What an Audacious and Sly Servant! Chapter 104

Who is the culprit?

Chapter 104 – Missing

Translated by HaruOngy at Geniusly Plain (If you can see this line, you must have read this in the aggregator site which illegally steal various works. Be shameful of yourself for not appreciating the translator's hard work. Don't think only you want to have it the easy way. Support the fanbase and translator!)

Mei Qian Deng seemed to be missing.

Earlier, following Chu Xun's order, Mei Qian Deng went out of the palace to buy things for Princess Xiang Xiang.

Xiang Xiang had never explore the capital city and insisted to follow. Thinking that Xiang Xiang selecting the materials herself would be more satisfactory, Mei Qian Deng hence brought her along out of the palace.

They didn't eat lunch before leaving. Mei Qian Deng said she could bring Xiang Xiang to have a meal at the capital city's number one restaurant.

Yet, by afternoon, the guards in charge of the imperial palace gate hastily came and reported, saying Princess Xiang Xiang was outside the gate and beside her was only a small eunuch carrying the stuffs.

Chu Xun was shocked and ordered them to bring Xiang Xiang over immediately.

When Xiang Xiang arrived, she looked around. The first line she talked was a question to Chu Xun, "Yi? Mei gonggong is not around?"

The scheming Emperor's heart suddenly palpitated.

"Didn't she accompany you out of the palace? Why didn't you return together?"

Xiang Xiang was confused too, "We had lunch together. Just when we're selecting materials at a shop, a young imperial bodyguard suddenly entered and whispered a few words at Mei gonggong's ear. After Mei gonggong heard it, he told me he have some works and need to leave for a while. He also told me to wait him. But, I waited for so long yet Mei gonggong never return. I thought Emperor Chu summoned him back then for an urgent matter and so let the accompanying small eunuch to lead us back to the palace. I even planned to come here and tell Mei gonggong there is no need to find me at there anymore but to think he has yet to return……"

Chu Xun frowned, "What imperial bodyguard? What is his appearance?"

Princess Xiang Xiang pondered and answered, "I don't really remember his look. His attire is about the same as those guarding the palace gate."

"Zhu Li, go and summon Di Mu Yang. Also, send people to the capital city to find Mei gonggong."

It was rare for Zhu Li to see Chu Xun this stern. She wanted to console a few words to the Emperor like maybe Mei gonggong was delayed by some matters somewhere and wouldn't what His Majesty doing right now was making a ruckus out of minor issue. Yet, in the end, she didn't dare to.

Xiang Xiang too noticed Chu Xun's weirdness. She looked a few more times at the Emperor, feeling a bit scared. They, the heroic children of prairie struggling with the heaven, earth and fate were like the wolves of the prairie, like the hawks of the prairie, exceptionally sensitive to danger. Her instinct was telling her that she ought to escape.

Sadly, Chu Xun instantly noticed Princess Xiang Xiang who was trying to escape. With a cold face, he ordered, "Princess, please stay at here and tell zhen in details all the things that happened after leaving the palace."

Xiang Xiang hence recounted to Chu Xun.

When she finished, Di Mu Yang had arrived.

"Your Majesty, what happened?" Little General Di was ignorant of the current situation.

Chu Xun had a frosty look, "Princess Xiang Xiang said Mei gonggong was called away by an imperial bodyguard and until now has yet to return."

Di Mu Yang was stunned a bit. The imperial bodyguards were under Di family's command but he never asked for Mei Qian Deng.

"Chen will investigate it this instant."

Chu Xun waved his hand to let him retreat. Di Mu Yang hastily turned around to leave. He had just stepped out of the door when he heard Chu Xun's strong threat behind his head, "If you can't find her, zhen will make you marry Po Ye's female prince."

Little General Di almost tripped at the door. Instantly, with tears tethering he turned his head around. He had many things to say but in the end he could only conjure them into a simple "yes" word.

The moon had rose past the top of the palace walls.

Inside the Imperial Study, Chu Xun's face was so cold that icy bits could fall.

Di Mu Yang dispatched people to check the imperial bodyguard troops but none of them admit they had went meeting Mei Qian Deng.

Chu Xun then sent people again to ask Eldest Brother Mei and Xie Yun but they too never see Mei Qian Deng.

Chu Xun had even summoned Zhao Mo Ran. He was afraid Mei Qian Deng was forced to escape the marriage by Zhao Mo Ran or maybe she was tired of the lifestyle in the palace and had cooperated with Zhao Mo Ran again to craft an escape plan. That afternoon, as if he returned to that five years ago at that cold port and dark, dim underground palace, other than waiting anxiously, he couldn't do anything. The land under the heaven was obviously his yet he was engulfed by that huge helplessness. He wanted to scream, he wanted to kill people, he wanted to destroy everything.

Yet, Zhao Mo Ran knelt down and said, "Chen don't know." For the sake of proving he didn't lie to the monarch, Zhao Mo Ran even put the imperial sword hanging on the wall of the Imperial Study on his neck while swearing that this time it was really not his work.

Mei Qian Deng seemed to be missing for real.

Zhao Mo Ran had moved the martial arts circle's forces in the capital city and around it to search for Mei Qian Deng too.

Chu Xun on that night summoned Senior Official Song over. Senior Official Song had sleepy eyes as he was ushered inside, "???"

"Where's the lantern girl?"

Senior Official Song rubbed his eyes, "Wasn't she matchmaking Fourth Miss Di and Zhang Hu Bao by your order?"

"Is there any movement from her sect?"

"What's wrong?"

"Qian Deng is missing."

Senior Official Song was finally awake a bit, "Little Deng is missing?! Why is she missing so suddenly?"

Chu Xun was very surprised too and he couldn't understand. Hence, even though his eyes were red from anxious, he didn't have any lead. Look at him, he even caught Senior Official Song and even turned suspicious of the Splendid Sound Sect. he was really a mad man making wild guesses when meeting a dead end.

"Your Majesty, don't worry. Let laofu think……"

The movements tonight were too big, most of the citizens in the capital city had the lamps on the whole night.

The soldiers were each holding a eunuch's drawing as they searched around.

The citizens in the capital city were used to the commotions, they cooperated with searching soldiers while turning chatty.

"Sir officer, who is that drawing? Looking at him, he looks quite handsome."

One of the soldiers didn't waste any words, "Heard he is a personal eunuch of the Emperor."

"Such a ruckus for a merely eunuch, it can't be he tried to assassinate the monarch?"

"Be careful of your mouth, to dare speak such words."

The nosy person instantly covered his mouth, "Then, for what reason?"

"How should I know? Anyway, His Majesty insist to find back this gonggong. So, have you seen him before or not?!"

A night of searching yet there was no result.

Instead, rumours were spreading like a wildfire in the capital city with all sorts of versions. Some said this gonggong had stolen the Emperor's imperial jade seal, some said this gonggong eavesdropped a secret report and wanted to alert the enemy, some even said this gonggong had taken liberties with the Empress candidates. The more they spread, the more excessive they became.

Chu Xun didn't even feel like attending the morning court at all but he was a monarch of an empire in the end. With a dark face, he forced himself to attend.

The high ranking officials, all of them were very efficient in getting information.

The moment Chu Xun appeared, the Grand Chancellor and Supreme General took the lead as all the civil and military officials knelt down in succession.

Asking Your Majesty to reconsider! Asking Your Majesty to weight the priority! He is just a missing eunuch from the palace! Asking Your Majesty to not destroy your reputation just for a mere eunuch, marking this comical incident in the official history and unofficial history, it will leave a stinky name to eternity.

"So, all aiqing want zhen to let it go, let a small eunuch disappear without reason?" When Chu Xun was angered to the extreme, he turned calm instead. However, that aura around his body, even the official standing at the end of the morning court could feel the dragon's wrath, that dragon's wrath.

Yet, there were always some loyal patriotic officials who would step forward and clearly answered, "Yes!"

The Grand Chancellor glanced at Supreme General Di beside him who was kneeling too. He silently gave him a thumb up. This Grand Chancellor respect Supreme General is a real man who is not afraid of death!

Chu Xun narrowed his eyes as he measured Supreme General Di.

It was also at this split second that Chu Xun instantly realised.

Mei Qian Deng was actually caught and hidden away by him.

No wonder, no wonder.

Chu Xun's heart that had been anxious for the whole night finally relaxed.

If the culprit was Supreme General Di, it wouldn't be bad.

"General."

"Laochen is here."

"Today, a eunuch is missing is what General thinks. Then, if the Empress is missing, will General still remain calm and indifferent like this?"

Supreme General Di was an upright and moral old man. He resoundingly replied, "Naturally will not!"

"Then, as if you're dealing with the Empress, go and find her."

The imperial court turned deadly silent.

These high ranking officials who had worked hard for more than half their lifetime in the imperial government were seeing such matter for the first time.

Say, in the history, the thing not lacking the most was the imperial family's behind-the-scenes stories. They had heard before many imperial family members' grotesque and variegated stories and dismissed them with a laugh. Because those were only stories. And yet, suddenly, one day, they attended the morning court as usual and without any preparation became the living witness of such story. Seriously, they were slightly……shocked.

Think about it, when they were so old their teeth were almost all gone, with their grandchildren running over to nag their grandfather to share stories back when they were still officials, they would smiled with their naked gums and slowly said, "In the past……there is an Emperor……who was attracted to a eunuch……and even appointed him as the Empress……"

Heavens!

Late Emperor!

Chen is guilty of a thousand death!

Unexpectedly, on this imperial court, someone really wailed in anguish.

Supreme General Di's look was extremely bad. He gritted his teeth, probably out of resentment that the young Emperor couldn't meet his expectation. He spit the words super slow, "Laochen don't understand Your Majesty's idea."

"Di Mu Yang."

"Chen is here……" The Little General's body shuddered. His heart was in a mess as if a brutal battle had happened between two armies.

"Step forward. Right now, let your father understand zhen's idea."

Little General Di wished to slap himself to death. He regretted not telling the truth to his father earlier.

The officials were still kneeling. Little General Di bent his body and quickly ran to Supreme General Di's side. He whispered to his father's ear, "Father, Mei gonggong is Mei Qian Deng."

Supreme General Di wanted to slap his son as well, "Do you think laozi is blind and can't see it?"

Di Mu Yang had a bitter face, "Mei Qian Deng is not a eunuch nor is she a Young Master. She's actually a girl."

"You little rascal, what did you say?"

"Father, please release Mei gonggong immediately. His Majesty spend much effort for the Empress selection is just to marry Young Miss Mei. His Majesty had long know Young Miss Mei's identity since five years ago. These years he had been reversing Mei family's verdict and even waited for Young Miss Mei all these times. If there is anything happened to Young Miss Mei, all of us have to die for her."

Countless horses and armies ran over in Supreme General Di's heart. He really had blind, old eyes.

"Father!!" Di Mu Yang was too worried as he shook his old father.

The officials were kneeling while the Emperor was above. All of them had their heads lowered so they couldn't see anything. They only hear the Di father and son whispered nonstop yet they couldn't hear them clearly. They had thought the morning court today was especially long, especially hard to bear. However, the Grand Chancellor was very near. With just a simple eavesdropping, each words Di Mu Yang spoke could be clear clearly.

The sly Grand Chancellor's both hands grabbed his thighs while thinking: This time they played too big!

The old, upright Supreme General Di didn't believe Mei Qian Deng's truth as he stubbornly said, "Then, she is deceiving the monarch!"

The officials that didn't know the truth raised their head instinctively. They really couldn't understand the current situation.

Chu Xun smirked, "Zhen had always know her identity. How can it be deceiving the monarch? Plus, the late Emperor had gave her a death pardoning golden pendant. Even if she did deceive the monarch, it's never General's turn to handle it."

Supreme General Di felt so angry he lost his words. The youngsters these days really know how to play!

Mei Qian Deng was locked in a small, quiet and remote room.

Supreme General Di seized her by force and fed her some Muscle Softening Powder, making her unable to use martial arts to escape.

That day, the night when Chu Xun turned the capital city upside down searching, Supreme General Di came to meet her once.

He pointed at her as he swore, "You vile spawn, bewitching the monarch, making him violate the proper human relationships, shame on you."

Female warrior Mei blinked her eyes. She didn't get angry nor retort Supreme General Di's malicious words.

When Mei Qian Deng was the Crown Prince's study partner, Supreme General Di was of favourable view of this child. Actually, in these years, Mei Qian Deng didn't change much especially her attitude. She was still calm and steady. Being watched by her harmless and clear eyes, the wrath in Supreme General's stomach dissipated three parts suddenly.

At first, he was still pondering whether to kill Mei Qian Deng right away. Even if the Emperor blamed him, the former couldn't let the imperial family humiliated for a mere eunuch. However, facing this kind of Mei Qian Deng, Supreme General who had killed countless enemies on the battlefields couldn't do it.

"If you're willing to leave, swearing you will no longer interact with His Majesty, this General can spare your life."

Mei Qian Deng remained silent.

Supreme General Di's voice turned louder, "Do you believe you still have the leeway to bargain?!"

Mei Qian Deng's attitude was respectful, "Supreme General may have an understanding between nucai and His Majesty."

"Misunderstanding? Are we supposed to wait until His Majesty actually do a country-harming act for your sake to be considered as not a misunderstanding?"

"Eh?" Female warrior Mei was a bit shocked.

Supreme General Di started to criticise, from the time when the Emperor insisted on reversing the edict on Mei family. He said Chu Xun had been bent on finding her these years, that he was not interested in any of the young misses and even unwilling to appoint an empress. Then, he mentioned how after Mei Qian Deng returned, Chu Xun would favour her in what ways. That little ruckus he made when angry usually was a very fatuous conduct in the eyes of the officials actually.

"This General in the beginning has been believing His Majesty feels sorry for Mei family and hence pampers you a lot. Yet, I never thought, His Majesty actually dislikes girls and like you demon instead!" Supreme General Di grievingly lamented.

Female warrior Mei was even more shocked, "Eh???"

Chapter end

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