Shen Yuhan smiled faintly. The little princess was indeed clever. She had miscalculated just now; the people here had no idea where they came from.
Seeing their mysterious demeanor, they assumed they were fugitives apprehended by the court. If they knew the Emperor's origin, it might cause unnecessary panic.
"Alright," Shen Yu said, reaching out to pick up Xiao Yu'er. She turned to the woman, introducing with a faint smile, "This is my sister."
"What a cute little girl," the woman said, instantly fond of Xiao Yu'er. She reached out to pat her head and then went about her tasks. Shen Yu, holding Xiao Yu'er, led them inside.
The simple exterior of the civilian house belied its neat interior, complete with a small garden and a miniature rockery. Shen Yu led them through long, winding corridors, heading towards the back.
Unexpectedly, behind the house lay a bamboo forest. It turned out this entire row of houses was built outside the mountain, encircling it completely. Ordinary people would have no idea there was a mountain behind it.
Beyond the bamboo forest was a clear lake, bordered by hundreds of lush, green bamboo trees. Amidst the bamboo, a newly built bamboo house stood. Several people followed a small path toward it.
Outside the bamboo house door, a bamboo table was set up. Two people were playing chess – the Emperor and Ming Yue.
To cure the Emperor's illness, Ming Yue often played chess with him, honing his resilience to suppress the restless demonic energy within him. Without his irritable and wrathful nature, his blood flowed more placidly, which was beneficial for him.
At this moment, as they heard footsteps by the bamboo forest, both men looked up.
Only upon seeing Shen Yu's figure did they relax. Xiao Yu'er had already leaped from Shen Yu's embrace and rushed to her father's side, asking eagerly, "Father Emperor, are you alright?"
Liu Zun glanced at Shen Yu's side, a flicker of hope in his pupils, and unconsciously asked, "Isn't my wife coming?"
Xiao Yu'er replied softly, "Mother will be here soon. Father Emperor, don't worry. We'll all be able to live together then."
"Mm," Liu Zun said, his spirits lifting at the mention of family. His gaze shifted to Xiao Yu'er, and he naturally took her hand. "Come, Xiao Yu'er, let's play chess."
"Okay, Xiao Yu'er will play chess with Father Emperor."
Ming Yue immediately stood up, offering her seat to the little princess. The princess's chess skills were good. Her presence, accompanying the Emperor, would be beneficial in removing his fears and the blood clots in his mind.
Mo Chou looked at Shen Yu, concern evident in her eyes. Shen Yu pursed her lips and smiled faintly, saying, "I'm fine, don't worry."
"Mm, be careful," Mo Chou said softly, her eyes involuntarily drifting towards the Emperor. Although the Emperor was usually cold, he seemed more serene than in the past few days. Mo Chou asked Ming Yue, who was walking over, with concern.
"Has His Majesty improved?"
"Mm, he's alright. Living here, away from worldly disputes, is very beneficial for his condition. If it continues like this, the blood clots in his mind should be removed soon. You can reassure the Empress."
"Alright," Mo Chou nodded. At this moment, Ming Yue and Shen Yu leaned closer and asked in a low voice, "Did something happen in the palace?"
Otherwise, the Empress would not have sent Xiao Yu'er away. Once she was sent away, it seemed like a palace coup was imminent. Could it be that the fake Emperor had discovered something? If so, why didn't the Empress leave the palace?
"Since something has happened, why didn't the Empress come out with you? Isn't it more dangerous to stay in the palace?" Ming Yue asked worriedly.
Mo Chou furrowed her brows and sighed, "The Empress is afraid of implicating the Mu family. By remaining still, she is allowing her father to dismiss all the servants in the mansion.
"More importantly, if the Empress were to leave rashly, Shangguan Hao would surely fabricate a reason to slander her, leaving her unable to defend herself. At that time, it would likely cause bloodshed in Lin'an City.
"The Empress, knowing the danger, is deliberately not acting, simply waiting for that man to arrange a reason for her to step down.
"That way, it will not cause a change in the court. If the Emperor recovers, he will have to return eventually. The foundation of Xian Yue cannot be greatly shaken."
Mo Chou had followed the Empress for many years and often understood her thoughts.
After the four had spoken for a while, Bing Xiao urged Mo Chou to return to the palace, emphasizing the need for caution.
The two parted ways with Shen Yu and Ming Yue and left the mountain forest, departing from the row of civilian houses.
Mo Chou's gaze subtly shifted towards a certain direction. Bing Xiao, having heard about Mo Chou's background, asked with concern, "Why don't we go and see them?"
Mo Chou turned and shook her head resolutely, "At a time like this, it's better to remain stable."
The two immediately vanished into the night, heading back to the imperial palace...
In Jianyang Palace, Xi Men Xin Yue's greatest fear was the Emperor's arrival. With any slight disturbance, she would turn pale with fright, fearing something else would happen. So, when she heard the eunuch's voice announce,
"His Majesty arrives."
She wished she could faint immediately, so she wouldn't have to face that vicious man.
But before she could faint, Shangguan Hao, tall and clad in imperial yellow dragon robes, entered the main hall of Jianyang Palace.
Xi Men Xin Yue gazed at him dazedly. She saw that his expression was somewhat veiled, his dark eyes glinting with coldness. Xi Men Xin Yue's heart trembled.
She noticed that this man particularly liked wearing dragon robes, almost never taking them off, regardless of where he was.
Did this indicate that he was inwardly insecure, fearing his throne was unstable?
Xi Men Xin Yue's expression changed several times. Thinking of Lian Yan's death, her heart ached.
She had deep feelings for Lian Yan. Lian Yan had always taken care of and accompanied her, like a sister.
She hadn't realized it before, but after Lian Yan died, she understood. Now, it was as if her life lacked a backbone, and she had no strength to do anything.
And all of this was caused by her own foolishness.
Now, she deeply regretted it. If she had been content to be a secondary consort of Prince Nan'an, wouldn't she have lived a life of ease and plenty?
If she hadn't had such great ambitions, she would at least have lived happily.
But what was the use of regret? As long as she had a breath left, she could only be bound to this wild wolf. This was her fate now.
Xi Men Xin Yue tremblingly descended from her couch and greeted Shangguan Hao, "I pay my respects to His Majesty."
This time, Shangguan Hao did not make things difficult for her. Although his expression was grim, seeing her submissive attitude, his demeanor softened. He walked to her side, took her hand, and led her to the elevated couch, pulling her to sit beside him.
Xi Men Xin Yue's expression was vacant, devoid of any joy. If she were still that naive now, it would be a disgrace to Lian Yan's death.
This man was probably plotting something again, Xi Men Xin Yue said slowly.
"Why has Your Majesty deigned to visit this concubine?"