Joy of Life: Starting by clinging to the eldest princess's coattails!

Chapter 27 Even after her death, the Empress Dowager remained fearful.

Deep within Chang Le Palace, in a small courtyard surrounded by high walls.

The pale moonlight shone on the bluestone slabs, and two rows of armored assassins stood inside and outside the courtyard.

In the center of the courtyard, a human-shaped silhouette lay quietly on a wooden board, covered with a layer of plain white linen.

A faint dark red hue peeks through the white cloth, like dried flower petals.

A faint smell of blood lingered in the air, mingling with the coolness of the night, seeping into every corner.

……

The Empress Dowager's bedroom.

Only two palace lanterns were lit inside the hall, casting a dim, yellowish light.

The Empress Dowager sat with her eyes closed on a rosewood chair, dressed in dark-colored casual clothes, her hands resting flat on her knees, her fingertips slightly curled.

Hong Sixiang stood beside her, bowing and with his head down.

The sound of hurried but deliberately light footsteps came from outside the hall.

The old woman walked in quickly, her chest rising and falling slightly as she bowed.

"Report to the Empress Dowager," she said in a very low voice, "Ye Qingmei's body has been delivered and placed in a side courtyard. That child... was rescued by Wu Zhu, and the box was not left behind; only this key was brought back."

After she finished speaking, she presented a bronze key with a peculiar shape and intricate patterns engraved on its surface.

The Empress Dowager's fingers, which were resting on her knees, twitched slightly.

She slowly opened her eyes.

Those eyes were somewhat cloudy, with fine wrinkles at the corners, yet a complex light shone deep within them.

There was a sense of relief, a feeling of disappointment at not having achieved the full goal, and a hint of fear that was being tried to be concealed but still revealed.

Hong Sixiang silently walked down the steps, took the key from the old nanny, turned back to the Empress Dowager, and bowed to present the key.

The Empress Dowager stretched out her somewhat withered hand.

Her fingertips trembled almost imperceptibly the moment they touched the cold surface of the key.

Then she gripped the key tightly, the copper edges digging into her palm with a sharp pain.

The pain calmed her down a bit.

"The box wasn't brought back..." The Empress Dowager's voice rang out, trembling slightly as she tried to keep her tone steady. "It's good that the key was brought back."

"No matter the cost, we must find that box."

She raised her head, looked at the old nanny, and a fierce light flashed in her cloudy eyes: "And... that bastard must be killed."

"Yes, Your Majesty," the old nanny replied, bowing even lower. "What shall we do with Ye Qingmei's body?"

The Empress Dowager remained silent for a moment.

"Sigh..." She sighed deeply, her sigh filled with complex emotions, "She is, after all, the emperor's woman."

She closed her eyes again, her voice sounding weary: "I won't go see. Let the Emperor handle it when he returns."

"This old servant understands."

The old nanny responded, bowed again, and then turned and left the bedroom.

The palace doors were gently closed.

Only after confirming that the old nanny had gone far away did the Empress Dowager's straight back sag slightly.

The hand holding the key was trembling slightly, uncontrollably.

It wasn't excitement.

is afraid.

Even though Ye Qingmei had become a cold corpse, even though she was lying in the side courtyard of Chang Le Palace, the deep fear in her heart had not dissipated.

She knew all too well the power Ye Qingmei possessed when she was alive, and she also knew all too well how crazy those who were loyal to Ye Qingmei could be.

If the emperor hadn't given prior orders... she would never have allowed Ye Qingmei's body to be sent to the palace.

This body is a hot potato, a ticking time bomb.

"Eunuch Hong," the Empress Dowager suddenly spoke, her voice somewhat hoarse.

"This old servant is here." Hong Sixiang bowed slightly.

"Over there in the side courtyard..." The Empress Dowager didn't finish her sentence, but her meaning was already clear.

Hong Sixiang whispered, "Your Majesty, rest assured, they are all the most reliable people. The news will not leak out."

The Empress Dowager nodded and said nothing more.

She kept her eyes closed, but gripped the key in her hand tighter and tighter, the copper edges digging deep into the flesh of her palm.

……

The servants' quarters next to the small garden at Guangxin Palace.

Night had fallen, and outside the window, only the sound of the wind and the faint chirping of insects in the distance could be heard.

Li Yunrui did not allow Wu Feng to sleep in her bedroom tonight.

At this moment, Wu Feng was lying on the bed, wearing clean undergarments, but he could still smell that unique, rich fragrance.

A blend of rose, peony, and precious body fragrances...

The flavor seemed to have a life of its own, swirling around him in subtle, lingering ways.

He wondered if he would develop the same fragrance on his body if he bathed with Li Yunrui every now and then.

However, the process was extremely difficult.

Wu Feng rolled over, the bed creaking softly. He stared at the dark ceiling, silently repeating to himself:

Open the system panel.

A pale blue light curtain emerged in the darkness.

[Host: Wu Feng]

[Identity: Personal eunuch of the Eldest Princess]

[Cultivation Level: Rank 3]

[Exercise Method: Qi Stream]

[Skills: None]

[Mood Value: -2870]

[Item: Hidden Sand Projectile (Concealed Weapon)]

Wu Feng's eyes lit up when he saw the emotion value column.

-2870 points.

The debt owed to the system has already decreased to this number. At this rate, one more cycle... should clear it completely, right?

He felt a surge of excitement, but quickly suppressed it.

Don't be complacent.

I am still very weak. My third-grade cultivation level is not enough in this world.

Those true masters could crush him with a flick of their fingers.

We have to keep hiding.

Wu Feng repeatedly reminded himself of this.

Now that Ye Qingmei is dead, next... Emperor Qing and Fan Jian should be returning to the capital soon, along with Chen Pingping.

When these people return, the entire capital will once again be engulfed in bloodshed.

Fan Jian and Chen Pingping will definitely avenge Ye Qingmei, and Emperor Qing will also use them to purge the old nobles of Qing Kingdom, including the forces under the Empress.

During this time, he had to advise Li Yunrui not to provoke these people.

If she dares to interfere, she will definitely not get away with it.

but……

There are some things we can start preparing for now.

Wu Feng's eyes narrowed slightly in the darkness.

He didn't know if Emperor Qing would still entrust the management of the three major workshops in Jiangnan to Li Yunrui, just like before.

But he had to make sure Li Yunrui was ready.

Royal Treasury...

In the future, the surname must be Wu!

This idea took root in his mind and grew wildly like a vine.

The wind outside the window seemed to have picked up, making the leaves rustle.

The sound of the night watchman's drum drifted from afar, long and desolate, carrying far into the deep night.

At midnight, all was well and nothing happened.

He got up, sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began to circulate his Qi.

The vital energy flows slowly through the meridians, bringing a warm sensation. With each breath, the mind gradually calms down.