Outside the palace, Peng Fulai and Zhang Yue had been waiting until sunset.
At this mont, Peng Fulai stood up and looked at the ’Sundial’ and ’Guibiao’ standing outside the Wu Gate, discovering that it was four monts past the Hour of Shen (four o’clock in the afternoon).
His countenance tightened, and he exchanged a look with Zhang Yue beside him.
Zhang Yue understood his intentions and imdiately walked to the left side of the Wu Gate, under the corner of the lobby of the six direct departnts, he took out a silver mirror reflecting the sky, and at the sa ti cast out a vermilion talisman.
This spell was simple, just a re ’Refraction Spell’ intended to deviate the light rays. However, combined with this silver mirror, it managed to cause so slight changes to the sunlight above, alterations that an ordinary person wouldn’t notice.
According to their plan, if Li Xuan hadn’t co out of the palace by two monts past the Hour of You (half-past five in the afternoon), they would have to devise ways to lock and shut the gates of the palace city.
But before that, they would need to make so preparations in advance —— to distort the sunlight shining on the sundials and Guibiao, thereby changing the marks on these ti-keeping devices.
The Sundial and Guibiao were both ti-asuring tools of this era, used to discern the ti and number of ’monts’ by gauging the angle of sunlight.
Therefore, this was their thod to add more ti; they changed the light rays and thus altered the ti!
"I have a feeling this won’t likely succeed." Gong Xiaowu also took out a silver mirror to help Zhang Yue, but she remained skeptical: "This is too slapdash, too childish. If the scales on the sundial and Guibiao are altered, can’t they simply observe the twilight sky?
I’ve heard that the Qintian Bureau has even more precise thods like the Armillary Sphere and the Astronomical Clock Tower, which they can use to confirm the ti. Plus, they’re not far from here."
"That’s where you’re wrong." Peng Fulai also took out a silver mirror, shining it towards the sky: "You’re unaware of the complacency of those in office. At eight monts past the Hour of You (seven o’clock in the evening), when the gates are locked and the guards dismissed, do you think they’d bother to check whether it is truly ti to close the gates?
At any other ti, they might have been diligent. But today is the eve of the Lunar New Year, who wouldn’t wish to go ho early to celebrate?"
Gong Xiaowu couldn’t help but shake her head, thinking: surely those who guard the gates of the palace city, the Forbidden Army and Neishi, wouldn’t be this lax?
At that mont, she saw a thousand Xiuyiwei in embroidered uniform walking towards the sundial and examining it closely.
Initially, he seed listless. However, after one glance, he appeared stunned, then abruptly rubbed his eyes: "Old Liu! Co here and see. Are my eyes playing tricks on ?"
A eunuch soon erged from the Wu Gate, begrudgingly walking towards the sundial. He too appeared dazzled: "It’s already eight mont past the Hour of Shen (five o’clock in the evening)? Ti passed so fast today!"
The eunuch glanced up at the sky, hesitated for a while, then turned to the Xiuyiwei leader: "I think we can sound the drum. What do you think? Or should we ask soone from the Qintian Bureau?"
As per the rules, the palace would sound the drum three tis before locking its gates, to remind its external guests to promptly leave the palace.
The first round of drumming would take place around eight monts past the Hour of Shen.
"Let’s not ask, just sound the drum." After so thought, the Xiuyiwei leader shook his head: "The sundial says it’s ti, so why bother asking?"
Considering there were so many witnesses around, he thought, even if sothing went wrong, it couldn’t possibly be their fault. The eunuch nad Liu also shared this sentint and nodded: "Sound the drum, then."
From a distance, Gong Xiaowu stood dumbfounded as she watched a group of muscular ’Generals of Han’ run towards the grand drum at the city gate tower and sounded the thundering ’boom boom boom’.
"See!" A sense of triumph flashed in Zhang Yue’s eyes. "This is called stealing the sky and changing the day, deceiving heaven and crossing the sea!"
Peng Fulai stroked his newly grown beard with similar satisfaction: "My plan has succeeded!"
Unfortunately, he didn’t have a feathered fan; otherwise, his image would be more like Zhuge Liang’s.
However, monts later, they spotted a familiar figure walking out from within the palace.
"Xue Yunrou?" Zhang Yue was taken aback. "What is she doing in the palace?"
"How should I know?"
Peng Fulai had a bad feeling and fell into deep thought: "Could she be visiting the palace regarding her enfranchisent?"
It was likely. The Zhengyi Sect and Longhu Mountain both influenced the fate of the Jin Dynasty, and Xue Yunrou’s enfranchisent could not be achieved all at once. It was inevitable that she would have to visit the palace a few tis, and please the emperor for her wish to succeed.
While they were talking, Xue Yunrou had already walked up to the sundial and was observing it closely. Then, a look of joy spread across her face: "Has it really reached the end of the Hour of Shen?"
Afterwards, she quickened her pace and headed toward the Chengtian Gate. Not only was she more light-footed, but the delight and anticipation on her lovely face were also unmistakeable.
Both Peng Fulai and Zhang Yue couldn’t help but exchange confused glances, for this was a developnt they had not anticipated.
At this point, the distant ringing of bells reached their ears. After a short mont of discernnt, they recognized that the sound was coming from the Longfu Temple, the closest temple to the Forbidden City.
At this ti in the bell tower of the Longfu temple’s back yard, a monk was looking up at the sky, "Isn’t it still too early? It’s already the end of the Hour of Shen?"
A muscle-bound monk beside him was vigorously moving the large wooden mallet to strike the bell: "If it’s not the end of the Hour of Shen, then when is it? Just listen! The palace has just finished ringing its bell and, over there from Guangji Temple too, the bell is sounding."
With this, he struck the bell even harder, causing the deep reverberation to echo throughout the whole city.
The belfry and drumming startled the gigantic black dragon that was slumbering on Qionghua Island.
Ao Shuying woke up from her dream, coiled her dragon body in loops, raised her head, and with clouded eyes stared at the sky: "Is it already the end of the Hour of Shen? How did I almost oversleep?"
Listening to the surrounding bell and drum sounds, her dragon eyes revealed great anticipation. She then soared into the sky, disappearing into the clouds.
No one knew that in the Qintian Bureau of Capital City, the Jianzheng of Qintian Bureau was staring at the armillary sphere in confusion. Why is it not the end of the Hour of Shen yet? Why did the bell tower and drum tower everywhere, and the temples of every family, beat on their own?
At this ti, one of his colleagues walked out of the room, and he looked at him in astonishnt: "Master Li, everyone has left, why are you still here?"
A look of struggle appeared on the face of Jianzheng, he was thinking about his wife at ho.
※※ ※※
When Li Xuan heard the first drum beat from outside, he felt a little strange. On the one hand, he was secretly pleased, and praised Peng Fulai and Zhang Yue in his heart; on the other hand, he was deeply reluctant,
Because this was the ti when he and Yu Hongshang were intimately together,
After taking the ’conjoined heart’, the two of them were almost like a conjoined twin and had never been separated. All the maids, including the female officials, were driven away by Yu Hongshang. On the table beside them, there lay delicacies carefully prepared by the imperial kitchen, but neither of them had touched the chopsticks.
At this ti, except for the last step, Yu Hongshang had given him almost everything.
Li Xuan was talking passionately while feasting. The only regret was that Yu Hongshang still held on to her last resistance and did not give in to him.
Yet even so, Li Xuan felt that this afternoon was incredibly beautiful,
Li Xuan wished he could imrse himself in this warm sentint, and be entwined with Yu Hongshang until the end of the world. But he knew that the ti had co to end it all.
If he did not leave the palace now, perhaps today would be his end.
"Shang, the first drum is already being beaten outside."
With a silver thread hanging from the corner of Li Xuan’s lips, he left Yu Hongshang’s slightly swollen lips and forced himself to remove his gaze from her body: "I have to leave the palace now."
At this ti, he was completely naked, as was Yu Hongshang.
Yu Hongshang looked outside the window with a dazed look in her eyes, utterly lost and disbelieving: "Is it the end of the Hour of Shen already, how could it be?"
She wondered if it was because the ti had been so beautiful that she couldn’t feel the passage of ti.
"You hear the bells ringing outside, how could it be fake?"
Li Xuan had already taken out a robe from the Sumi Ring and put it on — the previous one had been torn off by Hongshang.
"Be good! Today is our birthday, be happy. It’s not like we won’t et each other in future. Just like the poem I wrote says, ’If two people are in love for a long ti, why care about seeing each other from day to day?’ You said you could leave the palace on the third day, didn’t you? Your Princess Mansion is almost ready."
Thinking of this matter, Li Xuan felt worried again. At this ti, not only was the Princess Mansion almost ready, but the nearby Taoist temple was also almost done.
But just at this mont, he saw Yu Hongshang pulled on his trouser leg, Li Xuan pulled hard, and found it could not be shaken off.
He couldn’t help but smile bitterly: "Shang, if I don’t leave the palace now, I won’t be able to go out."
"Then don’t go!"
Yu Hongshang raised her head, gazing at Li Xuan with eyes like a newborn deer, filled with a dreamlike glow. Her face was rosy and charming: "My Xuan, please stay, I will give you everything."
Li Xuan’s heart beat wildly, thinking ’I’m dood’. She’s breaking the rules; it’s like a nuclear weapon.
At that mont, he was really tempted, thinking about staying in the palace, at most being a heartbreaker, giving her a beating to vent her anger. Given Xue Yunrou and Luo Yan’s temperants, most of the ti they won’t really be harsh.
Just as Li Xuan was dithering, he heard a bird’s note containing a warning from the Divine Blood Azure Phoenix in his mind,
Li Xuan was a little puzzled, and began to share his vision with the Divine Blood Azure Phoenix, and then he felt his scalp tingling.
He saw a large group of people who had co out of nowhere and surrounded Fubi Palace tightly.
Even on the surrounding royal walls, there stood a large group of fully ard Xiuyiwei.
The tall figure standing in front of Fubi Palace with his hands on his back made Li Xuan’s heart tremble. This man was wearing a twelve-Chapter dragon robe and a Tongtian crown on his head, isn’t that the Jingtai Emperor?
"Damn, it’s your father!"
Where would Li Xuan dare to stay? He was afraid that Jingtai Emperor might break his legs.
Upon hearing this, Yu Hongshang also hurriedly let go of her hand and quickly began to arrange her clothes.
The body of Li Xuan then turned into a thunderbolt and in a flash was outside the encirclent of Fubi Palace.
—This was the ’electronic transition’ that he learned from his ancestors, used at this critical mont,
The Jingtai Emperor standing in front of Fubi Palace, showed a little surprise as he watched the direction in which Li Xuan was escaping.
First, he showed a hint of appreciation, then sneered.
He had set up a trap in the Forbidden City, where could this kid escape to?
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