Hu Xiaotian and Liang Yinghao left Qichen Palace without encountering any obstacles. It seemed that once the Empress Dowager intervened, their treatment had indeed undergone a heaven-and-earth transformation. On the way to the Divine Farmer Society, Liang Yinghao said to Hu Xiaotian, "My lord, I took a careful look at Qichen Palace. It appears to be the work of craftsmen from the Southern Kingdom."
Hu Xiaotian asked, "How so?"
Liang Yinghao said, "The Southern Kingdom gets more rain, so its requirements for underground drainage are quite strict. Buildings in the Northern Kingdom generally have narrow drains, which has something to do with the lighter rainfall in the north."
Hu Xiaotian asked, "Are Qichen Palace's drains very spacious?"
Liang Yinghao said, "The palace drains are considerably wider than those in ordinary buildings, but they still can't compare with those in the Southern Kingdom. Perhaps the southern craftsmen adapted their designs to local conditions after coming north. The drainage system consists of open channels and underground passages. The open channels aren't much different from those in northern buildings, but the underground passages are much wider. Some sections could even accommodate an adult."
Hu Xiaotian was delighted to hear this. The very reason he had brought Liang Yinghao into Qichen Palace was to have him find another passage out. In a crisis, that would mean another path to survival. Hu Xiaotian asked, "Can you find one?"
Liang Yinghao said, "Qichen Palace is heavily guarded. It would be difficult to do anything right under their noses. But I've already worked out the basic layout. The main drainage outlet is at the palace's northwest corner. I can find the outlet outside first, then work my way back through the drains to determine where another opening lies inside Qichen Palace."
Hu Xiaotian said, "Get to it