Chapter 255: Palace

For those within the palace, the night of New Year’s Day was even more festive and bustling than New Year’s Eve.

On New Year’s Eve, one had to offer sacrifices to ancestors and pray, while New Year’s Day was the true day for celebration and relaxation.

The little eunuch Ze Wei threaded through the giggling Concubines and members of the imperial family; this was a private royal gathering where court officials were not invited, and those attending were all the Emperor’s own family.

The banquet dishes exhausted all human imagination of luxury, with golden cups and jade vessels filled with fine wine brewed from fine Demon blood, named “Raga Nectar”, a brewing technique originating from the largest Sect in Nanzhan Buzhou.

The little eunuch Ze Wei pretended to be tidying the cups and plates, but the corner of her eye was constantly searching through the crowd without a trace.

Strange.

In this banquet served only for the imperial family, why had the Protagonist delayed his appearance for so long?

Where was Emperor Jing?

With Emperor Jing’s nature of craving greatness and success, he could never be absent from the annual banquets; he wished he could broadcast to the subjects of the entire world every day, announcing what grand achievements he had made this year.

Of course, he would not mention a single word about the commoner victims on that path of building his legacy.

Off-topic.

Emperor Jing’s delay made “little eunuch Ze Wei” feel a bit uneasy, because her real name was not Ze Wei, but Qiao Xiaoxian.

After spending many days, she had finally found a rare and strange poison that was not in the palace’s poison records.

Thus, she decided to take advantage of this New Year’s banquet to disguise herself as a little eunuch to approach Emperor Jing and complete her Mission.

Qiao Xiaoxian looked up at the position of the moon; if Emperor Jing did not appear within another half a quarter-hour, she would have to leave.

The situation had changed; Emperor Jing’s lateness was beyond her expectations.

Suddenly, a group of Imperial Guard burst into the banquet scene.

They moved swiftly and discreetly, not disturbing the atmosphere of the banquet, but simply locked their eyes on every eunuch in the field!

Bad!

Obviously, her identity had been exposed.

Moreover, with the other party capturing people so purposefully, it was likely not a problem with her disguise, but rather a mole who had leaked information among the subordinates of Lord Yuwen Zhiji.

Qiao Xiaoxian remained calm, as if she had noticed nothing, but her thoughts were racing in her mind.

She had received the assistance of Yuwen Zhiji, the Junior Supervisor of the Palace Administration Department, when she sneaked into the palace, so Yuwen Zhiji and his aides knew her plan… however, fewer than five people knew about this matter.

Fortunately, she had kept a trick up her sleeve.

They knew about her assassination plan and knew she would disguise herself as a eunuch to carry out the plan, but they did not know who she had disguised herself as.

Therefore, the Imperial Guard who burst in here could only capture all the eunuchs present.

However, in order not to disturb the banquet, they did not dare to capture people with great fanfare, and could only slowly “invite” them away one by one.

Qiao Xiaoxian quietly retreated in the opposite direction of the Imperial Guard.

The eunuchs in the field all followed the Imperial Guard away with bewildered expressions to undergo investigation.

Qiao Xiaoxian’s range of activity was gradually compressed, yet she still could not think of any good strategy.

The palace was a critical area, and there were naturally countermeasures against the Underworld Province Cauldron; if she used it rashly in front of everyone, she would probably be killed on the spot.

Now only she was left.

A group of black-armored Imperial Guard walked slowly toward her, every step bringing a suffocating pressure of death.

Qiao Xiaoxian was still clearing the plates when a black-armored Imperial Guard grabbed her arm.

She looked up, her face carrying five parts bewilderment and five parts terror.

In the palace, it was rarely a good thing when the Imperial Guard came knocking, so it was only natural for a little eunuch to feel fear; it would be strange if they weren’t afraid.

The black-armored Imperial Guard gave a disdainful smile: “It’s nothing major. I just have a few questions for you. Quit the yapping and just come with me.”

Qiao Xiaoxian nodded quickly, hurriedly wiping her slightly greasy hands on her hem, and then followed the Imperial Guard away silently, appearing to be dazed with fear.

Outside the banquet venue, a crowd of eunuchs was already standing there, each with a panicked expression; some with poor mental fortitude were even crying for their parents, scared into wetting their pants on the spot.

“Move.”

A group of black-armored Imperial Guard surrounded these eunuchs, shoving them to move forward.

The eunuchs were driven to the palace city area, which was the place where Emperor Jing lived his daily life.

That figure had already been waiting here for a long time.

Emperor Jing did not have the decadent bloat of someone who had lived in the palace in luxury for a long time; he was tall and robust, and his short beard gave him a masculine aura of dignity without needing to be angry.

His gaze was full of aggression, as if he were in a state of combat readiness at all times, prepared to meet any sudden killing intent from the surroundings.

When the eunuchs saw Emperor Jing, they hurriedly knelt down with a thud, their bodies trembling as they shouted Long live at the top of their lungs.

Emperor Jing raised his hand to stop the sound and scanned the eunuchs below the stage.

“Blue Shadow, the greatest assassin under heaven?” Emperor Jing gave a faint, indifferent smile. “A pity. You chose the wrong target this time.”

The eunuchs looked at each other, not understanding what Emperor Jing was talking about.

Only Qiao Xiaoxian understood perfectly, and her heart sank to the bottom accordingly.

The other party had sold her out completely. Blue Shadow was her Killer code name. Fortunately, she did not fully trust Yuwen Zhiji and had never used her true face or name to contact him, otherwise Emperor Jing would probably already know her real name by now.

“However, the Great Si State is currently in dire need of talent. We appreciate your capabilities and are willing to grant you one more chance.” Emperor Jing sat in his chair as a palace maid handed him a cup of warm tea.

“Step forward now and pledge your fealty to Great Si. From this day forth, the position of Commander of the Imperial Guard shall be yours.”

Imperial Guard Commander?

The Imperial Guard present were all shaken; that was one of the top positions in the court, with treatment no weaker than that of a grand official like a Prime Minister or a Duke!

What kind of person could deserve such a heavy promise from Emperor Jing?

“If you persist in your misguided ways,” Emperor Jing sighed softly, shaking his head.

“The fate that awaits traitors and rebels is something you know all too well.”

Schwing!

The weapons in the hands of the surrounding black-armored Imperial Guard suddenly unsheathed in unison, held against the necks of the eunuchs in the front row.

Those eunuchs did not even have time to let out a cry before their throats were slit.

Their windpipes were cut open, making a rasping sound from their throats as they clutched their necks, falling to the ground in despair and twitching.

Qiao Xiaoxian’s heart felt icy.

Obviously, Emperor Jing did not intend to dwell on the question of which eunuch is Lanying.

Bottom-level eunuchs and palace maids were merely consumables in the palace that could be crushed to death at any time; Emperor Jing did not care about whether they lived or died.

Instead of wasting energy looking for the Killer Blue Shadow, it was better to just kill all these eunuchs directly; that was simpler and more convenient, and there would definitely be no omissions.

“Your Majesty, spare my life!”

The cries of the eunuchs mixed together, and blood spread across the pure white stone bricks. Within the palace city and before the Great Hall, the scene was as frantic as a human Hell.

Yet Qiao Xiaoxian still could not think of a countermeasure.

Thanks to that traitor, all the high-end combat forces within the Jiangdu Imperial City were now gathered here, cutting off all possibilities of her escape.

Moreover, she had already lost her Honored One strength at this moment; even if she wanted to fight to the death, she was not qualified.

She sighed softly and closed her eyes.