Joy of Life - Volume 2 - Chapter 138

Chapter 138
Five days prior, Wu Zhu entered the palace for the last time and confirmed that the key was hidden somewhere in Hanguang Hall . Therefore, it was the first location Fan Xian investigated . Perhaps because of the long period of peace, Hanguang Hall, which was inhabited by the empress, was quiet and tranquil . The palace girls were all asleep, and the young eunuchs were starting to get drowsy .


A faint fragrance wafted by . Whether eunuch or palace girl, they all drifted off into a deep slumber .
In the dim light, Fan Xian walked along the dark corners and entered the empress’s sleeping quarter . Seeing the extraordinarily elegant bed in the distance, he frowned slightly . On the bed lay an old lady; could that be the empress?
There wasn’t much for Fan Xian to exclaim, nor would he humor his own delusion of doing something which might change history . He walked forward calmly to the side of the bed . He was not even looking at the most powerful woman in the world .
Keep calm . That was the most important thing that Wu Zhu and Fei Jie had taught him .
The imagined hidden guard did not appear . Fan Xian was prepared for some unseen master lying in wait to protect the royalty .
He didn’t think too much about where in Hanguang Hall tone could hide valuables . He slid under the empress’s bed without much hesitation . He closed his eyes and began to touch the wooden floor beneath the bed . The floorboards were made from high quality timber, but his current actions were strange .
A short while later, he opened his eyes in the darkness . There was a glint of absurd joy in his pupils .
Back in Danzhou, he had hidden his nameless skill-book under his bed boards; in The Deer and the Cauldron, Mao Dongzhu hid forty-two scriptures under the darkness of her bed . As it turned out, the empress of Qing followed suit .
The current situation showed the limits of human creativity and imagination .
Putting just a little force into his dagger, Fan Xian dug the blade in from the side . The tip made no sound as it pierced the wood . The empress turned and said something in her sleep, but Fan Xian pretended not to hear and continued expressionlessly . Soon, the lattice came off, although he dared not to disturb it with his hand . With his superhuman night-vision, he was easily able to see it .


There was only a white cloth, a letter, and… a key .
Looking at the shape of the key, Fan Xian frowned slightly, making a strange expression . Ignoring the white cloth and the letter, he took the key and slipped out .
Moments later, he appeared again under the palace walls .
He climbed into the carriage . Looking at Wang Qinian, he said lightly, "I need speed . "
"Yes sir . " Wang Qinian didn’t know the details of the plan . He only knew that he had to pick up Fan Xian, and then go meet the "other person" .
"I hope nobody knows I’m in this carriage . "
"Sir, rest assured . This carriage was borrowed from the Privy Council . No one would dare to stop it, so no one will find out . "
"Very good . " Relaxing a little, Fan Xian half-sat down . First, he had pretended to be a drunken, poetic maniac, and then he was snaking into the palace at night . Both were severely taxing to his mind .
The carriage stopped somewhere Fan Xian did not recognize . The two silently got out . Putting on their headcovers again, they walked down to a chamber underground . Wang Qinian said in a muffled voice, "Sir, this is the locksmith Suo Jiang . "
Standing in front of them was a small wooden table . On it were many unrecognizable metal tools gleaming under the light . The owner of the tools appeared to be an honest, middle-aged man . His face was dark tan and he had a hearty smile .

Locksmith was a profession, and it was also a title . But this Suo Jian didn’t just stop there—"Suo Jiang" literally meant "locksmith" . From his name alone, one could see his level of craftsmanship .
Fan Xian nodded and said to Wang Qinian, "Wait outside . "
And so, Wang Qinian excused himself . He knew that there were things he would never know, and not knowing would ensure his safety .
"This involves the survival of the nation . By the authority of the Overwatch Council, I ask you to serve your country . " Fan Xian said calmly through his headcover .
That gave the locksmith quite a shock . Thinking about the foreign envoys in the capital, Suo Jian believed he had guessed something and hurriedly saluted, not knowing what he was about to do .
"You must be quick and precise . " Fan Xian took out the key . "I want an exact replica . "
The locksmith took the key and examined it closely . "There are no locks in the world that this key would open . "
"I don’t care . I only want you to make a copy of it . Can you do it or not?"
"It will be very difficult . This key is extremely complex . Even if I make an exact copy in appearance, I can’t guarantee that it will open the corresponding lock . "
"Very good . Begin . " Fan Xian was happy at the reply, but his voice was still calm .
The locksmith began to nervously replicate the key . The sound of metal scraping could occasionally be heard in the room . Fan Xian was nervous too as he looked at the door; he didn’t know how long Wu Zhu could keep Eunuch Hong occupied . Eunuch Hong’s living quarters were too close to Hanguang Hall . If Eunuch Hong returned, it would be difficult for Fan Xian to put back the duplicate key .
Finally, sweating, Suo Jiang finished . Comparing the two keys, Fan Xian discovered the two to be completely identical, replicated down to the last bit of rust . Finally relaxed, he smiled . "What do you really do for a living?"
Because his face was covered by black cloth, his smile looked odd .
"I… am a thief . " Suo Jiang admitted, sweating profusely . He didn’t know what fate awaited him now that he had finished this top-secret job .
"So, he's a thief," Fan Xian thought . Squinting at the tools and key pattern on the table, he frowned . He then walked over and crushed the pattern to bits with a powerful burst of zhenqi .
Even the tools he had left for Wang Qinian were destroyed . Suo Jiang was sent off to the southern regions in order to keep away from potential trouble . Only then did Fan Xian put his mind to rest and go back to the palace .
Entering Hanguang Hall again, the sleep-inducing fragrance had begun to disperse . The night breeze was still blowing; the palace resonated with a peaceful atmosphere . Fan Xian slipped under the empress’s bed like a ghost . He put back the replicate key, and resealed the floor board with the glue he brought . Finally, he silently slipped out of the palace .
It had been some time since the last drum sounded . Fan Xian knew it was time for him to leave . At that moment, a small courtyard next to the palace caught his attention . That courtyard was Guangxin Palace, where the eldest princess resided .
Fan Xian’s plan and execution of it had been perfect today . If he didn’t want unnecessary complications, he should leave now and wait for things to develop . However, for some reason—probably drunk at his success of having obtained the key—he did the unexpected .
Fan Xian believed that, under the cover of darkness, he could walk freely, even in the solemn palace . He proceeded down the hallway, relying completely on the night traveling skills he learned from Wu Zhu and Fei Jie . With great difficulty, he approached Guangxin Palace, even brushing shoulders with a yawning palace girl .
The palace was still lit, and there were people inside . Guangxin Palace was different from other palaces in the complex . It was surrounded by a wall of its own .
As they say, those who cross rivers aren’t afraid of a dirty moat . But Fan Xian knew many master martial artists had been killed because of such assumptions . So, he carefully took a detour to the back and climbed up a thick pillar .
With his palms adhering to the smooth pillar, Fan Xian felt somewhat irritated, probably from exerting himself too much today . Climbing the pillar proved to be difficult, but he managed . Carefully scaling onto the roof, Fan Xian dared not lift up any roof tiles . Instead, he started looking for transparent glass tiles .
Normally, one would not find glass tiles on the roof of a palace, but it possibly because of Fan Xian’s great luck, Eldest Princess happened to enjoy having sunlight shine from above during the day . Fan Xian managed to find one such tile . He knelt down, making sure his every movement was steady and silent .
The room under the glass tile was dimly lit, but Fan Xian was able to see and hear clearly thanks to his amazing senses . He squinted, and he knew he had guessed right . His luck was indeed great .
. . .
Eldest Princess Li Yunrui sat reclining with a lazy look on her face, looking exceptionally charming . She only wore a white night gown . Under the thin fabric, the outline of her body could be seen . There was a hint of youth in its maturity . If any man were to see this, he would probably bow down to worship her feet .
As His Majesty’s younger sister, she had no need to use sex appeal to lure people . Besides, the one sitting in front of her was around seventy years old . He was the greatest scholar in the world . He was not one who would be tempted by such things .
Zhuang Mohan coughed twice, "My business here is finished . I hope you do not mind, Princess .
Eldest Princess played around with her fake scroll, which was made from gold . Suddenly, she beamed a huge smile and said softly, "Master Zhuang, I want you to stomp that Fan Xian into the ground so hard he no longer has the dignity to stay in the capital . Can you do that?"