Chapter 24 Secretly entering the palace
The evening streets of the capital flickered under dim lantern lights, the usual bustle subsiding as merchants closed their stalls and residents returned home. Li An darted through the shadows, her tiny frame slipping between alleys and leaping over market stalls with nimble grace. Her heart was set on the towering silhouette of the palace in the distance, where Concubine Su awaited. But her mission had taken an unexpected turn.
Earlier that day, Li An had made a sudden decision to help the boy named Jian and helped him to recover from his wounds in an inn. While doing so she accidentally incapacitated five human traffickers. It was a quick act of justice, and she left them knocked out, thinking it a small, harmless delay. But it appeared they were part of a larger group—one whose wrath was now directed entirely at her.
At first, it was only two men trailing her, brawny and quick to take up the chase. Li An had given them a run through the winding lanes, dodging their attempts to corner her. But her small feat of martial arts seemed to have been noticed by more than just her pursuers. Now, the gang was multiplying at an alarming rate, and Li An sensed the rustling of reinforcements converging on her from all sides. Her quiet escape toward the palace had now turned into a frenzied chase through the streets, with a crowd of dark-clad men nipping at her heels.
"She went this way!" someone bellowed from behind her, the sound of heavy footsteps echoing off the cobblestones.
Li An inhaled deeply, steadying her breath as she assessed the best way to handle the growing crowd. She wasn't about to let them drag her down into a senseless fight. These men were dangerous but also clumsy, relying more on brute force than skill—a weakness she could exploit.
In one swift motion, she somersaulted over a fence and crouched on the other side, pressing herself against the wall to avoid the dimming lantern light. Two men bolted around the corner, not seeing her, and she seized the opportunity, tripping one of them with a quick sweep of her foot. The man stumbled and crashed into his comrade, the two of them collapsing in a heap. Before they could scramble up, Li An leaped onto a crate, springing over the next wall to gain distance. Her agility proved her strongest ally, allowing her to move faster and with more fluidity than her pursuers.
But they were persistent, calling for reinforcements as they spotted her again. Whispers spread through the streets, as onlookers caught brief glimpses of her darting past—barely a shadow under the moonlight. Soon, rumors started to sprout: a tiny figure, quick as the wind, wreaking havoc in the heart of the capital. Some swore it was a mischievous goblin, no taller than a child, whose face they couldn't quite see. Others claimed it was a demon sent to punish wrongdoers. The tale took on a life of its own, spreading from one curious bystander to another.
Li An's mind was sharp, but the constant pursuit made it difficult to focus on the path ahead. Her body moved on instinct, weaving and dodging as the sounds of pursuit grew louder. She knew that if she tried to face them head-on, she'd be quickly overwhelmed. So, she decided on a new strategy: disarm and disable, but keep moving.
As another pair of thugs rushed at her from a side alley, she stepped lightly into the center of the street, her stance calm and poised. They lunged, expecting her to flinch, but she sidestepped gracefully, twisting around one of them and locking his arm in place with a simple maneuver. With a quick shift of weight, she flipped him over her shoulder, sending him sprawling into a stack of barrels. The other man hesitated, surprised by her strength despite her size, and she used his hesitation against him, darting behind him and kicking his leg out from under him.
The men staggered, momentarily stunned. Before they could recover, Li An sprinted ahead, refusing to waste even a second of her precious time. Her small frame and youthful face might have been her greatest disguise, but her martial skill told another story entirely.
It wasn't long before her calculated but chaotic resistance drew a small crowd. Some citizens cheered her on, mistaking her for a mischievous spirit out to teach these thugs a lesson. Others stared in awe, pointing and murmuring as she darted between her pursuers with inhuman speed.
Her focus never wavered, but fatigue began creeping into her limbs. The palace was still a good distance away, and with the crowd growing, her task was only becoming more challenging. At the next intersection, she paused, her chest heaving with exertion. She quickly reviewed her surroundings, noticing a thin alley barely wide enough for an adult to squeeze through.
Without hesitation, she darted down it, her small frame slipping through with ease. The bulkier thugs struggled, a few getting stuck or scraping themselves against the stone walls. She allowed herself a quick breath, using the temporary reprieve to gather her strength.
But just as she thought she might have lost them, a shout echoed from the far end of the alley. Another set of pursuers blocked her exit. They charged, attempting to close in from both sides. Li An dropped low to the ground, extending her leg in a sweeping motion that caught two men off balance. As they stumbled, she bolted between them, the momentum of her movements carrying her forward in a graceful arc.
More onlookers had gathered now, enthralled by the strange, agile child causing such a commotion. Someone whispered, "It must be a goblin. Look how fast it moves!"
"A goblin or a spirit, maybe!" another replied, eyes wide with fascination. "But why is it here?"
Li An could feel the myth around her growing, fueled by the excitement of the crowd. The thugs, now outnumbered by onlookers, faltered, their confidence waning as they realized the public's support was firmly against them. She used their moment of hesitation to launch herself up a low wall, leaping from one rooftop to another, her shadow cast over the streets below.
Finally, as she landed softly on a high ledge, she took a moment to scan the palace gates in the distance. Her path was clear now—most of her pursuers were either disabled or too confused to continue their chase. She straightened, looking down at the throngs below. Her heart pounded with adrenaline, but her face remained serene.
With a small nod of satisfaction, she took off again, this time with a determined calm. The palace was within reach, and Concubine Su waited for her inside. Let them believe in their goblin tales, she thought. After all, it was stories like these that would help keep her true identity hidden.
As she disappeared from view, her legend grew. The capital would remember the night the mysterious "goblin" wreaked havoc in the streets, leaving chaos—and admiration—in her wake. And Li An, without so much as a backward glance, pressed onward to complete her mission.
Eventually, she found herself nearing the towering gates of the imperial palace. The guards posted outside were alert and disciplined, their armor glinting in the moonlight. It would be impossible to enter directly without attracting attention. But, resourceful as she was, Li An had no intention of going through the front gates.
With Seedee guiding her, she found a section of the wall shielded by a thick growth of ivy and climbed, her small hands gripping the stone with surprising strength. Her training had made her body agile and quick, and within moments, she was over the wall and dropping down into the gardens on the other side.
The palace grounds were vast, silent except for the occasional call of a night bird. Li An moved with careful precision, her senses attuned to every sound, every shadow. The corridors of the palace loomed before her, a maze of luxury and darkness. She didn't know exactly where to start looking, but she was determined to find some trace of her foster mother.
As she pressed deeper into the palace, Seedee's voice broke the silence in her mind. "The imperial consort's quarters are to the east. Many of the concubines are housed there, along with their attendants."
Li An nodded, making her way through a secluded side passage that ran parallel to the main hall. She overheard fragments of conversation from the servants as they passed by, mentions of the emperor's latest summons, Empress Su Mu Fang's evening gathering, and rumors of unrest within the palace ranks. She listened intently, hoping for any clue that might lead her to Concubine Su.
She came upon a small group of servant women gossiping in a dimly lit corridor, their voices low and anxious. Li An moved closer, hiding in the shadows to listen.
"Did you hear? The emperor has kept Concubine Su locked away in the south wing for nearly a week now. She hasn't been allowed to see anyone."
A shiver ran down Li An's spine, but she forced herself to stay calm, straining to hear more.
Suddenly, Seedee, who has a more acute sense than herself said something that almost made the heart of Li An fall into chaos.
"Li An… Those are just rumors… I think I have discovered the truth that has happened to your foster mother…" it said with a hint of reluctance in its voice.
It did not want to affect the current mentality of the little girl, but it also could not keep it hidden from her. With that, it decided to tell Li An what had really happened to Concubine Su.