When the Emperor truly wanted to send a letter to Mu Changxi, he realized he had no idea where to send it!
When Mu Changxi left, to make him feel comfortable, the Emperor had not sent anyone to follow him, thinking they would eventually return to the capital to visit.
Now, however, when he needed to find them, he had no idea where to begin!
Thinking of this, the Emperor angrily looked at Eunuch Du, "What is going on? Under the heavens, all land belongs to the king. Where could they possibly go? How can they be unfound?"
Eunuch Du was also sweating profusely, "Your Majesty, please do not worry. This servant will immediately order people to send out official documents to all prefectures and cities. If they see the Prince of Chang's Mansion's heir, they must relay Your Majesty's wishes and have them return to the capital quickly."
This was the only method left.
But...
One day, two days, three days...
A full ten days passed, and there was no news from any of the prefectures!
Mu Changxi and Song Chaoyu, along with their two children, had seemingly "vanished into thin air."
When the Emperor saw the replies from the prefectures stating "not seen," he couldn't help but fly into a rage, "What do you mean 'not seen'? Why does everyone reply 'not seen' to me?! Could it be that the two of them have disappeared from this world?!"
Eunuch Du, startled, quickly knelt on the ground and replied cautiously, "Your Majesty, could it be that the Prince of Chang has already gone beyond the passes with the Princess? Don't they also have contact with the Hu tribes? Perhaps they've gone beyond the passes for a holiday!"
"It must be so!"
The Emperor frowned deeply, "Three months have passed, and they can't still be missing in the Great Yue Dynasty! They must have gone beyond the passes. This Chang'er, to avoid the troubles of the capital, has even disregarded me!"
"Hehe!"
Unexpectedly, Eunuch Du then chuckled, "If you ask this servant, it's for the best! That way, those people in the capital won't feel that everything is fine without Prince Chang. In the past, Prince Chang and the Princess suffered many grievances. When they return this time, they will find that everyone's attitude towards them has changed!"
"Hmm, this is good news."
The Emperor's expression finally improved slightly.
—
And at this very moment, just as the Emperor had guessed, Song Chaoyu and Mu Changxi were in the Northern Desert with the Hu tribes!
They had been traveling north with their two children for the past three months, disguised as ordinary citizens, enjoying the journey.
Upon reaching the Hu tribes, they were naturally welcomed.
The Hu tribes had an open and straightforward culture, were hearty and hospitable, and had also been on good terms with the Great Yue Dynasty for the past two years.
Therefore, the two of them were having a wonderful time here.
Of course, in reality, Mu Changxi and Song Chaoyu knew that the Emperor was looking for them.
Under the bonfire that day, they leaned against each other, feeling the unique life and atmosphere of the frontier.
However, Song Chaoyu noticed that Mu Changxi was holding an urgent letter sent from within the passes.
She smiled slightly, "This is the third letter in the past two days, isn't it? By now, the entire Great Yue Dynasty probably knows that the Emperor is looking for us!"
Mu Changxi seemed unconcerned, instead smiling faintly and tossing the letter into the bonfire in front of them, "Let him be! We'll enjoy ourselves, and stick to our plan. We won't change a single day!"
Song Chaoyu smiled again, "I knew you would have to return sooner or later. So I want to enjoy myself now, I fear I won't have this chance later, would I?"
There was nothing they couldn't say to each other.
Mu Changxi indeed turned back and gently kissed Song Chaoyu's temple, "Will you be angry? You clearly promised me that our family of three would wander the world from now on, but we still have to return to that place of strife. Will you be unhappy?"
Song Chaoyu shook her head, "I understand you. I know that even if the Emperor hadn't summoned you, with your temperament, you would definitely go back. That place... is our home, isn't it? After being away for so long, I really miss Grandmother!"
She gently linked her arm with Mu Changxi's, her voice becoming even gentler, "You wouldn't bear to leave the Emperor alone to face those messes, would you? But you're right! We should enjoy ourselves before we go back. It won't matter if the capital is without us for a day!"
"Good, we'll play for as long as you want!"
Mu Changxi stood up and raised his wine cup to Song Chaoyu, "Ayu, we must have gotten too used to living like immortals outside! As for that capital, the sky won't fall anyway!"
—
So, the very next morning, the Emperor received Mu Changxi's reply.
It was indeed sent from the Northern Desert Hu tribes, and the letter contained only two sentences: Do not disturb. We will return when it is time.
Do not disturb?!
Upon seeing these two words, a vein on the Emperor's forehead twitched, "Let these two go. They've gone wild outside! 'Do not disturb'?! Does that mean I'm disturbing them? Letting them enjoy themselves freely, leaving me alone in the capital to face those noisy ministers. This Prince of Chang is truly something!"
The Emperor was also acting rebelliously at this moment. He picked up his brush and wrote another letter to Eunuch Du, "Here, continue to send it! Send one every other day. I don't believe it, I will disturb them and urge them back, saying that there is no one to handle affairs in the capital. Let's see how they can peacefully enjoy themselves outside!"
Seeing the Emperor's exasperated look, Eunuch Du chuckled, "It's good that the Prince is returning. Your Majesty has been unhappy for many days, and today you finally smiled."
The Emperor then leaned back against the chair, his smile fleeting, "Alas... there are many matters in the capital now. My father's health is worsening. Bring him back to the palace for treatment in the next two days. And the Empress, I haven't visited her in a month. In two more months, the child should be born, right? Today, I will go and spend some time with the Empress. You tell the Office of Imperial Attendants to withdraw the green head card."
"That's wonderful!"
Eunuch Du also became joyful, "You haven't visited the Empress for a month, and the court officials have been discussing it."
"Mm."
But the Emperor's gaze remained cold, "Let them discuss. I have said that in this life, I will only have her as my Empress. But this does not mean she can do as she pleases. Alright, you may go and pass on the message. From now on, I will visit the Empress twice a month, and tell the court officials to stop their chatter."
That night, the Empress's palace was finally brightly lit.
However, the very next morning, a devastating piece of news came from the imperial resort outside the capital: the Supreme Emperor had passed away!
When the news of the Great Yue Dynasty's Supreme Emperor's demise reached Song Chaoyu and Mu Changxi, they had no choice but to suspend their frontier journey.
On the way back to the capital, Mu Changxi sighed, his face full of worry, "Even Father is helping the Emperor to call us back to the capital! From now on, we'll have to live in the capital!"
Song Chaoyu felt no unhappiness, "With us together, it's the same wherever we are, isn't it?"
As long as they were united as a couple, it was enough.
Epilogue: Return to the Court, Here We Come, Complete.