Chapter 90 Thunderous Fury, the Eastern Depot Unleashed to Lock Down the Palace

The sky had completely brightened.

The chaos and bloodshed of the night had finally come to an end.

But the storm brought about by the assassination attempt during the Longevity Festival had only just begun.

Inside the Taiji Hall, the bloodstains had been scrubbed clean, and the corpses had been removed.

Yet, the faint scent of blood in the air seemed impossible to dispel, reminding everyone of the heart-stopping events that had transpired here last night.

Emperor Zhao Tuo had not slept all night.

Gone from his face was the usual impatience and sinister gloom; in their place was a cold calmness, like the stillness before a mountain storm.

He sat upright on the dragon throne, his gaze sweeping over the civil and military officials below, who also had not slept and wore expressions of terror.

Commander Wei Xun had been properly settled on the dragon bed in the side hall, under the day and night care of the Imperial Medical Academy.

And he, as the emperor, was about to begin settling this blood debt.

"Director Cao Huachun."

The emperor's voice was not loud, but it carried a bone-chilling coldness.

A middle-aged eunuch, dressed in a flying fish robe, with a pale, beardless face and sinister eyes, stepped out from the ranks of the officials.

He was the Superintendent of the Eastern Depot, Director Cao Huachun.

A name that made all the court officials turn pale at the mere mention of it.

"This servant is here."

Director Cao Huachun knelt on the ground, his head buried deeply.

"You saw everything that happened last night."

Emperor Zhao Tuo's tone betrayed neither joy nor anger.

"I give you three days."

"Seal off the imperial palace and thoroughly investigate all palace maids, eunuchs, and guards."

"As for the assassin who escaped last night, even if you have to dig three feet into the ground, you must drag her out for me!"

"I want to know who has the audacity to attempt to assassinate me during my Longevity Festival!"

"I want them, and everyone behind them, executed, with their entire clans wiped out!"

"This servant obeys the decree!"

Director Cao Huachun kowtowed heavily.

When he raised his head again, his sinister eyes were already flashing with a bloodthirsty, excited glint.

The emperor's thunderous rage meant that the power in his hands would once again be infinitely magnified.

The Eastern Depot, this caged tiger, could finally be released once more to devour people.

Soon, following Director Cao Huachun's order.

The entire palace instantly entered the highest level of martial law.

Countless Eastern Depot agents, dressed in brown shirts and carrying embroidered spring blades at their waists, appeared like ghosts in every corner of the palace.

The palace gates were completely sealed.

Without the emperor's personal decree, no one was allowed to enter or leave.

A bloody purge that swept through the entire inner palace and even the outer court had thus begun.

For a time, everyone in the palace felt endangered, terrified by every rustle of the wind.

Countless people, whether related to the matter or not, were dragged into the Imperial Prison of the Eastern Depot, a place from which no one returned.

The shrill screams were incessant, day and night.

Yet at the center of this storm, Emperor Liu Sheng seemed like an outsider.

After he finished the surgery, he was "graciously permitted" by the emperor to return to his quarters to rest.

He did not return to the Cold Palace, but went directly to the Cining Palace.

He needed to report everything that happened last night to the Empress Dowager.

And to observe the Empress Dowager's reaction.

Inside the Cining Palace, it was as quiet and peaceful as always.

The Empress Dowager was sitting in the warm chamber, leisurely sipping her morning tea.

It was as if the monstrous storm outside was separated from here by two different worlds.

Emperor Liu Sheng reported everything that happened last night to the Empress Dowager in detail.

From the assassination during the sword dance, to the shifting of the target, to Commander Wei Xun blocking the sword, and finally, to his scraping the bone to treat the poison.

He spoke in great detail, without missing a single detail.

During the narration, he kept observing the Empress Dowager's expression calmly.

However, to his disappointment.

From beginning to end, there was no expression of surprise or astonishment on the Empress Dowager's face.

She just listened quietly, occasionally picking up her teacup to gently blow away the steam.

In those well-maintained phoenix eyes, there was no ripple, and no emotion could be discerned.

Not until Emperor Liu Sheng finished speaking did she slowly put down the teacup.

"So, the emperor did not die, and the life of the Brocade Guard Commander was also saved by you?"

Her tone was very flat.

"Yes."

Emperor Liu Sheng answered respectfully.

"This Empress Dowager understands."

The Empress Dowager nodded, and then, there was nothing more said.

She neither praised Emperor Liu Sheng's wit and courage, nor did she ask about the origin of the assassin.

It was as if what she had heard was just some trivial neighborhood gossip.

This reaction made Emperor Liu Sheng feel increasingly uneasy in his heart.

The Empress Dowager was too calm.

So calm that it was somewhat abnormal.

Last night's assassination was full of suspicious points.

On the surface, it seemed to be aimed at the emperor.

But Emperor Liu Sheng always felt that the sudden turn of that lead palace maid was too deliberate.

It was as if it was intentionally trying to splash this dirty water onto the emperor's opposition.

And who was the emperor's greatest opposition?

It went without saying.

Could this be a conspiracy to frame the Cining Palace?

Or perhaps, this was simply...

Emperor Liu Sheng dared not continue thinking.

He only felt that he seemed to have fallen into an even larger, more complex web.

And the Empress Dowager, her thoughts were even more unfathomable than he had imagined.

Coming out of the Cining Palace, Emperor Liu Sheng's mood was somewhat heavy.

The Empress Dowager's reaction caused the clouds of suspicion in his heart to increase rather than decrease.

He walked slowly along the palace path towards the Cold Palace.

Having not returned all night, he did not know how worried Taishi Feiyan and Consort Lin would be.

Along the way, he could see teams of hurried, cold-faced Eastern Depot agents from time to time, escorting ashen-faced palace maids and eunuchs towards the Imperial Prison.

The entire palace was shrouded in an atmosphere of killing and panic.

Emperor Liu Sheng paid no heed to these.

He now needed a quiet place to properly sort out his thoughts.

Returning to the small courtyard of the Cold Palace.

The courtyard gate was ajar.

He pushed the door and entered, only to see Taishi Feiyan and Consort Lin standing in the courtyard, anxiously looking outwards.

They had obviously not slept all night either, and both had heavy dark circles under their eyes.

Seeing Emperor Liu Sheng return, their hanging hearts finally settled.

"You're back!"

Consort Lin was the first to rush up, her voice carrying a hint of tears.

"We heard that something big happened in the Taiji Hall last night, there were assassins... Are... are you alright?"

Taishi Feiyan also walked over quickly. She didn't speak, but just used those bright eyes to look Emperor Liu Sheng up and down carefully.

After confirming he was completely unharmed, she let out a sigh of relief.

"I am fine."

Emperor Liu Sheng looked at their worried eyes, and a wave of warmth flowed through his heart.

He walked into the house, poured himself a cup of cold tea, and drank it in one gulp.

Then, he briefly told the two of them what had happened last night.

When she heard that the assassin's initial target was Emperor Liu Sheng, Consort Lin covered her mouth in fright, her face turning pale.

And Taishi Feiyan's brows furrowed tightly.

"Something is not right."

After Emperor Liu Sheng finished speaking, Taishi Feiyan spoke immediately, her tone certain.

"Oh? What is not right?"

Emperor Liu Sheng looked at her.

"There are too many suspicious points."