Demoness, where are you Fleeing to?
Chapter 479 - 381: I Give You Everything (Seeking for Monthly Pass Subscription)_1

Chapter 479: Chapter 381: I Give You Everything (Seeking for Monthly Pass Subscription)_1

Outside the palace, Peng Fulai and Zhang Yue had been waiting until sunset.

At this moment, Peng Fulai stood up and looked at the ’Sundial’ and ’Guibiao’ standing outside the Wu Gate, discovering that it was four moments past the Hour of Shen (four o’clock in the afternoon).

His countenance tightened, and he exchanged a look with Zhang Yue beside him.

Zhang Yue understood his intentions and immediately walked to the left side of the Wu Gate, under the corner of the lobby of the six direct departments, he took out a silver mirror reflecting the sky, and at the same time cast out a vermilion talisman.

This spell was simple, just a mere ’Refraction Spell’ intended to deviate the light rays. However, combined with this silver mirror, it managed to cause some slight changes to the sunlight above, alterations that an ordinary person wouldn’t notice.

According to their plan, if Li Xuan hadn’t come out of the palace by two moments past the Hour of You (half-past five in the afternoon), they would have to devise ways to lock and shut the gates of the palace city.

But before that, they would need to make some preparations in advance —— to distort the sunlight shining on the sundials and Guibiao, thereby changing the marks on these time-keeping devices.

The Sundial and Guibiao were both time-measuring tools of this era, used to discern the time and number of ’moments’ by gauging the angle of sunlight.

Therefore, this was their method to add more time; they changed the light rays and thus altered the time!

"I have a feeling this won’t likely succeed." Gong Xiaowu also took out a silver mirror to help Zhang Yue, but she remained skeptical: "This is too slapdash, too childish. If the scales on the sundial and Guibiao are altered, can’t they simply observe the twilight sky?

I’ve heard that the Qintian Bureau has even more precise methods like the Armillary Sphere and the Astronomical Clock Tower, which they can use to confirm the time. Plus, they’re not far from here."

"That’s where you’re wrong." Peng Fulai also took out a silver mirror, shining it towards the sky: "You’re unaware of the complacency of those in office. At eight moments past the Hour of You (seven o’clock in the evening), when the gates are locked and the guards dismissed, do you think they’d bother to check whether it is truly time to close the gates?

At any other time, they might have been diligent. But today is the eve of the Lunar New Year, who wouldn’t wish to go home early to celebrate?"

Gong Xiaowu couldn’t help but shake her head, thinking: surely those who guard the gates of the palace city, the Forbidden Army and Neishi, wouldn’t be this lax?

At that moment, she saw a thousand Xiuyiwei in embroidered uniform walking towards the sundial and examining it closely.

Initially, he seemed listless. However, after one glance, he appeared stunned, then abruptly rubbed his eyes: "Old Liu! Come here and see. Are my eyes playing tricks on me?"

A eunuch soon emerged from the Wu Gate, begrudgingly walking towards the sundial. He too appeared dazzled: "It’s already eight moment past the Hour of Shen (five o’clock in the evening)? Time passed so fast today!"

The eunuch glanced up at the sky, hesitated for a while, then turned to the Xiuyiwei leader: "I think we can sound the drum. What do you think? Or should we ask someone from the Qintian Bureau?"

As per the rules, the palace would sound the drum three times before locking its gates, to remind its external guests to promptly leave the palace.

The first round of drumming would take place around eight moments past the Hour of Shen.

"Let’s not ask, just sound the drum." After some thought, the Xiuyiwei leader shook his head: "The sundial says it’s time, so why bother asking?"

Considering there were so many witnesses around, he thought, even if something went wrong, it couldn’t possibly be their fault. The eunuch named Liu also shared this sentiment and nodded: "Sound the drum, then."

From a distance, Gong Xiaowu stood dumbfounded as she watched a group of muscular ’Generals of Han’ run towards the grand drum at the city gate tower and sounded the thundering ’boom boom boom’.

"See!" A sense of triumph flashed in Zhang Yue’s eyes. "This is called stealing the sky and changing the day, deceiving heaven and crossing the sea!"

Peng Fulai stroked his newly grown beard with similar satisfaction: "My plan has succeeded!"

Unfortunately, he didn’t have a feathered fan; otherwise, his image would be more like Zhuge Liang’s.

However, moments later, they spotted a familiar figure walking out from within the palace.

"Xue Yunrou?" Zhang Yue was taken aback. "What is she doing in the palace?"

"How should I know?"

Peng Fulai had a bad feeling and fell into deep thought: "Could she be visiting the palace regarding her enfranchisement?"

It was likely. The Zhengyi Sect and Longhu Mountain both influenced the fate of the Jin Dynasty, and Xue Yunrou’s enfranchisement could not be achieved all at once. It was inevitable that she would have to visit the palace a few times, and please the emperor for her wish to succeed.

While they were talking, Xue Yunrou had already walked up to the sundial and was observing it closely. Then, a look of joy spread across her face: "Has it really reached the end of the Hour of Shen?"

Afterwards, she quickened her pace and headed toward the Chengtian Gate. Not only was she more light-footed, but the delight and anticipation on her lovely face were also unmistakeable.

Both Peng Fulai and Zhang Yue couldn’t help but exchange confused glances, for this was a development they had not anticipated.

At this point, the distant ringing of bells reached their ears. After a short moment of discernment, they recognized that the sound was coming from the Longfu Temple, the closest temple to the Forbidden City.

At this time in the bell tower of the Longfu temple’s back yard, a monk was looking up at the sky, "Isn’t it still too early? It’s already the end of the Hour of Shen?"

A muscle-bound monk beside him was vigorously moving the large wooden mallet to strike the bell: "If it’s not the end of the Hour of Shen, then when is it? Just listen! The palace has just finished ringing its bell and, over there from Guangji Temple too, the bell is sounding."

With this, he struck the bell even harder, causing the deep reverberation to echo throughout the whole city.

The belfry and drumming startled the gigantic black dragon that was slumbering on Qionghua Island.

Ao Shuying woke up from her dream, coiled her dragon body in loops, raised her head, and with clouded eyes stared at the sky: "Is it already the end of the Hour of Shen? How did I almost oversleep?"

Listening to the surrounding bell and drum sounds, her dragon eyes revealed great anticipation. She then soared into the sky, disappearing into the clouds.

No one knew that in the Qintian Bureau of Capital City, the Jianzheng of Qintian Bureau was staring at the armillary sphere in confusion. Why is it not the end of the Hour of Shen yet? Why did the bell tower and drum tower everywhere, and the temples of every family, beat on their own?

At this time, one of his colleagues walked out of the room, and he looked at him in astonishment: "Master Li, everyone has left, why are you still here?"

A look of struggle appeared on the face of Jianzheng, he was thinking about his wife at home.

※※ ※※

When Li Xuan heard the first drum beat from outside, he felt a little strange. On the one hand, he was secretly pleased, and praised Peng Fulai and Zhang Yue in his heart; on the other hand, he was deeply reluctant,

Because this was the time when he and Yu Hongshang were intimately together,

After taking the ’conjoined heart’, the two of them were almost like a conjoined twin and had never been separated. All the maids, including the female officials, were driven away by Yu Hongshang. On the table beside them, there lay delicacies carefully prepared by the imperial kitchen, but neither of them had touched the chopsticks.

At this time, except for the last step, Yu Hongshang had given him almost everything.

Li Xuan was talking passionately while feasting. The only regret was that Yu Hongshang still held on to her last resistance and did not give in to him.

Yet even so, Li Xuan felt that this afternoon was incredibly beautiful,

Li Xuan wished he could immerse himself in this warm sentiment, and be entwined with Yu Hongshang until the end of the world. But he knew that the time had come to end it all.

If he did not leave the palace now, perhaps today would be his end.

"Shang, the first drum is already being beaten outside."

With a silver thread hanging from the corner of Li Xuan’s lips, he left Yu Hongshang’s slightly swollen lips and forced himself to remove his gaze from her body: "I have to leave the palace now."

At this time, he was completely naked, as was Yu Hongshang.

Yu Hongshang looked outside the window with a dazed look in her eyes, utterly lost and disbelieving: "Is it the end of the Hour of Shen already, how could it be?"

She wondered if it was because the time had been so beautiful that she couldn’t feel the passage of time.

"You hear the bells ringing outside, how could it be fake?"

Li Xuan had already taken out a robe from the Sumi Ring and put it on — the previous one had been torn off by Hongshang.

"Be good! Today is our birthday, be happy. It’s not like we won’t meet each other in future. Just like the poem I wrote says, ’If two people are in love for a long time, why care about seeing each other from day to day?’ You said you could leave the palace on the third day, didn’t you? Your Princess Mansion is almost ready."

Thinking of this matter, Li Xuan felt worried again. At this time, not only was the Princess Mansion almost ready, but the nearby Taoist temple was also almost done.

But just at this moment, he saw Yu Hongshang pulled on his trouser leg, Li Xuan pulled hard, and found it could not be shaken off.

He couldn’t help but smile bitterly: "Shang, if I don’t leave the palace now, I won’t be able to go out."

"Then don’t go!"

Yu Hongshang raised her head, gazing at Li Xuan with eyes like a newborn deer, filled with a dreamlike glow. Her face was rosy and charming: "My Xuan, please stay, I will give you everything."

Li Xuan’s heart beat wildly, thinking ’I’m doomed’. She’s breaking the rules; it’s like a nuclear weapon.

At that moment, he was really tempted, thinking about staying in the palace, at most being a heartbreaker, giving her a beating to vent her anger. Given Xue Yunrou and Luo Yan’s temperaments, most of the time they won’t really be harsh.

Just as Li Xuan was dithering, he heard a bird’s note containing a warning from the Divine Blood Azure Phoenix in his mind,

Li Xuan was a little puzzled, and began to share his vision with the Divine Blood Azure Phoenix, and then he felt his scalp tingling.

He saw a large group of people who had come out of nowhere and surrounded Fubi Palace tightly.

Even on the surrounding royal walls, there stood a large group of fully armed Xiuyiwei.

The tall figure standing in front of Fubi Palace with his hands on his back made Li Xuan’s heart tremble. This man was wearing a twelve-Chapter dragon robe and a Tongtian crown on his head, isn’t that the Jingtai Emperor?

"Damn, it’s your father!"

Where would Li Xuan dare to stay? He was afraid that Jingtai Emperor might break his legs.

Upon hearing this, Yu Hongshang also hurriedly let go of her hand and quickly began to arrange her clothes.

The body of Li Xuan then turned into a thunderbolt and in a flash was outside the encirclement of Fubi Palace.

—This was the ’electronic transition’ that he learned from his ancestors, used at this critical moment,

The Jingtai Emperor standing in front of Fubi Palace, showed a little surprise as he watched the direction in which Li Xuan was escaping.

First, he showed a hint of appreciation, then sneered.

He had set up a trap in the Forbidden City, where could this kid escape to?