"I'm terribly sorry, Lord Wang. His Majesty is unwell today and will see no one," said the eunuch guarding the entrance to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
His Majesty is unwell?
Wang Yuanzhi frowned, but since he had been told as much, he could hardly force his way in. He could only cast a long look at the Hall of Mental Cultivation before turning to find Xuanjizi.
But when he arrived, he was turned away again.
The young eunuch said the immortal master had left the palace on a secret imperial mission, with no word on when he would return.
Something's wrong!
Very wrong!
The emperor hadn't fallen ill earlier or later, so why had he fallen ill at precisely this moment?
And Xuanjizi hadn't left earlier or later either, yet he too had been sent away at this very moment.
All of it filled Wang Yuanzhi with a powerful sense of unease.
After a moment's thought, he immediately left the palace and headed straight for the Cui Clan.
When he met Cui Lang, the Cui Clan's patriarch, Wang Yuanzhi recounted what had happened that day.
Cui Lang frowned as well after hearing him out.
"There is indeed something strange about this. How could that muddleheaded ruler Yang Zhao suddenly fall ill? And how could Xuanjizi happen to leave the palace on a secret imperial mission at this very moment?"
Wang Yuanzhi said anxiously, "Brother Cui, that's exactly what worries me. Our plan has reached its most critical moment. We can't afford the slightest mishap. Could Yang Zhao have sensed something?"
"That shouldn't be the case." Cui Lang put down his teacup, a calculating glint flashing in his eyes. "If he truly had such cunning, how could Great Zhao have fallen to its present state? Still, to be safe, we should look into it."
With that, he summoned a trusted aide and gave him a few quiet instructions.
Less than half an hour later, the aide hurried back with news from the palace.
"Reporting to the patriarch, our informants in the palace say that His Majesty did indeed summon Immortal Master Xuanjizi last night. The two spoke in secret for a long time in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, and no one else was allowed near. As for when the immortal master left, no one knows. And this morning, His Majesty did say that he was feeling unwell and would rest for the day, receiving no visitors."
After hearing this, Wang Yuanzhi's tightly furrowed brow eased a little.
"In that case, everything does seem to match up."
Cui Lang nodded. "It seems we worried too much. Presumably, Xuanjizi coaxed Yang Zhao into such excitement that he indulged himself too much and drained his body, which was why he fell ill."
At that, the two exchanged smiles, as though they could already see boundless wealth and power beckoning to them in the future.
Night fell once more.
Chen Ye changed back into the old eunuch and returned to the palace. After slipping into the Hall of Mental Cultivation, he changed from the old eunuch into the emperor of Great Zhao, the supreme sovereign.
"Attend me."
"Your servant is here." A young eunuch came running over on all fours.
"Pass on my decree." Chen Ye's voice regained Yang Zhao's imposing rasp. "The women summoned to refine pills for me are to be carefully watched over. Make certain they are properly fed, and let no one harm them. If anything goes wrong, you will be executed without mercy!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Only after dealing with this did Chen Ye slowly let out a turbid breath. He sat on the dragon throne, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest, his gaze deep.
He knew very well that although his current status was exalted, it was only an empty shell.
Not one of the civil and military officials at court, nor any of the aristocratic clans, was truly loyal to him as emperor. If he wanted to survive in these troubled times, or even turn heaven and earth around, he needed power of his own.
And inside and outside the imperial city, the only force he could hold in his grasp was the Imperial Guard, known as the emperor's own troops.
"Summon the commander of the Imperial Guard to an audience."
A short while later, a tall, broad-shouldered middle-aged general with a resolute face strode into the hall, knelt on one knee, and spoke in a voice like a great bell.
"This subordinate, Tong Lei, pays his respects to Your Majesty!"
This man was none other than Tong Lei, commander of the Imperial Guard.
He was a general whom Yang Zhao had personally promoted from the bottom ranks. His abilities were outstanding, and more importantly, he came from humble origins and had no ties to any of the great clans in the capital. He was truly a minister without allies.
"Rise." Nothing in Chen Ye's voice betrayed pleasure or anger.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Tong Lei stood with his hands at his sides, but his eyes could not help studying the emperor on the dragon throne.
For some reason, he felt that His Majesty was somewhat different today. Those eyes were no longer clouded and deranged; instead, they were so clear that it was almost frightening, as though they could see through a person's heart.
"Tong Lei, let me ask you: how is the Imperial Guard's training progressing?"
"Your Majesty, the officers and soldiers of the Imperial Guard train day and night and dare not slacken in the slightest!" Tong Lei answered smoothly.
"Mm." Chen Ye nodded, a hint of interest suddenly entering his tone. "Words alone prove nothing. Pass on my decree: assemble the Imperial Guard. I will inspect them personally!"
Tong Lei froze at these words.
Inspect the Imperial Guard?
Although this emperor valued the Imperial Guard, he had only ever cared whether the force could protect him. He had never truly paid attention to such specifics as the army's training or fighting strength, much less inspected them personally.
Had the sun risen in the west today?
Though startled and doubtful, Tong Lei dared not disobey the imperial command. He immediately bowed and accepted the order. "This subordinate obeys!"
On the vast military drill ground to the west of the palace, the blaze of torches made it as bright as day.
Several thousand Imperial Guard officers and soldiers stood at attention in the cold wind, clad in armor and holding long halberds, arranged in neat square formations.
When Chen Ye appeared on the raised platform above the drill ground, shouts rose from below like the roar of mountains and seas.
"Long live His Majesty! Long, long may he reign!"
Most of these Imperial Guard soldiers came from respectable families with clean backgrounds, and they naturally held a measure of reverence and loyalty toward the emperor.
To see the Son of Heaven with their own eyes was a tremendous honor for them, and every one of them was flushed with excitement.
Of course, there were also some different looks among the crowd.
Some soldiers gazed at the figure on the platform with complicated expressions.
Clearly, the emperor's absurd act of gathering a thousand young women to refine pills some days ago had shaken their loyalty.
Chen Ye took all of this in.
Looking at the seemingly strong and well-equipped army below, he inwardly shook his head.
All show!
Their formations looked neat, but were loose in reality; their morale seemed high, but was actually hollow.
An army like this could swagger around the capital and suppress unarmed commoners well enough, but if it were truly sent onto the battlefield against those wolf- and tiger-like cavalrymen of the grasslands, a single charge would probably be enough to shatter it completely.
Still, Chen Ye had never intended to rely on this army to meet the grassland barbarians head-on.
His purpose had been clear from the very beginning.
There was only so much food to go around, and the aristocratic clans had eaten until their mouths dripped with grease, unwilling to leave even a scrap of bone behind. Never mind the common people below-even his bowl as emperor was nearly empty.
Since that was the case, he might as well flip the table and let no one eat!
And the Imperial Guard was the hand he would use to flip that table!