Chapter 231: Night Break into the Palace

Chapter 231

The capital area was strategically important.

If a large army wanted to enter the Capital City, just the troops alone would not be enough. There would also need to be a convincing marshal to lead them.

Otherwise even if the army reached the city walls, they would be stopped outside the gates and would only be able to choose to attack by force.

But the Capital City walls were exceptionally high, and the defenses were not to be underestimated either. Even using force, it would take a very long time and likely spill rivers of blood.

But it would be different with Marshal Xu Zhan leading the troops. As the current Minister of War, and with the seal of office in hand, it would be very easy for him to effortlessly open the city gates.

Hearing that Li Yao had already sent word to the troops in Yizhou and those guarding the borders, Xu Zhan was immensely impressed.

“Miss Li, you have worked hard this time.”

Li Yao thought to herself that for the sake of all this mess, she had even missed going home for the New Year celebrations, so she really had worked hard.

She hoped it would all be over soon.

When night was falling, the two of them went their separate ways.

Marshal Xu went to the south gate to wait for the army, while Li Yao snuck into the Imperial Palace.

Before the army reached the palace, she had to make sure the old emperor was still alive, otherwise all their efforts would have been wasted.

Over the past period she had already been in and out of the palace more than ten times, so she was very familiar with it. Although tonight the crown prince wanted to make trouble and security in the palace had been increased, she was still easily able to sneak past the guards.

Arriving at the old emperor’s bedchamber, she held some camphor under his nose and he soon drowsily awoke.

“What’s the situation?”

“The army will arrive soon.”

“Good, once they arrive then all will be well.”

After enduring silently for so many days, the old emperor no longer had the dispiritedness he had previously shown. On the contrary, he wanted to stay alive now more than ever before, otherwise all the grievances he had suffered would have been for nothing.

But just then, the noisy sound of many people and horses arriving could be heard from outside the palace. It seemed the crown prince would soon arrive as well.

“It looks like Heaven still won’t give me a chance,” said the old emperor.

“Things aren’t that bad yet,” Li Yao thought for a moment and said, “We can hide for a while.”

“Hide where?”

“Your Majesty is more familiar with the palace than I am, where do you think would be the best place to hide?”

The old emperor pondered: “Let’s hide in the Imperial Kitchen. But how will we get out of here?”

Li Yao pointed to a rope hanging down from the ceiling, making the old emperor shudder.

He was just skin and bones, yet they wanted him to climb onto the roof?

"At a time like this," the old emperor said with self-mockery, "just having a place to hide is more than enough."

"Chef Wang, you should leave quickly," Li Yao urged. "And remember, no matter who asks, don't let anything slip."

"Don't worry." Chef Wang felt like his ancestral graves were about to spew out green smoke.

As long as they made it through this night, the glory and wealth that would await him in the future would be limitless!

Of course, he was not doing this for glory or wealth, but for Great Ling's world!

...

After failing to locate the old emperor in any of the palaces, the palace guards soon turned their attention to where the palace maids and eunuchs resided, as well as the laundry rooms and kitchen.

Just as Chef Wang was on tenterhooks, several dozen guards charged menacingly into the kitchen and began recklessly rummaging through everything.

Chef Wang had never been so terrified. The guards were about to reach his quarters and he broke out in a cold sweat, his legs shaking uncontrollably.

Bang! A guard kicked open the door to his room. Chef Wang's eyes squeezed shut as he thought to himself - this is the end.

He expected to hear someone shout "Found them!" But after waiting for a bit, there was no such cry. The guard who had searched his room quickly left and continued on to the next one.

What was going on here?

Could Li Yao and His Majesty have already escaped? Amidst all his doubts and suspicions, the guards soon finished combing through the entire kitchen.

"They're not here, let's go!"

Seeing the guards were all gone, the chefs once again began whispering among themselves.

"Who were they looking for anyway?"

"It must have been assassins."

"You've been reading too many street operas. What kind of fearless assassin would dare sneak into the imperial palace at night?"

...

Meanwhile, Chef Wang noticed two unfamiliar faces that had mysteriously appeared amidst the familiar crowd. He hurried over to them and brought both into his room.

It turned out that while the guards had been away, Li Yao had disguised both herself and the emperor in makeup and borrowed some of the chefs' clothes for them to wear. Then they had quietly blended into the crowd.

It had been an extremely risky maneuver but also remarkably safe when carefully considered.

In the pitch dark, everyone was milling about casually. Who would have noticed two extra people?

With Chef Wang running interference, it had been a brilliantly executed sleight of hand.

Having evaded the guards’ search, the old emperor could finally breathe easy.

Now all that was left was to wait for Marshal Xu to lead the army here.