Great Dao Lord through Deducing Myriad Arts

Chapter 279: Chapter 230: Sealing the Palace Gates, Advancing the Plan (Part 2)

’So, if I just tighten our defenses, I might be able to drag him out the moment he sneaks into the Imperial Capital.’

However, Yan Jun had a habit of always having a backup plan. Prince Yu had now been missing for a full eight days, and Yan Jun had no way of predicting what could have happened during that time.

Thus, he felt a profound sense of urgency.

"Looks like we have to move the plan forward," Yan Jun said slowly.

The man’s expression changed slightly. "When do you intend to act?"

"The sooner, the better. I’m going to the palace to see the Empress Dowager now. After all, this whole affair would be quite difficult to manage without that foolish woman taking the lead."

As he finished, a look of deep scorn crept onto Yan Jun’s face.

The man nodded. "Very well. I will begin preparations on my end."

Snow began to fall again. Watching the flakes fill the sky, Yan Jun was suddenly overcome with ambition. He clapped the man on the shoulder and made a promise.

"Rest assured, I am a man who rewards merit and punishes failure. Do your job well, and once our great task is complete, you will not be forgotten."

"My thanks, Your Highness. Oh, no—I should say, my thanks, Your Majesty!" the man said with a small smile.

"HAHAHA! It’s still a bit premature to call me that, but I like it!" Yan Jun roared with laughter before turning and walking into the curtain of snow.

The man stood silently in the heated pavilion for a moment, then sighed faintly and spoke.

"Did you hear? The great task will be complete within a few days. Afterward, our Heartless Dao can finally reemerge and become many times more prosperous than we were at our peak."

The surroundings were silent, so quiet you could even hear the WHOOSH of the charcoal burning in the floor brazier.

But the man knew she was listening, so he continued, "I know you don’t care about any of this, and I won’t make things difficult. Once this is over, your debt to me will be paid in full. You’ll be free to leave."

"But for the next few days, I need your help."

An almost inaudible sigh came from behind him, followed by a woman’s cold, clear voice.

"Fine. I can help you. But let me be clear: I can only handle ordinary Martial Artists. I’m no match for the likes of Wu Liangchen or the two Grandmasters from the Martial God Temple."

The man smiled. "I’m not asking you to fight a Grandmaster, and this has nothing to do with Wu Liangchen. You just need to keep me safe."

"Agreed."

The man paused, then suddenly turned to look behind him.

There, under a distant plum blossom tree, stood a middle-aged woman.

She was dressed as a nun, with a serene and beautiful face, and she radiated an otherworldly aura.

A pained expression crossed the man’s face. "Is that all? Is there nothing else you want to say to me?"

The woman was silent for a moment before pressing her palms together. "I have already taken my vows. Let the past remain in the past."

The man laughed, his smile filled with grief.

"Do you really think saying you’ve taken vows can erase the past?"

"It’s useless. You were once part of the Heartless Dao, and you always will be. It’s a brand seared into your very soul, one that can never be erased."

The man’s words failed to move her. She simply watched him in silence, her gaze limpid and clear.

"Are you finished?"

The man fell silent, then waved his hand, his face weary.

The woman pressed her palms together again in a slight bow, then vanished from beneath the plum tree.

Standing alone in the heated pavilion, the man’s gaze suddenly became lonelier than the snow-filled sky.

...

「The Imperial Palace.」

The snow fell heavily, dusk was approaching, and the palace was under strict lockdown, but none of that mattered against the waist token Yan Jun held in his hand.

The Empress Dowager herself had given it to him. With it, he could enter the palace freely, even after the gates were locked.

Besides, who in the Imperial Palace didn’t recognize Yan Jun’s face by now?

And so, to a chorus of announcements heralding his arrival, Yan Jun came to the entrance of the Empress Dowager’s bedchamber.

The Empress Dowager had already been informed of his arrival. After a hurried tidying-up, she received him in a small hall outside her chambers.

The moment they met, Yan Jun got straight to the point. "The plan has changed. We need to move it up."

The Empress Dowager was taken aback. She frowned. "What happened? Why is it suddenly being moved up?"

"Yan Rui is missing. I suspect he has already snuck into the Imperial Capital and is waiting for a chance to make his move."

The Empress Dowager’s expression changed. "Are you worried the royalists will start an uprising?"

Yan Jun sneered. "The royalists? They’re nothing but a pack of useless curs, hardly a threat. I’m worried Yan Rui has allied himself with the outside warlords. If they manage to enter the Imperial Capital, the consequences will be unthinkable."

Despite her years in power, she was still a woman at heart, and Yan Jun’s words frightened her so much her face went pale.

"This... this is indeed a problem. So, when do you plan to act?"

"The sooner, the better. Any delay invites disaster," Yan Jun said, his tone resolute.

Now that the moment was upon her, she had no time for hesitation. The Empress Dowager finally gritted her teeth.

"Fine. I’ll begin preparations now. But I can only handle matters within the palace. As for the outside..."

"Don’t worry, I’ll handle the outside. Tonight’s heavy snow provides the perfect excuse for a curfew."

Having settled the matter in just a few words, Yan Jun immediately turned and left.

As the Empress Dowager watched his retreating figure, she suddenly felt a wave of unease and panic.

’Am I being... too ruthless?’

’If the court officials find out, even with all my power, I’ll surely be abandoned by everyone.’

’But it’s too late for regrets now.’

Her own ruthless nature, buried deep within, was finally stirred. She turned and called out to a distant eunuch, Wang De, "Relay my decree! Seal the palace gates!"

"Yes!"

Although he didn’t know what Prince Jing and the Empress Dowager had discussed, the murderous look on her face and her order to seal the gates was enough to make Wang De’s hair stand on end.

He knew something major was about to happen.

But he didn’t dare utter a single word of protest. He could only accept the order with a heart full of dread and hurry away.

Soon.

Under his direction, gates all across the Imperial Palace were shut, and the guards were replaced with the Empress Dowager’s trusted men.

The entire palace was instantly shrouded in a tense and oppressive atmosphere.

The more astute eunuchs sensed that something big was about to happen. Unless it was a matter of utmost importance, they all hid in their rooms, locked their doors, and shivered under their blankets.

Meanwhile, the area around Yangxin Hall was put under several layers of lockdown.

Of course, this was all done covertly; on the surface, nothing appeared out of the ordinary.

But Liu Sanhai still keenly sensed that something was wrong.

It was too quiet.

The palace was always calm after nightfall, but it was never this deathly silent.

This made him uneasy, but he didn’t dare mention it to the Emperor, so he could only peek outside furtively.

"What is it?" Yan Sheng asked, looking up from the calligraphy he was practicing at his desk.

"N-nothing!"

"If it’s nothing, why do you look so restless?" Yan Sheng asked, puzzled.

Liu Sanhai gritted his teeth, finally unable to hold back. "Your Majesty, don’t you feel that the palace is a little... different today?"

"How so?"

"The palace is too quiet today. So quiet it’s making this servant feel panicked," Liu Sanhai said cautiously.

Only then did Yan Sheng listen closely. Sure enough, besides the howling wind, even the sound of the eunuchs who normally patrolled and announced the hour was absent.

"Perhaps it’s because of the heavy snow?"

"Your Majesty, it has been the rule in the palace for countless years. The patrols don’t stop for snow, they wouldn’t stop even if it were raining knives. But today, they have stopped. So I think..."

Liu Sanhai didn’t dare finish his sentence.

Yan Sheng’s expression changed as well. But he straightened in his chair and said coldly, "I am the Son of Heaven. All evil shies away from me. Let’s see who dares to cause trouble today."

Meanwhile, Wang De, who was inspecting the defenses at the palace gates, walked along the top of the wall in a daze.

Just then, a young eunuch behind him spoke in a fawning tone, "Godfather, the ground is slippery in this snow. Please be careful."

The words had barely left his mouth when Wang De’s foot slipped, and he fell from the four-to-five-meter-high wall.

The fall scared everyone witless. By the time they scrambled down from the wall, they saw that Wang De had landed in a snowdrift at the base of the wall. The cushioning was the only reason he was still alive.

Even so, he was severely injured, constantly spitting up mouthfuls of blood.

"Quickly! Take me to the Empress Dowager!" Wang De said weakly, struggling to stay conscious.