klisemfg Chapter 346: Tian Cuiwei in the Cold Palace
Chapter 346: Tian Cuiwei in the Cold Palace
Chapter 346: Tian Cuiwei in the Cold Palace
"The emperor's harem has three thousand beauties. Those he favors are given titles such as imperial maid, noble lady, and concubine. The highest authority is the Phoenix, which is the empress, the mother of the nation. Those who are favored enjoy a life of wealth and honor, while those who fall out of favor are condemned to crimes and exiled to the frontier or confined to the cold palace, where no one cares about their birth, old age, sickness, or death. The cold palace is the hell of the imperial palace, where people eat leftovers every day, with no one to serve them or care for them. There are powerful people there who exploit others, and if people are starving, they will take human flesh and eat it."
When Lu Yu saw the Cold Palace, he immediately thought of the storyteller's description of its interior, and frowned as he pondered. He wasn't sure if Zhao Ning'er was in the Cold Palace; the people there were all listless and dispirited, and if he angered them, it would be difficult to escape.
Still struggling with whether or not to go in to look for Zhao Ning'er, Lu Yu heard some noises not far away, carried by the wind. He followed the sound, went around to the back of the Cold Palace, and saw a thatched hut with several towering trees next to it. Lu Yu hid in the bushes, not daring to make a sound.
Staring intently at several men in black on a tree, Ji Meiqing couldn't help but sneer inwardly. Princess Xiangping was truly cunning; she had taken Shen Bin away but still had a backup plan, as if afraid he might change his mind. She felt a mixture of helplessness at Princess Xiangping's scheming and secret delight at Ji Meiqing's innocent naiveté.
“Shadow?” Shen Bin noticed a mark on the man’s neck. It was a special mark of the Shadow Gang. Since everyone wore masks, they could only identify each other by that mark. Apart from their boss, none of them knew what their companions looked like.
After discovering the other party's identity, Lu Yu felt somewhat worried. If the other party was alone, there might still be a chance of victory, but he didn't know how many people were involved, and he was concerned. Princess Xiangping was truly ruthless to have so many experts guarding someone who posed absolutely no threat, like Zhao Ning'er, who knew nothing of martial arts.
As Lu Yu was pondering what to do, he sensed someone behind him. Turning around, he saw a familiar figure. The person looked surprised upon seeing him, followed by joy. Fearing that the person's birth might bring about a deadly disaster, Lu Yu quickly stepped forward, covered the person's hand, and pulled him into the Cold Palace.
"Cuiwei, what are you doing here?" Lu Yu asked, releasing the person as they entered the Cold Palace. Tian Cuiwei didn't seem afraid of the Cold Palace. Lu Yu glanced around; it was eerily gloomy. When Tian Cuiwei saw Lu Yu, she excitedly hugged him and said, "Brother, I thought I'd never see you again! Brother, I know I was wrong. I'll never frame Sister Meiqing again."
Seeing that she seemed to know she had repented, Lu Yu didn't blame her. Instead, he patted her back to comfort her. Lu Yu just wanted to know how Tian Cuiwei ended up in this deep and secluded cold palace.
"Cuiwei, how did you end up in this cold palace? Why don't you go home?" Lu Yu broke free from Tian Cuiwei's embrace and couldn't help but ask the question that was on his mind.
Tian Cuiwei stood there, unsure of what to say, but looked at Lu Yu with a face full of grievance, clutching the handkerchief in her hand, tears streaming down her face, and stammered, "My father and mother coveted the Ji family's status, but they treated me like an object. After they took me home that day, they sold me to Ji Tianzhuo the very next day."
Lu Yu's eyebrows furrowed as he looked at Tian Cuiwei's heartbroken expression. She was, after all, his beloved younger sister who had been pampered for several years, and now she was being treated like this by others. He felt a mix of emotions.
"Ji Tianzhuo was very good to me at first, but then he found a new love and became extremely harsh on me. I couldn't stay in the Ji residence anymore, so I heard that the palace was selecting imperial concubines, and that I might become one, so I came to the palace. But... who knew..."
As she spoke, it seemed as if the grievances she had suffered were still vivid in her mind, and Tian Cuiwei cried even harder. Lu Yu wiped her tears with his sleeve, but he didn't know how to comfort her. He felt helpless; Tian Cuiwei was still like a child, not even understanding the saying "serving a ruler is like serving a tiger."
"I don't know what I did to offend that Princess Xiangping, and then I ended up in this cold palace. Brother, do you know how much I miss you and Sister Meiqing?" After saying that, she threw herself into Lu Yu's arms and cried.
Upon hearing Princess Xiangping's name, Lu Yu felt that she was being too arrogant and domineering. Now that Zhao Ning'er was in her hands, with so many people watching, he didn't know what to do.
"By the way, brother, how did you end up in the Cold Palace?" Tian Cuiwei wiped away her tears, let go of Lu Yu, and asked.
"A friend of mine was captured by Princess Xiangping, and I've come to rescue her," Lu Yu said simply. Upon hearing Princess Xiangping's name, Tian Cuiwei was furious. She then pressed Lu Yu for answers.
Lu Yu then briefly explained the matter of Zhao Ning'er and Shen Bin to Tian Cuiwei. Tian Cuiwei nodded as if she understood, and after a while, her face darkened. She looked up at Lu Yu, who was a head taller than her, and said, "Brother, I'll help you deal with those people, okay? But if I take care of them, you have to take me home."
Lu Yu looked at Tian Cuiwei's confident demeanor and felt somewhat puzzled, but he had no choice but to agree to her request since time was of the essence. He didn't ask her how she would subdue those people. Tian Cuiwei instructed Lu Yu to stand on the rooftop and, if all the men in black entered the Cold Palace, to go and rescue them.
After leaving the Cold Palace, Tian Cuiwei saw the person in the tree behind the Cold Palace. She walked over, but hid and only showed half of her face. She whistled at the person in the tree. The person in the tree looked at Tian Cuiwei when they heard the sound, and then turned their gaze elsewhere. Tian Cuiwei, however, calmly continued to whistle.
Because the people in the tree had a mission, they had to send one of them down to investigate. A man in black approached Tian Cuiyu, trying to grab her, but she easily dodged him. Then, Tian Cuiyu walked towards the nearby Cold Palace, not forgetting to make a face at the man in black.
The man in black seemed to have been provoked and glared angrily at Tian Cuiwei before following her inside. Tian Cuiwei ran alongside him, with the man in black in hot pursuit. Tian Cuiwei shouted, "The man in black who tried to assassinate the Emperor has arrived! Seize him, and the Emperor will make him a concubine!"
As soon as these words were spoken, people from all directions came over following Tian Cuiwei's voice. The man in black realized that the situation was not good and prepared to run away, but he didn't know who grabbed his clothes. He tried to shake them off, but the person held on tightly. He turned around and swallowed. Behind him were women with disheveled hair and tattered clothes.
They were all looking at him with greedy eyes, but he had no idea what was going on.