Sword from the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 144 Autumn Moon over the Sui Palace, Imperial Language Master
Pei Qiantong's residence became increasingly noisy, and the lamps in the courtyard corridors were lit one by one.

The dim, yellowish light shone through the paper windows and evenly illuminated the dark houses.

Two figures in black were huddled together.

Because her face was covered by a veil, only her bright eyes were visible. She turned around and said softly, "The person is gone."

"Xiao Feng, I've been poisoned."

The girl smiled, utterly disbelieving: "What kind of poison is it?"

"Just now, a strange fragrance wafted over, which must have been the poison that the witch secretly poisoned. Now, my true energy is fluctuating so violently that it has affected my blood and qi, causing a feeling of heat."

Zhou Yi hugged her tightly with great seriousness, as if he were under some kind of inappropriate spell, which made the girl laugh.

Dugu Feng raised her jade hand, revealing a small section of her wrist, and fanned herself in front of him to cool him down, as if to dispel his heat.

Hearing the noise outside, Zhou Yi stopped arguing with her.

A search of the poisonous witch's body yielded some results.

They found a sachet that emitted a strange fragrance.

The sachet had a strange fragrance, like the smell of a burning charcoal stove. She also had a layer of perfume on her body, which cleverly masked the scent of the sachet.

Poisoning in this way is done without anyone knowing.

The sachet was opened, and the scent gradually faded, clearly indicating that it could not be stored for long.

Zhou Yi took a deep breath, carefully sensing the poison.

Those who cultivate Qi possess the ability to resist and expel poison. The Longevity True Qi makes one virtually immune to all poisons. His skill is even more profound, with such strong resistance to poison that he cannot even sense the nature of the poison.

"This poison is extremely insidious, making it impossible for people to gather their true energy, thus making it impossible to expel the poison."

Dugu Feng picked up the sachet again, brought it close to her nose, and confirmed that her perception was correct.

She had never seen such a poison before, and recalling it, her grandmother had never mentioned it either.

If one relies solely on the Dugu family's innate true energy to resist, and fails to detect the attack in time, one will inevitably fall victim.

It seems that both Hu'er and Third Uncle have been poisoned.

"This is one of the ten deadly poisons."

Knowing his profound knowledge and experience, Dugu Feng handed him the sachet.

Zhou Yi squeezed the sachet, then casually tossed it next to the voluptuous woman. He recalled the many pieces of information he had learned from his cousin and immediately thought of the person who matched the description.

"Anle is about a hundred miles northeast of Yinma Post Station, which is the last post station before Yuguan. If I'm not mistaken, this woman should be the proprietress of Yinma Hot Spring, known as the 'Sexy Lady.' She is a master of poisons in the Great Ming Zun Sect."

Great Ming Respectful Teachings
Dugu Feng was already very familiar with this name, and she knew the vast majority of things related to Zhou Yi.

“The houses next to that stone archway were all man-made. The Great Ming Venerable Sect sent so many people. They killed Lai Huer and then attacked my third uncle. It seems they are cooperating with the Yuwen family.”

There was a hint of seriousness in her eyes.

Zhou Yi pondered for a moment: "I'm afraid it's not that simple. I've dealt with the Northern Horse Gang in Nanyang City. The ordinary members of the Great Ming Zun Sect are far less skilled than those in the stone archway. Moreover, there are other tribes of grassland people among them."

How did you figure that out?

"Firstly, I've heard the Northern Horse Gang speak before, and their accents are different from those we just met. Secondly, neither of us revealed our presence, which is something that ordinary experts wouldn't be able to detect. It was only after a series of strange, incoherent words that someone attacked us."

Dugu Feng asked, "What is the second one?"

“I remember that a while ago, Li Erlang gave me a feather from a spirit hawk. The Turks are good at raising these flat-feathered birds. At night, several strange birds would fly around randomly. I didn’t pay attention to it at first. Now that I think about it, maybe they put them out to scout.”

Although it was just Zhou Yi's guess, Dugu Feng felt that the truth was probably like this.

Just then, the sound of horses neighing rang out from the Pei residence.

Something seemed to have happened. There were figures running outside, and the sounds were coming closer to the gate of the mansion, indicating that a large group of people had gone out.

Zhou Yi leaned against the door and peeked out through the window.

Dugu Feng pointed at Sao Niangzi.

Zhou Yi glanced at the corpse and felt sorry for Lai Huer.

In my memory, this general was killed by Yuwen Huaji's rebel army. It was better to die at the hands of the rebels than to die at the hands of the evil cult in the northern desert.

He had initially planned to leave the body there unattended, but then changed his mind and took the person with him when he left.

The people of the Great Ming Sect had just been chasing them and had clashed with Pei Qiantong's men.

This test revealed that the two families were not in cahoots.

Pei Qiantong was on good terms with Yuwen Huaji, but Yuwen Huaji had reservations about him.

They heard the sound of horses being harnessed outside.

Zhou Yi carried Sao Niangzi's corpse and Little Phoenix out of the Pei family mansion, following the Pei family's entourage.

The leader was a tall man in his fifties with a square face and an extremely serious expression.

He wore a close-fitting gray martial arts uniform, with a long sword slung across his shoulder, exuding a fierce aura.

This person was Pei Qiantong. Zhou Yi glanced at him and then looked away to avoid being recognized.

This guy opened the palace gates first, then rode to Chengxiang Hall, killed Dugu Sheng, and then captured the emperor in the West Pavilion.

As one of Yang Guang's five bodyguards, his skill was second only to Sima Dekan among the more than 100,000-strong Xiaoguo Army.

Judging from the direction they were running, they should be heading towards Lai Huer's direction.

The two families were not far apart, and there were several generals nearby. They heard the sound of horses' hooves from several directions, which meant they had all received news of Lai Huer's misfortune.

As they approached the "Lai Mansion," the area around the gate was as bright as day, with many people carrying lanterns.

The two could not get close because the rooftops were full of people.

Most people stood outside the door; only a few important figures were allowed inside.

A short while later, another group of people arrived.

Dugu Feng tugged at his arm, drawing his attention from the depths of the mansion to the entrance.

Zhou Yi recognized three of them.

It was a group of visitors who had come to the mansion that evening. They were now following a general clad in armor, whom Zhou Yi glanced at but had no recollection of.

"That's Linghu Xingda."

As soon as she spoke, Zhou Yi remembered Dugu Sheng's words and realized that he was a general in the Xiaoguo Army.

Not only that, it was this very person who, through his own hands, strangled Hirokami.

More and more people arrived at the gate of the Laifu Mansion.

They were discussing the matter of protecting their child when suddenly a loud "bang" came from the wide street.

"who?!"

Shouts and noises filled the air as numerous experts leaped across the rooftops, occupying various high points to survey the surrounding landscape.

However, no suspicious persons were found.

The people who came to the mansion found the source of the noise on the long street and discovered the corpse of the woman. They held up a lantern and examined her face.

The next moment, several stewards who had arrived at the manor shouted angrily in a shrill voice:

"It's her! It's that vixen!"

"It was this vixen who killed General Lai!"

"..."

As the commotion around the mansion grew louder, the entire long street was blocked off, and Zhou Yi and Dugu Feng were already on their way back.

By the time they approached the Dugu family's residence, it was already late at night.

There were hardly any pedestrians on the long street, but a vendor was selling Yangzhou soup dumplings by the roadside with a lamp lit up.

There were no customers at the stall, and Zhou Yi was feeling hungry, so he pulled Little Phoenix to sit down.

The stall owner, who was about sixty years old, was afraid of them even though he continued to do business.

"Your Majesties, this old man only has soup noodles here, no wine or meat."

Hearing his trembling voice, Zhou Yi said gently, "Don't panic. We're not robbers. Give us two bowls of soup noodles, and we won't shortchange you on copper coins."

"Yes Yes Yes"

Before long, the stall owner looked at the ground and carefully brought over the soup noodles.

"Please enjoy your meal, Your Majesties. I know the rules and will not care about your feelings."

He always had to remove his face towel before eating, fearing he would be murdered to silence him.

Zhou Yi waited until he turned his back, then asked while eating:

"It's so late, why aren't you packing up yet, old man?"

The stall owner sighed: "Business is tough these days. I can't afford to offend the military officers in the city. They often eat for free. Plus, the government collects tributes from me. I can only try to hold on."

He glanced at their backs and guessed that they weren't from the imperial government, otherwise they wouldn't be dressed like that.

That's when I couldn't help but grumble.

Zhou Yi said, "I heard that Jiangbei is very stable now. Why don't you do business there, father-in-law?"

The stall owner shook his head with a wry smile:

“Jiangbei is indeed peaceful. I have heard people talk about the good things about King Zhou, but I can’t find him in Jiangbei because my family is all here. Although the old house is dilapidated, it is an heirloom. In addition, I am getting old and do not want to be buried in a foreign land.”

"That's true."

Zhou Yi nodded in agreement. After eating one bowl of soup noodles, he ordered two more.

After the two finished their second bowl of soup noodles, Little Phoenix took out a few pieces of silver and placed them on the table.

Let alone four bowls, forty bowls would be enough.

The stall owner was both surprised and delighted. The two stood up and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Knowing he had met a generous bandit, he didn't even have time to say a word of thanks.

Do you know where that silver came from?

Zhou Yi initially wanted to say that she brought it, but upon seeing her expression, she immediately changed her mind:
"Could it have been taken from that slut's body?"

Little Phoenix lightly patted his arm and complained, "Can you not be so smart?"

He smiled again:
"I initially said I would get you some wine, but then I realized I didn't have any money with me. I was just wondering what I would do if you needed to get wine when you returned, and you, my lady, came to my rescue."

Zhou Yi said, "Just say it was lost during the fight. That year at Emperor Ding's tomb, didn't you give me all the gold and silver before you made your move?"

"You remember it so clearly."

"Of course I won't forget it."

The girl instinctively took his arm, and the two reminisced as they entered the Dugu residence.

When they arrived at the roof tiles of the pavilion in the backyard, Dugu Feng quickly shook off his arm.

A gust of wind rushed towards them, and they could already sense the sword energy that was about to be unleashed.

"Second Aunt, it's me."

Upon hearing her voice, Madam Zhang immediately stopped drawing her sword.

She glanced at the two of them suspiciously.

Finally, his gaze settled on Zhou Yi: "You are... Mr. Zhou?"

"Second Madam," Zhou Yi nodded and greeted her.

"Feng'er, where have you all been?"

Dugu Feng said, "Go investigate Third Uncle's whereabouts."

Madam Zhang looked at her face and saw that she looked solemn, so she knew that she had been overthinking it.

"I couldn't find you earlier, and I waited for a while. Now that I've seen you, I feel at ease."

Madam Zhang's voice was solemn:
"Don't act rashly these days. Postpone your uncle's matter for a few days. The city is currently treacherous and unpredictable. Even General Lai Huer died at home. You must not get into trouble."

Judging from her tone, she seemed to already understand Dugu Ba's fate.

However, she didn't seem sad at all.

"Did Second Uncle also come to the manor?"

"That's right. Someone just came to the manor to report this on horseback. Your second uncle was also extremely angry when he found out."

Madam Zhang said sternly:

"This matter is appalling. Whoever did it will pay a heavy price. As the saying goes, 'the rabbit mourns the fox's death,' let alone General Lai Huer. If he dies, doesn't that mean everyone is unsafe at home? Once we find out which force was responsible, they will surely wipe out the entire city."

Little Phoenix was quite composed; Zhou Yi didn't speak, so she simply responded with a single word.

Madam Zhang looked at Zhou Yi and said, "Mr. Zhou, you should rest early. We can discuss this again tomorrow when the Second Master returns."

Zhou Yi hummed in agreement and returned to his residence.

Even though they were sent by Grandma Dugu, it was impossible for them to stay in the inner courtyard rooms.

He walked out of a large courtyard, then turned left and walked through a long corridor before finally lying back down in his room.

Zhou Yi didn't rush to sleep, but instead repeatedly pondered the series of messages she had received that night.

The Great Ming Sect members are strange, as are the last things the seductive woman said.

Did Dugu Ba not get killed by her, and then go to the palace?

Zhou Yi was more inclined to believe that she had made this up to buy time before poisoning him.

I waited at the Dugu residence for three days.

No news was received from Zhang Xutuo, but the army's retaliatory actions were launched.

Xiangyunlou is related to the Baling Gang. On the surface, the Baling Gang has raised the banner of Yang Guang, so they should be able to rest easy in Jiangdu.

However, the Xiaoguo Army captured and killed all the managers of Xiangyun Tower, and the several thief dens near the stone archway were completely razed to the ground.

The Bamboo Flower Gang, which had been thriving in Jiangdu, was implicated and, coupled with rumors of their collusion with rebels, was wiped out of the Bamboo Flower Gang, which had been one of the eight gangs and ten associations in the past.

This was a warning to the Jianghu forces, given the large scale of the army within Jiangdu City.

No matter which faction you belong to in this world, we can raze you to the ground.

The seductive woman died in the Pei residence on the fifth day.

Zhou Yi, who was meditating and practicing martial arts, was invited to the inner hall, where Dugu Sheng brought the latest news from the palace.

"Zhang Xutuo's matter is a bit difficult to handle, or rather, it will take a long time to resolve."

"Why?"

When the old man saw Zhou Yi staring straight at him, his gaze shifted slightly: "His Majesty listened to my opinion, but did not agree."

"However, I feel that His Majesty's attitude is not so firm, and I can still find an opportunity to speak to him again."

Zhou Yi chuckled dryly: "The Imperial Censor and the Second Master have a good relationship, so why didn't he speak up for you?"

Dugu Sheng understood the unspoken meaning and knew that he was deliberately being sarcastic.

This kid really doesn't give me any face. If I hadn't called you here, I would have turned on you.

He hardened his heart, but his face showed a bit of embarrassment: "When Pei Yun and Yu Shiji heard me talk about this, they remained silent as if they were wooden or clay sculptures."

Dugu Sheng said dejectedly:

"You don't know this, but after Lai Huer's incident, some people linked him to Zhang Xutuo's army returning to the city, so they were afraid to speak up. In fact, that woman and Lai Huer had been in contact for more than a day or two. Third Brother knew that she was having an affair with Lai Huer, but he still went to her for excitement."

Zhou Yi pondered, "Which palace is His Majesty in right now?"

"Linjiang Palace, and I will stay there for a long time."

After Yang Guang ascended the throne, he ordered a large-scale construction project in Jiangdu, building the "Ten Palaces of Shugang" including Guiyan, Huiliu, and Songlin.

The most magnificent of them all is Linjiang Palace.

Dugu Shengdao:

"You wish to enter the palace to meet the Emperor? I can arrange it for you, but you must make it clear to me beforehand what you will say. There are many rules involved, and some things cannot be said in front of His Majesty."

"Okay, I'll make arrangements after I've thought it through."

After Zhou Yi finished speaking, he walked out of the inner hall.

Dugu Sheng wanted to speak, but seeing that he was thinking, he didn't disturb him.
……

On the northwestern hill of Yangzhou, a magnificent palace stands like a colossal crouching beast, overlooking the city lights.

Two figures in black, bathed in moonlight, stood silently watching from a hundred feet away from Linjiang Palace.

When Dugu Feng saw that the patrol team had changed, she immediately pulled Zhou Yi aside.

In a brief moment, avoiding the eyes of the guards above the palace walls, I arrived at the outer perimeter of Linjiang Palace. Below was a moat, and the palace walls, built of bluestone, formed a formidable fortress, protecting the luxury and power within.

Those skilled in light-footed martial arts could naturally enter the imperial palace.

However, if one is unfamiliar with the sentry duty system and the palace layout, it is extremely easy to be discovered. This was Zhou Yi's first time entering the palace. As soon as he crossed the palace wall, he saw the magnificent lights inside, and in the distance, a tall building soared into the clouds, with double eaves and a roof covered with glazed tiles. Inside the hall, there were huge pillars like a forest, their shafts covered with gorgeous gold powder.

Under the lights, it is also extremely dazzling.

This is the epitome of luxury.

"That's the Chengxiang Hall, the place for court assemblies and political discussions. The hall is heavily guarded, with many experts around it, so we have to go around it."

The little phoenix tugged at his hand, noticing his slight daze, and couldn't help but ask, "You really like it here?"

"Not really, because it was my first time seeing the imperial court, so I was naturally a bit curious."

Zhou Yi countered with, "What are your feelings about this place?"

"I was just disguised as a guard under my second uncle, walking around here with the Imperial Guards. I didn't really look around much."

The girl stopped talking, and the two of them went behind a rockery and concealed their presence.

A patrol of palace guards passed by.

"If you only want to see the scenery, next time we should come at dusk. Even if your eyesight is good now, it's not convenient to see the scenery when it's covered by night."

"Actually, I wanted to come to the palace to find your third uncle."

Dugu Feng's long hair, tied with a jade hairpin, swayed from side to side: "No need to think about it. If he were in the palace, how could Second Uncle not know? He has to go to the palace to work every day."

After the guards had gone far away, the two went up to the roof and slowly made their way into the palace.

They weren't moving very fast, and along the way they encountered many masters of light-footed skills who climbed to high places to observe the situation.

Fortunately, the palace was enormous, and the guards weren't just standing still. Thanks to their superb lightness skills, they didn't reveal any flaws, and no one else could detect them.

As Zhou Yi walked along the neat garden path, he saw many pillars carved with exotic flowers and beasts, their colors so vibrant they seemed to drip. As he walked through them, he felt a sense of familiarity, yet also a profound sense of strangeness.

If you're not careful, you'll get lost.

After walking for a while, the two of them couldn't help but look up.

Under the stars and moon, two large birds could be faintly seen circling in the air.

The hairy beast arrived suddenly; it only barked once before drawing the attention of the two men.

Some people in the palace also took notice.

But before he could shoot, the strange bird flapped its wings and flew away.

Suddenly, a loud thumping sound of footsteps came from behind, and someone shouted, "Over here, over here!"

The footsteps were extremely synchronized, indicating that they belonged to the elite Imperial Guards.

Zhou Yi heard a commotion and was led by Dugu Feng to the top of a tall building. Using the roof ornaments, they hid in the darkness, cleverly avoiding the gazes cast from afar.

That group of people wasn't chasing them; they didn't come to this slightly noisy place.

Zhou Yi moved a roof tile and looked down through the gap.

In the vast hall, figures moved about busily, footsteps, shouts, and the clatter of objects mingling together, like a never-ending busy beehive.

Steam rises like mist, filling the air, as various ingredients are being processed.

This is the imperial kitchen.

Zhou Yi smelled a fragrance and moved silently over several buildings.

Before long, they arrived at a room where the noise was much quieter. Although they could hear footsteps, there were only a few people moving around.

A high-pitched voice shouted:

"You all need to be careful with our household affairs. If the dishes, cakes, and pastries that the Empress requests are not to her liking, you'd better watch your heads."

"Yes Yes Yes"

The imperial chefs inside readily agreed.

Just then, footsteps approached from afar, and a tall, thin man with a simple, ancient face walked in. His eyes were extremely deep, giving people a feeling of indifference and ruthlessness.

But as he approached the imperial kitchen, the cold indifference in his eyes suddenly faded.

"Oh, Steward Yuwen~"

The previously arrogant chief eunuch now wore a fawning smile and greeted them.

"It turned out to be Eunuch Li."

Yuwen Huaji smiled coldly. Given his status and position, he had no need to feign politeness towards the eunuchs; he was simply in a good mood at the moment.

"The steward is here. I'll return to the inner palace to report now."

After Eunuch Li finished speaking, several eunuchs behind him bent over, picked up the food boxes, and followed him.

They didn't even dare to look Yuwen Huaji in the eye.

"Go to the kitchen and supervise the dishes to be presented to His Majesty."

"Yes."

The imperial kitchen staff dared not disobey and hurried off.

At this moment, besides Yuwen Huaji, only a beautiful woman remained in the hall.

"Zhenzhen~"

Upon hearing Yuwen Huaji utter those two words in an extremely gentle voice, Zhou Yi on the rooftop saw the little phoenix beside him widen its bright eyes, looking incredibly adorable.

Through the gap in the removed tile, the two looked down.

Surprisingly, the two people below were seen embracing each other in the imperial kitchen.

Yuwen Huaji wanted to get closer, but the woman gently pushed him away.

This clearly shows that Yuwen Huaji respected the woman's opinion very much.

“Things haven’t been peaceful in the palace lately, Zhenzhen, come with me.”

"Don't stay here, leave first, I'll think about it for a few more days."

"it is good."

Yuwen Huaji, having gone through something unknown, readily agreed. He gently stroked the woman's hand and then walked outside.

He paused noticeably when he reached the open space outside the imperial kitchen.

Then he suddenly turned around and looked straight up at the roof.

Just as Little Phoenix was about to draw her sword, Zhou Yi held her down.

Yuwen Huaji met Zhou Yi's gaze across the distance, but he did not use his Ice Profound Force.

Taking advantage of the situation, Zhou Yi jumped down from the rooftop and entered the hall in front of Yuwen Huaji and Wei Zhenzhen. He picked up a fat duck from a jade plate, then swaggered out and silently returned to the rooftop with a single leap.

Wei Zhenzhen covered her mouth, stunned by what she saw.

But then she saw Yuwen Huaji glance at the roof again and shake his head at her.

He seemed to have made a compromise, turning away without making a sound.

Then, Zhou Yi and Dugu Feng changed rooftops.

When the imperial chefs returned to the imperial kitchen, they discovered that the duck was missing. Remembering that Yuwen Huaji had been there, and that this important figure had greedily eaten a duck, they dared not make a sound.

"How is this going?"

While eating a duck leg, Little Phoenix asked, "And who is that woman? Yuwen Huaji is ignoring us because of a woman."

Zhou Yi spat out a duck bone: "He's worried we'll hurt that woman."

"I know, I'm just curious how they got together. Also, why did you choose this duck? I thought the fish was better."

"Then give me back my duck leg."

"No."

She gave a charming smile, then held her breath and crouched down with Zhou Yi to avoid the patrol team below.

After the guards left, Zhou Yi told her the general information he knew.

Little Phoenix remarked with a touch of emotion, "It's amazing that she's such a 'steamed bun beauty'."

"Actually, there are even more amazing things."

"What is it?"

"Have you ever considered that we snatched a fat duck from the imperial kitchen right in front of Yuwen Huaji, made him take the blame, and then..."

Zhou Yi pointed to the moon in the sky: "Then we went to the Sui Dynasty palace to admire the autumn moon together."

Dugu Feng only thought about the last sentence he said, and felt infinitely wonderful.

She couldn't help but move closer to Zhou Yi, grab his left hand and hug him, tilting her head to lean on his shoulder as she looked at the distant moon.

The girl smiled, her eyebrows curving like the crescent moon.

Zhou Yi picked up the duck again and took a bite.

Although the imperial chef's skill in preparing ducks was not as good as that of Prefect Duan of Runan County, this scene, like a myriad of events in life, gave him much to reminisce about.

at this time
After a series of shouts and cries of killing, a piece of music suddenly came from afar.

Someone is humming:
"The old Yangzhou is a place to linger, its pavilions and terraces are delightful to visit. Fragrant trees and wind-blown pavilions welcome the early summer, while long fields and wheat groves bid farewell to the remaining autumn."

The sound wasn't very clear, but you could still fill in the blanks in your mind.

It was Yang Guang who composed "Jiangdu Palace Music".

This beautiful imagery drew the attention of the two people on the rooftop.

Dugu Feng stood up and glanced at the scene: "Someone entered the palace before us and is being chased by the men of the Left and Right Guards' Offices."

She crouched down, and in the distance, there were several extremely fast whooshing sounds.

Then came screams.

"Should we leave?"

Little Phoenix looked at Zhou Yi and noticed that he was staring in the direction from which the music from Jiangdu Palace was coming.

"Let's go over there."

Dugu Feng looked at him seriously and realized that he wasn't joking.

"it is good."

They continued forward and came to the exquisitely crafted water palace, a wide, man-made imperial river that, like a green ribbon, shimmered in the moonlight and meandered through the gardens.

The music was coming from the pavilions and terraces within the water palace.

Most of the guards in the vicinity were lured away.

Nevertheless, they could still see many eunuchs and imperial guards in front of them. The two circled around the back of the water palace and finally reached the luxurious palace built with precious nanmu wood.

Above the five-story palace, a figure can be seen in the distance accompanied by nine jade-colored lamps, their light gleaming like precious glass.

He wore a tall crown and a robe with nine dragons.

A circle of palace maids danced gracefully around her, while further out, the musicians sang "Jiangdu Palace Music," their strings playing lightly and melodiously, their voices softly humming:

"Bluebirds float on the green pool, golden saddles leap beneath the fruit trees. Green wine cups are filled with the fragrance of rosy clouds, long sleeves and clear songs bring joy to the state."

Yang Guang, his eyes glazed over, sat at a nanmu wood table, drinking wine.

Suddenly, he looked up at the moon.

At that very moment, Zhou Yi was looking down from the rooftop. The distance between the two was less than four zhang, and with the palace lanterns shining brightly, they could each see each other's eyes clearly.

With a "click".

Yang Guang's hand trembled, knocking over and shattering a jade cup.

"Someone come here!"

He first roared, and all the palace maids around him were so frightened that they dared not raise their heads. In an instant, several eunuchs rushed over and knelt down on the ground: "Your Majesty."

Everyone lowered their heads, not daring to look up.

During this period, Yang Guang was capricious and no one dared to provoke him.

Therefore, I didn't see him looking up.

This time, the two locked eyes again.

"Get out of here. I need some peace and quiet."

"Yes~!"

Those talented people came to sing, but they did whatever His Majesty said.

Several eunuchs picked up the broken jade cup from the ground, quickly wiped the wine off with their sleeves, and then took their leave.

These people had just descended to the fourth floor when a dark figure fell down, followed by another dark figure.

Yang Guang stared coldly at the two men in black.

The person in front lifted his mask, revealing a young and handsome face.

"Your Majesty, greetings."

This strange greeting made Yang Guang frown. He was around fifty years old, pale-faced, and looked very weak.

Yet he possessed an indescribable aura.

With that furrowed brow, he revealed an angry expression that was enough to terrify any courtier or military general in the land.

However, the young man smiled faintly and was not moved by his anger.

"If you don't bow to me, aren't you afraid I'll kill you?"

Yang Guang stared at him and listened as he said, "Tang Ju once told the King of Qin, 'If a scholar is truly enraged, two corpses will lie on the ground, blood will flow five steps, and the world will be shrouded in mourning. Today is such a day.' Your Majesty, I am a hundred times more formidable than that Tang Ju."

Yang Guang poured himself a drink: "I just ordered someone to arrest you. What are you going to do about it?"

Zhou Yi said, "The wind rises from the tip of a blade of grass, and I travel the world, riding the wind, coming and going freely."

Yang Guang snorted: "Such a young age, yet you have quite the big mouth."

Zhou Yi was somewhat puzzled: "Why didn't Your Majesty call for someone else, but instead summoned me down?"

"If you wanted to assassinate me, you would have done it long ago. Why wait for me to call for help? However, if it were ten months ago, I would have had you killed. It is only tonight that you have the opportunity to sit and talk with me."

Zhou Yi shook his head: "If that's the case, Your Majesty will also lose the opportunity to sit down and talk with me."

"Who are you?"

"A man who has been summoned to die for the Great Sui Dynasty."

Yang Guang gasped for breath upon hearing this, glaring at him angrily: "You think you can take me on?"

“The fall of the empire is not something that can be accomplished by one person alone,” Zhou Yi shook his head, “but now that I am sitting across from His Majesty, His Majesty is truly the only one left in the world.”

"Those who follow the Way receive much help, while those who stray from the Way receive little help. When help is scarce, even relatives turn against them. When help is abundant, the whole world submits to them."

Yang Guang drank a cup of wine, and his anger subsided.

He looked him over carefully: "You must be Zhou Yi?"

Zhou Yi was slightly surprised: "It seems that His Majesty's eyes and ears have not been blocked."

"Who can shut my eyes and ears?"

Yang Guang's pale face carried a hint of arrogance from the bottom of his bones: "In the eighth year of Kaihuang, I was nineteen years old. My father appointed me as the commander of the Sui army to attack the Chen Kingdom. A year later, the Chen Kingdom was wiped out and the last emperor of Chen, Chen Shubao, was captured alive."

A year later, numerous rebellions broke out in Jiangnan. My father dispatched Yang Su, Mai Tiezhang, Lai Huer, and Shi Wansui to quell the rebellions. He appointed me as the Grand Administrator of Yangzhou. At that time, I lived a simple life, treated scholars with respect, and diligently governed Yangzhou. Who in the court and among the people did not approve of my efforts?

"only"

"Having ascended the throne and ruled the world, no one dares to disobey, and you control the life and death of everyone. You speak so eloquently before me, but you simply do not understand what it means to be the ruler of all under heaven."

"At such times, who can suppress their nature? There can be no perfect emperor in this world."

After he finished speaking, he gave a self-deprecating laugh: "It's both laughable and amusing that I'm talking about these things with a clueless kid like you."

"Come, you great traitor of Jianghuai, I'll treat you to a cup of wine."

Yang Guang opened a white jade cup and poured a cup of wine for Zhou Yi.

Suddenly, he revealed a meaningful smile.

"What, am I wrong?"

"Your Majesty may be right, but to me, he must be wrong."

On Yang Guang's pale face, his dragon eyes suddenly turned stern as he stared intently at the young man speaking before him.

"I have no interest in Your Majesty's position. Throughout history, many emperors have sought immortality and longevity in their old age."

"but me"

Zhou Yi downed his drink in one gulp: "I'm pursuing it right now."

……

(End of this chapter)