173: Palace walls meet Jianning, cleverly facing the sea, great wealth.

The vermilion gate of the imperial palace was even more magnificent than Xie Hui had imagined. The guards at the entrance wore bright yellow armor, their long spears gleaming coldly. Everyone entering and exiting was searched, and not even Wei Xiaobao, a familiar face, was an exception.

Xie Hui followed behind Wei Xiaobao, dressed in a faded blue servant's uniform, deliberately hunching his back and feigning a timid appearance—this was what he and Wei Xiaobao had agreed upon: first, to act as an inconspicuous attendant to avoid being targeted as soon as they entered the palace.

"Guard Captain Liu, you've worked hard today!" Wei Xiaobao approached the leading guard, pulled a small piece of silver from hisHuai, and handed it over, a smile plastered on his face. "My cousin just came from the countryside; he hasn't seen much of the world, so please bear with him and don't scare him."

The Guard Captain weighed the silver, a slight smirk on his lips, and glanced at Xie Hui. "Eunuch Wei's man, of course, there's no problem. But rules cannot be broken, search him."

Two junior guards came up and patted Xie Hui all over. When they touched the walkie-talkie at his waist, Xie Hui's heart tightened, but he didn't move—he had already set the walkie-talkie to silent and wrapped its casing in black cloth, making it look like an ordinary small box.

"What is this thing?" The junior guard asked, frowning, holding the walkie-talkie.

Xie Hui quickly feigned panic and stammered, "It's, it's a amulet my mother gave me. It contains incense ash and can keep me safe..."

Wei Xiaobao also quickly smoothed things over: "Hey, it's just a superstitious item from the countryside, worthless! Guard Captain Liu, you see, the search is done. We still need to see Eunuch Hai, so let's not delay the task."

Guard Captain Liu waved his hand, telling the junior guard to return the walkie-talkie to Xie Hui. "Alright, alright, go in, and don't wander around the palace."

Xie Hui breathed a sigh of relief and followed Wei Xiaobao inside. Once inside the imperial palace, red walls and yellow tiles filled his vision. The eunuchs and Palace Maids on the road all walked quickly with their heads down, not even daring to speak loudly, completely different from the bustling outside.

"Brother Hui, you must stick close to me," Wei Xiaobao whispered. "There are many rules in the palace. If you offend a noble, it's no laughing matter! Especially Princess Jianning, her temper is like a firecracker; whoever provokes her will suffer!"

Just as Xie Hui was about to reply, he heard a crisp scolding sound from ahead, mixed with the sound of something breaking: "You bunch of good-for-nothings! You can't even fly a kite properly, what good are you?!"

The two quickly walked a few steps forward and saw a young girl in a pink palace dress in a nearby garden, hands on her hips. A broken-stringed kite lay at her feet, and several young eunuchs knelt on the ground, trembling with fear. The girl wore a double-ringed bun, her skin was fair, and her eyes held a spoiled arrogance. It was indeed Princess Jianning—exactly like the version played by Chingmy Yau, but with a bit more vitality than in the promotional photos.

"Princess, calm your anger! Princess, calm your anger!" An old eunuch prostrated himself on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly. "This servant will go find you another good kite right away, please don't be angry!"

"Find what?!" Jianning kicked the old eunuch. "All the kites in this palace are ugly! I want the kind that flies in the sky and can glow! Whoever can make one, I'll reward them with a hundred taels of silver!"

The young eunuchs exchanged glances, none daring to speak—a glowing kite? They had never even heard of such a thing.

Wei Xiaobao tugged at Xie Hui's sleeve, wanting to walk around them. "Brother Hui, let's not get involved in this. Princess Jianning is not to be trifled with..."

Xie Hui, however, stood still, his eyes brightening—wasn't this a good opportunity to approach Jianning? He pushed Wei Xiaobao's hand away, took two steps forward, and cupped his fists towards Jianning: "Your Highness, this humble one can make a glowing kite."

At these words, everyone was stunned. Jianning turned her head, scrutinized Xie Hui from head to toe, and asked with a frown, "Who are you? Where did this lowly servant come from, daring to speak to this princess?"

"Reporting to the Princess," Xie Hui said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "This humble one is Eunuch Wei's cousin, just arrived from the countryside. I have a slight understanding of crafts and can make a glowing kite."

Jianning raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh? You can really make one? If you can't, this princess will cut out your tongue!"

"This humble one would not dare to deceive the Princess," Xie Hui smiled, "However, making the kite requires some Materials, and the effect can only be seen after dark. If the Princess trusts this humble one, I will demonstrate it for you in this garden tonight at the hour of Xu (7-9 PM)."

Jianning thought about it and found it novel, much more interesting than bullying the young eunuchs. "Good! This princess will trust you once! If you dare to deceive me, you'll regret it!" She said, pulling out a jade pendant from herHuai and throwing it to Xie Hui. "This is my jade pendant. Take it. When people in the palace see it, they will find you Materials."

Xie Hui took the jade pendant and bowed in thanks: "Thank you, Princess."

Jianning glared at the kneeling young eunuchs again: "Get up, all of you! If he needs Materials, you all must cooperate well. If anyone dares to be lazy, I won't spare you!" With that, she left with her Palace Maids.

The young eunuchs quickly got up and repeatedly thanked Xie Hui. The old eunuch even gripped Xie Hui's hand: "Thank you, Young Brother Xie, for saving us! If you need any Materials, just tell me, and I'll go find them for you!"

Xie Hui smiled and nodded, pondering—the first step was successful. Jianning was already interested in him, so the rest would be easier.

Wei Xiaobao leaned over, full of admiration: "Brother Hui, you're so daring! Can you really make a glowing kite? Why have I never seen you make one?"

"What's so difficult about that?" Xie Hui patted his shoulder. "You'll know tonight; I guarantee Princess Jianning will be satisfied. Let's go see Hai Dafu first and get your assignment sorted out; don't delay the main business."

The two walked through several corridors and arrived at a secluded courtyard, which was Hai Dafu's residence. The courtyard was quiet, with only a young eunuch guarding the entrance. Seeing Wei Xiaobao, he quickly bowed: "Eunuch Wei, Eunuch Hai is waiting inside."

Wei Xiaobao took a deep breath, pushed open the door, and walked in, with Xie Hui following behind. The room was dimly lit, and a faint smell of medicine wafted through. An old man in a black eunuch uniform sat in a chair, his back to them, holding a teacup. His fingers were withered and bony, clearly someone not to be trifled with—it was Hai Dafu.

"Xiaobao, do you have business with this humble one?" Hai Dafu's voice was hoarse, sending shivers down one's spine.

Wei Xiaobao quickly stepped forward, a smile plastered on his face: "Eunuch Hai, it's like this: recently, the Imperial Study has been short-handed. Do you think you could transfer me there? I promise to work hard and not cause you any trouble!"

Hai Dafu slowly turned around. His left eye was covered with a black patch, and his right eye was cloudy, staring intently at Wei Xiaobao: "The Imperial Study is where His Majesty stays. What makes you think you can go there?"

"I, I..." Wei Xiaobao was speechless, and quickly looked at Xie Hui.

Xie Hui took a step forward and cupped his fists at Hai Dafu: "Eunuch Hai, this humble one is Eunuch Wei's cousin. I heard that Eunuch Hai has not been well recently. This humble one has a slight understanding of medicine and can help Eunuch Hai recuperate. If Eunuch Hai can help Eunuch Wei transfer to the Imperial Study, this humble one is willing to treat Eunuch Hai for free."

Hai Dafu's gaze fell on Xie Hui, scrutinizing him from head to toe, a cold smirk playing on his lips: "You understand medicine? The imperial physicians in the palace can't cure this humble one's illness. You, a country boy, dare to say such words?"

"If imperial physicians can't cure it, it doesn't mean this humble one can't," Xie Hui said, pulling out a small bottle from hisHuai—it contained a peach blossom island elixir brought back from the world of the legend of the condor heroes, which could strengthen the body. "This is a Medicinal Pill passed down in my family. If Eunuch Hai doesn't believe it, you can try one first. I guarantee you'll feel much lighter."

Hai Dafu stared at the small bottle, his eyes full of suspicion, yet also a little tempted—this illness had tormented him for several years. If it could really be cured, let alone arranging a transfer, he would even be willing to give Wei Xiaobao a higher position.

"If you dare to deceive this old servant," Hai Dafu's voice turned cold, "I will make sure both of you die without a complete corpse!" He took the small bottle, poured out a Medicinal Pill, and put it in his mouth. The Medicinal Pill dissolved instantly upon entry, and a warm current immediately spread throughout his body. Hai Dafu sighed comfortably, and his years of coughing were significantly alleviated.

"How is it, Eunuch Hai?" Xie Hui asked with a smile.

Hai Dafu opened his eyes, and his gaze toward Xie Hui held a hint of apprehension. "Your Medicinal Pill is indeed somewhat effective. Fine, this old servant agrees. Tomorrow, I will transfer you to the Imperial Study for duty, but you must remember: in the Imperial Study, don't ask what shouldn't be asked, don't look at what shouldn't be looked at. If you provoke Your Majesty, no one can protect you!"

When Wei Xiaobao heard this, he jumped up happily. "Thank you, Eunuch Hai! Thank you, Eunuch Hai! I promise I will work hard!"

Hai Dafu waved his hand, saying impatiently, "Alright, hurry up and leave. This old servant needs rest."

As the two walked out of Hai Dafu's residence, Wei Xiaobao excitedly patted Xie Hui's shoulder. "Brother Hui, you are amazing! You even managed to handle Hai Dafu! Tomorrow I can go to the Imperial Study for duty and see the Emperor!"

"Don't celebrate too early," Xie Hui reminded him. "The Imperial Study is close to the Emperor, and also close to the Empress Dowager. Our goal is the forty-two chapter sutra, so we need to find a chance to inquire about the sutra's whereabouts. By the way, you've been in the palace for so long, have you heard of the forty-two chapter sutra?"

Wei Xiaobao frowned and thought for a moment. "The forty-two chapter sutra? I think I heard an old eunuch mention it. They said it was a sutra left by the Former Emperor, and there are eight volumes in total. The Empress Dowager's palace seems to have one, and the Emperor has one too. But this sutra is very mysterious; no one knows what's written inside."

Xie Hui was delighted—sure enough, the clue had arrived! "Alright, let's keep this in mind. We'll find a chance to approach the Empress Dowager and the Emperor later and get the sutra. For now, let's go prepare the Materials for the kite, don't let Princess Jianning get impatient."

The two found the old eunuch from before, and using Jianning's jade pendant, requested bamboo strips, Xuan Paper, cotton thread, and a few small lanterns—Xie Hui planned to replace the candles inside the lanterns with LED Lights he brought from the real world, so they could glow at night without worrying about setting the kite on fire.

The old eunuch was very helpful and quickly gathered all the Materials, even finding an empty room for them to build the kite. Xie Hui started working on the kite while Wei Xiaobao helped out, continuously muttering, "Brother Hui, what kind of thing is this LED Light? It can light up without a candle, it's like Immortal Magic!"

"These are fragments of the 'Luminous Pearl'," Xie Hui casually made up an excuse. "I found them in an old temple in the countryside. They can glow and are not afraid of fire."

Wei Xiaobao's eyes lit up when he heard this. "That powerful? Let's get more of them! Then we won't need to light lamps when walking at night anymore!"

Xie Hui smiled and didn't speak, concentrating on making the kite. His craftsmanship wasn't excellent, but making a simple butterfly kite was no problem. Soon, a pink butterfly kite was finished, with four small LED Lights tied to its wings and the switch hidden in the kite string handle.

After finishing the kite, the sky had darkened. The two took the kite to the garden, where Princess Jianning was already waiting, surrounded by a dozen Palace Maids and eunuchs, clearly full of anticipation.

"You finally came!" Jianning saw Xie Hui and quickly walked over. "Is the kite ready? Fly it for me quickly!"

Xie Hui nodded, let Wei Xiaobao hold the kite string, and threw the kite into the sky. Following the momentum, he pulled the string, and the butterfly kite immediately flew up. Xie Hui pressed the switch on the handle, and the LED Lights on the wings instantly lit up. The pink light was particularly noticeable in the dark night, like a flying firefly.

"Wow! It really glows!" Jianning jumped up excitedly, her eyes wide and round. "It's so beautiful! It's prettier than any kite I've ever seen!"

The surrounding Palace Maids and eunuchs also praised it, all finding the kite magical. Wei Xiaobao pulled the kite string, holding his head high proudly, as if he had made it himself.

Xie Hui looked at Jianning's joyful expression and mused—it was almost time; he needed to turn up the heat and make her more reliant on him. "Princess, this kite has another amazing feature," he said, pressing another switch. The LED Lights suddenly changed color, from pink to blue. "It can also change colors. Whatever color you want, it can change to."

Jianning became even more excited, grabbing Xie Hui's hand. "Really? Then change it to red for me! Change it to green! I want to see!"

Xie Hui pressed the handle, and the LED Lights continuously changed colors. Jianning watched intently, refusing to let go of his hand, constantly asking, "What exactly is this made of? How are you so amazing? Can you stay by my side from now on and make fun things for me every day?"

Xie Hui smiled inwardly—the fish had taken the bait. He deliberately feigned hesitation. "Princess, this servant is Eunuch Wei's cousin. If I stay by your side, I'm afraid it wouldn't be proper..."

"What are rules for!" Jianning frowned. "I am the Princess, and what I say goes! Tomorrow I will tell the Emperor to transfer you to duty in my palace. If anyone dares to disagree, I'll make trouble for them!"

Just then, a Palace Maid quickly ran over and bowed to Jianning. "Princess, the Empress Dowager Mother requests your presence at the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility. She says she has important matters to discuss with you."

The smile instantly vanished from Jianning's face, and she said impatiently, "I know, I'm going now." She turned back to Xie Hui, smiling again. "Wait for me! I'll play with you when I return! Don't leave!"

Xie Hui bowed and nodded. "This servant will await the Princess's return."

Jianning left with the Palace Maid. Wei Xiaobao leaned over, looking worried. "Brother Hui, Princess Jianning asking you to stay in her palace isn't a good thing! The Empress Dowager Mother dotes on Jianning the most. If she finds out you are close to Jianning, she will definitely suspect you!"

Xie Hui rubbed his chin, a glint flashing in his eyes. "Suspicion is good. That way, we'll have a chance to approach the Empress Dowager and look for the forty-two chapter sutra. Did you forget? The Empress Dowager's palace has one volume of the sutra. As long as we can get close to her, we can figure out how to get our hands on it."

Wei Xiaobao suddenly realized. "You're right! Brother Hui, you are always so thoughtful! What should we do next?"

"Let's go back and rest first," Xie Hui looked at the sky. "Tomorrow, you go on duty at the Imperial Study and keep an eye on the movements of the Emperor and the Empress Dowager. I'll wait here for Princess Jianning and see if she can transfer me to her palace. If we proceed on two fronts, finding the sutra is certain to succeed."

Just as the two were about to leave, the walkie-talkie in Xie Hui's pocket suddenly vibrated—it was a message from Shuanger, asking if he was safe in the palace. Xie Hui pulled out the walkie-talkie, quietly replied, "Everything is fine, don't worry," and then hid the walkie-talkie away.

"Brother Hui, can this thing really talk to Shuanger?" Wei Xiaobao asked curiously.

"Of course," Xie Hui smiled. "This is called 'Sound Transmission Over A Thousand Miles.' No matter how far apart we are, we can talk. If we ever get separated, we can use this to contact each other."

Wei Xiaobao was filled with envy and kept urging Xie Hui to give him one too. Xie Hui promised him one after they found the forty-two chapter sutra, and only then did Wei Xiaobao stop.

The two returned to the residence arranged by Hai Dafu, a small side room that was simple but clean. Wei Xiaobao fell asleep as soon as he lay down, still muttering about the Imperial Study and the sutra. Xie Hui, however, didn't sleep. He sat by the window, looking at the moonlight outside, pondering—tomorrow he would see the Kangxi Emperor and the Empress Dowager. The Fake Empress Dowager, Mao Dongzhu, was a member of the Divine Dragon Cult, and Long'er would appear soon. The upcoming plot would definitely be more interesting.

He touched the peach blossom island elixir in his embrace, and then the dagger at his waist—it was confiscated from the Men in Black and could cut iron like mud, giving him more confidence. Whether it was the Kangxi Emperor or the Empress Dowager, the Divine Dragon Cult or the Heaven and Earth Society, with him around, he could handle everything.

As he thought, Xie Hui grew tired. He lay down on the bed and quickly fell asleep. He dreamed that he had found all the forty-two chapter sutras, subdued Jianning and the Fake Empress Dowager, and brought them back to the small universe to eat with Huang Rong and Su Mingyu. The scene was very lively.