The next morning, since Hua Wu Que hadn't shaved his head and it was inconvenient to disguise himself, Xu Tian Hong took Luo Bing and they disguised themselves to go out and gather information.
Hua Wu Que was somewhat assured of Xu Tian Hong's abilities, so he stayed alone in the inn and recalled the contents of the original novel. However, in this dimension, the Qianlong Emperor wasn't the emperor anymore, it was Prince Bao, Hongli, who had taken control of Shengjing, and was acting as a barrier and a retreat for the Qing Dynasty outside the Great Wall. It was too different from the original novel, and he couldn’t make any rash assumptions.
As he was pondering, he suddenly heard a knock on the door. He hurried to open it, but saw the door was already pushed open, and Luo Bing and the other two came in with smiles on their faces. Following behind them was a middle-aged scholar. It was none other than Chen Jin Nan, the head of the Heaven and Earth Society.
Before the two could speak, Chen Jin Nan cupped his fist towards Hua Wu Que and said, “Chen was blind yesterday and did not recognize Mount Tai. I have offended you, Flower Young Master. Please be magnanimous and forgive me.”
He acted very humble. This was because as the head of the Heaven and Earth Society, he was assigned by the Southern Ming to liaise and gather the heroes of the martial arts world in the Central Plains who had anti-Qing sentiments, to make trouble for the Qing Dynasty and prepare for a future counter-attack against the Central Plains. Hua Wu Que was young but had high martial arts skills, and he was from a famous family. He was indeed an ideal candidate for Chen Jin Nan to win over.
Hua Wu Que saw that he wasn’t putting on airs, and felt some fondness in his heart. He smiled and said, “Chief Chen, you are being too polite. I am young and inexperienced, how can I allow a senior to be so polite to me?”
Luo Bing saw that the two were exchanging pleasantries and had not gotten to the point, and became a little anxious, “Chief Chen, you said earlier that you have news of my Fourth Brother. Where is he now?”
Chen Jin Nan knew that this was not the time for pleasantries, and quickly turned serious, “Madame Wen, yesterday I received news that the heroes of the Red Flower Society were ambushed outside the city. I quickly sent people to investigate. One of my disciples works in the palace. He reported that yesterday the Qing imposter emperor spent a long time in the dungeon. He inquired everywhere and finally found out that your Fourth Brother and the heroes of the Mu Residence were all imprisoned in the palace, but they are not in immediate danger.”
Luo Bing had thought things over throughout the night, and had recovered her usual composure and optimism. Although her husband’s arrest filled her with worry, she was not as impulsive as she was last night. She invited Chen Jin Nan to sit down at the table, and slowly said, “This is going to be difficult. The palace is heavily guarded, with guards every five steps and sentries every ten. It’s not easy to get in.”
Chen Jin Nan nodded in agreement, “True. But our purpose in gathering in Yanjing was to rescue the heroes of the Mu Residence. Even if the palace is a dragon’s lair, we have to break in!” He waved his hand, signaling Luo Bing not to thank him. Then he continued, “Fortunately, I have a disciple who works as an inside man in the palace. I have arranged for him to prepare a batch of imperial guard uniforms. Tomorrow, when the guards are changing shifts, we will disguise ourselves as guards and sneak into the palace. We will find a way to rescue all the heroes. While we’re at it, we’ll see if there is a chance to kill the Qing imposter emperor!”
Hua Wu Que knew that the disciple he was talking about was the extremely cunning Wei Xiao Bao. He just didn't know which version of the Book of the Deer story played out in this dimension.
Chen Jin Nan stopped Luo Bing and the others from thanking him, turned around and cupped his fist to Hua Wu Que, “Flower Young Master, although we have gathered many heroes, there are not many top-level martial artists like you. Please put aside any past grievances and help us!” The Red Flower Society’s best fighters in Yanjing, Chen Jia Luo and the others, had either been crippled by Hua Wu Que, or badly injured. He couldn’t find anyone else to help him, so he could only ask for help.
Hua Wu Que saw the hopeful look in Luo Bing’s eyes, smiled, and nodded, signaling her to rest assured. Then he replied, “Chief Chen, just give me your orders. Hua Wu Que is not a person who harbors petty grudges!”
Chen Jin Nan was overjoyed to hear him agree, “Good! I knew Flower Young Master wouldn’t stand by and do nothing. My disciple has been cultivating his influence in the palace for a long time and is quite trusted by the imposter emperor. However, he is weak in martial arts and if something unexpected happens, I can’t guarantee the safety of the heroes. So I would like to ask Flower Young Master to infiltrate the palace tonight. My disciple will meet you and ensure that before tomorrow, they will be safe!”
Luo Bing heard that he was asking Hua Wu Que to do such a dangerous thing, and although she was worried about her husband’s safety, she didn’t want to burden Hua Wu Que for their sake. She quickly said, “No, I don’t agree. It’s too dangerous. Flower Young Master has not shaved his head. What if he gets caught? He won’t be able to escape!”
Xu Tian Hong also nodded. He was known as the “Martial Zhuge”, and was very good at strategizing and planning. He knew that in the Qing imperial palace, there were many treacherous high-level martial artists who were greedy for wealth and power. If Hua Wu Que went in alone, it would be extremely dangerous.
Hua Wu Que stopped them and smiled, “It’s okay. I came to Yanjing wanting to see the splendor of the Forbidden City anyway. Besides, Chief Chen wouldn’t have made the offer unless he had a foolproof plan. You don’t have to worry.”
Chen Jin Nan was somewhat grateful to hear his trust. “That’s right. My disciple has a certain degree of power in the palace. With him there to connect with you, Flower Young Master won’t be in any danger. Please rest assured.”
Luo Bing heard them say this, and could only nod in agreement. She was truly grateful. She felt that Hua Wu Que was willing to take the risk because of her, and thought that when she rescued her Fourth Brother, she would have to find a suitable young lady and introduce her to him.