The guards quieted down, saying that the eldest prince had something to do and didn't need to accompany them. After Jiang Yun left, the room became quiet again.
As Lin Hai played a drinking game with a guard, he watched Jiang Yun's departing figure, a complex expression flashing in his eyes.
Inside the Empress Dowager's bedroom, Eunuch Gao knelt and kowtowed, saying, "Your Majesty, the First Prince has arrived."
"pass."
The Empress Dowager, sitting high on her phoenix throne, spoke with a hint of joy.
"It's the Empress Dowager."
With his back slightly bent and head bowed, Eunuch Gao hurriedly backed out of the room, crossed a corridor, and said to Jiang Yun, who was waiting in the outer room, "Eldest Prince, the Empress Dowager requests your presence."
"Um."
Jiang Yun nodded to Eunuch Gao, then quickly walked into the inner room. Once inside, she closed the door behind her.
Hearing the 'click' of the door closing, the old lady's heart skipped a beat for no reason. She then frowned slightly and looked at Jiang Yun.
Seeing the smell of alcohol on Jiang Yun's face, she asked with slight displeasure, "Yonghuang, have you been drinking? Do you know that you are my chief bodyguard and are not allowed to drink while on duty?"
"Your humble servant is guilty."
Jiang Yun knelt down and cupped his fists, saying, "However, I am a newcomer, and my brothers have been so kind to me that they insisted on holding a banquet to celebrate. I could not refuse their hospitality, so I did not decline."
Moreover, this humble servant intentionally cultivated a close relationship with the guards, hoping to uncover the White Lotus Rebellion forces hidden within Your Majesty's palace.
"You've investigated the rebels, so what have you found?"
The Empress Dowager asked.
"Not yet, but I think we should first establish a good relationship with these guards."
"Let them feel that I am one of their own, and they will lower their guard. Over time, they will naturally slip up."
Jiang Yun made a righteous attempt to exonerate himself, and what he said did seem to make some sense.
After listening to Jiang Yun's explanation, the Empress Dowager pondered for a moment and then pressed for an answer, "Could the rebels hiding in my palace also be eunuchs or palace maids?"
"Yes, Your Majesty, you are very perceptive. I am ashamed that I cannot match you. But as the saying goes, one must eat one bite at a time and walk one step at a time. I believe that Cui Lian, a member of the White Lotus Rebellion, must be highly skilled in martial arts."
The person who killed her was naturally more skilled in martial arts than she was, therefore I began my investigation by focusing on the highly skilled guards.
Jiang Yun explained.
"Hmm, that makes sense. Alright, get up. I called you here today to have a meal with me, as a welcome banquet for you."
The Empress Dowager stood up and was about to step down the steps when Jiang Yun stepped forward and stood to her right.
He extended his left arm, letting the Empress Dowager's right arm rest on his own, and helped the Empress Dowager down the steps.
"Alright, there are no outsiders here, just the two of us. You don't need to be so polite with me."
The old lady turned her head and looked at Jiang Yun, saying...
"Your Majesty, please."
With a smile, Jiang Yun helped the Empress Dowager to the round table, which was already laden with food and wine. After helping the Empress Dowager to the seat of honor, Jiang Yun sat down to the side of the Empress Dowager.
As soon as he sat down, Jiang Yun took the wine pot and poured a cup of wine for the Empress Dowager and himself. Then, he raised his small wine cup, looked at the Empress Dowager with a respectful expression, and said, "Empress Dowager, this humble subject toasts you."
The Empress Dowager gracefully raised her fair wrist, picked up the wine glass, covered her mouth and the glass with her wide sleeves, parted her red lips slightly, pursed the rim of the glass, and drank the wine dry.
"Hehe, Your Majesty, you have a truly enormous capacity for tolerance."