Chapter 11630 — So the First Stop Is the Han Princely House, and by the Look of It They Have Already Been Absorbed into Its Ranks—Then Is the Second Stop the Son of Heaven's Palace? These Old Monsters Are Betting on the Zhou Son of Heaven—What Is That Supposed to Mean?
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 3
Han Niansan shook his head. "That I would not be so sure of. The old monsters do not necessarily see the new age in the same light. Laying down a wager is one way to play the game; holding up the falling sky is another; and there may well be other schemes besides. At any rate, let me give you one word of warning—whatever you do, do not go wandering about the present Son of Heaven's Palace. The waters there run very deep."
Wei Zhao tapped his fingers lightly on the table. This, at least, was an unexpected gain.
Just then, someone came in with a report.
Ren Xuande had arrived.
Ren Xuande came in hurried and harried. He had earlier declared his break with the Night Central Palace, but now that the palace's master had changed to Wei Zhao, he had been invited back.
After all, with an enterprise the size of the Night Central Palace, if it truly came down to Cheng Shuang'er alone—however capable she might be—she would spend a vast amount of time simply getting a grasp of its inner workings.
To have the counsel of an insider like Ren Xuande, who knew every root and branch of the place, was a stroke of fortune not to be passed up.
Ren Xuande did not hem and haw; he agreed on the spot.
Wei Zhao was slightly taken aback. "What is it, Brother Ren?"
Ren Xuande said gravely, "Miss Cheng has been detained in the Son of Heaven's Palace."
At those words, even Han Niansan, standing to one side, could not help but show astonishment.
No sooner had they spoken of it than it came to pass—they had just been saying that one must not wade into the murky waters of the Son of Heaven's Palace, and now someone had been caught fast in them.
Wei Zhao asked in amazement, "How did she come to go to the Son of Heaven's Palace?"
"Have you forgotten Miss Cheng's status?"
Ren Xuande reminded him, "She began her service as a palace maid in the Son of Heaven's Palace. Her person may have regained its freedom, but her records remain there. By the letter of procedure, Miss Cheng is, strictly speaking, still one of the Son of Heaven's Palace's own."
Wei Zhao narrowed his eyes.
Ren Xuande said solemnly, "I flatter myself that I have some eye for character. You need not worry about Miss Cheng's integrity—from first to last, you are the one she is loyal to."
"This time the Son of Heaven's Palace issued a sudden summons and called her into the palace; her thought was to seize the chance and settle the formalities once and for all."
"But a full day has passed now, and there has been no word of Miss Cheng at all. I fear something may have gone wrong."
At this, Wei Baizhan and the others rose to their feet one after another.
"What the hell is there to worry about? Let's just go take her back by force!"
Han Niansan had painted the Son of Heaven's Palace as unfathomable, but to men like these, just how much weight those old monsters truly carried was a question that could only be answered by fighting a battle first.
Wei Zhao shot them a glance, and at once they sat back down meekly, a whole pack of fierce, murderous fellows turning all at once into a nursery of well-behaved children.
Han Changshi and the others could not help but laugh and cry at the same time.
Han Niansan, for his part, grew all the more astonished.
With his keen eye, he could naturally see that Wei Baizhan and the others were no ordinary men. With their strength, they could carry themselves with proud defiance wherever they went—so why were they so utterly docile before Wei Zhao?
Every one of these people was at least a Venerable of the early Heaven Tier. However strong Wei Zhao might be, could he really be stronger than all of them combined?
Wei Zhao said calmly, "Tell me what you're thinking."
Ren Xuande's expression turned grave. "I made inquiries. Miss Cheng was this time summoned into the palace in the Queen's name. After she entered the Fengyi Hall, she never came out again."
"I believe someone has grown restless and means to use Miss Cheng as leverage."