Chapter 505: With the Token as Proof

Chapter 505: With the Token as Proof

Mo Jiuya and He Zhiran mingled among the crowd, waiting and watching for any changes.

By noon, many had lost hope and left, but a large number of people still stubbornly waited at the city gates.

Some of the more daring ones even approached the gatekeepers to demand an explanation.

At first, the guards merely blocked them with their weapons without taking any aggressive action.

After a while, whether prompted by someone or not, the soldiers began to physically remove the troublemakers among the crowd, dispersing a large group in no time.

The number of people near the city gates dwindled, and by early afternoon, only a few remained.

Mo Jiuya and He Zhiran grew anxious. Ran Ran had left for the Imperial City in the morning to deliver a message to Fei Nanyu, and its absence had them worried that something might have gone wrong on Fei Nanyu’s end.

Just as they were about to discuss their next move, Mo Jiuya saw a small white dot flying toward them from the city gate.

"Ran Ran, it's back."

To avoid drawing attention, they deliberately moved to a quieter area.

Ran Ran flew at top speed and landed on Mo Jiuya’s shoulder.

As a precaution, He Zhiran looked around cautiously and then pulled Mo Jiuya into the space with her.

Given the urgency of the situation, Mo Jiuya didn’t reward the bird immediately. Instead, he quickly retrieved the note tied to its leg.

The note was from Fei Nanyu, but unlike his usual detailed letters, this one was brief and hastily written. Still, they recognized his handwriting.

Fei Nanyu wrote that the Empress had forged an imperial decree, claiming that Emperor Shunwu was unwell. Since there was no Crown Prince, court affairs were temporarily in the hands of the Empress.

It seemed that the Empress’s faction had made prior arrangements. Once the decree was issued, her people took control of the court.

Fei Nanyu suspected that the Emperor might have already been killed, and the city gates were sealed to prevent Prince Qi from returning with reinforcements from outside.

He also told Mo Jiuya that Ran Ran should return to him later. He and Nan Qi were trying to obtain a pass from the Xue family. If successful, they would send the pass to them via Ran Ran that night.

The note contained little information, and Fei Nanyu only gave a rough overview, leaving Mo Jiuya and He Zhiran unable to make further conclusions.

Besides, their goal was not to save the Great Shun dynasty but to deal with those who threatened the Mo family.

For now, their main goal was to get into the city. Since Fei Nanyu had a plan, they could afford to wait a bit longer.

He Zhiran checked Ran Ran’s wound again and, seeing that it was fine, fed it before sending it back to Fei Nanyu.

For now, all they could do was wait. Fortunately, there were still some people lingering outside the city gates, so their presence didn’t stand out.

Sooner than expected, Ran Ran returned just as the sky began to darken.

This time, it carried both a letter and a small token.

Mo Jiuya recognized the token; it was used specifically for imperial procurements. When he was Nan Qi's companion inside the palace, they had once snuck out using such a token.

Fei Nanyu must have sent him one because the Empress had recently dispatched someone out of the city.

After securing the token, Mo Jiuya opened the note.

"The mansion welcomes the two of you."

With just six words, Fei Nanyu instructed Mo Jiuya and He Zhiran to meet him immediately after entering the city.

Even if he hadn't said so, Mo Jiuya and He Zhiran would have gone to find him first. After all, they needed to learn about the situation in the Imperial City from him.

Considering that the plaque Fei Nanyu gave them was for imperial procurement, He Zhiran and Mo Jiuya disguised themselves again.

This time, they dressed as palace eunuchs and applied makeup to alter their appearances.

Once everything was prepared, the two of them left the space.

At this point, the entrance to the Imperial City was deserted. The people who had been waiting to enter the city had long since left.

The massive city gates were bolted shut, their iron bars gleaming under the moonlight, while the soldiers guarding the top of the city walls stood at attention, fully prepared.

Seeing two figures moving near the city gate, the soldiers on the city wall shouted.

"The city gate is sealed, no entry or exit. Anyone who wants to live should get out of here now."

Knowing that the voice of a palace eunuch was somewhat sharp, it wouldn't be appropriate for Mo Jiuya to speak. He Zhiran held up the token and deepened his voice slightly.

"We are emissaries sent by the Empress on official business, and we have the token as proof."

Hearing that they were sent by the Empress, the soldiers on the city wall immediately came down.

A small gap opened in the city gate, and a large hand stretched out.

"Hand over the token for inspection."

He Zhiran quickly passed the token over.

Soon after, the city gate creaked open again, revealing a gap just wide enough for one person to pass through.

"Both of you, come in quickly."

Dressed as palace eunuchs, they walked confidently through the gap, one after the other.

The soldiers seemed unconcerned and handed the token back without further question.

Mo Jiuya knew that the palace eunuchs were notoriously haughty and wouldn't give these soldiers a second thought. Without bothering with pleasantries, he led He Zhiran toward the heart of the Imperial City.

The Imperial City was perhaps the place Mo Jiuya was most familiar with, especially since Fei Nanyu's current mansion was the former Mo family residence.

When it came to returning to his former home, no one knew the route better than Mo Jiuya.

Soldiers patrolled the streets at regular intervals.

It was no surprise that the capital, being under the emperor's direct control, had tight security. But Mo Jiuya couldn't recall ever seeing this many patrolling soldiers at night before.

Not only that, there were almost no pedestrians on the streets. Even though the lights in some taverns were still on, there were no customers inside.

Dressed as palace eunuchs, they walked confidently through the streets, so the soldiers merely questioned them but didn't cause any trouble.

As they walked and observed, it took them about half an hour to reach the vicinity of the Fei Mansion.

Although Mo Jiuya wasn't entirely clear about the current situation at court, considering that the Empress controlled the entire court and Fei Nanyu was from Nan Qi, it was inevitable that he might be under surveillance.

To avoid drawing attention, Mo Jiuya led He Zhiran through a nearby alley, intending to enter via the back garden.

However, as they approached the side door of the Fei Mansion, it was opened from the inside.

The person who opened the door was Fei Nanyu's trusted servant, whom Mo Jiuya recognized.

Mo Jiuya and He Zhiran had changed their appearance, so the servant didn’t recognize either of them.

Fei Nanyu had told him to wait at the rear entrance and let Mo Jiuya and his wife in when they arrived.

The Imperial City has been on lockdown lately, and at this time of night, almost no one was out, especially in this quiet, narrow alley.

When he heard footsteps, the servant assumed it must be Mo Jiuya and his wife.

But when he saw the two strangers, he panicked and quickly slammed the side door shut.