The Perilous Palace Dream - Chapter 30
Chapter 30
The young emperor hadn’t expected her flattery to backfire.
She could only let out an awkward chuckle—how could she possibly admit to the Grand Tutor that she enjoyed reading those frivolous, salacious books?
Grand Tutor Wei narrowed his eyes, his handsome face frosty down to the tip of his nose.
Here was this delicate, refined youth, cultivated in the palace for over a decade, his every movement exuding an ineffable nobility—yet he had the audacity to utter the phrase “little slut” with such a straight face.
It was enough to drive anyone mad.
Who would’ve thought this brat’s sharp tongue had grown even more vicious? If any other woman had been so sarcastic, the Grand Tutor would’ve long been fed up.
But when it came to this little dragon pearl, such flaws only stirred affection in his heart.
All he wanted was to seal those petal-soft lips with his own, to fiercely entangle that clever little tongue…
And indeed, the Grand Tutor did just that.
He sealed the emperor’s mouth in a punishing kiss, not relenting until the figure in his arms was gasping for breath before finally pulling away with reluctance.
“When this humble subject serves His Majesty, why does the Emperor forget to breathe? If you were to pass out from lack of air, how could I possibly explain to the imperial physicians that the Emperor fainted from being kissed?”
“You—!” Nie Qinglin’s face was indeed flushed red, her sharp tongue temporarily silenced, not daring to provoke the Grand Tutor further.
Just then, Eunuch Ruan quietly announced outside the tent that the Ministry of War had delivered urgent documents requiring the Grand Tutor and Minister Shang to return and handle them.
The horse race had mostly concluded, and the remaining events were primarily arranged for the noblewomen’s entertainment.
To allow these sheltered ladies to enjoy themselves, most of the men had already left.
After Grand Tutor Wei departed, Nie Qinglin also prepared to return to the palace.
The official road had been sealed off days prior.
The advance guard had combed through every patch of grass like a sieve to ensure the Emperor’s procession could pass safely.
This area wasn’t far from the capital, nor was it particularly desolate, so while the guards remained vigilant, they knew the likelihood of danger was slim.
The route back to the palace from Swallow Lake required passing a mountain curve.
Though the road was wide enough for two carriages side by side, the Emperor’s slightly broader carriage blocked the entire passage when passing through.
As the procession reached this point, Nie Qinglin, seated inside the carriage, suddenly heard a metallic clank, followed by a violent jolt that nearly threw her from her seat.
Then came the clamor of shouts and chaos.
“Assassins! Protect the Emperor!”
Commander Lu Wenba’s voice rang out as he blew the emergency signal, hoping Grand Tutor Wei’s troops ahead would hear and return to reinforce them.
Unbeknownst to them, iron hooks had been installed on either side of the mountain road.
While other carriages could pass unharmed, the Emperor’s wider carriage was firmly latched onto, requiring considerable effort to break free.
At that moment, over a dozen masked figures descended from above, landing atop the carriage and thrusting their swords downward.
Nie Qinglin had already ducked low beneath the seat the moment the carriage shook.
The blades pierced through the cushion but failed to penetrate the seat itself.
Realizing they had missed, the assassins leaped down, intent on storming the carriage to finish the Emperor off.
But the guards were no pushovers—handpicked by the Grand Tutor himself, each was highly skilled.
They swiftly cut down three of the assailants.
Yet, even when struck, the assassins didn’t flinch, ignoring the guards entirely as they lunged relentlessly toward the palanquin, determined to kill the young Emperor.
This behavior stunned the guards, who could only throw themselves bodily at the assassins, grappling and dragging them down.
Lu Wenba, ever composed, yanked a battle-axe from his saddlebag and hurled it at an assassin about to breach the carriage.
The blade struck true, cleaving the man’s head clean off.
A fountain of blood sprayed onto several guards.
“Aim for their heads!”
Lu Wenba roared after seeing the corpse twitch and go still.
But then, the guards splashed with the black-clad assassins’ blood suddenly collapsed, howling in agony before convulsing and dying—as though the blood itself was lethal.
More black-clad figures poured down from the cliffs, wave after wave, making it impossible to cut them all down.
Gritting his teeth, Lu Wenba wrapped a cloak around his exposed head and face, then charged into the carriage.
He seized the Emperor’s arm, hacked a hole through the floor with his axe, and bundled the young ruler in a warm quilt to shield him.
Then, clutching him tightly, he rolled out through the hole and down the steep slope on the opposite side of the road.
Fortunately, the dense trees and Lu Wenba’s own large frame shielded Nie Qinglin from injury.
Even more luckily, the woolen blanket concealed the bright yellow of his imperial robes—unbeknownst to Lu Wenba, the attackers were driven by drugs, devoid of rational thought, targeting only those clad in the Emperor’s signature hue.
Thus, even if they noticed movement in the underbrush, they paid it no mind.
At the base of the slope, Lu Wenba spotted another figure trembling in the grass.
When the man lifted his head, Nie Qinglin recognized him as Imperial Physician Zhang, who had been among the carriage’s attendants.
In the chaos, a eunuch had shoved him down the slope, leaving him scraped and bruised.
She quickly stopped Lu Wenba from attacking him.
“He’s my physician—loyal.”
Lu Wenba eyed the disheveled doctor and motioned for him to tend to the Emperor.
Just then, Nie Qinglin tripped over a rock and stumbled forward—only to discover a small, well-hidden cave beneath the overgrowth.
Had she not fallen, it would’ve been impossible to spot.
Lu Wenba hastily settled the Emperor inside, carefully concealing the entrance with grass.
“Your Majesty, stay here and don’t make a sound. I can’t risk those poisoned fiends getting near you. Once I’ve dealt with them above, I’ll return for you.”
He then pulled out a black iron whistle.
“If I don’t make it, don’t come out unless you hear three long blows followed by a short one. Respond with one short and three long, and Grand Tutor’s men will find you.”
To Physician Zhang, he ordered, “If anyone comes down, run and lead them away.”
The young physician nodded fervently.
Even without the command, he’d give his life to protect the Emperor!
With that, Lu Wenba charged back into the fray, determined to hold the slope and prevent any tainted assassins from descending…
Nie Qinglin huddled in the cave, listening as the cacophony above—shouts, screams, and cries—gradually faded into silence.
Her palms grew clammy, but she dared not move.
Finally, Physician Zhang mustered his courage.
“Your Majesty, stay here. I’ll scout ahead.”
He returned moments later, trembling.
“Y-Your Majesty… everyone’s dead. Even Commander Lu…”
Nie Qinglin emerged cautiously.
The slope was too steep to climb, but from a distance, she could see the field of corpses.
It was horrifying—a mere few dozen assassins had wiped out an entire imperial guard unit.
Approaching Lu Wenba, she saw he’d taken down seven or eight attackers single-handedly before finally falling…
Just then, a distant whistle sounded—three long, two short.
Grand Tutor Wei’s reinforcements had arrived swiftly, though the ambush had lasted barely the time it took to drink a cup of tea.
Nie Qinglin raised the whistle to her lips—then paused.
She stood still, deep in thought, before suddenly asking Physician Zhang, “Did you manage to sell all those ginseng and tonics I gave you earlier?”
The physician blinked, confused by the sudden question.
“Y-Yes, as Your Majesty instructed. Cut into small portions and sold to families in desperate need. We’ve amassed quite a sum—I’ve kept meticulous records at home.”
Nie Qinglin nodded, dropping the imperial “We.”
“Physician Zhang… would you dare to take a risk for me?”
……
When Grand Tutor Wei arrived with his troops, the scene on the narrow mountain path froze even his battle-hardened breath.
The once-gilded carriage was now unrecognizable, drenched in foul-smelling blood.
Among the sprawled bodies, none seemed to stir—his heart clenched at the sight.
Face like ice, Wei Lenghou shoved past his men and leaped onto the carriage.
It was empty, save for the pierced yellow cushions…
Suppressing the turmoil in his chest, he disembarked and coldly ordered, “Search the mountain. Find the Emperor!”
The search lasted three days and nights, combing every inch of the surrounding area.
Hundreds called out for the Emperor, but no answer came.
To outsiders, the Grand Tutor appeared calm, his demeanor unchanged.
But Eunuch Ruan knew better—this was the eerie stillness before a storm, terrifying in its silence.
Like now, as Wei Lenghou sat alone in the Emperor’s bedchamber, staring at the empty dragon bed for a full hour… motionless.
“Grand Tutor, the search party has found nothing. We’ve checked downstream along the river—no bodies. Perhaps… we should recall the men. It’s possible the assassins took the Emperor. He may not even be in the mountains anymore.”
Wei Lenghou said nothing.
When he’d first seen the hole in the carriage’s floor, he’d hoped the guards had spirited the Emperor away to hide.
But after three fruitless days, only two possibilities remained: either the Emperor was deliberately hiding… or he’d truly been kidnapped.
But why would the Emperor hide? A pampered child of the palace, helpless on his own, so fond of food and comfort—he’d never endure three days without sustenance…
“Have the surviving guards and eunuchs regained consciousness?” he asked abruptly.
“One eunuch died yesterday from the poisoned blood. The others were less exposed but still can’t speak. The imperial physician who fell down the slope survived—he’s awake and coherent.”
“What did he say about the attack?”
“He said the carriage was suddenly hooked by something on the road, immobilizing it. The assassins were unnatural—they wouldn’t die no matter how they were struck. Before losing consciousness, he saw several black-clad figures hauling the Emperor onto horses… As for the corpses, their faces were smeared with something, distorting their features beyond recognition.”
The Grand Tutor finally stood, his voice icy.
“Seal all checkpoints to the southern border. Scrutinize every traveler. If the Emperor is found, do not act rashly—his safety comes first.”
Others might find the assassins bizarre, but Wei Lenghou came from a merchant family.
His elders had traveled widely, and he knew such mind-controlling drugs could only hail from the southern swamps.
The faint scent of jujube still lingered in the bedchamber.
A half-read book lay on the table, alongside a plate of half-cracked imported nuts.
The white cat dozed lazily on the couch—yet the room’s owner was nowhere to be found.
Suddenly, Wei Lenghou couldn’t bear to stay another moment.
His heart felt wrung by an invisible fist, yet he couldn’t utter a sound.
As he exited, an aide reported that Qiu Mingyan had requested an audience.
Soon, a tall young man approached briskly and bowed.
This was Wei Lenghou’s trusted strategist, his right-hand man in both military and political affairs.
The crisis had drawn him here in person.
Once in the study, Qiu Mingyan spoke gravely.
“Grand Tutor, this assassination attempt undoubtedly traces back to Lingnan, Prince Nie Luyuan! With your campaign against Lingnan imminent, they knew attacking you directly would fail. So they targeted the Emperor to frame you. Two emperors dead in a year would destabilize the court anew. But kidnapping the Emperor was their fatal mistake.
“If they intend to hold the Emperor hostage to extort you, we needn’t play along. Declare the throne vacant and install a new ruler, then march south under the banner of rescuing the ‘former Emperor’—it legitimizes our campaign further!”
Wei Lenghou studied his shrewd subordinate.
Every word was logical.
The old him would’ve acted without hesitation…
But to declare a new emperor now would render the captive ruler worthless.
What would those villains do to the little dragon pearl then?
For the first time, the unthinkable choice lay before him: the empire… or the one he cherished?
Wei Lenghou gazed out the window at the gathering storm beyond the palace walls.
Was the Emperor eating properly?
He took a deep breath.
“Recall the search parties. Announce that the Emperor is safe, recovering from shock in his chambers, and will not hold court these days.”
Qiu Mingyan was aghast.
His unshakable lord, making such a decision? He opened his mouth to protest—but the Grand Tutor waved him off.
The gesture was final.
No room for debate.
H
The emperor escapes! Let the Delulu mental anguish begin! Thanks for the updates