My low-key cultivation of immortality was discovered by the emperor in my diary.

Chapter 25 Reporting to the Emperor, Obtaining an Opportunity

On a winter's day, dawn breaks very late.

The night was as dark as silk, and all was quiet in the palace, except for the soft footsteps of palace servants in the distance.

The lights in the imperial study appeared exceptionally bright within the silent and dim palace walls.

The Night Guard Commander arrived quietly and stood outside the Imperial Study. Through the half-open window, he glimpsed the Emperor sitting alone at his desk, his eyes slightly closed, as if deep in thought.

The commander knew that the emperor was currently lost in his own thoughts and dared not disturb him in the slightest. So he quietly stood aside and waited silently. Time seemed to slow down at that moment.

After a moment, the emperor slowly opened his eyes, his gaze sharp as torches, and swept towards the doorway.

The commander felt a chill and quickly went to the emperor's side, presenting a report on Chu Lengyu's whereabouts with both hands.

The emperor received the report and read it carefully.

The Night Guard Commander carefully observed the Emperor's expression, noticing that the Emperor's brows were furrowed and a hint of displeasure flashed in his eyes.

His heart tightened; he knew that this report did not seem to have satisfied the emperor.

"Is the Night Guard in charge of this matter currently in the capital?" The emperor's voice was deep and authoritative.

Upon hearing this, the Night Guard Commander was puzzled. Thinking of Lou Qing, whom he had just imprisoned in the dungeon, he hesitated for a moment before bowing his head and replying, "Your Majesty, there is someone in the capital."

"Go, bring him to me," the emperor commanded.

"Yes." The Night Guard Commander immediately withdrew and hurriedly left the palace to find Lou Qing.

He repeatedly pondered the report he had just submitted. There were clearly no problems. Why would His Majesty suddenly want to see the Night Guard in charge of this matter? Was there some hidden reason he didn't know about?

The Night Guard commander became increasingly confused and, upon returning to Night Guard headquarters, immediately ordered Lou Qing to be brought over.

Lou Qing had traveled all night to get back, and was already exhausted. As soon as he relaxed, he felt sleepy again.

He had only been dozing in the dungeon for a short while when he was woken up.

When he was brought before the commander, he was still somewhat dazed from just waking up.

The Night Guard Commander turned around, his face full of anger, and said, "Lou Qing, look what you've done!"

Before Lou Qing could understand what was happening, he was kicked hard in the knee. He knelt down in pain, swallowing his cry, and said with suppressed grit, "Commander, I don't understand what you're saying. Please explain."

"His Majesty is very dissatisfied with what you submitted today. Do you know how serious this offense is?! I entrusted this task to you because I trusted you, but I never expected that you would not only fabricate some bizarre things out of thin air, but also dare to evade His Majesty's orders!"

"This...this..." Lou Qing panicked at his words and hurriedly explained, "I didn't make things up, I didn't try to cover it up, how could I dare..."

"How should I know where you got such audacity!" the commander shouted sternly.

Lou Qing lowered her head, biting her lip, not daring to argue any further.

Seeing that he had calmed down, the commander sighed and said, "His Majesty wants to see you. You will come to the palace with me immediately. Whatever His Majesty asks you, you must answer truthfully. You must not hide anything or change anything. Do you understand?"

"...I understand."

Lou Qing left with the Night Guard Commander.

The other Night Guards were discussing it amongst themselves.

"How did Lou Qing offend the commander again?"

"This time it's probably for real. You didn't see how sour the commander's face was."

"By the way, what exactly are Lou Qing and the others doing lately? They come and go in such a hurry, we can't even catch a glimpse of them."

"Who knows? It's definitely not going to be an easy job."

……

Soon after.

Lou Qing was taken to the Imperial Study.

Upon seeing the emperor, he hurriedly bowed, but his heart was filled with trepidation.

The emperor said to the commander of the night guards, "Go and wait outside."

"Yes," the commander replied respectfully, but as he turned to leave, he glared at Lou Qing fiercely, his meaning clear: answer honestly, don't try to be cunning, and don't try to drag others down with you.

After he left, only the emperor, who was sitting behind his desk, and Lou Qing, who was kneeling on the ground, remained in the imperial study.

Looking at the young man before him, the emperor's eyes flashed with scrutiny, and he asked in a deep voice, "Have you been in charge of tracking Chu Lengyu recently?"

Lou Qing answered truthfully, "Yes, my squad has been secretly following Chu Lengyu."

The emperor then asked, "What has she been doing these past few days? Tell me from the beginning. You can also share your thoughts on her."

Before the emperor, Lou Qing dared not have any other thoughts. He took a deep breath, composed himself, and began to recount in detail his experiences of following the emperor over the past few days.

He described Chu Lengyu's whereabouts, her behavior and speech, and how their team carefully followed her without her noticing.

As for his opinion on Chu Lengyu? He dared not make any rash comments before he knew the emperor's attitude, lest he accidentally offend him.

The emperor listened quietly, nodding occasionally to confirm that he was indeed the Night Guard in charge of the matter.

Then, the emperor changed the subject and asked, "Was anything unusual at Xuanzhen Temple yesterday morning?"

Upon hearing this, Lou Qing's heart began to race; he realized his chance had come.

Upon hearing this, Lou Qing's heart pounded. He realized his chance had come and hurriedly said, "Your Majesty is wise; indeed, there is a strange thing!"

He described the scene of the plants and trees in Xuanzhen Temple returning to spring, trying to defend himself: "Actually, I recorded all of this in the report I submitted today, but... but I have no evidence."

Upon hearing this, the emperor understood what had happened.

He asked, "How many people are in your team?"

“There are three people in total,” Lou Qing replied bitterly.

The emperor frowned slightly.

Night Guards are usually in teams of five or six; a team of three is clearly insufficient.

If only three people are carrying out the tracking mission, they will definitely be working non-stop. In addition, one person will have to go back to Shenjing to report, making the mission even more arduous.

Besides, it's winter now, and the cold is biting.

Just by looking at this young man, you can tell he hasn't had a proper rest in a long time.

The emperor didn't ask why, but calmly said, "This mission is very important."

This seemingly random and unrelated statement left Lou Qing completely bewildered, so he could only firmly reply, "Your subordinate will do his utmost."

In fact, Lou Qing still doesn't understand why the emperor is tracking and monitoring Chu Lengyu, and why he seems to care so much about it.

"You may leave now. Call the person outside in," the emperor said casually.

"Yes." Lou Qing carefully stood up and withdrew.

The Night Guard Commander returned to the Imperial Study and took the initiative to apologize, saying, "It was my fault for not disciplining my men properly, which led to their mistakes. I am willing to accept punishment."

The emperor waved his hand, telling him to stop with the act, he was tired of it.

He reiterated to the Night Guard Commander: "This mission is very important. The previous squad was quite dedicated; send a few more men over there. Remember, I need to know everything about her, down to the smallest detail, without missing a single thing."

"Yes, yes," the Night Guard commander bowed and repeatedly agreed.

"You may leave now. Don't act on your own initiative again."

"Yes," the Night Guard commander replied with difficulty.