Chapter 1039: Go Inside

Chapter 1039: Chapter 1039: Go Inside

Ye Qingchen walked up to the guards, ready to continue forward without hesitation. However, just as he was about to cross the guard line, the leading guard raised his arm, signaling him to stop.

The guard’s gaze was sharp, carrying a mix of alertness and undeniable authority. He coldly said, "Brother Da Hei, the palace city is not a place you can enter casually. Even though you are Young Master Chen’s personal guard, without the Saint Heir’s orders, you cannot enter on your own."

The guard’s words carried a clear sense of caution and restriction. Even though he recognized Da Hei, his strict adherence to the rules still made him unhesitatingly block Ye Qingchen and Xiao Xiao Jiang Qi’s path.

His gaze swept over Ye Qingchen’s face, as if trying to discern any hidden intentions beneath this facade.

At this moment, Ye Qingchen felt a chill in his heart. Although blocked, he still managed to maintain a calm and composed demeanor, not showing any flaw. He smiled slightly, his tone calm and assertive: "Brother, this is something Young Master Chen personally instructed. I am just carrying out orders. Don’t delay the young master’s arrangements, or who could take responsibility for it?"

Ye Qingchen’s words carried an undeniable air of authority, seemingly reminding these guards that they were merely small gatekeepers, and delaying important matters would result in consequences they could not bear.

These words caused the leading guard to hesitate slightly, for he was a cautious person and knew well the complexity of affairs within the palace. Blocking someone on impulse could also lead to trouble.

The leading guard was very troubled. Although they recognized Da Hei and knew he was Chen Rui’s close attendant, the rules within Jiang Qi’s palace city were extremely strict, requiring explicit instructions to let someone enter.

The guard spoke in a low voice, "But, the Saint Heir has rules. If we just let you in, we’ll have a hard time explaining..."

His voice was filled with hesitation and confusion, clearly worried about the decision to let them pass.

Despite knowing Da Hei was an effective aide at Chen Rui’s side, the rules were the rules, and any violation could bring severe punishment, especially in Jiang Qi’s highly demanding environment.

Upon hearing this, Ye Qingchen’s face immediately darkened. His eyes grew slightly cold, and his voice carried a hint of displeasure as he sternly said, "Our young master is working for the Saint Heir, and to enter now is akin to the Saint Heir’s intention. Why are you dawdling here? Are you looking to delay the Saint Heir’s matters?"

Ye Qingchen’s tone was severe, with a veiled threat in his words. Although he remained calm inwardly, he had to act more forcefully than usual to ensure entry into the palace city.

After all, at this moment, he was playing the role of Chen Rui’s trusted aide Da Hei, whose position and manner commanded respect among the guards.

Beside him, Xiao Xiao observed the situation and felt the need to apply pressure. She feigned dissatisfaction and quickly echoed, "Indeed, our young master just went in not long ago. Are you really going to stop us? If you delay something important, can you bear the responsibility?"

Although Xiao Xiao’s voice was gentle, it carried obvious dissatisfaction and questioning, her tone imposing more pressure on the guards.

She feigned understanding of rules, but used the importance of the mission to suggest the guards should not be overly stubborn.

These words made the leading guard even more troubled.

He knew he was just a small gatekeeper. No matter how cautious he was, in such a situation, holding firm was difficult.

After all, if they really delayed Chen Rui’s affairs for Jiang Qi, it was surely a responsibility he could not shoulder.

They exchanged a helpless glance, and the leading guard finally sighed, stepping back slightly, saying, "Since it’s like this, you may enter, but ensure you complete your task quickly and don’t delay for too long."

With these words, he wore a difficult expression but had to step aside to open the gates leading into the palace city.

Seeing the guard finally relent, Ye Qingchen and Xiao Xiao inwardly breathed a small sigh of relief. They maintained their calm appearances, nodded slightly, and then walked past the guards, stepping into the palace city.

As they crossed the threshold, Ye Qingchen and Xiao Xiao were silently planning their next actions, cautiously avoiding any behavior that might reveal their identity.

At this moment, they had entered the core area of the palace city, one step closer to achieving their goal.

Inside the palace city.

Jiang Qi stood in the center of the palace hall, frowning, with an expression of disgust as he looked at the two foul-smelling sacks before him.

He couldn’t help but cover his nose and mouth with a handkerchief, his eyes full of disdain as he said, "Clean these two sacks up for me; I can’t stand this disgusting smell for a moment longer."

Several servants heard his words and hastily nodded in agreement. But faced with the sacks exuding a stench, they also wore troubled expressions.

Despite this, they dared not be negligent and immediately sprang into action. The servants cautiously approached the sacks, their movements gentle, careful not to provoke the Saint Heir’s displeasure. One hand pinched their noses, while the other held a cloth, attempting to wipe clean the mud and stains off the sack’s surfaces.

One servant crouched down, gently wiping the sack’s surface with a cloth. However, upon touching the grime on it, he immediately knitted his brows, unable to resist wrinkling his nose, evidently strongly affected by the foul smell.

They wiped meticulously, as if handling a fragile treasure, careful not to dirty the floor or incite greater dissatisfaction from Jiang Qi.

Another servant used a cloth to carefully wrap it around the sack, trying to block the stench it emitted. Their movements were swift yet cautious, afraid of smearing mud everywhere and triggering Jiang Qi’s wrath.

Yet even with such caution, Jiang Qi still frowned with discontent, quietly grumbling, "It’s utterly filthy, how could it become so stinky!"

Chen Rui stood beside them, arms crossed, a confident smile on his face.

He watched the servants’ busy figures, a sense of satisfaction rising within him. He had anticipated Jiang Qi’s disdain and disgust, but was confident that after these sacks were cleaned, Jiang Qi would be very pleased upon discovering Ye Qingchen and Xiao Xiao captured.

Chen Rui felt a silent triumph, thinking that this successful capture couldn’t only satisfy Jiang Qi but also let him earn great merit in front of Jiang Qi.

He thought, "Later when Jiang Qi sees the captured criminals, he will surely view me with admiration, maybe even grant me more rewards!"

He watched the servants cleaning the sacks intently, as if he could already see Jiang Qi’s surprised expression. The pride in his heart caused his lips to curve slightly, his whole being radiating an air of triumph and authority.