Chapter 188: Zuo Qianwei’s Blade

At the edge of the heavens, the pale glow of dawn had already appeared. Morning light streamed down upon rows of palace halls and lofty towers, the glazed tiles reflecting a blinding wash of white brilliance.

Within Wenzhao Hall, lamps still burned. In the flickering shadows cast by the flames, the civil and military officials stood in neat ranks like wooden puppets, heads bowed in silence. Upon the imperial steps, Chen Shubao let out a yawn. With sleep-clouded eyes, he waved his dragon sleeve.

“Ministers, are there any urgent matters to present?”

Below, figures steeped in shadow replied in unison: “The realm is peaceful and the people secure. There is nothing to report to Your Majesty.”

So orderly?

Heh… so be it. That suits me just fine—Zhen can return to embrace his beloved consort and sleep a while longer. With that thought, the emperor rose from the Dragon Throne, yawned again, and descended from the imperial dais. Suddenly recalling something, he turned to the attending eunuch at his side.

“How long until Mid-Autumn?”

“Reporting to Your Majesty, today is already the fifteenth day of the eighth month.”

Chen Shubao’s expression froze. Subconsciously, he glanced toward the palace gates, memories surfacing of that night half a month ago, when someone had stood atop the imperial walls and spoken those words.

‘On the hundredth day memorial of my master, on the fifteenth of the eighth month, Lu Liangsheng of Qixia Mountain will come to seek an explanation from you!’

It was as though those fiery, wrath-filled words rang again in his ears. He hurriedly asked, “Is the Venerable Master in the palace today?”

“Reporting to Your Majesty, the Venerable Master left the palace yesterday for the ritual altar. He should return this evening.”

“Send someone to summon him at once!”

Anxiety rose in the emperor’s heart. He cast another glance over the full court of officials, then turned away in disappointment, about to depart—when suddenly, an enraged roar exploded from outside.

“—You demons and monsters dare to usurp the Son of Heaven’s grand hall?! Get out here!”

Get out here!

Get out here… get out here… get out here…

The majestic shout echoed again and again through the air. Chen Shubao was startled. Realizing it was not that scholar’s voice, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. Yet inside the great hall, the assembled civil and military officials grew visibly flustered at the sound.

Soft rustling spread faintly through the crowd.

“What are you panicking for? This is Zhen’s imperial palace hall!”

With a sweep of his dragon sleeve, the emperor strode forward. Outside, a guard came running in, dropped to one knee, and cupped his fists. “Reporting to Your Majesty—the one shouting loudly outside is Zuo Zhengyang, Thousand-Guard(Qianwei) of the Arrest Office!”

“A mere petty official dares raise his voice in the imperial palace, even claiming there are demons and monsters within my grand hall—isn’t that pointing at me and cursing me to my face?!”

A shadow seemed to pass over Chen Shubao’s heart. The present situation made him recall the two incidents that had occurred within the palace. Enraged and flustered, he roared:

“Why are you still standing there? Seize him at once!!”

The broad sleeves embroidered with golden dragon patterns swept aside as the emperor’s words fell. Outside, hurried footsteps suddenly erupted, mingled with shouted voices.

“Zuo Qianwei, what are you doing?!” “…Stand back—do not disturb His Majesty and the assembled officials!”

“Zuo, this is the imperial palace! Don’t act recklessly!”

More than ten guards, hands pressed to their sword hilts, moved in a wide arc around the figure striding up the stone steps, shouting all the while. In the distance, a number of palace experts were also rushing over.

“Make way—”

Having stepped onto the final stair, Zuo Zhengyang let out a fierce bellow, but the palace guards around him paid no heed.

If I don’t tear apart these civil and military officials inside and expose the centipede, no one will believe me—not even His Majesty.

The thought flashed through his mind.

In the instant when the guards before him shifted and a gap opened, Zuo Zhengyang suddenly stamped down with his forward step. With a sharp crack, the pale stone bricks split apart, fragments blasting outward.

His entire body shot forward like a cannonball, smashing one man to the ground and charging straight toward the hall doors.

“Ahhh—”

His cloak streamed backward, torn apart by guards who had drawn their blades in the same instant. Zuo Zhengyang vaulted over the threshold; a eunuch to the side was so frightened he clutched his head and squatted down—

Clang—

With his thumb, Zuo Zhengyang flicked open his slender blade, drawing a streak of cold light. He slashed horizontally at the minister closest to the emperor. The chill radiance traced a half arc through the air. Reflected in the blade’s glow, that civil official retreated swiftly, reached out, seized the emperor, and shoved him forward.

“Ahhh!!!”

Seeing the blade descending toward his head, Chen Shubao screamed in terror. In the next instant, just as the edge was about to brush his scalp, it abruptly veered aside and slashed empty air. Even a bronze lamp pillar some distance away was cleaved in two by the blade qi with a loud bang. Lamp oil sprayed everywhere; sparks leapt into the scattered oil, which ignited in midair with a booming flare. Flames clung to the palace pillars, while some splashed onto people, drawing out piercing screams.

“Who pushed Zhen?! Who pushed Zhen?!” The emperor clutched his mianliu crown, stumbling toward the imperial steps under the eunuchs’ protection, shouting at the top of his lungs: “Zhen will exterminate his entire clan!!!” [TL_Note: Mianliu (冕旒): The formal ceremonial crown worn by ancient Chinese emperors. It features a flat board on top with strands of jade or bead tassels hanging in front (and sometimes behind) the face. The hanging beads symbolized restraint and dignity in rulership.]

Fire raged, chaos reigned. In the turmoil, Zuo Zhengyang’s blade hacked wildly without pattern. Yet those civil and military officials were likewise nimble of body. Seizing the moment when the guards rushed in, they all fled toward the hall exits. In the blink of an eye, one figure after another vanished into the sunlight outside.

“Make way! Those demons have escaped!”

“Insolence—those demons you speak of must be none other than you!”

The guards with their backs to the hall doors could not see the officials disappearing one by one. But the palace’s close-guards and martial experts charging in from behind were startled into halting their steps.

Within the palace hall came several sharp clashes of weapons. Seeing that words were useless, Zuo Zhengyang forced aside a few guards, then looked toward the emperor seated upon the Dragon Throne, his mianliu crown askew, and cupped his fists.

“Your Majesty—the so-called Protector of the State Venerable Master is the true demon. The civil and military officials have already had their bodies hollowed out by it and have become mere puppets. Minister Min of the Ministry of Revenue was also attacked and had no choice but to flee the capital to seek aid from high experts. When this subject pursued him, I personally witnessed those monsters. After returning to the capital, I also went to an official’s residence to verify the matter—every detail matched!”

On the Dragon Throne, seeing that guards and palace troops had all arrived, Chen Shubao’s panic eased somewhat. He straightened his mianliu, clenched his teeth, and stared down at the figure below. Even the hand with which he pointed was trembling.

“Nonsense and slander! All I see is you barging into Zhen’s hall with a weapon, intent on murder. Besides, if the Venerable Master truly were a demon, would Zhen still be alive today? Would the palace guards and maids have had any chance of survival? Would my realm still be so prosperous and tranquil? You are clearly just making excuses!”

The emperor rose abruptly from the Dragon Throne and pointed downward. “Seize him for me!”

The surrounding guards raised their blades and were about to advance when a crowd of soldiers surged in from outside. Someone shouted: “Your Majesty, what Zuo Qianwei said is correct—just now, all the civil and military officials were running, and then they simply vanished!”

“That’s right—we saw it with our own eyes!” Someone in the hall echoed. “Bullshit! Then how come we didn’t see it?!” others shouted back.

Amid the clamorous uproar, Zuo Zhengyang—kneeling on one knee with blade in hand—closed his eyes briefly and let out a heavy sigh. He lifted his saber and cupped his fists toward the imperial steps.

“If Your Majesty does not believe this subject, then this subject will take the blade in his hand to the ritual altar and personally confront that Protector-of-the-State Venerable Master, forcing it to reveal its true form. When right and wrong are laid bare, Your Majesty will believe.”

As he spoke, he bent deeply, lowering his head—this was the greatest courtesy he could offer.

A moment later, he rose. With a sudden sweep of his long saber, he cleaved aside several blocking weapons and strode out of the grand hall. Chen Shubao stamped his foot and roared: “Chase him down—capture him and bring him back to Zhen!!”

An imperial command could not be disobeyed. The guards outside could only steel themselves and pursue him together with their colleagues from within. Yet Zuo Zhengyang’s lightness skills far surpassed theirs. He vaulted onto a horse, wheeled about, and charged down the palace avenue. Hooves hammered wildly over the stone paving.

At that moment, the soldiers stationed at the palace gates and city gates had not yet received any orders and could only watch helplessly as he rode straight out. Not long after, seeing a group of palace guards galloping after him, they finally realized something was amiss. From atop the city towers, the signal drums and gongs soon resounded.

Dong! Dong!