Chapter 37 - The first visit to the palace
Outside the city walls!
There were sharp-armoured soldiers guarding the area, and when they saw Li Wenzhong’s carriage, two of them came forward.
Get out, the carriage cannot enter!
Li Wenzhong was the first to dismount, with Xia Chen following behind.
‘Sir Li!
After seeing Li Wenzhong, the soldiers hurriedly gave a military salute.
They were from the Dragon Martial Guard, news had already spread amongst them in the past two days that their Dragon Martial Guard Senior General might be about to fall, and the person who would replace him was none other than Li Wenzhong in front of them.
Well! Find him, I’ll go to the palace!
Li Wenzhong nodded and then opened his hands, before entering the palace, even if he was a senior cabinet official, he had to be checked before entering.
It doesn’t change depending on the person, that’s the rule.
Your Excellency, His Majesty’s decree has been delivered, Your Excellency can just go in directly!
The soldier gave Li Wenzhong a casual glance before hurriedly saying.
Li Wenzhong nodded, while Xia Chen followed behind him without saying a word, watching in silence.
If he hadn’t recognised the three large characters on this city wall, this White Tiger Gate, five years later, the palace coup would have taken place from the White Tiger Gate.
The Third Prince led the army to open the White Tiger Gate, killing in the palace, all the blood of the palace flowed into the river …….
This piece of wall is incredibly high, there are also some spells arranged by wizards on the wall, and all the soldiers standing on the wall are armour-breaking crossbow soldiers, unless tens of thousands of troops pile it up with human lives, otherwise it is impossible to take it by force.
Xia Chen took in all of the White Tiger Gate terrain in his eyes, there were three large battalions outside of Kyoto, totalling 50,000 people, guarding Kyoto along with the Imperial Guard.
These three battalions could only be called upon by the Emperor.
And no matter what happens to those 50,000 troops, they will not be able to enter Kyoto, so this is destined to open the White Tiger Gate, which can only be breached from the inside, so that people can open it from the inside.
The Third Prince definitely bought off the general stationed at the White Tiger Gate, or this person was originally the Third Prince’s person!
Xia Chen pondered, there were some people in the Dragon Martial Guard who had fallen to the Third Prince, this was an important piece of information.
As Xia Chen pondered, Li Wenzhong followed the front of a leading eunuch through the heavy palace.
Xia Chen did not think much more and began to survey the palace.
Glazed tiles shining in the daylight, like stars falling on the roof of the palace.
Carved beams and painted buildings, painted thousands of years old style and legend.
Palace lights swaying, light and shadow in the corridor shuttle, like a dream.
Auspicious birds and animals perched on the ridge of the temple corners, as if guarding this place, showing the majesty and luxury of the royal family.
Eight hundred years old, every brick and tile shows signs of age, so people dare not make the slightest mistake.
‘General Li, just take the Imperial Son-in-Law inside!’
The old eunuch leading the way smiled, not as arrogant as the outsiders, as if he were really just an ordinary servant.
‘Well!’
Li Wenzhong nodded, but did not be too polite, only an ordinary eunuch, he will soon be the Senior General of the Dragon Martial Guard, unless it is a few eunuchs who are in charge of the twelve supervisors, he does not need to pay too much attention to the others.
‘Tough on Eunuch Ma!’
Xia Chen took out a piece of silver from his sleeve and shoved it into Eunuch Ma’s hand.
Eunuch Ma’s eyes lit up, but he quickly came to his senses and quickly waved his hand.
‘It’s all what a slave should do, how would a slave dare to accept the Imperial Son-in-Law’s silver!’
The eunuchs who could run errands for the Emperor were all human, and Eunuch Ma was aware of Young Master’s status.
If it’s an ordinary Imperial Son-in-Law, he doesn’t need to be so courteous, but this one comes from the Xia family, and even more crucial is that His Majesty personally summoned him, so many years, in addition to a few senior cabinet officials and a few court officials, he has never seen His Majesty summon anyone alone.
So how dare he accept Xia Chen’s silver?
Even though I work for His Majesty, I’ve kept you waiting for so long, it’s only a small amount of silver to buy a pot of wine to drink!
Xia Chen smiled and didn’t say much, he just threw the silver into Ma Gong Gong’s belt, waved his hand and walked towards the palace.
Eunuch Ma felt the heavy piece of silver in his belt and looked at Xia Chen’s back with some confusion.
Although he ran errands for His Majesty, he had no real power, and none of the great members of the court he had come in contact with had ever treated him with such respect, much less cared how long he had waited, and even given him the silver personally.
Eunuch Ma felt the residual warmth of Xia Chen on the silver, took a deep breath, put the silver into his pocket, and his gaze became calm again.
……
I bow to Your Majesty!
As soon as he entered the palace, he walked down a long corridor and entered a large hall.
Before Xia Chen could take in the surroundings of the palace, Li Wenzhong pulled Xia Chen to his knees!
Stand up!
A somewhat ethereal voice, the source of which could not be identified for a moment, rang out in the palace!
Only then did Xia Chen clearly see the surroundings of the palace.
In the centre of the palace, an old man was sitting on the ground, wearing a Taoist robe, but with Buddha beads around his neck.
His hair was a little white, and his back was turned to them, hiding his true face.
This was the Wen Emperor, the ruler of the entire Dawu Empire!
”This is the Dragon Martial Guard token, take it and take up your post at the Dragon Martial Guard tomorrow!”
Emperor Wen turned his back on the two of them, as if he was cultivating and as if he was in Zen enlightenment.
An inexplicable aura flowed through him, and vaguely, Xia Chen seemed to see a ten-metre long golden dragon flickering from Emperor Wen’s body.
This golden dragon was somewhat illusory, as if it had yet to emerge.
Qi Luck Golden Dragon? Is it because the time has not yet come, or is it because the national power of Dawu is not enough these days, or is it because of Emperor Wen’s personal reasons?
In the middle of Xia Chen’s thoughts, Li Wenzhong knelt on the ground with a thud and said in a somewhat excited voice.
I kowtow to thank Your Majesty, and I will honour Your Majesty’s trust!
‘Go down first!
Emperor Wen waved his hand like an immortal above the nine heavens.
Li Wenzhong stood up and gave Xia Chen an encouraging look as he passed by, as if to tell him not to be nervous.
After Li Wenzhong left, Xia Chen and Emperor Wen were the only two people left in the room.
The smoke was curling up, the room was so quiet you could hear your own breathing.
Xia Chen waited extremely patiently and did not take the lead in speaking.
Sit down!
An unknown amount of time passed and Emperor Wen’s voice sounded again.
‘Thank you, Your Majesty!’
Xia Chen immediately knelt down and bowed to thank the king for his grace, then found a seat next to him and sat down.
‘Your nature is not like the Marquis of Andong!’
Emperor Wen still had his back to Xia Chen, not wanting to turn around, but it was as if he could see everything behind him.
I was separated from my father when I was a child, so I don’t have many memories of my father.
Over the years, there has been very little contact with my father’s letters, so I don’t really understand what kind of nature my father really has.
And Your Majesty’s aura is as thick as Yu Shan, and like the God and Buddha above the Nine Heavens, majestic and unimpeachable, but for some reason, I always felt that Your Majesty had a sense of intimacy, and was therefore less tense and bolder!
Xia Chen replied respectfully, but the language was very bold.
When Emperor Wen heard Xia Chen’s reply, he was actually somewhat silent, with a gleam in his eyes, not knowing what had come into his mind.