.
Who changed my clothes...
Ye Jingtang tried to recall the scenes from last night, but after falling asleep, he had a dreamless night. After thinking about it, he decided to let it go.
After putting on his shoes and looking around the room, he opened the window and saw that he was on the fourth floor of the Mingyu Building. Outside the window were the uneven city buildings and the majestic imperial city.
It was a rare opportunity to see the inside of the imperial palace. A strange glint flashed in Ye Jingtang's eyes. He looked around, hoping to find the ginkgo tree his adoptive father had mentioned.
Unfortunately, the imperial palace was too vast, and greenery was everywhere. It was really difficult to find a single tree. After looking for a long time, he failed to find the ginkgo tree. Instead, he saw a procession of nearly a hundred people escorting a golden palanquin emerging from behind the Taihua Hall in the center.
The distance was too great to confirm whether the person sitting in the palanquin shielded by the bead curtain was the current female emperor of the dynasty. But judging by the imposing manner, it was highly likely to be her.
After looking for a moment, Ye Jingtang closed the window and began to search for Prince Jing's whereabouts in the building.
As soon as he walked out of the bedroom, he found several rows of bookshelves in the outer room, with many wooden boxes placed on them. There were small mahogany plaques hanging on the boxes, inscribed with titles such as "The Arms of the Double Buddha", "The Zhou Family's Sword Manual", "The Skill of Embracing the Origin", "The Wandering Dragon Spear"..."
Damn...
Ye Jingtang immediately perked up, as if he had seen a row of beautiful women lying in alluring poses. He walked up to the bookshelf and examined them.
Before he could even start flipping through the martial arts manuals, he noticed a red sandalwood wooden box at the bottom of the bookshelf. It had no plaque on it, and it looked somewhat familiar. He pulled out the red sandalwood box and opened it—sure enough...
Ye Jingtang looked at the bookshelf where the martial arts manuals were stored and was slightly puzzled:
This is where Prince Jing keeps the martial arts secrets...
Why would Prince Jing put this thing here together with them?
Could there be some hidden mystery in this object, perhaps recording some unique martial art?
Believing himself to have good comprehension, Ye Jingtang, driven by his curiosity, picked up the jade object and examined it. Just like when he studied the Minglong Diagram, he began to "study it intently".
It might sound strange, but when it comes to practicing martial arts, one shouldn't be too concerned about trivial matters...
-----
On the other side, within the imperial palace.
The warm sun was shining brightly, and civil and military officials dressed in various official robes streamed out of the imperial city one after another.
Behind the Taiji Hall, a hundred palace servants簇拥着 (escorted) a palanquin towards the Yongle Palace.
The palanquin, carried by sixteen people, had carvings of dragons, phoenixes, and auspicious beasts on the outside and was adorned with golden bead curtains, exuding a majestic and imposing aura.
However, the female emperor of the Great Wei sitting in the palanquin was not particularly solemn. Not only did she not sit upright with a serious demeanor, but she also crossed her left leg over her right leg, leaning against the armrest at an angle, supporting her cheek with the back of her hand. This caused the twelve "yuzao" (strings of jade beads) made of jade beads in front of the imperial crown to sway obliquely before her.
Blocked by the bead curtain, it was impossible to see the female emperor of the Great Wei's face clearly. But judging from her figure, she was about the same height as Prince Jing. Her bust and hip line were quite plump. Wearing the dragon robe, she didn't appear slender at all. Instead, she carried a unique kind of domineering presence.
When they approached the Xuan Hall, where she usually lived, an inquiry came from the palanquin:
"What's the situation regarding Liren's assassination last night?"
An old eunuch walking beside the palanquin bowed and reported, "Your Majesty, Prince Jing is currently ordering the Black Yamen to seal the city and search for the assassin, but there is still no news of him."
"Liren has always been prudent. Why did she go to Baima Academy and give the rebels an opportunity?"
"According to Prince Jing's report, she accompanied the Empress Dowager to Yutan Villa to relax yesterday. In the evening, with nothing to do, she practiced her lightness skills and inadvertently ended up at Baima Academy. She didn't have any guards with her, which gave the rebels a chance to strike."
"Blood Bodhi has quite a reputation in the green forest. Liren is definitely no match for him. How did she manage to escape?"
"Er..."
The old eunuch bowed slightly and said, "Prince Jing only mentioned that a friend who was with her risked his life to protect her. She didn't go into the details. However, this old servant heard from Imperial Physician Wang that the person accompanying her was a young master surnamed Ye from the capital, and he is very handsome."
"A young master..."
After a moment of silence, the female emperor of the Great Wei let out a soft sigh. "This girl has really grown up. She even dares to hide things from me."
"Shall this old servant summon Prince Jing to the palace?"
"No need. Liren was assassinated yesterday and was frightened. I'll go and pay her a visit."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
...
----
The warm and gentle sunlight shone on the window of the Mingyu Building.
Ye Jingtang stood by the window, carefully observing the texture inside the jade object by the light, trying to fathom the profound truth of the Tao contained within it.
He didn't know if he was too engrossed in his research, but he didn't hear any movement. Suddenly, a woman's voice rang out from behind, breaking the original tranquility:
"Who are you? And what are you doing here?"
The voice was very regal and full of charm, completely different from Dongfang Liren's cold and imposing elder-sister-like voice. However, the nobility and the confidence that came from holding a high position for a long time in her voice were even more pronounced.
Caught off guard, Ye Jingtang was truly startled when he heard the voice. He quickly turned around and hid his hands behind his back. Then, with a slight flick of his wrist, he threw the jade object out of the window...
Whoosh—
Plop!
It sounded like it had been thrown into the lake in the garden...
Ye Jingtang had a strong mental fortitude. His expression remained unchanged, and he maintained a cold and extraordinary demeanor as he looked up.
At the stairway separated by several rows of bookshelves, a woman in a red dress appeared out of nowhere.
The woman was wearing a fiery red long dress, and her sash was also bright red. The entire outfit had no patterns or ornaments, yet it was more eye-catching than any elaborate decoration. It was as if a blazing fire had been added to the room, always the center of attention as long as it was there, with everything else serving as the backdrop.
The woman's almond-shaped eyes were crystal clear, faintly glistening. They were so clear that one could clearly see the reflection in her pupils. Her lips were naturally red without the need for rouge. Her hair was simply tied with a hairband and draped over her back, giving her a simple and pure appearance.
As for her figure, the fullness above the bright red sash and the perfectly curved roundness below it were in such a good proportion that even the dress couldn't conceal it. One couldn't even begin to imagine what she would look like without the dress...
The woman's temperament was truly unique, like a flower with thorns or a soul-stirring poison, alluring yet making one hesitant to approach.
Ye Jingtang was slightly puzzled and asked, "May I ask who you are, miss?"
As soon as the female emperor of the Great Wei saw Ye Jingtang's appearance, she recognized him as the "Young Master Ye" who had protected the carriage the previous day.
Noticing that the other party didn't recognize her, the female emperor of the Great Wei didn't reveal her identity. She completely suppressed the imposing pressure in her expression and transformed into a poised woman in a red dress. She walked closer and said, "I'm a female official in the palace, sent here to visit Prince Jing. Who are you?"
The female emperor was of similar height to Prince Jing, but their temperaments were completely different. She had come to the Mingyu Building alone without wearing the dragon robe. Just based on her height, it was difficult to associate her with the female emperor of the Great Wei who ruled an empire.
Upon hearing that she was from the palace, Ye Jingtang suddenly understood and explained, "I'm Ye Jingtang. My home is near Tianshui Bridge. I went out with Prince Jing yesterday and encountered an assassin. After taking the medicine, I fell asleep, and when I woke up, I was here..."
The female emperor of the Great Wei shifted her gaze to Ye Jingtang's hands behind his back. "This is Prince Jing's private library. The documents and martial arts secrets inside are all confidential. Were you snooping?"
Ye Jingtang took his hands out to show that they were empty. "You've misunderstood, miss. I..."
His words came to an abrupt halt.
The female emperor of the Great Wei shifted her gaze to the empty red sandalwood box beside him. "Hmm?"