Chapter 140 Entering the Palace
At the beginning of the evening, there were thunder and lightning, heavy rain, and deafening thunderbolts exploding in the sky from time to time, tearing the night apart.

The Shangyang Palace was brightly lit with candles. Wu Zetian was in high spirits and was reviewing memorials that had been accumulated over the past period of time.

Just to exorcise ghosts, she always wore the bronze hood presented by Wang Zhiyuan on her head, which looked inexplicably funny.

Chunxiang Chunxiang walked forward lightly and respectfully placed a cup of hot tea on the imperial table.

After handing over the tea, Chunxiang stepped aside and quietly observed Wu Zetian's movements.

Wu Zetian's mind was on the memorial. She then picked up the tea, took a sip, and continued to review the memorial.

After a while, Wu Zetian felt sleepy, her eyelids twitched and she yawned.

"Oh, I've been feeling sleepy these days. I'm sleepy already at 10 p.m." Wu Zetian said to herself.

But compared to her previous state of restlessness, being able to sleep was a good thing for Wu Zetian, and she wished she could sleep more.

Wu Zetian straightened her hood and said, "Chunxiang, I am sleepy. Please help me sleep."

An inexplicable joy flashed in Chunxiang's eyes. She asked the eunuchs and palace maids to help Wu Zetian go to bed, and then quietly poured out the cup of tea.

A little later, Di Renjie returned to the capital from Yongchang County and had already prepared a memorial, ready to go to the palace to meet the emperor.

Zhao Ji held an umbrella for Di Renjie, and the two of them had no trouble walking all the way to Wu Zetian's bedroom.

Before arriving at Wu Zetian's bedroom, they saw at a glance the inordinately tall iron rod in front of the bedroom. On the iron rod was a copper wire wrapped in animal skin. The copper wire extended all the way to the door of the bedroom and was connected to a piece of black iron.

Di Renjie couldn't help but become curious, so he called over a Qianniu Guard and asked, "What is this?"

"My Lord, this is a magic weapon for exorcising ghosts presented by the Imperial Preceptor Wang Zhiyuan. It can guide the power of the Thunder God into the gate of the palace and repel evil ghosts." Qianniu Wei replied.

Di Renjie's face immediately fell: "Is this presented by the Imperial Master Wang Zhiyuan?"

Qianniuwei could tell Di Renjie's tone was not good, and said cautiously, "That's right. Since you got this treasure, your majesty can sleep peacefully, and the evil spirits have never appeared again."

Di Renjie exhaled a breath of foul air and said without comment: "Go and inform them that the Yongchang evil spirit has been captured. I am here to report to your majesty. It is urgent. Please summon me."

"Yes, please wait a moment, Your Excellency." Qianniu Guard agreed and trotted forward to report.

But when the eunuch walked to the door of Wu Zetian's bedroom, Chunxiang stopped him and said, "Stop!"

Qianniuwei recognized Chunxiang's voice and stopped immediately.

Chunxiang came out from the darkness: "What are you going to do?"

"It's Lord Di who's here, asking to see Your Majesty." Qianniu Guard replied with a bow.

Chunxiang shook her head and said coldly, "Lord Di has come at an inopportune time. His Majesty has just gone to bed. Please ask him to come again tomorrow."

"But Lord Di said it is extremely urgent, Your Majesty must summon him." Qianniu Guard replied.

Chunxiang sneered: "Her Majesty is already asleep, who dares to wake her up? How about I open the palace door and let you go in and wake up Her Majesty?"

Qianniu Guard quickly bowed his head and said, "I dare not. I will ask Lord Di to come again tomorrow."

Having said that, Qianniuwei trotted back again. Chunxiang looked at his embarrassed figure and revealed a smug smile.

Zhao Ji and Di Renjie had already gathered around the long iron rod, studying it.

"What is this iron rod used for? Could it be that the national teacher Wang Zhiyuan is pretending to be a ghost and deceiving Your Majesty?" Di Renjie couldn't help asking.

Di Renjie looked up and down at the iron rod, and even wanted to knock on it with his hands. Seeing Zhao Ji tremble with fear, he quickly stopped Di Renjie: "Sir, it's dangerous."

Di Renjie was stunned: "Chengyuan, do you know what this iron rod is used for?"

Zhao Ji said seriously: "My Lord, forget what Xuguzi said. Wang Zhiyuan is interested in studying heavenly thunder. If this thing can really guide the power of heavenly thunder, its power will be extraordinary."

Di Renjie seemed to be thinking about something and retracted his hand.

At this moment, the Qianniu Guard came back and said, "Sir, His Majesty has fallen asleep. Please come back tomorrow."

Di Renjie frowned, feeling that something was wrong.

Zhao Ji's eyes flashed, and he asked, "Nonsense! Your Majesty always went to bed after midnight. This was her habit. Sometimes she would review memorials all night long. Now it's only three quarters past midnight, nearly an hour late. Why is Your Majesty sleeping?"

Qianniuwei quickly explained, "I dare not lie to General Zhao. It was Chunxiang, the lady-in-waiting beside His Majesty, who said that His Majesty was asleep. And His Majesty has been haunted by evil spirits recently, so it is possible that he needs to sleep a little longer. Your Excellency has come at an untimely time. Why don't you come earlier tomorrow?"

"I understand. You can go ahead."

Upon hearing this, Di Renjie became a little hesitant, not knowing whether to advance or retreat.

Zhao Ji whispered in Di Renjie's ear: "Sir, I think there is something fishy going on. We have to think of a solution."

Di Renjie glanced at Zhao Ji and said, "What can we do? We can't just break into His Majesty's bedroom."

As the two were talking, someone else arrived in front of Wu Zetian's bedroom.

"My Lord, General Zhao, why are you here?" It turned out that it was Shangguan Wan'er who came to see Wu Zetian holding an umbrella.

Zhao Ji first winked, then explained: "Di Gong has already investigated the ghost case and found that someone is trying to harm your majesty in the palace. We wanted to see your majesty to report this matter, but your majesty has already fallen asleep, so the three of us are hesitating here."

Shangguan Wan'er was shocked when she heard this: "Is there such a thing?"

"General Zhao is right. That's exactly the case. Could you please inform Shangguan Cairen and think of a solution?" Di Renjie replied.

Shangguan Wan'er agreed immediately without hesitation: "Of course, please follow me."

Di Renjie breathed a sigh of relief and followed Shangguan Wan'er towards Wu Zetian's bedroom.

The three of them soon arrived in front of the palace. Shangguan Wan'er turned around and said to Zhao Ji and Di Renjie, "Please wait a moment, Lord and General Zhao. I will go in to see His Majesty first."

Zhao Ji and Di Renjie naturally didn't say anything, but Chunxiang came out to disrupt the situation again.

"Tainen, His Majesty has rarely slept well recently. Shouldn't we not disturb him?" Chunxiang said anxiously.

Shangguan Wan'er glanced at Chunxiang coldly: "Are you teaching me how to do things?"

Chunxiang's heart was beating very fast. She knew that Wu Zetian had taken drugs and was sleeping abnormally, so she didn't dare let anyone in.

She lowered her head and cried, "I dare not, but Your Majesty has been sleeping too little recently, and I really dare not let anyone disturb Your Majesty. Otherwise, if Your Majesty wakes up, I am afraid that Your Majesty will be furious, and I can't bear it."

"I will take sole responsibility for this matter. It has nothing to do with you." Shangguan Wan'er said as she was about to push the door and enter the hall.

Chunxiang was so anxious that she actually stood in front of Shangguan Wan'er.

Shangguan Wan'er saw this and slapped Chunxiang in the face with her backhand: "What a bold servant! How dare you isolate China from the outside world! Can't I go in and serve His Majesty? When I was with His Majesty, you didn't even know where you were!"

Chunxiang covered her face and fell to the ground.

(End of this chapter)