Chapter 801.1: Truth
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S T E L L A R C L O U D
[Galetron]
O R A N G E S T A R
[Alma S.] [Christine G.-L.] [K.Rom]
[Lily J.] [Suong D.] [Tessy Ivy O.] [Ziana K.-P.]
Y E L L O W S T A R
[Anasi G.] [Passerby] [Xena]
G O L D S T A R
[Nevy] [Roxanne C.]
R A I N B O W S T A R
[Debra W] [Kiiayame] [Smurfinbatik]
T H E S U N
[kuroneko_chan] [Michelle K.]
C E L E S T I A L C O N Q U E R O R
[Ava C.] [Leeyue] [Manon] [Sophia W.] [Tionna M.] [Val Nes]
Also, many thanks to everyone who bought me coffee (*≧∀≦*)
At midnight, a sudden clap of thunder echoed through Shengdu, the capital of Great Yan.
Before bed, Little County Princess had eaten too many grapes, and in the middle of the night, she woke up, urgently needing to relieve herself.
She opened her eyes and said, “Nanny, I need to pee.”
No one responded to her.
She lay in her small bed for a while, trying to hold it in, but when she truly couldn't endure it any longer, she had no choice but to get up on her own.
Little County Princess was a little elder with a strong sense of shame. She hadn't wet the bed since she was two years old. Determined to handle this herself, she decided to go to the chamber pot on her own.
However, the outside world was filled with flashes of lightning and rolling thunder, making her feel a little scared.
“Imperial uncle, imperial uncle.”
She sat in her tiny mosquito net and called out twice, but still, no one answered.
She really, really couldn’t hold it anymore.
Her small face scrunched up tightly as she struggled to keep it in. Finally, she slipped off the bed, walking barefoot on the cold floor. “Eunuch Zhang…”
It seemed as if everyone in the bedchamber had vanished. Under the flickering light of the lightning, the grand room appeared eerily empty, leaving her all alone. Her small figure stood there in a daze, looking like a pitiful little ragdoll.
Suddenly, a figure clad in a dragon robe stepped through the doorway.
Backlit by the moon and illuminated in stark relief by the sudden flash of lightning, he looked ominous and foreboding.
To Little County Princess, her towering and imposing imperial uncle had never looked so terrifying. She trembled in fear.
…and peed herself.
……
A thunderstorm raged through the night, and by early morning, the air had cooled considerably.
Little Jing Kong had never officially moved into the Duke Estate and would just occasionally drop by for a visit, but last night, he hadn’t come.
As usual, Grandaunt and Gu Yan were still lazing in bed, sleeping in. Meanwhile, Gu Xiaoshun and Master Lu had risen early to practice woodworking. Gu Xiaoshun possessed extraordinary talent, and Master Lu was no longer content with merely teaching him basic craftsmanship; he had begun slowly introducing him to the intricacies of mechanical engineering.
The estate had trustworthy servants handling daily affairs, so there was no need for Lady Nan to cook. At dawn, she had already left to gather medicinal herbs.
Lord Duke came over to join Gu Jiao, Gu Xiaoshun, and Master Lu for breakfast.
Recently, there had been an increasing number of people inquiring about the Duke An Estate’s affairs, and unknown individuals had been lurking around the entrance, secretly observing. It was likely that Mu Ruxin had let some information slip, triggering the Han Family’s vigilance.
Steward Zheng had already made preparations. On one hand, he let the people below accept bribes from the Han Family’s people; on the other, he deliberately fed them false information.
“I heard that Lord Duke has taken in a troupe of opera singers… They’re always singing away in the rear courtyard.”
“If you ask me, our Lord Duke might just lose his reputation in his later years.”
Duke An remained completely unaware of all this.
It was entirely Steward Zheng’s improvisation. After all, Duke An had only given one instruction, that was to fool the Han Family as best as possible. As for how to do it, he had full discretion.
After breakfast, as usual, Duke An accompanied Gu Jiao to the estate’s entrance. Of course, it was still Gu Jiao who pushed his wheelchair.
Ever since Gu Jiao had moved into the Duke An Estate, he had intensified his rehabilitation efforts. His arms and body had regained significant mobility. Previously, he could only lift his wrist, but now he could raise his entire arm slightly.
His legs, too, had regained a bit of strength. Though he still couldn’t stand, he could now make small movements while seated or lying down.
Additionally, his vocal cords had finally begun to function again. Though he could only produce a single syllable, it was already an enormous breakthrough.
Father and daughter arrived at the gate.
Gu Jiao took hold of the reins slung over Black Wind King’s back and said to Duke An, “Adoptive father, I’m heading to the military camp.”
Duke An: “Ah.”
Alright.
Take care on the road.
Gu Jiao mounted her horse and was about to gallop away when suddenly, a disheveled figure stumbled toward them, tripping over himself as he rushed forward.
The guards of the Duke An Estate immediately stepped forward, shielding both Gu Jiao and Duke An with vigilant expressions.
“It’s… it’s me…”
The person gasped for breath, utterly exhausted, before collapsing to the ground, panting heavily.
“Grand Eunuch Zhang?” Gu Jiao finally recognized him. Without hesitation, she dismounted, strode over to him, and crouched down. “What happened to you? How did you end up in this state?”
Zhang Dequan was in complete disarray, his hair was unkempt, his robes were in tatters, and one of his shoes had even gone missing.
His strength was already nearly depleted, and it was only through sheer willpower that he managed to grip Gu Jiao’s wrist tightly. With great difficulty, he gasped out, “Lord Xiao… hurry… hurry and inform… the Third Princess… and His Highness the Eldest Imperial Grandson… His Majesty… something has happened to him…”
Last night, the Emperor had gone to the cold palace to see Imperial Noble Consort Han. The matter concerned a secret about Empress Xuanyuan, and Zhang Dequan, knowing better than to eavesdrop, had sensibly chosen to wait outside in the courtyard.
He had no idea what the two of them discussed inside. He only felt that the Emperor had been in there for far too long. Based on his understanding of the Emperor, there was no real affection between His Majesty and Imperial Noble Consort Han. Once the questioning was done, he should have come out immediately.
So what was going on?
He muttered to himself, and out of curiosity, he cautiously peeked inside.
That one glance ended up saving his life!
He saw a man in black robes descend from above, striking the Emperor unconscious with a single hand chop.
Zhang Dequan was not the type of servant who would abandon his master in a time of crisis, but throwing himself into a battle he knew he couldn’t win wasn’t loyalty; it was sheer foolishness.
So, he turned and ran for his life!
Perhaps fate had not abandoned him, for there happened to be imperial guards patrolling nearby. They sensed the presence of a powerful expert using their internal forces and immediately used their qinggong to investigate the cold palace. Zhang Dequan assumed that they must have engaged the black-robed man in combat, and that brief delay was what allowed him to escape with his life.
He had originally planned to flee back to the Emperor’s palace quarters to summon reinforcements, but upon arrival, he was horrified to discover that all the elite guards stationed there had already been slaughtered.
He boldly speculated that while the Emperor was at the cold palace visiting Imperial Noble Consort Han, someone had infiltrated his quarters and assassinated all his guards.
Then, after carrying out the massacre, the assassin had gone to the cold palace to report back to Imperial Noble Consort Han, and had taken the opportunity to knock the Emperor unconscious.
Zhang Dequan had never been a man of great fortune, but last night, he somehow managed to escape the clutches of death twice.
He realized that the imperial palace was no longer safe and fled into the night.
He had not sought refuge at the Imperial Advisor's Hall because he feared that if Imperial Noble Consort Han noticed his absence, she would immediately suspect that he had gone to find the Third Princess and the Eldest Imperial Grandson.
Then he recalled that Lord Xiao had moved into Duke An Estate, so he decided to take a gamble and try his luck there.
The moment he finished speaking, he lost consciousness. Steward Zheng, looking utterly bewildered, exclaimed, “Hey! Eunuch Zhang, at least tell us exactly what happened to His Majesty before fainting!”
Gu Jiao remained silent, deep in thought.
Could it really be what she was thinking?
Raz P.'s Thoughts
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Description:
In the suspenseful supernatural novel “Records of Mortals,” Jiang Baiyan, once a solitary and impoverished youth, finds refuge in the Shi family of Chang’an due to his extraordinary bloodline. With his clear and captivating peach blossom eyes, this seemingly innocent young man conceals a fanatical and malevolent lunatic within. Destined to succumb to darkness amidst hardship and degradation, he becomes a harbinger of chaos.
When Shi Dai suddenly transmigrates, she takes on the role of the Shi family’s young lady, the one who subjects him to countless trials, eventually leading to her demise.
The twist? She never got to finish reading the novel.
From what she knew of the plot, Jiang Baiyan was just a silent, timid, and often bullied pitiable character.
***
Jiang Baiyan had never encountered someone like Shi Dai.
After he had slaughtered all the evil creatures in the garden, the blood-stained young man, exuding a murderous aura, approached her step by step, his lips curling into a malicious smile, "Scared?"
Shi Dai responded, “You’re really amazing! I applaud you until I spin like a spiral and fly around the moon three hundred times! And also——you have dimples when you smile!"
Jiang Baiyan: ...?
—
After seeing her at a lantern festival with another man, Jiang Baiyan lowered his eyes, his fingers twirling her hair. He said in a mocking and sinister tone, "The mansion in the western suburbs...if I hide you there, no one will find you, right?"
Shi Dai replied, "Does it come with meals and lodging? Can I sleep in everyday? Oh, and your cooking is the best!"
Jiang Baiyan: ...?
—
Jiang Baiyan was supposed to dislike her, even hate her, but as their separation drew near, his eyes turned red and he grabbed her sleeve, pleading, "Don't abandon me, alri—”
Shi Dai responded, "Alright, alright, I’ll only have you. Mwah."
Jiang Baiyan: ...?
He hasn't finished his lines yet though…