Chapter 494
Chapter 494: Half An Hour
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Chen Pingping was silent for a moment and then said, "The Emperor is an overly suspicious man . I'll admit that it was clever of Fan Xian to use this method, but the problem is that the Emperor is a very suspicious person . These easily spotted points of suspicion would, on the contrary, make him develop a deeper level of suspicion…"
Fei Jie glanced at him and said, "That is why we have to help Fan Xian get rid of people, to solidify these suspicions . "
"Correct . " Chen Pingping smiled slightly . "The Emperor is overly suspicious, so it is actually very difficult for him to come to a decision . After all these years, he is no longer the ferocious general who dared to use 500 people to charge Northern Wei's iron riders…killing people eases a ruler's heart . Although it is crude, it is good that dead men cannot speak, but they can tell the Emperor what he wants to know . "
Fei Jie coughed and said, "Although what you said is a bit confusing, I basically understand . "
Chen Pingping smiled . "The Emperor is overly suspicious and self-confident . Once he suspects something, he will look at the evidence in front of him and search for the parts that prove his suspicions…thus, it is the Emperor who is lying to his own eyes . Of course, in some ways, this isn't lying as these are things that actually happened . "
As they spoke, the sound of urgent conversation came from outside Chen Garden . Chen Pingping and Fei Jie met each other's eyes . Chen Pingping said, "Looks like the edict from the palace is here . You should prepare to leave the capital . "
Fei Jie nodded and then asked, "And Hong Zhu?"
"Nothing for now . " Chen Pingping furrowed his brows and thought for a moment . He pushed his wheelchair toward the front of the garden and said, "I keep feeling that this little eunuch is not as simple as he looks . "
…
…
Far away in Jiangnan, Fan Xian, who thought he was coldly watching everything in Jingdou, did not know that the spy he had hidden the deepest in the Royal Palace had, at the same time, become the person that the two most powerful in Qing Kingdom wanted to kill . This only proved that he was not a god . More accurately speaking, this plan of his that took the most of his efforts and was hidden the deepest still faced many dangers completely outside of his calculations . If it were not for Hong Zhu's sufficiently good luck, by the time Fan Xian next returned to the capital, it would probably be impossible to find any information in the world about the little eunuch with acne all over his face .
Regardless of whether there were gods in temples, certainly no person in this world was a god . Even the person whose realm was closest to that of a god, Ku He, and the person whose power and state of mind were enough to make a god jealous, the Emperor, were still both mortal people .
Thus, the seemingly unfathomable Emperor was, at this moment, seated in the long corridor by the Taiji Palace looking at the large square in front of him . His gaze appeared to be somewhat lonely and disappointed, like a normal middle-aged man .
Beside the Emperor was that black wheelchair . Chen Pingping's head was half lowered . He was gently stroking the woolen blanket on his knee in silence .
Ruler and official were both silent, calmly watching the square in front of them . It was the beginning of spring . There were no falling leaves or flowers . The Palace had been cleaned well by the eunuchs and serving girls until there wasn't even a single speck of dust . The dirt between the stones were all flat and converged together into neat and tidy lines .
It was already late into the night, but the lights in Taiji Palace illuminated the square clearly .
"I was wrong . " The Emperor didn't use his imperial title to refer to himself today . He sighed and said, "I had always thought that after three Northern expeditions, as well as having fought in the West and South, there was nothing in this world I couldn't handle . So, I am able to coldly watch as everything happened . However, when things truly happened, I found that I had overestimated my ability to handle matters . "
Chen Pingping glanced at him and quietly said, "This is a domestic matter…the ancients have said, even an honest and upright official has difficulty in deciding family matters . Your Highness is not an exception . "
Chen Pingping already knew what exactly had happened in the Palace, but this old cripple did not purposely show any astonishment or shock . His emotions were calm, as if this wasn't a major matter at all . This kind of attitude improved the Emperor's mood . Yes, it was only a shameful domestic matter .
The Emperor changed his self-referential title back again and smiled . "In the past, you always said that you didn't want to get involved in my family matters, but, in the end, you were still involved . How about it? Do you want to help me handle this matter?"
Cheng Pingping lowered his head even further and said, "Your Highness has already made a clever decision . I will just have to follow it . "
The Emperor was silent for a long time then slowly said, "Many months ago, I told you right here that I was going to play along with them…after all, she is my favorite sister and that rascal is my son, so I always felt a sense of reluctance . However, at this time, even if I am reluctant, I have to make a move . "
Chen Pingping slowly raised his head . His expression didn't change, but a strange emotion gradually spread through the depths of his heart . In order to have the Emperor make up his mind, he had already done so much and waited for so long . Finally, the moment he had been waiting for, the moment the Emperor opened his mouth, had arrived .
"You outside the Palace and me inside . "
The Qing Emperor slowly closed his eyes .
…
…
That night, the 13 Jingdou city gate guards received orders from the Palace and authorization from the Overwatch Council to open the Jingdou city gates an extra half hour later . In the warm morning sunlight, the country folks preparing to enter the city with melons, fruits, vegetables, and meats on their shoulders made the long winding trip outside the city . Their faces were filled with frustration and confusion .
There was little precedent for Jingdou delaying the opening of the city gates, According to the report of the soldier in front, last night, a Dongyi spy attempted to enter the Overwatch Council, So, right now in Jingdou, there was a massive search going on . In order to prevent the spy from escaping out of the city, the 13 city gates were being closely guarded .
Immediately, the people calmed down . No one spoke resentfully anymore . They only cursed the damn Dongyi spy in lower voices . Inside Jingdou, Chen Pingping personally kept watch in the Overwatch Council and had begun to take action in the early hours of the morning . These years, the Director had stayed in Chen Garden and the Overwatch Council was directly commanded by Fan Xian . Now that he had taken the power of the Overwatch Council back into his hands, the efficiency and secrecy of the Overwatch Council immediately increased to a never-before seen terrifying pace . In less than an hour, the Overwatch Council already secretly controlled four manors .
The Jingdou Garrison did not receive any information, and the nighttime patrol stared with wide eyes and open mouths at the black-clothed Overwatch Council members hurrying to and fro urgently delivering reports . They wondered if something major had happened in Jingdou .
The thousand or so imperial guards that guarded the imperial city also didn't make any noise . They just quietly guarded the gates to the Royal Palace .
The Commander of the Jingdou Garrison, who had just been promoted by the Emperor, the General, who had followed the Great prince on the Western expedition the year before last, heard his subordinate's report and dressed quickly . He then charged to the outside of the Palace . However, he only saw a calm and normal palace without a sign of anything strange .
A sleepy-eyed Eunuch Hou stood behind the imperial guards with a group of palace guards and coldly rejected the Commander's request to enter the Palace to make his report .
Not long after, the Great Prince, who had been sleeping in his manor, also arrived on his horse . However, even his request to enter the palace was calmly and resolutely rejected by Eunuch Hou .
The Great Prince and Commander of the Garrison met each other's eyes . They both saw the unease and wariness in them . At this time, the sky had not yet brightened, but dark clouds floated over and covered Jingdou, making it even darker . The Overwatch Council agents and officials were all moving around, but these two figures responsible for the Jingdou Garrison had no idea what had happened .
The Commander of the Jingdou Garrison glanced carefully at the Great Prince and said, "Commander, should we go to the Overwatch Council and ask?"
During the Western expedition, this Commander was a general beside the Great Prince, so he was still used to referring to him as Commander . The Great Prince paused and then angrily patted his head . The Palace must have issued an edict for the Overwatch Council to come out in full force today . The person managing it must be Director Chen . Other people may not dare to ask Director Chen face to face, but what was he afraid of?
A moment later, these two, leading their personal soldiers, went from the door of the Royal Palace and turned into the Overwatch Council . As their entered the yard, they were not met with any resistance . They saw the old cripple beside the shallow pond in the garden .
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