UGB Chapter 449 Reading! Playing tricks! Feeding the horse!
Chapter 449 Reading! Playing tricks! Feeding the horse!
As night deepened, most areas of the palace fell silent, except for the patrolling guards and a few other places.
Chen Fan moved slowly and gracefully along the familiar paths, his destination the library.
This is a habit he has developed over the years. Whenever he finishes his cultivation, especially when he feels that his mind needs to be calmed, he will always go there for a while.
As he passed the Imperial Garden, he subconsciously slowed his pace.
His gaze passed over the swaying flowers and trees, landing on the Tai'an Pond. Sure enough, a single lamp flickered by the pond, illuminating a figure in a straw raincoat, quietly fishing—it was Emperor Jianwen!
Chen Fan glanced at it from afar, his expression unchanged.
This former emperor seems to be increasingly indulging in the idyllic state of sitting alone and fishing.
Chen Fan made no move to disturb them, but simply turned his gaze away and continued walking along the path.
Not far ahead, a rustling sound came from behind the artificial rockery, mixed with suppressed laughter and whispers.
Chen Fan paused, and with a gentle sweep of his divine sense, he "saw" the situation there!
A palace maid and a eunuch were snuggling together, whispering intimate words under the cover of night, their behavior quite intimate.
This familiar scene made Chen Fan's lips twitch slightly, revealing a somewhat strange smile.
He recalled witnessing similar scenes before, and how he would mutter "indecent" under his breath.
Looking back now, it seems understandable that these poor people in the deep palace could only secretly seek solace under such strict rules.
However, this did not stop Chen Fan from wanting to tease the couple at this moment.
Chen Fan cleared his throat, pinched his voice, and called out softly towards the artificial hill in a sinister and ethereal tone:
"There's a ghost..."
The sound wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear in the quiet night, carrying a chilling aura.
The commotion behind the artificial hill stopped abruptly, followed by two short gasps, a flurry of activity, the rustling of clothes, and footsteps.
The palace maid and eunuch were clearly terrified by the sudden noise. They abandoned their sweet talk and scrambled away to escape from the other side.
Watching their disheveled retreating figures, Chen Fan's smile deepened!
He shook his head, put his hands behind his back, and walked briskly away from this place of trouble.
This little incident seemed to have made him even happier.
Before long, the library came into view.
The courtyard was quiet; the young eunuch on guard was probably dozing off in some corner again.
Chen Fan was already used to this, and he walked into the pavilion without disturbing anyone.
Moonlight streamed through the window, casting dappled shadows inside the room.
Chen Fan didn't turn on the lamp; for his current eyesight, this light was enough to see everything clearly.
He walked straight to his usual desk by the window, brushed away non-existent dust, and sat down.
He did not immediately go to retrieve those classics, historical texts, philosophical works, or miscellaneous discussions on cultivation methods.
Instead, he carefully took out a book wrapped in cloth from his bosom.
Unwrapping the cloth, the three characters "Yin Ping Mei" on the cover were faintly discernible in the moonlight.
A look of almost devout concentration appeared on Chen Fan's face.
He turned the pages and began to carefully "observe" each one.
This was a fixed ritual he performed before each visit to the library to read.
He already knew the contents of the book by heart, but every time he reread it, he could feel a unique tranquility and joy that belonged to "art," as if it could wash away the dust on his soul and completely calm his restless mind.
In his own words, this is called "reviewing the old to learn the new," which always enhances one's appreciation of art.
About half an hour later, Chen Fan finally closed "The Plum in the Silver Vase," carefully wrapped it up again, and put it away.
At this moment, his eyes were clear and his face was peaceful. The trace of excitement left after his previous cultivation and the playful tone after teasing others had all disappeared. He had entered a state of tranquility, suitable for reading and thinking.
Only then did Chen Fan get up and walk to the rows of tall bookshelves.
Under the moonlight, the books on the shelves, densely packed with books, exuded the fragrance of ink and the unique scent of old paper. Chen Fan's gaze slowly swept over them, and finally he randomly picked out a few books, some containing miscellaneous notes about mountains and rivers, and others containing biographies of figures from previous dynasties.
He took the book back to his seat and, with the moonlight streaming in through the window, began to read intently.
Soon, Chen Fan became immersed in the world of the book.
Sometimes he would raise an eyebrow at a strange anecdote, and sometimes he would feel sentimental about the ups and downs of a person's fate.
Everything outside—the night, the palace, and even the worries of his own cultivation—seemed to have temporarily faded away from him.
At this moment, he was no longer the cautious and diligent old eunuch Chen Fan, but simply an ordinary reader who loved reading and sought peace in words.
Time slipped away quietly with the sound of pages turning.
The library was completely silent, save for the occasional soft rustling of the night wind through the eaves.
Chen Fan's state of mind also became increasingly calm and clear during this quiet reading.
This is exactly what he came here seeking.
At 3:45 AM, Chen Fan opened his eyes precisely on time.
After spending the night in the library, he slowly closed the book in his hands.
The sky outside the window had turned from deep black to a hazy gray-white, and the faint sound of the palace's morning gong could be heard in the distance.
Chen Fan rubbed his slightly sore eyes, put the book back in its place, and got up to stretch his slightly stiff muscles.
A night of reading completely calmed his mind, which had become slightly agitated due to his cultivation, and restored it to a state of tranquility.
Without alerting anyone, he left the library quietly, just as he had come, his figure blending into the dawning sky as he headed towards the Imperial Horse Stables.
By the time they returned to the Imperial Stables, it was already broad daylight.
Chen Fan habitually walked towards the horse pen first.
The imperial horses in the pen seemed to have long been accustomed to the eunuch's appearance at this time. A few of them raised their heads, snorted as a greeting, and then lowered their heads to chew on the leftover hay in the trough from the previous night.
Chen Fan didn't mind. He picked up a pitchfork and a wooden bucket and began to add fresh hay to each feeding trough. He then carried a bucket and replaced the stone trough with clean water that had just been drawn from the well.
He had done these jobs for decades and knew them by heart. His movements were unhurried and rhythmic, developed over the years.
After feeding the ordinary imperial horses, Chen Fan headed towards the kitchen.
As he approached, he heard the rhythmic breathing sounds coming from inside.
Pushing open the door, I saw Xiao Deng sitting cross-legged on a pile of hay next to the stove, his eyes slightly closed, with a faint aura of spiritual energy circulating around him, clearly practicing qi cultivation.
Chen Fan didn't disturb them, but just stood quietly at the door and watched for a while.
It seems that this little eunuch has been cultivating diligently day after day since he started, and although he is a bit slow, he has a solid foundation!