WangXian Forever Book 10

Chapter 31: The Royal Court

There are armed guards dressed in the red and gold armour everywhere. That's the first thing Wei Ying notices as he casts his eyes down demurely as if watching how he's stepping off the carriage, but it's not like Lan Zhan or Hui Gai will let him fall so he's not truly worried.

There are two guards with swords and spears at every doorway, plus a patrol of six that walks past regularly. There's also a guard station at the mouth of the entrance that they just passed, housing another twenty soldiers on standby.

Why does the Emperor need so much protection? Wei Ying wonders internally.

Lan Zhan catches his eye with the same question lurking in his golden irises, but he remains silent as they walk hand in hand towards the grand double doors of the Palace.

This building has several entrances and exits, and four floors in total. The main doors are gold, and from what they can see, the other ones are plain red for auspiciousness. There isn't much of a chance to see anything else because they are hurriedly escorted inside past more guards.

The general impression is of a great and foreboding wall where they enter from, but it's still a partition, a courtyard where more guards patrol, and Wei Ying looks up at the actual Palace now with its curved roofs and many windows.

Again, they are herded along with the large group of richly dressed noblemen and women into a huge dark hall. Wei Ying catches the glimpse of many corridors spreading out to other buildings, but before he can gain some idea of the layout, they are ushered inside and the doors close behind them.

There is sudden silence, deep and permeating. Not even the sound of anyone breathing is heard.

Court attendants silently move the guests to either side, depending on what their scroll invitations say, and Wei Ying and Lan Zhan watch the whole process quietly. When it's their turn, the attendant does a double take at them after reading their invitation, and immediately pushes past every single person until they're right at the front of the hall.

Still no one speaks, so Wei Ying takes this chance to look around. He senses more than sees Lan Zhan doing the same.

This hall must be at least four times the size of the one they use at Cloud Recesses and that's with a noticeable lack of soldiers. Here, they're literally lining the walls, and Wei Ying again wonders, why? Is the Emperor so scared for his personal safety that he needs a veritable army at his disposal? All the time? It doesn't make sense.

His gaze drifts up the decorated walls with their silk paintings depicting many past royal victories, vast battlefield scenes full of bravery and chivalry, one of the twelve zodiac animals, and another with a temple scene. Past the grand decor, he notices a gallery up above, high enough not to catch anyone's attention unless they were specifically looking up like he is, and he sees the movement of a curtain as soon as his eyes rest there.

After that, he can't shake the feeling that someone is covertly watching them from above.

Hui Gai, without giving yourself away, please can you check who is up there? I don't like the idea of being watched like this.

Of course, PengYou, his confident voice says, and Wei Ying is again, just marvelling that they have such a wonderful friend.

Stop! You're making me blush! Hui Gai jokes before going silent.

There's a massive gong in front of them, behind the throne that presumably the Emperor will sit upon when he arrives. Now, a soldier goes towards it and picks up the staff at its base and ceremoniously bangs on the surface of the gong. It's kind of comical because he's half the size of the thing, and since Wei Ying and Lan Zhan are sitting at the front, they feel the sound waves emanating from it.