Chapter 77: Emptying the Dog Emperor’s Underground Private Vault

The emperor’s private vault was located in a side hall of his palace.

It was divided into two floors.

The upper floor contained regular items, usually given as rewards to concubines and ministers.

The lower floor, a secret chamber, held treasures accumulated by emperors of past dynasties.

Ye Chutang peeked her head out from the bushes and observed the situation at the palace.

Outside the main hall stood many concubines, all anxiously looking in her direction.

The imperial physician and palace attendants knelt on the ground, while the inner palace guards stood nearby, keeping watch.

Like the national treasury, the private vault in the side hall was guarded inside and out.

Weak and furious sounds of the emperor’s cursing could be heard from within the hall.

“Within three days, find Doctor Xue, or I’ll take your life!”

“Get out, all of you! Useless quacks!”

“Where is Eunuch De? I want to see him!”

Ye Chutang had no interest in listening to the impotent rants of the dog emperor. She slipped underground to the secret vault.

A thick iron plate blocked her path.

Using her supernatural powers, she detected that the emperor’s underground vault was surrounded by iron that had been poured into place, making it nearly indestructible.

But this was no challenge for Ye Chutang, who had earth-based abilities.

She estimated the location of the entrance based on the layout of the side hall, then used earth to condense several hard grinding wheels that spun at high speeds, cutting through the thick iron beneath the entrance.

After a cup of tea, a round opening big enough for her to pass through was made.

The iron was nearly a foot thick, and even someone with a mind for theft would have no ability to break in.

Once inside the emperor’s vault, Ye Chutang was nearly blinded by the dazzling glow of a glowing pearl the size of a head.

The pearl did not glow on its own.

However, the vault had mechanisms that allowed sunlight to shine on the pearl, keeping it glowing at all times.

The vault was about the size of a basketball court, and two-thirds of the space was filled with various items.

There were thumb-sized pearls, blood corals taller than a person, a green and translucent Guanyin statue, jade tea sets, and many other priceless treasures Ye Chutang had never seen before.

She felt as overwhelmed as Liu Laolao visiting the Grand View Garden, dazzled by the treasures.

After browsing, she pocketed everything into her space.

Before leaving, she used red paint to leave a message.

“The ghost thief was here!”

And added a cheeky smiley face ☺.

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The Next Day.

Before dawn, Ye Jingchuan got up for the morning court session.

He knew that today’s meeting would be a storm of trouble, and he really didn’t want to attend.

When the emperor was displeased, he would vent his anger on the officials, and he would be the first to bear the brunt of it.

But if he didn’t attend, the emperor would surely be upset with him.

Liu Yiniang helped Ye Jingchuan into his court attire and kissed him on the cheek.

“Master, the wife can no longer care for Jun’er. I have no children of my own and wish to take him into the Falling Snow Courtyard for care. What do you think?”

She knew Ye Jingchuan wanted to marry a main wife and take a concubine.

When that happened, the new wife would be favored, and the old one would be forgotten.

So, she wanted to lay the groundwork while she still had favor.

Ye Jingchuan refused without hesitation.

“Jun’er is the legitimate son. I have high hopes for him. He must be raised by the legitimate wife.”

He then comforted her, “Yingxue, raising a child is hard work. You just play the zither and dance every day. Don’t worry about it.”

Liu Yiniang had long guessed that Ye Jingchuan wouldn’t agree, so she shifted to her true goal.

“You’re right, Master. I can only play the zither and dance. I’m not suited for child-rearing, but I do like Jun’er and want to get closer to him.”

Since the eldest son had already been disabled, the family’s future rested on the younger son.

It was still time to start flattering the younger one.

Ye Jingchuan knew that Liu Yiniang wouldn’t harm Jun’er, so he didn’t oppose her.

“Fine. If you have nothing to do, go to Ningchuyuan and move around. If Chuer doesn’t like it, you’ll know when to step back and not annoy her.”

Liu Yiniang smiled coquettishly, “The eldest lady doesn’t even give you face, so how could I dare offend her?”

Mentioning this, Ye Jingchuan’s face darkened.

“Rest for a while. I’ll head to court now.”

The area around the Ministry of Personnel was mostly filled with government officials’ families.

As Ye Jingchuan rode in his carriage toward the palace, the streets were nearly empty of carriages.

“Chen Zhong, hurry up.”

The earlier they entered the palace, the earlier they could get some information.

“Yes, Master. Please hold on.”

The carriage moved quickly, and Ye Jingchuan arrived just in time to join the main group.

“I heard that the people’s blood-letter was presented to the emperor last night. The emperor was furious when he saw it.”

“This matter has gotten too big. If the emperor doesn’t give the people an explanation, there will definitely be trouble.”

“Who knows? After this incident, will the emperor still continue to seek immortality?”

“Definitely not for now, but who knows what will happen in the future?”

“Who is this ‘ghost thief’? Is he a god or a demon? How could he come and go freely in the palace?”

“Whatever he is, revealing Zhang Tianshi’s true nature in this incident has done a good deed.”

---

Ye Jingchuan followed behind the officials, listening to their discussion.

Suddenly, someone called out to him from behind.

“Minister Ye, you’ve truly raised a good daughter.”

The speaker was Prime Minister Qin Zheng.

He knew that his son, Qin Muyun, was interested in Ye Chutang, so he came to probe Ye Jingchuan’s opinion.

Ye Jingchuan turned around, looking at Qin Zheng in confusion.

They were politically at odds and had never been on good terms.

Now, this old man was suddenly bringing up his daughter. Was he trying to form a connection through marriage?

“I didn’t expect my little daughter to make a name for herself in the literary world. Prime Minister Qin suddenly mentioning Chuer, what’s your intention?”

As soon as these words were spoken, the officials stopped discussing the matter at hand and turned to gossip.

Qin Zheng smiled and said, “I just think it’s a pity for Miss Ye. If she were a man, she would have a place in the court.”

Qi Yanzhou suddenly spoke up, “There’s no need to pity her. Miss Ye stands in a high position in the literary world on her own merit, which is even more admirable.”

As soon as he spoke, the conversation shifted to him.

“Hearing His Highness, you regret rejecting the emperor’s marriage proposal?”

“If it were me, I’d regret it too. Who wouldn’t want a wife who excels in both beauty and talent?”

“Didn’t the emperor tell His Highness to choose a noble lady? Why not just choose Miss Ye?”

The officials stopped heading toward the Golden Luan Hall and instead stared at Qi Yanzhou, waiting for his response.

Ye Jingchuan’s eyes were filled with anticipation, wishing that Qi Yanzhou would agree.

This Prince Chen was as sly as a monkey, and Ye Jingchuan had no confidence in his ability to calculate his relationship with Ye Chutang.

Qi Yanzhou glanced at the officials, warning them.

“His Highness only admires Miss Ye’s talent, nothing more.”

Qin Zheng seized the opportunity to ask, “Minister Ye, your daughter is no longer young. Have you considered arranging a marriage for her?”