The Night Before Leaving the Palace, Reduced to the Tyrant's Plaything - chapter 16

“What are you daydreaming about? It’s your turn!” A eunuch’s voice interrupted Wanyu’s thoughts. “Take out your slip, open your bundle… Hey, where’s your bundle?”

Wanyu spread her hands, indicating that she hadn’t brought a bundle.

The eunuch was momentarily stunned, then signaled to the Matron beside him. “No bundle? Then search her!”

The Matron stepped forward and searched Wanyu from top to bottom, inside and out, not sparing her bosom or sleeves.

Wanyu calmly accepted this nearly humiliating inspection. After all, this was the final checkpoint-if she could get out, she would endure the humiliation.

Suddenly, the Matron exclaimed, pulling out a crystal-clear jade pendant with a dragon motif from Wanyu’s bosom.

“What is this?” the Matron demanded harshly, her wrinkled face looking somewhat ferocious.

Wanyu’s mind exploded with a buzzing sound, and a sharp cicada cry rang in her ears.

“Heavens! This is His Majesty’s jade pendant!”

“She stole His Majesty’s jade pendant!”

She heard someone cry out in alarm, and felt the world spinning before her eyes.

It wasn’t me.

It wasn’t me.

She shook her head desperately.

She knew this was indeed Qi Rang’s jade pendant, but she was more certain than anyone that she hadn’t taken it.

It was this Matron playing tricks.

She must have hidden the jade pendant in her sleeve long ago, and used the search as an opportunity to frame her, claiming it was found on her.

Why would she do this?

Who ordered her?

How did she get hold of the Emperor’s jade pendant?

In a flash, Wanyu thought of many things, but these people gave her no chance to defend herself. Using the theft of the Emperor’s personal jade pendant as a pretext, they dragged her out of the line.

“This is the Sleeping Attendant of Qianqing Palace. Go report to Chief Steward Sun and await his instructions.”

“Chief Steward Sun went to court with His Majesty.”

“Then report to Deputy Chief Steward Hu.”

Wanyu listened blankly to their conversation, but when she heard “Deputy Chief Steward Hu,” she suddenly snapped to attention.

It’s him!

It’s Hu Jinzhong!

It’s Hu Jinzhong behind all this!

The Emperor’s jade pendant-Hu Jinzhong would have had the opportunity to get it.

Or perhaps, this jade pendant was originally given to Hu Jinzhong by Qi Rang. Qi Rang didn’t want her to leave, so he came up with this vicious scheme and had Hu Jinzhong arrange for someone to frame her!

As Wanyu realized this, she felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar.

She couldn’t speak up; even if she did, no one would believe her.

Just moments ago, she had felt sympathy for the Palace Maid ahead of her, never expecting that she would be next.

The people behind her now looked at her with the same sympathetic gaze she had just given.

She had just been relieved that she hadn’t brought anything, but now realized that even bringing nothing could lead to being framed.

She trembled all over, unable to stop shaking.

She and Xu Qingzhan, and the noble consorts of the inner palace, had schemed endlessly, but in the end, they were no match for Qi Rang’s effortless maneuver.

She thought she had successfully evaded Qi Rang’s entanglement, believing that as long as she stepped out of the palace gate, she would regain her freedom.

In reality, she was nothing more than the Monkey King standing in the Buddha’s palm-no matter how she tried to leap, she could not escape his Five Finger Mountain.

What now?

Outside the palace gate, that person might already be waiting for her.

She lost control and rushed toward the gate, determined to see him no matter what.

She had only run a couple of steps before two eunuchs seized her and dragged her back.

“You stole His Majesty’s belongings and still want to run? Do you think you can escape? Even if you could, could your family? If you don’t want to implicate your family, you’d better behave and await your punishment!”

Wanyu was escorted back, despair surging in her heart like a tide.
She struggled to hold back her tears as she looked around, hoping that someone from Xu Qingzhan’s side was secretly observing nearby and would quickly report her situation to Xu Qingzhan.

As long as Xu Qingzhan could arrive before Hu Jinzhong, perhaps there was still a glimmer of hope for her.

But things did not go as she wished. It was as if Hu Jinzhong had been waiting in the wings all along; the eunuch who delivered the message had just left when he appeared.

“Oh, Miss Wanyu, what are you saying? I heard you wore the Emperor’s jade pendant out?” He walked up to Miss Wanyu, grinning and asking with a mocking tone.

Wanyu hated him bitterly and raised her hand to slap him.

A crisp “smack” startled everyone nearby.

Deputy Chief Steward Hu’s position was second only to Chief Steward Sun, but he was cunning and narrow-minded, far less magnanimous than Chief Steward Sun. Everyone feared him and tried not to provoke him; no one had ever seen anyone dare slap him before.

Hu Jinzhong, however, was not angry at all. Smiling, he rubbed the side of his face where he’d been struck. “Miss Wanyu, I can overlook your slap, but the Emperor’s jade pendant was indeed found on you. You’ll have to take a trip to Shenxing Si.”

“Come, escort Miss Wanyu to Shenxing Si!”

At Hu Jinzhong’s command, two eunuchs immediately stepped forward, twisted Wanyu’s arms behind her back, and escorted her toward Shenxing Si.

Wanyu could not break free; as she walked, she kept looking back toward the palace gates.

There were shadows of people outside the gates, but the one she wanted to see was nowhere to be found.

She was already so close to that doorway, yet now she was being taken farther and farther away.

Why was this happening?

Hadn’t the Persimmon God shown its power?

Why couldn’t she escape?

What would happen next? Could she still get out?

She felt like a blind person with eyes wide open, knowing nothing of the road ahead.

At this moment, in the Hall of Golden Chimes, morning court was still in session.

Qi Rang, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, sat high on the dragon throne.

Last night’s drinking had left him looking less than spirited.

Now, the ministers were once again arguing endlessly over the matter of establishing an empress.

He irritably pinched the area between his brows, wishing he could make them all mute.

Thinking of making them mute, his phoenix eyes narrowed slightly as he looked up at the dazzling sky outside the hall.

The next moment, he saw Hu Jinzhong poking his head around outside the hall.

Qi Rang beckoned Fuzi over and told him to go ask Hu Jinzhong what was going on.

Fuzi accepted the order, quickly went and returned, his face looking grim. He approached Qi Rang and whispered in his ear, “Your Majesty, something’s wrong. Miss Wanyu was found with your jade pendant and has been sent to Shenxing Si.”

Qi Rang raised an eyebrow at him, calmly fiddling with the Bodhi Bead Bracelet in his hand, his face showing no reaction.

Xu Qingzhan, standing nearby, watched the two out of the corner of his eye. Although he didn’t know what Fuzi had said to the Emperor, his heart skipped a beat for no reason.

Qi Rang had no patience left for the ministers’ endless bickering and gestured directly to Sun Liangyan.

Sun Liangyan understood, flicked his Horsetail Whisk, and strode forward, shouting, “Court dismissed!”

The ministers’ arguments stopped abruptly; all looked in astonishment at the Emperor on the dragon throne.

Qi Rang was already on his feet, leaning on Fuzi’s hand as he headed toward the rear hall.

“This, this…”

Everyone was left standing there, looking at each other in confusion.

Xu Qingzhan, meanwhile, followed the Emperor to the rear hall.

The rear hall’s doors led straight to the path toward Qianqing Palace. Hu Jinzhong, who had just been poking around the front hall, was now bowing low at the rear entrance, waiting.

Qi Rang saw him as he exited and immediately asked, “Has Shenxing Si begun using torture?”