The Emperor and Empress Dowager had actually heard about the Cold King and his consort's plan to travel with Leng Jinyu.
If it weren't for the recent extensive purge of officials in the imperial court and the urgent need to stabilize the political situation and appoint new officials, the Emperor and Empress Dowager would have wanted to accompany the Cold King and his consort on their journey.
"Alas, how long will you be away this time before returning to the capital? Can you take me with you?" the Empress Dowager said humorously.
"Uh, Imperial Grandmother, we are not going out for sightseeing this time, but to find someone... We will definitely encounter many unknown risks along the way. Therefore, Li'er and the King cannot take Imperial Grandmother away from the capital. However, if we encounter any fun places or delicious food along the way, Li'er will definitely buy something for Imperial Grandmother and Father Emperor," Leng Ruo Li said sweetly.
"Alright then, Imperial Grandmother will not tag along and cause trouble."
The Empress Dowager said this, feigning a touch of grievance.
"Imperial Grandmother, next time, next time Li'er and the King go out to play, we will definitely bring you along."
Seeing the Empress Dowager's pitiful appearance, Leng Ruo Li felt genuinely distressed. Although the imperial palace had excellent environments and conditions, it lacked the freedom of the outside world. Staying for too long could lead to depression, as if being caged.
"Hmph! That's more like it."
Hearing Leng Ruo Li's words, the Empress Dowager's face lit up with a smile.
That evening, Leng Ruo Li and Jun Mohan stayed in the imperial palace and had dinner with the Emperor and Empress Dowager before returning to the Cold King's manor.
That night, Leng Ruo Li and Jun Mohan finalized the number of their retinue. Originally, Leng Ruo Li and Jun Mohan wanted to leave Ye Ying to guard the manor, but Ye Ying refused to stay. He insisted on accompanying them. Later, Xing'er and Ling'er also clamored to go with Leng Ruo Li and the others. In the end, the Cold King and his consort had no choice but to bring all four of them. Then, they selected ten attendant guards, namely Yin Yi... Yin Wu, Ye Yi... Ye Wu.
The entourage for this trip was quite substantial, mainly because the capital was relatively peaceful at the moment, so the Cold King and his consort did not need to leave too many people to guard the manor. The manor could be entrusted to the loyal and conscientious steward.
Early the next morning, just as the sky began to show the first light of dawn, Leng Jinyu packed his bags and arrived at the Cold King's manor alone.
Leng Ruo Li and Jun Mohan had also just woken up and tidied themselves.
Since they were all departing today, Leng Ruo Li and Jun Mohan were dressed neatly and efficiently.
Leng Ruo Li wore a snow-white, waist-cinching riding outfit, which made her slender waist appear even more captivating. The sleeves were also slightly tightened, and her hair was styled into a simple single coil, neatly tucking away her three thousand strands of silk. Her hair was adorned with only a white jade hairpin carved in the shape of a peony... Her attire gave her a more dashing appearance.
Jun Mohan also wore a white, waist-cinching long gown, with a white jade pendant at his waist. His hair was neatly tied up with a jade crown, not a single stray hair falling onto his shoulders. He also wore a pair of white boots embroidered with blue auspicious clouds. This attire made him look refreshed and gave him a gentle, jade-like temperament. Walking with Leng Ruo Li, they appeared to be wearing matching couple's outfits, which was precisely why Jun Mohan dressed this way.
When the two appeared before Leng Jinyu, he was completely stunned.
He had to admit that Jun Mohan's attire was quite fitting for his beloved daughter.
Leng Jinyu stared at the Cold King and his consort for a moment before Leng Ruo Li's call brought him back to his senses.
"Father, did you stay up all night? Why are your dark circles so heavy?" Leng Ruo Li asked, looking closely at Leng Jinyu.
Leng Jinyu, still dressed in his usual martial attire, answered somewhat awkwardly to his daughter's inquiry: "Last night, Father was thinking about what to say when I met your mother. That's why Father didn't sleep well last night."
"Oh, Father, you need to take better care of yourself. Otherwise, even if we find Mother, it would be bad if your health deteriorated." Leng Ruo Li couldn't help but nag him a bit.
"Alright, Father understands." Leng Jinyu quickly nodded.
Afterward, Leng Ruo Li collected the bundle hanging on Leng Jinyu and placed it into her portable system space.
Soon, Xing'er and Ling'er brought breakfast for the three of them. By the time they finished eating, the sky had just fully brightened.
The Cold King and his consort, along with Leng Jinyu, their two young maids, two leading guards, and the remaining ten attendant guards, majestically departed from the main gate of the Cold King's manor.
The Cold King and his consort, along with Leng Jinyu, rode in the same carriage. Ye Ying, Yin Chen, Xing'er, and Ling'er traveled in another carriage. The remaining ten guards rode on horseback, with five of them preceding the two carriages and the other five following behind. In this grand procession, they drove out of the gates of the capital.
Several days later, the Cold King and his consort, along with Leng Jinyu and their group, arrived safely at the East Sea.
The East Sea was a city located in the eastern part of the Tianwu Kingdom. It was close to the sea and primarily engaged in the seafood trade and salt extraction, serving as the main production area for the Tianwu Kingdom's salt. Its geographical location was of great importance to the Tianwu Kingdom.
Upon arriving at the East Sea, the Cold King and his consort's group disguised themselves as a merchant caravan. Even Leng Ruo Li changed into men's clothing.
Jun Mohan acted as the head of the caravan, Leng Ruo Li was Jun Mohan's personal bodyguard, and Leng Jinyu became Jun Mohan's accompanying manager. The rest of the people were all employees of the merchant caravan. In this manner, under the guise of discussing business, they entered the city gates of the East Sea.
The various stalls selling goods on the streets of the East Sea were all related to the sea. There were seashells, pearls, and coral stones of various shapes... and many other items that Leng Ruo Li couldn't even name. They were all incredibly peculiar and beautiful.
Many of the fish, shrimp, shellfish, sea cucumbers, conch, and other marine life were readily available.
At the same time, there were also various edible seaweeds and kelp... More than ten types could be seen at a glance.
Leng Ruo Li and the others were dazzled by the sight.
The Cold King and his consort walked forward, glancing at the stalls lining both sides of the street.
At this moment, a small but sharp-looking woman noticed Leng Ruo Li's group and hurried to call out to them:
"Come, come, sirs, if you have time, please come and take a look at my shell ornaments. My shell ornaments are the most beautifully made in the entire East Sea City."
Upon hearing this, Leng Ruo Li turned her head to look at the woman, nodded slightly, and smiled before continuing to walk forward.
Seeing that Leng Ruo Li and her group were not approaching her stall, the woman called out to Leng Ruo Li again, "Sirs, please don't go. It's fine if you don't buy anything, you can still come and take a look."