Chapter 53: Lord and Subject
Rather than infiltrating the imperial palace, Su Xiao had actually entered it openly and legitimately.
Given the chaotic situation in the imperial capital, as a member of the Hunter unit, a special department under Esdeath, he could naturally come and go within the palace.
Walking through the palace, teams of guards occasionally rushed past him. The atmosphere inside the palace was even more tense than in the capital.
The nobles understood what was happening. Now that the capital was besieged, the palace was undoubtedly the safest place.
Some elegantly dressed nobles appeared within the palace, some even bringing their entire families, followed by their personal guards. This showed just how chaotic the management of the capital had become.
The young emperor neglected state affairs, the minister focused solely on controlling the empire, and Esdeath only cared about where the next war would be. These three individuals formed the empire's power center.
When the highest-ranking rulers were like this, the officials below were even worse.
Su Xiao surveyed the situation inside the palace. He had already obtained a map of the palace grounds.
After entering the palace, there was a wide stone path, dozens of meters across, flanked by some administrative side halls. These side halls were where mid-level officials handled their official duties.
Following the wide path forward led to the Guangtian Gate. The guards at Guangtian Gate were different from those at the main entrance; security here was much tighter.
Infiltrating the Guangtian Gate that spanned the palace would take considerable time, so Su Xiao directly presented his Hunter unit identification. The guards at Guangtian Gate let him pass.
After successfully passing through Guangtian Gate, there was still a wide stone path, again flanked by numerous side halls.
Walking along the stone path, more guards passed by, all fully armed.
"Bai Ye."
A somewhat familiar voice called out. Su Xiao turned his head to see that it was Wave. What was he doing here?
"Hm."
Su Xiao responded briefly. When disguised as a member of the Dark Division, he spoke very little.
"What are you doing here?"
Wave looked dispirited. The events of the day had shaken him considerably.
"Nothing to do, so I came to guard the palace. The war has started, and this is the main target of the enemy's Dark Division."
Su Xiao's tone was calm. He usually patrolled around as well, nominally for patrol duty, but actually to observe the terrain.
"I see. I was also sent by General Esdeath to maintain order. I won't keep you; I need to continue my patrol."
"Hm."
The two passed each other. After a few steps, Wave paused.
"By the way, how about we patrol together? Your perception is very strong."
"No, I prefer to act alone."
Wave scratched his head, gave an awkward smile after being refused, and walked away.
Su Xiao continued forward. A majestic palace appeared before him.
This was the Imperial Audience Hall, where court sessions were normally held. Since the young emperor neglected state affairs, this place was now "half-abandoned."
The entire Imperial Audience Hall was exceptionally quiet. Apart from guards, there were no other officials. This should have been the empire's power center.
There weren't many guards at the Imperial Audience Hall, so Su Xiao easily passed through it.
Behind the Imperial Audience Hall was still a wide road, but the guards here were very dense. Further ahead was the young emperor's bedchamber.
It was now eleven o'clock at night. In front of the young emperor's bedchamber, there were many guards holding torches.
The bedchamber was located in the middle-rear section of the palace. Su Xiao had already penetrated deep into the palace.
Taking advantage of the night, Su Xiao silently climbed onto the roof of the bedchamber and began to sense which rooms inside had people.
The bedchamber didn't have many rooms, but each room was quite large.
Su Xiao walked lightly across the roof, sensing for the young emperor's location.
After moving positions a few times, he sensed the young emperor's position within the bedchamber.
Gently prying open a glazed tile on the bedchamber roof, what came into view was a pitch-black ceiling.
Su Xiao raised an eyebrow. The architectural style of this palace was similar to ancient times, but the situation was somewhat different.
Jumping into the gap between the ceiling and roof, Su Xiao used a dagger to pry open a ceiling panel and looked down.
"Your Highness..."
A seductive laugh came from below.
This was an antique-styled room. Inside the room were a young boy and a group of women!
That young boy was the young emperor, and those women were various consorts and beauties procured by the ministers.
These women were all quite attractive; otherwise, they wouldn't have been chosen as imperial consorts.
At this moment, the young emperor was "busy" with one consort, while the other women attended to him nearby. The scene was exceptionally erotic.
Su Xiao finally understood why the young emperor looked so weak. With so many women in his room every night, and the young emperor only fifteen years old, the fact that he hadn't died from exhaustion was thanks to the luxurious living conditions of the palace. If his nutrition couldn't keep up, this little thing might have already passed on.
With a minister harboring ulterior motives by his side, the young emperor's behavior wasn't surprising.
Su Xiao checked whether there were any guards in the room. Obviously, since the young emperor was "busy," there couldn't be any guards in the room, especially with a group of women present.
A faint scent of sandalwood filled the room, likely some kind of aphrodisiac.
Su Xiao's target was the young emperor, but there were too many women around him, making it difficult to act immediately.
Patience was essential to accomplish something. Su Xiao waited above the ceiling, not believing the young emperor could keep this up all night.
Sure enough, around midnight, the young emperor lay sprawled on that bed, over ten meters wide, completely exhausted.
The Revolutionary Army had already reached the outskirts of the capital, yet the young emperor felt no sense of crisis. This was solely because of the minister's words: "General Esdeath will drive back the rebels."
This was the minister's comforting words to the young emperor, and the young emperor always followed the minister's advice without question.
In essence, the young emperor was merely an incompetent ruler, not a tyrant. He was a pitifully naive young boy.
The door was pushed open, and the obese minister entered the room.
"Leave."
The minister's voice was low. The women got up and began dressing, not caring that the minister saw their bodies. Many of these women were actually consorts.
Su Xiao on the ceiling clicked his tongue in amazement. Upon seeing the young emperor's light green hair, he noticed it looked exceptionally glossy, like a lush green grassland.
"Your Highness, drink this."
The minister took out a test tube and fed a light yellow liquid to the young emperor. After drinking it, the young emperor's spirits recovered somewhat.
"I'm so tired today. Leave an extra bottle of the secret medicine."
A smile appeared in the minister's eyes. He nodded and took out another light yellow test tube, placing it by the young emperor's pillow.
"Rest now, Your Highness. I'll take my leave."
"Hm."
The young emperor responded weakly, lying motionless on the bed.
The minister walked out of the bedchamber with his head held high, calculating in his mind how much longer it would take for the young emperor to become a complete invalid.
The minister didn't want to kill the young emperor; he only wanted him to completely indulge in wine and women.
The young emperor was too young, so alcohol was clearly out of the question. Moreover, having grown up in luxury, the young emperor wasn't particularly greedy for culinary pleasures, so the minister chose women.
Now it seemed the minister had succeeded. Without his secret medicine to sustain him, the young emperor would have long since died from overindulgence with women.