After making sure the figure had left, Night Jing Tang sheathed his sword and his expression turned serious.
Putting aside whether Hong Caishen was a friend or a foe, the previous exchange had indeed put pressure on him. Back in the border town, he was considered the "number one master", and he believed his martial arts skills were top-notch in the martial world. However, after witnessing Hong Caishen's spear technique, he realized how vast the gap between him and the martial world's veterans truly was. It felt like playing chess, where every move he made wanted to break the chessboard, but even if he succeeded, it wouldn't change the fact that he was playing a bad game.
Night Jing Tang wasn't surprised by this realization. He had learned martial arts from his adoptive father, but his adoptive father never taught him any real techniques, indicating that what he learned were just "pretend moves". If he couldn't learn them properly, then there was no point.
Coming here as a "friend", but who knows who might come knocking on the door next time. Without profound martial arts skills, it definitely wasn't a long-term solution...
Thinking about this, Night Jing Tang raised his eyes and looked towards the direction of the imperial city.
Hong Caishen mentioned teaching spear techniques, but until he truly learned them, he couldn't rely on them. Even if Hong Caishen sincerely wanted to take him as a disciple, to prevent being controlled by others, he had to keep something in reserve. And this "reserve", at the moment, seemed to be only the "Ming Long Diagram" mentioned by his adoptive father.
Putting aside the rumors of immortality and ascension, in the martial world, any one of the nine "Ming Long Diagrams" could elevate one far beyond the ordinary.
Although the "Ming Long Diagram" was buried under a ginkgo tree in the harem, it was difficult to obtain. But with the current empress being a woman, even if the empress resided in the harem, it was unlikely that it would be heavily guarded...
Even if the empress resided in the harem, there were many handsome men there. With his appearance that was considered less than attractive, it wouldn't be difficult to sneak in and blend in...
Sneaking into the imperial palace was obviously not a decision to be made lightly. Without understanding the situation clearly, he might easily get himself into trouble...
After staring at the direction of the imperial city for a long time, Night Jing Tang had no clue. He decided to put the matter of "sneaking into the harem" aside for now and returned to the house to start cleaning up the rubble and broken wood.
Just as he finished cleaning up, the sound of horse hooves echoed in the alley, accompanied by the voices of Old Escort Yang Chao and Bird Bird:
"Young Master? Young Master?"
"Chirp chirp chirp..."
"I'm fine."
Night Jing Tang clapped his hands and walked out into the courtyard, looking at the escorts who had come to the rescue.
"Just now, a martial artist from the martial world came by and chatted for a bit. They've already left, so there's no need to worry."
The twelve escorts scanned the dilapidated alley, all furrowing their brows. Yang Chao advised:
"Young Master, Third Mistress is a good person. She arranged lodgings for each of us, and Little Six's place is much better than yours. Why don't you go back? You're not familiar with life in the capital..."
Night Jing Tang wasn't sure if Hong Caishen was related to the Pei family. After some consideration, he shook his head:
"It's okay, it's quiet here, I'll get used to it. I really can't find my way around the capital, so I'll visit the Pei family tomorrow and ask for some work. Don't worry about me, go back and rest early."
Upon hearing this, the escorts all breathed a sigh of relief and immediately dismounted to help Night Jing Tang tidy up...
Under the same night sky, inside the imperial palace.
As night fell, the palace lanterns were lit, casting a soft glow on the flying eaves. The light filtered through the dense branches and leaves of the large trees, casting small fan-shaped leaf shadows on the white stone tiles.
Several palace maids, dressed in colorful clothes, held lanterns and stood quietly in the corridor with bowed heads.
Under the thousand-year-old ginkgo tree, there hung a swing.
A young woman in a golden red phoenix robe, with both hands holding onto the swing rope, swung back and forth under the night sky. She swung high, and her beautiful skirt and embroidered red shoes drew a half-moon arc under the tree.
Whoo...
Whoo...
The night was quiet, the beauty picturesque, but there was no sound, making the originally beautiful scene appear desolate with a sense of "empty courtyards and vacant halls".
The spacious and elegant courtyard looked like a meticulously crafted birdcage.
And the young woman swinging alone on the swing seemed like the canary in the cage, trying to use the swing to leap over the red walls and golden tiles, to take a glimpse of the outside world.
Tread, tread...
After swinging back and forth countless times, a set of footsteps echoed from the corridor, followed by the respectful greetings of the palace maids:
"Greetings, Prince Jing."
The swing under the ginkgo tree slowly came to a stop. The woman in the phoenix robe turned her head, revealing a stunning face.
With red lips and almond eyes, her features were like a painting, but there was a hint of deep-seated melancholy due to her long confinement in the palace.
Seeing Prince Jing approaching, the woman did not get off the swing to greet him, but continued to swing gently, asking softly:
"Leaving person, why do you have time to come here today?"
"I came to pay respects to the Empress Dowager."
Prince Jing, dressed in a silver python robe, looked like a handsome prince from a painting. After coming to the swing, he supported the Empress Dowager's shoulders and gently pushed her:
"Just now, I discussed state affairs with the Emperor. The Emperor asked me to come and see. It's so late, is the Empress Dowager feeling lonely in the palace? Would you like me to arrange for someone to send you to stay at Yutan Villa for a while?"
"Being alone in the palace or outside is the same. What's the difference?"
"Same with me and the Emperor."
"Not the same. You and the Emperor have official duties to attend to. As long as you wish, you can go anywhere in the world, and you can choose the men you like～"
The Empress Dowager turned her head and looked at Prince Jing:
"I am the Empress Dowager! 'Dowager' means wife, concubines are concubines. Throughout history, besides the fall of a country, when has there been talk of the Empress Dowager remarrying?"
Prince Jing looked helpless:
"You are the Empress Dowager! Throughout history, besides the fall of a country, when has the Empress Dowager talked about remarrying?"
The Empress Dowager fell silent for a moment, then asked:
"Neither you nor the Emperor have a bed companion.
Have you been looking for someone recently? Do you have any portraits or anything? Shall I help you, Mother?"
Prince Jing had just painted a "beautiful man" portrait, but seeing the Empress Dowager's eager look, he didn't feel like it was appropriate to bring it out for viewing together.
"The Emperor is busy with state affairs, and I am troubled by the Green Bandits. How can I have the mind to consider marriage..."
"You're not young anymore. If you have the opportunity, you should consider it..."
...
After chatting for a while, a few cool raindrops fell from the gap in the ginkgo tree.
Shh...
The Empress Dowager lifted her gaze and looked at the luxuriant canopy of the ginkgo tree, with a hint of resentment in her eyes:
"They say this tree is spiritual. I come to visit every day, but what good luck have I encountered? After ten years in the palace, I haven't had a single stroke of good fortune. If my luck is bad, it's fine, but swinging on the swing to relax and it rains, it's disappointing. In a few days, I'll have it cut down!"
"If the heavens don't cooperate and it rains, the tree shelters the Empress Dowager from wind and rain. If the Empress Dowager cuts down this tree, wouldn't it be even more wind and rain without shelter?"
"That's true..."
The Empress Dowager thought for a moment and then asked:
"You and the Emperor both have no bed companions. Have you been looking for someone recently? Do you have any portraits or anything? Shall I keep an eye out for you, Mother?"
Prince Jing had just painted a "beautiful man" portrait, but seeing the Empress Dowager's eager look, he didn't feel like it was appropriate to bring it out for viewing together.
"The Emperor is busy with state affairs, and I am troubled by the Green Bandits. How can I have the mind to consider marriage..."
"You're not young anymore. If you have the opportunity, you should consider it..."