Imperial City, outside Guanghan Palace.
Zhao Rong was stopped.
In front of the door, several dozen palace maids stood in solemn formation, with the highest-ranked Crescent moon palace maid frowning as she approached him.
"Halt! You... Crescent Moon Silver Token!"
The next second, her speech abruptly ceased, the frown and stern expression on her face didn’t even have time to fade away before her knees were already knocking the ground, directly kneeling down.
The several dozen Crescent moon palace maids at the door likewise suddenly knelt down to offer their salutations.
Within the Moon Pavilion, seeing the Crescent Moon Silver Token was as seeing the Empress Dowager herself.
A sea of kneeling beauties, all respectfully lowering their heads, but Zhao Rong didn’t take another glance, muttering to himself ’Hmph, quite effective’, before stuffing the ancient silver token back into his sleeve.
The leading palace maid hesitated, "Wait, are you Mr. Zhao? Mr. Zhao, it seems that Her Majesty..."
However, before she could finish her sentence, the young Confucian Scholar who had put away the silver token was already walking forward with his sleeves rolled, not looking sideways, his steps moving past everyone to enter Guanghan Palace.
He seemed to be pondering something and didn’t pay much attention to them.
The leading palace maid turned her head to stare at Zhao Rong’s retreating figure, her mouth still subconsciously finishing her sentence, "...seems to... not see outsiders."
Except the person who had walked further away couldn’t hear her.
The leading Crescent orchestra palace maid hesitated for a moment, her expression becoming stern, ready to turn around and go inside.
"The Empress Dowager has commanded that no outsiders are allowed inside, all of us have been dismissed, and no one is allowed to remain inside the palace... Mr. Zhao... cannot go in."
Amongst the people outside the door, a palace maid at a less noticeable position suddenly whispered softly:
"What if... what if he isn’t an outsider... but the person the Empress Dowager is waiting for..."
The air suddenly fell into a deathly stillness.
The leading palace maid and everyone else had colorful expressions...
The several dozen palace maids outside the palace door had returned to their original positions, as if nothing had happened.
But upon closer inspection, one could see their expressions were solemn and their gazes sharp as they patrolled, guarding the palace door firmly.
And judging by the atmosphere, it seemed even more strict and meticulous than the guard before Zhao Rong’s arrival.
Zhao Rong didn’t pay much mind to these obstructionist palace maids, with arms akimbo, he walked directly into the palace gates.
In his right hand within his left sleeve, he was holding onto the Great Li History Book, frowning slightly as if thinking about something.
Zhao Rong, walking along the glazed tile-paved Great Dao, stopped after a hundred steps.
He stood still for a while, glancing left and right at the halls and corridors that stretched in all directions, quiet for a moment.
Then he turned to look back at the path he had come from.
Zhao Rong hesitated for a moment with a contemplative expression, but instead of turning back to ask for directions, he continued to move forward.
"I’ll go ahead and find a palace maid to ask..."
He muttered to himself, nodding his head.
Before long, Zhao Rong, relying on his memory, had come back to the Great Hall where the Du Guxing banquet had been held not long ago.
Looking inside, there was no one.
He continued walking forward.
After half an incense stick’s time.
Zhao Rong stopped at a fork in a strange corridor, where an elegant orchid arrangement was placed.
He stood next to the potted orchid, naturally knitting his brows.
He turned his head to look at the way he had come, then at the new corridor ahead, still devoid of any people.
"Something’s not right, such a large palace, having walked for so long, how have I not encountered a single palace maid... Ugh, this isn’t the Cold Palace, is it..."
The young Confucian Scholar couldn’t help but grumble to himself, shaking his head, "No, the Cold Palace wouldn’t be completely devoid of people. Where has everyone gone?"
His expression was perplexed as he hesitated in place.
He cautiously didn’t proceed any further.
After all, he didn’t even know where he was in Guanghan Palace, somewhat lost.
Zhao Rong had noticed, during his journey here, that Guanghan Palace was extremely extensive, some of the buildings were ancient and old, while others were newly splendid, as if rebuilt.
It must be that this palace has a lengthy history, possibly utilized by many dynasties in Li Territory history, passed down through generations, with later generations either repairing or rebuilding on its foundation.
This was also common for some imperial palaces in dynasties below the mountain, with a long history.
The current Guanghan Palace where Zhao Rong was lost in, evidently was the same, serving as the sleeping palace for Empresses Dowager of several Li Territory dynasties, located centrally on the west side of the Imperial City, a prestigious position.
Now occupied by Du Guxing.
It reflected a certain significance as one of the most noble places in Great Li at present.
But Zhao Rong didn’t care much about this; what he was speechless about was, ’Damn it, who builds a sleeping palace this big? How am I supposed to find anyone? Plus, in broad daylight, it’s eerily empty, truly somewhat creepy...’
"Should I keep going inside?"
Zhao Rong thought to himself.
However, after thinking it over, he still didn’t take a step.
At this time, he was still far from the Great Hall where the noon banquet had taken place, and going further inside would likely lead to Du Guxing’s residence.
The widowed woman who had just lost her husband, and also being the Empress Dowager of Great Li.
Bound by rituals and extremely concerned with reputation.
Zhao Rong, a robust young man in the prime of life, might accidentally encounter something he shouldn’t.
He shook his head, dismissing the thought, and began to wait on the spot.
Zhao Rong looked around, but even after a while, he still hadn’t seen any palace maids or people coming.
Just as he was weighing the option of returning the way he came to ask those door-guarding palace maids outside, from the corner of his eye, he suddenly caught a glimpse of something black moving.
By the time the keen Zhao Rong turned his head, the moving shadow had vanished from his field of vision, seeming to disappear into the archway entrance of the garden up ahead.
The young Confucian Scholar let out a sigh of relief and hurriedly hastened his steps toward that place.
"Finally ran into a moving figure... in broad daylight, it should not be a ghost."
He glanced at the clear sky, the lazy afternoon sunlight pouring down.