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Chapter 360: First Entering the Forbidden City
Chapter 360: First Entering the Forbidden City
"This is my childhood playmate, just call him Lao Liu," Zhang Yingfeng introduced the tall man beside him, who stood with his chest open even in the September weather, revealing a chest full of pockmarks along with his robust build.
"Su Shaoying, Ma Xiuzhen, this is my junior martial brother and sister. As for this man, Lu Xiaofeng, he is a famous figure in the jianghu."
"Greetings, greetings! If you wish to enter the Forbidden City, just follow me," Lao Liu said with a bow and a smile.
Zhang Yingfeng, along with Su Shaoying and the other two, had found Lao Liu. The four of them approached the imperial guards and, after a brief greeting, strolled casually into the palace.
"Is that all it takes for us to get in?" Ma Xiuzhen asked in disbelief. "Is it that easy to enter the palace?"
"Although this is the imperial palace, it is the most neglected corner. There are actually several more layers of guards further inside," Lao Liu explained.
"And not just anyone can come and go from here," he added, a hint of pride in his voice. "You must be accompanied by someone familiar with the place, and it doesn't come cheap. Moreover, you mustn't draw attention to yourself."
Typically, eunuchs had little freedom to leave the palace, even those with high positions and great power. The lower-ranked eunuchs lacked the funds, and the higher-ups had to maintain their status.
Thus, it was often the lowly servants with money to spare, those who mingled with the eunuchs and guards, who could move freely in and out of the palace and profit from their dealings.
Lao Liu was one such individual.
"We certainly can't go to the emperor's and concubines' chambers or the ministers' offices, but I can take you to other places, such as the imperial kitchen, the Bureau of Palace Attire, the Lantern Depot, or the Imperial Stables," Lao Liu said cheerfully. "And if you have the money, you might even be able to take some imperial tribute goods with you when you leave."
Ma Xiuzhen's eyes widened in surprise. "We can take tribute goods out of here?"
Lao Liu smiled. "Only about a third of the local tributes are used for the emperor and his concubines. The rest is for the people below, isn't it? We have to make a living too."
The palace grounds were vast, and in the places untouched by the sun's rays, darkness prevailed. Just like snakes had their paths and mice had their holes, the palace had its share of secrets.
Take, for example, the opportunity to enter the palace and gain a new experience—the guards at the gate profited from it. And then there was this place before them...
"This is the northwest corner of the palace. Many eunuchs send their relatives here. Since the people here can't access most parts of the palace and can't leave at will, it has become a rather peculiar place."
As they walked through what resembled a small town, Lao Liu continued his explanation. "There are small eateries, tea houses, grocery stores, and even gambling dens here."
To be honest, if it weren't for having read the original novel, even Su Shaoying wouldn't have imagined that such a place existed within the palace walls.
"Big Brother Liu!"
"Big Brother Liu is here!"
"Is Big Brother Liu opening a gambling den today?"
When Lao Liu led the group to the palace's northwest corner, a crowd of young eunuchs surrounded him, their eyes shining with admiration, respect, envy, and awe, much like little hens flocking to a rooster.
However, when they noticed Lu Xiaofeng, Su Shaoying, and Zhang Yingfeng, their expressions turned to adoration, obsession, and excitement...
Even Su Shaoying shuddered and asked Zhang Yingfeng, "Have you been here before?"
Zhang Yingfeng stared blankly and replied, "If I had, I definitely wouldn't have brought you here."
Ma Xiuzhen, facing the leering gazes of several young eunuchs, felt her entire being revolted. "I want to leave now."
Lu Xiaofeng felt goosebumps on his arms. "Ximen Chuixue would never hide in a place like this."
"Are you here to find Ximen Chuixue?" Su Shaoying asked.
Lu Xiaofeng nodded. "I think you're right. He's likely already in the capital, but with at least a thousand martial arts experts in the city, no one has noticed his presence.
Ma Xiuzhen nodded vigorously, "Second Senior Sister would never stay here either."
"I won't be opening the gambling den today. I brought a few friends to explore the palace," Lao Liu said, waving off a few eunuchs who had approached.
"They're from outside the palace."
"I can tell."
"Where do they want to go? I can take them to the Bureau of Palace Attire. If they're lucky, they might even get their hands on some fabric."
"Some top-quality Dahongpao tea was recently supplied from the southeast. This handsome young man might be interested..."
A young eunuch quietly sidled up to Lu Xiaofeng, eyeing the whiskers on his lips, his hands twitching with anticipation.
Lu Xiaofeng forcibly suppressed the urge to strike out, subtly taking two steps back, and pointed at Su Shaoying, "Don't you think he's even more handsome? So much fairer and more delicate than me!"
"No, no, no! I'm still young, but you have those attractive whiskers!" Su Shaoying humbly protested.
To be honest, there were quite a few eunuchs surrounding Su Shaoying as well. Surprisingly, it was the ordinary-looking Zhang Yingfeng and the valiant Ma Xiuzhen who drew the least attention.
"You're young and handsome!" Lu Xiaofeng exclaimed.
"You're mature and charming!" Su Shaoying countered.
Shaking her head, Ma Xiuzhen said to Zhang Yingfeng, "This is the first time I've seen Senior Brother and Lu Xiaofeng being so modest and complimenting each other."
Zhang Yingfeng couldn't help but laugh, "It's because they're trying to push each other into the fire, wanting to divert attention away from themselves."
Just then, an elderly eunuch walked towards them.
Although this old eunuch looked thin and frail, he had an air of grandeur and was dressed exquisitely, indicating his high status. However, his walking posture was peculiar, and he held his hand in an affected lotus finger pose, even more affected than the young eunuchs.
"It's Wang, the Chief Eunuch!"
Several young eunuchs hurried forward to greet him respectfully. Lu Xiaofeng and Su Shaoying also heaved a sigh of relief.
Lao Liu introduced the newcomer to the group, "This is Wang, the Chief Eunuch of the Imperial Palace. He used to be the Emperor's wet nurse, and now he's in charge of the Emperor's daily life, including his meals and residence."
Lu Xiaofeng blinked and asked Su Shaoying, "Did Ouyang Qing mention..."
Su Shaoying nodded, "There's only one Chief Eunuch in the Imperial Palace."
Wang, the Chief Eunuch, was clearly acquainted with Lao Liu, and he walked up to him, giving Lu Xiaofeng and the others a displeased glance. "Why are you bringing all sorts of people into the palace?"
Lao Liu bowed and scraped, "They're friends. This one here, I've known since I was young..."
"The palace has been on high alert these past few days. No one is allowed to enter casually!" Wang glared at Lao Liu and made a subtle gesture, "Get them out of here now."
"Yes, yes, yes!" Lao Liu could only nod in agreement. He then turned to Zhang Yingfeng and suggested, "How about this, after the 15th of September, I'll bring you in again?"
"I don't mind..."
Before Zhang Yingfeng could finish, Lu Xiaofeng's eyes flickered. The duel between Ye Gucheng and Ximen Chuixue was no secret, and even the location had been leaked within certain small circles. But how could someone like Lao Liu know about it?
So Lu Xiaofeng asked, "In the past few days, have you seen a swordsman dressed in white?"
The next moment, the expressions of both Wang, the Chief Eunuch, and Lao Liu changed drastically!
(End of Chapter)
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