38 Auspicious Snow

Shi Nian’s chest heaved as she stared fixedly at Liu Jin, unable to suppress a look of wariness. What was this woman up to? Surely she wasn’t delusional enough to think she could stand up for Li Dongyang?

Nie Cheng raised his cup and took a sip of wine. He didn't speak, but he glanced at her from the corner of his eye. That look startled Shi Nian, who fell silent for a moment before suddenly beaming. "Your Majesty, it’s snowing."

It was indeed snowing. Beneath the pitch-black sky, snowflakes drifted down in abundance, like shattered jade and broken pearls. This was the first snow since the turn of the year, and it had arrived with such sudden ferocity that the ground was already blanketed in white.

Shi Nian smiled. "A timely snow promises a good harvest. Shi Nian congratulates Your Majesty; the common people will surely have a bountiful year!"

"Is that so?" Zhu Houzhao raised an eyebrow.

The gathered officials chimed in with agreement. Looking at the snow-filled sky outside, Zhu Houzhao suddenly felt his spirits lift. "Good! Since it is a propitious snow, all of you, accompany me outside to enjoy it properly!"

At the Emperor’s whim, everyone had no choice but to comply. The dinner party was temporarily suspended, and the officials donned their heavy cloaks, stepping out into the wind and snow. Zhu Houzhao walked at the front, holding a forty-eight-ribbed blue silk umbrella, while Liu Jin held a hexagonal sheepskin lantern to light his way. However, Zhu Houzhao turned to the girl beside him and said, "It’s cold and the road is slippery; don’t fall."

Shi Nian was wearing a fox-fur cloak, her small face framed by the snow-white fur, making her appear even more crystalline and adorable. She raised her eyes beneath the umbrella and smiled at Zhu Houzhao. "With you here, Your Majesty, how could I fall?"

She rarely took the initiative to say such things, and Zhu Houzhao was almost flattered. After regaining his composure, he smiled and held her hand. "That’s right. With me here, no one may fall, least of all you."

Seeing the two of them like this, Liu Jin felt nothing but disdain. The woman’s husband was still behind them, yet she was fawning over the Emperor so shamelessly. It was truly disgraceful. He had previously heard that she was unwilling to serve the Emperor and had taken it for the truth; it turned out to be nothing more than a tactic of feigning retreat to advance.

He had said it all along: who in this world could resist such immense wealth and power?

As he thought this, Shi Nian turned to him and smiled. "Eunuch Liu’s residence is truly well-constructed. This garden is beautiful."

Because he had hired master craftsmen for its design, Liu Jin’s residence combined the boldness of the North with the elegance of the South, making it a unique wonder in the capital. At this moment, in the quiet of the cold night, the pavilions, towers, small bridges, and flowing water were all shrouded in the falling snow, appearing like a celestial palace in the moon, a sight that inspired longing.

Was she at it again? Liu Jin replied respectfully, "No matter how well this slave’s residence is built, it is all thanks to Your Majesty’s grace."

Shi Nian smiled faintly. He was overthinking it; she had no ulterior motive in saying that. Zhu Houzhao had long known of the luxury of Liu Jin’s residence and did not mind. Just as he did not mind the expensive fish Liu Jin had served at the dinner.

But there were always things he did mind.

Shi Nian felt very calm. Perhaps it was because she had just witnessed Li Dongyang’s tragic situation; she had been so angry that, conversely, her mind had become crystal clear. She was not only angry at Liu Jin, but even more so at Zhu Houzhao—without his indulgence, Liu Jin could never be this arrogant!

She wanted to make Zhu Houzhao see exactly what kind of person he was trusting. He could not continue living in such a muddled haze!

The group soon reached the rear quarters. Because Zhu Houzhao was walking at the front and was essentially being led by Shi Nian, she was the one controlling their direction. Liu Jin had initially thought nothing of it, but when he realized the path was becoming increasingly restricted, he finally grew alert. "Your Majesty, further back are the private living quarters; there is nothing worth seeing there."

The group paused. Zhu Houzhao smiled. "So soon? Then your garden isn’t much of a stroll."

Shi Nian also added, "I haven’t had my fill yet. And it clearly looks like there is more space over there, Eunuch Liu. Why won’t you let us go?"

Liu Jin frowned. Shi Nian’s eyes darted around. "Surely it isn’t the case that you have female relatives hidden away who cannot meet outsiders? Your wife, perhaps?"

Teasing a eunuch about such matters would be intimate and playful if done in private between a monarch and his subject, just as it had been in the hall earlier. But for Shi Nian to say this in public was equivalent to a direct slap in the face. Liu Jin’s face flushed red, and the look he gave her was murderous!

Zhu Houzhao, however, laughed heartily. He pinched Shi Nian’s cheek. "You and that mouth of yours... Well said. I haven’t had my fill either. How about it, Eunuch Liu, let us go?"

Everyone looked at him. Liu Jin hesitated for a moment, just about to answer, when a strange noise erupted from ahead. Imperial guards shouted, "Who goes there? Catch the assassin!"

An assassin?!

The crowd surged with unrest. Whenever the imperial carriage was present, "assassin" was always the most sensitive word. Liu Jin was also shocked. "What is going on!"

A black-clad, masked figure flashed by in the night. His movements were ghostly and his strikes lightning-fast; he ambushed the guarding troops, landed a hit, and immediately fled. Unfortunately, there were too many people nearby, and the entire scene was thrown into chaos!

It really was an assassin!

Zhu Houzhao was amused. "I’ve been a target for quite a few people lately, haven't I?" First the danger at Canglong Mountain, then Nie Cheng storming the palace; by his count, this was the third time in two months someone had attacked him directly.

He looked as if he were enjoying a show, but Liu Jin was not so relaxed. This was his residence; if anything happened to Zhu Houzhao here, he would be the first to suffer!

He barked sharply, "What are the imperial guards doing? So many of you and you can't catch one person?!"

With the Emperor present, the entire residence was already guarded layer upon layer by the imperial guards, yet this person had still managed to be so brazen. Qian Ning said, "It cannot be blamed on them; this person’s fighting style is too difficult to pin down."

The black-clad figure was as agile as an eel. It seemed he wasn't trying to defeat anyone, as he was mostly dodging. The result was that he could not hurt the guards, but the guards could not catch him either. Liu Jin shouted, "Then what are you waiting for? Use archers to shoot him down!"

Shi Nian, however, said, "Your Majesty, don’t you find it a bit strange? This assassin seems to be intentionally making a commotion to draw our attention..."

Zhu Houzhao stroked his chin. Yes, he had noticed it too. This person in black seemed to have a different agenda...

He suddenly stepped forward and asked in a loud voice, "What is it you want, sir? Speak up, and let me see if I can grant it to you."

The black-clad figure sidestepped an attack from the guards and smiled. "Are you certain?"

Only when he spoke did it become clear that he was quite young, though for some reason, his voice was raspy and hard to identify. Yet, Zhu Houzhao felt a vague sense that he had heard this voice somewhere before.

"Of course. I like people with good skills, even assassins. If you don't believe me, ask the one beside me."

Nie Cheng, who had been named, smiled faintly. The black-clad man glanced over during the chaos and also laughed. "Your Majesty is indeed brilliant and mighty. Since that is the case, this commoner will speak the truth. I have nothing I desire; on the contrary, I am here to present Your Majesty with a grand gift!"

A grand gift? Zhu Houzhao asked, "You, an assassin, what kind of grand gift could you possibly give me?"

"The gift I bring is precious beyond measure, but I do not know if Your Majesty has the courage to accept it..."

Having dropped these words, the black-clad figure leaped, cleared the perimeter of the guards, and fled straight toward the rear courtyard!

***

Zhu Houzhao was about to give chase when Liu Jin hurried to say, "Sire, do not be deceived by him; he is using a provocation tactic! It is too dangerous over there! Stay here, and let this slave capture him for you. Whatever you wish to know will be made clear..."

"I know whether it is dangerous or not; I don't need you to worry about it!"

Liu Jin tried to persuade him further, but Zhu Houzhao said impatiently, "With all this stalling, is it possible that there are places in your rear quarters I cannot visit, things you are hiding from me?!"

Liu Jin was so frightened he knelt and kowtowed repeatedly. Zhu Houzhao walked on, and the others, though worried, dared not advise him further and could only follow.

Liu Jin took advantage of the moment to whisper to his steward, "Quickly inform the Master; tell him the Emperor is coming and he knows what to do!"

Following the tracks, the group soon arrived outside a small courtyard in the rear. The imperial guards had already surrounded the area. Qian Ning said, "The black-clad figure disappeared once he entered the courtyard. My men have searched it once, but found nothing..."

Zhu Houzhao raised an eyebrow. "Vanished into thin air? How interesting. Liu Jin, what is this courtyard usually used for?"

Liu Jin replied calmly, "It is just an ordinary courtyard, occasionally used for guests, but mostly it sits empty..."

"Is that so? Then how did he disappear the moment he stepped inside?"

Liu Jin remained silent. Zhu Houzhao suddenly said coldly, "Search it again. Thoroughly, inside and out; do not miss a single inch. I want to see exactly what he intended to do by luring us here!"

The guards obeyed and went inside. Liu Jin watched the surging crowd; he showed no reaction on his face, but his heart was tightly coiled. After about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, the men came out and knelt before Zhu Houzhao. "Reporting to Your Majesty, we have searched the entire garden and found no suspicious persons..."

Liu Jin’s heart finally relaxed.

He also knelt before Zhu Houzhao. "Your Majesty, I did not anticipate tonight’s events, nor do I know what that black-clad man intended. It is this slave’s dereliction of duty that the Emperor was disturbed by a thief, but listening to Your Majesty just now, it seems as though you suspect my loyalty. I must cry out that I am wronged. I have served Your Majesty for twenty years; my loyalty is known to Heaven! I know that because of the matters involving Magistrate Lu and the warrior Nie, Your Majesty has been blaming me. If you have not yet vented your anger, you may execute me now! This slave will not have a single word of complaint!"

As he spoke, his eyes turned red, as if he had suffered a great injustice. His words not only distanced himself from the night’s events but also brought up the previous punishments in the beast arena, using a tactic of retreating to advance. If Zhu Houzhao forgave him now, perhaps to soothe his feelings, he might even have his position as the Seal-holding Eunuch restored before long!

As everyone thought of this, their hearts tightened, but Liu Jin felt quite pleased. Countless times in the past, he had moved Zhu Houzhao this way, and he believed this time would be no different. Since the black-clad man had lured them here, he must have known some of his secrets. Fortunately, they had reacted quickly; not only had the man failed, but he had actually helped his case.

Just like that foolish woman, trying to be clever and smear him before the Emperor, only to make the Emperor even more satisfied with him.

Presumably, at this moment, the black-clad man had already been dealt with by the Master. Sure enough, no matter what happened, as long as he was there, his influence would remain stable and his career would flourish.

No one could bring him down.

"However, we did find a hidden compartment under the bed, and after opening it, we found this..." Nie Cheng suddenly said.

Liu Jin was stunned, only to see him holding up a sandalwood box inlaid with gold. He had entered during the search as well, but had remained silent, so Liu Jin assumed he had found nothing.

Zhu Houzhao asked, "Have you seen what is inside?"

"This commoner has not opened it yet..."

"Good, then open it now."

Nie Cheng obeyed. The moment he lowered his head, he gave an imperceptible smile. Liu Jin suddenly felt a sense of impending doom, but it was too late. The wooden box was opened, and before the eyes of all, everyone saw what was inside.

Lustrous white jade, perfectly square, with a golden dragon coiled around it. It was a seal, and beside it was a jade belt, also adorned with soaring golden dragons, magnificent and solemn.

Everyone stared in disbelief; the box contained an imperial seal and a jade belt!

Qian Ning suddenly shouted, "Audacious Liu Jin, you dared to forge an imperial seal! Are you plotting a rebellion?!"

Liu Jin, who had already been stunned, was so startled by the sound that his face turned deathly pale, and he was unable to utter a word.

Watching this scene, Shi Nian felt a surge of excitement. History recorded that after Liu Jin’s home was raided, millions of taels of silver were found, along with a fake imperial seal, a jade belt, and other prohibited items. This became the final straw that broke the camel’s back, causing Emperor Wuzong, who had still harbored doubts, to fly into a rage and finally believe in Liu Jin’s treason.

When Nie Cheng said he would set a trap for Liu Jin in his own residence, Shi Nian had guessed his plan. Sure enough, Lu Zhiyao had become the bait to lure them here, but even with the prior preparation, witnessing it firsthand still made Shi Nian’s heart race. Nie Cheng was truly formidable; he actually knew where Liu Jin had hidden the seal, which was the only way to expose him in public...

Liu Jin suddenly regained his senses and shouted, "Your Majesty, I am wronged! These are not my things! Someone is trying to frame me!"

Shi Nian said coldly, "Found in your residence, and you say they aren’t yours? Then whose are they?"

"How would I know!" Liu Jin suddenly pointed at her. "It was you, wasn't it? You and Nie Cheng, you wanted me dead, so you plotted to frame me! That black-clad man is also in cahoots with you, isn't he!"

"Eunuch Liu, it is you who has always wanted us dead," Shi Nian reminded him.

Liu Jin glared at her, then suddenly turned to Zhu Houzhao. "Your Majesty, believe me! These things are truly not mine! I am wronged!"

Zhu Houzhao was expressionless. He had remained this way ever since the seal was discovered, and one could not tell what he was thinking. Liu Jin felt panic rising in his heart. The situation was too unexpected, and at such a juncture, his inability to gauge the Emperor’s thoughts brought him to the brink of a breakdown.

Shi Nian looked at Liu Jin and suddenly frowned. Was his acting a bit too good? If she didn’t know the historical records, she might have actually thought he was innocent, and that this seal truly didn’t belong to him...

Nie Cheng suddenly asked, "If this seal isn’t yours, then where is the one you made?"

Liu Jin replied without thinking, "I threw it away! I smashed it! I had long since listened to that person’s advice and destroyed all the seals and jade belts!"

The air instantly froze.

Liu Jin’s eyes widened, finally realizing what he had just said. He swallowed hard, opened his mouth, but could not produce a sound. His body began to tremble.

The entire scene was deathly silent; no one spoke.

After a long while, Zhu Houzhao suddenly laughed. "Ha, so, Eunuch Liu, you really did have an imperial seal made after all..."