Chapter 567: Black against Black?

Although Zhu Di had ordered the construction of Lingji Palace to worship Xu Zhizheng and Xu Zhi’e, the brothers of the Southern Tang dynasty, even imitating the Song dynasty’s approach by sending exiled officials to oversee the palace and appointing a Grand Taoist Priest according to tradition, Buddhism—especially Tibetan Buddhism—remained the most prevalent religion in the capital. Dozens of Buddhist lamas were appointed. As a result, there were hundreds of foreign monks in the capital, most of whom lived in Qingshou Temple, Chongguo Temple, Dainengren Temple, and Dahuoguo Baoan Temple.

Among them, although Qingshou Temple was the largest temple in the capital, it still had fewer foreign monks than Chongguo Temple in the western district. This area was home to nobles, who often invited monks there. The smaller temples in the eastern district housed lesser-known foreign monks. With generous support from the court, the prosperous and bustling eastern district suited them well. Due to the large number of foreign monks, there were even more servants, leading to frequent conflicts among them. As a result, local officials turned a blind eye.

Though these foreign monks held high status, they still had hierarchical ranks. Apart from figures like the Buddhist lamas and national advisors, lower-ranking monks did not receive escort services from the Imperial Guards or government-provided vehicles; ordinary servants had to walk on foot. Yet, thanks to the court’s respect for them, despite their strict rules regarding servants, many people continued to seek them out daily. This led to a booming business in renting vehicles and horses, which in turn spurred other industries.

Xiu De Temple in the northeast corner of the capital housed dozens of Yellow Sect foreign monks. People gathered around the temple, opening various shops. With so many people and extremely complex networks of houses and alleys, it was difficult for outsiders to find their way there. Gradually, in addition to those involved in vehicle rentals, people from all walks of life also settled there. Taking advantage of Xiu De Temple’s reputation, many people offered sacrifices to the monks’ servants. Since the government never inspected the area, it became a place hidden from view.

Mingjing Alley, east of Xiu De Temple, was unremarkable—only about 400 steps from east to west—but it was filled with rows of houses of varying heights. Most of these houses had been built when Zhu Di was still the Prince of Yan, and due to their age, their peeling paint, damaged walls, and repeatedly repaired rooftops all indicated that the residents were poor people living in difficult conditions.

However, if anyone entered these dilapidated houses, everything before their eyes would immediately leave them stunned. As soon as one passed the first courtyard outside, the atmosphere of poverty and decay vanished instantly, replaced by a strong smell of copper. From gambling houses to brothels to the southern courtyard, there were all sorts of places for indulgence and pleasure, but since imperial laws were still strict, most of those who came here were simply wealthy people looking for fun, not imperial officials.

In the early afternoon, a gambling house at the west end of Mingjing Hutong was bustling with activity. After all, there was a curfew at night, and the lazy people didn’t get up in the morning—this was the perfect time to have fun. The croupier’s loud calls, the rolling of dice, the clacking of cards, the complaints of gamblers… All these chaotic noises made it impossible even for those resting in the rooms in the back courtyard to stay calm. When a game ended and several people in the front shouted in disappointment, someone finally couldn’t take it anymore.

“Why do we have to stay in this hellhole? Can’t we just go back to the mansion? Who would dare to search the royal mansion?”

“Stop complaining! You know better than to ignore that the royal mansion isn’t what it used to be. Who knows how many people are watching? If we take this guy back, we’ll probably be caught already!” A burly man cut his companion off irritably. “Prince Shouguang is just as noble as our young prince—he’s a legitimate imperial grandson. But when the emperor gets angry, he beats and locks them up without any mercy. Even for Prince Zhao, the ban isn’t fully lifted yet!”

Sitting on a bench was Kong Ye, the royal guard who had previously met Cuimò and tried to bring her back. Since Prince Anyang had already ordered that the Meng family not be disturbed, he had to find two beautiful women to report back to him. But now that Prince Shouguang had fallen, this act became a crime. Feeling gloomy, he glanced at the man tied tightly with a piece of cloth stuffed in his mouth, and his expression gradually softened. Realizing that Jia Laolao was more trusted than him, he moved his bench over.

“Jia Laolao, be honest with me—will this plan work? Besides, the old prince just suffered bad luck recently. Could that guy from the east take advantage of him?”

“If the Emperor truly believes it was the Old Lord who did this, why would the punishment be so mild? That man from the east is good for nothing but causing trouble; everyone knows he only wants the position of crown prince and aims to imitate the current Emperor. But since it’s obvious to everyone, his plan won’t work! If he could gain an advantage, he’d have already gouged out my eyes!”
Hearing Jia Laoda’s firm conviction, Kong Ye believed it to a large extent. Yet, if this attempt succeeded, it would be a tremendous achievement; if it failed, the consequences would be even worse than before. So after hesitating for a moment, he still lowered his voice and asked, “But the Emperor has still appointed an heir apparent. Even if the Emperor despises the crown prince’s position, if things go as the First Emperor did, won’t all our efforts be in vain?”
“That’s because the crown prince is still the crown prince, and the heir apparent is still the heir apparent!” Jia Laoda snorted confidently before speaking earnestly, “The crown prince, that man from the east, and the Old Lord are all descendants of the former empress, differing only in seniority. If the senior one is truly dismissed, the junior one’s status will be compromised! Besides, if the problems with the crown prince’s position can be found, what’s there for the junior one to fear? Indulging in pleasures, leaving the palace to meet officials privately—things that seem trivial usually prove useful at critical moments!”
At this point, the two of them exchanged glances and burst into laughter. Meanwhile, the man tied up on the ground, unable to speak, suffered in silence. Despite using all his strength, he could barely move, let alone resist. Realizing he had stumbled into trouble as soon as he arrived in Kaiping, not only had he failed in his mission but also put himself at risk, he was filled with remorse. If he had known it would be this difficult, he wouldn’t have thought the task was easy and should have made at least some worst-case preparations!
Knock, knock, knock—
Hearing these sudden knocks, the two men in the room grew nervous. Only after recognizing the regular rhythm of the knocking did they breathe a sigh of relief. Jia Laoda gave a nod, and Kong Ye quickly stood up to open the door. Almost the moment the door opened, a swift dark figure darted in.
“The situation outside is too tense. I only managed to confirm that no one was following me before coming here. Although this place seems safe, it was originally established by the Old Lord when he was stationed in Beijing. Others could easily trace back to this place, so we can’t stay longer. I’ve prepared a carriage—let’s leave quickly before we’re caught red-handed.”

Jia Laodao narrowed his eyes and studied the short man in charge of communications for a while before asking bluntly, “Is it because the emperor has returned from his retreat that the Eastern Palace has become so anxious?”
“It’s not only because the emperor has returned, but also because that Yuan Fang from the Jinyiwei has come back. He went through everyone from top to bottom, and many of our people were eliminated. This isn’t a good sign. Moreover, the Eastern Palace has issued strict orders to investigate the incident at Xianqiumingyi. I’m afraid it might involve that precious princess. That person is really good at causing trouble—when it comes to killing, she doesn’t even send skilled people; they get wiped out in no time. They’re all useless! Although Lu Feng is still sick, he’s gradually taking charge, and the Eastern Factory can no longer hold things together. We can’t protect you any longer these days.”
“So, we’ll have to hide and flee these days?”
Jia Laodao frowned. Seeing the short man nod, his heart sank. Although as long as they waited for the emperor to return and handed over the items through the Eastern Factory, everything would be fine and they wouldn’t even have to take responsibility, those rumors really shouldn’t have spread.
Filled with resentment, he glared at the captive writhing on the ground and couldn’t help spitting. Carrying such a burden and having to hide every day—this was utterly stupid! It was all that Mei Qing’s bad idea—claiming they wanted the Eastern Palace to panic and reveal more flaws so they could gather enough evidence for a successful strike… Tch! From what was happening now, it seemed they were the ones who were panicking! By spreading the news that the Jinyiwei had captured the people and the items, everyone’s attention focused on the Jinyiwei, making it easier for them to hide. How could that guy not realize that once they angered that deadly agency, they’d face endless difficulties?
Kong Ye always just followed orders and didn’t understand the overall situation as well as Jia Laodao. So when he heard the tension outside, he became anxious and urged them to leave quickly. But Jia Laodao, still undecided, wouldn’t easily abandon their safe haven to take risks. He just sat there, deep in thought. Just as the short messenger grew impatient, suddenly there was a commotion outside.
“What’s going on?”

Huo suddenly stood up, but Jia Laodao ignored the panicked Kong Ye. His previously calm face turned extremely fierce in an instant. He stepped back quickly and grabbed the man on the ground with astonishing speed. The shorter man also rushed to the door, gently opening it a crack to peek outside while pricking up his ears. Moments later, a child around twelve or thirteen years old ran into the courtyard from the side entrance.

“The Shuntian Prefecture is here to investigate the gambling den!”

Hearing this, the three people standing in the room breathed a sigh of relief, but the man who was held captive, unable to speak or move, felt even more desperate. Although gambling dens were strictly prohibited in the capital, there were still eighty or so operating secretly—how could they be completely eradicated? With the Shuntian Prefecture coming just to go through the motions, he had no chance of escaping. Moreover, even if he were caught, would he dare claim he was delivering a message to the Eastern Palace? If such a thing became public, he would be finished!

“Even if it’s the Shuntian Prefecture, we might still get dragged into trouble. Let’s go!”

Since Jia Laodao had given the order, Kong Ye immediately felt relieved. He hurried to the back wall, moved the cabinet aside, revealing a hidden door. This had been part of the original design as an escape route. So the shorter man went first, Kong Ye followed in the middle, while Jia Laodao, still holding the man, covered the rear. He was the last to exit, rushed out, locked the hidden door with the mechanism on the wall, then turned around and hurried after the two ahead.

It was a room filled with miscellaneous clutter, looking unremarkable. The shorter man glanced outside the door for a while before going out to fetch a carriage for backup. Still uneasy, Jia Laodao ordered Kong Ye to accompany him. After they left, he closed the main door, then threw the man he was holding down hard and knelt down to draw a knife, pressing it against the man’s neck.

“Don’t worry. If things really get critical, I’ll kill you first!” Jia Laodao smiled darkly, moving the knife slightly closer. Seeing the man glare at him fiercely, he snorted loudly. “Anyway, the letter isn’t here anymore. If I kill you, I can just make up some lie—at most, it’ll be considered a crime for a common criminal. The prince’s mansion can easily get me out of trouble then. You should know too—since you’ve been around Eunuch Liu, many people know you. Even if you die, your body will be evidence. If you want a chance to turn things around, be obedient and don’t seek death!”

He didn’t know how long he had waited when, finally, there was a knocking at the door, followed by Kong Ye’s familiar voice. Feeling relieved, he casually shoved the dagger into his boot, then took the person with him to the door. After cautiously peering through the crack for a moment and seeing only Kong Ye and the short man, along with a carriage and a coachman, he truly relaxed and pulled open the door. Yet, the moment the door swung open and he stepped outside, countless bricks and tiles suddenly crashed down from the roof.

Jia Laodao, reacting extremely quickly, almost instinctively used the man in his arms as a shield. But at that exact moment, a powerful force pierced through his legs, causing him to lose his balance and fall to the ground, releasing his grip involuntarily. Seeing two men jump down from the roof and swiftly snatch the man from his arms before retreating, his heart sank.

Even so, he still glanced down at the two arrows in his legs before raising his head again to finally see the face of the coachman who had set down his crossbow. Despite the excruciating pain in his legs, what frustrated him even more was that they had only sent three people. He glared fiercely at the short man and Kong Ye who had lured him out, wishing he could swallow them whole.

These traitors had colluded with outsiders… Wait, who was investigating this matter—Jinyiwei, Dongchang, or perhaps the Han King himself? Just then, he heard a cold voice.

“Where’s the letter?”

Jia Laodao’s eyes lit up, and he sneered, “Such an important thing—how could it be in my hands!”

“Since it’s not in your hands, then you can die!”

When Jia Laodao realized the meaning of those words, another intense pain pierced his chest. Seeing the short man and Kong Ye frozen in terror with their eyes covered in blood, he filled with rage. Gathering his last strength, he finally made out the face beneath the coachman’s cloak—it was a young, delicate face, even somewhat feminine, seeming familiar… as if it were…

Yet the name that hovered on the tip of his tongue remained stuck in his throat.