Entering the Palace

As the words faded, a brief silence descended upon the bedchamber.

Both Luo Zhao and Shangguan Yunying understood that the eunuch faction was a pool of water just as murky and deep as the imperial court.

Just as Gu Chengyin stood up and prepared to cup his hands in farewell, Luo Zhao suddenly called out to stop him.

"Wait."

Gu Chengyin paused his steps and looked at Luo Zhao.

He watched as Luo Zhao reached out and felt around among the scattered documents and makeup boxes on the dressing table.

She picked up an ancient-looking token about the size of a palm.

The token was made of neither gold nor jade, but a dark, profound black. On its back was a lifelike relief of a spreading profound bird, surrounding a simple and ancient character 'Zhao'.

Its edges were inlaid with fine gold threads, flowing with a restrained yet noble light under the morning sun.

Seeing this token, Shangguan Yunying involuntarily widened her eyes.

The Crown Heir Token!

The one who holds this token has their will regarded as the will of the Crown Heir themselves, possessing tremendous authority to make on-the-spot decisions and immense deterrence.

As if she did not see Shangguan Yunying's surprise, Luo Zhao calmly handed the Crown Heir Token to Gu Chengyin.

"This is the Crown Heir Token. Take it; it is as if I am there in person."

"The internal relationships within the eunuch faction are complex and intertwined, and Lyu Fang is even more unfathomable."

"If there is a sudden situation, you can use this token to act as you see fit. At the same time, this is also a specially made Luoshan Token; you can use it to directly contact me and Yunying."

Gu Chengyin accepted the token and carefully tucked it into his robes.

"Thank you for your trust, Your Highness."

Gu Chengyin bowed profoundly. "I will definitely not fail Your Highness's commission."

Luo Zhao nodded and said no more.

Gu Chengyin turned around and walked out of the bedchamber with steady steps.

Watching Gu Chengyin's figure disappear at the end of the corridor, the calmness on Luo Zhao's face quickly faded, replaced by a heavy solemnity.

She turned around and looked at Shangguan Yunying, a sharp glint reappearing in her phoenix eyes.

"Yunying."

"Your subordinate is here!"

"Although Marquis Gu has taken up this matter, we cannot slack off in the slightest."

Luo Zhao's gaze swept over the spread-out documents. "Immediately summon all the female officials, including those who are on leave or handling secondary matters."

"Gather them all under the guise of 'verifying the old accounts of the Internal Affairs Department and organizing the archives'."

She spoke quickly, her thoughts clear. "Remember, secrecy is the top priority. All participating female officials must make a blood oath not to leak a single word."

"The verification process must be conducted in a closed environment with strict access control. All waste paper and scraps must be burned."

Shangguan Yunying's expression turned stern, and she quickly noted it down. "Yes, Your Highness! I will do it immediately!"

Luo Zhao nodded slightly, but then her brows furrowed again. "There is one more thing... the daily guarding and patrolling of the Crown Heir Palace..."

She paused, clearly realizing the dilemma of personnel allocation. "There are many eyes and ears in the palace. If the defensive strength of the Crown Heir Palace is noticeably weakened, I am afraid it will arouse unnecessary suspicion and prying."

Shangguan Yunying also looked troubled, unable to think of a perfect solution for the moment.

Luo Zhao pondered for a moment, a flash of determination in her eyes.

She slowly raised her head, looked at Shangguan Yunying, and issued a new order.

"Yunying, the matter of summoning the female officials to verify the accounts will proceed as planned, but there is no need to assign all the female officials to it."

"First, gather the female officials who currently have no urgent matters on hand. You will personally lead them and begin the preliminary work."

"As for the daily guarding of the Crown Heir Palace..." Luo Zhao's voice paused, then she spoke clearly, "Maintain the status quo for now. At the same time, take my hand-written order."

She walked to the desk, quickly wrote a brief edict, stamped it with her personal seal, and handed it to Shangguan Yunying.

"Make a trip to the Golden Feather Guard camp outside the city."

Shangguan Yunying took the edict, a glimmer of understanding flashing in her eyes.

"Give it to Xue Tian." Luo Zhao looked at Shangguan Yunying and said word by word, "Tell him to come see me."

Shangguan Yunying bowed and replied, "Yes! I will go handle it right away!"

......

Gu Chengyin came out of the Crown Heir Palace and got into a horse carriage, his destination pointing straight to the Inner Court of the Imperial Palace.

The carriage drove smoothly along the palace roads.

It eventually stopped outside a certain palace gate.

Just as Gu Chengyin stepped off the carriage, before he even had time to take in his surroundings, a young eunuch dressed in light cyan eunuch robes, with clever and expressive eyes, walked up to him with a smile, looking as if he had been waiting for a long time.

Wearing a perfectly measured respectful smile, he stopped about three steps away from Gu Chengyin, bowed, and said in a crisp voice:

"This little slave greets the Marquis of Bingjian."

The moment he opened his mouth, he used the exact noble title, showing he was clearly well-informed.

Gu Chengyin asked in confusion, "You are?"

The young eunuch straightened up, his smile unchanging, and said respectfully, "Lord Marquis, this little slave was ordered by Eunuch Lyu Fang to specifically guide you into the palace."

Gu Chengyin raised an eyebrow. Lyu Fang's man?

Moreover, looking at the young eunuch's posture and words, it was obvious he had received instructions long ago and was specially waiting here, rather than having received the news at the last minute.

These old foxes who had been immersed in the arena of power for decades were truly more cunning than the last. Their well-informed nature and keen sense of smell far exceeded ordinary people.

"Sorry to trouble you," Gu Chengyin said calmly, his face showing no emotion.

"Lord Marquis is too polite. Please follow this little slave." The young eunuch turned sideways to lead the way, his posture respectful and his steps brisk.

Gu Chengyin followed the young eunuch and stepped through the palace gate that symbolized the separation between the inner and outer courts.

Behind the gate was not the deep palace courtyard one might imagine, but rather a series of deep, winding corridors and passageways where the security was noticeably several times stricter.

Flanked by high walls, the lighting was dim, and the air was filled with a scent that mixed sandalwood with a faint dusty aura.

Walking through them, Gu Chengyin's perception, which had already reached the peak of the mid-stage of Qi Condensation, quietly extended outward like invisible tentacles.

He could clearly sense that in the shadows of the high walls on both sides, above the flying eaves and brackets overhead, and even behind the seemingly ordinary pillars, there were no less than ten obscure and powerful auras lying in ambush!

These auras were like venomous snakes lurking in the dark, cold, sharp, and full of vigilance.

The master of each aura was at least at the early stage of the Foundation Establishment realm.

This was the Inner Court of the Imperial Palace, the core area of the eunuch faction!

Its strict guarding and multitude of experts far exceeded that of the Outer Court and the Crown Heir Palace.

The young eunuch seemed accustomed to all this. Looking straight ahead without stopping, he guided Gu Chengyin through the maze-like corridors.

They finally arrived in front of a grand hall with carved beams and painted rafters.

Two tall bronze incense burners shaped like exotic beasts stood in front of the hall. Curling blue smoke rose from them, adding a bit of ethereal atmosphere to this solemn place.

The doors of the hall were wide open, and the elegant and exquisite furnishings inside could vaguely be seen.

"Lord Marquis, Eunuch Lyu Fang is waiting inside the hall. Please." The young eunuch stopped at the bottom of the steps in front of the hall, bowed, and made an inviting gesture.

Gu Chengyin nodded and stepped onto the white marble steps that were as smooth as a mirror.

The space inside the hall was vast, yet the lighting was not bright, instead possessing a deliberately crafted sense of depth.

The massive pillars were carved with complex patterns of auspicious clouds and immortal cranes, and the floor was covered with a thick, dark red gold-woven carpet that made no sound when stepped upon.

Behind a large carved red sandalwood desk sat a person.

It was none other than the Grand Eunuch: Lyu Fang.

At this moment, his head was slightly lowered, his expression focused as he brewed tea.

With unhurried movements and practiced skill, boiling water was poured into the purple clay teapot. The fragrance of tea unfurled alongside the curling steam, permeating the hall.