CHAPTER 59: CHAPTER 58: AUDIENCE WITH THE EMPEROR

Due to her need to keep her identity hidden, the carriage left at the post station earlier could only be retrieved later. Zhu Yu had to travel back to the capital on horseback the entire way.

She could ride a horse, but that didn’t mean she enjoyed it.

Whether in the past or present, it was the first time she had ridden a horse for such a long distance. She originally thought it would be quite gallant, but after riding for most of the day, she felt her thighs aching and her backside almost bruised by the saddle.

Arriving at the capital was a relief, and she thought it would be the end of her involvement. To her surprise, Lu Qing had no intention of letting her leave alone, and she could only continue on horseback alongside him, not knowing where they were headed.

As they traveled along, she vaguely felt something was amiss.

The road ahead became increasingly wide, yet not a soul could be seen, and the surrounding silence made the sound of horse hooves particularly distinct.

After traveling a bit further, Zhu Yu finally understood—they were directly escorting Li Wencai to the Imperial Palace!

Zhu Yu’s heart began to race. She looked down at the black battle outfit she was wearing, reassuring herself that there was nothing amiss. After taking a couple of deep breaths, she finally managed to steady herself a little.

While her father was a Vassal King and quite a prominent figure in Shuo Country, he was somewhat overshadowed in front of Emperor Jin, the Sovereign of the World.

Moreover, Prince Shuo Zhu Cheng had a straightforward character, abundant in roughness but lacking in subtlety, allowing one to interact with him directly without much need for vigilance.

Emperor Jin, however, was different.

There were many rumors about Emperor Jin, and Zhu Yu had heard more than she could count on one hand.

No matter how much disparity there was between those accounts, they all shared a common point—his thoughts were unfathomable and he was deeply suspicious, impossible for anyone to predict his likes and dislikes.

He could be drinking and laughing with you one moment, then suddenly change demeanor and seize upon a mistake to have you executed in the next.

Zhu Yu believed that anyone who climbed over a mountain of corpses and rivers of blood to finally ascend the throne was certainly not a simple character. She couldn’t help but worry, wondering if following Lu Qing into the palace was truly a wise decision.

A large group of them headed over, and the Imperial Guard outside the palace noticed the grand procession from afar, immediately on alert. As they drew near and recognized the gold mask on Lu Qing’s face, they calmed down, lowering the iron spears they had raised as they saluted Lu Qing.

"Lord Imperial Censor, His Majesty instructed that if you came, to leave the accompanying imperial guard and the prisoner outside the palace gates, bringing only a few personal attendants into the palace.

His Majesty is waiting for you in the South Study Room." The one guarding the palace gate was a Junior Minister from the Weiwei Temple, clad in silver armor, already quite familiar with the Golden-faced Imperial Censor and relayed the Emperor’s instructions after a simple greeting between the two.

Lu Qing nodded, directing the imperial guard and prison carriage to stay behind while Zhu Yu and the Fu family brothers followed him into the palace.

The four dismounted at the palace gate and walked inside, where eunuchs had long been waiting, leading the four straight to the South Study Room upon their entrance.

Zhu Yu was finally able to dismount and walk, finding it rather enjoyable, though she couldn’t help but question the situation in her mind.

She was certain that from the day before and throughout the journey, Lu Qing had never attempted to send word back to the capital ahead of time in any form, nor mentioned any intentions to enter the palace directly to anyone.

It was already approaching 9 p.m., yet both the Junior Minister from the Weiwei Temple, responsible for the night watch, and the palace eunuchs were aware of the Golden-faced Imperial Censor’s impending arrival.

This naturally indicated one thing—that the mysterious Chifu Guard was indeed not just for show, nor were they under Lu Qing’s command.

The interior of the palace was very quiet, and Zhu Yu did not dare to relax even a bit, following closely behind Lu Qing in step. The four were soon led to the exterior of the South Study Room.

Inside the South Study Room, the lights were blazing, and a middle-aged eunuch, pale and beardless, came forward from afar with a cordial smile on his face: "Old servant pays respects to Lord Imperial Censor!

The Holy Emperor, upon hearing of your arrival, has been reviewing memorials here, waiting for you. He had ordered the old servant to prepare hot tea long ago, just awaiting your presence!

The esteemed censor must be weary from the journey, and it’s quite late at night. Later, please help the old servant persuade His Majesty to rest early, as those memorials can never all be reviewed!"

Zhu Yu covertly observed the eunuch from behind her mask.

Though spoken softly, the eunuch was clearly hinting at Lu Qing not to stay long for discussions with Emperor Jin, suggesting he should wisely keep it brief and leave promptly.

This piqued Zhu Yu’s curiosity.

The fact that Lu Qing, the Prince Xiaoyao, was also the Golden-faced Imperial Censor, was undoubtedly known to Emperor Jin. But did the eunuch serving by his side know this as well?

A eunuch who dared to hint at the Golden-faced Imperial Censor, appointed personally by the Emperor, to not linger, certainly had courage in abundance.

Lu Qing remained silent, stepping past the eunuch to the door, crossing the high threshold to enter.

The South Study Room was not large, its layout simple, with a massive desk piled with memorials. Emperor Jin, in a dark gold informal robe, sat behind the desk, poring over them. Upon hearing Lu Qing’s entrance, he looked up toward the door, his face breaking into a remarkably warm smile.

Lu Qing bowed in respect, performing the subjects’ salute, and behind him, Zhu Yu followed, imitating the talisman-like Fu Lu with precision in her movements.

"You have worked hard, beloved subject, no need for formalities. Someone, bring a seat!" Emperor Jin signaled to the eunuch beside him.

"Your Majesty, I merely performed my duty." The voice behind Lu Qing’s mask remained low and emotionless, as if unfamiliar with Emperor Jin, "This time at the Qingshui County under Congzhou Prefecture, I made significant gains, so much so that I couldn’t wait for the morning court and hurried to the palace tonight to report to You, Majesty."

As he spoke, he retrieved three account books previously confiscated from Li Wencai’s study, slightly bending forward, raising the books above his head.

Emperor Jin gestured, and the eunuch hurriedly stepped forward to receive the books from Lu Qing, laying them on Emperor Jin’s desk.

Emperor Jin took them and began skimming through.

Zhu Yu also took the opportunity to muster her courage to glance sneakily at the Sovereign of the World.

Though seated, the Emperor’s broad shoulders and robust form suggested that he was quite tall, likely due to his past experiences on the battlefield. Even now, at fifty or so, he still appeared strong, showing no sign of the usual fatigue common in older folks, nor did he have the pallor typical of those often dwelling indoors but rather a ruddy complexion, his eyes sharp and piercing.

At that moment, as he perused Li Wencai’s accounts, he occasionally furrowed his brow, a glint of harshness crossing his eyes, which then quickly faded.

When he finished reviewing the three sets of accounts, Emperor Jin gave a cold snort, suddenly raising a hand and forcefully slamming the books onto the ground in front of the desk. The loud sound startled Zhu Yu, who was standing behind Lu Qing, and caused several attending eunuchs to shudder and quickly kneel, unsure of what to do.