Chapter 911: Chapter 532: Minister, Reporting to Your Majesty, a Great Victory on the Western Front...
The feet almost touched the ground, but there was always a layer separating them, preventing a firm step.
Eunuch Hai looked at him with suspicion and tried reaching out again and again, but could only pass through Zhao Douan’s body. The old eunuch circled him twice, eyes gleaming, clicking his tongue in wonder, and said with a laugh, "You boy... interesting, really interesting. I’ve guarded this Royal Forbidden Land for over a hundred years, and have observed that ’mural of the Human World’ thousands of times, yet never knew this Suppressing Object left by the Grand Ancestor Emperor had such capabilities. Amazing, extraordinary."
Since he was seen by Old Hai, Zhao Douan had no need to escape and could only briefly explain the situation, though he hid the details within the scroll.
At first, Eunuch Hai remained skeptical, but after Zhao Douan mentioned several detailed trivial matters known only to the two of them, this first courtier of the inner court finally confirmed he was genuine.
"Suppressing Object? You mean, this stone wall is a Suppressing Object?" Zhao Douan was momentarily stunned, catching the keyword.
Eunuch Hai nodded calmly, looking at him with a strange expression, "Otherwise? If it were just an ordinary stone, would it really be able to bear the royal secret?"
"But the first time I came, you didn’t say..."
"You didn’t ask."
"..." Zhao Douan sighed lightly and shrugged, "Anyway, I’m just as confused."
Eunuch Hai nodded, becoming slightly more serious, "Perhaps Your Majesty knows the reason. Let’s go, I’ll take you to see the Empress."
Zhao Douan didn’t move, feeling a bit hesitant. Being discovered by Eunuch Hai was an accident, and if he sees the Empress next...
As long as the Empress isn’t stupid, she can realize the correlation between him and the ’Zhang Hui’ within the scroll, and perhaps even expose the identity of the ’traveler.’
This matter is fundamentally unconvincing, yet there seems to be no retreat either. He could only brace himself and follow the old eunuch outside, using his ’not fast’ pace to stall for time, earnestly pondering how to explain when faced with the Empress’s questions later.
"By the way, Eunuch, how did you know someone had infiltrated? Why did you come so quickly? Was there an unusual phenomenon when I came out?" Zhao Douan curiously inquired.
Eunuch Hai shook his head and said, "There was no unusual phenomenon from your side, but a while ago, I glimpsed a star streaking across the sky, flashing briefly, and my heart felt a bit uneasy. By coincidence, I thought I’d come and check; you understand, at our cultivation level, our spiritual sense often guides and hints us at certain matters."
A meteor? Zhao Douan was moved. He knew that meteors are quite common phenomena, but for Eunuch Hai to sense one streaking across the sky in broad daylight was somewhat terrifying... Indeed, he deserved to be an old seasoned master who had lived for a century or two... Even though his combat power had declined with age and he was no longer at his peak, his foundation was still formidable.
The two of them left the Martial Arts Hall along the way, during which Zhao Douan learned through questioning that Eunuch Hai had just returned to the palace in the past two days.
He had previously been sent by the Empress to the border, where he met with Duke Tang and conducted some discussions on behalf of the Empress with the border generals.
Shortly after, the two arrived at Yangxin Hall.
Eunuch Hai requested the female official to report, but she said, "Eunuch, the Empress is speaking with the Director of the Astronomical Observatory. If there’s something urgent, shall I report it?"
The female official never glanced at Zhao Douan throughout... Well, to those whose cultivation is not high enough, Zhao Douan’s existence is completely invisible, and they can’t hear his voice.
He is simply a transparent man.
"No rush, I’ll just wait," Eunuch Hai didn’t want to stir up any commotion. After the palace maid left, the Python Robed Old Eunuch folded his sleeves, muttering as though to himself, "It appears that star really is extraordinary."
Zhao Douan suddenly said, "Could it be that coming here is related to this?"
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a one-eyed elderly man was led out along the corridor. When approaching, he saluted Eunuch Hai, both parties observing the mutual understanding between ministers, without any conversation.
However, when the one-eyed elder passed Zhao Douan, he seemed to faintly sense something and glanced towards the direction Zhao Douan was standing. As a mere mortal, he couldn’t see through Zhao Douan’s presence.
"Ha, this blind young man at the Observatory spent a lifetime watching stars; with a mundane body and half-blind eyesight, he can perceive traces of yours. He’s rather exceptional among mortals," Eunuch Hai commented, then headed towards the Imperial Study Room, but before getting too close, he dismissed the female official in the courtyard and said to Zhao Douan, "Go in by yourself. I’ll stand guard outside."
Old Hai, I knew you understood me... Zhao Douan silently gave a nod, "stepping" to the door of the Imperial Study Room.
Raising his hand to try knocking, he only made half the motion before remembering, laughing at himself, he simply passed through the door, entering inside.
Inside the study.
Xu Zhenguan sat behind a table draped with yellow satin, her head lowered while flipping through an old booklet. Her snow-white normal attire was immaculate, and the soft hem hung down, concealing the unknown length of her legs and feet from outsiders.
Her black hair was somewhat casually let down; as she leaned down to read, her delicate and exquisite ear lobes were like thin porcelain, under the sunlight, showing fine, pale red, thin blood vessels.
Her lustrous skin seemed smooth to the touch, with her long eyelashes stretched out and curled.
She was deeply focused, suddenly feeling something, her fingers flipping the old book paused, she swiftly raised her head, a sharp sword-like gleam flashed through her phoenix eyes in the room.
The next second, the sharpness transformed into surprise.
"Your Majesty," Zhao Douan raised his hand to salute, bowing deeply, "I, Chaos Suppression Grand Commander Zhao Douan, have taken the enemy city and reclaimed lost territory today!"