N-A-A Chapter 2 Assassination?
Chapter 2 Assassination?
After counting the money, Wu Feng carefully hid it in the gap under the bed board.
Then, as Steward Mei had said, he had to go to the miscellaneous servants' office to get some ointment.
The Miscellaneous Service Office was located on the west side of the palace, consisting of a row of low, gray-tiled houses.
Various clothes were drying in the courtyard, and several maids were washing them, the sound of wooden mallets hitting the clothes making a "clack-clack" sound.
Wu Feng found the eunuch in charge of the ointment and mentioned the name of Guangxin Palace.
The little eunuch, who had been lazily leaning against the door frame, raised his eyelids upon hearing "Guangxin Palace," glanced at Wu Feng a few times, and without saying much, turned around and took out a small brown pottery jar from the room and handed it over.
"Use it sparingly," the little eunuch said in a high-pitched voice. "Come back for another one in three days."
"Thank you, Eunuch." Wu Feng accepted the gift and bowed in thanks.
He breathed a slight sigh of relief as he left the miscellaneous services department. It seemed that Steward Mei had indeed made arrangements; this time, no one would give him a hard time.
Back in his small room at Guangxin Palace, Wu Feng closed the door and undressed.
He opened the earthenware jar, inside was a pale green ointment, with a cool, herbal scent.
I scooped out a piece with my finger and carefully applied it to the wound. The ointment felt cool to the touch, and the pain seemed to subside somewhat.
After applying the medicine, he got dressed again and lay down on the bed.
The sky outside the window was gradually darkening.
And so began my days at Guangxin Palace.
Time passed day by day.
Wu Feng gets up before dawn every day, first goes to the servants' quarters to get breakfast, and after eating, he returns to the small garden to prune branches, weed, and water.
Manager Mei would come to check on him every two or three days. Seeing that he was doing his work carefully and that the flowers and plants were growing well, she wouldn't say much.
For nearly ten days, Wu Feng's injuries gradually improved under the care of the ointment.
The bruises have faded, and although there is still some lingering pain in my ribs, it is no longer a serious problem.
Guangxin Palace was indeed quieter than the Imperial Garden. Apart from tending to the flowers and plants, he had almost nothing to do.
The palace maids each performed their duties, and no one bothered him.
The eldest princess rarely left her home, and Wu Feng had only seen her a few times from afar, never getting close.
Life was peaceful to the point of being tranquil.
But Wu Feng felt increasingly resentful.
Am I really going to be a gardener here for the rest of my life?
Lying on the hard bed at night, he stared at the dark ceiling and felt a tightness in his chest.
When others transmigrate, they become princes or heirs, or at the very least, villains of some importance. How did he end up as a lowly eunuch, a menial servant?
He's not even a complete man.
If other time travelers knew this, they would probably laugh their heads off.
He turned over, and the bed creaked.
No, this can't go on.
This world is ultimately a world of force.
Joy of Life features internal energy, martial arts techniques, and highly skilled martial artists. A ninth-rank master can dominate the army, while an eighth-rank master is already a top-tier figure in the martial arts world.
He remembered that Hong Sixiang was a eunuch, and that he practiced the special techniques for eunuchs, and that his cultivation was unfathomable.
However, it seems that eunuchs cannot break through to the Grandmaster level; even Hong Sixiang never crossed that threshold before his death.
Even if one cannot break through to the Grandmaster level, reaching the eighth or ninth rank would still provide the ability to protect oneself.
In this world, even a Grandmaster who cannot break through is ultimately an ant, but an ant of the eighth or ninth rank is still a hundred times stronger than him, a powerless eunuch.
At least, they now have the confidence to perish together with certain people.
But... where can I get the cultivation techniques?
The imperial palace must have a library, perhaps containing martial arts manuals.
But he was just a lowly eunuch, not even qualified to get close.
Hong Sixiang's martial arts technique? That old eunuch seems to be a confidant of the Empress Dowager, living a secluded life, and he can't even get a glimpse of him.
Just then, I heard footsteps outside the window.
Wu Feng immediately held his breath, quietly sat up from the bed, moved to the window, and looked out through the crack.
Night had fallen, and a row of lanterns appeared on the palace road as they drew nearer.
The eldest princess has returned.
Surrounded by nine palace maids, the figure in the middle, dressed in a pale yellow palace gown, appeared hazy in the dim light of the lanterns.
As they got closer, Wu Feng could see Li Yunrui's face.
Very beautiful.
Even from a distance, even with blurred light and shadow, one could still see that her eyebrows and eyes were exquisitely beautiful, her skin was fair, and her figure was slender.
At this moment, however, his face was expressionless, his lips were pressed tightly together, and his eyes were as cold as ice.
She walked very fast, her skirt fluttering, and the palace maids behind her had to jog to keep up.
As the lantern light shone across her face, Wu Feng saw that her brows were furrowed, her lips were turned down, and her whole face was taut like a fully drawn bow.
I'm in a terrible mood.
Wu Feng pulled his head back, lay back on the bed, and felt his heart beating a little fast.
He dared not look any longer.
……
Over the past few days, he has gradually figured out the current timeline.
Emperor Qing had not yet returned from his campaign against the Western Hu, and the atmosphere in the palace was somewhat tense. And Ye Qingmei… was still alive.
It should be sixteen years before the start of the story.
The main hall wasn't far from the small garden; it was quiet at night, with only occasional noises. Wu Feng forced himself to stop thinking about it and closed his eyes.
The matter of cultivation requires careful consideration.
……
Meanwhile, the main hall of Guangxin Palace was brightly lit.
Li Yunrui sat before her dressing table, her beautiful face reflected in the bronze mirror. But the woman in the mirror was heaving violently, her breathing rapid and heavy.
She grabbed a white jade comb from the stage and smashed it on the ground with a "thud".
The comb shattered instantly.
"Ye Qingmei..." she squeezed out the name through gritted teeth, her voice soft and cold, like a viper spitting its tongue.
She was pampered from a young age. When she was in the royal palace, her father doted on her, her brother indulged her, and everyone in the palace fawned over her.
But everything changed when that woman appeared.
The king's eyes held admiration when he looked at Ye Qingmei, his elder brother's eyes held infatuation, and even the old servants in the palace spoke of Ye Qingmei with reverence.
On what grounds?
Now, my elder brother has ascended the throne and become the Emperor of Qing.
She also established the Junshan Society, painstakingly managing it and recruiting experts, all in an effort to help her brother and prove that she was no less capable than Ye Qingmei.
But now, Ye Qingmei's Supervisory Council is powerful and influential, while Junshan Society can only hide in the shadows, like a rat in a gutter.
She hated it! She was unwilling to accept it!
With the emperor personally leading the expedition, the defenses of Taiping Villa were weak. She thought her opportunity had arrived and sent four ninth-rank experts to kill Ye Qingmei.
As a result, three people were eliminated.
Three ninth-rank warriors! Most of the top combat power of the Junshan Society is gone just like that.
"Your Highness." Chunmei, the personal maid, approached cautiously, her voice extremely low, "Huang Yi was seriously injured this time. That blind servant by Ye Qingmei's side is too strong; our people are no match for him at all."
Li Yunrui remained silent.
The face in the bronze mirror slowly changed.
The anger gradually subsided, the corners of his mouth began to curve upwards, his eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a smile.
The smile was beautiful, yet it held an inexplicable strangeness. Like a flower in full bloom, about to wither and decay in the next moment.
"Never mind." Her voice suddenly softened, even carrying a hint of allure. "I'm not in a hurry."
Chunmei lowered her head, not daring to look at the expression on the face in the mirror.
"I'm not the only one who wants her dead." Li Yunrui stretched out her slender fingers and gently stroked her cheek, her eyes glazed over. "This time... I don't believe those two in the palace can hold back."
She paused, her voice softening further: "Let Huang Yi and the others return to Junshan to recover. As for what happens next... we won't get involved."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Chunmei bowed and withdrew.
The hall returned to silence.
Li Yunrui looked at herself in the mirror, the smile on her lips growing deeper, but her eyes were icy cold.
……
The next morning, around 5:30 AM.
Wu Feng got up on time.
After washing up, he had breakfast at the servants' quarters. Back at Guangxin Palace, he first took a stroll in the small garden.
The flowers and plants are growing well. The winter plum blossoms are almost finished blooming, the peonies are in full bloom, and the roses have formed many buds. A faint fragrance floats in the air.
He went into the low tool shed by the garden to get pruning shears and a bamboo basket.
The tool shed was narrow, barely wide enough for one person to turn around.
On the wall hung scissors of various sizes, flower shovels, and watering cans, while on the ground were several bamboo baskets and burlap sacks.
Wu Feng took off his usual pair of scissors, picked up a bamboo basket, and turned to leave...
My steps faltered.
Several people had appeared on the palace path leading down from the small garden.
The one in the lead, dressed in a pale yellow palace gown, with her long hair loosely tied up, was standing in front of a cluster of peonies.
The spring morning light shone on her, outlining her slender waist and full breasts. Her profile was translucent in the light, and her eyelashes were very long.
It is Princess Li Yunrui.
Wu Feng's heart skipped a beat, and he tightened his grip on the scissors.
He stood inside the dimly lit tool shed, unable to move forward or backward.