Dugong

Chapter 101 A Desperate Gamble

It rained for three days and three nights.

Eunuch Leng knelt outside the Imperial Study for three days, until he fainted outside the door, but he still failed to see the Emperor's face.

All the shrewd eunuchs in the palace knew that Eunuch Leng was about to lose power.

The eldest son, Eunuch Lai, reacted the fastest. Before Li Ping'an could even begin to frame him, he went to see His Majesty to report his godfather, Eunuch Leng, for embezzlement.

Liao Gonggong, the second son, was a step too slow and failed to take the lead. In order to save his life, he reported the crimes of Leng Gonggong's clan.

The other eunuchs each had their own methods, either reporting him or cursing him, and hurriedly cutting ties with Eunuch Leng.

"When Eunuch Leng 'brought down Chu,' he looked just like this. The ups and downs in the palace are a cycle!"

Li Ping'an once considered betraying his godfather and reporting him to Zhaoyang Palace, but he was too late; Consort Yuan had already miscarried.

into the night.

Return to Cining Palace.

Li Ping'an sat beside the Empress Dowager's phoenix couch, feigning sleep, his hands folded in front of his abdomen, the jade thumb ring on his thumb reflecting the palace lanterns.

Since the two became as close as grandfather and grandson, and the Empress Dowager granted him a seat, Li Ping'an no longer had to stand while serving her in the evenings.

The palace maids and eunuchs serving nearby stood bowing, not daring to slack off in the slightest.

Around the hour of Yin (3-5 AM).

A young woman, unable to resist her drowsiness, her eyelids heavy and drooping, tried her best to suppress her yawns, and secretly pinched her palms hard with her fingernails.

Li Ping'an raised his eyelids slightly and said softly, "Xiao Yizi, go to the imperial kitchen and check on things. Don't delay the Empress's breakfast."

Xiao Yizi's eyes showed gratitude, knowing that Steward An felt sorry for her hard work and specially sent her to the imperial kitchen to take a nap and rest.

It doesn't break the rules, and it maintains a respectable appearance.

Rumors were rampant outside that Chief Eunuch An was a ruthless butcher, but the eunuchs and maids of Cining Palace didn't believe it and were often taken care of by Chief Eunuch An.

Not only in the palace, but also when family members encountered difficulties, they would receive money.

Just as Xiao Yizi was about to bow and leave, he saw Eunuch Rong rushing in, so hurriedly that he made a thumping sound.

Li Ping'an immediately realized something serious had happened: "Eunuch Rong, what's going on?"

Eunuch Rong said in a deep voice, "I sent people to keep an eye on Kunning Palace. There was a commotion there just now, with at least a hundred people fighting. It seems someone wants to..."

Today is the first day of the fourth month. According to the established system, His Majesty stays in Kunning Palace on the first and fifteenth of each month.

Li Ping'an jumped up: "Is someone planning a rebellion?"

Eunuch Rong said, "Should we take some men to protect His Majesty?"

When unrest breaks out in the palace, according to regulations, each supervisor must summon his subordinates to stabilize the situation. They must not lead troops to rescue the emperor without being summoned, so as to avoid being taken advantage of by rebels.

At this time.

Empress Dowager Zhou awoke from her deep sleep and, upon hearing the conversation between the two, instructed, "Xiao Anzi, quickly take men to Kunning Palace to protect His Majesty."

"As Your Majesty commands."

Li Ping'an waved his hand to dismiss those around him and whispered, "Your Majesty, if the rebels are..."

Empress Dowager Zhou said softly, "Your Majesty was appointed by the late Emperor and has always been very respectful to me. Let bygones be bygones."

"I understand!"

Li Ping'an bowed and left the room. He summoned the old eunuch on duty, instructed Eunuch Rong to protect Cining Palace, and then led his men to rush towards Kunning Palace.

After a while.

A chaotic battle was taking place ahead, with the sounds of true energy clashing and roaring incessantly.

Li Ping'an leaped onto the rooftop near Kunning Palace, circulated his inner energy, and shouted loudly, "This servant has come to rescue Your Majesty by order of the Empress Dowager."

Soon, Eunuch Hai's voice came from inside the palace: "Eunuch An, His Majesty summons you."

"According to the order."

Li Ping'an bowed and accepted the order, then leaped to the outside of Kunning Palace. By the light of the palace lanterns, he saw two groups of eunuchs fighting each other.

One side had fewer people and was clearly at a disadvantage. Li Ping'an felt somewhat relieved, and after entering the hall, he kowtowed three times and prostrated himself nine times, shouting, "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

Emperor Yongning's face was ashen; even though the rebels had been defeated, his anger still surged uncontrollably.

Not long ago.

An arrow pierced through the window frame and struck the eunuch who was helping him change his clothes, missing Emperor Yongning by only two or three inches.

The arrowheads were coated with deadly poison; those who were hit died before the imperial physicians could arrive.

Emperor Yongning still felt lingering fear when he thought about this. He had only been on the throne for two years when he was assassinated, which would truly become a laughing stock in history.

"Little Anzi, is the Empress Dowager still safe and sound?"

Li Ping'an understood what His Majesty was asking and immediately replied, "Your Majesty, Her Majesty has ordered me to exterminate all traitors, regardless of who they are!"

Emperor Yongning's expression softened slightly: "The traitor in the palace is Eunuch Leng. He is a man without roots or descendants, yet he dares to commit such a heinous act. He must be in cahoots with others."

Li Ping'an was secretly shocked by the audacity of Eunuch Leng. As a eunuch, he dared to commit regicide and rebel. At most, he could only secretly imagine it.

I wouldn't even dare to dream about it, for fear of saying it out loud!
Li Ping'an squeezed out a few tears: "The man surnamed Leng is utterly rebellious! This servant will never share the same sky with him! I am willing to rid Your Majesty of this traitor!"

Emperor Yongning stared at Xiao Anzi for a long time, recalling his past work and embezzlement, and thought he seemed to be a loyal and virtuous official of the dynasty.

"I order you to investigate the traitor, not only within the palace, but also outside the palace!"

"According to the order."

Li Ping'an mustered his courage and asked, "Your Majesty, matters outside the palace have always been handled by the Zhenfu Division, this servant..."

Bang!
Emperor Yongning slammed his imperial inkstone to the ground and roared, "The entire Zhenfu Division is a bunch of useless trash! Tell Gong Jing to get here; I'm going to punish him!"

"The slaves retire."

Li Ping'an's lips curled up slightly. The day before yesterday, he heard Xiao Liangzi say that Gong Jing had impeached his family for embezzlement to His Majesty. He would take the opportunity to return the money today.

Even if the embezzlement wasn't concealed, and was deliberately shown to His Majesty, anyone who dared to impeach me would be punished.

Your Excellency is petty!
Li Ping'an glanced at the dozen or so old eunuchs around His Majesty. They were all familiar faces. They used to hang around in the Hidden Martial Pavilion, but now they had become his personal guards.

It was quite strange that Eunuch Wei was nowhere to be seen.

He bowed and left Kunning Palace. The fighting outside was nearing its end, and the victors were finishing off the remaining survivors one by one.

No trial was needed afterwards, and everyone involved suffered the consequences.

"Come with me to the Directorate of Ceremonial."

Li Ping'an led his men to the duty room of the Directorate of Ceremonial. Even after his desperate gamble failed, the power-hungry eunuch was reluctant to leave his chair.

really.

The duty room was empty, with only the corpse of Eunuch Leng sitting upright in a grand chair, his eyes wide open and blood flowing from his seven orifices.

"You died so easily, how am I supposed to explain this to His Majesty?"

Li Ping'an stepped forward and searched through Leng Gonggong's body, eventually finding a scroll in his sleeve with densely written names on it.

Upon closer inspection, I discovered that a name was missing.

He retrieved a calligraphy brush from the duty room, held it in Eunuch Leng's hand, and wrote his name, imitating the previous characters.

Zhou Shouyi.

"That's perfect!"

Li Ping'an used the Nine Yang Finger technique, and the writing dried instantly when he brushed it over. Without careful examination, it was no different from the names on the previous list.

He stuffed the book into his bosom, and instead of immediately returning to Kunning Palace, he went to the Imperial Horse Stable to gather all his subordinates. More than two hundred men marched in a grand procession to the North Palace Gate.

At this time, the imperial guards had already locked the palace gates, and no one was allowed to enter or leave.

Li Ping'an was quite familiar with Commander Yuan, and stepped forward to say, "Lord Yuan, I have been ordered to leave the palace to search for the traitor."

Commander Yuan sent someone to Kunning Palace to verify, and pulled Li Ping'an aside to whisper something to him.

"Eunuch An, I received a report from my subordinates that they recently saw the Prince of Ying lingering outside the palace..."

(End of this chapter)