Chapter Fifty: The Capital Register of Demons and Monsters

Imperial City, Jingren Palace.

Late autumn had arrived, and the chill was becoming increasingly apparent. Coupled with the impending Vanguard and Demon-Extermination Day, the Yin and malevolent energies were exceptionally heavy. Over the past few days, the weather had grown much colder, and the underfloor dragon-kiln heating in Jingren Palace was lit, warming the imperial kiln's golden bricks pleasantly.

"Nanny, look, he has sealed the Yuxiu Manor."

The Empress placed an urgent dispatch from the Directorate of Ceremonies on the desk and pushed it toward the nameless old nanny.

The nameless old nanny took the dispatch without opening it. According to the rules, she was not qualified to open urgent dispatches.

"Your Majesty, I had already heard about this matter through the magpie spies. Manor Master Feng, who carved out his territory relying on the Sixteen Spear Techniques of the Dock Gate, is dead, and Feng Luo has also become a cripple. As for the former, I don't really care, but as for the latter, it is somewhat regrettable. After all, he is my foster son and considered half a genius."

The nameless old nanny's tone was calm, revealing neither joy nor anger.

"Then, how does Nanny plan to deal with this half-genius?"

The Empress asked.

The nameless old nanny slowly replied:

"I shall follow Your Majesty's instructions. As long as he stays alive, that will be enough. I am over seventy years old; I have no lack of anything, except for many foster sons and foster daughters. When descendants become too numerous, some receive favor while others do not. He... is not among the favored. As long as he stays alive so as not to chill the hearts of the others, everything will be fine."

Upon hearing this, Empress An nodded slightly.

The nameless old nanny was originally her personal maid. Abandoned as an orphan outside the gates of the An estate in her childhood, no one knew the origins of her parents, hence she had neither given name nor surname. She had originally been an obscure figure in the An estate. Yet, no one expected that after the age of forty, the nameless old nanny would encounter a sudden stroke of destiny. Having embarked upon the path of martial arts, she progressed by leaps and bounds, entering the Fourth Rank at fifty-two, the Third Rank at sixty, and achieving the status of Grandmaster at seventy-three, guarding the capital region independently.

Had the nameless old nanny wished to clear Feng Luo of his crimes, Empress An would not have turned a blind eye. Although many in the court and opposition whispered behind her back that she was cold-hearted and unfeeling, she still cared somewhat for the affection of their many years together.

"This Chen Yi's martial arts... are indeed progressing rapidly, showing a bit of Nanny's demeanor from back in the day."

"Your Majesty flatters me too much."

"Is he now... considered a Fifth Rank expert?"

"Perhaps. According to the rules, his name should be entered into the Imperial Astronomical Bureau's roster."

The old nanny replied.

After a brief moment of thought, Empress An said:

"The Sixth Rank and Fifth Rank are separated merely by a hair's breadth; who can truly tell them apart? There is no rush; for now, let him act as convenience dictates."

The old nanny nodded slightly, then, thinking of something, she inquired:

"Your Majesty, should we send someone to test this blade of his to see its quality? Is it sharp or not?"

Empress An deliberated for a moment before uttering:

"You may."

"Then I shall dispatch someone skilled in the blade to test his mettle."

The old nanny consented.

Rising slowly with her voluptuous and opulent figure, Empress An paced about Jingren Palace.

"He is daring indeed, bold enough to even seal Yuxiu Manor. It seems he has completely broken ties with the Prince of Jing's Mansion."

Empress An paused, her gaze shifting thoughtfully.

"That is for the best, that is for the best... Exterminating a noble house requires boldness, only..."

Hearing this, the nameless old nanny added:

"Only that Your Majesty still... harbors doubts? Doubts that his actions are instigated by the Lin faction?"

"Indeed. Relying on Grand Secretary Lin's recommendation, this boy rose to Company Commander, and later to Battalion Commander. Nanny, tell me, is he loyal to Grand Secretary Lin, or is he loyal to this Jingren Palace?"

The nameless old nanny slowly said:

"Logically speaking, it would be Grand Secretary Lin. However... did Wu Qingsheng not submit a memorial stating that this boy is unwilling to follow the corrupt crowd of the Lin faction and has repeatedly declined the post of Grand Eunuch Director?"

Empress An calmly remarked:

"Declining can be a performance. How many times in history have officials offered their resignations three times only to decline them, yet how often was it genuine?

However, Grand Secretary Lin's mind is also increasingly drifting away from state affairs; he desires immortality, and the Lin faction is bound to fall. Since Chen Yi has already broken with the Prince of Jing, if he does not wish to die, he must lean upon the Imperial House."

"Does Your Majesty mean?"

"If he is to risk his life for us in the future, we must first push him into danger. Let him investigate the Grand Chancellor's Case and uncover the cause of the Grand Empress Dowager's death."

Even the nameless old nanny felt a chill run through her hands and feet upon hearing these words.

The Grand Chancellor's Case involved a great deal. If it merely concerned the former Senior Grand Secretary Zhang, since the tea had gone cold now that he was gone, it would not be worth fearing to that extent.

Yet only a very few people in this capital knew that the Grand Chancellor's Case concerned not only the Senior Grand Secretary, but furthermore the Late Emperor, as well as the bizarre demise of the Grand Empress Dowager!

Empress An, however, spoke in an even tone:

"Aside from these matters, it is only right to bestow some grace upon him. In that case, I recall that Noble Consort Dong in the deep palace is always composing poems of maidenly sorrow, unwilling to properly observe widowhood for the Late Emperor. Come to think of it, she is indeed a woman of alluring charm. Nanny, make arrangements... beforehand."

Empress An's voice held neither sorrow nor joy, as she extremely calmly arranged Chen Yi's destiny.

The nameless old nanny acknowledged the order, understanding that this was both a bestowal of grace and a leash. From this moment on, Chen Yi would become inextricably and increasingly entangled with the Imperial House.

...................

Following the raid and sealing of Yuxiu Manor, a massive amount of Five-Stone Powder was cleared out. Regardless of the circumstances, everyone within Yuxiu Manor and all the officials connected to it would face a bloody and ruthless purge.

Having accomplished such a major feat, both the Eastern Depot and Western Depot personnel held a much deeper impression of Battalion Commander Chen Yi as someone swift, decisive, and severe in enforcing the law. After all, almost everyone knew that behind Yuxiu Manor stood the Prince of Jing's Mansion and the Ding'an faction.

On this day, Chen Yi was summoned to the Western Depot by Grand Eunuch Wu.

"The memorials impeaching you are truly springing up like bamboo shoots after rain, almost filling the Directorate of Ceremonies to the brim."

Grand Eunuch Wu sighed, looking at the Western Depot Battalion Commander before him.

"This matter... you acted far too rashly. Why didn't you come and consult with me?"

Hearing this, Chen Yi cupped his fists and said:

"Grand Eunuch Wu, it is not that I do not trust you, but I feared that walls have ears. Once the word got out, it would have been impossible to catch them red-handed with both the culprits and the contraband."

Hearing this, Grand Eunuch Wu nodded, considering the explanation accepted.

After a long pause, he stood up, turned around, and looked out the window into the distance:

"Did you know? This time, it wasn't just the Ding'an faction impeaching you; the eldest young master of the Lin family also submitted a memorial against you."

Whether facing scholars and literati, the Ding'an faction, or the Lin faction, Yuxiu Manor had always turned no one away.

Chen Yi nodded slightly and said:

"Of course I know. My sealing of Yuxiu Manor was not instigated by Grand Secretary Lin."

Grand Eunuch Wu nodded slightly, understanding that Chen Yi was drawing a clear line between himself and the Lin faction.

The atmosphere eased, and he joked:

"Executing Feng Ying in public—you must have crossed into the Sixth Rank realm long ago. In the past, I even suspected you of abusing your power for personal gain, thinking you were a good-for-nothing wastrel who couldn't be molded. Looking at it now, I was utterly mistaken. My eyes were no different from a blind man's."

Chen Yi merely offered the response: "Your Excellency flatters me."

Grand Eunuch Wu turned around, patted Chen Yi on the shoulder, and said:

"For now, focus on properly investigating the Vanguard and Demon-Extermination Day affair. According to the true immortals of the Shangqing Sect on Yinjian Mountain, it is caused by... outer-realm heavenly demons, is it not? Go investigate thoroughly. Uncover the truth and render a great service; who would dare impeach you then?

By the way, here is the 'Capital Demons and Monsters Map' sent over by Yinjian Mountain. It marks all the places where Yin and malevolent energies are extremely heavy. Take it and use it for your investigation."

With that, Grand Eunuch Wu handed the Capital Demons and Monsters Map sent by Yinjian Mountain to Chen Yi. Taking it, Chen Yi merely glanced over it once and looked away.

Long before this, Chen Yi had already committed this map to memory.

On Vanguard and Demon-Extermination Day, evil thoughts ran rampant, Yin and malevolent energies were exceptionally heavy, and demons and monsters wreaked havoc. Among them, three directions were entrenched by three major fiends: the suburban ghost general Deng Ai was one of them, and the weakest at that; in the East City was the Donkey-Headed Crown Prince, rumored to be the son of Wu Zhaoyi of the Tang Dynasty, abandoned at birth and transformed into a goblin-ghost; the ferocious flood dragon by the North City bank was another, being a descendant of the Dragon King Caturra, protector of the Thousand-Handed Guanyin, setting forth from the capital's waterways, grandly transforming from a river-serpent into a dragon.

In fact, aside from these three, there was yet another monster at the prayer ritual ground.

Its origins surpassed even the first three combined...

That was a fox spirit, specifically the ancestor of the Tushan foxes, wife of Yu the Great, and mother of Xia Qi—Madame Tushan.

It was she...

Who had inextricably intertwined the Grand Chancellor's Case with the prayer ritual ground.